Chapter 5, Nanpu (Part 1)

However, the thesis left her overwhelmed, so she invariably declined all invitations, not even wanting to say much. Zhao Chunian should have noticed her occasional impatience; he often just said, "Then you must be busy," and left it at that. Remembering these trivial details, Meng Ti felt an immense sense of guilt and recounted the matter of rewriting her thesis in full detail.

The two individuals returned to the bookstore, which went remarkably smoothly. Meng Ti paid for the books, disregarding the dust on them, and held the books close to her chest, finally letting out a long sigh of relief

Are you still angry? Two weeks ago, every time I invited you, you refused to come out

Zhao Chunian smiled noncommittally and said, "Let's go."

Such a dazzling appearance, in contrast to the sunlight, seems like ice and snow, melting in strands among his hair.

"Are you sure?" Meng Ti retorted. Zhao Chunian's expectations for this book would not be lower than her own. She had thought it would require a great deal of explanation, with a mind full of drafts, yet it was resolved so easily. The contrast was truly overwhelming; she blinked in disbelief and said, "Such a simple matter is certainly no problem."

Zhao Chunian remained composed, his smile unchanged: "Novels under the pen name Fan Ye are not difficult to find; I assume you have them all. However, I have been collecting them, and I have gathered nearly all the different versions from various publishers. As for the novels under the pen name Ku Huai, there are no extra editions, but I have collected three copies. If we include the one you have, that makes it the fourth one."

She was so excited that Zhao Chunian was somewhat taken aback. After looking at her for a while, he said, "It's almost noon now, and it would be too late to buy groceries and cook. How about we eat out and then go back? What do you think? I'll treat you."

In fact, they did not walk to the cafeteria together; at present, the two of them were merely standing on the road, and people had already begun to glance over one after another. Zhao Chunian smiled softly, reached out to take her hand, and half-dragged her as they walked again towards the school gate

What? Meng Ti looked at him nervously, fearing it might be a condition for land cession and indemnity

The realization struck them both at once; they had come for the same book. They exchanged a glance, and as their eyes met, they both smiled simultaneously. Zhao Chunian nodded and then shook his head, filled with emotion: "I am truly surprised; I never expected that the girl who noticed this book before me would be you"

Meng Ti's mind went blank, her heart pounding like a drum, and her heels instinctively shifted, causing her to quietly take a step back. Once she steadied herself, her breathing gradually calmed down, and she looked up as if nothing had happened, her composure so perfect it was as if she were wearing a lifelike human mask. Today, she was dressed in warm, bright colors, her smile gentle and her demeanor polite: "Teacher Zhao, what are you doing here?"

Zhao Chunian did not expect Meng Ti to be outside while he was lifting the curtain, and he was clearly taken aback. The joy on his face was sincere, evoking a sense of emotion: "Meng Ti, you are also at the bookstore? What a coincidence, it truly feels like we meet everywhere under the heavens."

Meng Ti's eyes sparkled as she suddenly broke free from his grasp, wrapping her arms around his, nearly throwing herself onto him: "Ah, ah, what information do you have?"

Meng Ti rarely encounters a confidant, and excitedly reveals: "This is a book by my favorite author Fan Ye, who is said to use the pen name Ku Huai. I came across an article about him some time ago, which is why I am now searching for his works everywhere"

Meng Ti's lips curled slightly. Although the person in front of her was a teacher, she would never give up on "m.hetushu.com.com Meng Chen." Looking at Zhao Chunian's face, which bore a smile that was neither fully a smile nor a frown, she paused before saying: "Teacher Zhao, do not expect me to practice the principle of 'Kong Rong yielding pears.' I was the first to see that book; I personally dug it out from that old book box." She raised her hand, "You can see that I still have a lot of dust on my hands. In any case, I will never give it to you. Of course, I have no problem lending it to you for copying."

Indeed, there are always stronger individuals among the strong. Meng Ti felt that she was left with only the strength to marvel, as if she were in a dream. Her eyes, already large, widened into a pair of apricot-shaped eyes, staring blankly at Zhao Chunian, her pitch-black pupils shimmering with light, a trace of almost imperceptible guilt rising in her heart

What? Am I angry?

Meng Ti let out a sound of "Ah," and then said, "May I borrow the books from your place to take a look?"

Since you desire it, I cannot possibly contend with you in any way

Alright, alright," Meng Ti lian nodded repeatedly, "Is anyone inviting us to dinner? That would be truly wonderful, but it seems there is none.

I indeed think so; otherwise, where would we go

"I can borrow this book from you to read at any time, how about that?" Zhao Chunian said with a smile, "I guarantee I won't damage it"

Meng Ti agrees: "That is indeed correct"

You can watch it anytime, and it is fine to watch it today as well

It was almost noon, and Zhao Chunian looked at the sky: "Let us not discuss that powerful computer anymore. Why do you insist on buying that book 'Dusty'?"

This morning, after getting up, Meng Ti has been excited until now, feeling that today is indeed a day of great fortune. Immersed in the joy of borrowing a computer and buying books, her enthusiasm surged, and she couldn't help but boast extravagantly about that computer from www.hetushu.com. Zhao Chunian smiled silently, and finally said, "I know"

"That... Zhao Laoshi," Meng Ti said cautiously as she discussed with him, "It turns out you like him even more than I do, and you've already collected so much. I was really inconsiderate to compete with you for the book. How about this: you wait for me to make a copy of the book, and then I will return this copy of 'Meng Chen' to you"

Zhao Chunian felt the warmth of her palm, while a certain emotion called restraint also came over him. He patted her head and smiled slightly with confidence: "Just follow me."

Indeed quite a coincidence, Meng Ti smiled with her lips pressed together, while her boss behind her had already called out: "That's right, little girl, he also wants to buy that book."

Two individuals returned to school and parked their bicycles in the parking lot next to a teaching building at an intersection. Students emerging from the nearby teaching building walked in small groups towards the cafeteria, appearing somewhat hesitant. Zhao Chunian is her teacher, and he is exceptionally handsome—reportedly, although he has been at Ping University for less than a month, almost everyone in the College of Arts knows him. He is also taking three elective courses, with students scattered across various colleges and grades throughout the school—sitting with him in the cafeteria for a meal, the level of attention is undoubtedly considerable.

The words were spoken with utmost sincerity, yet Meng Ti turned her head away, thinking to herself, why are you still imposing conditions on me

Mengtian's bicycle was right outside the bookstore. In her haste just now, she had completely forgotten to lock it, and the key was still dangling from the lock, glinting brightly and quite eye-catching. At this moment, seeing it, Mengtian felt a bit of belated fear. Zhao Chunian said, "Be more careful next time," and had already reached out to push the bicycle before her, signaling her to walk beside him as they slowly exited the book fair.

Indeed, hetushu.com is worthy of a literature department doctor's degree. If others were to hear this news, they would surely be taken aback. He didn't even blink, merely nodding slightly: "Yes, Kuhuai is indeed his pen name. However, very few people know about this. That was an article in 'Reading Notes', right? I remember that magazine only lasted for half a year before it went out of business. It is quite a coincidence that you were able to see it."

Meng Ti jumped onto the back seat, tugging at Zhao Chunian's collar from behind. Zhao Chunian rode the bicycle, swiftly turning out of the book market and onto the main road back to the school. The wind, laden with moisture, brushed against his cheeks, while sunlight streamed past in front of him. The young man's body, partially visible beneath his white shirt, seemed to reveal the contours of his muscles, both supple and warm

Zhao Chunian let out a long breath: "So that's how it is, it's good to have borrowed the machine."

The bookstore owner's gaze swept back and forth between the two: "I see you were just having a great conversation; it turns out you know each other. It's rare to see two people who both like this book; what a coincidence. You two must be kindred spirits, right?"

Meng Ti was much more excited than he was, reaching out to grab his sleeve: "Even Uncle Zheng doesn't know the relationship between Ku Huai and Fan Ye, yet you know? Do you, like me, have feelings for him? Have you studied him? What other works does he have? Right now, I feel like I'm searching for a needle in a haystack, looking everywhere for his books, but aside from one copy of 'The Reverse Journey' and this one in my hand, I can't find anything else."

Zhao Chunian finally couldn't hold back any longer, kicked the bicycle stand with his heel, released the handlebars, and gently stroked her hair, saying softly: "Thank you for your willingness to part with it. However, it is no longer necessary now"

Meng Ti was taken aback, pondering for a while where this inexplicable anger from Tu Shu Miao came from. After a long time, she recalled the minor unpleasantness from that evening and quickly denied it repeatedly. During this period, Zhao Chunian frequently called or texted her, inviting her out or offering to treat her to a meal. Meng Ti sometimes found it surprising; clearly, he had many classes and was as busy as a university student, spending most of his time at school from Monday to Friday. How could he have so much free time to invite her out?

Meng Ti then recalled that Zhao Chunian also held degrees in software and electronics, realizing that she was clearly out of her depth, much like a deflated ball. She chuckled awkwardly a couple of times, saying, "Hehe, yes."

Zhao Chunian turned around and got on the bicycle, nodding at Meng Ti: "Get on, let's first return to school to put your bicycle back, then we can go eat, and afterwards head to my house. I see your bike is quite sturdy, carrying both of us will be no problem."

"That's quite a good proposal, but..." Zhao Chunian noticed her expression becoming increasingly serious and solemn. He smiled and completed his sentence, "How about adding one more condition?"

The blood in her veins was boiling, in a state of intense burning. Meng Ti pulled Zhao Chunian's arm and said, "Today? Great, great. Let's go, let's go."

Meng Ti was completely puzzled: "Ah, what should I do?"

You don't think I want to invite you to eat in the cafeteria, do you

She spoke rapidly, clearly someone who had been feeling frustrated for years without an outlet. Zhao Chunian took the opportunity to hold her hand, which was soft and beautiful, almost devoid of any bone structure. He quietly listened to her, smiling as he gazed at her hopeful face. After a moment, he revealed a smile: "You’ve said so much, how am I supposed to respond? I have a certain understanding of Fan Ye, perhaps a bit more than you do. I have collected a lot of information related to him, and I have tried to find as many of his books as possible"