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Under the Hoop: Our Secret Youth
墨書 Inktalez
1
In early summer, Jiangcheng's weather was unpredictable. Lin Wan left the school and realized that it was overcast outside, with light rain falling.
To get to Hongzhuang Restaurant, she had to cross most of the city. She glanced at the time and quickened her pace to get in the car. It was the weekend, and she had arranged to have dinner with her parents to discuss her marriage with Chen Wu.
She had a lot on her plate at school, and by the time she finished, it was already late. Coupled with the bad weather, which often caused traffic jams, she drove hurriedly but still ended up being over an hour late.
At the entrance of Hongzhuang Restaurant, Chen Wu was waiting. He had one hand in his pocket and held his phone in the other. When he saw her approaching, he tucked his phone away and opened an umbrella to greet her.
Lin Wan handed him the car keys, and they walked into the restaurant together.
"Uncle and Aunt are already here," Chen Wu said quietly as he handed the keys to the doorman. "My parents are on their way and should be here soon."
Lin Wan nodded without saying anything and followed him inside.
Chen Wu walked ahead and slightly turned to block the glass door with his body, shielding her as they entered. Lin Wan turned her head, her gaze landing on his face for a moment.
Chen Wu seemed to sense it too; he turned his head to meet her eyes and smiled, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Lin Wan shook her head and looked away. "Let's go."
The restaurant was warm inside, so Lin Wan took off her coat and draped it over her arm as she followed Chen Wu into the private room.
The private room was lively; her parents and Chen Wu's Aunt and Uncle were all present.
"Xiao Yuan is here," Chen Wu's Aunt, Chen Qingyue, was the first to speak, smiling as she greeted her. "Come sit over here."
Lin Wan smiled back and called out "Aunt," taking a seat as instructed.
"Xiao Wu can sit too," Chen Qingyue added, "You two are the main characters today."
Chen Wu also smiled and sat down next to Lin Wan.
"We're here to discuss wedding plans," Chen Wu's uncle began, handing the menu to a waiter before turning to Lin Wan's parents. "The two kids have discussed it already; the wedding date is set for the sixth of next month. Shall we talk about it?"
Lin Wan's parents naturally had no objections, so both sets of parents began enthusiastically discussing wedding arrangements—everything from the wedding date to housing arrangements, from hotels to transportation details.
Lin Wan found herself a bit dazed. Just a month ago, she and Chen Wu were strangers. Now, they were about to get married.
-
A month ago.
Lin Wan was pressured by her mother into a blind date. She was 28 years old this year, had a stable job, was beautiful, and had many suitors; however, she had never given any of them a chance.
The reason is simple: there is someone in her heart.
In high school, she had a crush on a boy from the neighboring class. That boy was Chen Wu, good-looking, academically excellent, and the captain of the school basketball team, making him quite popular in school. At that age of budding romance, Lin Wan, like any ordinary girl, fantasized about having a sweet relationship with her crush. Unfortunately, by the time they graduated, she never managed to express her feelings to him.
After graduation, she returned to her hometown, Jiangcheng, for university and gradually buried those feelings deep within her heart. However, every time she passed by the high school campus or walked by their old classroom, memories would resurface. It turned out that liking someone, even if kept silently in one's heart, is something that cannot be forgotten.
But after all these years, Lin Wan understood clearly that she and Chen Wu were from two different worlds. Chen Wu did not perform well in the college entrance examination and ended up attending a vocational college. His family situation was average; both of his parents were not in good health, and he had a younger sister to take care of. Such circumstances forced him to enter society early and struggle for a living.
On the other hand, her parents were healthy, her job was stable, and she had many suitors. They would never intersect in this lifetime. Therefore, she followed her parents' wishes and went on blind dates. Little did she expect that her blind date would turn out to be Chen Wu.
That day, after finishing work, she went to a restaurant as agreed. When she arrived, Chen Wu was already there. He wore a black casual jacket, his hair cut slightly shorter, and his profile was well-defined. As Lin Wan walked over, he happened to look up at that moment.
In that instant of eye contact, Lin Wan's mind went blank with a buzzing sound. It felt as if she saw the Chen Wu from high school again. He had already stood up and gentlemanly pulled out a chair for her. "Lin Wan?" he asked.
Lin Wan snapped back to reality and smiled gratefully. "Thank you."
Sitting across from each other, Lin Wan felt a bit awkward. Chen Wu seemed much more at ease and started chatting about the past: "We went to the same high school, right? I graduated two years ahead of you."
"Yes," Lin Wan nodded, trying to appear more natural. "When I was a freshman, you were in your senior year."
"Did you ever come to watch our basketball games?" Chen Wu asked.
"I saw one or two," Lin Wan replied. "You played really well back then."
Chen Wu laughed. "Really? It's a pity I didn't do well on the college entrance exam later."
He brought up the past openly while Lin Wan wasn't sure how to respond. She fell silent until Chen Wu asked, "What about you? Where did you go to university?"
"Right in Jiangcheng," Lin Wan said, "Jiangcheng University."
"That's great," Chen Wu replied, "I've heard it's a school full of beautiful women."
Lin Wan didn't know how to respond and just smiled.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward.
Fortunately, the food arrived, and as they ate and chatted, the mood improved slightly.
As the meal was nearing its end, Chen Wu suddenly asked her, "Lin Wan, what do you think of me?"
Lin Wan was taken aback and answered honestly, "You're great."
"Then can we get married?" Chen Wu asked.
Lin Wan: "……"
She suspected she had misheard him.
Chen Wu leaned back in his chair, looked at her, and repeated, "Can we get married?"
Lin Wan pressed her lips together, momentarily at a loss for words.
Chen Wu smiled slightly: "I run a repair shop, but business is pretty good. My income is considered above average in Jiangcheng, and if we get married, I can provide you with a good life."
Lin Wan opened her mouth but still didn't know what to say.
It was too sudden.
She had just met him for the first time, and he was already proposing marriage.
Chen Wu didn't rush her for an answer and continued, "I'm thirty now, I've been through one marriage already, and I don't want to waste time dating. I think you're great; if possible, let's just get married."
Lin Wan looked at him and finally found her voice: "C-can you let me think about it?"
Chen Wu nodded: "Of course."
His attitude was calm, but Lin Wan felt flustered.
Back home, she threw herself onto the bed and reflected on today's blind date.
She never expected to see Chen Wu again.
Even more surprising was that he had proposed marriage.
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