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墨書 Inktalez
Junxi nodded.
Jia Man was also dressed in sporty attire, wearing a white sweatshirt with her ponytail tied up high. Even without makeup, she looked beautiful.
"I hope you don't mind my uninvited visit," she said with a cheerful smile as she walked over to Junxi.
"Welcome," Junxi replied with a smile of her own, turning to put the papers in her hand into the printer.
The printer finally started spitting out paper, but the "chugging" sound couldn't drown out Jia Man's laughter, which made Junxi inexplicably irritated.
Zhou Ziyan and their group gradually arrived.
Xiaolin saw Jia Man and quietly leaned over to Junxi's ear, saying, "That woman has been glued to Mr. Zhou lately. They must be dating."
Junxi glanced over; Jia Man was sitting next to Zhou Xuanyu, leaning in close to whisper something in his ear while he listened intently.
"Who knows," Junxi replied nonchalantly, but she couldn't hide the hint of disappointment in her eyes as she turned away.
"I'd say it's a solid eight or nine out of ten."
"…"
Junxi sighed.
The laughter around her suddenly felt like it was blocked off from another world; she couldn't genuinely join in the merriment. The sight of Zhou Xuanyu and Jia Man whispering together felt like nails embedded in her heart, filling her with pain.
“Team Leader, can we set off now?”
Zhou Ziyan, not knowing where he had gotten a lollipop from one of his colleague's children, walked over with it in his mouth and asked her indistinctly.
His leg had healed well; there was no sign of any issues in his walking.
Junxi casually nodded.
“Don’t look so lifeless!” Zhou Ziyan raised his hand and flicked Junxi on the forehead. “We’re going out to have fun, so cheer up!”
“Where did you get that lollipop?” Junxi changed the subject.
“It’s from Xiaolin’s cousin, who’s coming with us,” Zhou Ziyan pointed casually and then laughed. “It’s really sweet; want to give it a lick?”
As he spoke, he pulled the lollipop from his mouth and swiftly brought it close to Junxi’s lips, almost touching them.
The sweet scent wafted into Junxi's nose; she recognized it as banana flavor.
“You idiot!” Junxi turned her head away and lightly scolded him.
Zhou Ziyan burst into laughter, drawing the attention of everyone around them.
Zhou Xuanyu was also watching them, his gaze piercing straight into Junxi's eyes.
“Let’s go.”
Junxi avoided his gaze and took Zhou Ziyan by the arm as they headed toward the door.
The bus was already waiting at the entrance.
Zhou Xuanyu drove, and Jia Man naturally followed him.
"There’s room for two more in the car. Who’s coming?" Jia Man stood next to Zhou Ziyan's Cayenne, speaking with a hint of authority.
Who would dare to just hop into the president's car? Everyone exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.
"Zhou Ziyan and Junxi, you two go ahead. We'll meet up there," Xiaolin quickly suggested, pushing this "challenging yet bright" task onto Junxi and the others.
Zhou Ziyan shrugged, having no objections.
Junxi had been in Zhou Xuanyu's car before, and it would seem overly pretentious to decline now, so she agreed.
One by one, everyone boarded the bus, while Junxi and her three friends waited until the bus had left before setting off.
Zhou Xuanyu was driving, with Zhou Ziyan in the passenger seat, while Junxi and Jia Man sat in the back.
Perhaps it was because of the two extra passengers, but the ride was unusually quiet. Zhou Xuanyu focused on driving, Jia Man gazed out at the scenery, and even Zhou Ziyan, who usually talked a lot, was particularly silent. The atmosphere felt somewhat strange.
"I’ve never been camping outside," Jia Man suddenly spoke up.
The two men in front didn’t respond.
"What about you, Junxi?" Jia Man turned to look at Junxi.
Junxi thought for a moment before answering, "I have."
She didn't need to think about it; she had never forgotten. That summer when she was seventeen, she went to the beach with her classmates and camped on the sand.
It wasn't her first time spending the night outside, but it left a particularly deep impression. As soon as she arrived, she suffered from heatstroke. While her classmates were outside enjoying themselves, she could only stay in the hotel to rest. Bored, she casually posted an update saying she had heatstroke and was lying in bed feeling miserable.
Before long, Zhou Xuanyu's call came in.
He didn't say much; he just asked where she was, down to the exact hotel and room number. Junxi was surprised he was going to come see her and he seriously asked, "I'm in America; is it too late for me to fly back now?"
There was no way he could actually fly back, but his concern meant more than anything.
Despite the time difference, he stayed on the phone with her for about an hour. Not long after they hung up, hotel staff arrived with medicine. There were all sorts of remedies like Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Water and Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Wan—anything that could treat heatstroke was there.
At first, she refused to take it, but the staff insisted it was Mr. Zhou who had called to instruct them, and they had to watch her take the medicine before they could leave.
The hotel staff were just doing their job; she had no choice but to obediently take the medicine.
The medicine worked well, and by the next day, she was completely fine.
The discomfort was gone, and she played around with abandon.
The sea, the beach, and her bikini—at seventeen, she was in her prime. The beautiful scenery complemented her well-developed figure; the quality of the scene rivaled that of professional models.
Her vanity flared up as she picked out all the prettiest photos to post online. She knew Zhou Xuanyu would definitely see them, but after waiting two days without a comment from him, she became frustrated and left him a message urging him to check it out. It felt like he was deliberately ignoring her. After a long wait, he finally replied with just one sentence.
"I shouldn't have let you take the medicine."
At that time, Zhou Xuanyu's feelings for Junxi could be described with a popular phrase: he doted on her. However, Junxi understood that this kind of affection had nothing to do with love.
In his eyes, she would always be just a child who couldn't be relied upon.
The camping spot was chosen in a small grove by the Azure East Sea. The atmosphere there was simply wonderful.
It was said that at night, the beauty of this place rivaled that of the polar regions. Thus, this small grove was known as the best camping site in Qingcheng.
Once they arrived, the men busily set about starting a fire and pitching tents, while the women prepared skewers and washed fruits, creating their own lively scene.
"Look, is there anything Mr. Zhou can't do?" Xiaolin winked at Junxi.
Junxi smiled; she had already noticed how skillfully Zhou Xuanyu set up the tent frame.
"He is quite capable. He is the person I admire most in this world," Jia Man gently chimed in from the side.
As Junxi was peeling an apple, she suddenly faltered with the knife in her hand. She had hidden her emotions for so many years, yet Jia Man expressed them so openly.
Indeed, there were no significant gaps to measure between her and Zhou Xuanyu, nor were there many past experiences to weigh and consider... Her excellence was enough to match his.
"Come on, it's time for the barbecue!" Zhou Ziyan called everyone over.
The grill was filled with various skewers, and everyone stood according to their preferences, flipping the food themselves, enjoying a self-sufficient feast.
"Junxi, I grilled a pair of chicken wings for you, your favorite," Zhou Ziyan said as he pulled Junxi to his side, proudly presenting the wings in his hand.
Zhou Ziyan's grilling skills were impressive; the chicken wings were tender without being charred, perfectly fragrant.
"I want some too," Jia Man said, looking at Zhou Xuanyu.
"I'll give you mine."
Before Zhou Xuanyu could respond, Junxi generously handed over the untouched chicken wing she held.
"Isn't that a bit much? Zhou Ziyan specially grilled those for you," Jia Man said with a smile, glancing at Zhou Ziyan.
Zhou Ziyan indeed looked somewhat displeased.
"Yeah, yeah, Zhou Gongzi made those just for you. You should enjoy them."
"These are heartfelt chicken wings; don't let Zhou Gongzi's effort go to waste."
"…"
At Jia Man's words, laughter erupted around them. Junxi felt her face flush, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
"I'll grill you another pair," Zhou Xuanyu spoke up, but it was directed at Jia Man.
"Oh…"
The noise grew louder, and the focus suddenly shifted to Jia Man.
Compared to Junxi's embarrassment, Jia Man simply smiled sweetly.
Junxi's suppressed emotions reached a breaking point after a whole day. Zhou Xuanyu's calm demeanor, which even seemed to bolster his popularity, made her quite frustrated.
What did he mean by that? Did he also misunderstand her relationship with Zhou Ziyan like everyone else? Or was he just genuinely trying to be nice to Jia Man?
Zhou Xuanyu's thoughts were like a riddle; she couldn't understand or decipher them.
"Sister, I need to go to the bathroom," Xiaolin's cousin suddenly said to her.
"Little sister, you want to eat this one moment and then need to go to the bathroom the next. I've spent the whole day taking care of you, young lady! Can you wait just a little longer?" Xiaolin said impatiently while fiddling with the barbecue skewer in her hand.
The little girl pouted, feeling a bit wronged but too timid to speak up again.
"I'll accompany her," Junxi said as she set down the chicken wing and walked over to Xiaolin's cousin.
"Thank you, Junxi!" Xiaolin expressed her gratitude while reminding them, "There are many bugs and snakes in these woods, so don't wander too far. Just find a spot nearby."
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