Shuishui looked at a rigid figure. "Actually, I find these things very magical."
Ziyu smiled and asked, "Why?" He looked at the figure, but he did not find anything magical about it.
"I don't know. It just gives me that feeling. Let's go there and take a look." Shuishui was looking around her. She was feasting her eyes on the different relics and items.
There were a few times when Shuishui wanted to break free from Mu Ziyu's hand, but he held her tightly. If she could not break free, then she would just continue to walk, with Mu Ziyu following behind.
Shuishui was walking in a hurry. Her body leaned forward and her feet slipped. Mu Ziyu pulled Shuishui into his embrace. "Be careful."
"En, en, thank you." Shuishui felt her palms sweating. He was still holding on to her.
"What do you want to eat later?" Mu Ziyu asked. It was time for supper.
"I want to eat buns," Shuishui answered directly. She suddenly wanted to eat soup dumplings, but she didn't say it. She didn't want to impose.
Mu Ziyu reached out and pinched Shuishui's nose. "You, why are you so cute?"
"I'm happy that you like it too," Shuishui replied casually.
Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but there were people behind them who overheard their conversation. 'What a sweet couple,' they thought.
"What do you think will happen if the school belle sees this?" someone asked. Many students knew that the school belle had long been an admirer of Mu Ziyu. She had been pursuing Mu Ziyu, but he never gave her a chance. When news broke that Mu Ziyu was already in a relationship, she did not believe it. The girls who saw Ziyu and Shuishui did not have any choice but to believe that Ziyu was indeed in a relationship.
No one had ever seen Mu Ziyu's affectionate and warm side before. They felt lucky to have witnessed how he took care of the object of his affections.
Shuishui lowered her head and thought for half a minute. "I remember that there is a steamed bun shop along the food street. Shall we go there and try it?"
Shuishui had never been to the steamed bun shop before. She had only heard about it. She once passed by it and noticed its unique signboard. It left an impression on her.
"All right. Let's go now." He pulled Shuishui away and headed towards the exit. He actually did not want too many people to see Shuishui. He was actually disgusted by how the others listened to their conversation and peeked behind them. He felt it it was better to leave.
They quickened their pace and left the library.As they left, some of the girls took out their phones and took photos of their back. Some even photo in group chats with the caption: "Big news! Our campus belle Mu has a girlfriend, and she's quite pretty. I wasn't able to take a picture of her face, but I can tell just by looking at her back that she's a little beauty."
"We can't even see the face. This has to be fake news!"
"Yeah. Who knows if she's real or not?"
"Yeah. It can be very deceptive."
Everyone was talking about it. Though everyone was not convinced, there were others who believed it because they saw it themselves.
Someone with a basic profile picture suddenly sent a message: "Nonsense."
After that, no one said anything anymore. This person was the belle of their Chinese department, and it was rumored that she also liked Mu Ziyu.
"Sister Hua, this is true. Everyone saw them in the library today. How can it be nonsense? Also, Mu Ziyu dotes on his girlfriend very much. They were holding hands the whole time. Isn't it sweet?" After a while, many more people jumped into the conversation thread to talk about it.
The department belle did not speak anymore. The thread was already filled with more and more people.
Everyone loved to gossip, especially if it was about the famous people in school.
Shuishui got into the car and smiled as she said, "They all know you. I didn't expect you to be quite famous."
"Not really. Actually, I don't know many people inside. You're going to Beijing by yourself tomorrow. Are you afraid?" Mu Ziyu ignored the people at the library because he was not familiar with them. He also considered Shuishui's feelings, especially because he brought her along.
Shuishui leaned against the cushion. "I'm not afraid. It's not that far anyway. Besides, my dad's friend will be there to pick me up."
Mu Ziyu drove away from the campus and headed towards the city center. The city center would be bustling with activity at that time of the day. It would be highly congested and noisy too.
Shuishui felt that they would find it difficult to park along the inner main streets because of the heavy crowds, so she asked Ziyu if he could park his car farther away from the shop. They could just walk from their spot to the steamed bun shop.
Mu Ziyu naturally agreed to Shuishui's suggestion. They were quite lucky. They soon found a vacant parking spot.
As they got off the car, Mu Ziyu pulled Shuishui towards him and grabbed her hand. There was no one else with them, so they could express their affection for each other to their heart's content.
He was annoyed by the presence of other men around them. He was worried that they would approach Shuishui if he was not by her side. Of course, he was most worried that Shuishui would stray away from him and that he would lose her in the crowd.
Shuishui looked sideways at Mu Ziyu. "Tell me . . . what do you like about me?"
"Everything."
"What if I don't accept you?" Shuishui asked.
Mu Ziyu stopped, turned around, and looked at Qian Shuishui seriously. "Then I will work hard and pursue you until you accept me."
Shuishui walked around and held on to Mu Ziyu. She laughed and said, "I see. Let's go. Let's pass through the shortcut so that we can get to the gourmet street as soon as possible."
Mu Ziyu looked at Shuishui as she walked ahead of him. He laughed and said in a low voice, "Why do you think so much? We are together now. I will do my best to protect this relationship."
When they found the steamed bun shop, they walked in. Shuishui ordered their specialty soup and meat buns. "I haven't tried those before. I don't know if they're good or not."
"It's okay. Try it. If you don't, you won't know. If you like it, I will accompany you here if you want to eat it again." Mu Ziyu's spoke in a very soft and gentle tone, and he gazed at Shuishui affectionately.
Shuishui looked up and smiled when she saw the server approach with their order. "Look."
When the steamed buns were served, Shuishui grabbed one and tried it immediately. It was still steaming hot. She accidentally burned her lips. Mu Ziyu hurriedly poured water for Shuishui and looked at her lips. "It's still hot. Let it cool first."
Shuishui nodded and stuck out her tongue. "I was too excited."
"Yeah. Did you burn anything else?" Mu Ziyu reached out to grab Shuishui's chin and gently lifted it up.
"No. Just a little bit on the lips." Shuishui felt awkward and a bit shy with how he held her, as if he was teasing her.
Mu Ziyu saw that Shuishui felt a bit embarrassed and gently let go of her chin.
After supper, Mu Ziyu sent Shuishui home and urged her to rest early.
Mu Ziyu walked Shuishui to the door and left a kiss on her forehead before he left. "Rest early tonight. Send me a message before you leave tomorrow. Call me when you arrive at the airport. Call me when you get there to tell me that you are safe, understand?"
"Okay. Don't worry. I will send you a message. When I arrive at the airport, I will give you a call if I am able to register. Is that okay?" She could not guarantee that she would be able to call. It would depend on the situation.
"It's good that you remember. If you forget about me, I will be very sad," Mu Ziyu said as he patted Shuishui's head. "Go to sleep. I will leave once you're safe inside."
Shuishui opened the door and entered the apartment. "You can go back now. It's getting late. You have to be careful. I'm very happy about our date tonight."
She closed the door and patted her chest. It really felt like her heart was moved.
Mu Ziyu couldn't help but laugh. 'How cute.'
Shuishui prepared her suitcase and washed up before she went to bed.
She woke up at six o'clock the next day. She packed her other necessities and called her father.
"Shuishui, I just dropped by the laundry shop and picked up your clothes. I am on my way. I'll be at your apartment in five minutes. You should come down to the door and wait for me." Qian An sounded tired. Shuishui knew that it was difficult for her father to be up so early.
"Dad, be careful on the road."
She didn't say much. After all, there were some things that didn't need to be said.
She carried her light suitcase downstairs and waited by the main door for her father.
Shuishui waved her hand when she saw her father's car. "Here."
The car stopped right in front of Shuishui. Shuishui placed her suitcase in the trunk and got in the car. "Dad, as soon as you drop me off at the airport, go home and rest."
"Okay, I will. Your plane leaves at eleven o'clock. I am also worried about the traffic. Anyway, I put two bottles of wine in the trunk. It's my gift for my friend. His surname is Jiang. His name is Jiang Yuan. I will give you a photo of him. I told him that you will arrive at two o'clock in the afternoon. Once you arrive, call me and let me know if you are safe, got it?" Qian An was actually a little worried. After all, Shuishui was still a child.
Shuishui laughed. "Dad, are you still worried about me? It's okay. Besides, you can't lie to me even if you want to. Also, Teacher Li taught me self-defense. Even if I can't beat an enemy or attacker, I can still run," Shuishui teased her father.
Qian An found it quite adorable. "I know. It's safer at the airport. Call me."
Shuishui soon fell asleep in the car. When they reached the airpirt, Qian An roused Shuishui and woke her up. "Shuishui, get up. We're here."
"Eh?" Shuishui was confused. "We're here? I'll get up then."
She carried her things out of the car and put her dry-cleaned clothes into the suitcase. She held the wine in her hand and carried with her the photo of her dad's friend. Then, she entered the airport.
She took out her boarding pass and had her luggage checked. She submitted herself for external physical examination. Airport personnel were strict in ensuring that no illegal items were brought on the plane.
After breezing through security check, Shuishui looked at the time. She realized that it was already eight o'clock sharp. She went to buy a cup of coffee and sat outside the registration gate. At the same time, she called Mu Ziyu.
She forgot to send him a text message that morning. When she arrived at the airport, she remembered what Mu Ziyu had said the previous day about sending him a message.
Ziyu quickly answered the call. Shuishui felt a little embarrassed. "Ziyu."
"Shuishui, you forgot to send me a text message, right?" Mu Ziyu guessed that Shuishui was already at the airport.
Shuishui laughed dryly. "That's right. That's why I called you now. I'm already here. I will board the plane at ten thirty. I'm sitting outside now, waiting."
"That means that you can chat with me for two hours." Mu Ziyu smiled happily.
"Yeah. If there's enough time." Shuishui smiled faintly.
"Have you eaten breakfast?"
Shuishui talked to Ziyu to while away the time.
They talked for more than two hours. Time passed quickly, and it was soon time for Shuishui to board the plane. It was time to end the call. She said slowly, "I'm about to board the plane now. I'll call you when I get there. Don't worry."
"Okay. We're sailing against the wind. I'll wait for you to tell me that you're safe." Mu Ziyu looked at his phone. The call had already ended, but he was still thinking of Shui shui. Not long after they parted ways, he began to think of her, her smile, the way she stared at him, and the way she would curiously look around. He had found her more adorable. He was drawn to her more because he found her more interesting and very attractive.
The flight was very smooth. They flight departed on time and even arrived in Beijing early.
When she got on the plane, she put on her sleep mask and went to sleep.
Upon arriving at the destination, Shuishui, carrying the bottle of wine, walked to the baggage carousel to wait for her luggage.
After passing through security check and getting her luggage, she walked out and took a look at her phone. She had received so many messages. She sent a message to her father and Mu Ziyu to let them know that she was safe. She took out the photo of her father's friend and walked out. She looked around her to see if Uncle Jiang had already arrived.
She didn't find anyone who looked like him as she walked out of the airport. Suddenly, someone tapped her from behind. He reached out and gently patted Shui shui's shoulder. "Are you Shuishui?"
Shuishui was shocked when she turned her head and saw a handsome middle-aged man. He wore a flowery outfit and sunglasses and looked quite fashionable. She studied his appearance and thought that he looked a little familiar. She glanced at the photo and looked at the man again. "Uncle Jiang?" she asked with a hint of doubt.
"It's me. Don't tell me that I don't look like the person in your photo?" Uncle Jiang laughed. He even touched his chin in a very exaggerated manner and posed.
Shuishui smiled awkwardly. "You look quite different in the photo. Also, you look very trendy in person, so I was unable to recognize you."
She had already seen him when she arrived but simply looked away because she didn't think it was him. She did not tell him because she feared it might make him feel awkward.
Jiang Yuan laughed loudly. "Let me help you carry your luggage. The car is just outside. You should be hungry. We will go and eat something delicious."
Shuishui nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Jiang. My luggage isn't heavy. I can carry it myself. This is the wine my father asked me to give you."
"En, let me carry it. Look at my arms. Don't underestimate them. I like to go to the gym. I have a lot of muscles," he said jokingly as he took the wine and luggage.
Shuishui walked beside him and didn't say anything more.
When they exited the building, she saw a black Bentley. Jiang Yuan put everything in the trunk and opened the passenger door for Shuishui. "Get in the car."
As soon as Shuishui got in the car, Uncle Jiang talked relentlessly. "How's your father now? We've recently talked over the phone. He told me he's fine, but I think he sounded quite tired."
"I think he's busy with a lot of things at the office. He's busy every day," Shuishui replied.
"Yeah, but it's okay. He's lucky and he's not stupid. Your father already told me about the matter concerning you. I didn't expect that woman to do this. But don't worry. Moving out your household registration over to mine is definitely the wisest choice. I suggested it to your father. He wasn't happy at first. Do you think he's really all right with it?" he said to Shuishui. Shuishui was confused.
She didn't understand. "Was it your request?"
"Yeah. At that time, he called me and asked me to think of a way. Although you can't be my daughter-in-law, you can be my goddaughter. I have three children, and they're all sons. I never had a daughter. Your father and I are very good friends, and you can be moved to my household registration as my goddaughter," he explained and went straight to the point.
Shuishui nodded and smiled. "I know that you are my father's good friend. My father said that you're his only brother."
"Of course. We went through thick and thin together in the past. I don't really remember everything, but Qian An really hasn't changed," Jiang Yuan said in a sad tone.
He then became a little excited. "Let me think about where to take you for lunch. How about roast duck?"
Shuishui didn't know what he was excited about. "Sure. I'm not picky."
Jiang Yuan then mocked his three sons. "That's good then. My sons are picky eaters. I don't eat this and I don't eat that."
Shuishui was embarrassed. Who said that about their own sons?
"I heard from your father that you are doing really well in school. My eldest son is in the third year of junior high and is a year ahead of everyone. He has good grades, but you are more experienced because you passed the middle school examination. You can teach him." Jiang Yuan heard Qian An say that Shuishui performed well in school. He did not know the details.
"Actually, I'm not really that experienced." Shuishui did not know what to say. How could she say that she did not care about his son at all?
Jiang Yuan felt that Shuishui did not like to talk much. Was she the quiet type?
He wanted to ask Shuishui about her hobbies so that he would know where to take her. He would treat her well as it was her first time in Beijing and she was the daughter of his good friend. "What do you usually like to do?"
Shuishui thought for a few seconds and said, "Read a book and then watch the news."
By mentioning that she liked watching the news, she actually meant that she liked being updated on news concerning science and technology, physics, and modern technological advancements.
When Jiang Yuan heard this, he realized that Shuishui was basically just a good, well-behaved and quiet girl. He felt that Qian An had raised her right. He felt that his own son was more uncivilized. He did not know if they would get along. He was a little worried that his eldest son would bully Shuishui. It was completely possible, since he had already heard that his eldest son would pick on other female students in school. His son made one of them cry, and he even went to school to resolve the matter.
"Since you like reading, have you already considered what university you want to attend?" he asked. He suddenly realized that Shuishui was still a first-year high school student. It was too early to ask.
"Yes. There are two polytechnic universities here in the capital," Shuishui answered without thinking.
"Oh."
Jiang Yuan suddenly remembered something. "I heard from my eldest son that there are a few universities holding open days this week. Do you want to go and take a look? " Jiang Yuan felt that Shuishui would want to tour the universities, as well as learn about their teaching quality and methods of teaching.
Shuishui blinked. "Sure."
Jiang Yuan felt satisfied. "I'll just ask about it when we get back. It's a good thing that you love to learn. I like children who love to learn. If only my eldest son could be half as quiet as you." His head spun as he thought of his eldest son. Adolescent children were indeed a little noisy. He had decided to simply ignore his son's misha** and turned a blind eye.
They had already driven for more than an hour. Shuishui felt that she had not had a moment's rest since she got in the car.