When they returned to the hotel, Zhou Yuwen still bought the clothes Zhang Nannan liked. Zhang Nannan was pleasantly surprised and said she was just kidding and didn't really need it.
Zhou Yuwen, being straightforward, said, "Take it. I don't like owing others. You treated me to dinner, so it's only right for me to buy you clothes."
This left Zhang Nannan at a loss for words.
Without further discussion, Zhou Yuwen handed her the bag with the clothes and walked ahead.
Zhang Nannan pouted from behind, finding it strange that Zhou Yuwen, a straightforward guy, could write such delicate novels.
When they returned to the hotel, Zhou Yuwen continued writing, while Zhang Nannan played on her phone nearby.
Zhou Yuwen, mentally aged around thirty, had his boundaries. It wasn't like he would see a woman and immediately think about taking off his pants. He had invited Zhang Nannan over simply out of pity.
However, he didn't expect Zhang Nannan to be so annoying. While Zhou Yuwen was writing, she kept peeking over and even gave suggestions on how things should be written.
Zhou Yuwen said, "Why don't you take the pen and write then?"
"I, I don't know how to write," Zhang Nannan stammered.
With today's writing session over, Zhou Yuwen took a shower and went to bed.
Zhou Yuwen asked Zhang Nannan to sleep on the sofa, and he wasn't joking. As a thirty-year-old unmarried man, there's nothing he wouldn't do.
Zhang Nannan was sensible too; after all, sleeping arrangements are no laughing matter. Besides, the sofa in the five-star hotel was large enough for Zhang Nannan's petite frame to toss and turn, cover herself with a blanket, and gaze at the ceiling.
Zhang Nannan was filled with mixed emotions. She was about to enter university, facing a new group of classmates. To be honest, Zhang Nannan was feeling a bit nervous.
It's the first time traveling far from home.
It's the first time sharing a room with a strange man.
"Are you asleep, Uncle?" Zhang Nannan couldn't help but ask.
"Mm."
"If you're asleep, how come you can still talk?"
"Talking in my sleep."
"Uncle, school starts tomorrow. Are you nervous?" Zhang Nannan's big eyes stared at the ceiling. The lights were off, and the room was pitch black.
Moonlight streamed through the French windows, casting a gentle glow over half of the room.
In the moonlight, Zhang Nannan's eyes sparkled, looking particularly beautiful.
"Uncle?" Seeing Zhou Yuwen didn't respond, Zhang Nannan asked again.
"What's up?"
"Are you nervous about starting school tomorrow?"
"It's not like it's the first time. What's there to be nervous about?" Zhang Nannan giggled, saying, "Uncle, the way you say it makes it sound like you've been to college before."
Zhou Yuwen ignored her, thinking about his first time going to college. It was the summer after he repeated a year. He had tried to contact Su Qianqian, but she ignored him.
Actually, anyone with a brain knew that it had been over a year since they last contacted each other. It was definitely hopeless.
Yet Zhou Yuwen stubbornly convinced himself, thinking, "Su Qianqian must be too busy with college."
What the heck is so busy in college anyway!
Looking back now, I was really foolish back then, but perhaps that's just youth. Su Qianqian rejected Zhou Yuwen's yearning for love, but indeed, it helped Zhou Yuwen mature.
It's all in the past now.
That's how it is.
With these thoughts, Zhou Yuwen closed his eyes and fell deeply asleep.
The next morning, when he woke up, Zhou Yuwen opened his eyes to find Zhang Nannan unexpectedly sleeping beside him, holding onto his arm tightly, and embracing him closely.
Zhou Yuwen could even lower his head and trace the curve of her neck inside her T-shirt…
Zhang Nannan tried to pull her arm out, but she accidentally exerted a bit more force. Like a small cat, she yawned and sleepily opened her eyes, only to find herself tightly clutching Zhou Yuwen's arm, nestled in his embrace.
"Ah! What, what have you done to me!" Zhang Nannan sat up abruptly.
She had been sleeping in a purple cotton T-shirt with a cartoon logo on it, paired with denim shorts. As she sat up, her long legs naturally folded.
"I should be asking you that, shouldn't I? Wasn't I supposed to sleep on the sofa? Look where you are now," Zhou Yuwen said.
"Ah?" Zhang Nannan was momentarily stunned, realizing she was already in bed without knowing when.
"Um," Zhang Nannan scratched her head awkwardly. "I guess I got used to getting up to use the bathroom at night."
Zhou Yuwen sighed silently, finding her quite silly.
Zhang Nannan tentatively asked, "Uncle, you didn't do anything to me, right?"
"What do you think?" Zhou Yuwen replied.
Zhang Nannan looked puzzled and pouted, "Uncle, why haven't you done anything to me?"
"Hmm?"
"No, I mean..." Zhang Nannan's face turned red. "I'm not ugly, am I?"
Zhou Yuwen said, "I like mature women."
"??"
Zhou Yuwen was just joking. After all, his day in Jinling felt quite surreal, picking up a naive and sweet girl who ended up sleeping with him.
Such situations only happen in bars; he couldn't imagine it elsewhere.
Zhou Yuwen wasn't troubled by sleeping in the same bed with Zhang Nannan. By the time he got up, it was already past ten o'clock. After freshening up, he prepared to check out and head to school.
Meanwhile, Zhang Nannan looked crestfallen.
She couldn't understand, was she really that unattractive?
"mature women?"
Not quite understanding, Zhang Nannan quickly freshened up.
They checked out at noon, and Zhou Yuwen treated Zhang Nannan to a meal at Sha County Grand Hotel. Afterward, they planned to go their separate ways, but Zhang Nannan suggested, "Since we're both heading to the same school, why not share a cab?"
Zhou Yuwen thought it made sense, so they took a taxi together to the school.
During the ride, Zhou Yuwen rested with his eyes closed while Zhang Nannan opened the window and looked around. It was her first time in Jinling, and everything seemed fascinating to her.
Jinling is a city with profound cultural heritage. Leaving aside its economic development, one can clearly feel its urban culture upon arriving here.
Along the roadsides, tall plane trees stand tall, straight as they support the sky, casting the entire Plane Tree Avenue under a canopy of greenery.
Despite the September weather feeling like spring with a gentle breeze brushing her face and through Zhang Nannan's tousled hair, she loved the sensation and tilted her head to look out the car window.
Zhou Yuwen asked, "Do you understand traffic rules?"
The taxi driver replied, "It's fine, traffic is jammed now anyway. It's better to drive slowly."
"Hehe!" Zhang Nannan was delighted by his response and said, "You're a good driver, Uncle!"
Zhou Yuwen was speechless and also opened his own window. A light breeze blew through, indeed very comfortable.