"How come you're here?" Su Bai Zhou asked.
"I'm here for fun," Luo Ye replied, handing her a cup of milk tea.
He had noticed the clear slap mark on Su Bai Zhou's face, and his heart tightened. However, he didn't ask anything. Clearly, something unpleasant had happened. If she wanted to talk about it, she would, and if not, he wouldn't pry.
Taking the milk tea, Su Bai Zhou stood up. "They're not accepting visitors anymore."
"Yeah," Luo Ye said, glancing back at the temple entrance. Then, his stomach growled.
He hadn't eaten much since the previous night, and had a simple lunch of Lanzhou ramen. By now, he was famished.
Hearing his stomach growl, Su Bai Zhou picked up her suitcase and said softly, "Let's go get something to eat."
Because it was a holiday and Lingyin Temple was on the mountain, taxis and buses down the mountain were packed with people. They decided to walk down, which was a long and winding road.
Luo Ye took the suitcase from her and carried it. They began their descent.
After about half an hour, they had left the most crowded section of the road, but neither of them suggested taking a taxi. During this half-hour walk, they didn't speak, just walked side by side.
When they passed a convenience store, Luo Ye stopped. Outside the store was a sausage grill, the smell was mouthwatering.
Luo Ye was really hungry.
Su Bai Zhou glanced at the grill too. Unlike him, she hadn't eaten all day.
She swallowed instinctively, then looked at Luo Ye and said, "If you want, I'll buy two."
"Not enough, too little," Luo Ye waved his hand and bought six sausages. He packed them into a bag and handed one to her. He thought she'd eat less, so he kept the remaining five for himself.
Su Bai Zhou took the sausage and began eating. By the time she finished the first one, she noticed there was only one sausage left in the bag.
"Give it to me," she said seriously, holding out her hand.
Luo Ye didn't know why, but he suddenly found this side of Su Bai Zhou a little cute. It was like the image of a fairy coming down to cook in a kitchen—so different from her usual cold, distant demeanor. It made her more charming.
At some point, the seemingly unattainable "fairy" Su Bai Zhou, who once seemed so far away, had become a normal part of his life, even walking side by side with him.
After eating the sausages, Luo Ye wasn't as hungry anymore. He checked the time—it was past seven, and the sky was completely dark. They continued walking and eventually arrived at a lake.
This was the most famous spot in Hangzhou, the West Lake, which also gave its name to the famous West Lake Vinegar Fish.
Around them, many couples strolled hand in hand, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The lake was beautiful, and across it, they could see the mountains where Lingyin Temple was located, with its temples glowing in the distance.
Luo Ye was amazed, "Wow, it's so far. I didn't realize we had walked this much."
If this had been before, he would've complained about being tired. But with Su Bai Zhou beside him, he didn't mind the long walk at all. In fact, he wished it would never end.
As Luo Ye admired the scenery, Su Bai Zhou took out her phone and began ordering a taxi.
Her destination: the bus station.
She had just bought two tickets to return to her rural hometown, about forty kilometers away. At this time of night, she could get tickets for the night buses.
Before Luo Ye realized it, the taxi had arrived.
When they got in, Luo Ye asked, "Senior, where are we going?"
"To the bus station."
"Ah? Are we going back to Jiangcheng?" Luo Ye asked.
"No," Su Bai Zhou looked out the window and cracked it open just a little.
The wind slipped through the gap and tousled her long hair, sending a scent drifting toward Luo Ye.
The enchanting fragrance made Luo Ye's heart race, and he glanced at her stunning profile. He stammered, "Then... where are we going?"
"To my home."
Su Bai Zhou knew that Luo Ye didn't have anywhere to stay in Hangzhou, so she had offered for him to stay at her mother's place.
When he heard this, Luo Ye looked down, feeling a little nervous.
His luggage was still at the hotel... But never mind, it was just clothes, and they weren't as important as being with Su Bai Zhou.
The taxi took them to the bus station. They found their bus and boarded the night bus.
There weren't many people on the bus, and it was quiet. The sound of crickets chirping could be heard from the grassy fields outside.
Moonlight streamed through the window, bathing Su Bai Zhou's face in a soft glow. Her delicate features were breathtaking, no matter how you looked at them.
Su Bai Zhou sat by the window, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes peacefully gazing outside.
Luo Ye, sitting next to her with her suitcase, was distracted by his phone.
When he got bored, he checked the freshmen's chat group. There was always someone trying to stand out.
Right now, there was a guy claiming to be a rich second generation, who posted a picture of a sports car in the group, saying, "Should've driven the car here, didn't know parking would be such a hassle."
People responded with speechless emojis.
The guy tagged Tang Enqi in the post: "@Tang Enqi, isn't my car cool?"
Tang Enqi didn't dare reply.
Though this guy might be a rich second generation, at school, everyone valued face more than money. If she replied, it would seem too materialistic.
Of course, outside of school, most people would choose money over face. But inside the school, it was one of the few places where equality was valued.
Suddenly, the bus shook a little, and Su Bai Zhou's body leaned slightly toward Luo Ye. Something soft pressed against his shoulder.
His face changed immediately. His heart was pounding, and he whispered, "Senior?"
But there was no response. He turned his head slightly and saw that Su Bai Zhou had fallen asleep.
No wonder she'd been so calm. Luo Ye had thought she was just enjoying the view.
Looking at Su Bai Zhou in this peaceful, unguarded state, Luo Ye's heart raced. He couldn't take his eyes off her beautiful face.
Su Bai Zhou was so beautiful, and though she appeared strong on the outside, she was actually a delicate girl who needed care and attention.
At this moment, the slap mark on her face had faded. Luo Ye unconsciously reached out and gently touched her face.
He had never touched a girl's face before, and now he just lightly poked her cheek with his finger.
So soft...
Are all girls' faces like cotton?
He didn't notice that Su Bai Zhou's eyebrows had twitched slightly, but her eyes remained closed.