Amidst the curious and gossiping looks from others, Pei Chen had no choice but to move to the last row of the van and sit next to Liang Zhiyi.
In fact, the others had already received Xuan Xia’s notice last week, but they kept it a secret and didn’t tell Pei Chen.
This morning, when Liang Zhiyi got on the van, she was still a bit sleepy. She groggily made her way to sit beside Ji Fei’er in the first row, but Fei’er quickly shooed her away. “Go sit in the back, I’m sitting with Zhi Mian today.”
She then instinctively tried to sit beside Liang Tongzhou in the second row, but Fan Gao immediately jumped in and cheerfully greeted Liang Tongzhou, “Hey buddy, let’s get to know each other better.”
Liang Tongzhou quickly got the hint and slung his arm around Fan Gao’s shoulder, turning to Liang Zhiyi, “No space for you here, go sit in the last row.”
Liang Zhiyi: “…”
In the end, the girl sat all alone in the spacious third row.
Xuan Xia exchanged amused glances with a few others, then winked at Liang Zhiyi. “Zhiyi, someone else is getting on later. Are you sure you don’t want to sit with him?”
In her mind, it was as if a loud bell rang, instantly waking her up.
Oh right, there’s still Pei Chen!
How could she have been so sleepy that she forgot something so important?
At this moment, as Pei Chen sat down, Liang Zhiyi turned to see that he was dressed casually today in a white pullover hoodie and jeans, his black hair and bright eyes making him look so handsome that it made her heart flutter first thing in the morning.
“Pei Chen, good morning!”
Pei Chen met Liang Zhiyi’s gaze, and seeing her bright smile directed at him, a ripple stirred in his heart. He replied, “Morning.”
After the driver started the van, the group officially set off for the small island.
This morning’s sunlight was particularly bright, shining through the windows and bathing everyone in a warm glow.
Liang Zhiyi took out a box of chiffon cake baked at home that morning and handed it to the boy beside her, smiling, “Pei Chen, try one.”
Pei Chen took a piece from the box, and Liang Zhiyi distributed the rest to the other students in the front rows.
Fan Gao also opened his backpack, revealing, “Hey, I’ve got a lot of snacks here too, come and take some!”
Xuan Xia burst into laughter when she saw his bag, “I seriously thought you packed clothes, it’s so stuffed! Turns out you brought a whole bag of snacks.”
“Didn’t I bring them for you all?”
“Yeah, right, most of it will end up in your stomach.”
Ji Fei’er in the front row also pulled out items from her bag, “I’ve got plenty of snacks too. It’ll take more than an hour to reach the dock, so how could we go without munching on something?”
“Hey, I haven’t had Lang Wei Xian in so long, it brings back childhood memories!”
“Give me a bag of beef jerky…”
Everyone started taking out the food and drinks they brought and shared with each other, making the van as lively as an elementary school field trip.
Liang Tongzhou also unzipped his backpack and announced, “Guys, I’ve got something good for you too.”
As everyone looked on with anticipation, he pulled out a set of “Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulations” physics practice tests from his bag. “So, how about I hand out a set of these test papers to each of you?”
“…”
“Damn it, Liang Tongzhou, are you out of your mind?!”
“This is brutal! I finally managed to forget about the upcoming midterms!”
“My snacks suddenly don’t taste as good anymore…”
The girl in the back snickered, “Liang Tongzhou, since when did you become so studious?” Is this really her brother?
The boy replied nonchalantly, “You all are good at studying, so exams aren’t a problem for you. But I’m not. Instead of staying home to study over the weekend, I’m out here having fun with you guys. In the end, who’s going to suffer? I can’t afford to be demoted to the second team by the coach.”
Xuan Xia laughed, “Don’t say another word. Today, we’ll supervise your studies. You’re not getting off this van until you finish that set of physics papers.”
“Hahahaha…”
Liang Tongzhou really did take out a pen. “I’m serious about doing this. Do you think I’m joking? Besides, Pei Chen is on the van today. If I run into any difficult problems, I can ask him for help, right, Pei Chen?”
Pei Chen was slightly taken aback but nodded, “Yeah.”
Liang Zhiyi said to Pei Chen, “Don’t worry, if he manages to seriously complete even two multiple-choice questions, he’d be doing great.” This guy is all talk but no action.
After a while, Liang Tongzhou and Xuan Xia exchanged a glance, and then Liang Tongzhou got up and moved to the third row. “Pei Chen, scoot over a bit, make some room for me.”
Pei Chen thought Liang Tongzhou was going to sit there and offered, “Should I move to the front row?”
“No, no, I just need to ask you a question. Just move in a bit.”
Pei Chen didn’t think much of it and slid over, ending up a little closer to Liang Zhiyi.
Liang Zhiyi immediately guessed Liang Tongzhou’s real motive and noticed that several people in the front rows were now watching them with amused expressions.
The key thing was, Liang Tongzhou said he needed more space, and Pei Chen, still oblivious, continued to unconsciously inch closer to her.
Why is he so clueless…
Suppressing a smile, Liang Tongzhou handed the test paper to Pei Chen and pointed to a random question, “Pei Chen, how do you solve this problem?”
Pei Chen was puzzled, “Didn’t I already explain this to you before?”
“Well… I kind of forgot after a week. Could you explain it to me again?”
Thinking that Liang Tongzhou genuinely didn’t understand, Pei Chen earnestly began to explain the problem to him.
As Pei Chen continued explaining, he gradually noticed that something felt off in the van’s atmosphere. His voice faltered slightly, and when he looked up, he saw that everyone in the front rows was staring at him.
The moment his gaze met theirs, the van fell silent for a brief second before erupting into loud laughter.
Pei Chen: “…?”
Amidst the laughter, Pei Chen turned his head and realized he had inadvertently pushed Liang Zhiyi into the corner, their bodies almost touching.
Then, Liang Tongzhou stood up, suppressing his laughter as he lightly clenched his fist, “Thanks, Pei Chen, I got it. I’ll leave you to it.”
After Liang Tongzhou left, Pei Chen moved back to give more space, feeling the heat rising in his face. His voice was a bit hoarse as he murmured, “Sorry…”
“It’s okay.”
Liang Zhiyi turned her head towards him, a subtle smile playing on her lips, her voice soft in his ear, “Pei Chen, I noticed your ears are turning red again.”
The boy’s jaw tightened as he felt the unmistakable warmth spreading in his ears, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Fortunately, at that moment, the van pulled into a gas station for a refuel. Zhi Mian and Ji Fei’er got out to use the restroom, and Pei Chen also stepped out, heading towards the convenience store.
As he was walking, someone draped an arm over his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw it was Xuan Xia.
“So, how about the seat I arranged for you today? Pretty fitting, right?”
“What are you up to this time?” Pei Chen asked, feeling that something was definitely off with this group today.
“Nothing,” Xuan Xia chuckled. “Just having some fun. Anyway, like I said before, just go with the flow.”
Pei Chen bought a bottle of cold water at the convenience store and returned to the van, feeling much calmer.
The group set off again.
The van was filled with laughter and chatter, and after an hour, they finally arrived at the dock.
After getting off, everyone grabbed their bags and luggage and started walking towards the dock. Liang Zhiyi, struggling a bit with her backpack and a tent bag in hand, suddenly felt the weight lighten as someone took the bag from her.
“I’ll carry it.”
Their fingers brushed briefly, and Liang Zhiyi turned to see Pei Chen. She smiled warmly, “Thank you, Senior Brother.”
With that, she cheerfully walked ahead to catch up with Ji Fei’er and Zhi Mian. Ji Fei’er noticed her and then glanced back at Pei Chen, teasing lightly:
“Having someone help is nice. Why hasn’t the class monitor offered to carry my things?”
Liang Zhiyi laughed and called out, “Hey, little brother, come help out! Ji Fei’er needs assistance.”
“Hey, don’t say that…”
Liang Tongzhou caught Ji Fei’er’s gaze, and his steps slowed slightly. As the girls approached, Ji Fei’er quickly said, “Don’t listen to your sister, I can carry it myself.”
However, without a word, he took the large bag from her hands. Squinting slightly under the blazing sun, he asked in a low voice, “Anything else you need help with?”
Ji Fei’er grinned, “Nope, that’s it. Thanks, little brother.”
Liang Tongzhou licked his lips and smiled before seriously tossing out, “Little brat.”
“Hey! Stop right there! Who are you calling a little brat?!”
Watching him continue walking ahead, Ji Fei’er, frustrated, turned to Liang Zhiyi, “Why is your brother so annoying?”
Liang Zhiyi chuckled, “Actually, he doesn’t usually talk to girls much.”
“?”
“Maybe he thinks you’re too adorably clueless.”
“…You stinky Zhizhi! I’m going to get you!”
Laughing, Liang Zhiyi playfully dodged as Ji Fei’er tried to catch her.
Finally, the group reached the dock. After negotiating with the boatman, they all boarded the boat.
The sky was a bright, clear blue, without a cloud in sight. A gentle breeze stirred the air, causing golden ripples to dance on the sea’s surface, blending the horizon where the sea and sky met.
Twenty minutes later, the boat docked at the island.
This island, called Yema Island, was small and not a well-known tourist destination. Only the locals of Lincheng were generally aware of it, with only two or three families living on the island.
In an era filled with popular tourist spots, this almost untouched natural island had a unique charm.
After disembarking, the group wandered to the shoreline, their feet sinking into the soft, fine sand. Gazing at the expansive sea before them, everyone was awestruck:
“This place is so beautiful! I didn’t even know it existed!”
“Pei Chen, you really know how to pick a spot. The beach here is so clean.”
“Let’s set up our tents by the shore! We can watch the sunrise in the morning.”
Fan Gao pointed to a spot on the beach, and as everyone was about to head over, Pei Chen interjected, “We can’t pitch the tents there.”
Fan Gao was puzzled, “Why not?”
With a resigned tone, Pei Chen replied, “Unless you all want to float away on the sea tonight?”
He then pointed to the tide line on the rocks, indicating that the water would reach that point during high tide. To be safe, the tents needed to be set up above that line.
Everyone suddenly understood, “Fan Gao, you almost got us killed…”
So, they found a flat spot and began setting up their camping tents. They had brought two large tents—one for the girls and one for the boys.
Liang Zhiyi and Ji Fei’er weren’t very skilled at setting up tents, but Zhi Mian stepped in to demonstrate the steps. After watching, Liang Zhiyi exclaimed, “Xiao Jiu, I didn’t know you could do this!”
Zhi Mian smiled shyly, “My brother taught me.”