Chapter 320 - 217: The Raccoon Dog Feigns Sleep

Chapter 320: Chapter 217: The Raccoon Dog Feigns Sleep

’I’m so happy. I’m so happy being held by Teacher Shen.’

This joy was beyond reason.

The moment Shen Yu threw herself into his arms, romance blossomed in his heart and spread to his very fingertips.

It was like a Cultivator from a fantasy novel, stuck at a bottleneck for years, suddenly having an epiphany and breaking through. Every meridian in his body was completely unblocked...

Jiang He wrapped his arms around her, unable to resist pulling her closer.

While holding her, he rubbed Teacher Shen’s arms up and down.

"You should wear something warmer next time, you dummy."

"You’re the dummy," Teacher Shen huffed. "I wanted to look pretty."

"You already look beautiful," Jiang He stated as an objective fact.

Hearing this, Shen Yu looked up.

She blinked and took the initiative to ask, "We haven’t seen each other for so long. Did you miss me?"

Jiang He met her gaze and nodded. "I did."

Shen Yu: "Really?"

Jiang He: "Like crazy."

The two of them just stared into each other’s eyes.

Their gazes lingered, charged with emotion.

It felt like they were about to kiss any second.

How is it that you can practically see the hearts in Teacher Shen’s eyes, even through a screen?

After a moment, Jiang He reined himself in and asked, "What about you?"

Shen Yu’s eyes darted to the side as she said in a small voice, "I only missed you a tiny bit, I guess."

She then buried her face back in Jiang He’s chest, hugging him with all her might.

Despite her insincere claim of missing him only "a tiny bit"...

...Teacher Shen’s arms were far more honest.

The two of them stood there at the arrival gate, completely wrapped up in each other.

Like two puzzle pieces fitting together perfectly.

It was clear they wouldn’t be separating anytime soon.

Nearby, Xu Juan and Chen Hao went through several emotional shifts.

At first, when they saw Jiang He and Shen Yu embrace...

...they exchanged a look, each seeing the proud relief of a doting parent in the other’s eyes.

This sweet, romantic reunion scene left them both beaming.

’So sweet.’

’My ship is sailing!’

However, a minute passed.

Two minutes passed.

Three minutes...

The couple in front of them remained in their tight embrace, whispering sweet nothings and refusing to let go.

Xu Juan and Chen Hao were finally starting to get fed up.

’Damn it, break it up already, you two! Do you think this is your living room or something?’

Another half a minute went by, and Jiang He and Shen Yu were still stuck together like glue.

Bored out of their minds, Xu Juan and Chen Hao turned to look at each other at the same time.

Chen Hao quickly broke the silence. "Uh, hello. Hi."

Xu Juan raised an eyebrow. "Are you six feet tall?"

Chen Hao puffed out his chest. "Of course!"

Xu Juan said, "Not bad. I couldn’t tell from the videos."

Chen Hao said, "Well, you lose a lot through the lens, you know."

At that, Chen Hao lifted his foot. "See these shoes? Totally flat. No lifts or anything. If I wore some, I could probably hit 6’1"."

Xu Juan nodded. "You’re pretty tall, then."

"Yup."

Having received a compliment, Chen Hao smiled shyly.

He decided to return the favor. "You... look just as pretty as you do in the videos."

Xu Juan gave a noncommittal, "Oh, okay," then cut straight to the chase. "So, how long are you two here for?"

Chen Hao said, "Oh, I had my cousin at the travel agency book our flights. He’s got a lot of hookups, so we got an internal discount. As for the return tickets, we haven’t booked those yet. It really depends on you guys’ schedule. We can stay for as long as you want."

Xu Juan: "?"

This seemed to be a common affliction among young guys trying to date.

You ask them a simple question, and they insist on weaving in a ton of extra details in a roundabout attempt to show off their own worth.

But not only did this method fail to achieve the desired effect, it just came across as incredibly forced.

To put it in the three words that immediately popped into Xu Juan’s mind:

’Who asked you?’

Feeling a bit helpless, Xu Juan glanced at the still-embracing Jiang He and Shen Yu, then sighed. "Should we maybe go pull them apart? It’s been forever. Are we leaving or what?"

"Ah, don’t worry about it. Let them have their moment. They haven’t seen each other in ages, so they deserve a long hug. We can just keep talking."

In reality, Chen Hao just wanted to use this as an opportunity to get closer to Xu Juan.

At this point, Chen Hao pulled his backpack around to his chest. "Oh, right. I brought you a gift."

Xu Juan paused, a little surprised. "You brought me a gift?"

Chen Hao said, "Yeah. It’s our first time meeting, right? It would be embarrassing to come empty-handed."

As he spoke, he took out a brand-new, white, rectangular box from his bag and handed it to Xu Juan.

It was an MP3 player.

And a big brand, too—Meizu.

"When we were video chatting, you mentioned you like listening to music, right?" Chen Hao explained. "So I thought I’d get you this. I’ve tried this brand before; the sound quality is actually pretty good."

Xu Juan was genuinely surprised.

She truly hadn’t expected this somewhat awkward guy to actually remember a casual comment she’d made and go out of his way to prepare a gift.

It wasn’t that Xu Juan couldn’t afford an MP3 player herself.

It was just... the fact that someone had put in the thought and effort to prepare a gift specifically for her made her feel... just a little bit moved.

Her expression softened. "Thanks. I didn’t get you anything, but I can treat you to dinner later. I’ll take you somewhere with good food. That way we’ll be even."

Chen Hao nodded eagerly. "Sure, sounds great!"

He urged her, "Try it out, see if you like it."

Xu Juan couldn’t very well refuse his enthusiasm, and besides, it wasn’t like she had anything better to do while waiting for the lovebirds to finally unglue themselves.

So she opened the package and put in one of the earbuds.

And then came the cringe.

Chen Hao took out an MP3 player of the same model for himself, only in black.

A classic matching couple’s set.

Xu Juan: "You have one too?"

Chen Hao: "Didn’t I say I’d tested the sound quality for this brand? They were having a sale when I bought yours, so I got one for myself, too. It’s a good deal, right? What’s wrong?"

Xu Juan let out a slow sigh.

She stuffed the MP3 player back into her pocket, her face blank. "It’s nothing. The sound quality is great. Let’s just think about what to eat tomorrow."

Chen Hao actually started to think seriously. "Yeah, what should we eat?"

The scene cut back to Shen Yu and Jiang He.

The two of them were still hugging.

Breathing in Teacher Shen’s wonderful scent, Jiang He felt utterly content.

’So content, so very content.’

The exhaustion and anxiety from countless days and nights, spanning this life and his last, all vanished in an instant.

Like a kitten that had gotten a hit of catnip.

’This is the perfect moment to just kiss her.’

’Too bad we’re not officially a couple yet.’

’Ah, who cares!’

’On this trip to the Capital City, I have to make our relationship official. Immediately.’

’I have to kiss my wifey right now!’

Held tightly in his arms, Shen Yu muttered a single sentence:

"Shouldn’t we get going? Juanzi and... them... are waiting for us, I think."

Jiang He: "I don’t care. Just a little longer. Let them wait."

Shen Yu obediently agreed. "Oh, okay then."

And so, the two of them continued to hug.

In the vast Capital Airport, pedestrians hurried by.

But all of that seemed to have nothing to do with them.

The longing of a long-awaited reunion.

The fluttering heartbeat of a dream spanning two lifetimes.

In their embrace, it all melted into a mutual gravity, pulling them together.

’I wish we could stay like this forever...’

Another two minutes passed.

Xu Juan finally reached her limit.

She poked Shen Xiaoyu in the back. "Are you guys going or not? Come on, lady!"

’Answering now would be awkward.’

’So she instantly devised a plan.’

’Pretend to be asleep!’

’Breathing is key here...’

This strategy was a masterstroke from the Art of War—

The Feigned Slumber of the Tanuki!

Xu Juan: "?"

Jiang He thought he might die from how cute she was.

He gently pinched Teacher Shen’s cheek, playing along with her performance, and said softly, "Alright, alright, wake up. We’re going."

Only then did Shen Yu slowly "wake."

She said in a soft, drowsy voice, "Oh... I got all sleepy from the hug."

"You must be exhausted from teaching all week, huh?" Jiang He played along. "Here, I’ll hold your hand so you don’t fall."

Teacher Shen nodded obediently. "Mm, okay."

Their fingers intertwined.

Xu Juan stood there, rolling her eyes dramatically.

’Acting! Just keep faking it, Shen Xiaoyu!’

’A grown woman who can’t walk on her own? Going to fall on a perfectly flat floor, are you? You just have to have someone hold your hand?’

’And your ’I’m sleepy’ act is so clumsy! We haven’t even left the terminal and a hug has already made you sleepy?! How is that remotely believable?!’

After roasting Shen Yu, she moved on to Jiang He.

’And you! What are you, some kind of doting emperor? You actually believe that? Why are you spoiling her like this? Stop it! No more spoiling!’

Chen Hao sidled over and offered, "Want me to carry your bag?"

Xu Juan, in a state of utter speechlessness, heard Chen Hao and retorted, "We should hold hands, too."

Chen Hao was stunned for a full three seconds. "Huh?"

’Do college girls move this fast nowadays?’

Looking at his dumbfounded expression, Xu Juan waved her hand. "Never mind. Their PDA is getting to me. I was just kidding."

Chen Hao half-extended a hand. "So... are we holding hands?"

Xu Juan: "?"

’Why is the guy I’m paired with such an idiot?’

...

Outside the airport, they hailed a cab.

Chen Hao got in the front passenger seat.

Shen Yu sat in the middle of the back row, with Jiang He sitting next to her.

Once in the car, Teacher Shen continued her "sleepy" act.

She yawned and leaned toward Xu Juan, ready to fall asleep.

Xu Juan stopped Shen Yu’s head with a single finger.

"Go lean on your Dr. Jiang, not on me."

Pushed back, Shen Yu smoothly turned her head and asked, "Dr. Jiang, can I lean on you for a bit?"

Jiang He said eagerly, "Hurry up and get over here."

Permission granted, Shen Yu leaned on Jiang He’s shoulder.

Jiang He then took Shen Yu’s hand in his.

Their fingers interlaced.

The night scenery receded outside the car window; inside, there was only the sound of quiet breathing.

Jiang He turned his head, and as he looked at the girl leaning on his shoulder with her eyes closed, he couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face.

’This is bliss.’

’This is so sweet.’

This was why he had flown two thousand kilometers to be here.

Meanwhile, the "soundly asleep" Teacher Shen was also holding back laughter.

’This was all part of her plan.’

’By pretending to be sleepy, Teacher Shen could justifiably ’pass out’ once they got the guys to their hotel.’

’That way, she would have a perfectly logical reason to spend a little more time with Jiang He tonight.’

Shen Yu mentally gave herself a thumbs-up for her brilliant (and totally obvious) plan.