Chapter 34

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

"The 'Jinan Prefecture Gazetteer: Mountains and Waters, Volume Two' from the Daoguang era records that Zhuoying Spring was called a lake, formerly located within De Wang Palace, now over a hundred steps outside the west wall of the Shandong Governor's Office, commonly known as Wangfu Pool."

"This pool is over forty zhang long, flowing north from an underground channel, passing through residential alleys, emerging beneath Qifeng Bridge, crossing Baihua and Quehua Bridges, and entering Daming Lake."

"Wangfu Pool is surrounded by numerous springs, their surging waters forming rivers, with small bridges and winding alleys, deep mansions and shallow courtyards, green willows swaying everywhere; everywhere one can see the beautiful scenery described by Qing dynasty poet Liu E in 'Old Tour Remnants': every home has spring water, every household has hanging willows."

——

The girl's beautiful eyes turned, a shallow smile blooming; every frown and smile could be painted into a picture.

A sight pleasing to the eye not only delighted the children playing in the pool water but also attracted the gazes of passersby.

"Damn, brothers, look quickly, who is that?"

"Isn't that our Study Committee Member?"

"Changed into different clothes and seems like a different person; looking at her makes my heart flutter a bit."

Qu Peng, Wang Fan, and Li Liang, having received Guben's phone call, rushed over from their respective homes; passing by Wangfu Pool, they happened to see the Program Group filming.

The motorcycle's noise stopped abruptly; Wang Fan looked at the girl standing by the pool, graceful as jade, pure and unworldly like a lotus rising from water, and his mouth gaped open in surprise, taking a long while to come back to his senses.

"Hey, hey, snap out of it."

Qu Peng couldn't bear to watch and slapped his shoulder hard: "You're almost drooling."

"Get lost, don't talk nonsense."

Wang Fan's handsome face darkened, and he slapped the hand away in annoyance: "Don't tarnish my image in the beauty's heart."

"Tsk~~"

Qu Peng laughed and teased him: "You have an image? That pitiful image of yours was long ago erased by the Academic Affairs Director; don't forget she's the Study Committee Member, and she hates troublemakers like you the most......."

"Sigh, if I'd known, I wouldn't have acted up so much......."

Wang Fan smacked his lips a few times, a surge of regret rising: "I regret it to death; why didn't I get on good terms with the Study Committee Member back in school? I could have held her little hand under the pretense of asking about wrong problems."

"Give it a rest......"

Li Liang couldn't take it anymore and kicked him: "Hurry up and get lost, don't block the way; Guben is still waiting for us at home."

"Who said he's at home?"

Wang Fan, having been kicked, didn't get angry but laughed: "Are you blind? Didn't you see such a big person standing by the poolside, teaching a bunch of brats how to swim......."

"Where?"

Li Liang really hadn't seen him and was obviously stunned for a moment.

"This guy, too busy looking at the beauty."

Qu Peng, loving to watch the drama and not caring about making trouble, added fuel to the fire.

"Cough, cough."

Li Liang's ears turned red from being teased by the two of them ganging up on him.

"Hey, hey, Li Liang, say it first."

Wang Fan, seeing his expression was off, acted first: "The Study Committee Member is someone I laid eyes on first; none of you can compete with me for her."

"Why not?"

Li Liang indeed was unhappy and retorted in annoyance.

"Right, why not?"

Qu Peng switched sides and joined Li Liang in teasing him: "A graceful and virtuous lady, a gentleman's pursuit; why can you pursue her but we can't? Is it because you reek of copper? The Study Committee Member is not such a shallow person."

"Hey, you two really want to compete with me?"

Wang Fan's cunning eyes rolled, a plan forming in his mind: "How about this: Guben said he wants to climb Taishan, right? Let's bet—whoever can invite the Study Committee Member to climb with us wins; the loser automatically withdraws from the competition and can never again harbor crooked thoughts or deceive a brother's girlfriend."