Chapter 652: We

July 10th, morning.

Qiao Xinyan had already packed and was ready to leave, her small backpack on her back and a compact suitcase in hand; after eating breakfast at home, she bid farewell to her mother.

"Mom, I'm off," Qiao Xinyan said to Yu Zhenqin in the living room.

"Mm, be careful out there," Yu Zhenqin rose and walked her daughter to the door, giving further instructions, "Call me every night to let me know you're safe, okay?"

"Got it," Qiao Xinyan nodded obediently.

"Is the allowance your dad gave you enough?" Yu Zhenqin asked again. "Want me to give you more? Don't be stingy when you're out having fun, and don't hold back just because Li Luo and Xu Yinghuan are with you."

"It's enough," Qiao Xinyan smiled and nodded. "I worked for a month—I've got some savings now, so I'm not short on cash."

"Alright, then go early, don't keep them waiting," Yu Zhenqin nodded. "If you spend too much and run out, just tell me."

"Got it!" Qiao Xinyan slipped on her shoes, waved to her mom, and dashed downstairs, clutching over three thousand yuan from her month of work and another two thousand yuan she'd carefully saved up, her heart fluttering with quiet excitement.

Walking out of the residential compound with light steps, Qiao Xinyan arrived at the intersection where she and Zhao Rongjun always met, planning to join him before taking the bus together to the high-speed rail station.

Today she had specifically worn the white dress Zhao Rongjun's mother had given her, making her look especially pure and adorable.

But as she arrived at the intersection, beaming with anticipation, and spotted Zhao Rongjun's figure, her smile froze—her steps halted, her expression stunned.

"Xinyan! Over here, over here~" Xu Yinghuan, dressed in a light yellow sports T-shirt and denim shorts, stood beside Zhao Rongjun, tiptoeing and waving enthusiastically.

While Qiao Xinyan favored a sentimental, pure aesthetic, Xu Yinghuan today embraced a completely different sexy, sporty style.

A recent high school graduate, she still carried the lingering innocence of a student, yet had adopted the mature woman's habit of wearing shorts, revealing a pair of long, fair, youthful legs.

Xu Yinghuan had always been athletic, and now, dressed like this, her entire aura had changed.

"Huanhuan… why are you here?" Qiao Xinyan's disappointment flickered, then she pulled herself together, smiling as she walked forward, puzzled. "Weren't we supposed to meet directly at the high-speed rail station?"

"Ah Jun told me you two had planned to take the bus here," Xu Yinghuan chuckled. "I thought taking the bus would be too much trouble, so I asked my dad to drop us off—come on, get in~"

Xu Yinghuan opened the back door of the car and stepped inside first, then waved to the two outside.

Zhao Rongjun followed her in.

Qiao Xinyan sat beside him.

Xu Rongbin greeted Qiao Xinyan from the driver's seat, then drove them all to the high-speed rail station.

Before leaving, Xu Rongbin watched Zhao Rongjun carry out the luggage for his daughter, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it between his lips.

"Want one?" Xu Rongbin raised an eyebrow as Zhao Rongjun glanced his way.

Before Zhao Rongjun could refuse, Xu Yinghuan snapped, "Dad, what are you saying? He doesn't smoke! Don't corrupt him!"

Seeing his daughter's fiercely protective stance, Xu Rongbin felt an inexplicable pang in his chest, and his gaze toward Zhao Rongjun grew less friendly.

"Stay safe on the road," Xu Rongbin took a drag and said, "Call your mom tonight."

"Got it, we're off!" Xu Yinghuan dragged her suitcase and waved to her dad. "You go home early too—we don't need you to babysit us."

…

At noon.

Li Luo and Lin Xiuhong each drove their motorhomes into the motorhome camping park near Qiandaohu and rented a motorhome for Zhao Rongjun and the others.

What they called a motorhome was actually a stationary wooden cabin shaped like a motorhome.

Inside were two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small living room—aside from lacking a driver's cabin, its layout was nearly identical to a real motorhome.

It offered tourists who wanted to experience motorhome camping but didn't want to buy one or drive themselves another option.

Xu Youyu directed Li Luo and Lin Xiuhong to park their motorhomes beside the rented one, perpendicular to form a "U" shape.

Effectively turning Zhao Rongjun's motorhome into a curtain.

After parking, they set up a canopy, leaving only one exit in the center.

"If we had one more motorhome, it'd be perfect," Xu Youyu clapped his hands, nodding in satisfaction.

"Are you building a siheyuan here?" Li Luo laughed. "With this canopy up, you won't be able to light a bonfire later."

"We can put the bonfire outside the curtain—we'll just open the curtain when we're ready," Xu Youyu said. "We don't have to eat barbecue inside."

"That works," Li Luo nodded, then noticed Yan Zhusheng taking a call, speaking as she looked around.

Following her gaze, Li Luo saw three familiar figures walking toward them, glancing left and right.

"Huanhuan and the others are here," Yan Zhusheng told Li Luo, raising her arm to point.

"Yeah, I see," Li Luo nodded, smiling as he walked toward them and waved at Zhao Rongjun and the others.

Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng followed behind, stepping forward to greet them.

Xu Yinghuan rushed ahead, dropped her suitcase into Zhao Rongjun's arms, then ran over happily and threw her arms around Yan Zhusheng.

"Hi~ Did you miss me, Zhusheng?" Xu Yinghuan grinned.

"No," Yan Zhusheng shook her head. "You're not Li Luo."

Xu Yinghuan: "... That hurts."

"Newyan, come here," Ying Chanxi took Qiao Xinyan's hand and led her toward the motorhome, whispering to her, their heads close together—no one knew what they were saying, but it made Qiao Xinyan blush slightly.

"Come on, the rooms are ready," Li Luo called to Zhao Rongjun as he approached, smiling. "Let's settle in first."

Zhao Rongjun and the others carried their luggage into the canopy and boarded the motorhome Li Luo had rented for them.

Qiao Xinyan and Xu Yinghuan chose the master bedroom and shared it.

Zhao Rongjun picked the secondary bedroom at the front of the vehicle.

After stowing their luggage, everyone began bustling about preparing lunch.

They pulled out the two portable stoves from the motorhome, set up tables and chairs inside the canopy, and the nine of them worked busily under the shade—some washed and chopped vegetables, others lit fires and cooked, while others ran off to restock ingredients and buy drinks and snacks.

After enjoying a satisfying lunch, they didn't rush to visit the Qiandaohu scenic area, instead strolling around its outer edges, taking photos.

As evening fell, Xu Youyu summoned camp staff to help build the bonfire.

And as time slowly passed, Qiao Xinyan, standing beside Ying Chanxi, grew increasingly nervous.

"Let's start with the barbecue," Ying Chanxi whispered to Qiao Xinyan's ear. "Once we've eaten enough in the middle, I'll have Li Luo ask Zhusheng to distract Huanhuan."

"Mm." Qiao Xinyan's hands twisted in front of her chest, her heart pounding hard.

When Xu Yinghuan handed her the skewers, she didn't notice at all—only snapped out of it after being called several times, fumbling to take them.

In her mind, she silently rehearsed the words she had prepared for so long—many heartfelt confessions bottled up inside, desperate to be spoken tonight.

Qiao Xinyan had no appetite for the barbecue; in the end, she ate only a few skewers. Seeing everyone nearly finished, she hurried back to the bedroom and pulled out a transparent storage jar from her suitcase.

"What's this?" Ying Chanxi glanced curiously and saw the jar filled with countless paper-folded five-pointed stars and cranes.

"Um… I planned to give it to Junge." Qiao Xinyan whispered, "But only after it succeeds."

"Oh~" Ying Chanxi burst into laughter. "So it's a love token."

"Don't say it like that." Qiao Xinyan blushed, then hesitated long before finally asking, "W-When can we start?"

"You've already taken it out—then we can start now." Ying Chanxi glanced at the scene, winked at Qiao Xinyan, then walked straight toward Li Luo.

Li Luo, receiving Ying Chanxi's signal, first looked at Qiao Xinyan, then turned to Zhao Rongjun and Xu Yinghuan beside him.

After a moment's thought, he walked over to Yan Zhusheng and whispered, "Go buy some more ice cream. Take Yinghuan with you."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng always obeyed Li Luo without question; she didn't ask why he wouldn't come with her, only nodded in agreement.

But just then, before Yan Zhusheng could find Xu Yinghuan to go buy ice cream, Xu Yinghuan finished her current skewer, glanced at Zhao Rongjun, and took his large hand in hers.

Yan Zhusheng saw this and froze, staring at them in surprise.

Xu Yinghuan, unusually shy, smiled softly, pulling Zhao Rongjun to the bonfire, then turned to face everyone.

At this moment.

Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling, full from eating, sat on chairs nearby, chatting and resting.

Xu Youyu still waited by the grill for fresh skewers, holding a cold beer in hand.

Li Luo stood beside Yan Zhusheng, near the grill and closest to the bonfire.

Ying Chanxi stood between Qiao Xinyan and the bonfire. As she saw Xu Yinghuan and Zhao Rongjun holding hands, her heart stopped—then she sharply turned to look at Qiao Xinyan.

"You say it or me?" Xu Yinghuan turned to the tall man beside her, smiling brightly.

Zhao Rongjun hesitated, feeling the soft warmth in his palm, looked at the girl before him with her charming smile, and finally mustered the courage: "I'll say it."

"Then say it." Xu Yinghuan laughed happily, closed her mouth, and looked around, her cheeks flushed red by the bonfire's glow—radiant and captivating.

Zhao Rongjun took a deep breath, unsure where to look, and finally fixed his gaze on his good brother Li Luo, so as not to make him feel too awkward.

"That… uh…"

"Actually, it's like this…"

"That day at graduation, didn't we go to Li Luo's hotpot restaurant for the farewell dinner?"

"After that meal ended, I…"

"Oh, you're so tedious!" Xu Yinghuan had been happy, but hearing him drag it out without getting to the point, she couldn't hold back.

She immediately raised her and Zhao Rongjun's clasped hands high, shouting excitedly: "In short—I'm dating Zhao Rongjun!"

Though everyone had already guessed from their linked hands,

upon hearing this answer, many faces still showed surprise.

Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling paused for a moment, then smiled and began clapping to congratulate them.

As elders, they wouldn't meddle in the love lives of the young—better to just watch like spectators.

The energy of young love was refreshing; watching it was pleasant enough.

Yan Zhusheng was also stunned, never imagining Xu Yinghuan had hidden such good news from her. She forgot Li Luo's instruction to buy ice cream and clapped enthusiastically for her best friend.

"So… did you kiss?" Yan Zhusheng walked up to Xu Yinghuan and asked quietly, curious.

"N-No way!" Xu Yinghuan's face flushed crimson as she loudly denied it.

While Yan Zhusheng asked curiously, Ying Chanxi's expression had turned grim.

Li Luo glanced at Zhao Rongjun, then at Ying Chanxi's bewildered, helpless expression. His gaze passed over her, drifting toward Qiao Xinyan, hidden in the shadow of the awning.

Because of the lighting, he couldn't even make out Qiao Xinyan's expression.

But when she stepped out from under the awning, her face wore a bright, delighted smile—she rushed over to Xu Yinghuan and Zhao Rongjun, genuinely thrilled for them.

"When did you two get together?" Qiao Xinyan asked with a smile, curious. "I didn't notice at all."

"That day after graduation," Xu Yinghuan pulled Qiao Xinyan close, grinning. "Remember? After the farewell dinner, I said I needed to go back to school for something and asked Junge to come with me."

"I was worried you'd notice something, but luckily you agreed—letting Junge go with me to school."

"Then I confessed in the classroom~ His face turned super red, hahaha~ Now I still think it's so cute."

Ying Chanxi watched Qiao Xinyan's beaming face, but inside, she felt deep sorrow—so much so she couldn't even force a smile like her.

She noticed Qiao Xinyan held nothing in her hands. Realizing something, she hurried into the awning, searching left and right.

Li Luo noticed Ying Chanxi's odd behavior and followed her inside. He saw her standing quietly in the corner, head bowed, staring at a corner of the floor.

As he stepped beside her, Li Luo looked down.

It was the underside of the motorhome.

A transparent jar, filled with five-pointed stars and paper cranes, had rolled there unnoticed—like a heart broken, discarded here.

(End of Chapter)