Chapter 39

The azure sky is clear, autumn deepens; purple mountains and rivers are draped in tender clouds.

In the evening, after getting off the vehicle, Jiang Qinqin hurriedly told Wu Yuchen to let go of her hand.

Wu Yuchen smiled faintly—this little girl had already hugged and kissed him, yet now she was suddenly shy.

Wu Yuchen feigned annoyance: “Why let go?”

Jiang Qinqin’s face flushed red: “What if Sha Sha and the others see? I’ll never be able to show my face again!”

She’d just been badmouthing Wu Yuchen in the dorm, and now here she was, dating him—what if they found out she’d already gone all the way: holding hands, hugging, kissing? They’d laugh themselves to death.

Wu Yuchen could guess her thoughts well enough—it was just the thin skin of student life, unable to bear gossip from peers.

Wu Yuchen now recalled: the duck boat truly was a perfect place. Once gliding to the lake’s center, it became a private world of just two, cut off from the world, making people bolder than usual—no wonder couples loved going there!

Oh right, today he also owed Huang Lei a big favor—without that bump, how would he have gotten this chance to accelerate things so dramatically?

Still, Wu Yuchen refused to let go of Jiang Qinqin’s hand: “No, unless you kiss me again~”

Jiang Qinqin blushed at the request—this wasn’t their private duck boat anymore, but near the school gate. Yet seeing Wu Yuchen’s stubborn, almost cheeky expression, she felt a sweet warmth inside.

After glancing around and seeing no passing students, Jiang Qinqin tiptoed and quickly pecked his cheek.

Only then did Wu Yuchen grin and release her hand. “Let me walk you back to the dorm.”

Jiang Qinqin nodded, no longer refusing—walking her back was fine, as long as no one saw their affectionate gestures.

After entering the dorm building, Jiang Qinqin kept thinking about everything that had happened today, her lips curled in a smile, utterly lost in the sweetness of love.

As she stepped inside, all the girls turned to stare at her at once; Chen Shasha even blocked the door, the atmosphere like an imperial tribunal.

“Jiang Qinqin, come clean!”

Jiang Qinqin glanced at them, feigned calm, walked to her bed, and set down her bag. “What am I supposed to confess?”

“Where did you go?”

“Who with?”

“What did you do?”

All of them spoke at once, staring at Jiang Qinqin.

Jiang Qinqin felt a twinge of guilt and looked away.

“Nowhere special. Just had dinner with an old friend, then wandered a park and chatted.”

Chen Shasha snorted. “Still lying? We all saw from the window—Wu Yuchen walked you back!”

“We just happened to meet on campus, nothing happened. Stop guessing!”

Chen Shasha clearly didn’t believe her excuse.

“Left early in the morning, came back nearly dark—you’ve been cozy with him all day, and you still dare say nothing happened?!”

“I told you, I met a female friend. Believe it or not!” Jiang Qinqin’s tone was firm.

At that moment, Yin Qiaoqiao, standing by the window, suddenly spoke: “Hey hey, come look—Wu Yuchen’s still down there, waving and smiling at me!”

Jiang Qinqin’s heart leapt—she thought Wu Yuchen hadn’t left yet—and rushed to the window, leaning out to look. After a moment, she saw no trace of him. She realized she’d been tricked. Turning around, she found her roommates laughing uproariously.

Yin Qiaoqiao smirked teasingly: “Look how flustered you got just now—still saying there’s nothing between you?”

“W-what does that prove? I was just worried he might need something!”

Jiang Qinqin stuck her neck out, stubborn as a dead duck, refusing to admit anything.

Yin Qiaoqiao wasn’t fazed. She smiled sweetly.

“Fine, you say there’s nothing between you. I think Wu Yuchen’s pretty great—good-looking, talented. Tomorrow I’ll ask him out for dinner, see how things go~”

Jiang Qinqin’s heart jolted—she blurted out: “No!”

Yin Qiaoqiao feigned surprise:

“Why not? He doesn’t have a girlfriend, and you’re not with him—how does that affect you?”

Jiang Qinqin knew Yin Qiaoqiao was probably teasing her—but what if she actually did it?

Living under the same roof, she’d seen firsthand how skilled Yin Qiaoqiao was with men.

“I… it’s just not allowed!” Jiang Qinqin stamped her foot.

Yin Qiaoqiao stepped forward with a giggle: “Then tell me—were you with him all day today?”

This time, Jiang Qinqin couldn’t deny it anymore. She bit her lip, blushing, and silently nodded.

The dorm erupted in cheers. The girls surrounded Jiang Qinqin, bombarding her with questions.

…

While Jiang Qinqin was being interrogated, Wu Yuchen hummed a tune as he returned to his dorm. Seeing it wasn’t fully dark yet, he picked up a notebook from his desk and headed out again.

When he arrived home, it was already past seven. His father, Wu Jianping, was watching the News Broadcast.

“Oh? Back this late? Did you eat?” Zhou Shuping, having just finished washing dishes, stepped out of the kitchen.

“Mom, I ate.”

Wu Yuchen walked straight to his father’s side and handed him the notebook: “Dad, take a look.”

Wu Jianping understood immediately. He turned off the TV and followed his son into the small study.

Wu Yuchen had spent half a month, stealing spare moments, drafting the detailed outline of “Bright Sword.”

Wu Jianping flipped through the notebook. It contained not only the detailed plot progression but also character personalities and visual descriptions—so vivid he could instantly picture each figure in his mind.

He’d only heard a rough summary last time. Now, seeing this detailed outline, he had no doubt whatsoever that “Bright Sword” was compelling and could succeed as a full-length novel.

Wu Jianping had to admit—he’d seriously underestimated his own son. This “Bright Sword” he’d created was truly excellent!

“Dad, how long do you think it’ll take you to finish?”

Hearing his son’s question, Wu Jianping paused to think, then replied:

“By year-end. Your war scenes are a bit vague—I’ll need to research historical records to flesh them out.”

Wu Yuchen nodded. Year-end meant about two months—completing a 300,000-word novel wasn’t slow at all.

He knew his father’s nature: he’d pore over countless sources, prepare thoroughly, then begin writing—and after finishing, he’d polish and refine it endlessly.

Wu Yuchen asked again: “Dad, when do you think this novel will be published?”