"Are you sure you're not a senior student from our fine arts department?" Seeing Su He only smile without replying, the young man awkwardly rubbed his nose.
"I'm here for a tour," Su He explained.
Su He still had one final step to complete, continuing to apply paint to the paper with her brush.
The young man wanted to say more, but was stopped by Secretary Zhao beside him. "The view over there is also quite good. You can go and look around there."
The implication was clear: he did not want the young man to continue disturbing Su He's painting.
"Who is she? She even has an assistant for her sketching?"
"She looks so aloof. We'd better not bother her!"
"Haiyang, no one wants to talk to you, so why are you still trying to get close? Aren't you just embarrassing yourself?"
"Honestly, her painting is just so-so. Not as amazing as you say!"
A few girls who had come along with the senior saw him being left out and chimed in, defending him.
Su He paid them no mind, continuing with her work.
Having been through it herself, she could easily see the thoughts of those girls. During college, budding crushes were not easily spoken aloud, but the sour undertones in their words were palpable. It was evident that this young man was quite popular with the girls.
It took Su He half the day to finish one painting.
By then, it was nearly noon.
"Miss Su, would you like to have lunch first?" Secretary Zhao glanced at his watch, fulfilling his duties.
Su He nodded. "Alright."
After packing her painting supplies, the two began to walk down the mountain.
The restaurant was at the foot of the mountain, about a ten-minute walk away.
Su He preferred lighter flavors, so she chose a local specialty restaurant.
Coincidentally, the same group of students they had encountered earlier were also there.
"Why is she here too? She's so persistent!" a girl muttered softly.
The young man, Haiyang, pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "There are only a few restaurants here. It's normal to run into each other, isn't it?"
Seeing the young man defending Su He, the girl pouted unhappily.
Su He didn't greet them and instead chose a corner seat.
Secretary Zhao took the menu and handed it to Su He. "Miss Su, what would you like to eat?"
Su He thought for a moment and said, "Anything is fine, as long as it's light."
Secretary Zhao, being a local, chose a few dishes with local characteristics.
There were several tables of guests in the restaurant, and the food arrived quite quickly.
Su He tasted it, and the flavor was good.
After lunch, they browsed the commercial street for a while before preparing to head back.
Secretary Zhao drove a company car, a million-dollar Mercedes-Benz, which was quite conspicuous on the road. Those students, who had arrived by bus, couldn't help but pause for a moment when they saw Su He inside the Mercedes.
"No wonder she has someone accompanying her. It seems her status is quite high~"
"That car looks expensive~"
"Sigh, she's really rich, unlike us poor students who can only squeeze into a bus."
Xu Haiyang didn't speak, just stared blankly at Su He, lost in thought.
The moment he saw Su He, his heart had begun to race, a flutter he had never felt for any other girl. To be honest, Miss Su wasn't a stunning beauty. But her clean face and gentle demeanor always drew his gaze.
"Senior, the car is already far away, and you're still looking," the girl next to him said enviously.
Xu Haiyang retracted his gaze and said casually, "I was studying that car."
"And what did you find out?" the girl asked.
"That car was just launched recently. It's an imported car, with a base price starting in the seven figures." Most boys liked to study cars and he spoke with confidence.
"It's that expensive?" The girl's mouth gaped in astonishment.
Xu Haiyang nodded.
"So that woman is that rich!"
"Maybe she's being kept..."
After hearing the boy's words, the girls became envious again.
Xu Haiyang felt uncomfortable sensing their malice. "Don't spread rumors if you don't know anything. Be careful with your words, or you might invite trouble."
"Xu Haiyang, you're acting very strange today!"
"Yeah! Have you fallen for Miss Su?"
"You keep defending her!"
A girl's jealousy can be a terrible thing.
Xu Haiyang couldn't be bothered to explain to them and turned his head away, saying nothing more.
*
An hour later, Su He returned to her hotel in the city.
Secretary Zhao helped her move her belongings into the room and was then dismissed by Su He to rest.
Su He rested for two hours, feeling fully recharged, and decided to take a stroll nearby.
The hotel was located in the city center, surrounded by numerous shops and some rather distinctive bars. Su He thought it would be a shame to miss out on experiencing them while she was out.
However, she didn't dare to venture too far, lest Lu Yanbei worry.
Su He slung a small bag over her shoulder and left the room with her key card.
The sun was very bright outside, making her eyes uncomfortable. Su He spotted a hat shop next door and went in to choose one. As she was paying, someone next to her suddenly spoke, "Boss, make it a bit cheaper, please."
Su He turned her head and saw him.
It was the young man she had met while sketching.
The shop owner's face darkened at his words. "We don't haggle here."
"Want to try another one?" The young man walked over to Su He and kindly advised, "This shop charges exorbitant prices. Seeing as you're from out of town, they're deliberately quoting a high price."
Su He curved her lips. "Are you very familiar with this area?"
"Our school is nearby, we pass by here often." The young man felt a bit embarrassed under Su He's gaze.
Su He nodded, then proceeded to bargain with the owner.
In the end, she secured the hat for one-third of the original price.
When the young man heard the final transaction price, he was stunned. He had thought half price would be reasonable, but he never imagined it could be even lower! This Miss Su was quite formidable.
As Su He exited the shop, the young man followed her.
"Are you going to wander around nearby? I know this place quite well..." Xu Haiyang said enthusiastically. "By the way, my name is Xu Haiyang, I'm a third-year student at the fine arts academy. Where are you from?"
Su He hadn't expected him to follow and felt a little uncomfortable. "I'm just looking around the vicinity. I'll be back at the hotel soon."
Xu Haiyang sensed her polite refusal, and his smile diminished considerably. "Although this is the city center, it's not entirely safe. Can you manage alone?"
"It's daytime, so it should be fine," Su He said, starting to feel a little apprehensive at his words.
"I'm free right now, so how about I keep you company?" Xu Haiyang didn't want to give up so easily.
Just as Su He was about to find an excuse to refuse, her phone vibrated.
Su He glanced at it, it was Lu Yanbei calling.
"Hello?"
"Where are you?" Lu Yanbei asked.
Su He moved to the side of the road. "Near the hotel. Aren't you busy right now?"
"I finished early and left work ahead of schedule." Lu Yanbei was in the back seat of his car and quickly spotted Su He by the roadside. The young man behind her, however, seemed particularly unwelcome.
Su He looked around and saw a black car pull over by the roadside.
Then, Lu Yanbei appeared in her line of sight.
Su He put down her phone and walked towards him.
Lu Yanbei put his arm around her waist, possessively staking his claim.