Chapter Twenty: An Outing

The next morning, Beta arrived early at the entrance of Capital Media University, carrying steaming hot breakfast. Seeing Li Jie and Geng Geng walking towards her hand in hand, unlike the scene yesterday when they walked side by side, Geng Geng’s sweet smile made her suspect that something must have happened last night, causing their outward demeanor to differ greatly from before—they looked like a couple deeply in love.

After quickly finishing breakfast, Beta took advantage of Li Jie’s trip to throw away the trash and hurriedly gossiped, “Geng Geng, what happened last night? I see you two acting completely differently today.”

Geng Geng was still quietly watching Li Jie’s figure. Upon hearing Beta, she turned and, with a face full of sweetness and joy, said, “Last night, Lu Xinghe officially confessed to me! Hehe, now we’re officially boyfriend and girlfriend!”

“Really? Then you got what you wished for. Didn’t you always complain that Lu Xinghe never made his feelings clear before? Now you can rest easy. No wonder your mood today is totally different from yesterday.”

“Hehe! I didn’t expect him to confess to me last night either. It still feels like a dream. Ah, Lu Xinghe is so outstanding. I feel so ordinary—I wonder if I’m worthy of him. I don’t even know what his family thinks of me.” Geng Geng first spoke with hopeful anticipation, then her tone grew anxious as she mentioned Li Jie’s excellence.

“I really envy you! What do you have to worry about? You’re excellent too. Lu Xinghe is lucky to have found such a pure, kind, and beautiful girl like you. As for his family, do you know much about them?” Beta encouraged her.

“I don’t know much. I only know that his biological parents divorced when he was very young. Both are in business. His father has been married three times in China, and his mother remarried abroad. When he went to Australia, it was to visit his mother.”

“Ah, it seems Lu Xinghe hasn’t had it easy either. Growing up in such a complicated family and still becoming so outstanding! Geng Geng, you two must stay together forever!”

“Yes, definitely!” Geng Geng said with absolute certainty.

Li Jie returned after taking out the trash and saw them talking. He faintly caught bits of their conversation but couldn’t hear clearly. Once he was back, the two immediately fell silent and abruptly changed the subject with stiff tones. Li Jie didn’t press further, thinking they were discussing private matters.

The Summer Palace, a royal garden from a previous dynasty, lies in the western suburbs of Beijing. Covering 290 hectares, it was designed with the West Lake of Qiantang as its model, embodying the Jiangnan garden style. It boasts over 3,000 palace and garden buildings, making it the best-preserved royal palace and garden to date.

Beta’s itinerary for the day centered entirely around this royal garden. Admiring the architectural style so different from Harbin, Geng Geng linked her arm with Li Jie’s and coquettishly said, “Xinghe, can we come here to take pictures whenever we have time? I really love this place—the scenery is like a painting.”

Hearing this overly sweet tone, Beta got goosebumps all over and suddenly regretted coming out with the two of them, being bombarded with so much lovey-dovey affection.

Of course, Li Jie responded indulgently to Geng Geng’s request. He also loved the scenery and kept thinking about where to take shots, from what angles, and what lighting would be best.

At noon, the three ate at Tingli Pavilion, a historic royal-style restaurant inside the Summer Palace. After ordering a few signature dishes and waiting for the food, Geng Geng’s heart was clearly with Li Jie the whole time. She showed no interest in sightseeing, frequently gazing at Li Jie and occasionally smiling foolishly, lost in her daydreams.

Noticing Geng Geng’s unusual behavior, Li Jie was obviously pleased. To avoid Beta feeling neglected, he occasionally shifted the conversation to her. Beta was speechless at Geng Geng’s blatant preference for romance over friendship.

Once the dishes arrived, the three, hungry, began to eat.

“Lu Xinghe, try this dish—it’s delicious!” Geng Geng said, feeding Li Jie with a chopstick.

Watching this, Beta couldn’t help but complain, “Hey! Geng Geng, could you consider this single person a little? I’ve been fed dog food all morning, and now even at lunch, I’m still eating it. I’m stuffed with dog food!”

“Hehe! You can find someone too, you know. Hehe! Envious, aren’t you?” Geng Geng shot Beta a disdainful glance and then continued as before.

Seeing this, Beta could only bury her frustration in food and resolved never to go out with the two of them again. Next time, she would only go with Geng Geng alone to avoid getting teased.

...

“Hey! Lu Xinghe, look over there… it’s so beautiful!”

...

“Lu Xinghe! Look, there’s a boat. Shall we go for a ride together?”

...

“Lu Xinghe! Lu Xinghe! The beef tongue pancake is so tasty, you have to try it!”

...

All afternoon, Beta kept consuming various flavors of “dog food” beside them. Seeing Geng Geng’s blissful face, though slightly stung, she was genuinely happy for her. The two had finally become a couple.

“Geng Geng, it’s about time. Let’s head back to school?” Beta suggested, not wanting to be tormented again during dinner by their constant PDA.

“Eh? Is it that late already? I haven’t finished exploring!” Geng Geng replied unwillingly.

“I think you just haven’t spent enough time with Lu Xinghe. You probably want to be stuck together 24/7, right?” Beta said with a look of disgust.

“Hehe! ... hehe!!”

Li Jie pinched Geng Geng’s cheek, amused by her silly smile, and suggested returning home. Seeing that Beta had been teased enough that day and that it was getting late, he agreed to go back earlier.

Near the school, after casually grabbing a simple meal, Beta sighed quietly at the still slightly PDA-heavy Geng Geng. It seemed she would have to avoid going out with them in the future.

Thanks to Li Jie, Geng Geng had completely let go of her homesickness and melancholy. In the following days, she was deeply immersed in their romance. With the start of military training, the two inevitably separated due to being in different departments, yet they clung to each other after every session. Many freshmen were heartbroken watching their sweet companionship, feeling their own meals lacked flavor or openly envied them.

Because Li Jie was not only the top scorer in the college entrance exam but also a renowned best-selling author, he naturally attracted much attention. Benefiting from his fame, Geng Geng also gained considerable notice. During military training, the couple quickly became well-known among freshmen. Everyone knew that the famous author already had a girlfriend, causing many ambitious classmates and senior students to feel quietly disheartened. They also envied the attentive care Li Jie showed Geng Geng, as whenever there was a break, he would run to her squad to bring water and snacks, sparking plenty of discussion.