Age of Legends

Chapter 285 is not quite...

Chen Qidong saw Shen Nuoyi again. Shen Nuoyi was from No. 17 Middle School and lived near the Telecom Bureau. He took the bus to school every day and occasionally saw Shen Nuoyi on the same bus as him.

The day he met Shen Nuoyi, Chen Qidong felt like he was walking on air, refreshed and invigorated. He even thought that maybe one day she would secretly look at him, and Chen Qidong would inexplicably get a surge of energy.

But who knows? Who knows if it will happen?

Chen Qidong himself was quite good. He thought he was popular with women at school. Even last week, a girl from the next class who had always liked him asked him who he liked when she was drunk. Chen Qidong remained silent at the time.

He was actually considering whether to find an opportunity to be honest with himself. A failed confession might lead to a period of introversion, but in the final stage of high school, if he didn't say anything, he might regret it, and things could change in the long run.

Yes, if I run into her again, I'll definitely go up to her and say it.

Today, while I was out shopping with a friend, I suddenly saw Shen Nuoyi getting out of a taxi across the street.

Shen Nuoyi wore a black down jacket, a high-necked beige sweater, dark blue straight-leg high-waisted jeans, and snow boots. Her high ponytail had an upward and energetic feel to it. When she got out of the car, the ends of her hair swept as she turned around, and her neat and refreshing appearance brought the chill of the winter sycamore street to her face.

Shen Nuoyi usually wears the Yude school uniform to school, and it's rare to see her in casual clothes. But when she appeared in this outfit during the holidays, Chen Qidong immediately blushed.

A few friends nearby started chatting idly, their words suddenly becoming jumbled, clearly disrupted by the sight of the girl appearing before them.

But no one noticed Chen Qidong's unusual behavior.

Little did he know that he was currently torn between his inner thoughts and his own.

On one hand, there is the determination you've made in secret, and on the other hand, there are the barriers of reality. You have to overcome the gazes and even the possible ridicule from your friends. Of course, if you succeed, it won't be ridicule, but rather a legendary achievement.

So the question now is, should I just go up there?

Just as Chen Qidong was struggling with his inner demons and gritted his teeth for the last time, he felt as if the whole world around him had faded away. The conversations of his friends, the noise of the cars on the road, all the sounds of the world receded, leaving only the sound of his own heartbeat as he walked forward.

Shen Nuoyi suddenly smiled in one direction and waved, shattering all the winter chill in that instant.

Then a boy wearing a down jacket appeared over there. Shen Nuo took a few steps forward, stood in front of him, and gave him a smile that could melt the first snow, looking at him gently.

The world's voice has returned.

Chen Qidong stopped in his tracks.

Hearing his friend exclaim, "Holy crap, this girl is amazing!"

"What's wrong? She has a boyfriend!"

"He might not be my boyfriend!"

"Come on, you can't fake a smile."

But to be honest, Chen Qidong didn't feel discouraged that day; instead, he felt a sense of relief. It was as if a long-held obsession had finally been broken through at that moment. He even secretly resolved to devote himself fully to the final sprint of his senior year, determined to get into a good university, soaring high and opening a new chapter in his life and destiny.

Ok.

The boy who received that smile received the gentlest breeze in the years, didn't he?
……

"You weren't home today, did you take a taxi?" Zhang Chen looked at Shen Nuoyi, whose stunning winter outfit truly lived up to the saying, "Seeing is believing." The buyer's photo and the seller's photo are completely different. No wonder buyer's photos always feature beautiful women; the same simple clothes look completely different on different people. Moreover, Shen Nuoyi's outfit today was exceptionally good.

"I was shopping with my mom and we talked about having hot pot later, so she asked me to stay with her until five o'clock."

“Accompany…” Zhang Chen looked over.

“My mom is sometimes like a child. When I was little, she often wanted me to go shopping with her, watch movies, buy the fruit she wanted, and eat the wontons she wanted. She didn’t want to be alone, so she would drag me along.” Shen Nuo sighed, a sense of helplessness about the adult and child being reversed. “Sometimes there’s just no way to stop her!” “Did you say who you were eating with?” Zhang Chen wondered if Shen Nuo’s mother was worried that he would steal her and her daughter’s alone time.

"I already said it, it's with you." Shen Nuo smiled.

As Zhang Chen's expression froze, she added, "They."

After she finished speaking, her dark eyes, which seemed to be playing a prank, suddenly became even darker.

Zhang Chen took a deep breath. "Next time you choke on phlegm, you can spit it out first."

He got hit by Shen Nuoyi.

Zhang Chen asked, "Didn't your mother say anything?"

“Yes, I initially told my mom I was with Wang Shuowei and Zheng Xue. She wanted me to come back early. But after I added your name… she made me stay with her for another half hour before letting me go.”

Zhang Chen opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then saw Shen Nuoyi's mischievous dark eyes staring at him with a smile. Only then did Zhang Chen assert, "From now on, you will take the main responsibility for this conflict between mother-in-law and son-in-law."

Shen Nuo's cheeks flushed slightly. "What mother-in-law and son-in-law conflict... What are you talking about!"

"A conflict between a son-in-law and his mother-in-law is called a 'son-in-law conflict,' which corresponds to a conflict between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. What's wrong with that?" Zhang Chen said shamelessly.

"Who's your mother-in-law? It's not like we've settled things yet!" Shen Nuo's ears turned red, thinking to herself how could this person say such things so recklessly.

“Aren’t we a couple? Didn’t you pursue me?” Zhang Chen said with a grin.

Shen Nuoyi blushed at his words, but being a science-oriented girl, she knew perfectly well that the objective facts were undeniable, so she said, "That's true, but we're just dating. Dating doesn't mean marriage! So my mom isn't your mother-in-law yet. Don't overthink it!"

Zhang Chen chuckled, thinking to himself that this girl was quite stubborn. He replied, "Shakespeare said that dating without the intention of marriage is immoral. I don't want to be immoral."

Shen Nuoyi admitted that she couldn't win against Zhang Chen in this regard, and there was no need to argue. In short, she still felt sweet inside.

However, respecting the objective facts, Shen Nuo said, "If some people are not compatible, but end up getting married, wouldn't that be a tragedy? So you should have several relationships and not put all your eggs in one basket."

"You mean we should both have more relationships, otherwise we'll be missing out? Why don't we go our separate ways and have two separate relationships?" Zhang Chen had a look on his face that said, "Is this for real?"

As a result, Shen Nuo pinched and pinched, not much lighter than when they were kids.

"Hey... what's wrong with you now? It's even red and warm!" Zhang Chen stared at her. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

“What I mean is, before I met you… shouldn’t there have been a few more control groups…” Shen Nuoyi lightly stomped her foot.

"Oh. So you regret it terribly?" Zhang Chen said, deliberately drawing out the words, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her blushing face.

Shen Nuoyi was speechless again. She looked at Zhang Chen, pursed her lips, and avoided his teasing yet meaningful gaze. "...It's not that I regret it."

"Hmm? Your voice is too soft, I can't hear you clearly. Speak louder." Zhang Chen deliberately leaned closer, smiling broadly.

"Speak louder! I want to hear too!" Wang Shuowei and Zheng Xue bumped into each other at some point, and no one knew where they came from. They just walked over from the side. Little Wang looked on with curiosity.

Zheng Xue also raised her hand, "What? Speak louder? What are you two whispering about?"

"Hey you two, wait for us!"

Shen Nuoyi and Zhang Chen turned around and left at the same time, heading straight for the hot pot restaurant, not wanting to stay there for even a second longer.

(End of this chapter)