Age of Legends

Chapter 351 Infernal Affairs
Let's go for a run together.

During the period after the college entrance examination results were released, Zhang Chen actually slept late every day and woke up late in the morning, and his routine was chaotic. He wasn't doing anything productive. Although he was also managing some internal testing work for the strategy game "Wanxiang Jianghu Three Kingdoms", in the end, he ended up playing strategy war games with night owls like Jing Qinming. They often stayed up late at night in front of the computer arranging troops and exchanging verbal sparring.

Upon learning of this situation, Shen Nuoyi told him about it on QQ.

"running?"

“Yes, I’ll run over in the morning, or you can come over, and we can do it together. We need to get some exercise too. I’ve heard that university is much more lenient. If you don’t have self-discipline and willpower, you’ll often indulge yourself. I don’t want that, and neither do you, right? So let’s start living a more structured life.”

There weren't many grand principles involved. Shen Nuoyi wasn't usually someone who exercised regularly, but because of Zhang Chen, she felt she should prioritize building their future life together.

"Okay... fine then." Zhang Chen seemed to have thought of something, narrowed his eyes, and readily agreed in the text.

"Where should we meet? We don't need to go all the way to each other's neighborhoods. Let's choose a compromise location, how about the bridge over Willow Embankment?"

"Okay, where shall we meet then? Six o'clock?"

"Miss, is it really necessary to do this so early? You're going to kill me!"

"Oh, then seven o'clock. Shall we run off to have breakfast?"

Aren't you afraid of gaining weight?

"Zhang Chen, our task is to maintain a regular lifestyle and get exercise, not to lose weight. Besides, I've done my research, and if you turn running into slow walking and eat more slowly, theoretically you won't gain weight."

"Is that so...? I feel like you're just trying to fool people," Zhang Chen replied. Shen Nuoyi, with her upright demeanor, looked like a goddess of virtue to those who didn't know her, possessing a kind of awe-inspiring presence reminiscent of a Sichuan glacier, someone you only dared to admire from afar. But once you got to know her, you'd realize she could also talk nonsense with a straight face. She seemed very serious most of the time, but with a little bit of bluffing, she could genuinely fool people. If it were a murder mystery game, she'd definitely be a hidden master who only told selective truth and survived to the end.

"Okay!" (Nods obediently)

The next morning, just as Zhang Chen had predicted, he walked out of the factory gate and along the river embankment road. After turning a corner, in the still cool morning before the summer heat, he saw Shen Nuoyi, dressed in sportswear, at the other end of the arched bridge connecting the two banks of the willow embankment.

It was a kind of unseen connection, as if from then on there would be someone, or two people, who, with just one promise, would travel mountains and rivers to accompany each other, no matter where they were or how far apart they were.

As expected, Zhang Chen's little wish was fulfilled. In the morning light, Shen Nuo had her hair tied up and was wearing a pink Adidas tracksuit. The top consisted of a t-shirt and a soft-woven sports jacket with an eye-catching cinched waist. The bottom was made of pure cotton, and the white vertical stripes on the sides made her legs appear even longer. She wore straight-leg casual sports pants and sneakers.

She also wore a matching sun hat that exposed her hair, and her face under the brim was clear and serene, like something out of a painting in the morning light and mist, making one's heart flutter slightly.

"what happened?"

"It's nothing," Zhang Chen replied casually, though he had clearly been stunned for a moment.

Shen Nuoyi often wore loose school uniforms at Yude High School, especially in the latter half of her senior year. She didn't pay much attention to dressing up and was always without makeup. Even so, she was naturally beautiful. But Zhang Chen could never forget the stunning look Shen Nuoyi occasionally showed up in a fitted sportswear outfit when a group of friends from the three departments and four colleges went hiking and picnicking.

Such is the unforgettable imprint in their memories, which is why Zhang Chen arranged to meet at the arched bridge on the willow embankment. This was where the children from the various courtyards usually met when they wanted to play. And everyone was actually the most excited, of course, because they would see that face they had been longing for the next day.

At that time, she was accompanied by girls she knew, and the boys could only watch from afar. I wonder how many people she left an unforgettable impression on.

But at this moment, there are only two people: him and her.

So it's easy to imagine the expression on Zhang Chen's face now, having fulfilled some sordid thoughts from his childhood. Even when he said "It's nothing" to Shen Nuoyi, he was met with a look of suspicion.

However, Shen Nuo could more or less sense something from the way Zhang Chen was scrutinizing her. She covered her pretty face even more with the brim of her hat and said, "Don't think about things you shouldn't be thinking about. Focus on running. Let's go!"

Then she jogged off to the side first.

Zhang Chen followed.

This is the riverbank section that crosses the river, an excellent spot for morning exercise. It is lined with willow trees on both sides, hence the name Willow Forest Embankment. It used to be plagued by white fluff, but it was later renovated and other trees were planted instead.

The two jogged side by side, but because they lived near the neighborhood, they would run into acquaintances. For example, Yuan Yunchuan, who had gone out early in the morning to grab breakfast.

Yuan Yunchuan was the first to see the beautiful Shen Nuoyi approaching. When Shen Nuoyi greeted her with "Aunt Yuan!", Yuan Yunchuan couldn't hide her surprise and delight: "Oh, it's Shen Nuoyi!"

Yuan Yunchuan had a son named Yuan Bin, who was notorious in kindergarten. He was in the same kindergarten as Shen Nuoyi and was called in by his parents for bullying Shen Nuoyi. When asked why he was bullying the girl, Yuan Bin replied: "I think she has big eyes and is pretty. I want to marry her!" This statement caused Yuan Bin to be socially invisible for more than ten years, making him a legend known far and wide.

Since then, Yuan Yunchuan has been quite enthusiastic towards the Shen family. The reason is simple: she genuinely wants to make Shen Nuoyi her daughter-in-law. She also knows that Yuan Bin has always liked her.

Not to mention that Shen Nuoyi is now rumored to be able to get into Tsinghua University, making him famous again. Yuan Yunchuan, whose family has a good relationship with Shen Nuoyi, is naturally very satisfied with him and wants to bring the two of them together. She has been thinking about this all along.

She was naturally pleasantly surprised to see Shen Nuoyi, but the next moment she saw Zhang Chen next to her, and stopped as Shen Nuoyi stopped talking to an acquaintance.

Yuan Yunchuan felt her expression must be a bit stiff, and asked, "I heard you scored 670. This year, Tsinghua University's admission cutoff score is 655. You got into Tsinghua, right?"

Shen Nuo nodded. "It seems to be confirmed." "Oh my! That's wonderful! That's amazing!" Yuan Yunchuan said, "Yuan Bin scored 600 on the exam. He applied to Capital University of Technology, and he should be able to get in! You two should keep in touch more often in the capital!"

After the "Aunt Yuan" that Shen Nuo mentioned repeatedly told her to leave, Shen Nuo turned around and saw Zhang Chen looking at the leaves next to her.

"What's wrong?" Shen Nuo tilted her head.

Zhang Chen said, "That kid has had a crush on you since he was a child. Be careful he doesn't use the hometown association as an excuse to get close to you."

After a moment of surprise, Shen Nuo didn't laugh at Zhang Chen for his suspicious and petty attitude. Instead, she smiled and said, "Don't worry, I shouldn't be that easy to approach."

Zhang Chen was slightly taken aback, thinking she was going to say something like that she didn't like socializing and wanted to maintain a cool and aloof image.

She added, "I will see no one but you."

As she gazed into Zhang Chen's eyes and smiled, a brief silence fell between them. Zhang Chen then shook his head: "There's no need to be so extreme. I still have to attend the teacher's classes. Otherwise, if I fail and can't graduate, wouldn't I be committing a heinous crime?"

Shen Nuoyi, unsure whether to be annoyed or amused, reached out and slapped his arm with her wrist. "Do you think I spend all day burying my head in bed, playing whack-a-mole?"

……

Zhang Chen and Shen Nuoyi's morning runs have become a self-disciplined exercise program. After running, they would eat a lot of delicious food together. Occasionally, they would playfully tease each other like this, and Zhang Chen would hold her hand.

The two of them went from beginning to end to holding hands. There were still some obstacles, namely their familiarity with each other since childhood.

They're like good buddies, joking around but not really close. However, if they were to take their relationship to the next level, there always seems to be a psychological barrier between them.

This barrier isn't an inner resistance, but rather a result of having shared memories, yet now that a relationship has been established and identities have changed, there are certain daily habits that need to be overcome.

For example, when the two of them were alone under the shade of a lush tree, Zhang Chen went a step further and reached out to embrace the waist that he found so alluring, and at that moment, her body trembled slightly.

In situations like these, it's often difficult to take things any further.

It's as if there's an invisible force field between the two of them, originating from within their hearts. There's a sense of dislocation and shame, like suddenly having to merge with the person you used to accompany you, the person you usually see and care about.

But sometimes obstacles are meant to be overcome.

That barrier, perhaps, can be broken down with just one more step.

So when Zhang Chen put his arm around her waist and her ears turned visibly red, Zhang Chen slowly moved his head closer.

When Shen Nuo looked at her pert nose and her lips, which were as beautifully contoured as rosy clouds and as tender and lovely as cherries, her body trembled slightly before stiffening to the extreme.

Just an inch or two away, Zhang Chen suddenly stopped. The two breathed on each other, but nothing happened.

Shen Nuoyi opened her eyes again and saw Zhang Chen's face so close to hers. It seemed to be coated with a layer of light, making her heart race uncontrollably. She then heard Zhang Chen say, "Shen Nuoyi, from the first time we met until now... it has taken me a very long time, many, many years."

Zhang Chen did not lie. From the moment he appeared beside her, to being lost in the previous life, and then to crossing the seemingly eternal distance between them in this life, closing the gap between them now, he had lived two lifetimes.

This feeling, however, seemed to have a profound impact on Shen Nuoyi because of Zhang Chen's words.

Without further hesitation, Zhang Chen leaned forward and covered her lips with his...

Shen Nuoyi almost went along with it.

They parted ways after a long while.

Both of them experienced a kind of tingling, bone-melting sensation that spread from their spines to their scalps after the boundary was broken.

The meaning is still unfinished.

This time, when Shen Nuoyi's eyes, which had been shrouded in fog, regained some clarity, there was something resolute in her expression. Then she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his back.

Then bring it forward.

The sun, no longer considered morning light, leaped out of the woods, standing atop a treetop, its blazing heat piercing through the cold mist and the long-standing frost.

Radiant and beautiful.

(End of this chapter)