Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 224 The Hourglass and the Glorious Sea

After dinner, Zhai Da and Lu Siwen headed towards the Peking University campus.

Amidst the whirring of passing cars, Zhai Da and Lu Siwen walked along the road. There was no snow on the street, but the cold wind was drier than in Harbin, and it even felt a little itchy on their faces.

Lu Siwen held her small bag behind her back with both hands, and the way her snow boots kicked her feet was 3 degrees higher than normal, indicating that the girl was in a happy mood at the moment.

Because of the narrow streets, Zhai Da felt a momentary daze, as if he had returned to the night after the college entrance examination when Lu Siwen escaped from her class party to find him, and then Zhai Da accompanied her back to catch the bus.

Apart from the season, the two were so similar.

When you look at a city from afar, they all have their own size and charm, but when you walk into a city, they are so similar.

Whether it's the bustling and vast northern part of Beijing or the insignificant Dongyang County in comparison.

It's all reinforced concrete, and the human touch permeates the cracks.

As she walked, Peking University seemed to be right in front of her. The time and space of a few intersections were far from enough for Lu Siwen to alleviate her longing and desire to get closer.

Instead, it aroused the girl's liveliness, and she would occasionally skip along, just to add a touch of vividness to the "funny things" she was talking about.

“You know what? Many people know I’m from Dongyang County and ask me if I know you. I’m very tight-lipped and haven’t told a single one of them.”

"Afraid they'll ask you for autographs?"

"No, I'm afraid that if people know I know you, I won't seem objective when I'm defending you in a debate."

Zhai Da chuckled: "You debate all the time? That means I get a lot of criticism too!"

"Hmph! It's all just sour and stinky stuff. They'd rather point fingers at other people's work than actually write something of their own."

A reckless bicycle sped past, but Zhai Da reacted quickly and grabbed the overly lively Lu Siwen.

Lu Siwen was startled and stumbled into Zhai Da's arms.

There was no dramatic or sensitive touching, just a brief lingering on the shoulder and chest, but after this little incident, Lu Siwen calmed down considerably.

The small handbag was no longer worn on the back, but held in front of the chest with both hands.

Before I knew it, the gates of Kyoto University seemed to be right in front of me, with only a pedestrian bridge standing in the way.

Once on the overpass, Zhai Da turned to look to the side. The bustling traffic on a major thoroughfare in northern Beijing showcased the strength of a first-tier city; this was the busiest place in terms of traffic since his rebirth.

After gazing at the bustling city for a while, Zhai Da remembered the matter of buying a house. He still needed someone who was usually in northern Beijing to help look after it. Even if most of the work was done through an agency, he still needed someone trustworthy.

Should I ask Lu Siwen for help? I wonder if it will cause too much trouble.

Actually, the Lu family's neighborhood is quite nice. It's a ready-built house with huge appreciation potential. It's a high-end neighborhood within one kilometer of Peking University. The current price is 30,000 yuan, and it wouldn't be surprising if it were 130,000 or 230,000 yuan in the future.

While considering how to begin, Lu Siwen took a step forward, placed her hands on the overpass railing, and looked at the traffic, saying:
"Zhai, how is Sister Lu? Is she alright?"

Zhai Da asked in confusion, "Why are you called 'sister'?"

"Because she's older than me?"

"She's only a month older than you. She's the same age as us, and a month younger than me."

"Oh, so you guys... I meant her... uh... it's nothing."

Lu Siwen dared not look into Zhai Da's eyes, gazing at the river of light formed by the car headlights, and stood on the bridge, unable to move forward.

Similarly, a jumble of thoughts also lingers.

Zhai remembers Sister Lu's birthday!
Wait, Zhai also remembers my birthday?
Lu Siwen turned her head sharply, her jewel-like eyes filled with surprise.

Zhai Da recalled his last conversation with Lu Zetao more than an hour earlier.

Inside the house that theoretically belonged to the Lu family, Lu Zetao drank the entire cup of Kung Fu tea in one gulp.

"Siwen just celebrated her birthday. I keep trying to convince myself to treat her like an adult or a young lady, but I always fail. She's still so lively and innocent. I don't know whether to be worried or happy."

Zhai Da poured Lu Zetao a full glass: "From a father's perspective, there's more happiness, especially for families without financial pressure."

Lu Zetao exclaimed, "We can't believe we're even talking about fathers. You're the one who should be treated like an adult."

Lu Zetao glanced at his phone. Qian Yarong, who was downstairs, was already impatiently asking him questions. So he said, "Before I leave, allow me to talk to you about something in an adult-to-adult manner."

"You say."

"Siwen likes you. You should know that, right?"

Zhai Da was neither surprised nor did he answer immediately. Instead, he poured himself a full cup of tea.

"There might be some admiration, and I am quite conspicuous among my peers, but I think this kind of vague feeling can basically be attributed to the fluctuations of adolescence."

"So you like that Miss Lu, right?"

Zhai Da did not deny it and readily nodded: "Yes, and Siwen and I talked about this a long time ago."

"But it seems you haven't really been dating anyone?"

Zhai Da's gaze was somewhat lost in thought: "Because I'm waiting for the right opportunity. It's not the right time yet, but it will be soon."

Thinking about the changes in Xiao Mutou recently, Zhai Da's lips unconsciously curled up slightly. He even knew that Li Haili was secretly teaching Lu Wei some "little tricks".

Lu Zetao pondered for a moment and understood Zhai Da's meaning.
As a local entrepreneur who awarded 20 yuan to each of the two top scorers, he had heard some of the story of the female top scorer, who was said to have some emotional difficulties.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Zetao sighed.

To put it bluntly, he was happy to see the two young people continue to interact, whether it was a deep or superficial friendship. To put it more elegantly, Siwen would eventually grow up. If there had to be a teacher, Zhai Da would be better than anyone else.

No one can accompany you on every journey, but it's better to walk with excellent people for a while than with mediocre ones.

However, Zhai Da's performance was somewhat...
They're not giving us any chance at all!

However, he couldn't say it out loud; saying it would only push things in the opposite direction.

"Alright, I won't ask too much about the young people's affairs, but I hope you two can communicate more and help each other. Siwen has grown a lot since she met you."

"This friendship should last longer. You're both only freshmen, and your lives haven't even truly begun yet. If you're willing to give love time, you can also give friendship more time."

Before the hourglass completely turns over, no one knows which grain of sand will fall last. Isn't it normal for young people to have several romantic relationships?

“Uncle Lu, this isn’t like you. You’re a bit too bookish.”

Where did Uncle Lu, who used to say "awesome" all the time, go?
"Really? Maybe he just finished writing a book."

"So you're implying that I should keep Lu Siwen on the hook?"

"Uh, this isn't like you. How could you speak so vulgarly?"

Zhai Da: You didn't deny it? You're treating me like Lu Siwen's childhood companion?

Are you doubting my aggressiveness? Aren't you afraid I'll just give you a super seniority boost?

Lu Zetao got up, put on his coat, and walked outside: "You can't understand how I feel, just like I can't understand why you're so rational. But since Siwen knows your thoughts, and you've made it clear, and you're still willing to come, she's still willing to accept you."

"Isn't that great? I'd want a friend like that."

Zhai Da was somewhat embarrassed: "I believe Aunt Qian wouldn't allow it."

Lu Zetao opened the door, one foot already outside what was theoretically his own house, and turned halfway back to say:

"Actually, I didn't doubt for a second that there was a boyfriend in this house who wasn't you. I was just worried that she might have encountered a liar, like a homeless thug."

Before Lu Zetao closed the door, Zhai Da asked in surprise, "Wait, you're leaving already? The way you look, it's like you've just reached some important agreement in a movie! You're just showing off, aren't you?"

Lu Zetao laughed and said, "What agreement? You're not going to cut off all your friendships with the opposite sex just because you're in a relationship, are you? That's what movies are all about. Let's go!"

"Oh!"

Inside the door, Zhai Da raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, "Are they really going?"

Outside the door, Lu Zetao pondered for a moment before striding forward.

"I'm awesome."

More than an hour later, on the overpass.

Zhai Da pressed further, "And then? What did you mean by asking if Lu Wei was alright?"

Lu Siwen turned her head away, pretending to be calm, but actually delighted that Zhai Da knew her birthday: "Can't I be curious? Are you comfortable living together? Will it be inconvenient?"

“There’s nothing inconvenient about it. She stayed at my house when she was in Dongyang County, just like before.”

"Oh, same as before."

Lu Siwen caught the key words, and her mood brightened even more: "Let's go, I'll show you around the campus."

As he spoke, he took the lead and started to take small steps.

On the overpass, the two walked one after the other, with the dazzling sea of ​​car lights serving as a magnificent backdrop.

The "little person" in front took big steps and swung his arms high in the air, while the "big person" behind took small steps and looked on with great confusion.

"I'm waiting for the right moment to confess my feelings... well, not really a confession, you know what I mean."

"Oh~"

"Oh~?"

"Didn't you say a long time ago that Sister Lu is your guiding light? I'm surprised there's been so little progress. It's so slow! Keep it up!"

"What you say is strange, and the way you walk is even stranger."

"I've eaten too much, I need to exercise a bit~"

Not everyone has the courage to turn "vagueness" into "reality," because there is the possibility of disillusionment.

But there are also many who are happy enough to simply enjoy the ambiguity.

------

On the other side of Beijing, at the headquarters of Xinglang.

Only 7 days remain until the Star Wave Year-End Online Gala.

Many things have not yet been finalized.

For example, the seating arrangements for various celebrities.

"How can Li Binbin and Fan Binbin sit together?"

"Why not? They're not in the same league."

"But the two of them don't get along. Their agent just called and told them to avoid being seen together."

In the office, the bespectacled young man, who was "arranging his troops," suddenly felt a headache coming on: "What a pain! We're the media, shouldn't they be the ones being cautious while we're just making arrangements haphazardly?"

A female colleague standing nearby laughed and said, "The platform is the one that's awesome, what does it have to do with small fry like us? Just because they don't dare to offend Xinglang doesn't mean we won't take the blame if something goes wrong."

"Ah, that makes sense. I'll rearrange it."

This online gala invited nearly 300 celebrities from across the country. Excluding those on the fringes, there were still nearly 100 people with real status, and there were many unexpected "requirements".

What requirements include: having your left side facing the camera, not having female celebrities next to you, being under 50 years old, having height-increasing insoles, and having a place in front of you to cover your feet.

This left Xinglang, who was hosting an online gala for the first time, completely bewildered.

"By the way, writers don't have so many rules, right? I just arranged them randomly, didn't I?"

"No. Writers are the face of the party, and we didn't invite many of them. We need to try to get them in the front row. The cameras will find them."

"Is that also based on seniority?"

"No need for that. Audiences don't understand the situation in the literary world. They wouldn't recognize an old man in front of them. Let me check the list."

"Han Han, Guo Jinming, and Zhai Da—three rising stars of literature—just put them together! A camera pan and you'll see them all!"

The bespectacled young man nodded; that made sense.

Regardless of how much less "influence" or "fans" a writer has compared to movie stars or singers, writers are naturally aloof in the arts and culture circles and are an important part of enhancing the style of a gala, so it's perfectly reasonable for them to be seated in the front row.

As soon as I entered my name into the Excel spreadsheet, my female colleague received another phone call. A little while later, she returned and said, "There's been a small adjustment to the writers' section."

The bespectacled young man groaned, "Another change?"

A female colleague handed me a note with a name written on it.

"A minor change: a female celebrity contacted the boss, and the boss instructed her to sit closer to Zhai Da when arranging seats, probably to discuss copyright issues."

"The Long Road of Lü?"

"Have you seen it too?"

"Of course! When it was being serialized, it was featured on my blog's homepage every day. Later, I bought the book and have already read it twice."

The bespectacled young man took the note, somewhat surprised: "Zhai Da only has one work. Was her portrayal of Lin Manman good?"

(End of this chapter)