Seriously, sir? You can even pursue a professor?

"Let's go." Ruan Hongzhuang gently patted the white cat's head and stood up.

The white cat was still lying sprawled on the ground. When it saw Ruan Hongzhuang leave, it paused for two seconds, then rolled over and chased after her, circling around her ankles and meowing softly.

Ruan Hongzhuang slowed her pace.

Tang Rui looked on with a hint of envy, "Why is this cat so clingy to you, Hongzhuang?"

"Maybe Aunt Ruan was a cat in her past life," Tang Zheng said, glancing at Ruan Hongzhuang beside him.

Otherwise, why would she be so arrogant?

Upon reaching the restaurant entrance, the white cat finally stopped its pursuit, crouched at the bottom of the steps, and looked up at them, its tail slowly sweeping across the ground as if seeing them off.

The three entered the restaurant, where warm yellow lights bathed the entire dining area, the aroma of food filled the air, and soft music played softly, creating a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Tang Rui's eyes lit up as soon as she entered the door, and she headed straight for the dessert area, her steps as light as a hopping bird.

Tang Zheng has always had a great fondness for all kinds of small animals, such as spicy chicken wings, braised pork ribs, stir-fried beef with yellow peppers...

Before long, Tang Zheng returned with a plate full of "a gathering of heroes" of small animals and casually found a seat by the window.

The moment his bottom touched the chair, Ruan Hongzhuang appeared in his line of sight. She placed the plate on the table and sat down diagonally opposite Tang Zheng.

Tang Zheng glanced at the food on her plate: a dish of braised tofu, a stir-fry of unfamiliar green vegetables, and a bowl of rice—a very balanced meal.

"Why is it so dazzling?" Tang Zheng glanced at the sunset outside, then stood up, sat down opposite Ruan Hongzhuang, and took the plate.

Ruan Hongzhuang glanced at him, said nothing, and picked up her chopsticks to eat.

"Aunt Ruan, you..."

"Don't talk while we're eating," Ruan Hongzhuang interrupted calmly.

Just then, Tang Rui returned with her dessert army. She ate while chatting with Ruan Hongzhuang beside her. Ruan Hongzhuang ate slowly and occasionally chimed in.

Tang Zheng stuffed a piece of pork rib into his mouth, glanced at her, and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be unable to speak?"

After a while, Ruan Hongzhuang finished eating the vegetables on her plate and got up to get another serving.

She sat back down, and Tang Zheng glanced at the vegetables on her plate. "Is this food delicious, Aunt Ruan?"

"It's alright," Ruan Hongzhuang said, picking up a piece of green vegetable and putting it in her mouth, then putting a mouthful of rice in her mouth.

"Let me try it," Tang Zheng said, picking a piece from her plate and putting it in his mouth. "It's quite delicious. I'll get one too."

Tang Rui glanced at it; what was so delicious about a simple vegetable?

"Red Makeup, let me have a taste."

Ruan Hongzhuang picked up a piece of green vegetable and brought it to her mouth. She opened her mouth, ate the vegetable, and chewed it.

"It doesn't taste good," she commented.

Tang Zheng, who had just walked a short distance away, looked at this scene with some envy. When would Aunt Ruan be able to feed him like this?

With a little effort, we'll have milk and bread.

Tang Zheng went to the hot dish section and found the label under the green vegetable dish that read "Stir-fried Bracken Ferns." He looked at the waiter next to him and said, "Hello, may I ask..."

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the three of them left the restaurant.

Night had fallen, and the night sky in the mountains was crystal clear, dotted with many stars, like a handful of diamonds scattered by someone.

"Lin Wei said there's a bonfire party at 8 pm tonight, shall we go check it out, Hongzhuang?"

"I'm not going."

"Come on, let's go and have some fun." Tang Rui pulled her arm and shook it.

Ruan Hongzhuang looked at her, "Please beg me."

Please.

"it is good."

Tang Zheng glanced at Ruan Hongzhuang. Shouldn't it be useless to beg? How come things are different here?

Could it be that the way I'm asking is wrong?

As it approached eight o'clock, the three changed into thicker clothes and went to the open space in the middle of the resort.

A crowd had already gathered on the lawn. In the center, firewood was piled up in a tower shape in an iron brazier, just waiting to be lit. The band was tuning their instruments, and the intermittent sound of guitar strings blended into the night.

Lin Wei changed out of her daytime uniform and put on a burgundy velvet dress with a small suit jacket draped over her shoulders. Her short hair was neat, and her earrings shimmered in the firelight.

She was holding a glass of champagne and talking to someone when she saw Tang Rui and the others, and immediately greeted them with a smile.

She warmly embraced Tang Rui, her gaze sweeping over Ruan Hongzhuang, giving a polite nod, and finally landing on Tang Zheng, her smile deepening, "Good evening, little brother, you look really handsome."

"Sister Wei," Tang Zheng greeted her politely.

Tang Rui subtly moved half a step, placing herself between Lin Wei and Tang Zheng, like a mother hen protecting her chicks. "When are you going to light the campfire? I'm waiting to see."

Lin Wei looked at her and said, "We'll order whenever you say so. I'll do whatever you say."

"Let's order now."

"Okay," Lin Wei said with a smile, walking towards the staff member not far away.

A moment later, the campfire was lit, and the flames gradually rose. The orange-red flames licked the firewood, crackling and popping, and sparks like broken stars flew into the night sky.

The band started playing upbeat folk music. The lead singer was a girl with a slightly husky voice, humming softly while holding a guitar. Some people swayed gently to the music, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Tang Rui pulled Ruan Hongzhuang to find a seat, and Tang Zheng naturally sat down in the empty seat on the other side of Ruan Hongzhuang.

Lin Wei walked over carrying a tray with several steaming drinks on it.

"It gets chilly in the mountains at night, so have some hot tea to warm yourself up." She smiled and handed the cups to the three of them. "This tea is made with local wild honey and ginger; it's good for warding off the cold."

Upon hearing the word "Jiang," Tang Zheng subconsciously looked at Ruan Hongzhuang beside him.

Ruan Hongzhuang thanked him, took the tea, and held it with both hands. As the steam rose from the cup, she subconsciously sniffed.

"Please have a seat, I'll go and serve you. Just call me if you need anything."

"Go ahead, go ahead." Tang Rui waved her hand, picked up the ginger tea, took a sip, and felt warm and cozy.

Tang Zheng also took a sip of ginger tea, then turned to look at Ruan Hongzhuang beside him and asked, "Aunt Ruan, why aren't you drinking any? Don't you like it?"

Ruan Hongzhuang glanced at him, then turned to Tang Rui beside her and politely asked, "May I hit your brother?"

Tang Rui waved her hand and said generously, "Hit me, hit me however you want, don't hold back."

"What I mean is, Aunt Ruan, if you don't like it, you can give it to me. I like it," Tang Zheng said, taking the ginger tea from her hand.

Emergency evacuation.

The bonfire blazed brightly in the central open space, casting flickering light on the faces of those around them.

Staff members dressed in ethnic costumes were teaching everyone to dance. They held hands, formed a circle, and spun around to simple drumbeats. Laughter and music mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere that floated upwards.

Tang Rui turned to look at Ruan Hongzhuang beside her, "Come on, Hongzhuang, let's go up and join in the fun."

"Go ahead."

"Alright then." Tang Rui didn't insist, and asked Tang Zheng beside her, "Are you going or not?"

"My stomach is a little upset, you go ahead, sis."

Tang Rui ran up to join in the fun, and the two older girls pulled her up and made her jump. She smiled so hard her eyes curved into slits, like a happy child.

The flames of the campfire danced gently in the night breeze, and waves of golden and red light spread out in layers.

Tang Zheng's gaze shifted to Ruan Hongzhuang beside him at some point.

She sat quietly on a low wicker stool, tilting her head slightly to look at the flickering flames. Her long hair was gently lifted by the wind, with a few stray strands clinging to her smooth forehead, tinged with a soft golden-brown by the firelight.

"Aunt Ruan, you look so beautiful."

Ruan Hongzhuang didn't react much, seemingly drawn by the campfire and not hearing Tang Zheng's words.

Tang Zheng looked around; people had already rushed over to join the fun. He looked at her hands, which were resting at her sides, and asked, "Aunt Ruan, are you cold? Let me warm your hands."

"It's not cold," Ruan Hongzhuang replied calmly, looking at the campfire.

"My hands are a little cold, could you warm them up for me, Aunt Ruan?"

He warmed Aunt Ruan's hands for so long in the afternoon, so in return, Aunt Ruan should warm his hands too.

That's perfectly reasonable.

Ruan Hongzhuang turned her head and glanced at him. "If you're cold, go and warm yourself by the fire."

Tang Zheng was taken aback. "Fine, fine, is this how you play it?"

He looked at her, moved closer to her, and said with deep affection, "I don't want to go to the fire, I just want to lean on Aunt Ruan."

As soon as he said it, he got goosebumps all over and had an urge to punch himself.

At the same time, Ruan Hongzhuang's body stiffened, and an indescribable feeling of discomfort rose from her heart, as if tiny ants were crawling on her body.

"roll."

"Alright." Tang Zheng withdrew his body. It would be better to use this kind of tactic, which would hurt the enemy a thousand while hurting himself eight hundred, less in the future.

The campfire was burning brightly, and sparks crackled and jumped into the night sky.

After Tang Zheng returned, he behaved himself for less than a minute before starting to glance to the side again, "Aunt Ruan, you..."

"Shut up." As if afraid that Tang Zheng would say something shocking again, Ruan Hongzhuang interrupted him directly.

A host dressed in ethnic clothing jumped onto a makeshift stage with a microphone, her voice as clear as a mountain stream: "Friends, the bonfire is burning brightly, how about we play a game?"

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Tang Rui peeked out from the crowd, her eyes lighting up immediately. "What game?"

The host smiled and looked around. "Let's play a simple game first, musical chairs." He said, taking out a flower ball from behind his back.

"When the drumbeats stop, whoever has the flower ball must draw a slip of paper from the box and complete the task written on it!"

Soon, the drums began to beat, with a brisk rhythm, boom boom boom boom boom, like a group of frolicking ponies.

The pom-pom was launched from the host's hand, bouncing around in the crowd, accompanied by screams and laughter.

Tang Rui caught the bouquet, screamed, and stuffed it into Lin Wei's arms. Lin Wei then tossed it to the boy next to her, who quickly slapped it into the hands of the girl next to her.

The drumming stopped abruptly.

The bouquet stopped in the girl's hand.

The girl and boy were a couple. She glared at him with a hint of annoyance, as if to say, "You'll have to sleep on the floor tonight."

The host walked over to the girl with the lottery box. The girl reached into the box, drew a lot, opened it, and the host read aloud the contents of the paper:

"Close your eyes and spin around three times, then open your eyes and shout that you are the happiest little pig in the world."

"Isn't this the punishment I mentioned when we played games before?" Tang Rui looked at Lin Wei beside her. "You wrote this punishment."

"So smart." Lin Wei reached out and pinched her soft little face, smiling as she spoke.

Tang Rui is the youngest in their dormitory and also their little source of joy. She is always pampered by her three sisters, who always think of her when they have something good.

The girl closed her eyes, spun around three times, then opened them and shouted, "I'm the happiest little pig in the world!"

The boy smiled, reached out and patted the girl's head, "Yeah, you're the happiest little pig."

The girl glared at him, a hint of coquettishness in her eyes, and said irritably, "You're the little pig."

"Yes, I'm a little pig too." The boy nodded with a smile.

The drums sounded again.

The flower balls began to dart through the crowd.

The bouquet was passed to Tang Rui again. Just as she was about to pass it to Lin Wei next to her, she saw Lin Wei running away with a smile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Ruan Hongzhuang sitting quietly outside the crowd. Her eyes lit up, and she ran over like an Olympic torchbearer, holding a flower ball high in her hand.

"Red Makeup! Here you go!"

The flower ball traced a perfect parabola a few steps away and landed precisely in Ruan Hongzhuang's arms.

Ruan Hongzhuang picked up the bouquet and, without any hesitation, handed it directly to Tang Zheng, who was standing next to her.

Tang Zheng quickly picked up the bouquet and subconsciously looked to his right. Seeing no one there, he quickly turned around, preparing to put the bouquet back to Ruan Hongzhuang beside him.

Just then, the drumming stopped.

Tang Zheng paused for a second and looked at the flower ball in his hand.

This is truly an unexpected delight.

The host walked over with the lottery box.

"This young man is really handsome; even I have to give him a wide berth," the host complimented. "Come on, let's draw lots."

Tang Zheng stood up, reached into the box, randomly picked out a slip of paper, and unfolded it.

The host leaned over to look, then loudly announced, "Hug the person next to you for three seconds."

Tang Zheng paused for a moment, glancing at Ruan Hongzhuang beside him. It seemed that besides him and Aunt Ruan, there was no one else around...

"Come on." Tang Zheng stepped forward and opened his arms to the host.

The host paused for a moment, then took a step back. "Handsome, you are indeed handsome, but I'm really not into that kind of thing. Aren't you with a beautiful woman beside you?"

Just then, someone in the crowd shouted, "Give me a hug! Handsome guy and beautiful girl!"

Tang Zheng immediately recognized the voice as coming from his older sister, who loved watching the drama unfold and was never afraid of things getting out of hand.

"Give me a hug!" came the echoes.

Lin Wei turned to look at Tang Rui beside her, "You treat me like a thief, but you're different with other people."

Tang Rui looked at Ruan Hongzhuang not far away, "It's different. Hongzhuang doesn't think much of my brother."

Hongzhuang in her family devoted herself entirely to her studies and had absolutely no interest in men.

"What if your brother takes a liking to her?"

"That's even more impossible, my brother wouldn't dare," she said with absolute certainty.

Tang Rui knew her younger brother very well; even if she had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare to make a move on his Aunt Ruan.

Lin Wei remained silent, watching quietly.

Some things shouldn't be said too definitively, because life is always full of surprises.

On the other side, Ruan Hongzhuang seemed to be unable to withstand everyone's urging, so she stood up and looked calmly at Tang Zheng.

Without hesitation, Tang Zheng stepped forward, opened his arms, and gently hugged her.

Cheers erupted from the crowd, and the host began counting, "One..."

"Give me a kiss!" someone shouted, eager for a good show.

This time it wasn't Tang Rui; although she wasn't afraid of causing big trouble, she was afraid of being beaten up by her best friend.

A faint fragrance wafted from her hair, and Tang Zheng gazed at her fair neck...

"It smells so good."

Ruan Hongzhuang raised her right hand, and out of sight of the crowd, grabbed Tang Zheng's waist and began to spin him...

"hiss……"

These little hands are really strong!