Shuangling: Braving the Rapids

More than ten minutes later, Chen Yun, dressed up carefully, reappeared in front of Aimin.

The belted black trench coat accentuated her slender figure, and her long, flowing hair was adorned with a pink crystal hair clip. Her demeanor was far from that of a frontline clerk; she resembled a Hong Kong or Taiwanese celebrity straight out of a magazine.

Women dress up for those who appreciate them, but Aimin was a gentleman. He lowered his eyes and stared at the tips of his shoes, adopting an attitude of not looking at what was improper.

At this moment, Chen Yun burst out laughing and couldn't help but tease, "Oh! I didn't expect our Agricultural University's powerful student union president to be shy sometimes. It's just going out for a meal, not eating you, look how scared you are! Hehehe..."

A ripple of emotion flickered in Chen Yun's eyes as she stared intently at her college crush. Yes, she was ready to make the first move.

"A hero doesn't dwell on past glories. To be honest, I feel embarrassed when I think back to the ridiculous things I did back then," Aimin said, waving his hand.

When old classmates meet, they always reminisce about the past, but Aimin seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally avoiding the topic of their student days. Chen Yun, on the other hand, appeared very carefree, recalling her campus life and talking about her experiences after graduation, which made Aimin sigh with emotion.

"Aimin, do you remember?" Chen Yun looked up at the starry sky. "Before graduation, everyone was struggling to write their theses. There was no other way, so Professor Meng let the four of us work together on a research project. Back then, you, me, Baihe, and that greasy-haired Chen Tiansheng were digging in the mud every day. You and Baihe were all lovey-dovey, while Chen Tiansheng and I couldn't stand each other. Thinking about it now, it's really funny..."

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Chen Yun changed the subject and said, "Hey, I have some good news for you. Professor Meng is coming to our unit for research next month. It would be great if you could come then, so we can host Professor Meng together."

"No need. Professor Meng wrote that he wants to visit Qin Family Village. I'll host him in the village..."

"I knew Professor Meng favored you the most. He's never written to me, and I only found out about his visit to the Academy of Agricultural Sciences after making many inquiries." A flash of displeasure crossed Chen Yun's face, but she quickly smiled and said, "But it's good that he's going to your place. Professor Meng is one of the top experts in flower seedling cultivation in the country. A little guidance from him might save us a lot of trouble. If he can get his name listed as an author on a paper, then you and I will be rich!"

"Professor Meng is getting old and has long since retired. He's just visiting us. He's a former educated youth who missed rural life, which is why he wanted to come here."

Aimin had received many favors from Professor Meng, and for that reason, he dared not ask his mentor for help again.

"Oh, it seems I was overthinking it. However, we can mention the paper to Old Meng later. If he's interested in our research, the resources he'll bring are beyond our imagination!"

Chen Yun certainly wouldn't let this leading figure go easily. Working at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, she naturally knew Professor Meng's importance better than Ai Min did.

"Since you've said that, you can mention it to him later. You're good with words, so ask him to write a recommendation letter. Maybe you can even get it published in a major journal!" Aimin suggested.

"Hey! You're his beloved student, shouldn't you be the one saying this? Why did you put me in front again? This isn't like you!" Chen Yun rolled her eyes at him.

The two chatted back and forth, and before long they arrived at the entrance of a high-end restaurant.

It was a prefecture-level city, after all; the restaurants there were much more upscale than those in the county town! This kind of place was not something Aimin, a rural teacher, could afford, but to thank the girl, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go into the restaurant.

Chen Yun is a regular customer at the restaurant. She chose a window seat on the second floor and started chatting with Aimin after ordering.

"Do you know why I brought you to this seat?" Chen Yun winked playfully. "Last time, my mom made me go on a blind date, and the guy was sitting right here. I almost spat out my food watching him eat with his mouth smacking! Ever since then, I've been thinking... thinking about eating with you."

Chen Yun was a master of the art of conversation, and the message she conveyed was very clear: I'm of marriageable age, so you'd better seize the opportunity, or I might really be snatched away by someone else.

Aimin wasn't oblivious to the subtext; he just hadn't overcome that hurdle. Besides, didn't he know his own limitations? Leaving aside family background, he was currently a rural teacher, while Aimin was a city-level researcher. There was a vast chasm between them, and Aimin had long since lost the courage to bridge it.

After a moment of silence, Aimin slowly spoke: "I remember when we were in college, you were the youngest in the whole class. Now you're all grown up. Time really flies..."

"Aimin, you sound so weathered now, it's like my dad's voice!" Chen Yun carefully examined the man's refined face and suddenly noticed the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. At that moment, the girl realized that the man in front of her was no longer the powerful student council president.

"Yes, time flies so fast. Youth is as fleeting as a flower. Thinking back, school days were so much more fun, arguing heatedly about the Soviet Union and the United States. Now the Soviet Union has collapsed. After so many years, all I want to do is live a better life. Who cares about political lines anymore?"

Chen Yun has never cared about current affairs and politics. She brought up this topic simply to keep in touch with Aimin.

"I was too young back then, and I always felt that such a big red regime shouldn't fall. Looking back now, I was too rash." Aimin seemed very interested in this matter and was about to continue when Chen Yun suddenly muttered softly, "You've been rash for a long time now. If you hadn't put up those big-character posters on the bulletin board back then, you would definitely be working in the provincial capital now, or, if you had chosen me between me and Baihe, things wouldn't have come to this..."

These two incidents are wounds that Aimin will never heal. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything, and the atmosphere suddenly turned icy. The waiter brought in several delicious dishes and opened a bottle of expensive red wine in front of the two of them—clearly, it was carefully prepared by Chen Yun for the candlelight dinner.

Chen Yun put on gloves, deftly peeled a large lobster, and gently placed it on the other person's plate. "Aimin, so many years have passed, it's time you moved on. Do you really want to stay single forever?"

These words were both advice and a confession, but Aimin looked down at the tender white shrimp and said calmly, "I have my concerns..."

"What concerns? My parents won't be like Secretary Li, interfering in our relationship. Trust me, as long as we're together, they won't interfere too much!"

Chen Yun's eyes shone with a burning desire. She was a few years younger than Ai Min, but at her workplace, she was already considered an "old maid." Recently, her family had been pressuring her, so she decided to take the initiative.

The sudden confession startled Aimin, who hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Chen Yun, have you misunderstood something? My breakup with Baihe back then wasn't due to her parents' interference; it was my own choice!"

"Huh?" Chen Yun was so shocked that her chopsticks hung in mid-air, her face turning bright red. She never expected that her courageous confession would be met with this response. She immediately felt that she had been too hasty—if there were other reasons behind Ai Min's breakup with his ex-girlfriend, wouldn't all those carefully prepared words of confession have been for nothing?