The Xidan Books Building was very large. There were different kinds of books of various genres. Many people stood in front of the shelves selecting their reads.
With Guo Jingyu leading the way, he strolled alongside Li Tongzhou. Li Tongzhou stood before the shelves meticulously choosing reference books. He grabbed seven or eight volumes, continuing his selection process with a serious, focused expression, occasionally glancing up at the towering bookshelves.
Guo Jingyu stood on the side, observing as Li Tongzhou added two more books to his pile. Confused, Guo Jingyu asked, “Li Tongzhou, are you still buying? There’s already plenty for revision.”
Li Tongzhou replied, “These are for you.”
Guo Jingyu: “…”
Indeed, what he had wasn’t enough.
Li Tongzhou finally stopped after grabbing a set of comprehensive science papers. Guo Jingyu, seeing the stack in his hands, noticed that the topmost book was titled “Haidian Renowned Teacher’s Guidance.” Just looking at it gave him a headache.
Understanding Guo Jingyu’s sentiments, Li Tongzhou reassured him, saying, “You don’t have to write a lot. Just flip through them when you have time. Buying a few more is just to make sure you don’t get bored with one book. It’s good to have some variety.”
Guo Jingyu smiled, “Don’t think I’m like you, casually brushing through a few sets of papers for fun. I can choose something else.”
Li Tongzhou raised an eyebrow, “Something else? Like activities in the art studio?”
“We have it all. Sometimes, Old Cao gathers everyone for a card game or a dinner. Last time, a classmate had a birthday, and we celebrated together in the art studio. It was quite lively,” Guo Jingyu shared a few interesting incidents from the art studio with Li Tongzhou and added, “If you’re not in a hurry to head back in the evening, I can take you to the art studio to have a look.”
Li Tongzhou quickly said, “I’m not in a hurry to go back. I have a ticket for tomorrow afternoon, so there’s plenty of time.”
Guo Jingyu then realized that this person beside him had been walking around for quite a while, evidently wanting to accompany him to the art studio. He nudged Li Tongzhou’s shoulder and chuckled, “You want to go to the art studio? Just tell me directly next time. I was so happy to see you that I missed a lot. I was too busy just looking at you.”
Li Tongzhou looked at him for a moment, nodded, and agreed.
After finishing their tour of the Book Building and purchasing the necessary study materials, the two of them went to other places to play.
Guo Jingyu was familiar with the capital, but there were still quite a few places he only knew about and hadn’t personally visited. He used to have a little notebook where he jotted down many things he wanted to do together in the future. But when the opportunity came, he found himself alone. He managed to accomplish over a dozen items, but it quickly lost its appeal, gradually falling by the wayside. Eventually, he even lost the little notebook.
He hadn’t created a new notebook yet, but strangely enough, despite it being many years ago, he can vividly recall it.
While passing by a rock climbing gym, Guo Jingyu stopped at the entrance. He rummaged through his pockets and found the salary that Old Cao had given him. Thanks to his thick skin, he convinced Old Cao to pay him weekly, and now he had a few hundred bucks in his pocket. He excitedly exclaimed, “Li Tongzhou, let’s go! We’re going rock climbing!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Indoor rock climbing gyms have only gained popularity in the last couple of years, making it a relatively new and trendy activity with high admission fees.
Qtfc la mjwf alwf ab yes almxfar, Ol Kbcuhtbe gfjmtfv obg tlr kjiifa, yea Xeb Alcuse lcrlrafv, rjslcu, “P’ii ajxf mjgf bo la.”
Xeb Alcuse tjv j ilcufglcu gfugfa jybea gbmx milwylcu. Djmx lc atf vjs, ktfc Ol Kbcuhtbe nlrlafv tlw, atfs tjv jugffv ab ub gbmx milwylcu abufatfg. Dea ja atja alwf, Xeb Alcuse kjr j ygbxf raevfca, oeii bo sbeatoei qglvf jcv eckliilcu ab ifa Ol Kbcuhtbe qjs. Lf nfgyjiis fzqgfrrfv vlrlcafgfra, yea vffq vbkc, tf qijccfv ab ub abufatfg bcmf tf tjv fcbeut wbcfs.
Little did he know, that future never arrived.
He passed by the rock climbing gym numerous times, but not once did he enter to take on the challenge. Gradually, he forgot about this matter.
He had thought countless things to accomplish many things with Li Tongzhou, and this particular dream from his youth was just one of the most inconspicuous ones.
Guo Jingyu paid for two tickets, holding them in his hand, and lowered his head, examining them for quite a while.
He was back, and he could start completing the unfinished matters, beginning with the smallest, gradually and step by step, making up for everything.
The two of them received simple protective gear. Guo Jingyu sat there, changing into indoor climbing shoes, while Li Tongzhou went to the entrance to buy a wrist guard. He came back and helped Guo Jingyu put it on, then crouched down to tie his shoelaces. “Should we start with the three-meter wall later? We have enough time. We can take it slow.”
Guo Jingyu watched him without saying a word.
Li Tongzhou looked up at him, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Five meters is also fine, but anything higher is a no-go.”
Guo Jingyu chuckled and asked, “Am I the type of person who’s particularly competitive and eager to win in your eyes?”
It was Li Tongzhou’s first time dating, but he had browsed through a massive amount of online dating information. He immediately responded, “I like someone like that.”
Guo Jingyu pinched his cheek and stood up triumphantly. “I like you too. Come on, let me show you. I didn’t train for nothing on the school basketball team.”
The indoor rock climbing facility had eight climbing lanes, with the tallest one reaching 15 meters. It was said to be an international standard, and so far, no one had managed to climb it in a single attempt.
The slope was short but steep, mimicking an outdoor environment. The footholds were not easy to tread on, but for Guo Jingyu, it wasn’t too challenging. With a strong physique and excellent athletic abilities, there were a few close calls where he almost slipped, but he relied on his upper body strength to flip and climb over, displaying explosive power.
Li Tongzhou was more methodical. He started from the lowest point and progressed steadily within his capabilities. When he reached a point where he couldn’t proceed any further, he decisively stopped and retraced his steps.
When Li Tongzhou reached the ground, Guo Jingyu had just climbed to the top.
Sitting on a protruding triangular platform at the top, Guo Jingyu shouted and waved at him. Li Tongzhou looked up and waved back. The nearby gym owner approached, applauding for Guo Jingyu, and Li Tongzhou followed suit, clapping for him as well.
Guo Jingyu sat there, laughing. It turned out that climbing together was like this.
He never expected that they would be in such a situation, one up high and the other down below, looking at each other from a distance. Li Tongzhou stood there, seriously applauding for him. The upward angle made it difficult to see his expression clearly, but Guo Jingyu could feel the gaze steadily fixed on him, moving along with him.
After Guo Jingyu came down, the owner was quite excited and asked, “Youngster, you’re quite impressive. Are you a member of the nearby university’s rock climbing team?”
Guo Jingyu removed his gear and replied, “Not part of the climbing team, but I am a student. Hey, do you offer student discounts?”
The owner said, “Discounts! We’ve been open for a few months, and you’re the first person to reach the summit. Just for that, I’ll give you a discount! By the way, can I take a photo of you for a promotion in the gym?”
Guo Jingyu hooked his arm around Li Tongzhou’s shoulder, grinning, “Sure, let’s take a photo together for my friend and me. It’ll be part of your promotion!”
The owner smiled, “Well, then I’ve hit the jackpot!”
The owner, recognizing the handsome looks of Guo Jingyu and Li Tongzhou, took several Polaroid pictures, promptly sticking them on the bulletin board beside the climbing wall. It was the only photo in the first row.
Guo Jingyu asked the owner for a pen, intending to write their names on the photo. But in the end, he felt a bit shy and only wrote “G&L.” Li Tongzhou took the pen and wrote a line in the remaining space, “Good luck in the college entrance exam.”
Coming out of the climbing gym, Guo Jingyu’s stomach started growling, but he insisted on taking a detour to a well-known restaurant.
In the past, he used to save money, thinking of waiting until he had saved enough and had time to spend good days together. But Guo Jingyu had a change of heart. Money was something that might never be enough, and he was willing to experience everything with Li Tongzhou now.
Guo Jingyu chose an authentic Beijing cuisine restaurant. The head chef here was rumored to have previously prepared state banquets, and the taste and reviews were very good.
Guo Jingyu spent Old Cao’s salary in one go, ordering many signature dishes and thoroughly enjoying the meal.
Li Tongzhou said, “Jingyu, there’s a prize for this competition.”
Guo Jingyu, skillfully wrapped Peking duck for him and dipped the hot duck meat in sweet bean sauce and placed it into a small pancake. “Really? How much is it?” he asked.
Li Tongzhou replied, “Thirty thousand.”
Guo Jingyu’s pancake-rolling motion paused, and he looked up at Li Tongzhou. “How much?” he asked.
Li Tongzhou said, “Thirty thousand for the first prize in the team competition.”
“You split it among the four of you?”
“No, it’s for an individual.”
Guo Jingyu handed over the neatly rolled pancake, praising him, “Amazing! I didn’t see it coming. You make money much faster than I do. It really proves the old saying, ‘Knowledge is power.'”
Li Tongzhou ate slowly and said to him, “If you need money now, I can give you all of it.”
Guo Jingyu asked curiously, “Don’t your parents take care of that?”
Li Tongzhou shook his head. “I have my own account, and I’ve been managing my own money, even the funds from before. They don’t get involved in these matters.”
Guo Jingyu thought for a moment. “You keep it. I’ll ask you for it when I run out.”
Li Tongzhou replied, “It’s the same if it’s with you. Use it as you wish.”
Guo Jingyu teased him, “What if I spend it all?”
“I can earn more, and I don’t spend much. I’ll share my portion with you.”
“You’re being so kind to me?”
“Because you’ve been good to me,” Li Tongzhou said seriously after finishing the Peking duck pancake.
Li Tongzhou grew up in a well off family. Personally, he wasn’t very concerned about money. He didn’t use much of it, and his belongings were quite casual. There were no visible luxury brands on him. But when it came to buying things for Guo Jingyu, it was as if Guo Jingyu understood all his habits. In return, Li Tongzhou knew that Guo Jingyu liked branded sneakers, trendy clothing, and enjoyed participating in all kinds of novel and interesting activities.
He even had this strange feeling, as if the half of himself that was missing, the part that wasn’t interested in this world, was filled by Guo Jingyu.
When this person appeared, the whole world was filled with lively and vibrant colors.
The author has something to say:
Little Feather (proudly placing hands on hips): Not just the colors, my physique is also exceptional! It’s all thanks to the little artist himself~!
K: I swear Im a sucker for this “Your presence fills my life” ITS JUST SO SWEET UUUURRGH (But also very toxic in some waays ~~ …. I think HAHAHHAHA)
