135: Chapter 135 When the Plums Ripen: Childhood Sweetheart Male Lead 13

It was all style and no substance.

This meal was truly uncomfortable to eat; I was just stuffed with dog food.

Consequently, the group had to wrap things up hastily.

Except for Lin Xi, she was genuinely happy and even drank quite a bit.

After the meal, Meng Zhu and Nan Li took the tipsy Lin Xi to the bottom of her dormitory building.

The car was parked outside the campus, and after Lin Xi went upstairs, Meng Zhu and Nan Li walked side by side along the small path on campus.

At this moment, the night breeze was gentle, blowing away some of the early summer heat.

The streetlights on campus emitted a dim, soft glow, and student couples could be seen strolling along the road from time to time.

Meng Zhu and Nan Li walked side by side among them, the man handsome and tall, the woman petite and moving; from afar, they looked like a perfect match.

The two walked in silence for a while until Nan Li suddenly broke the quiet.

"Courtesy Name Brother."

She turned her head to look at Meng Zhu, her eyes filled with worry.

"Is it true that you came to Jinling for a business trip on the way? Or was it because of me?"

Without waiting for Meng Zhu to speak, she bit her lower lip and continued.

"You don't seem to be as busy as you used to be lately. Did the Meng Family squeeze you out at the company because of... because of my marriage?"

Though she usually appeared carefree and lively, she had known about some things since she was young and had a rough idea in her heart.

Meng Zhu looked at her conflicted expression, and his heart relaxed.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"What are you overthinking? Can't it be that I just wanted to take a break and accompany Zhaoyu to participate in the competition?"

"Courtesy Name Brother, you don't have to lie to me."

Nan Li stared earnestly into his eyes.

"Do you know why scammers don't go to mental hospitals to scam people?"

"Hmm, why?"

"Because they are just sick, they aren't stupid."

"And I, Nan Zhaoyu, I might be thick-skinned, but I am not stupid either."

Hearing this, the ease on Meng Zhu's face turned into a chuckle.

A moment later, he stopped, turned around, gazed at Nan Li with deep eyes, and his tone became solemn.

"Zhaoyu, do you still remember what Grandfather said to you before he passed away?"

Nan Li was stunned for a moment, falling into memory.

After a while, she nodded gently.

"I remember, Grandfather said I don't need to worry about my marriage, and that I can... marry someone I like in the future."

Meng Zhu nodded, his gaze gentle yet firm.

"Right, what Grandfather said is true. He wouldn't lie to you, and neither would I."

He raised his hand and naturally tucked a stray lock of hair blown by the night breeze behind her ear.

"So, you don't need to worry about these things. If I had brought you home back then just to marry you off one day, why would I have gone through all that trouble?"

His voice returned to a relaxed tone, pleasant in the night breeze, yet resonant.

Nan Li gave a soft "hmm," feeling that something was off, but she couldn't figure out exactly what.

However, the gloom in her heart had indeed dissipated quite a bit.

Indeed, ever since she had known Meng Zhu, he had always been so reliable.

And so, the two shared a smile and once again walked past the streetlights side by side.

[I don't quite understand, isn't the marriage the biggest crisis?]

[Fool, Nan Li herself is the crisis for Meng Zhu, okay?]

[Huh? No way, where is the class representative? Step out.]

[Class representative is here. The original work states that the Meng Family is a scholarly family, an ancient clan, and the Meng Group was actually only created in recent years to keep up with the times.]

[Meng Zhu's grandfather, including Meng Zhu, they don't actually care about the group. So, if pushed to the limit, the worst-case scenario is just to withdraw from the group entirely. Relying on the foundation of the Meng Family's direct line, they can still live very well.]

[Why say so much nonsense? Simply put, Nan Li's shares can be cashed out, and Meng Zhu can even support her in starting a business again. But this is the worst-case scenario.]

[What the hell, so there is no crisis?]

[Please, the main plot of this movie was never about controlling the Meng Group; it's about how to turn the little sister into a lover, okay?]

[So, after watching for so long, we've only just touched the main plot?]

[So what? Watch it or don't.]

Meng Zhu would never be affected by the bullet comments; regardless of how they argued, he continued at his own pace.

In the following period, their lives entered a strange rhythm.

It was true that Meng Zhu came to Jinling for a business trip, but he intended to take a month to finish something that could be done in a day.

He arranged a hotel for his assistant, but he himself went to Nan Li's place.

Nan Li's apartment was large, and naturally, it had a guest room. He now lived in the guest room, working online every day to handle company affairs.

He was doing it on purpose, not because he wanted to do anything.

It was because since Nan Li started college, they had been apart more than they were together, and he was now disrupting that habit.

This included his sudden decision to eat with her, and the fact that as long as Nan Li wasn't drunk, Meng Zhu wouldn't stay in her room to guard her, but would honestly sleep in the guest room.

Every unexpected action would surprise Nan Li; he was forcing her to re-acquaint herself with the current Meng Zhu.

Nan Li had recently devoted herself entirely to practice and the competition, leaving early and returning late every day.

But without realizing it, and without her even noticing, she began to pay attention to Meng Zhu. Before, she didn't need to ask because she knew many things by heart and took them for granted.

But recently, she discovered that Meng Zhu had many habits and thoughts she didn't know about, or perhaps, Meng Zhu had changed a lot.

In any case, she had to devote a lot of attention to the current Meng Zhu.

Operation: Strategy.

Step two.

Cognition.

When everyone's perception contradicts your own, even a saint has to reflect from time to time.

...

The preliminary and semi-final rounds of this Jinling University competition were not open to the public.

Therefore, Meng Zhu could only drop Nan Li off at the auditorium entrance every day.

Just as the two waved goodbye, Nan Li was surrounded by a few girls.

"Li Li! Over here!"

Lin Xi took the lead, squeezed to her side, nudged her shoulder suggestively, but her eyes glanced toward Meng Zhu, who hadn't left yet.

"Oh my, is this boyfriend finally not being hidden away anymore?"

"Is this Li Li's boyfriend? So handsome!"

"Exactly! With this level of looks, he could debut!"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Nan Li's face turned red instantly, and she hurriedly defended herself.

"He is not my boyfriend."

"Tch—"

A chorus of good-natured teasing sounded all around.

Lin Xi even wrapped her arm around her shoulder and announced triumphantly to everyone.

"Handsome is a given. Our Li Li is so pretty, could the boyfriend she finds be any less? Not only handsome, but also gentle, considerate, talented, ambitious, and wealthy! Look at you guys, picking her up and dropping her off rain or shine, jealous, right?"

Several other contestants who were also here for the competition crowded around, the fire of gossip burning brightly.

"Nan Li, you are truly too happy. I heard that at your gathering last time, your boyfriend also went. Everyone says you two have perfect chemistry and are inseparable."

"More than that!"

One girl took out her phone and clicked on a photo.

"Look at the campus forum, the thread for 'Most Eye-Catching Campus Couple of the Year' has almost reached a thousand replies! This photo was taken by someone a few days ago; it's literally an idol drama scene come to life!"

Nan Li leaned over to look, and it was exactly the moment when she and Meng Zhu were walking side by side on campus that night. The dim streetlights stretched their shadows long, and the atmosphere was palpable.

The comment section below was all about "shipping the couple."

Looking at these remarks and listening to the chattering discussion in her ears.

Nan Li felt her head spin, her cheeks burning, and her ears turning red enough to drip blood.

She had never thought about it in that way before.

Meng Zhu was her reliance, the most important person in her life.

But the word "boyfriend" seemed to have never been an option in their relationship.

Yet, as it turned out, to outsiders, they looked so much like a couple.

Lin Xi's teasing, the classmates' envy, the photos and comments on the forum... one thing after another.

Nan Li was so embarrassed that she dared not stay there any longer and ran into the auditorium in a flash.

But for some time afterward, when Nan Li was alone, she couldn't help but think about all sorts of things.

Could Courtesy Name Brother really have some romantic feelings for her?

If Meng Zhu were really her boyfriend, what would that scene be like?

But every time this thought appeared, Nan Li would suppress it.