131: Is this really the first time?

Yu Heng leaned against the headboard and lit a cigarette.

Zhou Mengqi got up, went to the bathroom to grab a towel, and stared at Yu Heng while wiping him down.

"What are you looking at?" Yu Heng flicked the ash from his cigarette.

"Seeing if it still works," Zhou Mengqi said.

"What do you think?" Yu Heng looked at her.

Zhou Mengqi smiled and lowered her head.

——

When they separated again, Yu Heng glanced at the time. It was six o'clock; the Hourly Room was almost up.

"Go wash up," he said.

"Aren't you washing up?" she asked.

"I'll wash back home." Yu Heng put out his cigarette.

Zhou Mengqi came out of the bathroom, walked to the bedside, and started getting dressed.

After getting dressed, she fixed her hair in front of the mirror.

Yu Heng watched her: "You said earlier that it was your first time."

Zhou Mengqi paused her movements and looked at him through the mirror: "Yes, why?"

"Nothing," Yu Heng said.

Zhou Mengqi turned around: "Does the Club President not believe me?"

"Does it matter if I believe you?" Yu Heng asked.

Zhou Mengqi looked at him for a few seconds and smiled: "It matters a little, actually."

"I believe you," Yu Heng squinted at her, "but your performance doesn't seem like it. Who trained you like this?"

Whether or not it was her first time, he could still tell.

"A person I haven't contacted in over a year," Zhou Mengqi pursed her lips, "I hope he remembers me."

"I'm a substitute?" Yu Heng raised an eyebrow.

Zhou Mengqi didn't respond. She walked up to Yu Heng, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek: "Let's go, it's time to check out."

They went downstairs to check out. The woman at the front desk glanced at them but said nothing.

Walking out of the hotel, the sky was already getting dark.

"I'm heading back to school," Zhou Mengqi said.

"Mm," Yu Heng replied.

"Club President," Zhou Mengqi called out to him, "Next time... can I still look for you?"

Yu Heng looked at her: "Something wrong?"

"It's just..." Zhou Mengqi pursed her lips, "This kind of thing we did today."

"Depends on the situation," Yu Heng said.

Zhou Mengqi smiled: "Okay, I'll ask you out when I'm free."

——

By the time Yu Heng returned to the Villa, it was completely dark.

He took out his key and opened the door. The living room light was on, and Bai Xinran was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, looking at her phone.

Hearing the movement, she looked up: "You're back. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet." Yu Heng took off his jacket and hung it up.

"Then should I make you something to eat?" Bai Xinran walked toward the kitchen. "Can I make noodles?"

"No need for noodles," Yu Heng smiled, "but going down is certainly an option."

Bai Xinran tilted her head, then realized: "Oh dear!"

"However," Yu Heng added, "that would mean eating steamed buns."

"Oh dear!" Bai Xinran pursed her lips for a while, then looked up and asked, "Then do you want to eat steamed buns?"

Yu Heng sat down on the sofa: "Not today. I already had seafood today, haha."

Bai Xinran turned back from the kitchen, sat next to Yu Heng's legs, and leaned against his lap.

"Do you know anyone at our school's City Campus?" Yu Heng asked.

Bai Xinran, who was leaning on his lap, paused, lifted her head, and looked at him: "The one on Daxue West Road?"

"Yes," Yu Heng's fingers continued stroking her back, "Do you know any freshmen?"

"Yes," Bai Xinran thought for a moment, "Our Comic Club has a branch there. We're all in one big group chat, and I'm quite familiar with a few of them. We're planning to meet up in person next week."

"Help me find out," Yu Heng said, "if there's a girl named Wang Wenyu in the Early Childhood Education major. See if she joined any Clubs or the Student Union, and ideally, get her WeChat or QQ."

Bai Xinran blinked: "What's going on? Who is this person?"

She felt a little uneasy, wondering why Yu Heng suddenly wanted to inquire about another girl, especially one from an external campus.

"Don't ask who she is for now," Yu Heng's fingers slid to the back of her neck, "I'll tell you later."

Since it concerned Qin Lu, he couldn't just talk about it without the person involved knowing.

He decided to first check out the situation with this Wang Wenyu. If she could make Lin Liyan cheat, she probably wasn't bad, right?

At least he needed to know what she looked like and what her personality was like before figuring out the next step.

Bai Xinran pursed her lips and didn't press further.

"Alright," she replied, "I'll ask in the group chat tomorrow and see if anyone recognizes her."

"Mm." Yu Heng responded, slowly drawing circles on her back through her clothes.

Bai Xinran felt ticklish from his touch and pulled her neck in slightly, but didn't move away.

"How has your streaming been lately?" Yu Heng asked.

"It's okay," Bai Xinran said, "Followers are growing slowly, but it's stable."

"What about the content?"

"Just as you instructed, I interact more with the Bullet Screen Comments and occasionally sing a song." Bai Xinran paused, "It's just... sometimes I don't know what to talk about."

"Talk about topics you're good at," Yu Heng said, "like comics, or games. Don't always try to find topics; talk about what you genuinely like, and people will naturally listen."

"Mm." Bai Xinran nodded, her hair brushing against Yu Heng's pants.

The living room was quiet for a moment before Bai Xinran suddenly spoke: "Did you... go filming today?"

"Mm."

"Did the filming go smoothly?"

"It was alright," Yu Heng said.

Bai Xinran didn't ask further.

She felt Yu Heng's hand slide down her back and stop at her hips.

Her body tensed up slightly, then slowly relaxed.

"Tomorrow is Saturday," Yu Heng said, "Do you have any plans?"

"I have an assignment to do in the morning," Bai Xinran said, "In the afternoon... I haven't decided yet."

"Come to my room in the afternoon," Yu Heng's hand gently squeezed her, "It's time to record the material for the second episode of that audio we talked about last time."

Bai Xinran's face flushed, and she whispered: "Okay."

"We're recording something different this time," Yu Heng's voice deepened, "You'll have lines."

"Lines?" Bai Xinran buried her face deeper, her ears completely red. "I'm a little nervous..."

"Why are you nervous?" Yu Heng chuckled, "You performed quite well last time."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself and mess up the lines," her voice trembled.

"It's better if you can't control yourself," Yu Heng laughed, "Authentic reactions are exactly what we need."

"Then..." her voice was muffled, "What time tomorrow afternoon?"

"Two o'clock," Yu Heng said, "Can you finish your assignment in the morning?"

"Yes," Bai Xinran said, "It'll be quick."

"Alright, then get some rest early today. I'm a bit tired, going to take a shower and sleep." Yu Heng patted her.

Bai Xinran understood, climbed off Yu Heng's lap, and straightened the hem of her clothes.

"Then I'll head back to my room," she said, "Good night."