132: Chapter 132 I will prepare seriously

"I'm not nervous."

"Then what was with that tone just now?"

"I was just... saying whatever."

Zhou Waner was clearly feeling a bit guilty, and her intention to change the subject was obvious. "What do your parents usually like? Do they have any dietary restrictions? Do they have any... requirements for people visiting their home?"

Hearing her ask so many questions in one breath, Hu Tian couldn't help but laugh. "Waner, are you doing your homework?"

"I just want to understand things in advance."

Zhou Waner's tone was a bit serious yet awkward. "I can't exactly go empty-handed and knowing nothing; that would be so rude."

"Alright, then I'll tell you about them."

Hu Tian thought for a moment. "My dad's name is Hu Jianguo. Our family is originally from Southern Anhui. He worked in construction for a few years before returning to our hometown to open a small hardware store. He's a practical man and doesn't talk much, but he knows what's going on. Don't be fooled by his silence; he actually observes people very carefully."

"Then... what does he like?"

"Drinking tea—green tea. He's been drinking the tea from Southern Anhui for decades and isn't much interested in anything else."

"Then should I bring some good tea when the time comes?"

"Sure, he'll definitely be happy."

Hu Tian continued, "You heard my mom just now; her name is Li Meina. Her personality is much more extroverted than my dad's. She loves to talk and worry, but she has a good heart. She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart—don't let her tone scare you. She's actually very easy to get along with."

"What does she like?"

"She likes..."

Hu Tian thought about it. "She likes flowers. She's grown a bunch on the balcony at home—pothos, jasmine, gardenias, she raised them all. If you can chat with her about that, she'll definitely talk your ear off."

"Then should I bring a bouquet of flowers when the time comes?"

"Potted plants are better than bouquets. She likes to raise them herself."

"Okay, I've got it."

Zhou Waner responded earnestly, then paused before asking again, "Are there any dietary habits in their family? Can they eat spicy food?"

"They can, but they don't crave it. The flavors in Southern Anhui tend to be heavy, favoring salt and freshness. My mom's cooking is delicious; just give her a few compliments when the time comes, and she'll be happy."

"Mhm, I understand."

Zhou Waner committed these pieces of information to memory one by one, her tone as serious as if she were taking notes. Listening to her, Hu Tian felt an indescribable sensation in his heart—warm, yet a bit bittersweet. It was the feeling of being taken seriously by someone.

"Waner."

"Mhm?"

"You don't need to be so nervous. My parents are both easy to talk to. Just go as you normally would; there's no need to prepare anything specifically."

"I know."

Zhou Waner gave a soft reply, her voice carrying a hint of a smile. "But I still want to prepare. This is the first time... the first time I'm meeting your family. I want to leave a good impression on them."

Hu Tian didn't say anything, just listened quietly.

"And..."

Zhou Waner's voice grew even softer, as if she were talking to herself. "And your mom already knows about me. I can't have her thinking you found someone unreliable."

"She won't think that."

"How do you know?"

"Because I have good taste."

Zhou Waner was silent for a second, then let out a soft laugh. The sound was light and gentle, as if his words had left her a bit unsure of how to respond. "You, you always talk like this."

"Like what?"

"Just..."

She paused. "Forget it, never mind."

The two chatted for a while longer. The conversation drifted from meeting the parents to the progress of Zhou Waner's graduate research, to the few items Hu Tian had seen while wandering the antique market recently, to the summer heat in Binhai, and to Zhou Waner saying she feared the heat most and wished she could stay in an air-conditioned room all summer without coming out.

As they chatted on, Hu Tian glanced at his phone screen; it was already almost 11 o'clock.

"Waner, it's almost 11."

"Ah, it's that late already?"

Zhou Waner's voice carried a hint of surprise. "How long have we been talking?"

"Almost two hours."

"..."

She was silent for a moment. "Then you have to get up early tomorrow to drop off Feifei. Go to sleep quickly."

"Mhm, you should sleep early too. Don't stay up too late."

"I know."

The other end of the line went quiet for a moment before Zhou Waner's voice came through softly. "Hu Tian."

"Mhm?"

"Regarding the National Day trip... I will prepare seriously."

Hearing this, the corners of Hu Tian's mouth unconsciously curled upward. "Okay."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Waner."

The call ended. Hu Tian placed his phone back on the nightstand, and silence returned to the room, broken only by the occasional chirp of insects outside the window.

He rolled onto his side and turned off the lamp.

The bedroom went completely dark, with only a hint of the night sky peeking through the curtains. Occasionally, the sound of the wind echoed in the courtyard, and leaves rustled gently.

He closed his eyes, and a series of thoughts circled through his mind—from the seams of the lotus leaf covered jar, to leaving at eight tomorrow, to taking Waner home in July. Each one was a real, tangible matter waiting for him.

He didn't think any further; soon, his breathing stabilized, and he fell asleep.

The next day.

The alarm rang punctually at 8:00 AM.

Hu Tian opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling for two seconds, reached out to turn off the alarm, and lay in bed for a while longer before slowly sitting up.

Back when he was working, the alarm ringing was a form of torture. Before his mind was even clear, he had to crawl up to wash, stare blankly into the mirror, and then rush out while watching the clock, terrified of missing the subway.

It was different now. No clocking in, no morning meetings, and no supervisor in a group chat pushing for progress. When the alarm rang, he could get up slowly. He still hadn't fully adjusted to this feeling; sometimes he would wake up and feel a subconscious spike of tension before remembering he didn't have to rush anymore.

He got up to wash.

After rinsing his mouth and wiping his face, he walked out to the first-floor living room and saw his Cousin Zhang Fei standing before the kitchen stove, frying eggs. Porridge was boiling in a small pot nearby, the heat turned low, bubbling and steaming. The table was already set with bowls and chopsticks, along with a dish of sliced pickles.

"Cousin, you're up?"

Zhang Fei didn't turn around. "The porridge is almost done. Just wait a bit longer."

"What time did you get up?"

"A bit after seven."

She flipped an egg. "I couldn't sleep, so I might as well get up and make breakfast."

Hu Tian sat down in a chair and looked at the pickles on the table. "Did you slice these?"

"Mhm, there were some in the fridge, so I found them and sliced them up."

"Alright, you've got some initiative."

Zhang Fei turned her head and glared at him. "Are you my brother or my supervisor?"

Hu Tian didn't respond, just chuckled.

The porridge was ready, and the eggs were fried. The two sat down for breakfast, not saying much, just eating quietly. Occasionally, Zhang Fei would mention the porridge was a bit hot, and Hu Tian would tell her to drink slowly—that was it.

After finishing and clearing the dishes, Zhang Fei went to pull out her suitcases. Hu Tian helped her check through them once: clothes, toiletries, chargers, admission notice, ID card—everything was checked off, nothing left behind.

"Do you need to bring a quilt?"

Hu Tian asked.

"No need, the school dorms have them. They'll be distributed uniformly before classes start. I've already asked."

"Alright then."

There were two suitcases, one large and one small. Hu Tian carried the large one while Zhang Fei dragged the small one. They locked the door, went downstairs, loaded the things into the trunk, closed the lid, and got into the car.

It was 8:20 AM when they set off. The weather was clear, and the sun was already out, shining on the roof of the car. Even through the glass, they could feel the heat.

Hu Tian turned on the air conditioning and headed toward the elevated highway. There weren't many cars on the road, and they hit a string of green lights, making for a smooth drive.

Once on the elevated highway, the car speed picked up, and the buildings and trees on either side receded. Zhang Fei leaned against the back of the passenger seat, pulled the curtain halfway to block the direct sunlight, and looked down at her phone.

As Hu Tian drove, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his mind somehow drifted back to a year ago.

At that time, he had just graduated with a degree in marketing. With his diploma in hand, he sent out a pile of resumes and finally found a job in the Minhang district of Magic City. He worked as a sales assistant with a base salary of 3,200 yuan plus commission. In a lucky month, he could make over 4,000, but in bad months, he might not even keep his base salary.

Rent in Magic City was unusually expensive. At the time, he could only afford to rent a single room here in Binhai for 800 yuan a month. The room was small but had its own bathroom. In Magic City, rooms at that price were all partitioned spaces with shared bathrooms, and the windows faced the wall of another building, letting in almost no light during the day. But it was cheap, and Binhai was close to Magic City. By taking a bus then the subway, transferring twice, and walking a bit, the commute was about two hours each way. It saved a lot of money compared to renting in Magic City.

So he commuted back and forth every day, having to leave the house before six in the morning. If he worked overtime at night, he often wouldn't get home until after nine or ten. He'd eat instant noodles, take a shower, and fall straight asleep, only to crawl back up the next day. It was a repetitive cycle.

He had several jobs back then, none of which lasted long. He was often inexplicably fired. The longest job lasted six months, and the shortest ended before the probation period was even over.

During that time, he was actually quite lost. He didn't know what he could do or which direction to take. He just hung on, feeling that he couldn't just go back to his hometown and had to make something of himself out in the world.

Later, he encountered that golden finger, and everything slowly began to change.

Thinking of this, Hu Tian's mouth twitched slightly. He didn't laugh, just thought quietly for a moment, then suppressed those thoughts and focused his eyes on the road ahead once more.

"Cousin."

Zhang Fei's voice pulled him back.

"Mhm?"

"I remember you used to work in Magic City. Which district was it?"

"Minhang. Later I switched to another company in Jing'an."

"That's pretty far. Where did you live then?"

"Binhai. I took the subway there every day."

Zhang Fei looked up, a bit surprised. "Every day? Didn't you have to get up really early?"

"Five-thirty."

"..."

She was silent for a moment. "Five-thirty! That's four hours spent on the road every day. You could handle that?"

"It was alright. I was young, I could handle it."

Hu Tian spoke flatly, but Zhang Fei didn't say anything more. She put her phone down and stared out the window for a while, lost in thought.

The car ran on the elevated highway for nearly forty minutes. After exiting, they entered the Magic City urban area. Traffic increased, becoming stop-and-go. The navigation announced intersections through his earpiece, and Hu Tian followed the directions. After a few turns and passing through a well-landscaped street, the words "Shanghai Media University" appeared on a road sign ahead.

"We're almost there."

Hu Tian said.

Zhang Fei sat up straight and looked ahead. Her eyes held a bit of nervousness and excitement. She pursed her lips and didn't speak.

There were already quite a few cars at the school gate, with a row parked along the roadside. All of them were there to drop off new students for registration. The license plates were a mixed bag—Su, Zhe, Wan, Hu—everything was represented.