In the midst of Chen Chu's busy daily routine of attending school, practicing, and feeding his avatar, several days swiftly passed by.
On October 21, at half-past eight on a sunny Sunday morning, Chen Chu was dressed differently today, giving off a very casual vibe with a white T-shirt, gray trousers, and white flat-bottomed shoes.
Having just finished breakfast and lying on the sofa playing with his phone, Chen Hu asked out of curiosity, "Bro, are you going out?"
Chen Chu nodded, "Yes, I made plans to go see the lotus flowers with friends."
Chen Hu's eyes lit up, sitting up eagerly. "Is it a guy or a girl? Is big sis Luo Fei going too?"
"...What kind of reaction is that?" Chen Chu was baffled.
With a mischievous smile, Chen Hu said, "I'm just concerned about you. Just say if big sis Luo Fei is going with you."
"That's good then. Go and have fun, bro. I'm going to a classmate's house later." With that, Chen Hu urged him to get going, leaving Chen Chu shaking his head.
The younger they were, the more they fantasized.
After waiting at the bus station for a few minutes, Chen Chu boarded the bus heading to the meeting point. Despite the name, Bright Moon Lake was actually a scenic area composed of various-sized lakes, located on the eastern outskirts of the city. Many people visited every year when the lotus flowers bloomed.
When Chen Chu arrived at the entrance, he found that he was the last to arrive. Lin Xue, Xia Youhui, Luo Fei, Lu Haitao, and Li Wenwen were already waiting for him, along with Lin Yu, whom he had first seen in the ranking competition, and two other boys and girls.
Chen Chu apologized, "Sorry, the traffic was a bit jammed today."
Lin Xue replied, "It's okay. We just arrived not long ago. And besides, we agreed to meet at ten o'clock. You’re not late."
Lin Xue was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt and tight jeans today. Complementing her slender waist and straight legs was her slightly curled long purple hair, clipped behind her head. Paired with her beautiful face, she looked exquisite, exuding the aura of a natural beauty.
Some of the others were dressed very casually as well; Xia Youhui and Lu Haitao, similar to Chen Chu, were all wearing T-shirts, pants, and sneakers.
Compared to the boys, however, the girls were dressed well.
Luo Fei was wearing a double-layered outfit today, a translucent white silk draped over a tight-fitting red T-shirt that highlighted her slender waist. She wore straight cropped pants, revealing fair ankles and silver high-heeled sandals on her delicate feet.
Her hair was the same as usual, tied behind her head with a white butterfly ribbon, strands of bangs falling in front of her forehead. Today, she also wore a silver crystal necklace around her neck and a pair of silver butterfly earrings on her ears, which shone in the sunlight.
Her exquisite and charming outfit dazzled Chen Chu. Under his open gaze, Luo Fei was a bit shy, her eyes flicking away. She tried to act casual, lifting a strand of hair near her ear and turning her head slightly.
At the same moment, a girl with the same appearance as Lin Xue, but with blue-tipped hair, walked over and smiled. "Hello, Chen Chu. I'm Lin Yu from Class Nine."
Different from the queen-like Lin Xue, who was cold and decisive, Lin Yu's voice was very gentle, just like her attire. Wearing a blue and white dress, her long hair flowed gently over her shoulders. She exuded a soft and beautiful temperament, giving a comforting vibe.
Since she took the initiative to greet him, Chen Chu smiled and said, "Hello. I've heard about Miss Lin for a long time. It's an honor to meet you today."
"Why have you heard about me?" Lin Yu blinked her beautiful eyes, somewhat curious.
Chen Chu was interrupted when Xia Youhui, who was beside him, hurriedly cleared his throat. "Because of the class monitor."
"We've heard about our class monitor having a sister for a long time. How she's equally talented, beautiful, and entered the top fifty freshmen ranking, as well." Hearing Chen Chu's praise, Lin Yu smiled gently and introduced her companions, a pretty girl named Jiang Jiameng and a boy named Qi Lei.
After getting to know each other, Lin Xue took out nine tickets and distributed them to everyone before queuing to enter the lake grounds.
"Wow! So many lotus flowers," Li Wenwen exclaimed.
Countless lotus leaves stretched out on the various lakes ahead, with white, red, and pink flowers swaying upon them. Wooden bridges traversed in all directions, crowded with visitors.
It was a refreshing and pleasant scene, lifting everyone’s spirit.
"Hurry, let's go and see the pink flower sea over there."
"I brought a camera."
"I brought one too. Let's take more photos later."
Compared to the boys, who were calm, even Luo Fei was excited in the face of such scenery, running behind Lin Xue and the others.
The sight of a group of giggling girls was quite eye-catching, especially since among them were a pair of slender and beautiful twins, as well as the equally beautiful and delicate Luo Fei. The presence of so many pretty girls together simply enhanced the scenery.
Xia Youhui approached Chen Chu. "Ah Chu, do you feel any excitement?"
"What excitement?" Chen Chu pretended not to have heard.
"Stop the pretense, Ah Chu. Don't you feel attracted to Lin Xue and her sister? Twins, and both so beautiful." Xia Youhui smirked as he spoke.
Chen Chu was baffled. "Old Xia, stop being such a perv. Besides, do I have to feel attracted if a girl is pretty? Can't we simply appreciate them with admiration? Besides, we're just in the first year of high school, and just started our cultivation. Shouldn't we focus on that for now?"
Xia Youhui was somewhat unconvinced. "What's wrong with being in the first year of high school? Are freshmen not considered men?"
Chen Chu became curious. "Okay, consider us men. Why? Do you want to pursue Lin Xue and her sister?"
Xia Youhui straightforwardly shook his head. "I don't."
"Why not?" Chen Chu was a bit surprised.
"Because I’m self-aware. The class monitor and her sister are too beautiful, they’re out of my league."
"Then why did you ask me if I felt excited?" Chen Chu simply became more confused.
Xia Youhui confidently said, "Because I think, Ah Chu, you can do it. If I were as handsome as you, I would have pursued Lin Xue’s sister long ago.
"To be honest, back on the first day of school, after I got to know you, I felt that you and Lin Xue were a match. I’m being real with you, I feel like you have a high chance of succeeding if you pursue her."
Chen Chu was taken aback. "Why do you have such a feeling?"
"Because you're too handsome. Even I’m a bit jealous, and I’m a guy."
Hearing this reason, Chen Chu was momentarily unsure how to refute it.
Was he really that handsome? The thought puzzled him. Although he felt that he looked rather good when he looked in the mirror every day, he didn't feel it that much.
"Wait a minute, if you were as handsome as me, why wouldn't you pursue Lin Xue?" Chen Chu realized and changed the topic.
Xia Youhui looked at Chen Chu strangely. "Isn't that obvious? The class monitor has such a bad temper. If I were you, I would definitely choose the gentle Lin Yu."
"Because you're handsome."
... Hearing this again, Chen Chu was at a loss for words.