June arrived in the warmth of early summer, accompanied by the restless chorus of cicadas echoing through the air.

One afternoon, Lin Manqing called Gu Nansheng with an excited proposal.

“Nansheng, let’s go to a countryside manor in the suburbs! I heard the hills are covered in flower fields during the day, and at night, you can lie under a sky full of stars. It’s supposed to be unbelievably romantic!”

“Just the two of us?” Gu Nansheng asked.

“Of course not! Shen Yi’s coming, and your handsome Lu too!”

Gu Nansheng blinked.

“So… are we staying overnight?”

“Obviously!” Lin Manqing replied matter-of-factly. “Otherwise how are we supposed to watch the stars?”

Since graduation was approaching anyway, Gu Nansheng figured they might as well treat it like a little getaway with Lu Shijing.

“Alright,” she agreed. “I’ll tell Lu Shijing, and we’ll all go together.”

On the other end of the call, Lin Manqing lowered her voice and chuckled mischievously.

“Perfect. This gives you and your handsome Lu some private couple time.”

Gu Nansheng immediately understood the hidden meaning behind those words and coughed awkwardly.

“Ahem… aren’t you just full of ideas?”

“Please, as if I don’t know you.” Lin Manqing burst into laughter. “Tell me honestly, have you still not managed to make a move on your handsome Lu?”

“…”

Why did that make her sound like some shameless predator?

“I knew it!” Lin Manqing laughed so loudly that Gu Nansheng had to pull the phone away from her ear.

“Can you quiet down?”

“What’s wrong with laughing?” Lin Manqing teased. “Don’t worry, this sister has a special surprise prepared for you. Make sure you use it well at night~”

Gu Nansheng immediately sensed trouble.

“You should save your weird gifts for yourself,” she replied dryly.

Somehow, she had a very strong feeling that nothing wholesome was happening inside Lin Manqing’s head.

“Nope, good things are meant to be shared! Just wait and see!”

When the weekend finally arrived, the four of them set off together.

Shen Yi drove, with Lin Manqing sitting in the front passenger seat while Gu Nansheng and Lu Shijing sat together in the back.

The drive was expected to take around two hours.

At first, the road was smooth and easy.

But halfway through, the route suddenly became rough and uneven, the car bumping relentlessly over rugged terrain.

Before long, Gu Nansheng felt miserable.

Her head spun, and nausea twisted uncomfortably in her stomach.

“Gu Nansheng, what’s wrong with you?” Lin Manqing turned around dramatically from the front seat, sunglasses perched on her face. “Don’t tell me you’re pregnant?”

“Shut up…” Gu Nansheng muttered weakly. “You never said the road would be this awful.”

Her brain felt like it had been shaken into mush.

Truthfully, the biggest issue was that she had barely slept the night before.

The thought of sharing a room with Lu Shijing had left her imagination running wild all night.

In her dreams, a shirtless Lu Shijing had wrapped her tightly in his arms while softly calling her “sister” beside her ear in that sweet voice of his.

Every time she thought about it, her face heated up.

Her heartbeat raced uncontrollably.

She had tossed and turned under her blanket for nearly the entire night.

“It’s my first time coming here too, okay?” Lin Manqing defended herself. “How was I supposed to know the road was this bad?”

“Sister Nansheng,” Shen Yi said kindly from the driver’s seat, “hang in there a little longer. We’re almost there.”

Lu Shijing glanced at Gu Nansheng’s pale expression and asked quietly,

“Would it feel better if you rested on my lap?”

Too miserable to argue, Gu Nansheng immediately gave in.

She shifted over and rested her head against his lap.

He carried the faint scent of fresh laundry detergent, clean and comforting.

As the car swayed gently along the rough road, sleepiness gradually overtook her.

Lu Shijing carefully adjusted her position so she could lie more comfortably.

Just then, the car jolted sharply.

Almost instinctively, Gu Nansheng reached out and hugged his arm tightly against herself, burying her face near his waist.

Lu Shijing stiffened.

Through the thin fabric between them, he could feel the warmth of her body pressed against his arm.

He tried pulling back slightly.

Instead, she held on even tighter.

Her soft breathing brushed faintly against him, warm enough to leave him suddenly tense.

Quietly, Lu Shijing leaned back against the seat and tried very hard to calm the erratic pounding in his chest.

Half an hour later, they finally arrived.

Gu Nansheng was startled awake by Lin Manqing’s excited scream.

“Oh my god! This place is gorgeous!”

Rubbing her eyes, Gu Nansheng sat up groggily.

“Are we here already?”

“Yeah,” Lu Shijing replied, helping her straighten up.

Outside the car stretched a breathtaking sea of flowers.

A gentle breeze carried the rich fragrance of blossoms through the air.

Fields of vibrant flowers blanketed the rolling hills in every direction, beautiful enough to make someone stop and stare.

“Nansheng! Hurry up! Come take pictures!”

Before Gu Nansheng could react, Lin Manqing dragged her off toward the flower fields.

A girl’s happiness was surprisingly simple.

The guesthouse where they would stay stood nearby.

After parking the car, Shen Yi and Lu Shijing unloaded the luggage from the trunk.

“Manman booked two rooms,” Shen Yi said casually as he handed a keycard over.

“You and Sister Nansheng are in 301. Ours is 402.”

Lu Shijing paused for a split second before accepting the key.

“Got it.”

His expression remained perfectly calm as he slipped the key into his pocket.

He carried both suitcases upstairs to Room 301.

The room was cozy and spotless, complete with a private bathroom and a blue bay window overlooking the flower fields.

He opened the wooden window slightly to let fresh air drift inside.

Then his gaze landed on the bed.

There was only one.

And not just any bed.

A huge round bed.

Heart-shaped rose petals covered the sheets.

Several boxes of condoms sat openly on the nightstand, displayed so boldly that there was absolutely no room for misunderstanding.

No matter how he looked at it, this was clearly a couple’s themed suite.

He had originally assumed he’d be sharing a room with Shen Yi.

Now…

Did Gu Nansheng know about this arrangement?

Before he could think further, Shen Yi came upstairs to call him back down.

Gu Nansheng and Lin Manqing were still busy taking pictures among the flowers.

Dinner was served at the guesthouse, authentic Yancheng-style stir-fry.

Gu Nansheng had never been much of an eater and quickly became full after only a few bites.

Meanwhile, Lin Manqing and Shen Yi enthusiastically discussed the best possible place for stargazing.

By the time night fell…

Lin Manqing suddenly announced their seating arrangement.

“You and your handsome Lu can watch the stars over there,” she said, pointing to one patch of grass. “The two of us will stay over here. No disturbing each other.”

Without waiting for a response, she dragged Shen Yi away.

“…”

You really are thoughtful.

Lu Shijing spread out a blanket across the grass.

“Come sit.”

Instead, Gu Nansheng lay flat on her back.

Above them stretched an endless sky filled with stars.

Tiny lights shimmered endlessly across the darkness, beautiful enough to leave her breathless.

Yancheng’s night sky was already lovely, but here, everything felt even clearer.

Moonlight poured softly across the hills like water.

The night was quiet, mysterious, almost intoxicating.

“Lie here,” Lu Shijing murmured softly.

He gently shifted her head onto his lap.

As she looked up, her gaze met his.

He had been staring at her the whole time.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, suddenly feeling warm.

“You’re prettier than the stars.”

Gu Nansheng blinked.

“Since when did you become so smooth?”

“I’m serious.”

She sat up and leaned comfortably against his chest instead.

“Well,” she said with a smile, “I’ll believe you this once.”

His arms wrapped around her naturally.

“What do you think those two are doing over there?” she asked curiously, glancing toward the distant patch of grass.

Lu Shijing covered her eyes.

“Don’t look,” he said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

Her eyelashes brushed lightly against his palm, sending a strange tingling sensation through him.

She grabbed his hand and peeked anyway.

Over in the distance, Lin Manqing and Shen Yi were kissing.

“Oh.”

She blinked.

“So it’s just kissing.”

No wonder Lin Manqing had insisted on sitting so far away.

As though she didn’t know how to kiss too.

“Lu Shijing…” she called softly.

“Hm?”

The air around them felt strangely charged.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest.

Slowly, she leaned closer.

Her warm lips brushed gently against the cool corner of his mouth.

Lu Shijing let out a soft laugh.

One arm wrapped firmly around her waist as he pulled her closer.

Then, lowering his head, he kissed her back.

Tenderly at first.

Before gradually deepening into something warmer, quieter, and impossible to pull away from.