Chapter 53: The Swelling Has Gone, My Hero's Journey Ends!

Putting on the jacket, Cheng Yao discovered that Zhang Ya’s was quite a good fit. Beneath her nightdress, a stretch of snowy white leg was exposed, her chest pushing up the fabric—though not as dramatic as Zhou Ziqing’s, it was still more than enough to catch the eye.

These legs, he could enjoy for a lifetime.

For a moment, Cheng Yao was tempted to test his own self-control.

“Brother, I’m going to bed.” Cheng Cheng, tired after a day of play, yawned and slipped into her room, closing the door behind her. “Sister-in-law, come keep me company soon.”

Zhang Ya nodded gently. “Alright.”

Cheng Yao patted the sofa beside him. Zhang Ya arched her delicate brow. “What are you up to?”

“Come here. Just come over and I’ll tell you. Come on.”

She rolled her eyes—of course she understood his little schemes—but still sat down next to him.

Cheng Yao immediately leaned in, kissing her without hesitation.

Zhang Ya blossomed into laughter, her eyes turning into crescent moons, her gaze full of playful light.

What is happiness?

Happiness is when you—happiness is… it’s almost like… well, it’s just like now!

Cheng Yao held Zhang Ya in his arms, his hands hardly the picture of restraint.

Her cheeks flushed crimson; glancing toward the bedroom, she rested her head on his shoulder and let him be, considering it a small indulgence for him.

Cheng Yao dared not go too far, only testing the boundaries.

If it were Lu Mengyao, he would’ve flipped her over by now.

“Cheng Yao, let’s get married after graduation.”

“Alright.”

“Hmph, then we’ll buy our own place. If we don’t have enough, we’ll get a loan and pay it off together…”

In this moment, Zhang Ya was just a girl—none of the focus she had by the piano, none of the stern composure, as if she were someone else altogether.

Not so mature,

But innocent and adorable.

Adorable,

And he wanted… wanted…

Just…

…damn!

In truth, Zhang Ya probably had little concept of money, given her comfortable family background; Cheng Yao, on the other hand, understood all too well that money was indispensable.

Most rational women would never say such things.

That’s why Zhang Ya was different from Lu Mengyao at heart.

Even if he had nothing, Zhang Ya would stay by his side.

If he were broke now, Lu Mengyao would surely leave, not wishing to be dragged down.

Softly, Cheng Yao said, “Let’s have a whole litter.”

Zhang Ya laughed and gave him a playful slap.

“How about we do a trial run, get familiar with the process first…”

“Get lost! I’m going to bed!”

Regaining her usual composure, Zhang Ya tidied her clothes, kissed him on the cheek with a smile. “Good night—don’t forget to take me to the subway in the morning.”

“Good night.”

Bang!

The door closed. Cheng Yao got up, cleaned up after the Samoyed and flushed it away, washed his hands and face, then returned to his room.

Lying in bed, he could only distract himself with his phone; otherwise, he’d just keep thinking about Zhang Ya’s scent and the way she hit his weak spot so perfectly.

What! The swollen face is gone!?

My youth is over!!!

When he saw this news, it was as if a thunderbolt struck him. The newsfeed was full of similar reports—it felt like an old friend had suddenly passed away.

Even those who “generate power with love” had been caught?

What a pity—generating power for everyone with love, and still ending up like this. Hope they’re alright.

“What kind of idiotic thesis is this?”

A dissertation on how to hatch chicks from boiled eggs—what is this, Hogwarts? PhD? More like ‘FoolD’! Research can be down-to-earth, but it can’t be six feet under. No one with even a kindergarten diploma would believe chicks could hatch from boiled eggs—unless it’s quantum mechanics.

Beep, beep, beep…

At that moment, Lu Mengyao messaged him—itching for trouble, was she?

Lu Mengyao: When is your girlfriend leaving?

Cheng Yao: Tomorrow.

Lu Mengyao: Sigh… I wish someone would feed me meat.

Cheng Yao: ???

He frowned at first, blinking, thinking he’d misread. But no, she’d made her intentions clear—it was obvious she was trying to seduce him.

He got it—after today’s events, she was looking for some midnight revenge.

Heh,

And you think I’ll let you succeed?

Cheng Yao put his phone on silent, plugged it in to charge, and dove under the covers.

…

…

The next morning, Cheng Yao was up by five.

He went downstairs for breakfast—Zhang Ya had to catch the first train, so they took a cab to the South Station.

Munching on her breakfast wrap, Zhang Ya stifled a yawn. “I’ll be back for National Day. It’s only a few days away.”

“Mhm, I’ll book the tickets ahead of time and we’ll go straight away.”

“Don’t forget a ticket for Little Dot. If she doesn’t come, I’m not going either. Don’t you dare leave her behind, or she’ll cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang herself.” Zhang Ya laughed and shook her head.

You just want Little Dot to come along—so you don’t have to worry about me making a move at night!

Zhang Ya, you really do treat me like an outsider!

Cheng Yao grumbled inwardly, but outwardly he was obedient. “I’m just teasing her. I’d never leave her behind.”

It was still early, so traffic was light; in about half an hour, Zhang Ya collected her ticket. “You should head back—you’ve got class, don’t you?”

“It’s a bit early. My class isn’t till eight. I’ll wait until your train leaves.”

They found a spot in McDonald’s, chatting as they ate.

Zhang Ya asked, “This is your Douyin account, right? I’ll give you a follow.”

“That’s the one.”

“One hundred eighty thousand followers—not bad.”

“Of course.”

In fact, most of those followers came from that army training song. Without a viral hit, the numbers rarely grew.

He thought the Top Ten Singers Contest would be a great opportunity.

Sitting there, playing with Zhang Ya’s slender fingers, Cheng Yao mused, “Such thin fingers—it’s a shame you’re not wearing a diamond ring.”

Zhang Ya’s lips curled into a silent smile, her legs swinging lightly.

“You’re not wearing those earrings I gave you?”

“You’ve got some nerve. The style you picked is way too formal—not suitable for hanging out. I’ll wear them for the competition.” Zhang Ya feigned a little annoyance, but glanced at her watch with satisfaction. She liked this watch—a small face, elegant design, clearly chosen with care.

“It’s about time. I need to go to the gate. Let’s go.”

“Alright.”

By now, the platform was already crowded. After security, Zhang Ya waved. “Bye-bye.”

“Bye-bye.”

She headed up the escalator, looking back every three seconds. Cheng Yao waved until she finally disappeared from sight.

Watching her go, Cheng Yao felt a touch of emptiness—he needed some comfort from another girl.

To treat every girl well—that’s the scoundrel’s code.

He had to admit, he was already quite a scoundrel, but he understood that a man could only have one wife.

The others—well, they didn’t have to be wives.

Leaving the station, Cheng Yao took the subway back to Xianlin, heading straight for campus.

After just two days away, the school felt oddly unfamiliar.

Just then, a Panamera pulled up at the gate. Cheng Yao slowed his steps, watching as the passengers got out—and his eyes lit up.

“Cheng Yao!”

Wang Churuo waved. Liu Hanyue exchanged a few words with the woman in the driver’s seat before shutting the door, a cup of KFC bubble tea in hand, grumbling under her breath.

“Well, well, who managed to annoy our campus belle so early in the morning?”

“KFC,” Wang Churuo replied with a grin. Then her expression changed suddenly: “Sniff, sniff… Cheng Yao, you smell like perfume—a girl’s perfume…”

“Are you a dog or something?” Cheng Yao looked at her, dumbfounded. She could actually smell that?

…