Chapter 70: Beach Party Preparations and Unexpected Arrivals

The living room fell into an unusual silence for a moment.

The three individuals, excluding Su Linxi, watched in quiet contemplation as Li Jianren burst from his room, clad in a flamboyant, colorful outfit.

Had Bai Ruijin and Zheng Qiao not been present, Zhong Tian would have undoubtedly offered a few sarcastic remarks, but for now, she could only suppress her amusement.

Bai Ruijin’s expression appeared relatively normal, perhaps simply unsure of how to react.

Zheng Qiao, however, wore an expression akin to a ‘grandparent on the subway engrossed in their phone’.

“Cough…” Li Jianren broke the silence, scratching his head. “Shouldn’t there be some comments at a time like this?”

To maintain her aloof persona, Zhong Tian emulated her sister, asking in a detached voice, “Comments on what, precisely?”

“My outfit, of course. Does it suit me?”

“…It suits you…” Bai Ruijin replied to Li Jianren.

While she uttered the words, Zhong Tian sensed a hint of reluctance in her tone.

‘She didn’t have to agree so wholeheartedly.’

“It’s a bit tacky.”

Zhong Tian couldn’t help but interject with that remark.

“Tacky?” Li Jianren suddenly looked triumphant, pulling down his sunglasses. “Tacky is exactly right! Haven’t you heard the saying? When something is tacky to the extreme, it becomes trendy!”

As he spoke, he settled onto the sofa beside Zhong Tian with an easy plop.

Auntie Wang brought them black tea served in delicate porcelain cups. “My apologies, but black tea is all we have at home.”

“If it’s not to your liking, just tell me what drinks you prefer, and I’ll have someone deliver them before the afternoon.”

“Cola!” Li Jianren was the first to exclaim, raising his hand.

“Calamansi lemon tea,” Zheng Qiao promptly added.

“I… don’t have any particular preference.”

“Hmm, let’s discuss it once everyone else arrives,” Zhong Tian said, taking a sip of black tea from her small porcelain cup. “It’s still early.”

“Oh right, when are Lin Yu and the others arriving?”

“She’s on her way,” Zhong Tian replied. “They should be here soon.”

Just as she and Bai Ruijin had finished buying swimsuits and gotten into the car, Lin Yu had informed Zhong Tian that Lin Chu had already picked her up and was en route to Li Jianren’s house.

“Are the barbecue grills and everything ready?”

“Nope.”

Li Jianren tossed out the two words with a lighthearted tone.

“Huh?”

Zhong Tian nearly blurted out “Huh?” aloud. “You… didn’t prepare anything beforehand?”

“We can all prepare it together once everyone’s here.”

“…”

Zhong Tian sighed inwardly. ‘Never mind. I was the one who suggested this gathering, and it’s a bit rude to expect someone else to prepare everything in advance when bringing friends to their home for a party.’

Still, his casual assumption that everything would be handled rankled Zhong Tian somewhat, so she subtly jabbed him in the side.

“Well then, let’s go down and get things sorted…”

****

At this hour, Zhong Jing was just waking up.

She blinked, casually ran her hand through her hair, and picked up her phone to check the time.

Nine forty-three.

‘Still early.’

‘I’ll grab some breakfast, play a few games in my room, and then go back to sleep for a bit.’

Knowing that Zhong Tian would have prepared her share, Zhong Jing finished her ablutions, entered the kitchen, and opened the microwave.

After confirming her breakfast was inside, she powered on the microwave and sat at the dining table, occupying herself with her phone while she waited.

‘Gou Resurgence, why does every update introduce so many bugs? They fix what doesn’t need fixing and leave the real problems untouched. Cheaters are still rampant, as always. If they think my household registration book has too many pages, I can tear out two for them.’

While her expression remained unchanged as she scrolled through gaming news on her phone, a storm of curses brewed in her mind.

Ding—

The microwave’s chime redirected her attention to the food, prompting her to rise and retrieve her breakfast.

‘Right… Zhong Tian and Su Linxi aren’t here, so no one will be making lunch or dinner…’

Zhong Jing, with her discerning palate, couldn’t stomach takeout, much less instant noodles, so she felt a sudden urge to call Zhong Tian back.

‘But it was just a fleeting thought.’

After finishing her modest breakfast, she washed her plate and chopsticks, and was about to retreat to her room for games when her phone suddenly vibrated in her pajama pocket.

The caller ID showed Lin Chu.

– Hello?

– Hello? Hello? A familiar voice came from the other end. – Can you hear me?

– I can hear you.

Just as Zhong Jing finished speaking, two car horns blared from outside.

– Can you hear me?

– …Why are you here?

– To pick you up for some fun, of course.

– …Where are we going?

– To find your younger brother.

Still on the phone, Zhong Jing stepped outside and approached the white sedan parked beyond the building. The car window slowly lowered, revealing Lin Chu in the driver’s seat, who winked at her.

“I’m not getting involved in young people’s affairs,” Zhong Jing stated, her voice flat, as she hung up the call. “Besides, I don’t like beaches.”

“I know,” Lin Chu said, resting her elbow on the car door, propping her chin in her hand, and meeting Zhong Jing’s gaze. “But Little Zhong and the other aren’t here, so no one will cook for you, right? Just think of it as freeloading a meal.”

“And staying home all day, either playing games or sleeping, isn’t good for your health. You should get some sun occasionally.”

Though Zhong Jing’s expression remained impassive, Lin Chu knew she was probably swayed.

“I’ll wait for you outside for half an hour,” Lin Chu said with a smile.

“…Park the car and wait inside.”

“Alright, alright.”

****

Chu Lenghu departed.

Zhong Tian had sent her the party address last night. As it was quite a distance from the city center, and a bus ride would take considerable time, she opted for a ride-hailing service.

Although it was a bit more expensive, the direct route saved valuable time.

Prone to motion sickness, she rolled down the car window slightly, allowing the wind to blow through, which offered her some comfort.

‘A late summer beach party…’

‘The last time I went to the beach was in my first year of high school…’

She remembered it vividly: she and her family had gazed out from the late summer coastline, the sea breeze caressing them, the rustling sound of the waves filling their ears. A profound sense of ease had welled up within them, allowing them to forget the summer heat.

In her heart, the ocean ranked second only to the starry sky as a place she had always yearned for.

Chu Lenghu leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes to rest, letting time drift by.

****

Zhong Tian suddenly realized that holding a beach party in late summer was a remarkably wise decision.

Late summer offered the lingering essence of the season without the oppressive heat, and even after the series of tasks—moving barbecue grills and setting up parasols on Li Jianren’s private beach—Zhong Tian hadn’t broken much of a sweat.

Standing by the sea, watching the waves and feeling the sea breeze, her mood grew increasingly cheerful.

‘Living by the sea is truly wonderful.’

‘If I ever have the means, I should buy a house by the sea too.’

She turned to see Li Jianren and Bai Ruijin raising the last parasol, carefully fitting its pole into the designated opening in the center of the table.

Li Jianren rotated the handle on the pole, and the umbrella slowly unfurled, shielding a large area from the sunlight.

“Alright, it’s done!”

After an hour, the five friends, along with Auntie Wang, had successfully set up the beach area.

Just then, Zhong Tian’s phone rang.

– Hello?

– Little Zhong, we’ve arrived.

It was Lin Yu’s voice on the other end of the line.

– Okay, please wait outside. I’m coming to get you now.

Zhong Tian took the elevator back to the villa, then swiftly made her way along the path she had come, reaching the entrance of the villa complex.

She presented the owner’s card Auntie Wang had given her to the security guard, pointing towards Lin Chu’s sedan. “Could you please open the gate?”

The security guard, dressed in a suit, nodded to Zhong Tian and allowed Lin Chu’s car to pass.

Lin Chu rolled down her window and, along with Lin Yu in the passenger seat, waved to her. “Little Zhong, hop in and show us the way.”

As Zhong Tian prepared to open the car door and get in, she noticed a ride-hailing car pulling up on the road just outside the gate.

The car door swung open, and a figure in sky-blue stepped out.

“Excuse me, that’s also a friend of mine. Could you please open the gate for her?”

Zhong Tian recognized Chu Lenghu, clad in a sky-blue dress, and after the guard opened the gate, she waved to her from a distance.

Chu Lenghu, seeing Zhong Tian, waved back and entered the villa complex.

“Good morning, Teacher.”

“Mm, good morning,” Zhong Tian responded, returning Chu Lenghu’s smile. “This is my friend’s car; we’ll drive over now.”

“Alright.”

Zhong Tian opened the back car door, and her movements instantly froze as her gaze fell upon Zhong Jing, seated in the back.

“Sis? You… what are you doing here?”

“…Just came to take a look.”

“I see… that works too.” Zhong Tian nodded, then got into the car with Chu Lenghu.

“Editor Lin Chu, this is a friend of mine, Chu Lenghu,” Zhong Tian explained to Lin Chu. “She’s joining us for the party.”

“Thank you for your trouble.”

Chu Lenghu politely addressed Lin Chu.

“No trouble at all.”

Lin Chu scrutinized Chu Lenghu in the rearview mirror for a few seconds before shifting gears and setting off again.

“That pure white villa up ahead is the one.”

“Woah… So Li Jianren’s family is really that wealthy,” Lin Yu, seated in the passenger seat, couldn’t help but exclaim. “Little Zhong, you should totally milk him for all he’s worth from now on!”

“Indeed.”

Following the road, Lin Chu drove up to the villa and, guided by Auntie Wang, parked in Li Jianren’s underground garage.

This was Zhong Tian’s first time in the underground garage, which currently housed two other vehicles. Without even needing to see the emblems, just by their models, Zhong Tian knew they must be incredibly expensive.

Li Jianren’s underground garage also featured an elevator that led directly into the house, so they, along with Auntie Wang, took it straight back to Li Jianren’s home.

Upon entering, Zhong Tian was greeted by wafts of aromatic scents.

“Lunch is almost ready. Please wait a moment in the living room.”

Auntie Wang led them to the living room before returning to the bustling kitchen.

Zhong Tian considered for a moment, then decided to offer her help.

“Auntie Wang, is there anything I can assist with?”

“No, no, that’s quite alright. Just go to the beach and call Jianren and the others back. Lunch is ready.”

Seeing Auntie Wang effortlessly preparing the dishes, Zhong Tian agreed and took the elevator down to the beach.

Vroom—

No sooner had she stepped out of the elevator than the roaring engine of a vehicle reached Zhong Tian’s ears.

Along with Li Jianren’s shouts.

“Whoo—”

At that moment, Li Jianren and Bai Ruijin were careening across the beach in a dune buggy, kicking up countless plumes of sand. Li Jianren appeared utterly gleeful, but Bai Ruijin, beside him, looked visibly unwell… her hands clamped tightly onto the vehicle’s safety bar, her lips pressed into a thin line, seemingly terrified.

Zheng Qiao, meanwhile, stood by with her arms crossed, watching silently.

‘This…’

The scene certainly delivered a minor shock to Zhong Tian, causing her to almost forget her purpose in seeking out Li Jianren.

“Li Jianren! Lunch is ready!”

Zhong Tian shouted the words loudly, reasoning that the speedster wouldn’t hear her if she spoke softly.

Yet, seeing Li Jianren still shouting and speeding off into the distance without any intention of stopping, Zhong Tian knew she had still called out too quietly.

So she called Li Jianren on her phone.

Amidst the ringing, the dune buggy continued to speed further and further away…

‘Can’t you even hear your phone ringing?’

Zheng Qiao, seeing that Zhong Tian’s shouts went unheard and her call unanswered, spoke up. “Should I go after them?”

‘Go after them?’

‘Chase a dune buggy?’

Before Zhong Tian could reply, Zheng Qiao leaped a few times, stretched her limbs, and then shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

The gust of wind she created even ruffled Zhong Tian’s hair…

Zhong Tian stood dumbfounded, watching Zheng Qiao gradually catch up to and force the distant dune buggy to a stop…

‘Wait, can a dune buggy actually be chased down by a human?’

In her astonishment, she suddenly remembered Zheng Qiao’s nickname.

‘Big Sister…’