Chapter 73: The Unconventional Matchmaker

Mmm—

“Oh, impressive, it’s been forty seconds.”

Observing the two individuals genuinely engaged in a swimming lesson in the sea, Zhong Tian was suddenly struck speechless.

This was not the scene he had envisioned at all.

Shouldn’t they be using this so-called swimming lesson as an opportunity for physical contact?

Why had it devolved into a breath-holding exercise?

[“I don’t understand, but I am profoundly shaken.”].JPG

He held a chilled cola, idly chewing on the straw.

As he chewed, a surprising wave of drowsiness washed over him.

It was likely due to missing his afternoon nap.

Holding his cola, Zhong Tian decided to move closer to the sea for a better look.

He watched the waves surge onto the beach, then recede, pulling the sand back into the ocean in a rhythmic, almost mechanical motion, which only deepened his drowsiness.

Indeed, he should have taken a nap before coming down to play.

The hard lounge chair offered no comfort for sleep; if he truly wanted to rest, he would need to return to a guest room in the villa.

Still, he decided against it.

Zhong Tian sighed, taking another sip of cola.

After all, everyone else was enjoying themselves, and it wouldn’t look good for him, the host of the gathering, to retreat for a nap.

His gaze shifted from Li Jianren and Bai Ruijin to the other side.

Lin Chu and Zhong Jing were still engaged in a water fight, but now Lin Yu, Chu Lenghu, and Zheng Qiao had also joined the “battle.”

Lin Chu and Lin Yu teamed up to fend off Zhong Jing’s onslaught, while Chu Lenghu and Zheng Qiao, ostensibly neutral parties, were occasionally caught in the crossfire.

Chu Lenghu merely dodged, but Zheng Qiao, in contrast, immediately entered “counter-attack mode,” splashing back at anyone who dared to splash her.

The young woman with six-pack abs splashed water with astonishing force, and Lin Yu, caught in a counter-attack, was even knocked into the sea by the waves Zheng Qiao created.

Perhaps this was the true essence of “a neighboring girl, newly grown, with strength to pull mountains and spirit to cover the world.”

In Zhong Tian’s eyes, Zheng Qiao now resembled a character straight out of the manga [*O-Ya*], every movement imbued with a sense of power—despite her seemingly un-muscular physique.

The human body truly was a marvel.

However, seeing them enjoy themselves so thoroughly, Zhong Tian’s drowsiness quickly dissipated, replaced by an urge to join in their fun.

But he couldn’t.

He took a sip of cola.

‘Perhaps… he should find a time to confess everything to Bai Ruijin and the others.’

‘After all, they were already friends, and if Bai Ruijin and Li Jianren were to become a couple, their interactions would undoubtedly increase. Continuing to hide things would only be a drain on his energy.’

As Zhong Tian pondered, Lin Yu approached him, carrying some ice water.

“Xiao Zhong, is that friend of yours truly human?”

“Well… I suppose so.”

“Why ‘suppose’?” Lin Yu quipped, running her hands through her damp hair. “My hair is completely soaked. I should have brought a swimming cap.”

“Later, I’ll borrow Li Jianren’s bathroom to thoroughly wash my hair.”

“Mhm.” To rinse away the salty taste in her mouth, Lin Yu gargled with the ice water. “Ugh, so cold!”

She guzzled down the remaining ice water, then, observing the others in the sea nearby, suddenly asked, “Speaking of which, Xiao Zhong, didn’t you invite Nanjin?”

“Hmm… I asked her. She’s also going to her music lessons this weekend.”

“Learning art is truly tough.”

“It is.”

Zhong Tian could certainly empathize.

Lin Yu, holding the empty cup, fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, “Xiao Zhong, your main purpose for this gathering isn’t just to have fun, is it?”

Zhong Tian heard her words with a mix of confusion and surprise. “It is. I’m surprised you figured it out.”

“Actually, my sister figured it out,” Lin Yu clarified. “Why would you invite people who don’t know you’re a boy to this gathering?”

“Well, this gathering was originally arranged for them.”

“Them?”

Zhong Tian gestured towards the sea, pointing at Bai Ruijin, who was still “learning to swim,” and Li Jianren, who was floating nearby, “teaching” her.

“That girl, Bai Ruijin, she likes Li Jianren,” Zhong Tian explained. “My suggestion to host this gathering was actually to bring the two of them together.”

“Oh, so that’s it.”

Lin Yu’s interest was immediately piqued, and she began scrutinizing Bai Ruijin and Li Jianren.

“She’s actually quite cute when you look closely, and her figure is nice,” Lin Yu remarked, nodding in approval as she watched. “Ah, Li Jianren must be completely smitten.”

“He should be smitten, I suppose…”

“Why ‘suppose’ again?”

“I asked Li Jianren before, and he said he doesn’t want to date in high school…” Zhong Tian sighed, a headache forming as he recalled this. “There’s nothing for it; we can only have Bai Ruijin observe for now, just to give them some time to get to know each other.”

“Li Jianren said he doesn’t want to date?” Lin Yu countered, her tone filled with surprise. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

“I didn’t believe it either, but since he said so, it’s hard to encourage someone to directly ‘make a move,’ just in case…”

“I don’t think there’s anything to fear,” Lin Yu declared, adopting the air of a relationship guru, as she began gesticulating into the air. “Just go for it! The longer you drag out matters of the heart, the harder they become. If it truly doesn’t work out, then just move on. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

“…Do you truly think that way?”

Lin Yu paused at his words, then looked at Zhong Tian’s profile.

Zhong Tian’s expression was unremarkable, as he calmly watched Li Jianren and Bai Ruijin in the sea.

“I… hope Bai Ruijin thinks that way…”

“I see.”

Silence fell between them.

Zhong Tian lowered his gaze, appearing lost in thought.

“…How about you help me set them up too?” Zhong Tian offered her a smile. “Help us analyze the situation and brainstorm some ideas.”

“Alright,” Lin Yu quickly agreed with a nod. “I think they’re quite a good match too.”

“Right?”

Zhong Tian ran a hand through his hair, tidying strands ruffled by the sea breeze, a smile still gracing his face.

‘Plenty of other fish in the sea’… ‘If you truly believed that, you wouldn’t be troubled even now, Lin Yu…’

Zhong Tian used the straw to drain the last bit of cola, then crumpled the empty can in his hand.

The soft shuffle of footsteps sounded beside him.

Zhong Tian turned to find Su Linxi approaching with a new can of chilled cola.

Without a word, she replaced the empty can in his hand with the fresh one.

She then settled beside Zhong Tian, her placid, lake-blue eyes gazing out at the distant sea.

Su Linxi hadn’t seemed to speak much the entire day.

Zhong Tian, choosing his words carefully, asked, “Are you feeling bored?”

“No.”

This exchange felt familiar, as if it had happened before.

Zhong Tian opened his new cola and took a sip.

Lin Yu covertly observed Su Linxi beside Zhong Tian, her cheerful mood suddenly dimming.

“Um…”

Lin Yu leaned closer, meeting Su Linxi’s gaze.

She offered a flawless smile. “We met once before in front of the school, and you left quite an impression on me.”

“I forgot to ask your name then,” she continued. “My name is Lin Yu, and yours?”

“Su Linxi.”

“How did you and Xiao Zhong meet?”

Su Linxi was silent for a moment. “I am… his patron. He… draws comics for me.”

“I see,” Lin Yu chuckled. “Then may I call you Linxi from now on?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s exchange WeChat contacts,” Lin Yu suggested. “I’ll go grab my phone; wait for me.”

Su Linxi nodded.

Lin Yu returned to the shade of the umbrella and retrieved her phone.

She didn’t turn back immediately, instead gazing absently at her phone screen.

She wanted to understand the history between Su Linxi and Zhong Tian.

Ever since learning that Su Linxi had willingly moved into Zhong Tian’s home because of him, she had been pondering this question.

Although she knew that clarifying this matter held little significance for her, she still felt compelled to do so; otherwise, a persistent unease would linger.

It was a strange sensation.

She returned to Zhong Tian’s side and added Su Linxi as a friend.

As he watched them finish adding each other on WeChat, a faint doubt slowly stirred in Zhong Tian’s mind.

Had Lin Chu really not told Lin Yu about Su Linxi moving into his home?

Zhong Tian believed that, given Lin Chu’s personality, she would absolutely have mentioned it to Lin Yu, perhaps even teasing her about it.

But now…

Zhong Tian looked at Lin Yu’s smile, remaining silent.

Hmm… never mind.

This matter wasn’t important; he wouldn’t dwell on it.

For now, he would simply focus on enjoying himself.