Chapter 69: The Beach Party Begins

Saturday morning dawned.

Zhong Tian, as was his habit, rose early. Since it was the weekend and Zhong Jing also had the day off, he refrained from knocking on her door to wake her, intending to let her sleep until she awoke naturally.

Nonetheless, he still prepared her portion of breakfast.

After completing her morning ablutions, Su Linxi settled down at the dining table.

Today, Su Linxi was dressed in a skirt ensemble: a light blue chiffon blouse, delicate and airy, paired with a khaki high-waisted long skirt.

While the outfit was undeniably beautiful, and Su Linxi herself possessed striking looks, Zhong Tian couldn’t shake the feeling that it didn’t quite suit her.

Primarily, Su Linxi’s youthful appearance and petite stature made the ensemble seem as though a child had playfully donned her mother’s clothes.

“By the way, Linxi, do you have a swimsuit ready?”

She shook her head.

“I… don’t plan… to swim.”

“Hmm, what about a sun hat or sunscreen spray?” Zhong Tian inquired. “If you don’t have any, we can go buy some with my two friends when we head out later.”

“Alright.”

****

This marked the earliest Bai Ruijin had ever woken on a weekend.

Having been engrossed in her phone until two in the morning, she was now plagued by a dizzying headache, her sole desire to simply lie back down and steal a few more minutes of sleep.

Groggily, she fumbled for her phone, only to realize that the agreed-upon time of half-past nine was merely an hour and a half away.

‘Perhaps I can sleep for another half hour…’

‘As for makeup, I can just apply something simple after we buy swimsuits… it’ll smudge off in the water anyway…’

She blinked, then flopped back down, sinking into slumber once more within mere seconds.

****

Zhong Tian, true to form, opted for a simple short-sleeved long dress today. It wasn’t that he particularly wished to wear a skirt, but rather, he considered the image he had cultivated before Bai Ruijin and Zheng Qiao; donning a T-shirt and shorts would feel somewhat incongruous.

He and Su Linxi hailed a ride-sharing car and headed directly to their designated meeting spot.

Taishan Commercial Street.

The very place where their “four-person date” had taken place previously.

A ginkgo tree stood on Taishan Commercial Street. During the street’s construction, a large circular flowerbed had been built around it. In September, the ginkgo leaves retained their vibrant green, with pale yellow ginkgo seeds dotting the verdant canopy, lending the late-summer tree a hint of autumn’s charm.

Beneath this ginkgo tree was their agreed-upon meeting point.

At that moment, Zheng Qiao, the short-haired girl, sat atop the flowerbed, engrossed in her phone.

Noticing their arrival, Zheng Qiao rose and greeted them.

“Morning.”

“Morning.” After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhong Tian glanced around, finding no sign of Bai Ruijin. “Has Bai Ruijin not arrived yet?”

“Indeed.” Zheng Qiao waved her hand, a look of helplessness on her face. “She’s never early, especially in the morning. We’ll probably have to wait for her a bit.”

“Have you called her?”

“I called half an hour ago, but she didn’t answer. I reckon she’s still asleep.”

“Call her again.”

“Okay.”

Just as Zheng Qiao prepared to dial, her attention was drawn by the sound of approaching footsteps from behind.

It was Bai Ruijin.

Having jogged all the way there, she arrived, leaning on Zheng Qiao’s shoulder and gasping for breath.

“I… I’m so sorry… I overslept…”

She had originally intended to only sleep for half an hour, but without an alarm, she had slept straight until nine o’clock.

Forget beach makeup, she barely had time to wash her face properly.

“You didn’t really need to rush so much…” Zhong Tian observed her somewhat disheveled appearance, feeling a mix of helplessness and amusement. “You could have just told us, and we could have met up a bit later.”

“Mhm…”

“Since everyone’s here, let’s go.”

“Where can we buy swimsuits around here…?” Bai Ruijin asked.

“I don’t know.”

Zhong Tian had never bought a swimsuit himself, so he had no idea where swimsuits were sold in Taishan City, let alone which stores offered good quality.

“Me neither.”

Zheng Qiao shrugged, her expression suggesting she was equally clueless.

Su Linxi remained silent; after all, she wasn’t from Taishan City, so her lack of knowledge was understandable.

“So what do we do…?”

“…We’ll ask someone.” Zhong Tian pondered for a moment, then added, “Ask a classmate.”

Having said this, Zhong Tian didn’t waste any time, opening WeChat on his phone along with Bai Ruijin to inquire.

Zhong Tian decided to ask Lin Yu.

[Lin Yu? Do you know where they sell women’s swimsuits in the commercial street?]

Mere seconds after he sent the message, Lin Yu’s name changed to [Typing…]

[Xiao Zhong, you’re going to wear a swimsuit?!]

Accompanying the message was a shocked cat emoji.

[No, I’m asking for a friend.]

[That ‘friend’ you mentioned…]

[No, really… I’m genuinely asking for a friend…] Zhong Tian paused, then typed again, [How could *I* wear a swimsuit…?]

[Oh?]

[Are there people at this gathering who don’t know you’re a boy?]

Upon seeing Lin Yu’s message, Zhong Tian quickly turned his back, preventing Bai Ruijin and Zheng Qiao from seeing his phone’s screen.

[Yes.]

[I see.]

[Hmm, go to the shopping center in the commercial street. I remember there’s a store on the third floor. Just look around, it’s easy to find.]

[Okay, thank you.]

Zhong Tian hesitated for a moment, then added another question,

[So, are you taking a taxi directly to Li Jianren’s house at noon?]

[Yes, I’m waiting at home for my sister to arrive in Taishan.]

[Alright.]

After replying to Lin Yu, Zhong Tian, just in case, deleted the chat history before putting his phone back into his canvas bag. “Let’s go, to the third floor of the shopping center.”

“Oh, okay.”

****

Taishan City Beach Villa Area.

Li Jianren had just woken up.

He yawned widely, rubbing his hair as he got up.

Leaving his room, he sniffed, catching the aroma of breakfast, and with somewhat unsteady steps, made his way to the dining table.

On the table, a small yet exquisitely prepared breakfast awaited him.

Two sandwiches and a glass of milk.

“That’s not much breakfast, Auntie Wang…”

“It’s almost ten o’clock. If you eat too much now, you won’t have room for lunch.”

Li Jianren’s home featured an open-plan kitchen; Auntie Wang stood at the bar, polishing glass cups. “Have you brushed your teeth and washed your face yet?”

“Oh, I forgot.”

Li Jianren yawned, leisurely rising to brush his teeth perfunctorily in his room’s ensuite bathroom, splashing water on his face twice, drying off, and considering himself done. He then returned to his seat and began to devour his meal.

In three bites, the sandwiches vanished.

Auntie Wang came over to clear the plates after he finished eating. Observing Li Jianren’s somewhat disheveled appearance, she couldn’t help but remark, “Jianren, aren’t your classmates coming over at noon? You should tidy yourself up.”

“Look at you now, your hair’s like a bird’s nest.”

“Mhm… I’ll take care of it later.”

Bzzzt—

No sooner had Li Jianren finished speaking than his phone vibrated. He checked it, seeing that it was a call from Zhong Tian.

–Hello?–

–Hey? We’re almost there, come out and pick us up.–

–Huh? Is it just you?–

–And three of my friends.–

–All girls?–

–Yeah…–

‘My goodness.’

“Auntie Wang! Could you go outside and meet my friends? I need to change!”

Li Jianren dashed back into his room, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Auntie Wang chuckled. After meticulously arranging the cleaned dishes, she wiped her hands and headed out.

****

“So Li Jianren’s family… is actually this wealthy…?”

This was the first thing Bai Ruijin uttered to Zhong Tian upon reaching their destination.

Even from a distance, this beachfront villa area exuded an undeniable sense of luxury. Those residing here were undoubtedly people of immense wealth and prestige; perhaps a single tree in front of someone else’s home was more valuable than their own entire house.

And Li Jianren, of all people, lived in such a place?

Zheng Qiao was equally astonished.

Initially, she had only assumed that Li Jianren’s family was involved in the fishing industry, and because their home was near the sea, they were hosting a late-summer beach gathering.

Who would have thought they actually seemed to own a private beach?!

“Xiao Bai, you’ve really snagged yourself a rich second-generation, haven’t you…?”

Bai Ruijin didn’t know how to respond, silently gazing at the cluster of villas in the distance.

A sudden realization struck her: the distance between herself and Li Jianren seemed to have grown considerably.

Su Linxi, standing beside Zhong Tian, remained remarkably calm.

‘Well, she is a young lady of means, after all.’

‘It would be stranger if she were surprised, wouldn’t it?’

As Zhong Tian pondered, a figure appeared in his line of sight.

It was Auntie Wang, whom he had met once before.

Auntie Wang exchanged a few words with the security guard, and after presenting her owner’s card, the guard opened the gate, allowing Zhong Tian and his companions to enter the villa area.

“Xiao Zhong.” Auntie Wang approached Zhong Tian with warm enthusiasm, greeting him. “Good morning, you look lovely today as well.”

“Good morning, Auntie Wang.”

Zhong Tian responded politely.

“These others are your friends coming for the gathering, I presume?”

“Mhm, hello, Auntie Wang.”

“Hello, Auntie Wang.”

Su Linxi, for her part, simply nodded in acknowledgment.

“Then come with me. It’s not too far to walk.”

The four followed Auntie Wang all the way to Li Jianren’s pure white mansion, treading on marble slabs, circling the fountain in the center of the path, and passing through the grand entrance into the house.

During this, Zheng Qiao and Bai Ruijin gazed around, their reactions mirroring Zhong Tian’s own when he first saw Li Jianren’s home.

Just as they reached the entrance hall, Auntie Wang suddenly stopped, turning back to Zhong Tian. “I almost forgot, this is for you.”

What Auntie Wang handed Zhong Tian was an owner’s card.

Zhong Tian paused, bewildered. “Um, this is…?”

“It’s so you can easily enter and exit the villa area to visit Jianren.” Auntie Wang smiled, her expression genuinely kind. “This is Jianren’s wish, please accept it and keep it safe.”

“Uh…” Zhong Tian gazed at the golden card, feeling a sense of dilemma.

“It’s a bit… too valuable, isn’t it…?”

“Haha, what’s so valuable about it? It’s just a little gold-plated card, take it.”

Without giving Zhong Tian a chance to argue, Auntie Wang tucked it into his canvas bag.

‘So it really is gold-plated…’

This made Zhong Tian even more reluctant to accept it.

He didn’t often visit Li Jianren, and even when he did, he would certainly be with Li Jianren. The card’s utility was practically negligible—useless to keep, yet improper to discard.

‘So why would Auntie Wang give me this card…?’

‘Could it be…’

Observing her increasingly benevolent smile, Zhong Tian gradually began to understand.

‘Ah, she’s mistaken me for Li Jianren’s girlfriend…’

‘I thought her attitude towards me was strange last time… if this is the case, it makes sense… she’s treating me like a prospective daughter-in-law—no, she’s just Li Jianren’s housekeeper…’

‘Wait…’

‘If she’s just a housekeeper, how can she so casually give away an owner’s card…?’

Puzzled, Zhong Tian and the three others exchanged their shoes for slippers, entered the spacious living room, and settled onto the large sofa.

Bai Ruijin appeared somewhat uneasy, sitting very stiffly.

Zheng Qiao, unable to suppress her curiosity, cautiously observed her surroundings in the living room.

Su Linxi, conversely, was the most composed of the four; she sat on the sofa, silently gazing at the ocean outside through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Yo! Good morning, everyone!”

Li Jianren suddenly burst out of his room.

He had now shed his pajamas, donning a vibrant, floral beach shirt, beach shorts, and a pair of oversized heart-shaped sunglasses.

Indeed, he now looked every bit the stereotypical rich second-generation.

More precisely, he resembled a flamboyant playboy.