Volume 2: Strolling with the Wind, Chapter 42: What’s Your Last Name?

Chu Tianyu lay “comfortably” on the ground. Since he was already down, he might as well stay there for a while longer. Then, he heard a concerned voice behind him: “Classmate, are you okay?” Only then did Chu Tianyu slowly get up. He saw that quite a few people had gathered around him, some close and some far away. Even passersby slowed down and looked in his direction.
Seeing this, Chu Tianyu quickly got up, not bothering to look closely at the person who had bumped into him. Instead, he hurriedly bent down to pick up the books scattered on the ground. After brushing off the dust from his clothes, he casually replied, “Oh, no, I’m fine.”
“President, are you okay?” Then, two voices—one male and one female—came from the other side.
“I’m fine. I just wonder how this classmate is doing,” the earlier voice said again.
It was then that Chu Tianyu’s attention was drawn, and he looked up. Finally, he saw the female classmate who had bumped into him. She was wearing beige casual pants, a milky white long-sleeved shirt underneath, and a short, multi-pocketed jacket over it. With her fair complexion, slender figure, and graceful posture, she gave the impression of being a capable and spirited young woman.
“Classmate, are you really okay?” the beautiful girl asked again.
“Oh, I’m really fine. It was probably my fault earlier; I was trying to avoid someone else…” Chu Tianyu realized he had been staring at her impolitely and quickly tried to explain.
“Hmm, it’s good that you’re fine. I saw you stepping aside for someone else—actually, I was walking too fast!” The girl seemed unaware of Chu Tianyu’s staring and went on speaking as if nothing had happened.
Chu Tianyu uttered an “Oh…” and didn’t know what to say next. Since neither of them was hurt, he was about to say goodbye when she added,
“Hi, I’m Wu Susu from the journalism department. I had to rush off for an interview, which is why I bumped into you and made you fall. What’s your last name? Hehe…”
Her words were few but straightforward. Yet, coming from Wu Susu, they immediately gave off a warm and enthusiastic vibe, as if it could bridge the gap between them and create a sense of familiarity quickly. No wonder she was one of Peking University’s top four beauties. Hearing her name, Chu Tianyu finally remembered hearing about her when he first went to visit Zhou Jie. He never expected to meet the so-called “beauty of Peking University” under such circumstances.

“And no wonder Chu Tianyu gave off that impression just now. After all, coming from a journalism background, it’s only natural to have such great ‘tide force, presence, and enthusiasm’.”
“Oh, hi. I’m Chu Tianyu. I’m not from Peking University. I’m just here to return a book. Ah, right, it’s getting late; the library is about to close. I’ll be going now…” Seeing that the other person had introduced themselves and was eagerly asking questions, Chu Tianyu could only blurt out a reply and quickly made up an excuse to leave.
“Oh, then I won’t disturb you anymore. Bye-bye!” Wu Susu waved cheerfully to say goodbye.
“Goodbye!” Chu Tianyu said before turning and walking away.
“President, weren’t we in a hurry to interview the Olympic champion who came to our school? Why did you start chatting with some silly kid?” asked another female classmate behind Wu Susu.
“Xiao Li, what have I always told you? As a journalist, big news stories or investigation tasks aren’t the most important. The most crucial thing is ‘sense’—a journalist’s keen ‘sense.’ With it, one can uncover the biggest news stories and the deepest secrets…” Wu Susu lectured as they walked.
“I know that, but what does what just happened have to do with ‘sense’? Could it be that some seemingly ordinary kid is actually hiding a big story?” Xiao Li said, a bit aggrieved.
“Well, who knows?” Wu Susu replied uncertainly.
“Him? No way! I’d never believe someone like him is hiding some big secret. If he does have a secret, it’s probably that he had dementia as a child or got struck by lightning!”
“Achoo~~~” Chu Tianyu, who had already walked away, sneezed loudly…
“That just means you can’t see it. That’s why I emphasize the importance of ‘sense’!” Wu Susu insisted.
“But I really can’t see anything. Da Liu, did you notice anything?” Xiao Li turned to another companion.
“Well, to be honest, judging from that person’s appearance and expression just now, I didn’t really sense anything either!” replied their companion, known as Da Liu.
“His eyes! You need to look at his eyes! Did you notice his eyes?” Wu Susu stressed.
“His eyes? I did. It’s something President keeps emphasizing, so of course I paid attention. But there was nothing special about them—just plain and ordinary!” Da Liu said.
“Yes, I saw too. He was staring at you with a sly, shifty look—definitely not a good person!” Xiao Li added quickly.

Wu Susu shook her head as if at a loss what to do with them, giving up further pursuit and simply urging, “Let’s not talk about this. We still have an interview appointment!”
Actually, Wu Susu had another reason she didn’t mention—though it was based solely on her intuition. It wasn’t as Da Liu said. On the contrary, his eyes were clearly defined, extremely pure, as if free from any impurities, and his gaze remained calm throughout. Given how ordinary and introverted he was, according to Xiao Li, it was contradictory that he showed no signs of panic or unease in such a situation. Moreover, based on her own appearance and years of experience, it was also contradictory that a shy boy like him didn’t show any surprise or subconscious avoidance when looking at her!
Perhaps there really was something extraordinary about him!
…
As for Chu Tianyu, he was eager to leave Wu Susu because he felt constantly observed and analyzed by her, which made him uncomfortable. So he found an excuse to leave quickly.
Upon arriving at the library, he checked the time—there were still over twenty minutes left, enough time to borrow a few more books.
Before the library closed, Chu Tianyu finally stepped out carrying several thick books. He found an empty seat in the reading room, checked the time, and realized it was still early for his appointment with Qin Nianran. So he picked up a book titled *The Construction of the Framework of Ancient European Social Systems* and began reading. After just a few pages, he was deeply captivated by its intricate arguments, as well as its dialectical discussions of Europe’s social development patterns, the historical context, productive forces, and production relations…
It took Chu Tianyu some time to pull himself away from the book. Just as he wanted to savor it further, he suddenly realized his stomach was empty. It must be getting late; it was time for dinner. At that thought, he jolted—he remembered he still had an appointment with Qin Nianran. He quickly checked his watch: it was already 6:10. Oh no, he was late! He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at his own lack of gentlemanly behavior. He checked his phone but saw no missed calls, unsure if she had arrived yet. So he quickly packed up and rushed to the appointment.
He ran the whole way, using a bit of light-speed movement to maintain speed without drawing attention. Chu Tianyu didn’t want to take a ride, but it was rush hour, and even if he could find a car, the snail-like traffic would make it impossible to keep up. So it was safer to rely on his own legs!

Before even reaching “Youxian Meidi,” he spotted from afar Qin Nianran’s bright yellow sports car already parked at the entrance. Checking his watch, it was already past 6:30. Aside from those arranged meetings in Shanghai, this was the first proper date between them. Out of courtesy, he should have arrived first, but unexpectedly, she had to wait for him for almost half an hour—what a “sin” indeed!
Still, maybe this could be considered giving some relief to all those men who often suffer from long waits, protecting their rights in a way. He mused to himself as he walked up to the tea house, organizing his thoughts. There was no need to make up any excuses; he would just tell the truth when the time came. With that decision made, he pushed the door open and entered.
The interior was truly nice—elegant in style, cleverly laid out, with alternating lights creating a dreamy atmosphere. Coupled with the melodious saxophone music drifting through the air, a sense of warmth and charm emerged instantly…
It wasn’t hard to spot Qin Nianran sitting in a corner. With her beauty, she was always the center of attention wherever she went.
Chu Tianyu ignored the waiter’s greeting. With a puzzled expression, he walked over and sat down across from Qin Nianran. The waiter probably couldn’t understand how someone who made such a beautiful woman wait could be so indifferent. In his mind, such a lady should be waiting for a handsome man or a wealthy man, not some plainly dressed ordinary guy…
“You’re late!” Qin Nianran said calmly as soon as Chu Tianyu sat down.
“Oh, haha, I’m sorry. I got too absorbed in a book just now, so…”
“I don’t need your explanation! To me, it seems like I’m just waiting for someone who has no sense of time!” After delivering her sarcasm, Qin Nianran realized Chu Tianyu seemed completely unbothered, casually asking the waiter what drinks were available and what types of grill rice sets there were.
Seeing this, Qin Nianran’s nose almost twisted in anger. She forced herself to maintain her usual calm, but her fury and frustration at talking to someone who didn’t care were evident.
Finally, after much discussion with the waiter, Chu Tianyu decided on a discounted grill steak set and a free soda. Then he turned to her and asked, “What will you eat? How about you get a discounted steak set too? It’s very cheap. Waiter, bring us another grill steak. Oh, right, it seems like you were about to say something to me just now?”

At this moment, Qin Nianran even felt the urge to kill Chu Tianyu. Even if she didn’t kill him, zapping him a few times would do! Her left hand, hidden under the table, trembled slightly…
Suppressing her anger, Qin Nianran still spoke in a nearly calm tone, “You eat by yourself. I’m not hungry!”
She frowned slightly and continued, “For a man, ‘punctuality’ is one of the essential conditions for success. Such qualities have no inherent connection to a person’s wisdom, intelligence, or abilities—they are purely a matter of belief, reason, and perseverance. If you can’t even make this much ‘effort,’ how can you expect to achieve anything else?”
Chu Tianyu grew more and more sweaty as he listened. It sounded exactly like a teacher scolding a student or a parent reprimanding a child. Yet this also gave him a strange thought—was she actually caring about him, paying attention to him? Could the comedy of “becoming a dragon husband” really happen to him?
Thinking of this, he stole a glance at Qin Nianran. She still appeared calm and elegant, but a faint chill radiated from her. It seemed he had been overthinking. Without further explanation, he took a big gulp of the soda served by the waiter and replied evasively, “By the way, Qin… Classmate Qin? I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to call you that, nor do I know how we should address each other. It seems we’ve both deliberately avoided this issue before. Now that we’re sitting alone, it’s awkward to keep using just names, right? Hehe…”
Qin Nianran was completely speechless now. Calling him stupid before was one thing, but now it seemed he wasn’t only slow-witted but also a scoundrel. When she spoke seriously to him, he managed to divert the conversation to how they should address each other. Frustrated, she once again used the Ice Heart Jade Technique to suppress her anger and replied irritably, “Then just call me Classmate Qin! Is that okay, ‘Chu’ Classmate!!!”
As soon as she said that, Qin Nianran’s mind jolted. She suddenly realized that ever since he entered, her state of mind had never been calm. Her usually admirable composure and detachment shattered in front of him. Not to mention her emotions—joy, anger, sorrow—changed with his moods. Even though it was only anger, it proved one thing: she was reacting to his emotions!
It was terrifying. If it were someone like her aunt, it might be understandable, but the person before her was just an ordinary person! In fact, calling him ordinary was already an insult. Could this be what they meant by “concern causing chaos”?
“Classmate Qin… Classmate Qin… Are you okay? Why do you suddenly seem like you’ve gone crazy?”

“Um, oh, I’m fine!” Hearing Chu Tianyu’s voice, Qin Nianran finally came back to her senses and replied casually. At the same time, she kept reminding herself to stay calm, assuring herself that it wasn’t because she had lost her composure, but rather because the other person had disappointed her so much—she was just frustrated, that’s all!
“Classmate Chu…” Before she could finish speaking, Qin Nianran’s tone sounded just like when she had asked someone’s name earlier, extremely awkward!
“Ahem, Classmate Chu, I invited you here today mainly to talk to you about…”
Just then, with a sound like silver bells, the door of the teahouse was pushed open. Before anyone entered, a faint scent of perfume wafted in from the wind, filling the entire front hall of the teahouse. It was elegant and refreshing, pleasing to the senses…