The three of them splurged today, ordering one of each of the cafeteria dishes they had grown attached to over the years.

Huang Feng took a bite of a beef patty, tears welling up in her eyes. "I’ve officially decided. I’m applying to C University in Beijing to study journalism. I want to be a reporter, doing interviews and writing stories."

They had discussed this topic countless times, so Xu Su wasn’t surprised. She pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. "That’s wonderful. Don’t cry."

"Do you guys have any plans for the summer?" Huang Feng took the tissue and quickly wiped her tears. "My brother is heading back to Beijing soon, and I’m thinking of going with him. It’ll save him a trip back to pick me up."

At that, Huang Feng suddenly looked up. "Susu, you’re going to Beijing too, right?"

"Yeah, I think we might even leave on the same day." Xu Su was delighted. "We should totally hang out once we’re in Beijing!"

’How could I not have realized? As Zhou Mochen’s personal assistant, of course Huang Chao would be going to Beijing with him. And since Huang Feng is going to college in Beijing, it makes perfect sense for her to go early.’

Just as Xu Su was feeling overjoyed at the thought of seeing her best friend in Beijing during the summer, Qian Jia, sitting beside them, spoke up in protest.

’This is a three-person friendship! How can I be the one left out?’

Qian Jia pouted and grumbled, "So you two get to meet up in Beijing this summer, while I’m left all alone here."

"You should come with us too! You can get familiar with Beijing ahead of time." Xu Su took each of them by the hand. "If you’re worried about a place to stay, I’ll arrange it. I promise I’ll take care of everything for you."

’After all, she herself had an apartment near University B now. It would be so wonderful if all three of them could live there together.’

’As for Zhou Mochen?’

At that moment, her notoriously possessive boyfriend was the furthest thing from her mind.

Qian Jia’s family wasn’t very well-off, so after a moment’s hesitation, she declined. She grabbed Huang Feng’s hand and said earnestly, "In that case, you have to become an entertainment reporter. If you ever get to interview Zhao Yuansi, please, let me be your assistant. I’ll go to the interview with you."

"You’re still a fan of his?" Xu Su was surprised. ’I can’t believe she still had time for fangirling during such a tough year.’

"You don’t live in the dorms, so you wouldn’t know. The wall by her bunk is plastered with Zhao Yuansi’s posters. She’s head over heels for him."

Huang Feng sighed, turning to Xu Su. "Everyone else is listening to English vocabulary on their headphones, or at least English songs. But not her! She only listens to Zhao Yuansi’s albums."

Qian Jia’s expression turned serious. "You guys don’t understand how inspirational his songs are. Whenever the academic pressure gets so bad I feel depressed, his voice is what gives me strength."

Ever the expert at cheering up her friends, Xu Su was always supportive of their interests. She immediately played along, saying, "Okay, I’ll give his songs a serious listen this summer. Anyone our Jiajia likes must be great."

Huang Feng patted Qian Jia on the head. "Jiajia, why don’t you come to Beijing early with us? You can get familiar with the city."

Qian Jia thought for a moment, then said, "How about this: I’ll wait for my scores to come out and see if I can get the school’s scholarship. If I get it, I’ll go to Beijing with you. I can find a summer job there and earn some spending money."

The scholarship for City No.1 High School’s graduating class was the most generous. If she could secure it, going to Beijing early to find a summer job would be much better for Qian Jia than spending the summer in her rural hometown.

"It’s good that you have a plan. In any case, when you two get to Beijing, you should both stay with me. Zhou Mochen got me an apartment near University B."

Xu Su was thrilled at the thought of living with her two friends. She turned to Huang Feng. "You should stay with me too, instead of with your brother."

"I don’t mind," Huang Feng said with a mischievous grin, "I’m just worried your boyfriend won’t be too happy about it. Are you sure your Zhou Mochen will want two third wheels moving in?"

"He won’t mind. What I say goes," Xu Su said, blushing a little at her friend’s teasing. She reached out and pinched Huang Feng’s arm. "Why is your grin so wicked?"

Neither Huang Feng nor Qian Jia was surprised to hear that their best friend was already a homeowner in Beijing right after graduation. At their age, they couldn’t quite grasp the full significance of owning an apartment near one of the country’s top universities.

Nor would they let it change the way they saw their friendship, which was precisely what Xu Su cherished most.

Friendships from their school days were incredibly precious, and she didn’t want to do anything that might tarnish them. That was why she wouldn’t proactively offer Qian Jia financial assistance. She would help in an emergency, of course, but she didn’t want to interfere with her day-to-day life.

Qian Jia laughed too. "You two have already been living together for a year. Now that you finally have a break, aren’t you going to be all lovey-dovey?"

"I’m a little scared of your boyfriend."

Huang Feng whispered, "My brother seems really scared of him, too. Every time I try to ask about his boss, he’s completely tight-lipped. It seems like it’s not just respect, but more like... awe mixed with fear."

She looked at Xu Su with curiosity. "Susu, is he really fierce and terrifying? What does he do? He’s not involved with a gang or something, is he?"

"...He’s not that terrifying, I guess." Xu Su’s voice lacked conviction as she recalled the blank expression on Zhou Mochen’s face when he’d wielded a knife.

"Don’t let your imagination run wild. He’s a legitimate businessman. If you’re curious, I’ll take you to see his company when we get to Beijing."

"He was terrifying that time on the field last year. So many kids in our class were scared to even look at him from a distance. You don’t know my brother—he’s been proud and stubborn since we were little. For someone younger than him to inspire that much awe and fear... I can’t even imagine how powerful he must be."

Huang Feng hunched her shoulders slightly and looked at Xu Su. "Susu, are you scared of him?"

To this day, she still believed her best friend had been forced into the relationship with her brother’s boss out of desperation...

Qian Jia nodded in agreement from the side.

"I’m not!"

Xu Su’s reply was firm. "Once you spend more time with him, you’ll see. He’s actually very good-natured."

’Zhou Mochen really was good-natured. He rarely lost his temper and came across as a well-mannered gentleman. The fighting was only when he was pushed to his breaking point—something he only did when he absolutely couldn’t hold back anymore.’

Xu Su said this with complete conviction, her expression so firm she could have been swearing an oath.

Qian Jia and Huang Feng remained skeptical.

The three of them agreed to head to Beijing early. After leaving the cafeteria, Qian Jia returned to her dorm to pack the last of her things and wait for the afternoon bus home, while Xu Su and Huang Feng walked out of the school gates together.

In the distance, they saw Zhou Mochen’s car parked by the school entrance. Huang Chao opened the back door for Xu Su, only letting his sister get into the front passenger seat after Xu Su was settled inside.

The familiar scene reminded Xu Su of the start of their freshman year. Zhou Mochen and Huang Chao had also picked them up after their military training ended, only back then, Zhou Mochen had been the one in the passenger seat.

The moment Xu Su got in the car, Zhou Mochen reached over and took her hand. "Are you hot? How did your score estimate turn out?"

"About what I expected." Still not quite used to being so affectionate in front of her friend, Xu Su gently pushed his face away as he leaned in close. "Are you busy this afternoon?"