73. On the Eve of the Return Trip

"Oh, I see. You mean your girlfriend?" Zhang Yang said, suddenly realizing.

"Hmm." Zhuang Jiayi gave a soft "hmm" and didn't say anything more.

"I already told you I have a girlfriend," Zhang Yang asked, staring at Zhuang Jiayi. "Don't tell me you can't cover up this lie?"

"I really don't know how." Zhuang Jiayi shook her head, her eyes clear, revealing a clear sense of foolishness.

He certainly doesn't seem like someone who would lie, or rather, he doesn't seem like someone who would lie and then be able to cover it up with a clear conscience.

"I don't care, I'll take you home anyway." Zhang Yang ignored her and prepared to call a taxi.

"Just for one night!" Suddenly, a single sentence brought a moment of silence to the room.

Zhang Yang turned around and looked at the figure who was now looking down at him, unable to believe that these words were coming from her mouth.

"Did you think I was joking with you these past two days?" Zhuang Jiayi looked up.

"Huh?" Zhang Yang was speechless.

"Think about me, you idiot." Zhuang Jiayi stepped forward and, without waiting for Zhang Yang's agreement, leaned in and kissed him on the corner of his mouth.

Mediocrity isn't always without its advantages. For example, the current situation would have been impossible for Zhang Yang in the past.

But now...

With such an obvious confession from a pretty and charming girl, could you resist?

"Actually, it's not that it's not..." Zhang Yang sighed softly.

"Forget it, you won't cherish what you get easily. I'm leaving." Zhuang Jiayi's eyes remained dim, and then she left without saying a word.

"No, I haven't finished speaking yet!" Zhang Yang stood there speechless.

Then, he just watched helplessly as Zhuang Jiayi hailed a taxi and drove off.

He just left like that...

He's a big shot, and he's supposed to do push-ups every night? Hundreds of them?

As for whether Zhuang Jiayi did it on purpose?

Zhang Yang thought back carefully, recalling that clear, innocent look. Hmm, it shouldn't be fake. This girl couldn't possibly have such a deep mind, could she?

Forget it, go back to doing push-ups.

Actually, that was just a joke. If he really didn't want to do push-ups, he could easily go back to nightclubs and have girls following him around. He's handsome, rich, and mature enough that decent girls wouldn't dare to brag, but picking up girls at nightclubs wouldn't be difficult for him.

But he wasn't actually that thirsty.

If a man can't even control himself in that kind of thing, how can he accomplish anything significant?

In the middle of the night, Zhang Yang returned to the hotel and actually did countless push-ups.

Tireless, never stopping.

"And you're still talking about basic endurance enhancement?" Zhang Yang thought that his current endurance was already more than enough to make him both strong and resilient.

···

The last stop on this trip was the Leshan Giant Buddha. However, for Zhang Yang, the mission of this trip was already completely completed. Going to the Leshan Giant Buddha again was simply to bring a perfect end to this few days and nights.

On the Min River, a group of people stood on a boat and gradually approached the front of the 71-meter-tall Buddha statue as they turned a corner.

Honestly, it was quite shocking.

I wonder if there are Lingyun Grottoes at the foot of the Leshan Giant Buddha, and whether there are any legendary Blood Bodhi in Lingyun Grottoes.

Zhang Yang's thoughts drifted, and when he came back to his senses, he was amused by his own ideas.

"Zhang Yang." Zhuang Jiayi, dressed in a dress, stood at the bow of the boat, her skirt fluttering in the breeze.

As Zhang Yang was looking at the Buddha statue, he suddenly felt a warmth around his waist.

"Here we go again." He glanced at Zhuang Jiayi, who was hugging his waist.

It seems that ever since she told that lie last night, Zhuang Jiayi has been particularly into her role today, constantly thinking about making intimate gestures.

"Don't talk, they're watching over there," Zhuang Jiayi whispered in Zhang Yang's ear, then gave his ear a light bite.

Zhang Yang wasn't buying it and ignored her.

Zhuang Jiayi stared at Zhang Yang, seemingly sensing his emotions. She paused for a moment, then quietly let go of his hand and stood silently beside him at the bow of the boat.

"Are we going back?" Zhuang Jiayi asked after a long while.

"Yeah, probably tomorrow or the day after." What happened last night isn't something he's holding a grudge about.

"Are you still angry?" Zhuang Jiayi tilted her head gently and cupped Zhang Yang's face in her hands.

"Not quite." Zhang Yang said with a smile, feeling the river breeze blowing in his face, without any other emotions in his heart.

In the face of great rivers and mountains, all sentimental attachments seem insignificant.

"Then prove it to me." Zhuang Jiayi gently leaned closer to Zhang Yang, her face close to his.

Feeling the sweet scent wafting towards him, Zhang Yang didn't hold back. He gently put his arm around her slender waist and kissed her without thinking.

The two stood in the river breeze, embracing and kissing for a very long time.

"Let's find a hotel later." Zhuang Jiayi gently pecked Zhang Yang's lips again.

"Didn't you say that things that come easily aren't cherished?" Zhang Yang asked Zhuang Jiayi with a smile. "But I'm capable of running away."

"But I cherish it." She leaned against Zhang Yang's chest, looking at the Minjiang River, her eyes gentle and tender.

Zhang Yang glanced at the task completion notification that had already appeared in his mind.

Besides gaining five experience points, he also quietly gave his stamina a basic boost.

···

At the nearby hotel, both Zhang Yang and Zhuang Jiayi had their gains and losses.

On their last night before returning to Chengdu, neither of them slept, and they talked for a long time.

"Summer vacation is almost here." Zhuang Jiayi, resting her head on Zhang Yang's arm, was about to ask if she could visit him during summer vacation.

But when she looked up and saw Zhang Yang's eyes, she immediately swallowed all her words.

"Will we ever meet again?" she asked after a moment's thought.

"If we want to see each other, we'll meet. What's so difficult about that?" Zhang Yang gave her a strange look. Boys' thoughts are usually not too far ahead, nor do they think too much.

"Really? Then I'll definitely come looking for you. Don't tell me you're not available then," Zhuang Jiayi said with a smile.

"Well... you'll definitely have to wait until it's convenient for me, right?" Zhang Yang said with a dry laugh.

"Hmph... I'll bite you hard, and you'll still be trash." Zhuang Jiayi snorted and pulled the covers up.

The next morning, the two joined the tour group to return to Rong City.

Zhang Yang gained five experience points and a tireless body.

Although it's just a basic endurance enhancement.

But he had tried it, and the time it took ranged from at least forty minutes to over an hour.

Push-ups, planks, and other low-intensity exercises—he was almost tireless, and he had no idea where his limits were.

This trip to Rong City was truly rewarding.

With the franchise deal sorted out and him familiar with the process, plus over six million yuan in cash and over one million yuan Audemars Piguet, the trip was definitely worthwhile.

It's time to go back.