Outside University City, beside the Clearwater River.
The two walked side by side.
The Long Lake corridor at Ling'an Academy was far too crowded. Come nightfall, it was packed with students dating. Chen Shu found this deeply distressing. These people had worked so hard to get into the second-best school in the world, yet instead of studying, all they did was date. They left him nowhere to date anyone himself.
Fortunately, the riverbank was less crowded.
There were still plenty of people around, but most were strolling, walking dogs, or out for a night run. Their activities didn't conflict.
The river also had an east and a west bank. The eastern bank bordered the city and drew more walkers; the western bank was suburban and quieter.
Chen Shu and Ning Qing were on the western bank of the Clearwater River.
As the evening wore on, the passersby grew fewer. They found a bench and sat down. Chen Shu held two phones, switching between them to type, while Ning Qing sat calmly beside him, looking down as he chatted in the group.
"Zhang Suannai has gone quiet."
"She's probably turned off her phone." Ning Qing looked away from the screen and at him. "If she can't see it, it didn't happen."
"Haha..."
"When she comes to dinner for my birthday tomorrow, she'll be so embarrassed."
"That's got nothing to do with me!"
"Doesn't it?"
"No!"
Without hesitation, Chen Shu shrugged off all responsibility. "I didn't start today's conversation. I wasn't the one who suggested getting together, either. I wasn't the one lurking in the group, quietly watching her make a fool of herself, and I wasn't the one who told her you're Illumination at Night. No matter how you look at it, none of this has anything to do with me.