Cheng Che woke up, but didn't get up to exercise.
This was one of the few mornings he didn't get up at 5 a. m. to run.
Su Qingyue was still asleep. He had to wait for her to wake up and leave, and he couldn't be the one to wake her.
He usually leaves home at five o'clock without fail, but today he stayed in bed without moving so as not to wake her.
Just as dawn was breaking outside the window, a gray-blue light seeped in through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating Su Qingyue's face.
She was sleeping soundly, her cheeks were slightly distorted by the pillow, her lips were slightly parted, her breathing was very light, and her nose occasionally wrinkled, as if she were dreaming.
She was bare-faced and not wearing makeup.
Her hair was scattered messily on the pillow, with a few strands clinging to her face, gently moving as she exhaled warm breath.
Her eyelashes were long, casting a small shadow under her eyes, and her skin was so clean it looked like she had just washed it.
Cheng Che looked down at her and suddenly felt that the scene was very quiet, so quiet that he didn't want to move.
He and Su Qingyue didn't actually have much contact.
The two maintained a distant relationship, exchanging a few words when they met, but rarely messaging each other when they weren't together.
But actually, he and Su Qingyue were the first people he knew.
They were deskmates in their first year of high school.
Su Qingyue is the class monitor. She is very responsible in her work, but she is not rigid and does not use her position as class monitor to intimidate others.
At that time Cheng Che's grades were average, and he often fell asleep in class.
One English class, he couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep on his desk.
When I woke up, I heard the group leader collecting English homework behind me.
He panicked immediately.
I was only in my first year of high school then; who wasn't afraid of the teachers?
Their English teacher wasn't a fashionable and pretty female teacher, but a bald, middle-aged man who was quite fierce!
He hadn't done his homework, and the group leader had already moved to the first two rows; it would be his turn in a minute.
He frantically flipped open his English notebook, intending to scribble something down, only to find it already filled with writing.
The handwriting was neat and tidy; every question was answered, and even the essay was finished.
He paused for a moment, and the team leader had already walked up to him.
Su Qingyue reached out and took his notebook, stacked it with her own, and handed it to the group leader.
Cheng Che waited until the class bell rang before asking in a low voice, "Did you write it for me?"
Su Qingyue nodded, her expression still as aloof as ever, but her tone was very soft:
Go back and write it yourself. Don't fall asleep next time.
At that moment Cheng Che felt a warmth in his heart.
The feeling was unique, like someone handing you a cup of hot water in winter—not too hot, but just warm enough to reach your fingertips.
He didn't say anything at the time, he just hummed in agreement.
They later switched seats and were no longer deskmates, but their relationship remained good.
At that time, Cheng Che was insecure and confused, and didn't pay much attention to anything, so he gradually forgot about the temperature of that cup of hot water.
Now he remembered.
He lowered his head and looked at Su Qingyue's face, which was sleeping soundly and completely unguarded, and his heart softened.
He reached out and rubbed her ear.
Su Qingyue frowned slightly, wrinkled her nose, and grunted like a little pig that had been woken up.
Then she opened her eyes.
Cheng Che was looking at her, a slight smile on his lips.
Su Qingyue's eyes widened in surprise.
Her mind raced for a few moments:
Oh no, I've been caught sneaking in to sleep! I was planning to leave early, why am I still not awake? Oh no, what if the others find out? Is Su Miaoyin already up? Is Yan Ruanning in the hallway...?
The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became. She froze on the spot, unsure whether to explain or run away first.
Cheng Che smiled and said, "Get up. Do you want them to find out?"
Su Qingyue sat up abruptly, her face flushed. She lowered her head, straightened her clothes, and without daring to explain, got out of bed and walked towards the door.
As they reached the door, Cheng Che added from behind:
"Remember to practice League of Legends when you get back, otherwise you won't be able to play with friends."
Su Qingyue nodded hurriedly, opened the door, and slipped out.
Cheng Che watched her retreating figure, which exuded a sense of elation, shook his head, and chuckled.
Then he stood up, changed into his workout clothes, and went out for a run.
A week has passed in the blink of an eye.
Cheng Che and his team flew to London.
With Wimbledon just around the corner, grass court training has already been scheduled.
On the very day they landed in London, the Europe episode of " Walking the Flower Road Together " premiered.
The first episode begins in Paris.
The camera follows Cheng Che as he enters the Louvre Museum, stands in front of the Mona Lisa, tilts his head to look at the painting, and then turns to smile at the camera.
The screen was flooded with comments at that moment. Then came clips of them doing tasks at the Louvre Museum, with Su Jianqiu taking pictures everywhere with her phone, Yan Ruanning standing in front of the Statue of the Goddess of Victory looking up at it for a long time, Ning Qing quietly strolling around in a corner.
The last segment of the program showed footage of the production team receiving the news the following morning.
The PD stood in the hotel corridor, his face serious, and said to the camera, " The Louvre Museum has been robbed; all schedules for today are canceled."
The scene cuts to Cheng Che standing at the doorway, his expression shifting from confusion to surprise, before he says, "Huh?"
The live chat exploded with comments again.
[That "Huh?" is so relatable, hahaha]
Who would have thought that filming a variety show would coincide with the Louvre Museum theft?
[ Cheng Che's expression was exactly the same as my expression when I saw the news this morning.]
[So the footage they filmed at the Louvre Museum was the last footage before the incident???]
[The show's producers are incredibly lucky!]
[This episode should be renamed " Walking the Flower Road Together: The Louvre Museum's Last Serenity"]
Meanwhile, in his hotel room in London, Cheng Che sat on the bed, looked at the comments on his phone screen, and smiled.
Then he opened the system panel and glanced at the Wimbledon tasks.
[ Stamina Trial - Phase Two: Crowned with All Grand Slam Titles. Mission Objective: Win all four Grand Slam titles. Current Progress: 2/4.]
Wimbledon US Open are still to be played.
Grass is different from clay. Grass is faster and the bounce is lower, so you can't use the sliding step and have to use small, quick steps to adjust.
He practiced on the grass for a few days, but his knees still hadn't quite gotten the hang of the rhythm.
But he wasn't too worried. The red clay had already been removed; the grass was just another opportunity to adapt.
He turned off the control panel, lay down, and closed his eyes.