To Love You Again

In the distance, at the lakeside half a mile away from the rest house.

Gu Zhen and Song Xuantin was walking side by side.

At first, they enjoyed the refreshing breeze coming down the mountains, as well as the scenic view of the glory of the mountain range in the distance. They randomly talked about various topics from their everyday lives and enjoyed teasing each other.

A couple of hours later...

"Do we really have to walk such a long way just for you to tell me what you want to say?" Gu Zhen said in flabbergasted tone to Song Xuantin. It was a good thing that the weather here in F City was not scorching hot despite the summer season. The wind here was cooler than the capital due to the surrounding mountains, lush plants, and lakes.

If not, he would have given up walking under the blue sky since long ago.

Song Xuantin's feet was already hurting but she insisted on going further. The scenic lakeside with the best view of nature was just a few meters ahead. 

"It's important to find the right place to create a good ambience before I tell you 'that' important thing." 

Gu Zhen's ears twitched when he heard the words 'the right place' and 'a good ambience'. 

What else could it be for that someone needed to have these two elements?

Was it not just basically saying that she will confess to him?

That should be it... Right???

Faintly, he could feel anticipation brewing within his chest.

Gu Zhen coughed with embarrassment at his own thoughts. He shook his head. How could he be so confident? Song Xuantin, this dense girl, might just be wanting to talk about her script, or a good play she was thinking about.

If Song Xuantin knew what Gu Zhen was thinking, she would definitely yell: why the hell would I need the right place and good ambience for those?!

The tall boy with glasses admonished himself for thinking shamelessly. There was no need to associate her actions to the word 'confession'. Perhaps, he was simply being too overconfident.

However, even if he tried to repress it, he was undeniably looking forward to hearing her 'confession'.

"Anyway, what's in this bag? Why is it so heavy? And you still insisted on having it carried until here," Gu Zhen asked and glanced at the bag he was carrying. 

He wanted to take a look inside this bag that Song Xuantin insisted on bringing with them. He wondered if his laptop was inside. But then, he vetoed it immediately. 

After all, Song Xuantin won the bet of catching more fishes than him yesterday. Sadly, the result was that he was to leave his darling laptop behind today.

It was the first time that he was not with his laptop for so long. He kind of regretted agreeing to the bet. He felt like there was something missing and he felt unease due to it.

This made him very talkative today.

Song Xuantin paused for split second and looked at Gu Zhen. Come to think of it, she herself who had not been carrying anything was already feeling tired. What was more for Gu Zhen who had been carrying this heavy bag all this time.

She suddenly reached out to his shoulder and took hold of the strap of the bag.

"Let me carry it. Anyways, it is only a few steps away before we reach that side."

Gu Zhen grabbed back the strap. "You said it yourself. It's only a few steps away."

"Aren't you tired?"

"Well, a bit. But at least, let me finish the job that I started."

"..."

Song Xuantin was surprised as she watched Gu Zhen act like a gentleman today. How rare for him to be so gentle. 

She felt happy. The corners of her mouth slowly rose.

"But I will not do free labor. You are indebted to me for today." 

Song Xuantin's smile froze. 

Damn it, so stingy! This guy would not even let her dream for a moment.

"Hmph! Fine." She asked arrogantly, "How much was your charge per hour?" 

Gu Zhen glanced at her with a raised brow.

"How much do you charge per hour?" he said to Song Xuantin in a teasing voice.

"Huh?" the girl looked at him, confused.

"I'm talking about you. Aren't you an aspiring actress? How much would you charge your time per hour?"

Song Xuantin's brow twitched. What was with this guy? Was he thinking of asking her for the same price I would charge for myself as a celebrity?

She decided to play along. She raised her chin.

"Well, I am expensive. But with the people I know, I can give discount. Eighty percent off."

"Then how much?"

"Hmm... I am worth a million yuan per hour," she made up a number. No kidding, she was not even an actress yet, where in the world would she get the data to price for herself? 

The stupid girl who was absolutely worthless with math continued to say, "With the people I know, I don't mind charging only 100 yuan." 

Song Xuantin gave this number so that if Gu Zhen really asked her for a pay, which was possible considering his unpredictable personality, then she would only need to give him 500 yuan. 

She was a smart one. Of course, she was the only one who thought she was.

"..." Gu Zhen's mouth twitched. 

When did eighty percent of one million yuan become only 100 yuan? This was clearly the math of another world.

They said stupidity was contagious, should he really be staying with her here? 

...Forget it, he was extremely smart anyways. He should not be affected so easily.

"Well then, this is the debt you owe me."

"Mhm," Song Xuantin nodded proudly. 

"Then, like you, I also charge one million yuan per hour. I don't like giving discount."

"..." Song Xuantin looked blankly at Gu Zhen.

"And I don't accept cash."

"..." 

"Don't you think the best way to show sincerity was to pay in kind of the same debt you owe?"

"..." …Eh?

The tall boy beside her pushed up his glasses. 

"So, you owe me five million yuan. If your charge per hour was 100 yuan, which you yourself said, then you owe me ten thousand hours of your time. With 24 hours a day, then you own me 416 days and a half..."

???

!!!