Opportunities need to be created

The bus traveled along the mountain road for over ten minutes before finally arriving at its destination. Once the vehicle came to a stop, the tourists began disembarking one after another.

Su Yang and the others stepped off the bus and gathered by the roadside. Not far away, dozens of bright orange inflatable rafts floated along the riverbank. A few of the girls were already itching to start their rafting adventure.

The Blue River Rafting course spanned 19 kilometers, and completing the entire route would take roughly three to four hours—plenty of time to satisfy most people's rafting cravings.

Meng Wenzhou spoke up, "Is anyone here completely new to rafting?"

Xia Keke raised her hand. "This is my first time. How likely is it to flip on this river? I’ve seen so many videos on Douyin of people capsizing, and I’m a little nervous."

Meng Wenzhou chuckled. "Don’t worry, flips do happen, but they’re rare. Generally, it’s not easy to tip over."

"That’s a relief."

"How about this—you’ll ride with me later. I’ll guide you."

Hearing this, Xia Keke smiled sweetly. "Sounds good~"

"The rest of you, pair up. Ideally, two people per raft—one to handle the physical work, and the other to bail out water. That way, the chances of flipping are much lower."

Everyone nodded in agreement. At that moment, Liu Bo looked eagerly at the girls and grinned. "I’m the most experienced rafter here. Anyone want to team up with me?"

After he spoke, the girls glanced at him, smiled politely, and quickly resumed their own discussions.

Lu Yun was about to invite Su Yang when Pan Ning stepped forward and said bluntly, "You’re with me."

"...Sure."

Hearing this, a flicker of disappointment crossed Lu Yun’s face. She had planned to pair up with Su Yang, but her reserved nature made her hesitate, and Pan Ning had already made her move.

Now, watching Su Yang and Pan Ning team up, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of discomfort. She wasn’t oblivious—since yesterday, she’d noticed the unusual closeness between the two.

Her heart ached, but with so many people around, she couldn’t let it show. Instead, she turned to Tang Ziyun with a smile. "Xiao Tang, how about we pair up?"

"Sure!" Tang Ziyun replied, her gaze briefly drifting toward Su Yang.

What had happened between them the previous night lingered in her mind, resurfacing whenever she let her thoughts wander.

She knew she had fallen for Su Yang—completely.

The way she looked at him now was entirely different from before. After last night, she decided she wouldn’t suppress her feelings anymore. She would openly pursue her happiness.

Tang Ziyun had also wanted to team up with Su Yang, but like Lu Yun, she was still mustering her courage when Pan Ning swooped in.

Meng Wenzhou, sharp as ever, noticed Tang Ziyun’s lingering gaze. He wasn’t surprised—ever since they met in Lucheng, he’d sensed her interest in Su Yang.

That’s why he’d jokingly called her Su Yang’s "little admirer" before.

Most of the girls here seemed drawn to Su Yang, and while it irked him slightly, he wasn’t the petty type. He might grumble internally, but the feeling would pass quickly.

He had no intention of resenting Su Yang over something like this. To him, it wasn’t worth the energy.

Straightforward by nature, Meng Wenzhou despised underhanded tactics—no fake smiles, no backstabbing.

Meanwhile, Liu Bo watched as Lu Yun and Tang Ziyun paired up, leaving only Han Xiaoyu and Su Qingci unassigned. A sinking feeling hit him.

Han Xiaoyu smiled at Su Qingci. "Qingci, let’s team up."

"Sure~" Su Qingci cheerfully linked arms with her.

"G." Liu Bo muttered under his breath.

If Su Qingci hadn’t joined their group, there would’ve been an even number—eight people—and he’d have definitely ended up with a female partner. Now, he was the odd one out.

While everyone else had a companion, he’d be braving the rapids alone.

Su Yang grinned at him. "Hey, Liu Bo, you good with going solo?"

"Of course! I’ve rafted alone plenty of times. I’ll just lie back and enjoy the ride—pure bliss, haha!"

Liu Bo scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. But recalling his earlier plea, his cheeks burned. Not a single girl had been willing to pair with him.

"Alright, let’s move out. Helmets on," Su Yang called to the group.

They walked along the road for about ten meters before descending a set of steps to the riverbank.

A staff member approached them—a middle-aged man with a beard, shirtless, his skin tanned and weathered.

In thick local dialect, he asked, "Handsome guys and pretty ladies, how many in your group?"

"Nine."

"Nine? Then one of you’s gonna be solo."

"That’ll be me!" Liu Bo stepped forward with a grin.

The man eyed him and laughed. "Heh, good. You’re big enough to keep the raft steady."

Liu Bo rolled his eyes. "Uncle, this is called being muscular."

"Same difference. As long as you don’t flip."

"Wait here a sec." The man turned and headed toward a nearby shed.

The group settled under the shade of a tree to wait.

Just then, another group of seven or eight young people descended the steps.

Su Yang tilted his head, counting. "One, two, three... seven? Odd number again. That means one of them will be solo too." He nudged Liu Bo.

"Hey, check them out. Seven people—someone’s bound to be left out. Why not team up with their solo rafter? Going alone isn’t as fun."

Liu Bo turned to look.

His gaze landed on a bespectacled girl who seemed quiet and bookish.

"Well... if it’s that glasses girl who ends up solo, I wouldn’t mind pairing with her. But if it’s a guy, forget it."

Su Yang blinked, then took a closer look. Earlier, he’d only counted heads, focused on finding Liu Bo a partner. Now, he noticed the group consisted of four girls and three guys.

If they paired up male-female, one girl would inevitably be left out—though which one remained to be seen.

Su Yang studied them. None of the four girls were stunning, but they weren’t unattractive either. On a scale of 1 to 100, they’d probably score between 65 and 75.

The "glasses girl" Liu Bo mentioned stood out the most, likely around a 75—a petite beauty.

She wore her hair in a ponytail, with thin-framed glasses perched on her nose. A gray T-shirt peeked out from under a sheer, lightweight sun jacket.

She was wearing black athletic shorts, and her fair legs looked quite pleasing to the eye.

Standing around 1.65 meters tall, she appeared gentle and refined, very much like a kindergarten teacher.

Su Yang moved closer to Liu Bo and grinned, "Damn, your eyes are sharp. You picked out the prettiest one in just a few seconds."

Liu Bo smirked proudly, "Of course. My eyes are like a ruler—not only can I spot her fast, but I can also quickly scan her size."

Su Yang paused, then asked, "What size?"

"C."

"Damn, I thought you meant her age..."

Su Yang chuckled and added, "Look, there are seven of them in total—four girls and three guys. Normally, it’d be one guy paired with one girl, which means one girl would be left out. But no guarantee it’ll be the girl with glasses. Don’t be picky, man. The others are fine too. It’s just a temporary thing—float together, then go your separate ways. Better than nothing, right?"

Liu Bo laughed, "That’s the logic. I’ll go ask."

"You’re just gonna walk up and ask like that?" Su Yang gaped.

"What’s there to fear? Opportunities don’t come—they’re made!" Liu Bo said, already striding toward the group.

......