Why Are You Here

Chen Zhi had just finished dealing with Zhao Jin's messy affairs when the phone in his pocket rang.

He took it out and saw it was a WeChat message from Lin Wanwan.

"Chen Zhi, Chen Zhi! I have a surprise for you tonight!"

The message was followed by three emojis of bouncing rabbits.

Looking at this message, the expression on Chen Zhi's face unconsciously softened.

What new trick was this silly girl planning to pull now?

Just as he was about to type a reply, Lin Wanwan's second message popped up.

"I'm at your school gate right now! Come pick me up quickly!"

Chen Zhi paused.

At the gate of Peking University?

He raised his hand to check his watch; it was 3:30 in the afternoon.

At this time, shouldn't Lin Wanwan be practicing her singing in a classroom at the Central Conservatory of Music?

"Why did you come over? No class?"

"I took a leave! I have important things to do today!"

Lin Wanwan sent a smug emoji wearing sunglasses.

"Come quick, come quick, I'm waiting for you at the West Gate!"

Chen Zhi put away his phone, briefly explained things to Dai Damai, and turned to walk out.

By the time he hurried to the West Gate, he could see a girl wearing a white hoodie and light blue jeans standing there from afar.

Lin Wanwan had her hair tied in a high ponytail, holding a bulging bag in her arms, standing on her tiptoes to peer into the campus.

Her invincible youthful appearance drew sidelong glances from many boys going in and out of the school gates.

"Chen Zhi!"

Lin Wanwan spotted him at a glance and immediately stood on her tiptoes, waving her arms vigorously.

Chen Zhi walked over briskly and naturally reached out to take the bag from her hands.

"It's so heavy, what's in it?"

But Lin Wanwan hid the bag behind her back, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled mysteriously.

"I'm not telling you! You'll find out later!"

Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, but you at least have to tell me what you specifically came all the way here to do today?"

"To take you somewhere!"

Lin Wanwan grabbed his hand without further explanation, excitedly pulling him into the campus.

"I guarantee you'll like it!"

Pulled by her small hand, Chen Zhi crossed more than half the campus, bypassing the bustling teaching areas.

Finally, the two stopped in front of an old teaching building that looked quite aged.

"This is..."

Chen Zhi looked at the Soviet-style building with its somewhat mottled, peeling walls, feeling a bit puzzled.

"This is Peking University's old piano building!"

Lin Wanwan turned around, her eyes sparkling in the afternoon sunlight, full of anticipation.

"I found out a long time ago that this building is rarely used by anyone, and it's especially empty at this time of the afternoon. Plus, the soundproofing of the piano rooms here is exceptionally good!"

Hearing the words "exceptionally good soundproofing," Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition suddenly arose.

"You wouldn't be..."

"Yes!"

Lin Wanwan excitedly interrupted him before he could finish.

"I'm going to sing for you!"

Chen Zhi's suspended heart settled down, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, he thought this girl was going to do something earth-shattering in broad daylight.

"Just this?"

"What do you mean 'just this'!"

Lin Wanwan immediately puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"I specifically asked my teacher for half a day off to come over! And I prepared a lot of things!"

She smugly shook the heavy bag in her hand.

"Let's go, let's go, we'll talk inside!"

The two walked into the teaching building. The corridor was completely empty, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing. Lin Wanwan had clearly done her homework, familiarly leading Chen Zhi up to the third floor and pushing open a piano room at the very end of the hallway.

The room wasn't large, about a dozen square meters. An upright piano with worn paint stood against the wall, with two wooden chairs beside it.

The old wooden windows were open, revealing large swathes of sycamore tree shadows swaying gently in the breeze.

Lin Wanwan placed the large bag on the floor and started taking things out.

First was a blue-and-white checkered picnic cloth, which she carefully spread on the wooden floor.

Then came various snacks like potato chips, jelly, and chocolate bars, along with washed grapes and strawberries, and two bottles of chilled juice.

Finally, she took out a palm-sized Bluetooth speaker.

"Are you... planning to have a picnic in the piano room?"

Chen Zhi looked at the items she had laid out on the floor and smiled helplessly.

"That's right!"

Lin Wanwan clapped her hands, very satisfied with her masterpiece.

"I've been thinking about this for a long time. We haven't spent quiet time alone together like this in ages. You're busy starting your business every day, and I have to record programs and attend classes. Every time we meet, it's always so rushed."

She sat cross-legged on the checkered cloth, tilting her small face up to look at Chen Zhi, her voice carrying a hint of grievance.

"So I thought I'd find a place where no one would bother us, just the two of us, to spend a nice afternoon together."

Chen Zhi's heart softened.

He walked over and sat down beside Lin Wanwan.

"Silly girl."

Lin Wanwan naturally rested her head on his shoulder, her voice soft and sweet.

"I'm not silly. I just missed you."

Chen Zhi raised his arm, wrapping it around her slender shoulders, without saying a word.

The two just snuggled quietly like that.

The wind from outside blew in, bringing the refreshing coolness of early autumn, fluttering the girl's hair, causing a ticklish sensation.

"Oh, right!"

Lin Wanwan suddenly sat up straight, turned her head, and looked at Chen Zhi with her big, blinking eyes.

"I just said I was going to sing for you, and you haven't heard it yet!"

Without waiting for Chen Zhi to react, she stood up and trotted over to sit in front of the old piano.

Her long, fair fingers gently pressed a few keys on the keyboard, which was covered in a thin layer of dust, testing the pitch.

"I learned a new song recently, it's really beautiful."

Lin Wanwan turned back and winked playfully at Chen Zhi.

"I'll sing it for you."

A melodious intro flowed from her fingertips.

It was a love song with a very gentle and soothing melody.

Lin Wanwan's voice was clean and clear, not using any of the techniques she had learned at school, yet carrying a natural, comforting power.

Chen Zhi leaned against the cold wall, quietly watching her back.

The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the old window frames, spilling onto her soft hair and fair profile.

At this moment, Chen Zhi's mind was free from the pressure of his startup, the troubles of dealing with several girls, and all those messy calculations and schemes.

The whole world seemed to consist only of the girl singing for him in front of his eyes, and her clean, pure voice.

The song ended.

Lin Wanwan turned around, her hands still resting on the keys, looking at Chen Zhi with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

"How was it? Did it sound good?"

Chen Zhi stood up and walked step by step to stand in front of her.

"It sounded beautiful."

He lowered his head and gently planted a kiss on her smooth forehead.

"Anything my Wanwan sings sounds beautiful."

Two blushes instantly flew onto Lin Wanwan's cheeks, and she shyly pushed Chen Zhi a bit.

"Smooth talker."

Chen Zhi chuckled lightly, took her hand, and went back to sit on the checkered cloth.

Lin Wanwan opened a bag of tomato-flavored potato chips, picked one up, and held it to Chen Zhi's mouth.

"By the way, what exactly have you been busy with lately? It sounds so mysterious."

Chen Zhi opened his mouth and bit into the chip with a loud crunch.

"Working on AI, recruiting people, debugging equipment. That's about it."

"Wow, that sounds so impressive."

Lin Wanwan rested her chin on one hand, her eyes sparkling with little stars of adoration.

"My boyfriend is amazing."

Chen Zhi was amused by her fangirl-like demeanor.

"You're such a sweet talker."

"But it's true."

Lin Wanwan pouted, retorting indignantly.

"When I talk about you with my roommates, they get so jealous. They say I found a boyfriend who is both handsome and talented."

Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

"What... what exactly did you tell them about me?"

"Just that you go to Peking University, you have great grades, and you're a really good person."

Lin Wanwan counted on her fingers, looking completely serious.

"And most importantly, you treat me incredibly well."

Chen Zhi suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

If this silly girl in front of him knew that the boyfriend who "treated her incredibly well" had been secretly stroking another girl's thigh during a large lecture today, and had even been invited by that girl to the shores of Weiming Lake to "treat an illness"...

He didn't dare think any further and hastily, albeit stiffly, changed the subject.

"What about you? How is the show recording going?"

"It's alright."

Lin Wanwan tore open a jelly packet, tilted her head back, and took a big slurp, her cheeks puffing out.

"The mentors are pretty good to me, it's just that some of the contestants..."

She paused there and didn't continue.

Chen Zhi noticed she was feeling a bit down.

"What's wrong? Is someone bullying you?"

"I wouldn't call it bullying."

Lin Wanwan shook her head, looking a bit helpless.

"It's just that a few contestants are always talking bad about me behind my back. They say I only advanced this far because of connections, and that I have no singing talent at all, just a pretty face."

Chen Zhi's eyebrows knitted together.

"Doesn't the production team do anything about it?"

"What could the production team possibly do?"

Lin Wanwan managed a bitter smile.

"They don't say it to my face; it's all secretly spread in private. Besides, isn't that just how the entertainment industry works? When someone gets popular, someone else is bound to get jealous."

Chen Zhi was silent for a moment, not saying a word.

"So what do you plan to do?"

"What else can I do?"

Lin Wanwan shrugged, but her eyes revealed an unyielding determination.

"Let my skills do the talking. Next time I go on the singing show, I'm going to sing a super difficult song. I'll show everyone that I, Lin Wanwan, am not just a useless vase who gets by on her looks."

Chen Zhi looked at her stubborn yet serious little expression, feeling a mix of heartache and pride.

"Do you need my help?"

"No."

Lin Wanwan shook her head, her attitude firm.

"This is my own battle, and I'm going to win it myself."

She looked up and gave Chen Zhi a radiant smile.

"As for you, just keep me company like you did today whenever I'm tired. That's all I need."

Chen Zhi reached out and affectionately rubbed her hair.

"Alright, then I'll be solely in charge of recharging your batteries."

The two chatted for a while longer before Lin Wanwan suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right, last time you said you were going to take me out for good food. When are you going to make good on that promise?"

Chen Zhi thought for a moment.

"How about this weekend? I'll take you to eat roast duck to build up your strength."

"Yes, yes!"

Lin Wanwan immediately perked up, her eyes lighting up.

"I want to eat at Quanjude!"

"Alright, whatever you say."

Chen Zhi agreed with a smile without hesitation.

Time slipped away, minute by minute, amid their joking and teasing.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened, tinged with the orange glow of the sunset.

Lin Wanwan glanced at the time on her phone and stood up reluctantly.

"Ah, I should head back. I still have a major course to attend tonight."

Chen Zhi stood up as well, helping her clean up the mess on the floor.

The two walked out of the old piano room and went downstairs side by side.

Dim yellow streetlights had already flickered on across the campus.

Chen Zhi walked Lin Wanwan all the way to the West Gate and watched her get into a taxi.

"Be careful on the road. Send me a message when you arrive."

"Mhm!"

Lin Wanwan leaned against the car window, waving at him reluctantly.

"Remember to miss me!"

Chen Zhi smiled and nodded, watching the yellow taxi merge into the evening rush hour traffic until it completely disappeared from sight.