Ruan Yu ultimately didn’t accept Tian Cheng’s money, though she promised him that next time she truly needed help, she wouldn’t stand on ceremony with him. After leaving the Publicity Office, she went straight to the North Gate to catch the bus. Teng Hao had a classmate’s birthday party to attend at eight o’clock tonight, so they had agreed to move their tutoring session up by an hour.

The 527 bus wasn’t particularly crowded at this time, with many empty seats still available. Ruan Yu chose a window seat, put on her headphones after sitting down, and began intently watching a video she had downloaded on her phone. The bus stopped for about a minute as passengers gradually boarded. Soon, someone sat down beside Ruan Yu. She felt the presence somehow familiar, and when she turned her head, she was stunned. It was Teng Yi.

“Hi!” Teng Yi greeted her.

“Why are you taking the bus?” Ruan Yu asked in surprise.

“Why can’t I take the bus?” he smiled. “Did the bus company blacklist me?”

That wasn’t what she meant. After all, everyone at Yang Shan University knew that Teng Yi always drove his sports car to and from school. That Maserati in royal blue, like its owner, was famous on campus.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, so who could blacklist you?”

“That’s true, I’m a law-abiding citizen, never do anything wrong,” Teng Yi joked while checking his watch. “Why are you early today?”

“Teng Hao has plans tonight,” Ruan Yu answered.

He nodded without pursuing the subject further.

They fell silent, sitting side by side. Ruan Yu continued watching her video, but her thoughts couldn’t focus at all. Her peripheral vision kept drifting toward Teng Yi beside her.

Teng Yi had his eyes slightly closed, leaning against the seat back, completely relaxed, seemingly having entered a state of rest. Through her downward-tilted posture, Ruan Yu secretly observed his curved long legs, the slightly exposed sock, and those pristinely clean white shoes that seemed untouched by even a speck of dust.

They were so close that whenever the bus jolted, their sleeves would brush against each other. He seemed completely unaware of these tiny movements, but they made her heart beat faster with each touch. The wind whistled through the window, blowing her long hair toward him. She somewhat regretted not bringing a hair tie, yet felt grateful she had washed her hair that morning.

Teng Yi slept the entire journey while Ruan Yu remained cautiously aware throughout. It wasn’t that she feared waking him; rather, their proximity made her feel self-conscious. Fortunately, the bus soon reached their stop, and Ruan Yu gently tapped Teng Yi’s shoulder when the stop was announced.

He opened his eyes.

“We’re here,” Ruan Yu said.

Teng Yi nodded, his gaze instinctively turning toward her as she was closing the video on her phone. He happened to catch a glimpse of her screen and realized she had been watching the “News Broadcast” program the entire time.

“News Broadcast?” Teng Yi asked.

Ruan Yu followed his gaze to her phone, understanding what he was asking about, and gave an affirmative response.

“What’s your major?” he asked again.

“Broadcasting and Hosting.”

They chatted while walking to the rear door.

The bus had already stopped, and Ruan Yu stood quietly beside Teng Yi, waiting for the rear door to open. The cabin was silent when suddenly, she heard him say: “Keep at it.”

The rear door swung open with a whoosh, and the fragrance of street apricot blossoms enveloped her. Ruan Yu turned to look at Teng Yi, but he had already stepped off the bus ahead of her.

She had thought that watching “News Broadcast” on the bus would make him think she was strange, but with just those few words, he seemed to understand her hopes and aspirations. Yes, she wanted to become an excellent program host in the future, and every day, she was working hard toward that goal.