Wang Peng stood blankly at the foot of Building 5, still listening to what his senior had just said.
"This is your reward."
After returning to her dorm, Liu Yiyi buried her head under the covers. She was horrified by her own actions—she had actually initiated a kiss with her junior. Her entire body felt burning hot, and her cheeks were flushed crimson.
"Liu Yiyi, you have no sense of decorum at all," she muttered to herself.
Wang Peng didn't even know how he had made it home. He found his cousin, Wang Fang, and her husband, Liu Yichuan, sitting on the sofa watching TV.
"You're back, Iron Tree."
"Cousin, could you please stop calling me Iron Tree?"
"Then why don't you bring a daughter-in-law home for your aunt and uncle?"
Wang Peng was speechless.
"Iron Tree, did you make all this delicious food for just one person? Who were you eating with? A man or a woman?"
"No one. I ate by myself."
"You eat by yourself using two bowls?"
"One bowl for rice, one bowl for noodles."
Seeing that Wang Peng wouldn't confess, Wang Fang pulled out the photo she had taken earlier. "Then who is this girl? You even drove her home personally."
Wang Peng looked at the photo. "You stalked me?"
"Who stalked you? I just happened to run into you in the underground parking garage," Wang Fang said, her voice growing quieter.
Wang Peng felt helpless; he might as well admit that a girl had indeed come over for dinner. Wang Fang hadn't expected him to admit it so easily. She clasped her hands together tightly and exclaimed, "Grandma and Grandpa, the Iron Tree has finally blossomed!"
...
"Is she pretty? Do you have any photos of her face?"
"Didn't you already take a photo?"
"The angle was bad, I couldn't see her face. Let me see a real picture, quick!"
"Brother-in-law, aren't you going to rein my cousin in?"
Liu Yichuan was about to speak, but Wang Fang cut him off: "Just your brother-in-law? Do you really think he can control me?"
Wang Fang grabbed Wang Peng’s shoulders and shook him. "Really, tell me, do you have a picture? Let me see."
"Stop it, cousin."
Just then, the doorbell rang. Wang Fang released Wang Peng and hurried toward the door. "Let me see if it’s my future sister-in-law!"
Wang Peng pulled her back. "It’s definitely not her. I’ll open it."
Wang Peng opened the door to find a security guard and a middle-aged man in a work uniform. The guard spoke first: "Mr. Wang, I tried calling you earlier, but no one answered. This gentleman says he’s from the pet shop to deliver something. Did you place an order?"
"I did place an order this afternoon. Let him bring it in."
"Sorry, Mr. Wang, traffic was heavy today, so it’s a bit late."
The security guard helped the pet shop worker carry in a litter box and a water fountain. "Mr. Wang, please sign here." After he signed, the worker and the guard left.
"Iron Tree, you don't even have a cat. Why did you buy a litter box?"
"Who said I don't have a cat? Xiaohuang!"
Silence.
"Xiaohuang!" Wang Peng called out again.
Still silence.
Wang Peng was furious. "If you don't come out, I don't care if you're a tomcat or a queen, I'm taking you to get neutered!"
...
Wang Peng had no choice but to put some cat food in a bowl, hoping to lure Xiaohuang out. Ever since he had known Xiaohuang, the cat had been a total glutton. As soon as the food hit the dish, an orange-yellow blur bolted from under the sofa. Xiaohuang rushed to the bowl and began to eat.
Wang Peng picked the cat up, but Xiaohuang began to struggle frantically.
"You're already this fat, and you're still eating?" Xiaohuang struggled desperately, trying to escape Wang Peng’s grasp to get back to the food.
"Don't change the subject, Iron Tree. You almost distracted me."
Well, in truth, he had already been distracted.
"Tell me, what is your relationship with that girl?"
"If you don't tell me, I'll tell Aunt and Uncle, and then I'll let them ask you themselves."
"No, no, no! I’ll tell you, just keep it a secret for me."
"No problem."
"We are in a normal boyfriend-girlfriend relationship."
Wang Peng hadn't wanted to come clean, but knowing how persistent Wang Fang had been since they were kids, he knew she really might tell his parents, so he confessed.
"Keep it up."
"I'm going to sleep." Wang Fang dragged Liu Yichuan off to the guest bedroom, leaving Wang Peng sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, reliving the moment his senior had kissed him.
"Grandma and Grandpa, the Iron Tree has blossomed."
The next day, Wang Peng woke up to find that his cousin and her husband had already left. "Looks like they headed back to Modu."
[The Other Half]: Senior, are you up yet?
[Half a Roast Duck]: Not yet. I don't really want to get up.
[The Other Half]: Let's go hiking. Mount Tai. The view at 5:00 AM is beautiful.
[Half a Roast Duck]: I don't really want to go. I just want to lie in the dorm.
[The Other Half]: Don't be like that, senior. It's such a rare holiday, let's go out and have some fun.
Finally, after much coaxing from Wang Peng, Liu Yiyi agreed to climb Mount Tai.
Yes, Mount Tai—the very place that cures every stubborn soul.
Wang Peng packed his gear, went downstairs, and started the car to pick up Liu Yiyi. To make sure his senior would be comfortable, he took his MPV.
He pulled up to the dorm building, but as soon as he stepped out, he saw five people, including Liu Yiyi.
"Senior, who are they?"
Wang Peng saw their gear and realized they were all going hiking, but he still tried to push back.
"They heard I was going hiking and insisted on tagging along."
"Didn't they already go home?"
"They were worried I'd be bored on my own. Yesterday, they just went home to grab some clothes. Let me introduce them."
"These two are Li Chuan and Li Miao," Liu Yiyi said, pointing to a couple holding hands.
"Looks like they're a couple," Wang Peng noted.
"Beside me is Li Jiaxin—you’ve met her before, the night of the photos."
"And finally, this is Zhang Xueyang. They’re all my roommates. Li Chuan is Li Miao’s boyfriend."
They all greeted each other. Li Jiaxin was naturally outgoing, as he had gathered from the night she took their pictures.
Li Jiaxin said, "Wang Peng's car is big enough to fit all of us, so Li Chuan doesn't have to drive. That way, we can look after each other on the road."
*Good thing I took the MPV today,* Wang Peng thought.
Wang Peng and Li Chuan put all the luggage in the trunk. Wang Peng checked the navigation—it was over 400 kilometers away.
"You can drive, right?" Wang Peng asked Li Chuan.
"Of course, I’m an old hand."
Wang Peng had done his research; it was best to start the climb at night so they could reach the summit by 5:00 AM for the sunrise.
Wang Peng and Li Chuan took turns driving while the four girls sat in the back, chatting, laughing, and snacking. After 400-plus kilometers, they reached their destination. Wang Peng went to the nearest hotel to book rooms, knowing they wouldn't start their climb until about 11:00 PM.
"Hello, I’d like three rooms for two nights."
It was a holiday, so Mount Tai was packed.
"Sir, we only have one double room and two king rooms left. Will that work?"
"That’s fine."
The staff checked them in. "All set. Three rooms. Are you planning to climb Mount Tai, sir?"
"Yes."
"In that case, you should head out around 10:00 or 11:00 PM. It takes about six or seven hours to reach the summit, which will put you at Jade Emperor Peak just in time for the sunrise."
Wang Peng was hesitating over which key card to take. Li Miao and Li Chuan had already taken a king room and headed upstairs. Wang Peng was just about to reach for the double room card when Li Jiaxin snatched it up.
"Yiyi, remember to call me!" she said, dragging Zhang Xueyang upstairs.
"Senior, there's only one king room left. The hotel doesn't have anything else."
"Then let's go up. There aren't any other choices now."
Wang Peng grabbed the luggage and took Liu Yiyi by the hand toward the stairs.
The hotel staff member muttered to himself, "Being young is great."