I Just Started College, How Could I Become a Part-Time Papa?!

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Our Secret

Song Jianye was wearing a pair of very loose beige pants and a small gray shirt. The way it fit snugly around her chest was enough to make Chen Yuan’s occupational hazard flare up.

The person driving in the front seat was a middle-aged man; only his side profile was visible from the back. He looked a lot like the middle-aged man he’d seen in University City the night before last. ’Is that the Uncle Zhang Song Jianye mentioned?’

”Uncle Zhang, this is Chen Yuan.”

Their eyes met in the rearview mirror. Uncle Zhang smiled and nodded, his expression not as stern as when they had first met.

Chen Yuan didn’t eat the savory crepe he’d bought. He was in someone else’s car, so he figured he’d wait until after they got out.

The place Song Jianye was going wasn’t far from University City. They arrived after a drive of about ten minutes.

Xianglin Garden.

Chen Yuan wasn’t a local, so he didn’t know much about this place, but he could peek at what was inside through the surrounding wall.

The vegetation was lush. It seemed to be a botanical garden.

Uncle Zhang parked the car, and Chen Yuan opened his door and got out.

There weren’t many people at the entrance, but quite a few cars were parked, and some small vendors were selling their wares.

The sky overhead was a brilliant blue, with cloud shadows drifting lazily across it, casting shadows like spreading ripples on a pond. A gentle breeze tousled her long hair, and a stray dandelion seed floated down, landing softly on one of the strands.

”Come on.”

Song Jianye called out. Now that she was here, it was as if she were on her home turf, proactively leading Chen Yuan.

”Do you like roasted gluten skewers? That lady over there makes them especially delicious,” Song Jianye said, pointing to a woman grilling gluten skewers by the entrance.

”I’ll go buy a few.”

”No, I’ll get them. I’m the one who brought you out to have fun today.”

Song Jianye walked up to the small stall and looked back at Uncle Zhang.

”Uncle Zhang, do you want any?”

”No, thank you, Miss. I’m too old for these things now,” Uncle Zhang said with a smile.

Song Jianye then looked at Chen Yuan. ”And you?”

”Just one is fine.”

”Ma’am, two roasted gluten skewers, please.” Song Jianye held up two fingers.

A few minutes later, the gluten skewers were ready, and the two of them entered the botanical garden together.

Uncle Zhang followed behind them, holding a parasol and two bottles of mineral water, always maintaining a distance of about twenty meters.

Upon entering, they were greeted by the sight of a man-made lake. Its edge was a wooden platform where parents were helping their children scoop for fish.

Nearby was a small horse-drawn carriage, which Song Jianye stared at, motionless.

”You want to ride it?”

”No... The driver is whipping the little pony. I was just wondering if it hurts a lot.”

”The horse probably doesn’t feel any pain.”

”Why not?”

”Because that’s a donkey.”

”A donkey cart? But there was a sign at the entrance. It clearly said ’Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides.’”

”Pictures are for reference only, you know.”

Under Song Jianye’s lead, the two of them walked to a small pavilion nearby.

Chen Yuan ate his savory crepe and roasted gluten skewer, washing it down with a sip of lemonade. ’Perfect.’

Song Jianye was also eating, taking small, delicate bites.

’You should be thanking me for letting you experience the simple joys of a commoner.’

”Isn’t Uncle Zhang a hotel manager? How come he’s also working as a driver and a bodyguard?”

”Uncle Zhang was originally my driver. But since I came here for school, he was worried about me being here alone, so he came along,” Song Jianye said.

’What is this, a scene from a soap opera?’

”So you and Uncle Zhang must be very close, right?”

”Yeah, Uncle Zhang watched me grow up. I think he came to work for my family when I was in kindergarten.”

”So, at least fifteen years, then?”

”Umm...”

Song Jianye thought for a moment. ”Something like that. I don’t remember exactly.”

At first, Chen Yuan didn’t think much of it, but then something felt a little off.

’Song Jianye isn’t a local, and Uncle Zhang is about the same age as my parents. He must have a wife and kids, so how could he just pick up and move here?’

”Did Uncle Zhang ask you anything about coming out alone with a guy like me?”

”Nope. I’ve told Uncle Zhang about you before.”

”What did you tell him?”

”Everything.”

”Er...”

Chen Yuan was reminded of the random things he’d jotted down in a notebook during middle school.

’My English teacher is so pretty...’

’After midnight, I’ll get superpowers. For every breath I take, I’ll earn ten cents...’

’Liu Wanwan is so pretty...’

’That Trump guy is no good; he never keeps his word. His credit score must be negative...’

And his parents had read all that stupid crap.

’So damn awkward.’

”You know, you don’t have to tell him *everything*. It’s good to keep some secrets.”

Song Jianye blinked her big, beautiful eyes. With her adorably clueless expression, she looked like a stunned marmot.

”Okay, then I won’t tell Yueyue and the others about this place. It can be our secret.”

”You haven’t brought your roommates here before?”

”Yesterday, Uncle Zhang took me to another hotel for an inspection. We passed by this place on the way back and came in for a quick look. That’s how I found out about it.”

”Then let’s keep it a secret. Don’t tell anyone else.”

Chen Yuan finished the last of his lemonade and tossed the cup perfectly into a nearby trash can.

”So, what’s our mission for today?”

”I’m going to show you the squirrels.”

Song Jianye stood up and led Chen Yuan into a small grove of trees.

Song Jianye walked ahead quietly, her steps light. It was cool in the shade of the grove, and even if they didn’t see any squirrels, just strolling through here was enough to lift one’s spirits.

”Don’t worry, I’ll help you find them. I saw some when I was walking around here for a bit yesterday.”

After walking for a while, Song Jianye suddenly stopped.

”There! Over there!”

Following the direction Song Jianye was pointing, he did indeed see a squirrel, but he wasn’t particularly impressed.

”Wow, great job! You found a squirrel.”

’It’s like humoring a kid. A little white lie won’t hurt.’

The squirrel noticed the humans and scampered away at high speed. Song Jianye jogged after it.

Suddenly, she stumbled and fell towards a nearby flowerbed.

Quick as a flash, Chen Yuan grabbed her and pulled her back.

”That scared me to death!”

Song Jianye looked down at the flowers next to her.

”I crushed a few of these little flowers. Will that be a problem? Is the groundskeeper going to come after me?”

”The impact is huge. It’s like the world of biology losing Liu Shiyu.”

”Who’s Liu Shiyu?”

”He’s one of my roommates. On our college entrance exam, there was a biology question: ’How to improve soil fertility?’ His answer was, ’Vigorously promote natural burials.’”

A giant question mark seemed to appear over her head.

”Then you couldn’t use coffins.”

Chen Yuan scratched his head. ’She can even handle a joke like that? This kid’s probably got a case of excessive lung heat...’

”You should probably find a place to wipe your shoes.”

”Mhm.”

There were public faucets in the botanical garden. Song Jianye took a wet wipe from her bag and went to a nearby faucet to clean her shoes.

Chen Yuan sat to the side, looking at the scenery of the botanical garden, and also at Song Jianye.

Her shadow sliced diagonally across the path behind her. The rims of her white ankle socks were dotted with stray dandelion seeds and caught the light from Chen Yuan’s stolen glances.

Uncle Zhang went over to help, but Song Jianye waved him off and walked back toward Chen Yuan.

”Young man, would you like some water?”

”Thank you, Uncle Zhang.”

After handing him the water, Uncle Zhang didn’t leave. The two of them started to chat.

”I hear you’re in the same year as our young miss.”

”Yes, but in different departments.”

”The young miss doesn’t have many friends. In all these years, you’re the first one,” Uncle Zhang said with emotion.

”Her personality is a bit introverted, that’s true. It should get better now that she’s in college. Her roommates seem to take good care of her, too.”

”I’ve met the young miss’s roommates. They are all very kind people.”

”Yeah.”

Chen Yuan nodded. ’I have a feeling Uncle Zhang is talking to me with a purpose, like a protective father sizing up a Huang Mao.’

Uncle Zhang took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Chen Yuan.

”Thanks, Uncle Zhang, but I don’t smoke.”

”Not many young men these days don’t smoke.”

”I smoked a few in high school to look cool, but I was afraid of getting addicted, so I never touched them again.”

”Everyone says smoking is addictive. I smoke every day, and I don’t see any addiction.”

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