Qin Zhifeng was quite tall, reaching 1.85 meters with his shoes on, towering half a head above the three youngsters around him. He possessed the archetypal ‘player’s’ face, particularly his flirtatious ‘peach blossom’ eyes, which were uncannily similar to Qin Zixin’s. While such eyes on a woman might be considered alluring and expressive, on a man, they conveyed an undeniable sense of ‘impropriety.’ To put it more concretely, Qin Zhifeng had the kind of looks that suggested he might flirt with the boss’s wife the moment his superior stepped out.
Yet, it wasn’t just his appearance; his fashion sense, demeanor, and every action also mirrored that of a playboy. He favored slightly loose-fitting shirts, and if the weather turned cooler, he would opt for a stand-collar, cinched-waist hunting jacket. The crisp, tailored outerwear accentuated his already long legs, making him appear even more imposing and distinguished.
When Qin Zixin was still in elementary school, Qin Zhifeng was merely a middle schooler—a ‘younger innocent boy’ then—yet he had already begun a relationship with an older art student. Their dalliance nearly resulted in a pregnancy, leading to his father chasing and beating him upon discovery. Throughout high school, his handsome face ensured he was constantly surrounded by women, maintaining ambiguous relationships with several younger girls.
Now in university, he seemed to have settled down considerably; at least, Qin Zixin had only heard of him dating two people. Only two—not even reaching double digits—which, in Qin Zixin’s eyes, was practically a sign of the playboy finally mending his ways.
Hearing Qin Zixin’s disdain for his plaid shirt, Qin Zhifeng simply shrugged it off. He knew his annoying sister’s temperament all too well.
“It’s just a plaid shirt. I wore it, so what? Three out of the four of us are wearing plaid shirts; Tang Manwen should be the embarrassed one.”
Tang Manwen, called out by Qin Zhifeng, laughed and playfully slapped his arm.
“When we’re out having fun, we wear whatever’s comfortable. Don’t mind Qin Zixin; that girl spends all day online, filling her head with who-knows-what nonsense.”
“Sis, don’t talk rubbish about me!”
Qin Zixin huffed indignantly. Noticing Qin Zhifeng’s white canvas shoes, she mischievously stepped forward and secretly stomped on one. Qin Zhifeng couldn’t evade her. Seeing the dark, smudged footprint on his shoe, he gave a wry smile and flicked Qin Zixin’s forehead.
“Feeling restless? Tang Manwen was the one talking, yet you’re taking it out on me? Such typical behavior.”
“So what?!”
Qin Zixin tilted her head back, her eyes narrowed, looking utterly defiant. Qin Zhifeng met her gaze, but his eyes inadvertently drifted to the seemingly bottomless cleavage.
‘Damn, they weren’t this big during the New Year, were they?’ Qin Zhifeng muttered, his words clearly audible to Qin Zixin.
“Oh, you’re my brother, aren’t you? Is it appropriate to say such things to your sister?” Qin Zixin asked, her voice laced with mock indignation.
Qin Zhifeng rolled his eyes at her and pulled her aside.
“I don’t see you as a woman. You little brat, always causing trouble, always stuffing your face with snacks. Look at you—do you have even an ounce of femininity compared to Tang Manwen?”
“You don’t understand. Nowadays, the internet says women can’t be defined. Don’t see me as a woman; you can call me ‘Daddy’!”
“Call you what?”
“Daddy!”
“You’re an idiot, aren’t you? Fine, I’ll humor you.”
Qin Zhifeng was caught between laughter and tears. Qin Zixin suddenly realized what she’d said, flailing her arms in exasperation, but Qin Zhifeng hooked an arm around her neck and held her still. Feeling a large expanse of softness press against him, a surge of blood rushed to Qin Zhifeng’s head. But the moment he remembered this temptress was his own troublesome sister, his thoughts instantly vanished.
“Stop messing around. I bought the tickets; let’s get on the sightseeing bus soon.”
Directly opposite Qingliang Temple lay a newly paved asphalt road, which stretched approximately three kilometers along the southern foothills of Qingliang Mountain, leading straight to the entrance of Anji Lake Forest Park.
Qin Zhifeng had purchased four tickets for the park bus at the foot of the mountain—a novelty for Qingliang Mountain. To better attract visitors, the park had acquired three second-hand King Long buses, establishing a stop at Qingliang Temple’s side gate for direct transport to the forest park entrance. When there were no passengers, the buses doubled as cargo trucks. If there were few people, the ride was free; if there were many, they charged a symbolic one-yuan fare.
Of course, there were also six-seater electric sightseeing vehicles, which were slightly more expensive than the park buses. A ticket cost five yuan per person, and their speed was considerably slower than the buses. However, they offered an unobstructed view, allowing Nanning residents, who lived in the city center, to connect with nature for a little longer. This ethereal illusion provided them with the mistaken impression that they were truly savoring the scenery.
Qin Zixin and Qin Zhifeng had often visited this area since childhood. City children might spend their weekends learning painting or piano to cultivate their temperament, much like Yang Qichao. Yet, those who grew up playing in the mountains were different. Qin Zixin and her cousin had spent their childhoods ‘fishing and stealing chickens’—a notorious pair in their hometown—and thus felt utterly indifferent to the local scenery. She wasn’t a pure city dweller and certainly didn’t possess the leisure to go ‘crazy’ over a few scraggly trees upon arriving in the mountains.
Upon entering the park gates, beyond a small concrete platform serving as a parking lot, lay a winding flight of stone steps. The mountains surrounding Anji Lake weren’t particularly high, but they were quite steep, and Qin Zixin estimated a single climb would cost her half her life.
The good news was that Anji Lake had a cable car for climbing; the bad news was that its starting point was halfway up the mountain, requiring one to traverse over four thousand steps just to reach it.
Qin Zixin and Liu Wenjin, both having average stamina, lagged behind, gasping for breath with every step they took up the mountain. Qin Zhifeng and Tang Manwen, possessing better endurance, moved considerably faster than the other two.
Qin Zixin grew somewhat irritated. She couldn’t stand Liu Wenjin, always believing the little fatty relied purely on his family’s wealth; otherwise, how could he ever have the chance to get close to her cousin? Just moments ago, her cousin’s gaze had practically clung to him! The old saying went that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and Qin Zixin was convinced Tang Manwen was absolutely blind. Not only was Liu Wenjin unremarkable in appearance, but he also constantly showed off, and the things he boasted about were incredibly foolish.
As for Liu Wenjin…
He was currently experiencing a blend of pain and pleasure. The pain stemmed simply from the exhaustion of climbing and a faint discomfort in his stomach; he wasn’t sure if he’d caught a chill. Of course, it could also be the fried fish or the fruit tea Tang Manwen had brewed that had upset his stomach. But for now, he could endure it.
His pleasure, however, was simple: being surrounded by two stunning beauties and a handsome man. Even if their connection to him wasn’t strong, they were at least pleasant to look at. Especially Qin Zixin; he wondered what she had been eating this past year, given how well she had developed. A year ago, when Liu Wenjin first met Qin Zixin, he had indeed been captivated by her appearance.
Previously, he had always believed that no matter how beautiful someone was, they could at most rival Tang Manwen. Tang Manwen often spoke of having a cousin far more beautiful than herself, and Liu Wenjin initially thought it was just her being modest. However, after seeing Qin Zixin in person, he realized the truth in her words. After a year apart, Qin Zixin had changed immensely, becoming even more beautiful than before, imbued with an indefinable allure—more enchanting than a flower, softer than water. Especially with her exaggerated figure, she exuded an irresistible charm.
Liu Wenjin secretly glanced at her; the exaggerated curves and astonishing elasticity made his mouth water. He felt that even one of them would be too much for both his hands to cup. Normally, a shape so large would appear unsightly, but Qin Zixin’s was remarkably rounded and perfectly formed. Especially now, with the girl breathing heavily from the climb, her perfect ‘bunnies’ bounced with exceptional vivacity. And with every step she took upwards, her upper curves created a ripple, playfully jiggling. Liu Wenjin even felt that the straps of Qin Zixin’s inner camisole seemed to be straining under the weight.
“Hey, you dead fatty, do you want to get a closer look?” Qin Zixin glared at Liu Wenjin with annoyance; the little fatty’s gaze was far too brazen. She tried to button up her shirt at the chest, but it was too tight to fasten.
“Never mind, I’m afraid you’ll bite me.”
“I’d bite anyone but you. I’m afraid your meat stinks.” Qin Zixin huffed, a heavy ‘humph’ escaping her nose.
“Qin Zixin, I feel like something’s wrong.”
“What do you mean ‘wrong’?”
“I feel something’s off with my stomach.”
Qin Zixin was still panting from the climb, only responding with sarcasm.
“Oh, little fatty, are you about to have diarrhea?”
“What nonsense are you talking about! No.”
“Then why say your stomach feels off?”
“I said ‘possibly,’ do you understand ‘possibly’? It’s like you: you might think you’ll get into a car accident today, and even if you think it’s highly possible, would you really not leave the house?”
“So, are you going to have diarrhea?”
“No, are you obsessed with diarrhea or something? I’m asking, is it possible the fried fish you bought wasn’t clean?”
“No way! I don’t feel anything at all.”
“That’s because you didn’t eat any! I’ve already eaten half, so my stomach is reacting. Damn, my stomach just rumbled!”
Qin Zixin genuinely chuckled this time.
“Why don’t you go down the mountain? There’s a restroom at the parking lot. Hurry up and go, then run back up.”
“It’s fine, it was just an illusion. I don’t feel anything anymore.”
“Hmph! You’re just being stubborn. There won’t be any restrooms further up the mountain.”
Liu Wenjin offered a knowing smile.
“How could there be no restrooms? Aren’t there restrooms everywhere on the mountain?”
“You’re truly too much. I give up.” Qin Zixin’s gaze at Liu Wenjin was filled with utter disgust.
“How did my sister ever fall for you? You’re such bad luck.”
“Isn’t it enough that I relentlessly pursued her? Do you even understand the saying, ‘Even a virtuous woman fears a persistent suitor’? Besides, your sister is a real woman. Look at you, with your personality, what I send you normally is nowhere near like that!”
“Didn’t you start by sending me all sorts of bizarre things? You’re biting back now! What did you send me first?”
“I sent you philosophy, okay?”
“You actually read it? I don’t believe you’d genuinely read that.”
“Read what? Damn it, what good is that crap besides mass-producing suicidal teenagers?” Liu Wenjin thought back to when he first met Qin Zixin, how he’d forced himself to send her numerous such resources to ‘show off,’ and he felt a blush creep up his face just thinking about it.
“Then why did you still send it to me?”
“Wasn’t I just following the guide on Douban for how ‘artsy youth’ trick people into bed?”
“You learned how to trick people into bed from Douban?” Qin Zixin was stunned.
“Not *on* Douban, but *from* Douban. You go there and casually post a photo of yourself holding a book with a ridiculously long title—preferably one you can’t even understand, a foreign language book, definitely foreign. Then, you subtly reveal your car keys.”
“Car keys? No, how do car keys connect with books?”
“That’s what the online tutorial said.”
“You’d only catch idiots with that!”
“Otherwise, what? Who with a normal brain would even go there?” Qin Zixin was somewhat speechless.
“I go there for movie reviews; if you filter out the art-house film comments, it’s still readable.”
“You don’t understand. Have you ever seen posts about beautiful women on Douban?” Liu Wenjin’s expression was odd.
“Why would I look at those? Are they prettier than my sister? If I wanted to see beautiful women, wouldn’t I just secretly photograph my sister? Or look in a mirror?”
“Go on, boast all you want. But it’s true. Our High School No. 1’s BBS is full of your photos?”
Qin Zixin’s expression turned incredulous.
“What did you say? When did I get connected with your High School No. 1? Wait, I actually do know someone from your High School No. 1! Just like you, a fatty, and he’s even fatter than you!”
“Can you please stop calling me fat? I was going to say this too, damn it. Do you know how they insult beautiful women on Douban?”
“No, not interested. What else could they insult? Go ask my sister; she was bullied by other girls throughout middle school and freshman year of high school.”
“I’ve only ever seen ‘thin’ being insulted in three places: the pig-farming section of agricultural forums, the Oriental Livestock Network, and Douban.”
“Well, well. You’re raising pigs now? Oh, Young Master Liu, are you starting a side business?”
“What nonsense are you talking about, trying to mock me? Some groups on Douban are actually dominated by the fattest and ugliest segment of ‘female fists’ [feminists]. If a woman is attractive, she gets insulted more viciously than men; it’s practically raw class-on-class hatred. Now it’s even extended to the point where being ‘thin’ invites scorn.”
“Then why do you still go there to trick people into bed?”
“If I hadn’t actually tried to ‘fish’ there, how would I have known they were all fat pigs?” Liu Wenjin said indignantly.