Although they agreed to go for a picnic, implementing it is quite difficult. Forest fire prevention is strictly enforced, and they are all students who dare not do anything wrong. Every year, the school sends many letters to parents, reminding them not to play in dangerous deep water areas, reminding them to pay attention to their mental health, and of course, reminding them to be cautious about fire safety. At Duan Ye’s home, they can confidently cook with an open fire, but in the wild, it’s better not to risk it!
Zhou Ji felt quite regretful.
In the end, the remaining few people divided their tasks.
Some went home to get the tent, and others went to buy picnic mats…
With Zhou Ji’s strong suggestion, he managed to get a good deal. It was still Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo, along with him and Ning Zhiyu. The four of them went shopping, and this time it was much simpler than last time. They only needed to buy fruits, drinks, and bread.
When it came to shopping, Ning Zhiyu was skilled.
Zhou Ji was just lamenting the lack of an opportunity to show off. When Ning Zhiyu and Jiang Yumo were discussing where to buy fruits, he confidently approached and took out a card, handing it to Ning Zhiyu. “Use this to pay. There’s no password on this card, just swipe it.”
Ning Zhiyu looked at him slowly, her gaze shifting to the card.
“No need,” she shook her head.
Duan Ye came over, saying, “No need for the trouble.”
He looked at Jiang Yumo and said, “I’ve already told the others. If we win the competition this time, the school will give us a prize of 800 yuan. We’ll use it for today’s expenses, and the rest will be divided among them. You guys pick what to buy, and I’ll handle the payment.”
Jiang Yumo looked at him with surprise and asked, “There’s a prize too?”
Duan Ye nodded and replied, “That’s what they said.”
Ning Zhiyu chimed in, “Alright then. Although we have some funds, it’s still better to save a bit. Yumo, there’s a wholesale fruit market on Linjiang Road. The fruits there are fresh and cheaper than supermarkets or fruit shops. Would you like to go there? They have a better variety, but it’s a little far.”
“I’m fine with that. We’re going to the embankment anyway. We can buy the fruits last,” Jiang Yumo replied.
Ning Zhiyu nodded and started calculating in her mind how to minimize the costs.
Zhou Ji : “…”
He was somewhat speechless.
Having been born into such a family, he was destined to never lack money in his lifetime. Therefore, he couldn’t understand why Ning Zhiyu and Jiang Yumo were quietly discussing things like “where to buy affordable and cost-effective bread” or “buying beverages in bulk from the supermarket to save a few yuan.”
Was it really necessary to agonize over such small amounts of money?
The two girls walked ahead, holding hands and enthusiastically discussing what to buy.
Zhou Ji’s mood was a bit restless, and he kicked a stone on the roadside in frustration.
Accidentally, the stone hit Duan Ye.
Duan Ye turned around and looked at him with a faint expression.
Zhou Ji quickly reached out his hand, “My bad, my bad.”
Duan Ye withdrew his gaze. Zhou Ji couldn’t hold back anymore and quickly caught up, walking alongside him and lowering his voice, he said, “Why did you just smash my scene? Are we still buddies?”
Earlier, he gave the card to Ning Zhiyu, and although she initially refused, if he insisted a few more times, maybe she would have accepted it.
But now, she still had to figure out how to save that bonus.
Duan Ye ignored him.
He continued to complain, “Weren’t we cooperating well today on the court?” His excitement grew as he spoke, “That last dunk of mine was pretty good, right?”
At the time, the cheers from the crowd were almost deafening, and he heard them all, but he didn’t know if Ning Zhiyu had also applauded for him.
Duan Ye probably couldn’t bear it anymore and stopped in his tracks.
Zhou Ji had already taken a few steps. Seeing Duan Ye stop, he turned around and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Duan Ye replied in a deep voice, “This is Ningcheng.”
Zhou Ji didn’t understand his meaning and walked a few steps to his side, saying, “I know.”
Duan Ye glanced at him and said, “Then stop using your old tricks here.”
Zhou Ji was puzzled, “What do you mean? What old tricks?”
Duan Ye looked at the two girls ahead who hadn’t realized they had stopped. “The self-righteous attitude.”
Duan Ye didn’t usually talk much to Zhou Ji.
He was never much of a talker, whether it was with Zhao Zheng or Guo Shichao.
Zhou Ji started to get annoyed when he finally caught on, “I never intended that.”
Duan Ye was already too lazy to bother with him and continued walking forward, catching up with Jiang Yumo.
Zhou Ji kept chattering incessantly, following behind Duan Ye, babbling, “I just wanted to show off, so what? You’re the same, always showing off in front of someone. Have I ever said anything about you? Anyway, that wasn’t my intention.”
“Are we not buddies?” Zhou Ji called out to Duan Ye when Duan Ye didn’t respond.
Duan Ye didn’t even turn his head. “No.”
Zhou Ji : “?”
In fact, he vaguely felt that these people, the people of Ningcheng, were different from his childhood friends and buddies in Yanjing.
In Yanjing, even his childhood friends who grew up with him had similar family backgrounds. They had all learned to weigh the pros and cons from an early age. It was ingrained in them. He knew that even his friends were not his own choice but were chosen by their parents.
He once had a friend, a close one, but because their families competed over a project, the relationship between the two families gradually became estranged. Perhaps influenced by his parents, that friend also distanced himself from Zhou Ji.
Among Zhou Ji’s childhood friends, there was sincerity, but it was different from the sincerity of the people in Ningcheng.
In Ningcheng, didn’t he feel a long-lost sense of relaxation?
While Ning Zhuyu focused on selecting fruits, Zhou Ji quietly, pretending to be casual, approached her. He watched her carefully picking oranges, her serious expression. His heart fluttered as if brushed by feathers. He also casually picked up an orange and weighed it in his hand, then paused. “Um… I mean, just now…”
Ning Zhuyu turned her head to look at him, somewhat puzzled.
She doesn’t understand what he’s trying to say.
Zhou Ji gritted his teeth and said, “I just want you to know that I’m pretty cool.”
Isn’t that how it’s portrayed on TV?
He has also heard his friends bragging, saying that giving their girlfriends a card with a low limit didn’t mean much, but it still moved their girlfriends.
Ning Zhiyu stared at him and smiled.
Zhou Ji looked at her in a daze.
“If you were showing off with that 800 yuan bonus just now,” Ning Zhiyu chuckled, “then I would think you’re cool.”
Zhou Ji’s heart skipped a beat.
“Because it’s the prize you all earned through your hard work in the competition, and you guys were really great today.”
Suddenly, Zhou Ji understood, and he was stunned.
Why did he look down on that 800 yuan?
Isn’t that what they won by fighting desperately?