What Are Your Tastes? chapter 16
Can You Stay in the Same Room as Me?
The call Zhou Yanchuan received outside the shop was from Principal Guo of Wen County Experimental Primary School.
That year marked the school’s second year since its establishment. Apart from initially assisting in its construction, Zhou Yanchuan had always been concerned about funding follow-ups and the school’s development. Today, the principal discussed some routine work affairs with him, and also mentioned the issue of the low quality of education in the county town.
For example, in the field of arts, there was a shortage of teachers, and students’ families did not prioritize it. When the school was established, a graffiti wall was set up to allow students to freely express themselves, but everyone didn’t know what to paint… The principal had been nagging about this matter for a long time, and finally asked Zhou Yanchuan if he knew any outstanding professionals who could give lectures to the children.
Zhou Yanchuan said he would look into it. In his opinion, the whole set of quality education was just something wealthy people played with. Without the right atmosphere for growth, it was all in vain. Culture couldn’t develop overnight with economic development; this was an inevitable fact, so he didn’t make any absolute statements. The principal probably just mentioned it casually, not expecting much. They chatted briefly and then ended the call.
Originally, Zhou Yanchuan hadn’t taken it seriously. When it came to acquaintances in the art field, the first person he thought of was the painter and university art professor he had joked about as “surviving on morning dew”. However, after returning to Blue Bay with Sabrina, somehow he found himself asking Lu Yunchu in front of him.
There was another issue: it was a several-hour drive from Sen city to Wen County, and a round trip would likely take two days, which wasn’t exactly an appealing task even with compensation. He increasingly felt that Lu Yunchu was unlikely to agree, so he added, “It’s not a big deal, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. If you do go, there will be compensation.”
Lu Yunchu leaned against the door frame, “That’s the school you invested in, right?”
“Yeah,” Zhou Yanchuan admitted truthfully, “I’ve been there several times.”
“What kind of school is it?”
Zhou Yanchuan was somewhat surprised, “Are you interested?”
Lu Yunchu pursed his lips and smiled faintly, “I might consider it.”
“I have photos, would you like to see?”
“Sure.”
As a result, Zhou Yanchuan sat in Lu Yunchu’s apartment for a while longer. He started by showing him the photos on his phone and then shared some experiences of preparing to establish the school, as well as what he had seen each time he visited.
“Those kids aren’t actually dumb, but the conditions there aren’t as good as in the city, and their exposure is limited, very innocent…” After a lengthy explanation, Zhou Yanchuan still wore a surprised expression. “You’re really interested?”
Interested? Lu Yunchu couldn’t say for sure, but he wasn’t opposed to it. Perhaps he enjoyed trying new things, and thinking about the new plans at work, there were similarities that made it a beneficial exploration.
“A little bit,” Zhou Yanchuan casually said that it didn’t matter whether he went or not, but his way of introducing the school was quite provocative, not deliberate, giving the impression that he genuinely liked the place. This sentiment somewhat influenced Lu Yunchu. “What you said sounds good; it could be considered a trip for inspiration.”
As soon as he heard him mention inspiration, Zhou Yanchuan remembered something. Lu Yunchu’s family was well-off, and he might not have seen truly poor places before. He might even consider any trip as a tourist outing.
In fact, although Wen County and Sen city were in the same province, they were hundreds of kilometers apart, situated near the border with neighboring provinces, and the economic conditions were even worse.
After careful consideration, he reminded him, “My hometown is quite poor and not very fun to visit.” Implicitly, going there might turn out differently from what he imagined.
“I know, I’m not completely ignorant,” Lu Yunchu glanced at him inexplicably, understanding something, “Do you think I’m delicate?”
Zhou Yanchuan pondered and realized it might not be entirely true. At their first meeting, this person indeed seemed like a proud and arrogant young master, but getting to know him as a neighbor, he seemed more down-to-earth, except for occasional abnormal thought processes.
“Not really,” he shook his head, “If we go, I’ll go with you.”
Zhou Yanchuan often went to Wen County alone. Since he suggested Lu Yunchu make the trip, he felt it more appropriate to accompany him. The principal was delighted to hear that he had found a suitable candidate and offered to reimburse their travel expenses, but Zhou Yanchuan declined.
“Alright, Lao Guo,” he was quite familiar with the principal and spoke casually, “Most of the school’s funds are mine anyway. Isn’t this like you using my money to invite me?”
“Hey, you brat,” the principal pretended to be angry, “Can’t I pay out of my own pocket?”
“Of course you can, Lao Guo.” Zhou Yanchuan chuckled, “But don’t argue with me about this. I also want to come home and visit. Just remember to give Teacher Lu his compensation, and don’t worry about anything else.”
After discussing with the principal, he asked Lu Yunchu, “Can we leave next Thursday?” It had been half a month since elementary school started. “You might need to arrange things at the studio first.”
“I will,” Lu Yunchu had no objections.
The round trip to Wen County was expected to take two days, requiring an overnight stay. Lu Yunchu was uneasy about leaving Sabrina alone at home, so he dropped her off at Ning Ruowei’s place the day before.
“You’re going to the county with Hongchuan’s boss?” Lu Yunchu was discussing dog care with Ning Ruowei, but her focus completely shifted.
“Yeah, he suggested it.”
“Don’t you think—” Ning Ruowei’s gaze was strange, “You two have been too close lately?”
Lu Yunchu didn’t understand. Weren’t they just neighbors? And every time Zhou Yanchuan stuck to him seemed to be because of Sabrina.
“Are you staying overnight together?”
“We’re not sharing a room.”
“Did he book a room?”
“I don’t think so,” Lu Yunchu remembered Zhou Yanchuan said there was a decent hotel in Wen County, usually not many people go there, “the hotels there aren’t crowded.”
“What if there’s only one room left?” Ning Ruowei wondered, “Why doesn’t he have someone book it?”
“He’s a local, he probably doesn’t think it’s necessary.” Lu Yunchu himself probably wouldn’t prepare in advance if he returned to S City, let alone just a small county.
“Are you sure Zhou Yanchuan is straight?”
“Of course,” Lu Yunchu stared at her, amused by her gossip-seeking look, “Why are you thinking so much?”
“Just be cautious… Like that Chen’an’s Prince, he’s about our age,” she looked disdainful, “he swings both ways, you know? All kinds of wings.”
Lu Yunchu nodded. Not only did he know, he wanted to turn me into one of his wings.
But apart from their wealth, Lin Yizhe and Zhou Yanchuan had no similarities whatsoever. No matter how much Lu Yunchu despised Zhou Yanchuan’s taste, he never doubted his character.
“Forget it, Zhou Yanchuan probably isn’t that promiscuous,” Ning Ruowei thought for a moment and said, “No need to worry.”
“Yeah, how could he possibly have feelings for me, he’s mostly interested in Sabrina.” Even the puppy he liked was a girl, he couldn’t be more straight…
And that day when he taught him to make thick omelets, Zhou Yanchuan had a completely nonchalant expression, but he himself felt a bit uneasy.
Ning Ruowei suddenly leaned close to his face, “Could it be that you have feelings for him?”
“How could I?”
“Why are you blushing?” She mumbled to herself, unsure of what to imagine. “It doesn’t matter if you have feelings for him. You can’t do anything to him, and if something really happens, I’ll stand by your side.”
Lu Yunchu: “…”
The central area of Wen County felt similar to larger towns, perhaps not as developed as many smaller places, but Zhou Yanchuan told Lu Yunchu that the county had become wealthier in recent years.
Zhou Yanchuan checked in at the hotel reception while Lu Yunchu waited nearby. The so-called best hotel in the county was not even comparable to a basic guesthouse in Sen city; the lobby sofas were all worn out, but at least it was generally clean.
However, the efficiency was too low. Lu Yunchu waited impatiently for a long time until Zhou Yanchuan finally came over with a hesitant expression.
“Is everything okay?”
“…Sorry,” Zhou Yanchuan cautiously began, “Can you stay in the same room with me tonight?”
Lu Yunchu was taken aback. Zhou Yanchuan explained, “There’s a visiting delegation from outside, and they’ve almost booked the entire hotel. Only one standard room is left.”
It seemed Ning Ruowei’s ominous prediction had come true.