Rebirth in 2011: Starting as an Advertising Genius

The bus drove for about an hour and stopped at a service area for fifteen minutes.

The students got off the bus to stretch their muscles, use the restroom, and buy snacks.

Chen Jianghe stood up, stretched, and glanced at Yuan Meng, who was still listening to music beside him: "Want to go for a walk?"

"Oh, okay." Yuan Meng took off her headphones and carefully put them into her pocket.

The two got out of the car and strolled around the supermarket in the service area.

Yuan Meng bought a bottle of water, and Chen Jianghe bought a bag of preserved plums.

"Do you eat sour things?" Yuan Meng asked curiously.

"I don't want it." Chen Jianghe tore open the packaging and handed it to her. "I bought it for you."

Yuan Meng was taken aback: "How did you know I like preserved plums?"

"Just a guess."

Deceiving.

He observed it.

During the last group discussion, she had a bag of preserved plums on her table; he must have seen it.

Yuan Meng took the preserved plum, put one in her mouth, and tasted its sweet and sour flavor.

On the other side of the service area, Huang Xiaoqian was standing next to the bus, holding a cup of coffee, confirming the afternoon's itinerary with the team leader.

Chen Jianghe slowed his pace a little as he passed by.

"Guide."

Huang Xiaoqian looked up: "Hmm?"

"Drink less coffee, it's bad for your stomach."

Huang Xiaoqian was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously hid the coffee behind her back, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face.

"You...you have no right to tell me what I drink."

Chen Jianghe smiled, said nothing more, and continued walking forward.

Huang Xiaoqian watched his retreating figure, her heart racing.

How did he know I have a stomach problem?

I haven't told anyone...

The class monitor next to her whispered, "Teacher Huang, are you alright? Your face is a little red."

"No...it's nothing, just from the sun."

The class monitor glanced at the overcast sky, then at Huang Xiaoqian, and wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

Twenty minutes later, the bus started moving again.

Yuan Meng was still sitting next to Chen Jianghe, their earphones still connected to each other's ears.

This time, Jay Chou's "Sunny Day" was playing in my headphones.

"The little yellow flower of the story has been drifting since the year it was born..."

Yuan Meng leaned against the car window, sunlight squeezing through the gaps in the curtains and falling on the back of her hand, like a small piece of golden candy.

She glanced at the side and saw that Chen Jianghe had closed his eyes again, this time seemingly really asleep.

His head was slightly tilted towards her, his breathing was even, and his eyelashes fluttered occasionally.

Yuan Meng stared at his profile for a long time, and then slowly, very slowly, moved her shoulder a little bit closer to him.

I can rest my head on his pillow as long as he leans in.

But he didn't.

She waited for two minutes, but he still didn't come.

Yuan Meng bit her lip and cursed herself in her heart: Yuan Meng, are you a coward?

Then she made a decision.

She gently rested her head on his shoulder.

It just leans against it gently, like a fallen leaf on the water, almost weightless.

Chen Jianghe did not move.

They didn't hide.

Yuan Meng closed her eyes, the melody of "Sunny Day" filled her ears, and his scent, the smell of laundry soap, mixed with a touch of sunshine warmth, reached her nose.

She didn't know if he was really asleep.

But she hoped he hadn't.

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The bus swayed along the winding mountain road for nearly an hour before finally arriving in Hongcun at around 2 p.m.

The scenery outside the car window is like a slowly unfolding ink painting. The Hui-style buildings with white walls and black tiles are built along the water, and the horse-head walls are staggered in height. They are reflected on the surface of Nanhu Lake, broken and pieced back together by the wind.

Students had already set up their easels on the stone bridge at the village entrance, while groups of tourists strolled along, cameras in hand.

"We're here!" Wang Lei was the first to stand up, almost hitting his head on the luggage rack.

Chen Jianghe opened his eyes and found Yuan Meng still leaning on his shoulder, breathing evenly, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, asleep.

He hesitated for a moment, then didn't move.

The car came to a stop, the engine was turned off, and the passenger compartment became noisy.

Yuan Meng was awakened by the noise. She opened her eyes groggily and found herself leaning on Chen Jianghe's shoulder, and Chen Jianghe was awake. She jumped up as if she had been electrocuted.

"I...I'm so sorry!" Her face turned as red as a boiled shrimp as she frantically tidied her hair. "I fell asleep..."

"It's nothing." Chen Jianghe stretched his shoulders, which were a little numb from being pressed down, and smiled slightly. "You slept soundly."

Yuan Meng wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Wang Lei leaned over from the front row, gave the two of them a meaningful look, and wisely kept quiet before getting off the bus with his bag.

The guesthouse booked by the school is called "Moon Pond Family Inn". It is located next to Moon Pond in the heart of Hongcun. It is a renovated old house with a small but exquisite courtyard. There is an osmanthus tree in the courtyard, and several wooden tables and benches are placed under the tree.

The owner was a local man in his forties, with dark skin and a heavy southern Anhui accent. He enthusiastically helped with the luggage.

"Students, the rooms have been assigned. Two people per room, grouped by student ID number. The list is here with me." Huang Xiaoqian stood in the courtyard, holding up a printed sheet of paper, her voice slightly distorted by the wind.

Chen Jianghe glanced at the list. He and Wang Lei were in the same room on the third floor, on the east side.

Yuan Meng and Yu Ying shared a room on the second floor.

"Everyone, go upstairs and put your luggage down first. We'll meet in the courtyard at 4:30, and I'll take you to Nanhu to scout out the location." Huang Xiaoqian closed the list, looked around, and said.

"Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions."

Wang Lei carried his bag and went upstairs first.

Chen Jianghe lagged two steps behind and walked to Huang Xiaoqian's side.

"Director, which room are you staying in?"

Huang Xiaoqian was looking at her phone when she heard this. She looked up and asked, "First floor, the small single room on the west side. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Chen Jianghe smiled. "It's convenient to contact you if there are any problems."

Huang Xiaoqian rolled her eyes at him, her ear tips turning slightly red: "You'd better not have any problems."

Chen Jianghe went upstairs, while Huang Xiaoqian stood still, glancing down at her phone screen. It showed her chat history with Chen Jianghe, the last message still being, "With you here, I feel at ease."

She bit her lip and turned her phone face down on the table.

Chen Jianghe turned around and went to the room with Wang Lei. The room was better than he had imagined. It was a wooden structure, and you could see the Moon Swamp when you opened the window.

Wang Lei threw his bag on the bed, leaned on the windowsill and looked out: "Holy crap, this view is amazing! Old Chen, take a picture for me, I want to post it on QQ Space."

Chen Jianghe ignored him, packed his things, and stood by the window to look at Moon Pond. The surface of the water was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the white walls and black tiles and the clouds in the sky. Occasionally, a duck would swim by, leaving a thin ripple.

"Is it good-looking?" Wang Lei asked.

"Um."

"Will you take a picture for me?"

"I won't help."

"...We're breaking off relations."

We will gather in the courtyard at 4:30.

Huang Xiaoqian changed into a thin white sweatshirt, and her hair was down, making her look younger than she did in the morning.

She stood under the osmanthus tree, holding a paper fan from the guesthouse, fanning herself as she called out names.

"Nanhu Lake isn't far from here, it's about a five-minute walk. Everyone, stay close and don't fall behind."

She walked at the very front, her pace neither too fast nor too slow, like a white egret leading the way.

Yuan Meng followed behind Chen Jianghe, holding a small notebook in her hand, sketching as she walked—she was used to recording scenery with quick sketches.

"Don't you get dizzy drawing while walking?" Chen Jianghe asked, turning his head to look at her.

"I'm used to it." Yuan Meng lowered her head, her pencil moving quickly across the paper. "Besides, Hongcun is so beautiful, I'm afraid I'll forget it later."

Chen Jianghe glanced at her notebook. With just a few strokes, the outline of Tsukuma had emerged, the lines clean and crisp, the proportions precise.

"It's really well drawn."

Yuan Meng paused for a moment, then continued drawing, her ears turning red again.

She seems to be blushing the whole day.