The Hot-tempered Young Master and His Village Flower Child Bride - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Graduation Trip

Following Zhao Xunyu’s drunken antics, Chu Zhi Lu banned him from drinking alcohol and kept him at arm’s length for a week. Knowing he was in the wrong, Zhao Xunyu did not protest.

In early August, Zhao Qingtang and Grandma Chu hosted a grand banquet, inviting guests from far and wide. The celebration for Zhao Xunyu and Chu Zhi Lu’s college admissions drew forty tables of guests, creating a lively atmosphere. Even Zhao Xunyu’s cousin, ‘exiled’ to Antarctica, received a special pardon and rushed back to attend. Perhaps no one was more depressed than he was. He was truly worn down by his time abroad, struggling with the unfamiliar environment and language barrier. And Zhao Xunyu? He hadn’t suffered at all and had even snagged an amazing girlfriend!

Zhao Xunyu’s gratefully put his arm around his cousin’s shoulder, which only further angered him.

Zhao Xunyu’s rowdy friends practically worshipped Chu Zhi Lu when they met him. The guy had been silent all this time, but when he finally did, he made a stunning impression.

One by one, they flattered Chu Zhi Lu, calling her ‘sister-in-law’ and asking if she knew any single friends looking for partners.

Zhao Xunyu treated the college admission banquet like his wedding reception with Chu Zhi Lu. He planned a speech to thank all their relatives and friends for their blessings and for sharing their joy. He vowed to work with Chu Zhi Lu hand in hand, striving for even greater achievements in the future.

His speech drew good-natured cheers from the crowd, but his grandmother’s gaze grew even more irritated. Even the usually composed Chu Zhi Lu couldn’t resist the urge to bury her face in the ground.

Annoyed by his smugness, Xu Qingchen and the others booed him. “You’re pressuring her into marriage publicly! That’s emotional blackmail!”

“Exactly! You scheming dog!”

Zhao Xunyu grinned triumphantly. “Is there anyone here who objects to the wedding rehearsal?”

After the graduation banquet, the couple embarked on their graduation trip.

Zhao Xunyu had meticulously planned every destination, driven by his obsession with romantic rituals and gestures. He carefully selected each location from a list of ’50 Must-Visit Spots for Couples,’ ensuring the trip would be memorable yet manageable.

They say that out of ten couples who travel together, nine will argue during the trip, while the remaining pair will simply part ways. Zhao Xunyu had been secretly worried about this beforehand and had even researched conflict resolution strategies online. The advice was predictable: Men should take responsibility, avoid impatience, take the initiative with payments, and not be petty about expenses. Confident he could handle all that, he felt his anxiety ease considerably.

They finally set out, but before Chu Zhi Lu could find a reason to argue with him, he started acting up. The reason? Simply because, when they were taking a picture together, she lost patience after a few shots and said that was enough.

Zhao Xunyu, still holding his phone, glared at the screen. His expression was sour and asked, “Is our affection fading? Why are you so impatient with me?”

“I just don’t like taking photos,” Chu Zhi Lu replied. Having grown up with Grandma Chu, she had always been simple and low-key. She had little interest in taking pictures, photographing food, posting on social media, or showing off. Even during her introduction at her new school, she simply said, ‘Hello, everyone. My name is Chu Zhi Lu. Please take care of me.’ She preferred not to talk much about herself.

Besides, she and Zhao Xunyu had already taken countless photos together. Whenever they saw a frog on the road, he insisted on taking multiple shots from different angles. It was exhausting.

“I don’t like taking photos either,” Zhao Xunyu retorted. “But we’re on vacation together! I want to capture beautiful memories. You don’t have to worry about composition, angles, or editing. All I’m asking is for you to pose for a few pictures. Is that really too much to ask?”

Chu Zhi Lu had a naturally aloof expression. Right now, she was sitting blankly on the rainbow bridge he wanted to photograph. The more Zhao Xunyu looked at her, the more aggrieved he felt. He was convinced that she was simply bored.

Chu Zhi Lu rested her chin in her hand and patted the spot beside her, signaling for him to sit down. “Let’s rest for a bit first.”

Reluctantly, Zhao Xunyu sat down facing her, still waiting for an explanation.

Chu Zhi Lu rested her head on his lap and said, “I’m tired. Let’s take a break before continuing.”

Fine. Zhao Xunyu accepted this explanation.

His minor grievance was easily brushed aside.

Zhao Xunyu was very open about his relationship. His WeChat name included Chu Zhi Lu’s name. His background image featured her, and his profile picture was a custom-commissioned chibi couple avatar. Before their trip, he posted daily updates about his girlfriend on WeChat Moments. While traveling, he increased his posts to three per day: nine-grid collages of photos with her, accompanied by multiple text-based Moments. His constant posts flooded his friends’ feeds, drawing countless complaints. But Zhao Xunyu didn’t care if they were annoyed. His Moments, his rules. However, he would swiftly reply, block, and delete any commenter who dared to write ‘PDA, doomed to fail.’

Chu Zhi Lu wasn’t thinking about such things. On the first night of their trip, after posting on WeChat Moments, Zhao Xunyu sent her additional photos and wrote, “You can only post nine photos on Moments, but these are good, too.”

Chu Zhi Lu clicked on them and saw that they were indeed well taken. She nodded and silently saved the photo.

Seeing that she wasn’t doing anything else, Zhao Xunyu began to sigh dramatically. “Ah, I bet tons of guys will chase after you in college. You just look like you don’t have a boyfriend.”

Chu Zhi Lu was confused. How did the conversation suddenly jump to this?

“There’s no trace of me on your Moments, and your background photo isn’t of me either.”

“…” Chu Zhi Lu understood. She handed him her phone. “Don’t change the background photo. Post whatever you want on Moments.”

Zhao Xunyu feigned innocence. “I’m not trying to pressure you or anything. I’m just making an observation.”

Yet, without hesitation, he snatched the phone and expertly edited a nine-grid collage in a few swift motions.

“What should I write for the caption?”

Chu Zhi Lu glanced at him. “If you can’t think of anything, just don’t post it. You’re not my boyfriend yet anyway.”

Zhao Xunyu silently took an arrow to the knee. Although they had already done everything couples do, he had insisted on waiting until Chu Zhi Lu’s birthday to officially define their relationship.

His current status was borrowed from the future.

He couldn’t not post something. He quickly typed a few words asking his boss for approval. “Is this okay?”

Chu Zhi Lu glanced at the screen. The caption read, ‘With my boyfriend.’ Without a word, she tapped send.

Zhao Xunyu happily leaned over to kiss her.

The reaction of Chu Zhi Lu’s WeChat friends was completely different. Unlike him, the comments under Chu Zhi Lu’s post were all blessings and rainbow farts.

Zhao Xunyu knew when to quit while he was ahead. He only wheedled her into making one post on Moments, calling it ‘helping her protect her reputation.’

Chu Zhi Lu began to realize the importance of maintaining an online presence and started posting updates herself occasionally.

To this, Zhao Xunyu expressed: My heart is greatly pleased.

Their sweet trip was a time of blissful intimacy. Beyond sightseeing and experiencing local culture, the most important activity was, of course, making love!

The young couple, newly initiated into the joys of intimacy, were utterly enamored. Having been dominated in bed for so long, Chu Zhi Lu began to learn to fight back, making their encounters even more passionate and intense.