Chu Jin, of course, was another story. His reputation as the "Pearl of the Nine Provinces" was well-known, and his beauty was so vivid and dazzling it was almost overwhelming. Yet Shen Mengzhi, beside him, was not outshone by this pearl's brilliance. His disposition was gentle and detached, and the pearl's radiance didn't scorch him in the slightest. The two of them sitting together were, surprisingly, a perfect complement to each other.

Although Qi Yu was usually straightforward and cheerful, he was born with the looks of a natural romantic; if he kept his mouth shut, he was among the finest in Yanling. This son of the Grand Censor was an uncut jade. No matter how simple and unadorned he appeared on the surface, or how approachable he was day-to-day, at his core, he was noble and bright, an unattainable eminence. Song Sifan, on the other hand, had a naturally cold appearance, with a distinguished and reserved temperament. As if inheriting the integrity of the Song Family's scholars and poets, there was a resilience in his bones, as tough and unyielding as bamboo.

Even the reserved and timid Xue Qin was a striking young master in a crowd, his extraordinary bearing branded into his very bones.

The moment the Flower Boat carrying the five men appeared, no one could look away. In the next second, a sky full of objects rained down.

The people of Xufang had always been enthusiastic and exceptionally supportive. In no time, the space at their feet and around them was piled high with all sorts of items: women's light silk fans, powder boxes, and sachets; men's folding fans, hair ribbons, jade pendants, and thumb rings.

A vendor selling melons and fruits on the riverbank laughed. "These few young masters, I don't have anything valuable. How about a honeydew melon?"

Qi Yu immediately replied, "Yes, why not?"

The young woman laughed again and said, "Ah, but the one I have my eye on is the one next to you. Can I give it to him?"

Song Sifan, beside him, was stunned. Before he could speak, Qi Yu acted as if they were old friends. "What a coincidence, I know him very well! What's his is mine. Toss it over, I'll have him come buy fruit from you often in the future!"

Song Sifan was completely bewildered. "Qi Yu, you..."

Before he could protest, the vendor had already said, "Alright then!" and decisively picked the largest honeydew melon to toss over.

Seeing this, others followed suit. Someone pointed at Shen Mengzhi and said, "What if I want to give him a lantern?"

"I know him well too!" Qi Yu said. "I'll make him carry your lantern every time he goes out!"

Shen Mengzhi: "..."

Another girl shyly pointed at Chu Jin and began bashfully, "Then him..."

Qi Yu, holding a melon in his left hand and a lantern in his right, declared decisively, "I'll give you his hair ribbon another day!"

But Chu Jin wasn't having it.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, let out a soft laugh, and suddenly lifted his hand. With a gentle tug of two fingers, he pulled off his hair ribbon. Instantly, his long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, swaying in the wind. The glossy black hair made his face look as white as jade.

Holding the fluttering ribbon between two fingers, he presented it to the girl, his eyes curving into a smile. "Don't listen to him. I'll give it to you."

The girl was stunned. She didn't recover for a long while, her mind blank as she watched him place the ribbon in her hand and take the hairpin from hers.

Qi Yu knew he was in the wrong, so he just snorted and busied himself with other things.

Chu Jin casually gathered his loose hair, only to hear Shen Mengzhi say helplessly, "Why are you competing with Qi Yu?"

He paused his action, then said lazily, "It's nothing. I just wanted to win."

Shen Mengzhi looked at his expression and couldn't help but smile.

Thanks to Qi Yu's redirection skills and Chu Jin's charm offensive, the passersby were fired up. Everywhere they passed, countless hands shoved all sorts of things at them, until there was almost no place left to stand.

Shen Mengzhi had an instinctive feeling that something was wrong. Seeing Qi Yu accept another summer melon, he subconsciously opened his mouth to stop him. "Qi Yu, wait..."

Qi Yu, standing on one side of the boat, had already taken the melon. Hearing his name, he turned and looked back. "Hmm?"

The word had barely left his mouth when a wave slapped against the boat. The hull suddenly lurched violently and then, without warning, tipped to one side.

Shen Mengzhi only had time to close his eyes before he fell uncontrollably into the water.

The Ji River was clear, but it was several meters deep. He choked on a few mouthfuls of water. The uproar from the crowd on the bank reached his ears, muffled and indistinct through the water. He could only feel his body sinking uncontrollably downward.

In the nick of time, a pair of hands grabbed him tightly, halting his descent, and then forcefully pulled him to the surface.

Air rushed into his lungs, and Shen Mengzhi choked violently, coughing up several mouthfuls of water in a daze. He felt someone gently patting his back, but when he came to his senses, the hand was withdrawn.

He pushed his soaking wet hair from his forehead and looked up. Xue Qin and Song Sifan were lying on the righted boat, coughing. Qi Yu was wringing out his clothes. Seeing him, he asked with concern, "Jiang Zhen, are you alright?"

Shen Mengzhi shook his head.

Behind him, Chu Jin suddenly said, "You can't swim?"

Shen Mengzhi's voice was a bit hoarse from coughing. He said softly, "Yeah. Thank you for just now."

His clothes were soaked through, clinging to his body. As he spoke, water from his chin gathered into a small stream, slowly gliding down his slender neck before disappearing into his collar.

After a long moment, Chu Jin finally spoke. "You're welcome."

Having ended up like this, the group was no longer in the mood for boating and docked their boats to go ashore.

By now, the sun had almost sunk below the horizon. The red glow on the skyline was gradually fading. A gentle evening breeze blew, providing pleasant relief from the summer heat.

Qi Yu gave Song Sifan a meaningful look. The latter understood and naturally led Shen Mengzhi a little further away.

Seeing that the distance was sufficient, Qi Yu sidled up to Chu Jin, cleared his throat, and said politely, "Brother Chu, I have something I'd like to ask."

Chu Jin glanced at him and replied just as politely, "Brother Qi, please speak."

"It's like this," Qi Yu said. "Back in Flower and Willow Lane, during the Riddle-Solving, for the Recognize the Heart round, what was the meaning of the note you left?"

Chu Jin didn't stop walking, but the corner of his lip twitched into a faint, clear smile. He said leisurely, "My heart."

"Your heart?" Qi Yu found it incredible. "Empty?"

"No," Chu Jin said. "It's black and white."

He suddenly stopped and turned his head to look in Shen Mengzhi's direction. The other seemed to be talking about something with Song Sifan, a gentle smile on his face. Sensing his gaze, he quietly looked up.

Song Sifan was still pondering the words he had just replied with. "...Right and wrong, black and white?"

"Mm," Shen Mengzhi's voice was light and ethereal. "A pure white heart, even if mired in mud, will not be stained."

Song Sifan frowned and asked again, "But how did you understand his meaning? You two have only known each other for a few months."

"The countless relationships in this world can hardly be measured by time." Shen Mengzhi looked at Chu Jin and Qi Yu talking in the distance and said slowly, "In this world, some people are like strangers even when their hair turns white, while others..."

He paused slightly.

On the other side, Qi Yu asked, puzzled, "So what is your relationship now?"

Chu Jin chuckled and repeated, "...What relationship?"

The two faced the vast evening glow, looked at each other, and spoke with a tacit understanding.

"Are like old friends at first meeting."

"Just like old friends at first meeting."