Seeing her surprise, Gao Yuan said, "I ordered it for you, Little Leopard. You can still sing, right? You sang it at Melody KTV that year."
She had no choice but to listen; the Latin intro had already begun. How could she not? This song was like a curse; ever since that day she accidentally clicked on it, she had been plunged into an abyss.
Picking up the microphone, she accurately took the beat:
There's a restless, irresistible urge that makes me want to ignite you.
I know it's not good for me to drive everyone away, I know I can't quit.
I can't shake the allure of flowers that aren't flowers, an addiction that leaves me nowhere to escape; I can't shake the dreamlike lines that aren't mist, a dream turned upside down.
Is it a dream, a whiff of a bubble, or a sight?
The fleeting boredom between the fingers transforms into a throbbing, supportive feeling.
Kissing you makes me forget my troubles, but you become my troubles. I never imagined I couldn't quit.
I can't give up kissing you, it's unnecessary, but what's more important? I can't give up, even though I'm proud and arrogant; I get restless if I don't have you.
If I can't quit, I'll just extinguish my sense of taste. But my heart isn't that lofty. Let go of you, pretend to smile and playfully pluck a flower. The problem is...
How can I calm my heartbeat?
The lyrics were so fitting that she became more and more upset as she sang, until she choked up, put down the microphone, and cried.
Everyone panicked. Tang Beibei rushed forward, "Shi Nan, what's wrong?"
Wang Fan took out a handkerchief, and Gao Yuan hurriedly changed the song. Zhang Miao asked, "Shi Nan, were you bullied in the Netherlands?"
Shi Nan shook her head and just cried. For the past few years, she had kept it all bottled up inside, never letting it flow out as tears.
She hated him. She hated him terribly.
He kissed her, he took her, but in the end he lost her.
She had no choice but to flee to the Netherlands. She could neither see nor hear, and thought she could finally let go.
But three years later, the moment I saw him with someone else in the movie theater, I knew I had failed again.
My heart was pounding so hard, it hurt so much.
Shi Nan said she wanted to go home. Wang Fan drove her there, and she didn't refuse. She just wanted to get home quickly and hide under the covers to sleep.
Wang Fan parked his car at the entrance of her residential complex and offered to drive her inside, but Shi Nan declined. Wang Fan told her to get some rest, then paused and added, "Shi Nan, if anything's bothering you, you can talk about it. Don't keep it bottled up inside."
Shi Nan looked at him and nodded. Wang Fan hugged her, and she didn't refuse. His embrace was warm, and Shi Nan felt comforted.
After saying goodbye, Shi Nan turned and walked into the residential area. He had just taken a step when he realized something, slowly turning back to look at the figure he had just caught a glimpse of. Upon seeing it, Shi Nan froze, as if struck by lightning, unable to move.
She watched as Lan Di walked over from under the streetlight and stopped in front of her.
Moonlight once again blanketed the ground.
Eight years ago, on that summer night, on his way home, he stopped under the moonlight and asked her, "Do you want me to come back?" At that time, he was young, half in the dark and half in the light. Shi Nan later realized that she had already been bewitched back then.
Now, under the moonlight, he was still half-lit and half-shadowed. He didn't speak, but looked at Shi Nan with an expression completely different from that of the afternoon: back then, he was as indifferent as water, as if he didn't recognize her; but now, the man in front of her was like a turbulent sea, as if he could step forward at any moment and swallow her up.
Sure enough, the next second, he pulled her into his arms, the movement so rough that it hurt her.
He gripped her neck, kissing her ear as he spoke harshly: "You little vixen, I hate you, I hate you so much."
The moon at that time
The story jumps back five years. Shi Nan was a junior in college, it was April again, and it was his birthday.
At the end of the day, Shi Nan found it strange that there weren't many well wishes from his classmates. Even Lan Di, who was always there on time, hadn't sent a single message.
Finally, Ye Feng invited her to his birthday dinner that evening, but Shi Nan said, "Isn't it my birthday? I should be the one treating you."
Ye Feng said, "It's all the same. But I'll decide on the location."
"Isn't it my birthday? I should be the one booking the place."
Ye Feng glared, "This can't be the same, you have to listen to me!"
Shi Nan smiled and followed him. They ran into her roommates halfway there, and she told them they didn't need to save her a seat during evening study. Her roommate, the Japanese drama enthusiast from the Japanese department, made a fist at Ye Feng and said, "Ye Feng-kun, ganbale!"
Shi Nan asked him, "Why is she cheering you on?"
Ye Feng pulled her outside and stopped in front of a storefront in an alley outside the South Gate. "We're here."
Shi Nan stared at the place that looked like a public restroom, "Why did you bring me to a public restroom?" Ye Feng smiled and told her to go inside.
Shi looked up and examined it carefully, finally realizing it was a place to eat: Cat's Eye Restaurant.
It must be newly opened; there's still a lingering smell of paint, not strong, but noticeable. Shi Nan looked around the shop. There were no customers at the moment, the lighting was dim, there was graffiti on the walls, the layout was a bit cramped, and there were messages everywhere.
Just as Shi Nan was about to go forward and read the messages one by one, Ye Feng pulled her down to sit and told her to order first. Shi Nan looked at the menu; the prices weren't high, so she ordered three or four dishes.
Ye Feng didn't seem to care much about what to order, casually ordering a pizza. Seeing Shi Nan's surprise, he said, "We didn't come here mainly for the food. The food here is just average, so be prepared."
Shi Nan retorted angrily, "If it's not tasty, why did you bring me here?"
Ye Feng smiled, his eyes sparkling, and smiled without answering.
Shi Nan ignored him and looked around again. "Why is there no one here at this hour? It's so deserted on its opening day. It must not be very good."
Ye Feng said, "We haven't opened for business yet."
"Not open? Then how did we get in?"
“This was specially opened for you today,” he said, leaving no room for suspense. “Go and read the messages on the wall.”
As Shi Nan approached the wall, he discovered that it was covered with birthday wishes, all from classmates: those in the class and those outside; those he knew and those he didn't.
My eyes were a little wet; it would be a lie to say I wasn't moved.
Shi Nan, facing the wall with his back to Ye Feng, asked, "Why isn't yours included?"
No one answered. He asked again, but still no one answered. Shi Nan turned around.
The timing was perfect. The instant she turned around, a large number of lights in the room came on, illuminating a previously dark wall. On it, in the largest letters, were written, "Happy 20th Birthday to my dearest girlfriend, Shi Nan! Ye Feng"
At the same time, the door was pushed open, and roommates and some classmates came in carrying a large cake, shouting, "Happy birthday, Shi Nan!"
Tears finally welled up in her eyes. Shi Nan wiped them away, deliberately pouting as she looked at Ye Feng, and whispered, "Shameless! Who's your girlfriend?" Actually, she wasn't angry. Everyone assumed they were a couple, and they never clarified, so today she was just using this fake title to get into character and feel good about herself. Otherwise, what boyfriend would use such a childish and blatant term?
Everyone was clamoring for cake, but then realized the Japanese drama fans hadn't arrived yet. Shi Nan had to wait, but Ye Feng said it was alright, they'd be here soon, and Shi Nan could blow out the candles first.
Shi Nan's wish was simple: to be happy every day. Then he boasted and invited everyone to start eating. The cake was of good quality; the cream was fragrant but not greasy, clearly made with imported ingredients. As they ate, someone started causing trouble, and everyone began smearing cake on each other. Shi Nan wasn't spared either, as Ye Feng smeared some on his nose.
Shi Nan wanted revenge and was about to retaliate when Ye Feng grabbed her hand, restrained her, and said, "Little kitten."
She thought to herself, "No wonder they brought me to the Cat's Eye Restaurant."
Ye Feng nodded, "Not bad, not too stupid." He hadn't let go of her hand yet.
Just as Shi Nan was about to break free, the door opened again, and two people came in, leaving her and everyone else stunned.
One of them is a fan of Japanese dramas, and the other is Lan Di.
Japanese drama fans shouted as soon as they opened the door, "Shi Nan, look who's here!"
As soon as Lan Di entered, she saw a boy holding Shi Nan's hand. Her face was smeared like a leopard's, and behind her, on the wall, were large words that read, "Wishing my dearest girlfriend, Shi Nan..."
Shi Nan blinked, confirming that it was indeed Lan Di, and grinned, "You...why are you here?" He was overjoyed.
Japanese drama fans eagerly answered, "Shi Nan, he came to your dorm looking for you. I was just coming downstairs when he arrived. If I had been a step later, I would have missed him..." As he spoke, he looked at his other roommates with a smug expression, as if to say, "I'm luckier than you guys."
Shi Nan ignored her because Lan Di's expression was very bad at this moment, no, it should be said that it was extremely ugly.
Just as Shi Nan was about to step forward to greet him, Lan Di turned and left. She stood there stunned, only realizing what was happening when her roommates called out, "Huh? Why did you leave?" and then she chased after him.
Shi chased him to the alley entrance and vaguely saw his back. She called out "Lan Di," but he didn't turn around. She had no choice but to continue chasing him. He didn't stop until they reached the Third Ring Road, where he waved for a taxi.
Upon seeing this, Shi Nan immediately turned his jog into a long run, and arrived breathlessly just as Lan Di got into the car and the driver drove away.
Fortunately, the next empty car arrived, and Shi got in and said to the driver, "Sir, please...follow that Santana in front, thank you, please...please don't...lose it." He never exercises, and he was already out of breath after running just a few steps.
She absolutely couldn't lose him. Shi Nan didn't know the Lan Di family; if she lost track of them, where would she find him?
The car in front turned left at the intersection under Zizhuyuan Bridge and then drove straight. Everything was fine until the intersection at Guanyuan traffic lights, where the cars split up. Ms. Shi was anxious and urged the driver to hurry. The driver asked, "Miss, are you chasing a thief?"
Finally, the light turned green again, and the driver really put in all his effort to weave through the traffic, and actually made it. Years later, when Shi Nan saw foreigners driving slowly and deliberately in the city, he would always frown. Thinking back to Beijing taxi drivers, he felt that's what driving should be like—full of energy—even though they didn't follow traffic rules.
Not long after their relief, the car was stopped at a red light again at the intersection in front of Di'anmen West Street, and when they tried to chase after it again, it was gone. Mr. Shi stamped his foot, and the driver said, "They wouldn't be going that fast, they probably got out of the car. Look around and see if you can find it."
The taxi driver was indeed a taxi driver; he'd probably done this kind of thing many times before, he was experienced. Sure enough, Shi Nan spotted the car near Houhai. It was empty inside, and the driver was waiting to cross. Shi Nan looked across the street; Lan Di had just crossed the road and was walking towards the lake.
Shi gave the driver the money, and without waiting for change, he crossed the road, ignoring the red light, and shouted loudly, "Landy~~".
Hearing this, Lan Di turned around, saw her, and flew into a rage, gesturing for her to stay put. Shi Nan then calmed down and stopped. A car sped past, and the words from inside drifted over on the wind: "Looking for death."
Shi Nan trembled, not because of the driver's words, but because of Lan Di's terrifying gaze as he approached. She knew a storm was brewing; she had to get out of there.
"What are you doing?! Do you want to die?! Have you ever learned to look at the traffic lights before crossing the street?! Didn't you see how fast that car was going?! If I hadn't seen you..." He didn't finish his sentence because he realized she wasn't listening at all.
They stood in the middle of the road. He scolded her, but she waved to the taxi driver. He got even angrier, grabbed her, and led her across the road.
Once they reached the sidewalk, Lan Di, seeing it was safe, let go of his hand but remained silent, walking further in. Shi Nan followed him.
Back then, Houhai Lake at night was beautiful and tranquil, before the later brightly lit bars. Walking along the lake, through the lush willows, with the serene lake on one side and old alleyways on the other, the beauty was simple and unpretentious. Many couples hid on the chairs under the trees. Shi Nan blushed a little when he passed by, but Lan Di seemed not to notice.
Shi Nan knew he had to say something.
Even though it was clearly her fault, she was full of confidence, saying, "Why are you in such a hurry? I'm thanking them. If it weren't for the driver's skill, I would have lost you long ago."
Lan Di didn't stop walking, her voice cold, "Are you afraid of losing me? Don't you have enough boyfriends?"
Shi Nan then realized that he had seen the words on the wall.
“Landy, he…” Then she thought, no, since we’re just good friends, what does my boyfriend have to do with whether or not I leave you? With that thought, Shi Nan took back what she was going to say and instead said provocatively, “My boyfriend and you don’t conflict, do they?”
Lan Di stopped, turned to her, and his eyes gleamed with a sinister light. Shi Nan felt guilty under his gaze and lowered her head.
He grabbed her, pinned her against the lakeside railing, wrapped his arms and body around her, and lifted her chin.