It was the weekend, and when Ying Yunsheng woke up, he couldn't find Ji Li, so he knocked on the door of the dormitory next door. When the door opened, he saw Ji Li's eyes were flushed and burning with fever. Since the infirmary was closed on the weekend, he took Ji Li directly to the hospital.
Ji Li's lips were very pale, and his face was flushed from a high fever. His hands were wrapped with white medical tape because of the IV drip, and his skin color was not much different from the tape. His voice was hoarse, but he still had the mind to tease others: "I'm the one taking medicine, not you, so don't make a face."
Ying Yunsheng watched silently as he finished drinking his medicine. After going out for a while, he came back with a sugar jar in his hand.
Ji Li was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and said, "I'm actually not that afraid of hardship."
If you drink too much medicine, you'll eventually develop resistance. Besides, this kind of powdered medicine can't possibly be as bitter as traditional Chinese medicine.
Ying Yunsheng hummed in acknowledgment, then looked down and rummaged through the candy jar, picking out a piece, peeling it open, and holding it to his lips: "But does this conflict with my wish to give you something sweet?"
Ji Li's illness has been recurring for a long time, and even though he has been able to return to school, he still needs to take his medication on time every day.
He brought the candy jar back and placed it on his desk. Every day after taking his medicine, he would pour out one candy from it. Even after he was completely cured, he didn't stop eating candy.
For this reason, he even bought a small box from outside. He slowly stacked the clean, colorful graffiti candy wrappers one by one every day, piling them up from the bottom to the top of the box, like a strangely shaped counting device, coloring those fleeting days with vibrant hues.
After he finished the last piece of candy, time finally ticked into June.
Ji Li's mock exam results still ranked first in the grade, and he even set a record of leaving the second place by nearly 40 points since the class division.
Although the gap between the top students in Ying Yunsheng's science class wasn't that drastic, their total scores were still enough to make many students question their life choices.
Back then, someone at school always joked that their graduating class might produce two top scorers, and even a double yolk that would go down in history. After hearing about it so often, the person involved had some idea. Ji Li laughed and went to ask the other person involved what they thought. Ying Yunsheng thought for a long time and said, "If they really got the top score, would using it as a gift to confess their feelings increase their chances of success?"
Ji Li considered the possibility: "No."
"Why?"
"The success rate of confessing your love doesn't depend on the gift, but on the person you're with."
The college entrance examination lasted for two days. When you experience it firsthand, it always feels long, but when you look back after it's over, it's just a blink of an eye. There were no terrorist attacks, no zombies or monsters, the proctors didn't eat people, and the exam papers weren't written in alien languages. It was actually no different from any of their previous exams.
After the school gates opened on the day the exams were over, students from other schools rushed out in droves, while students from our school were gathered by their teachers in their respective classrooms.
Mao Xianzhi offered some words of comfort: "Once the exam is over, don't dwell on it, don't check the answers, and don't keep thinking about what would have happened if I had done this or that." Finally, he got to the point: "Let's have a farewell dinner tonight. It's on me. Do you guys want fried chicken, kebabs, or Japanese hot pot?"
Everyone cheered, and then began a heated debate about what to eat for dinner.
In the end, traditional Chinese cuisine emerged victorious in the debate.
The restaurant had booked four tables. At the end of the red carpet on the second floor was a stage that had been set up. Originally, it was for a professional to perform opera and face-changing art every day during mealtimes. Unfortunately, this time, the stage was booked by this group of graduates as soon as the performers came down.
They were no longer eligible to participate in the school's New Year's Day celebration in their senior year of high school, but Mao Xianzhi still held a small party in his class on New Year's Day. The students organized the event, designed the performances, and prepared snacks and drinks.
And now it's similar to before. Since there was no prior rehearsal, and everyone couldn't really be completely unrefined in front of other people in the restaurant, they just pulled out the program they had rehearsed before and reused it.
For example, a boy who had once joined the campus crosstalk club, and who was highly regarded, recited a crosstalk routine he had written himself.
For example, a girl once participated in a campus singing competition, but she didn't register again in her senior year of high school. Instead, she sang a folk song with a graduation theme.
For example, some boys and girls who had attended the New Year's Eve party in their second year of high school as members of the street dance club performed a street dance together on stage.
The only difference was that this time they didn't need to secretly draw the curtains tightly. Instead, wherever they looked, people were taking pictures of them with their phones. When they came down, even guests at other tables joked with them, "The kids danced so well!"
Ji Li got up when the people at the table started pouring drinks for each other, walked out of the restaurant, and saw the cross-river bridge in the distance.
The night breeze is much gentler than the daytime breeze, without the scorching heat. It carries the damp scent of the river and the aroma of wine wafting from people's breath.
Ji Li walked over: "Have you been drinking?"
Ying Yunsheng stood in front of the railing by the river. Hearing the voice, he turned his head and a smile appeared in his eyes: "Hmm."
Ji Li rarely saw him so openly happy, so she leaned over and smelled him: "How much did you drink?"
"Not much," Ying Yunsheng thought for a moment and then added, "Two or three cups."
Ji Li chuckled: "Didn't you say before that the wine was awful?"
Ying Yunsheng pointed to the fishing boats moored by the river: "The wine the boss brought over is very good."
Ji Li blinked.
Ying Yunsheng added, "It's apple flavored."
"How about we go for a walk to sober up?"
"Um."
There were many people along the riverbank at night, mostly men, women, and children taking a stroll after dinner. The river flowed quietly under the moon, and the lights of fishing boats in the distance were scattered.
Ying Yunsheng gazed at the river: "I've always wondered if eating on a boat like this would taste better than eating at home."
Ji Li paused for a moment before catching up with his train of thought: "You mean those fishing boat restaurants along the river?"
Ying Yunsheng hummed in agreement: "When my parents were still married, they often didn't eat at home. Instead, they loved to eat out and then come home to tell each other how good their meals were. One day they would say they were invited to a restaurant, and the next day they would say they were invited to a farmhouse restaurant. That is, until later, several fishing boat restaurants appeared around the Xiangjiang River."
Back then, this way of dining on a ship was novel and very popular when it first appeared. The cost of booking a table was enough for an ordinary person to hold a wedding banquet at a restaurant. It seemed that as long as you took a trip on a ship, you would be elevated to the ranks of the high-end.
Adults can be just as childish as children, like Ying Yunsheng's biological parents.
"After they got home that day, they started arguing about who got on the ship first. It was a fiercer argument than ever before. They went from arguing about who got on first to arguing about their lifestyle habits to competing to find each other's faults. In the end, it completely deviated from the original topic of their argument. The day after the argument, they both disappeared and never came back."
For Ying Yunsheng at that time, the word "fishing boat" became a problem he couldn't understand for a long time, keeping him trapped in a forbidden place he could never escape.
“When our class was choosing a location for our farewell dinner, the fishing boat got the most votes, so our homeroom teacher brought us here. I’ve tried it myself now, and I think the food there isn’t that great,” Ying Yunsheng said softly. “It’s not as good as what you make.”
Ji Li smiled and said, "Then I'll make it for you next time."
"Is tomorrow okay?"
"Can."
"And the day after tomorrow?"
"Can."
What about the day after tomorrow?
"That's fine too."
"Why do you say yes to everything?"
"Because I'd say yes to anything you want to say."
"What if I said I wanted to be your boyfriend?"
"Uh..." Ying Yunsheng looked at him, even though he had expected the answer, his eyes still couldn't help but show nervousness at this moment: "Is it okay?"
Ji Li smiled and said, "Sure."
As soon as he finished speaking, the person in front of him suddenly grabbed him, slowly slipping his fingers between his own to intertwine with his.
Ji Li leaned against the railing by the river, and a soft, gentle kiss, carrying the unspoken passion of a young man, landed on his lips with the breeze from the river.
Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Arts and Sciences Building
At first, Ying Yunsheng took the lead in the kiss, but later it was Ying Yunsheng who couldn't resist first.
Ji Li was only surprised for a short time before readily agreeing.
Behind him was the silent river, and in front of him stood the person who had just asked him if he could be her boyfriend. He was completely trapped between the railing and the person's embrace, yet he could still clearly see how the other person's face gradually turned red.
The pressure on his lips gradually loosened, and he finally couldn't help but poke the other person with his hand: "Breathe."
Ying Yunsheng stared blankly, then subconsciously inhaled a large breath of cold air, which choked him so much that he coughed violently.
Ji Li patted his back: "If I hadn't reminded you, were you really planning to suffocate yourself?"
Ying Yunsheng caught his breath and finally remembered how silly he had been to almost pass out from a kiss. Still holding the other person's hand, he tightened his grip: "I want to do it again."
Ji Li chuckled: "You think this is a game save file, where you can revive if you're not satisfied with the result?"
Ying Yunsheng's face was still flushed, but she still forced herself to remain calm as she stared at him: "Is that alright?"
Ji Li just said that he would agree as long as Ying Yunsheng wanted to.
"Can."
Before Ying Yunsheng could make a move, Ji Li covered the back of his head with his free hand and pressed him towards himself.
From the moment Ying Yunsheng realized he was falling into the trap, it was almost the blink of an eye; his whole body felt like it had been electrocuted. His blood surged through his veins, but the touch on his lips was very gentle, lingering for a moment before withdrawing without going any further.
He had barely caught his breath when the other person's kiss pressed down on him again.
One at a time.
Passionate yet gentle.
Ying Yunsheng's palms were sweaty as he held the other person's hand, his legs were so weak he almost couldn't stand, and his mind was a complete mess.
Reason told him that not much time had passed in reality.
Ji Li released him, her breathing a little erratic, but much better than Ying Yunsheng's. She smiled and said, "Are you satisfied with doing this again?"
Ying Yunsheng stammered, "How many times have you been in a relationship?"
Ji Li: "The first time."
Ying Yunsheng now expressed deep suspicion: "Then why did you..."
Judging from the kissing technique just now, this person is clearly a pro.
"This is truly the first time," Ji Li said with a smile. "You're the only one I've ever liked in my entire life."
Ying Yunsheng's heart stopped for a moment, then started beating rapidly.
The phone rang at that moment.
Ji Li took it out and saw that it was a message sent in the class group, reminding everyone to tell the homeroom teacher before leaving.
At the same time, shouts came from the other end of the riverside pedestrian walkway from Ying Yunsheng's classmates.
It was Meng Xing who ran out. He spotted Ying Yunsheng over there and quickly ran over, exclaiming, "Hey, genius, what are you doing here?"
Ying Yunsheng had something to hide, so he managed to avoid using an excuse.
Ji Li, however, remained calm: "My classmates were having a farewell dinner nearby, and I happened to run into him while I was out for a walk."
Meng Xingding didn't think much of it and turned to Ying Yunsheng, saying, "Everyone has almost finished eating. Sister Zhang is counting heads. I've been looking for you for ages. Hurry back and take attendance."