Daqi: "Who told you to be so beautiful? It would be a huge loss if I didn't take a few more glances at you."
Ting: "Hehe, you always say nice things to make people happy! Qi, I'll definitely miss you a lot after you leave!"
Daqi smiled happily after hearing this, but then he suddenly remembered something. He quickly pulled Ting to a less crowded spot on the platform, took out 200 yuan from his jacket pocket, stuffed it into Ting's hand, and whispered, "This is for you! I was planning to stay a few more days, but now that's left, I don't need it."
Ting was a little surprised. She was about to refuse when Daqi spoke up first: "Ting, I haven't used up my scholarship money yet, don't worry, it won't affect me. Please accept it!"
His eyes were extremely resolute as he spoke, so Ting had no choice but to slowly clutch the money in her palm...
Perhaps she was too excited, for she suddenly opened her arms and embraced Daqi, giving him a deep kiss! Daqi felt a little guilty, because they were at a train station. He suddenly felt his face was wet; he hadn't cried. He knew—it was Ting's tears! He didn't care about the station or where they were, and passionately returned Ting's kiss. The couple completely forgot that many passersby were secretly watching them, both with faint smiles on their faces. Perhaps they were laughing at how open-minded young people in the 90s were.
"Woo—," a car horn sounded. Ting then released Daqi. Looking at Ting's face, streaked with tears like pear blossoms in the rain, Daqi said softly, "Ting, I'm leaving. Take care! I'll definitely come to see you again if I have the chance. Call me if you need anything!" With that, he turned to get into the car.
"Xuan!" Daqi heard Ting call his name from behind. He turned around and saw Ting smiling. It was the most beautiful and sweetest smile in the world! She exclaimed, "Have a safe trip! I love you forever!" Daqi smiled back and said, "I love you too!" Then, Daqi boarded the train…
Chapter Nine: Emotional Avalanche
Back at school, Daqi began his normal work week routine, which consisted of cleaning toilets every day. After work week ended, he resumed his normal studies. He continued to study with Qiwen and Muping in the evenings, go shopping, and occasionally have meals together. His correspondence with Ting remained as frequent as before.
But as June approached and final exams drew near, Daqi wrote three letters to Ting without receiving a reply. A very ominous feeling crept into Daqi's heart, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He took some time to make a long-distance call to Ting, but her roommate told him that Ting had been home for over a month. He asked Ting's roommate what had happened, but the roommate said she didn't know either. Daqi had no choice but to hang up. His ominous feeling seemed to grow stronger. He dialed Ting's home phone number, but the automated message "This number is currently disconnected" came through. Daqi gave up. He thought that summer vacation was approaching, and he would go home during the summer to see what had happened to Ting.
Another semester quickly came to an end, and summer vacation began. Daqi went home like the other students. However, this time he didn't see Qiwen and Muping off at the station, because they had both been picked up by their families. This trip home was very different from the last one. Last time, he was eager to see his mother. This time, however, he was even more eager to return home, not for his mother, but for his beloved Ting. He really wished he could grow wings and fly home; he desperately wanted to know what had happened to Ting.
The long journey home felt like torture; why was the train so slow? As soon as they arrived at Changqing Station, Daqi got off the train and immediately went to find his mother. Before his mother could even rejoice at her son's return, Daqi put down his luggage, said he had something to do, and ran off.
He ran straight to Ting's house, reaching her door in one breath. The door was tightly shut, and Daqi knocked and called out, "Is Meiting home? Is Meiting home?" But no one answered. Disappointed, Daqi decided to go home and come back in a couple of days.
Just as he was about to leave, an old lady came out of Meiting's next-door neighbor's house. The old lady called out to Daqi.
Old woman: "Child, who are you looking for?"
Daqi: "I'm looking for Chen Meiting, the girl who lives next door to you."
"Sigh!" The old lady sighed deeply. "I've been their neighbor for decades. Meiting's parents died in a car accident a little over a month ago. Meiting came back to this house once after her parents died, and I haven't seen her for a long time since. The poor child..."
The old lady started crying at this point, crying very sadly. Daqi was stunned... Good heavens, how could such a terrible thing have happened to Ting's family? It's unbelievable...
With tears welling up in her eyes, the old woman continued, "No one lives in this house anymore. Only Meiting's sister comes back to visit occasionally. I heard from her sister that she has gone to Singapore. I think you should go find her sister; her sister knows where the child is."
Daqi hurriedly asked the old lady for Ting's address, and she told him. Daqi thanked the old lady and left. He didn't rush to Ting's house to find her; he went back to his own home first. He felt really sad, empty inside, as if his soul had left his body.
After returning home and having dinner, Daqi found Sister Ting's house at the address the old lady had given him. He knocked on the door, and someone inside asked, "Who are you looking for?"
A rather pretty young woman opened the door; she looked somewhat like Ting. Daqi assumed she must be Ting's older sister. He introduced himself and explained that he was there to see Meiting. The woman said she was Ting's sister and told Daqi, "Meiting and her fiancé went to Singapore to study! They won't be back for at least three to five years..."
A bolt from the blue, an absolute bolt from the blue! The words "Singapore" and "fiancé" were like two incredibly sharp knives piercing Daqi's heart simultaneously! Daqi's heart was bleeding! If "Singapore" represented the geographical distance between Daqi and Meiting, then "fiancé" symbolized the emotional distance between them! Daqi knew this all too well.
It's not terrible for people to be geographically distant from each other, especially from their loved ones; what's terrible is the distance between their hearts... Geographical distance doesn't mean the loss of love, but emotional distance is a death sentence for love!
Despite the immense pain of losing Meiting, Daqi still managed to smile as he bid farewell to Meiting's sister.
After returning home, Daqi lay alone on her bed, lost in thought. Human fate is truly the most unpredictable thing; you never know what tomorrow will bring! Ting had lost her parents overnight, almost becoming an orphan, and Daqi felt as if she herself had lost the lover she longed for day and night. She couldn't understand why Ting hadn't told her anything about losing her parents. Such a huge thing had happened, and she knew nothing about it! But thinking about it more carefully, even if Ting had told her everything, what could she do? She was nothing now; what could she do for Ting? She believed that Ting loved her, and that she must have her reasons for not telling her! She hoped Ting was doing well in Singapore! She hoped her fiancé would treat her well!
Daqi silently wished Meiting eternal happiness!
No matter what happened, life had to go on. Daqi spent the entire summer helping his mother wash the dishes, and in his spare time in the evenings, he would watch TV and read. But he always felt that his life was as dull as a glass of plain water, so dull it was terrifying, even frightening!
Chapter Ten Model Competition
The second academic year began, and the former freshmen on campus had all become seasoned veterans. Many students in the class were working part-time or taking on extra jobs in the community to increase their income and ease the burden on their families. Daqi was no exception; he applied for a job as a tutor.
In Rongzhou or other major Chinese cities, many families with good financial means hire tutors for their children, as everyone hopes their sons will succeed or their daughters will excel. Daqi found three tutoring jobs through an agency. He tutors the children of three families in elementary or middle school subjects such as Chinese, math, and English on Monday to Friday evenings and Saturday days.
One family in particular left a deep impression on Daqi; he was stunned by the beauty of the woman who lived there.
The woman of the house wore her hair in a bun, had willow-leaf eyebrows, cherry lips, and almond-shaped eyes. She was tall but slightly plump, and her face was exceptionally fair and delicate. Daqi thought to himself how lucky the man of the house was to have married such a beautiful woman. Daqi addressed her as "elder sister," and noted that she appeared to be around 30 years old. The woman briefly introduced herself to Daqi. She was hiring a tutor for her niece—her brother's daughter. She was married but had no children. This niece was temporarily being cared for by her brother.
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Section 9
My sister-in-law is in the United States. The little girl is in first grade and her name is Jiajia. Her own name is Fang Qianru, and she works at the Provincial Environmental Protection Bureau. It's quite a surprise that she's tutoring the children of high-ranking officials.
Every time Daqi went to Fang Qianru's house to tutor Xiaojiajia, she would warmly welcome him. But strangely, she never saw her husband there. Thank goodness, Xiaojiajia was quite smart, and tutoring wasn't too tiring for her. As for his wages, Sister Fang always paid Daqi promptly, sometimes even giving him a little extra as a thank you for the tutoring; Xiaojiajia was making rapid progress. Daqi felt that Sister Fang was not only incredibly beautiful and radiant, but also had a very kind heart and gave off a very friendly feeling. He thought to himself that the man who married her was truly blessed!
Because of his tutoring job, Daqi had much less time to spend with Qiwen and Muping. Sometimes, he felt like he and these two beautiful women were from different worlds. They were always so happy and innocent, while he already felt burdened by life's pressures. But he also felt a sense of pride, knowing he could finally share his mother's burdens.
One day after school, Daqi was on his way to Aunt Fang's house to tutor Xiaojiajia. He ran into Qiwen at the school gate, who stopped him and asked why she hadn't seen him lately. Daqi, being a straightforward person, told her he had gone to work as a tutor. Qiwen stared at him with wide eyes like a child and asked, "Why are you tutoring? Don't go! Why don't you study with me and Muping?"
Daqi smiled helplessly, thinking that he couldn't blame Qiwen for being naive. After all, she came from an official family and was truly ignorant of the realities of life, which was why she made such a childish suggestion. "Children of poor families learn to be independent early," and most rich people couldn't understand the hardships of the poor. But he didn't want to refuse Qiwen to her face, so he told her that he would definitely make time to accompany her and Muping to evening self-study.
Daqi lived a mechanical life of going to class and tutoring—a "two-point line" routine. He felt like it had been a long time since he had played with Qiwen and Muping... Sigh! He felt a strange sense of loss... He just hoped they were happy and living their own lives, Daqi thought.
One day during a break between classes, Mu Ping shyly approached Da Qi and told him that she had participated in the Binhai Provincial Model Competition and had made it to the finals, which would be held in the auditorium of Binhai Normal University. She hoped that Da Qi and Qi Wen could come and cheer her on, as she would be a little nervous if she went to the competition alone; as a contestant, she had already obtained two tickets. Da Qi agreed, since the competition was on a Sunday, and he could simply give up his day off.
On the day of the finals, Daqi, Qiwen, and Muping set off for the venue together. Daqi helped Qiwen carry her makeup case the whole way. As soon as they arrived at the auditorium of Binhai Normal University, Muping took her makeup case and went backstage to get ready for the competition. Daqi and Qiwen found seats near the front, as they had arrived earlier than others, and there were some empty seats in the front row besides the judges' and VIP seats. After sitting down, they chatted while waiting for the competition to begin.
The competition began, and the contestants were all tall, slender models. One by one, they appeared on stage, each dressed in different styles and colors, vying for the top spot in rounds. Each model wore heavy makeup and strode confidently across the catwalk, receiving scrutiny from the judges and audience.
Daqi felt he was truly feasting his eyes. The models had such amazing figures, all slender and graceful, giving off a very beautiful and pleasing feeling. But he was eager to see Mu Ping appear; after all, he had come because of her participation in the competition!
Finally, it was Mu Ping's turn to appear; she was the ninth contestant. When she walked out from backstage, Da Qi was almost dumbfounded, and Qi Wen exclaimed "Oh!" Why?
Mu Ping, who rarely wore makeup, was now sporting a vibrant and heavy look. Tall and slender, she walked out with a confident, cat-like gait, her silver high heels adding to her elegant presence. She wore a traditional Chinese silver silk cheongsam. The cheongsam, paired with her stunning figure, gave Mu Ping an air of superiority, a truly beautiful aesthetic. But Mu Ping was different from the models who had appeared before her. While the models all had excellent figures, their faces were rather ordinary, with only a few slightly more attractive. Mu Ping, however, was different! Besides her graceful figure, her beautiful face was something the models couldn't match. Her graceful figure, beautiful face, perfectly applied makeup, the shimmering silver silk cheongsam under the lights, and the exquisite high heels combined to create an image of great poise, elegance, and nobility.
She received enthusiastic applause from the audience, including the judges, as soon as she appeared, a level of recognition that previous contestants had not received.
In Daqi's eyes, Mu Ping, who was usually shy even when speaking to him, was as pure as a lily in full bloom, while on stage, she was as beautiful and magnificent as a camellia! Daqi was captivated. The contrast between her on stage and off, between the lily and the camellia, was so striking. Women are truly amazing! He thought how wonderful it would be if he could often appreciate and savor such a powerful contrast in the same woman!
Not only was Daqi stunned, but even the proud and arrogant "fairy" beauty Qiwen exclaimed from the bottom of her heart: "If I were a man, I would marry no one but Muping!"
"Yes, who could possibly marry Mu Ping?" Da Qi thought to himself.
After several rounds of catwalk competition among all the models, the judges unanimously awarded Chen Muping the runner-up title. However, she also received the "Best Image Award," a special prize from the competition, particularly favored by the audience, especially male viewers. It's safe to say that Muping's achievements were no less significant than those of the champion.
When Daqi and Qiwen heard the competition host announce the results, they excitedly hugged each other in celebration, congratulating their mutual friend Muping on winning two major awards. Muping herself was moved to tears while accepting her awards on stage—tears of success!
To celebrate her outstanding performance in the provincial model competition, Mu Ping treated Da Qi and Qi Wen to hot pot at the most famous "Chongqing Hot Pot City" in Rongzhou. The three of them thoroughly enjoyed their meal!
Daqi felt very comfortable being able to share delicious food and joy with the two beautiful women. This could truly be described as one of life's greatest pleasures!
Chapter Eleven: Unexpected Good Fortune
No one can deny the unpredictability of life; sometimes bad luck strikes, and sometimes good fortune comes along. This time, it was Tong Daqi's turn to have good luck. As usual, he went to Fang Qianru's house on Saturday to tutor Xiao Jiajia. After finishing the tutoring, Daqi was about to go home when Sister Qianru stopped him in the living room to watch TV and asked him to keep her company. Daqi sat down and chatted with her. He had always respected Sister Fang because she was a very kind person.
Qianru inquired about Daqi's family situation, school life, and so on. Daqi answered truthfully, also mentioning his tutoring job. Qianru praised Daqi for his honesty and independence. She added that people like Daqi are rare in society and at school, and encouraged him to continue working hard to achieve success after graduation. Daqi replied that he was content with a simple life.
Through her conversation with Daqi, Qianru learned that he was struggling financially, so she offered to help him. She was willing to introduce him to a part-time job at her friend's construction company, since Daqi was studying architecture and it would be a perfect fit for him. He would only need to work two days a week, earning 800 yuan a month.
800 yuan is definitely a high salary for a student, enough to cover his living expenses. Daqi readily agreed and expressed his deepest gratitude to Sister Fang! Sister Qianru just smiled and said, "It's nothing! No need to thank me, just help Jiajia catch up on her lessons!" Daqi said "definitely" several times.
Tong Daqi knew that this part-time opportunity was entirely due to Sister Qianru's influence. In today's world, which wealthy person, especially a businessman, would dare to offend an official? They'd be too busy currying favor with them! Every businessman, even if they actively sought to curry favor with officials, would still have to embellish their image, calling it "government relations"! But he was especially grateful to Sister Qianru, and he remembered that.
From then on, Daqi only worked as a tutor, helping Xiaojiajia with her studies. He spent most of his remaining time working part-time at a construction company introduced by Sister Qianru. His main job was cleaning the boss's office, and occasionally doing odd jobs. The boss of this construction company, surnamed Chen, was very wealthy. Although he was the boss, he treated Daqi with great courtesy and respect.
One day, Mr. Chen was so busy that he forgot 300,000 RMB in cash on his office desk. The cash was only packed in a black plastic bag. It just so happened that only Daqi was cleaning the office that day. When Mr. Chen realized he had left the 300,000 RMB in cash, he was really anxious and immediately drove back to the company to look for it.
When he returned to his office, Daqi, who had already cleaned the office, was just coming out. President Chen quickly ran into the office to check if the money was still there. He found that someone had moved the money, and just as he was about to take it out to count, he found a note inside: "President Chen, don't leave cash in the office carelessly—Xiao Tong!" He counted it carefully; not a single penny was missing. President Chen was very pleased with Daqi's honesty. He immediately called Fang Qianru to tell her about it, saying that the person Qianru recommended was truly reliable!
From then on, Qianru trusted Daqi even more and gradually stopped treating him like an outsider. She often had Daqi hold Xiaojiajia's hand, and the three of them would eat together and even go shopping. Over time, Daqi and Qianru began to address each other as brother and sister. He called Qianru "sister," and Qianru called him "brother." Daqi only found one thing strange: why he never saw her husband.
One day, Daqi was tutoring Jiajia when he suddenly heard someone crying in the living room, the sobs faint. Daqi knew it must be Qianru crying. So he went out of the living room and asked Qianru if something was wrong. Qianru then stopped crying and said she was fine, just missing her husband. Her eyes were swollen, and she gradually poured out her heart to Daqi, because she trusted him completely.
It turned out that Qianru's husband had another woman outside the marriage and was never home. She missed him and hated his heartlessness, realizing he had no feelings for her whatsoever. How could she not be heartbroken when she remembered all the vows he made when he pursued her? Her husband also worked for the Binhai Provincial Government. Qianru was too embarrassed to tell her father-in-law and parents, as both were upright veterans of the Red Army and retired cadres. Both were in poor health, especially her father-in-law, who suffered from heart disease. She was afraid that revealing their affair would cause them to become angry and harm themselves. Therefore, whenever her father-in-law or father asked if her husband treated her well, Qianru would always force a smile and say, "Yes, very well..."
Daqi was incredulous after hearing Qianru's story. He couldn't understand what kind of idiot her husband was. How could he abandon such a beautiful and understanding wife? Even if he had other women, shouldn't he at least come home? It was heartless! Daqi felt sorry for Qianru; she had truly married the wrong person! Perhaps her husband had his own reasons for not coming home.
One day, Daqi was tutoring Xiaojiajia. Qianru, meanwhile, was drinking alone, brooding. When Daqi finished tutoring and was about to leave, Qianru vomited uncontrollably in the lobby, then lost consciousness. Her clothes were covered in vomit. Daqi had no choice but to help Qianru to the bathroom. He had to change her dirty clothes. And Daqi was a very decisive man; if he said he'd change them, he'd do it!
Daqi first had Qianru rest on the toilet seat. After filling the bathtub with warm water, he began to remove her clothes one by one. Qianru was really something! She couldn't hold her liquor, yet she drank so much; her clothes reeked of alcohol and vomit. After removing her coat and shoes, he hesitated. The young woman before him, though only wearing underwear, had snow-white, delicate skin, and long, sexy, voluptuous legs. Her large, round breasts made the underwear bulge high. All of this made Daqi, this hot-blooded young man, somewhat lose control. After all, he was a "mature man" who had experienced sex; how could he remain unmoved?
After much deliberation, he finally removed Qianru's underwear and all other personal items, leaving her completely naked. He picked up this young woman's body, which would make any man "spit fire," and placed her in the bathtub, where he began to wash her.
Daqi was puzzled as to why the young woman's body now smelled so sweet; where had the previous stench of alcohol gone? He gently cradled her head in one hand, while his other hand softly washed her body. When washing Qianru's full, large, yet firm breasts, he couldn't bear to use a towel. He felt that gently rubbing them with his hands was the only way to avoid defiling Qianru's sacred breasts. Daqi gently rubbed them for a while, then washed her entire body, finally drying her off and carrying her into her bedroom.
When he rubbed Qianru's breasts, he could feel that they were very elastic, and he couldn't grasp them with just one hand.
After placing Qianru on the bed, Daqi adjusted her sleeping position, letting her sleep face up, and covered her with a blanket.
When it was all over, Qianru was still fast asleep, completely unaware of her surroundings. Daqi didn't leave; he sat beside her. He knew that a drunk person, especially one intoxicated by baijiu (a type of Chinese liquor), needed care. And Qianru's drunkenness this time was indeed due to baijiu, so he had no reason to leave. Sure enough, just as Daqi had predicted, Qianru cried out for water around midnight. Daqi naturally poured her some water and held the cup for her, letting her drink the warm water. Throughout the night, Qianru woke up four or five times, each time asking for water. Daqi helped her each time, making sure she drank the warm water.
Humans are not machines, nor are they made of iron. After Qianru fell asleep, Daqi was so tired that he also fell asleep on the dressing table in the bedroom.
Daqi didn't know when he fell asleep. He suddenly felt someone nudging him awake. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and saw that it was Qianru waking him. Qianru's beautiful face gradually became clear in his vision.
Her long, black hair was styled in a bun; she had beautiful almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, red lips, and a fair, egg-shaped face. Her face was stunningly beautiful. Qianru stood before him wearing only a thin pink nightgown.
Daqi said, "Sister, you're awake?" and stood up. Qianru asked softly, "Did you put me to bed yesterday? And did you clean me up so thoroughly?"
Daqi nodded sheepishly, his face flushed. After all, he had really stripped naked in front of her yesterday!
Daqi dared not look Qianru in the eye; he was afraid of her gaze. He felt a pang of guilt, wondering what to do. Would she call him a pervert? But suddenly, his lips were kissed by another pair of lips. Yes, it was Qianru who had taken the initiative to kiss Daqi.
Daqi was caught off guard by the sudden kiss, unsure how to react. It was unbelievable! He didn't know whether he should refuse such a kiss, because it was so intimate, and Qianru was such a stunningly beautiful young woman. After much hesitation, thought, and internal struggle, he chose to respond to the beautiful woman's kiss.
They kissed for a long time before Qianru finally released her lips. Looking at Daqi tenderly, she said, "No one has ever been so good to me, not even my husband. You're the first! Daqi, do you think I'm pretty?"
Daqi nodded, and Qianru asked softly, "Then do you love your sister?"
Daqi nodded, then shook his head; he didn't know how to answer. To be honest, he had long since fallen for this gentle, considerate, sexy, and charming young woman. But he didn't dare to pursue anything romantic.
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Section Reading 10
That's what I'm thinking!
Qianru said softly, "Little brother, hold me tight!" Then, she kissed Daqi again. This kiss dispelled all of Daqi's worries about immorality and unease. He suddenly felt a surge of excitement, his blood boiling. At that moment, Daqi had only one thought in his mind: "Sister Qianru, I love you! I want you!"