Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 32

After Yingying left, Weiye sat in the car in silent contemplation, completely ignoring my chatter beside her. But suddenly she spoke up: "You'd better stay away from your friend."

It took me a while to realize she was talking about Yingying, and I asked in astonishment, "Why?"

"Too complicated a mind, too scheming." Wei Ye curled her lips. "On the surface, she's aloof, but deep down she wants to climb the social ladder and become a phoenix."

"Don't you dare say that!" I yelled at her. "She's been my friend for three years. Do you think I don't know what kind of person she is?"

Wei Ye sighed, shook her head, and reached out to stroke my head as if petting a puppy: "Which ivory tower did you crawl out of? Galan, don't you know? In this society, the most fickle thing is the human heart."

"Haha..." Wei Ye stared at the Girlfriend magazine, laughing so hard she was doubled over as she walked. I couldn't help but lean over and ask, "What's so funny?" Wei Ye handed me the magazine; the title was prominently displayed: "Weight Loss Story."

Every night, the boar would stand guard for the sow, fearing that the owner would take her away to slaughter while they slept. Days passed, and the sow grew fatter while the boar grew thinner. One day, the boar overheard the owner discussing with the butcher about slaughtering the well-grown sow to sell. The boar was heartbroken. From that day on, the boar's personality changed drastically. Whenever the owner brought food, the boar would rush to eat it all, then lie down and sleep soundly, telling the sow that it was now her turn to stand guard, and if he found her not doing so, he would never speak to her again. Gradually, the days went by, and the sow felt the boar was increasingly indifferent to her. She became disillusioned, while the boar continued to live his carefree life as if nothing had happened. Soon, a month passed. The owner brought the butcher to the pigpen and found that the once plump sow was now thin and frail, while the boar was glossy and healthy. The boar then ran frantically, trying to attract the owner's attention and show that he was a healthy pig. Finally, the butcher dragged the boar away. As he was being pulled from the pen, the boar smiled at the sow and said, "Don't eat so much next time!" The sow was heartbroken and desperately tried to rush out, but the owner had closed the gate. Through the fence, the sow watched the boar's tearful face. That night, the sow watched her family happily eating pork. Heartbroken, she lay down in the spot where the boar used to sleep every day. Suddenly, she noticed some words on the wall: "If love cannot be expressed in words, I am willing to prove it with my life!" The sow was devastated by these words. Humans who hear this poignant love story are all moved, and to commemorate this love, girls began a trend of dieting…

I laughed out loud and handed the magazine back to her: "If love cannot be expressed in words, I am willing to prove it with my life! How did such a poignant love story get twisted like this?" Wei Ye's brows relaxed, radiating sunshine, but the words she was about to say suddenly caught in her throat. She pointed ahead and asked, "Isn't that your friend?"

I looked in the direction she pointed and saw Yingying, wearing a blue sundress and a white shawl, forcefully shaking off a man at the end of the street. The man looked ordinary from a distance, with messy hair and a haggard face, but he seemed somewhat familiar.

Wei Ye and I took a few steps forward and blended into the crowd. We heard the man's hoarse voice shouting at Yingying, "I will make something of myself, I will give you a good life, can't you wait for me?"

"Wait?! How long?" Yingying's shrill voice echoed down the street. "Is it a year, two years, or ten years? Do you think I have a few more years of my youth to waste? A few more years to wear down my pride and self-esteem? Xiaodong, we're not right for each other!"

Xiaodong?! It's actually Xiaodong!! I stared wide-eyed at the disheveled man before me in disbelief. Is this really the Xiaodong who dominated the basketball court in college, driving millions crazy and attracting adoring girls?

"If you weren't right for me, why did you even bother me in the first place?!" Xiaodong roared, grabbing her wrist in a fit of rage and desperation, oblivious to the fact that they were in the street. Yingying tried to pull her hand back, but couldn't budge it. Furious, she stomped her feet and screamed, "I was blind back then, thinking that being handsome and having a personality could put food on the table. I regret it now, I've woken up, and I only care about money, not people anymore, is that not allowed?"

A luxury car screeched to a halt in front of them. The man inside, whose face was obscured by the window, waved to Yingying. Yingying stomped hard on Xiaodong's foot with her high heels, jumped into the car, and sped away. That car...it felt somewhat familiar.

Xiaodong slumped to the ground in a disheveled state. People on the street pointed and whispered, some laughing, some cursing, but everyone seemed to be watching a spectacle with amusement. I rushed over to help him up, asking worriedly, "Xiaodong, are you alright?"

Xiaodong looked up at me with a bewildered and sorrowful expression, and his whole body reeked of alcohol.

"I'm Lanlan!" I cried out anxiously, unable to lift him up. "Don't you remember me? The one who shared a dorm room with Xiaojie and Yingying!"

"Lanlan... Lanlan..." He slowly shook his messy head, then suddenly burst into laughter, a hysterical laugh, "There's not a single good person in your dorm!"

My nose stung, and I almost couldn't hold back my tears. Xiaodong... how could he have become like this? Back then, Xiaodong actually liked Xiaojie, but Xiaojie had been with Xiangkun since high school, so she firmly rejected him. Xiaodong persisted for two whole years, even moving the rest of us in the dorm, but Xiaojie was as hard as stone; she simply wouldn't accept him.

In the first semester of my junior year, Xiaodong and Yingying suddenly became a couple. Some said that Yingying pursued Xiaodong, while others said that Xiaodong just wanted to use Yingying to get close to Xiaojie. But no matter what, the two of them were still inseparable until I fell into a coma.

"Her heart is no longer there, what's the point of chasing her back?" Wei Ye's soft, warm words rang out.

Xiaodong trembled, slowly raised his head to look at her, then at me, his face clearly showing grief.

I quickly turned my head away to wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes, and with Wei Ye's help, I helped him up from the ground. Wei Ye patted his shoulder, saying in a tone that was both joking and serious, "Since you have no interest in me, then I'll end it. Brother, wouldn't it be better to become rich and powerful, marry a beautiful woman, and make her jealous?"

I chuckled, and Wei Ye couldn't help but laugh along. Her soft, melodious voice and warm smile, tinged with sunshine and carefree abandon, made Wei Ye's smile feel strangely familiar.

Xiaodong finally laughed too. Although he looked disheveled, I seemed to see a shadow of his past self in him. He suddenly turned his back, and I saw the tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, but I pretended not to notice.

Xiao Yi

2007.8.23 17:49

Chapter 21, Life Ends.

This chapter didn't have much plot development, but it had a lot of foreshadowing. The next chapter is a prelude, so I'm hesitating whether to post two chapters tomorrow or two today. What do you guys think? Oh, by the way, up to chapter 33, a little over 130,000 words in total, I finally completed the heroine's transformation today! Hahaha, I'm so happy!

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Chapter 22 Before the Storm

Chapter 22 Before the Storm

Binsheng is the only small town on the border of the Tarakan Desert, the third largest desert on the continent of Ishu. Because it is bordered by deserts on both its southwest and west sides, most of Binsheng is dry year-round and prone to sandstorms. In stark contrast, Xiangxi, although close to the northern border of Binsheng, is threatened by floods year-round due to its proximity to the North Sea and its low-lying terrain.

Yi Han, Chen Sheng, and I walked along Puhua Street in Binsheng. There were quite a few people coming and going, but everyone's face was covered with a veil and their heads were covered with straw hats. Before we set off, Yi Han had fully armed me, and now only my pair of light blue eyes were visible through the veil, blinking. I looked at Yi Han, who was still only wearing a blue robe and had no coverings, yet he seemed completely unaffected by the wind and sand.

"Zimo, why did we come to investigate this godforsaken place?" I muttered to myself, annoyed. "Isn't the flooding in western Hunan? Wouldn't it be better to investigate there? Here, it's all sandstorms, stifling heat, and a gloomy, yellowish-brown environment. What's there to see?"

Zi Mo floated in the air, glanced at me with annoyance, and said, "Xiangxi is prone to floods, while Binsheng, which is only a few hundred miles away, is constantly battered by sandstorms. Don't you think it would be better to combine the geographical advantages and disadvantages of the two... Never mind, it's pointless to tell you." Zi Mo shook his head, looking at me with disdain as if I were a hopeless case, and ignored me as I looked around at the terrain.

I glared at him fiercely, then turned back and happened to see a guesthouse in a secluded spot. It was a two-story, entirely wooden structure, surrounded by tarpaulins that rustled in the wind. Amidst the swirling yellow sand, it possessed a sense of desolate isolation and vicissitude.

"Dragon Inn?!" I exclaimed. From a distance, it truly looked like the Dragon Inn from Gu Long's novels. I grabbed Yi Han's icy hand and excitedly shouted, "Yi Han, shall we go take a look?"

Yi Han frowned, subtly withdrawing his hand, and said calmly, "The innkeeper is not from Jin Yao Kingdom and his origins are unknown. For your safety, young master..." Hearing this, I was immediately disheartened and could only nod.

But then Chen Sheng said, "Teacher, actually, with Feng protecting us, it wouldn't hurt for us to go and take a look."

Upon hearing this, my hope instantly surged, and I immediately blinked my eager puppy eyes at Yi Han. The smile in Yi Han's eyes flashed and disappeared, and he shook his head helplessly, saying, "If you really want to go, young master, I will do my best to protect you."

I clapped my hands excitedly and shook his hand, saying coquettishly, "I knew Yihan was the best."

"Galan!" Zi Mo's cold, stern voice rang out, "You'd better stop this. Are you afraid Chen Sheng won't realize you're a woman?"

I was startled and turned around to see Chen Sheng's thoughtful, slightly puzzled look. My expression immediately turned sour, and I quickly composed myself and said calmly, "Qingkong, then let's set off immediately, lest we get stuck in the sandstorm."

"Yes...yes, teacher." Chen Sheng was startled, came to his senses, and hurriedly followed.

Stepping into the inn, a strange, refreshing air greeted me. I was surprised by the simple yet elegant furnishings inside, which seemed completely out of place with the outside. Rosewood tables and chairs, scholars and military officers sitting leisurely, and calligraphy and paintings by famous figures hanging on the snow-white walls. In the left corner stood a high platform, surrounded by all sorts of weapons. Judging from their clothing, many of the people were quite rough, yet in this inn, even the loudest voices spoke in hushed tones, not daring to raise their voices.

I held my breath and looked around, but before I could even observe the various people around me, I felt a fragrant breeze waft towards me. A woman dressed in a narrow-sleeved, light red satin dress and a silver fur-lined short jacket gracefully walked forward and bowed, saying, "Are you three guests here for lodging, dining, or a literary or martial arts gathering?" As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, revealing a simple updo held in place by twelve perfectly round, lustrous white pearls. Under the lamplight, these pearls even shimmered with an unusual red glow. A jade hairpin adorned the center of the updo, which, against the backdrop of her delicate, fair neck, made her exceptionally eye-catching.

Before I could speak, Chen Sheng stepped forward and asked, "Is this a place where scholars and warriors can meet?"

The woman slowly raised her head. She wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but she possessed a gentle charm rarely seen in northern women. Her skin was delicate, and her emerald eyes were like a pool of autumn water, capable of melting hearts. Her eyes, faintly smiling, swept over us. Yi Han remained expressionless. I nodded slightly, feeling a little awkward, while Chen Sheng blushed and lowered his head hesitantly.

"Yes, the innkeeper has some influence with various parties, which is why you talented scholars and chivalrous heroes have come to exchange skills. It's not about winning or losing, but about having fun. Would the three gentlemen be willing to give it a try?"