"Ye Xun, I know you must have your reasons, otherwise you wouldn't have given up on Yang Ke so easily!" Tong Tong said. "We've always been good friends, can you tell me why?"
Ye Xun thought for a long time and finally agreed, but before she could even speak, tears streamed down her face.
Welcome to Q! The latest, fastest-growing, and most popular serialized works are all available at Qidian Original!
Chapter 36 No More Dating in College
Updated: 2008-07-03 22:43:52 Words: 0
Standing on the balcony, Tong Tong's words still echoed in her ears. She was confused—in romance novels, the protagonists always ended up together, but Tong Tong couldn't understand why they weren't, why they weren't so lucky. She knew that she and Yang Ke already had little chance of a future, but why was Ye Xun forcing her to lose such a precious opportunity?
"Perhaps only Yang Ke himself can change this outcome!" Tong Tong thought. "But do I really want to give up Yang Ke? Do I really want to give up this chance to fight?"
Tong Tong gently pulled the rope off the wind chime, and the wind chime immediately began to sing joyfully. Tong Tong gripped the rope tightly in her hand, and tears streamed down her face...
Ye Xun wandered around the campus. She was leaving tomorrow morning. Ye Xun missed Yang Ke. She hoped to see Yang Ke one last time before leaving, but she didn't have the courage to see him. Ye Xun was afraid that the wall in her heart would collapse in front of Yang Ke. That was her only barrier.
Yang Ke's words began to echo in Ye Xun's ears again. Ye Xun recalled all the games they played in the supermarket. No matter where she hid, Yang Ke could always find her, but why couldn't he find her today? Had they really flown out of the sandstorm's reach? Was it truly impossible for them to meet again? Ye Xun wandered through various corners of the campus—the library, the teaching buildings… But no matter what, she couldn't imagine that she would always brush past Yang Ke in every corner. Finally, the two met in front of the Green Lake on campus. Ye Xun's heart pounded. She knew Yang Ke's eyes were on her. Ye Xun wanted to rush up to Yang Ke and tell him what was on her mind, but she held back. Calmly, she walked towards Yang Ke, brushing past him as they passed each other.
"If you can find that banknote that represents me, I will leave Dai Qiang and come back to you; if you can't find it, then next time we meet, let's just pass each other like strangers, okay?"
Ye Xun and Yang Ke silently recited this promise in their hearts. They both knew they were foolish, foolishly suppressing their feelings to make a promise, but they were only doing it out of respect for each other. Everything they did was for this reason—that was their foolishness. But once they passed each other by, they both began to shed tears for their foolishness and regret their actions.
The sounds of revelry at Tianyi Pavilion echoed throughout the campus all night. When Yang Ke woke up, it was already dawn. He opened his eyes and saw various masks scattered everywhere in the now quiet Tianyi Pavilion. Yang Ke stood up and suddenly noticed a girl sleeping soundly in the corner. He rushed over, but was quickly disappointed. Yang Ke went downstairs dejectedly and returned to his home off campus.
"Why are you only just getting back?" Tong Tong greeted Yang Ke as soon as he opened the door. "Where did you go all night yesterday?"
"Tong Tong, what are you doing here?" Yang Ke asked curiously.
"Dai Qiang is in trouble!" Tong Tong said.
Ye Xun didn't return to her dorm until 5 a.m. She had spent the entire night in Tianyi Hall, remembering her two chance encounters with Yang Ke there, but last night she hadn't been so lucky. Ye Xun packed her luggage and wandered around the room for a while, but Tong Tong still hadn't returned. Ye Xun sighed, carefully examining every corner of the dorm room, then picked up her bag and went downstairs alone.
“Her flight is at eight o’clock this morning. If you go to the school gate now and try to stop her, you might still be able to see her!” Tong Tong said.
Upon hearing this, Yang Ke turned and ran outside, but suddenly stopped, turned back to Tong Tong, and said, "Tong Tong, thank you!"
Tong Tong didn't speak, only nodded. Yang Ke's figure disappeared through the doorway. Tong Tong leaned out onto the balcony, where Yang Ke was running on the road below. Tong Tong knew Yang Ke was running towards his own path, and she knew that their paths would never intersect again. She began to sob, tears falling one by one onto the flowers on the balcony…
While Ye Xun was still feeling lonely about her departure, Yang Ke appeared in her field of vision. Her heart leaped with joy, but then sank again. A farewell without Yang Ke would have been bleak, but with Yang Ke by her side, it would only be more painful. Yang Ke took the luggage from Ye Xun's hands, and the two walked side by side on the road in front of the school gate. Neither of them spoke, and this silence continued all the way to the airport.
"If he can persuade me to stay, maybe I'll agree!" Ye Xun thought.
"If I say it out loud, will she stay?" Yang Ke wondered. "Maybe she will, but I can't be so selfish. Since she has chosen responsibility, I should respect her and support her!"
They were each lost in their own thoughts, each hoping the other would break the silence first, but neither of them could muster the courage.
"The fare is 40 yuan!" the driver said as we got off the bus. This silence was eventually broken by someone else.
Yang Ke paid the money and then went to the back to get Ye Xun's luggage. Just as Ye Xun was about to leave, the driver called her back.
"Could you give me some change?" the driver asked. "I'd like to buy a pack of cigarettes from the vending machine up ahead!"
Ye Xun nodded. The driver took out a bill from the money Yang Ke had given him and handed it to Ye Xun. Ye Xun gave the driver all the coins. When she turned around again, Yang Ke was already standing in front of the airport gate waiting for her.
"You should go back!" Ye Xun said. "I can go in by myself!"
Yang Ke nodded and said, "Give my regards to Dai Qiang! I might visit him soon!"
"Yang Ke, thank you!" Ye Xun said, trying to keep her voice calm.
Their conversation seemed to have come to a complete end, but the two stood quietly at the airport entrance, neither willing to move an inch.
"I'm sorry!" Ye Xun thought for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out these three words.
"It's nothing!" Yang Ke smiled and said reassuringly, "My principle in college is not to date, right? I almost ruined my reputation! But thankfully, it was just a false alarm!"
Ye Xun smiled and nodded before entering the airport. Yang Ke stood outside watching Ye Xun disappear into the crowd. He knew he had lost her forever. Tong Tong's words echoed in his ears again. He knew that if he truly loved Ye Xun, he should make sacrifices like this.
Yang Ke let out a long sigh of relief and started running quickly in the square in front of the airport. He remembered what Ye Xun said on the Yangtze River Bridge: "Spread your arms wide, just like flying!"
"No dating in college!" Yang Ke shouted. "No dating in college!" (This could be the tragic ending.)
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Chapter 37 The Finale of Campus Romance
Updated: 2008-07-03 22:45:55 Words: 0
Yang Ke silently counted in his mind that twelve taxis had already passed by him. The reason they refused him was that today was January 1st, and according to relevant regulations, taxis with license plates ending in an even number were not allowed to cross the Yangtze River Bridge to the Nan'an District.
"Twelve!" Yang Ke thought silently. Wasn't this the time when the princess was cursed by the wizard? It was the thirteenth wizard who cast the spell on the princess during the twelfth blessing. Yang Ke finally got into the thirteenth taxi.
"Can I listen to music?" the driver asked Yang Ke.
“Okay!” Yang Ke nodded.
The driver turned on the radio, which was playing a song request program. The melodious singing, mixed with words of blessing, filled the car. Yang Ke remembered that night in front of the water bar. He took out his phone, dialed a number, and as soon as the call connected, Yang Ke's voice came from the radio.
"I want to dedicate a song by Nicholas Teo to a girl with the online name 'Black Night Thousand Grass', called 'When You're Lonely, Who Do You Think Of?' She's at the airport right now, about to board a plane to Beijing. She may not hear this song, but I also want to tell her one thing: Since we met, whenever I'm lonely, you're the only person I think of!"
The taxi sped across the Yangtze River Bridge. Yang Ke turned his face to the window, and his melodious singing, tinged with a touch of melancholy, drifted away on the wind...
Yang Ke closed the car door, but the music continued, lingering in his ears... Yang Ke turned his head; the song was coming from the bar. He stood there listening quietly. Zhang Dongliang's voice lingered tenderly, deeply piercing his heart. His experiences with Ye Xun resurfaced in his mind, and tears welled up in his eyes. The past scenes felt like they were submerged in water, making him feel wet and sore. His heart ached, as if it had been soaked.
"What you just heard was Nicholas Teo's 'When You're Lonely, Who Will Play in Your Heart'," the host said. "The person who requested these songs must still be waiting by the radio. I sincerely wish you well, and I also wish every couple in the world a happy ending!"
Yang Ke gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, let out a long sigh, and Ye Xun's image flickered before his eyes.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Yang Ke hesitated. He didn't know why he had come back. This room seemed to only have meaning when Ye Xun was there. Now, living alone, Yang Ke couldn't find peace. If Yang Ke's heart was a lake, Ye Xun's arrival had stirred it up. Even after it calmed down, the lake was no longer the same. With the passage of time, there are never the same lakes again.
Time is always so terrible; it always changes everything.
Yang Ke looked up at the window of his room. The curtains in Ye Xun's room were fluttering in the window, like a butterfly dancing gracefully. Yang Ke's heart skipped a beat. He clearly remembered that the window had always been closed. He ran upstairs as fast as he could, his footsteps echoing throughout the hallway, echoing his own heartbeat. The bumpy stairs had become a smooth road beneath his feet.
When Yang Ke reached the door, he stopped just as he was about to open it. His hand hesitated for a long time in front of the doorknob before he withdrew it. He stood there blankly, unable to muster the courage.
"What if... what if she's not here?" Yang Ke thought, the image of breaking up with Ye Xun at the airport flashing through his mind.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Ye Xun stood in the doorway, smiling at him.
“You…” Yang Ke suddenly became speechless.
Ye Xun's smile widened. She took out the 20-yuan bill from her pocket, pinched one corner, and gently waved it in front of Yang Ke. It danced between the two like a butterfly! Yang Ke gently leaned over and pinched the other end—the bill was originally broken into two pieces, but this time it was firmly tied together by a corner.
Ye Xun dragged her heavy steps toward the ticket gate. Suddenly, a passerby bumped into her, knocking her plane ticket to the ground. She bent down to pick up the ticket and the banknote she had exchanged for change. Suddenly, Ye Xun froze. The banknote was taped together. Ye Xun turned it over and saw the serial number clearly printed on it: YX19840521. Ye Xun finally remembered—this banknote belonged to Yang Ke, and it was the change Yang Ke had given her when she bought a ticket on the bus.
Ye Xun turned and ran frantically towards the airport exit. A taxi drove by, brushing past her and nearly knocking her down.
"Are you alright?" the taxi driver asked, still shaken.
"No, I'm sorry!" Ye Xun said in a panic.
"I want to dedicate a song by Nicholas Teo to a girl with the online name 'Black Night Thousand Grass,' called 'When You're Lonely, Who Do You Think Of?' She's at the airport right now, about to board a plane to Beijing. She may not hear this song, but I also want to tell her one thing: Since we met, whenever I'm lonely, you're the only person I think of!" came the voice from the taxi.
Ye Xun stood there quietly, listening to the music echoing in her ears. Her experiences with Yang Ke came crashing over her like waves, instantly engulfing her. Ye Xun could no longer bear it. The last line of defense in her heart was breached, and all her hesitation and confusion were shattered by the surging tide.
"Ye Xun, everything will be alright. As long as you safely overcome the twelfth wizard's curse, everything will be alright! Just wait patiently, and your Prince Charming will surely appear. Perhaps he is right below your castle, just waiting to walk in and awaken you!"
Yang Ke's words kept echoing in Ye Xun's mind as she got into the taxi, tears streaming down her face.
Yang Ke gently stroked the banknote with his fingers, then looked up and asked Ye Xun, "Didn't you say you should take responsibility for Dai Qiang?"
Ye Xun sighed and said, "I think if I take responsibility for him alone, it would be irresponsible to four people! And there should be other ways to take responsibility! Sandstorms in the same sandstorm will shatter together if they collide, and those that can't meet will never have the chance to meet again!"
“I always thought I could only go as far as the castle, but now I’ve walked in!” Yang Ke said.
"And you?" Ye Xun started to tease Yang Ke again, "Didn't you say you wouldn't date in college? Isn't this room's rule something you can't break?"
"Have you forgotten?" Yang Ke said with a smile, "I also said that if I were to fall in love, I would choose you, so that I wouldn't lose to you!"
"You don't keep your word!" Ye Xun said. "I'm going to see how people should be punished for violating this principle!"
Just as Ye Xun was about to leave, Yang Ke stopped her. The two of them looked up at the wall together. A gust of wind blew, and the precariously hanging "No" swayed a few times before falling down and being blown out the window. The wall clearly read: College Romance!
(end)