“I’ve spoken with Runqiu and Xu Na, and I’ve also spoken directly with the person in charge of the school network. Don’t worry, we’ll have a result soon.”
"You're really something else; that administrator completely ignored me."
Xiang Lan hung up the phone, flopped onto the bed, rolled around a couple of times, looked at her phone, and calculated the time difference. It should be midnight in the US; Fang Zi should be sound asleep. She sighed deeply. Long-distance relationships really weren't good. She hadn't seen her beauty for only a day, and she already couldn't take it anymore. No, she had to finish what she was doing as soon as possible and rush to the US to see him and recharge.
She is a very proactive person; once she decides to do something, she does it immediately. After having a simple lunch in the cafeteria, she rushed straight to the logistics office without taking a lunch break, ready to start painting the theme picture.
She wasn't sure if she was just imagining things, but she felt like people were pointing and whispering about her the whole way. And in the cafeteria, people around her seat kept glancing at her, some using mirrors, some pretending to look at her on their phones, and some turning away to avoid her gaze. She was utterly exasperated. She stood up confidently, letting everyone stare at her until they had their fill, before angrily taking her dirty tray to the recycling center.
Upon entering the logistics office, Wang Runqiu was already waiting for her, as expected. She didn't mind, took off her bag, grabbed her paint can and brushes, and began mixing colors. Once she had the colors mixed enough, she went to move some paper and spread it out.
Wang Runqiu followed her gaze. At first, he could suppress his anger, but later, the fury on his face could be felt even from three feet away.
Xiang Lan picked up the palette, tested the colors, and then focused her mind, ready to begin.
"Xiang Lan—" Wang Runqiu's voice was filled with suppressed anger, "You've caused such a huge mess, why are you still able to stay here as if nothing happened?"
Xiang Lan glanced at her, not wanting to let it affect her mood, put down the plate, and took a deep breath.
"I told you long ago, stay away from Xingda."
Xiang Lan thought to herself, "If it weren't for my promise to my beautiful Zidu to do the exhibition boards and graduation project well, who would have the patience for these inexplicable things?"
"Just how badly do you want to ruin Xingda before you're satisfied? He just doesn't like you." Wang Runqiu was truly heartbroken, her voice trembling. "If I've offended you and need to apologize, then I will."
It's such a pity that such a beautiful girl has something wrong with her brain.
Xiang Lan was quiet for a moment, then said, "Wang Runqiu, I didn't want to talk to you much, but considering that Li Xingda is a good person and you genuinely like him, I'll remind you that what you should be focusing on right now is waiting for the admission notice from the American school, right? If you're not confident, you should think of other ways. There's no point in arguing with me here."
Xiang Lan heard no further voices, picked up her palette again, and began to concentrate on painting. This time, she wanted to paint a watercolor, using vibrant colors to express the unpredictability and diversity of the future. Once she started working, she was completely focused, her brush moving slowly across the paper. She lost track of time until the sun began to set and her wrists stiffened.
She put down her pen and stretched her neck, only to find Wang Runqiu sitting blankly beside her, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were already red and swollen. She was a little surprised, but not wanting to disturb her grief, she quietly packed her things and left.
Wang Runqiu isn't stupid. Anyone who can get into this school has a basic level of intelligence. She must have figured something out because she was so heartbroken.
Xiang Lan sighed again. Lately, she had been sighing more and more often, desperately needing comfort from her beloved. She checked the time; it was already past six in the afternoon. At this hour, it shouldn't be considered disturbing him, so she dialed Fang Zidu's number once more.
The phone rang for a long time, until she was almost in despair, when it was finally answered.
"Hello--"
On the other end of the phone was a woman's voice.
Chapter 18
Lin Li put down her phone, wondering why no one spoke after the call connected. She shook her head and turned off her phone.
"You answered my phone?" Fang Zidu rushed out of the bathroom and saw her holding his phone.
"It rang for a long time. It was a domestic number. I was worried it was something to do with the teacher, so I answered it first." Lin Li handed the phone back to him. "I'm sorry."
Fang Zi answered the phone, searched for the number but couldn't find it. "It's okay, but let's not have a next time. Did they say anything on the phone?"
She yawned. "It was probably a spam call. The person didn't say anything when I answered, so I just deleted it."
He frowned, pulled up Xiang Lan's old phone number, and dialed it, but it was still switched off.
"Zidu, thank you so much for helping me with this experiment. You've been working on it all night. Would you like to come to my place for breakfast before you go back to rest?"
He shook his head. "No need."
"You're not leaving again this time?" Lin Li said with a grin. "Your teacher sent an email saying that he had a good talk with you, but you're not very interested in returning to China."
"It's not finalized yet." Fang Zi habitually tidied up the lab bench and put all the equipment back in its place.
What do your family members think? What about your uncle?
“My dad takes after me.” Fang Zidu lowered his head. “I have other considerations.”
"The teacher will try to get you the best possible terms," Lin Li laughed. "He told me to persuade you more. If I can convince you to go back, he'll treat me to a big meal. Senior Brother Zidu, you have to give me face for that!"
He smiled, a hint of childishness in his eyes, "Sister Lin, I'll think about it some more."
Fang Zi hurriedly left the laboratory, quickly crossing the neat lawn and rows of old, pointed-roof buildings, the morning light rapidly illuminating the white clouds on the horizon. He ran along the empty school path, his mind only on Xiang Lan.
Now, he was very worried. He tried to contact her on his phone as soon as he got off the plane, but unfortunately, he couldn't get through. He regretted not asking for more of her contact information. He was anxious the whole way on the train, and when he got home, he was so tired that he fell asleep immediately. Before he even woke up, Lin Li dragged him to the lab to help. One of her experiments was stuck, and she couldn't figure out why. Helping her meant he stayed up all night again, and now his head was completely foggy.
He feared she would be angry because his behavior was utterly ungentlemanly; not only had he failed to take care of her, but he had also taken advantage of her while she was drunk and unaware. Her body had given him a powerful shock; he had never known such pleasure existed in the world. That night, he was too greedy, as if he had discovered a new toy, unable to let go until he had thoroughly explored it. Xiang Lan had fallen asleep due to the alcohol, but he had worshipped her body clearly under the light. It was a young and beautiful body, radiating warmth and fragrance, with smooth, delicate skin that reacted differently to his touch. This was a completely unfamiliar territory for him, awakening desires that had been dormant for over twenty years, showing him a new world, and his heart couldn't help but succumb.
He turned on his computer and went to her thread, intending to send her a private message using his Renren (校内网) ID. However, the webpage that popped up startled him. Li Xingda's statement had been highlighted, bolded, and pinned by nosy viewers; Fang Zidu saw it immediately. He stared intently at the last sentence, his face turning cold. He calmly continued reading, ignoring the profanities and the numerous threads urging Li Xingda and Xiang Lan to be together, and finally found Xiang Lan's response.
The words "I have a boyfriend" shone brightly in his eyes, almost leaping off the screen, causing him to completely ignore all the other Chinese characters.
Xiang Lan was sullen. She hung up the phone and went back to her dorm, not even wanting to eat dinner. She lay on the bed for a while and drifted off to sleep. In her dream, Fang Zi was holding the arm of a woman whose face she couldn't see. He said, "Xiang Lan, I don't love you."
I woke myself up in a fright.
She slept very restlessly, and when she woke up, her heart was pounding and her limbs felt weak. She lay there for a while, then got up, took out her phone, and saw it was already 8:30 pm. Usually, Deng Yifan would have already returned to her dormitory by this time. She found her phone number and dialed it.
Deng Yifan's phone went unanswered, so they dialed Li Xingda's number, but still no one answered. This was strange.
Feeling a bit hungry, her stomach rumbled loudly. She got out of bed and rummaged through the box, but couldn't find anything to eat. She had no choice but to get ready and go downstairs to fill her stomach.
The owner of the small shop downstairs makes delicious egg pancakes, filled with a layer of fragrant and tender meat sauce, which is her favorite. She stood at the small window, watching with longing as the owner poured the egg mixture onto the griddle, and after it was half-set, he ladled on a thick layer of meat sauce, making her mouth water uncontrollably.
"Auntie, add more sauce, this is delicious." Xiang Lan often comes here to eat, and the proprietress already knows her. She smiled and satisfied her, adding another spoonful.
The fragrant and hot egg pancakes came out of the pan. With cash on delivery, she grabbed the paper bag, ignoring the heat, and took a big bite.
The proprietress laughed, "Slow down, it's hot."
"Delicious," Xiang Lan mumbled, taking two bites to soothe her hunger pangs.
Xiang Lan ate as she walked towards Mirror Lake. So much had happened in the past few days; she hadn't had time to process it all and needed to calm down. As she left the dormitory area and passed the grove of trees, she saw Xu Na arguing with a boy under a streetlamp. At first, she didn't pay much attention; the area was secluded, with few pedestrians and many couples, so being affectionate and hugging was normal. But the closer she got, the more she noticed something was off about Xu Na's voice.
She stood to the side and watched for a while. Xu Na tried to break free from the boy's control with all her might, her voice very low. The boy, on the other hand, was full of anger and resentment, and dragged her deeper into the grove by her wrist.
"Xu Na—" Xiang Lan called out.
Xu Na heard her voice, looked over, and was overjoyed. The boy was stunned for a moment, and she took the opportunity to free her hands.
"Do you need help?" Xiang Lan saw the boy's panicked expression and waved her phone. "I'm going to call the police."
The boy gritted his teeth, turned around, and ran away.
Xu Na, still shaken, patted her chest and said, "Xiang Lan, thank you so much. I ran into a pervert today."
"That's someone you don't know?" Xiang Lan asked, puzzled. "Why didn't you call for help? I thought you had a fight with your boyfriend."
Xu Na turned her head. "I was too scared, so I forgot. How could someone like that be my boyfriend?"
Xiang Lan took a bite of her egg pancake. "You know him? Is he from our school?"
"We've met twice, and each time he said he wanted to pursue me. I clearly rejected him, but he acted like he didn't understand." Xu Na sighed. "You're only eating dinner now? Aren't you afraid of gaining weight?"
"I don't get fat." Xiang Lan finished her food in a few bites, threw the wrapper in the trash can, and said, "I've been drawing all afternoon and only finished a little bit. I'm so tired, I went back to the dorm and slept for a while."
Why did you come this way?
"Feeling down? Come for a walk."
Xu Na looked at her with sympathy as the two walked slowly along the path beside Mirror Lake. She said, "You've really had a lot of troubles lately. Don't take things online too seriously—"
"I didn't take it to heart." Xiang Lan looked at the new willow branches swaying in the night breeze. "I think Wang Runqiu is more miserable than me. She sat next to me and cried all afternoon. Didn't you go and comfort her?"
“There’s nothing I can do.” She shrugged. “I’ve tried everything, it’s useless. Especially since the president posted that statement for you online.”
"You must be joking, right?" Xiang Lan looked at Xu Na with suspicion. "You want to help me resolve this matter in a relaxed manner. After all, people who watch the drama online just want a positive attitude."
Xu Na shook her head, looking at Xiang Lan's face. Under the orange glow of the streetlights, she looked especially beautiful. "Xiang Lan, don't deny it, the president likes you."
"Hehe." Xiang Lan gave an awkward laugh, becoming wary of her. "I have a boyfriend."
"Wasn't this just a joke online?" Xu Na clearly didn't believe it.
“Of course not,” she said. “I don’t joke like that, and this matter doesn’t really affect me. But the president has gained a lot of negative publicity. He used to have a good image, but now he’s been portrayed as a hypocritical and snobbish person. I really don’t believe that the person who leaked this information did so because they like him.”
"You said you didn't like the president, but now you feel sorry for him, right?" Xu Na said with a grin.
Xiang Lan frowned, feeling that Xu Na, whom she had known for more than three years, was impossible to communicate with. She said, "Do you think I like the president, which is why I speak up for him? At the same time, do you also think the president likes me, which is why he speaks up for me?"
"Isn't that right?"
"Your logic is hilarious. So tell me, why don't we just be together since we like each other? And if we're mutually attracted, why are those people online attacking a perfectly legitimate couple for no reason?"
Xu Na choked, and after a long while said, "It seems so. Could it be that cyberbullying has actually helped you?"
Xiang Lan rolled her eyes. How could this person's brain be so big?
"No wonder Runqiu was so heartbroken. It seems the president must have confronted her about it," Xu Na said. "Congratulations on winning over your dream man."
What should I do if I really want to swear?
"It's no wonder you don't want to admit it. There are just too many people who like the president. Being with him means being scrutinized under a magnifying glass, and the pressure is too great. It'll be better if you go to America. No one will be watching you. Besides, going abroad with him isn't that difficult for you, is it?" Xu Na looked her up and down. Her clothes weren't extravagant, but you could tell they were of excellent quality and style. And all her bags and accessories were top-notch.
“If I want something, I just ask for it directly, without going through all this roundabout ways; if I want to go somewhere, it's because I want to go, not for anyone else.” Xiang Lan said righteously, but in her heart she was full of self-contempt. If her beauty had beckoned to her, she would have gone there without hesitation. “You’re overthinking it, and it doesn’t seem to make any sense.”
Xu Na stopped in her tracks, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Xiang Lan shrugged. "I don't want to convince you of anything, but I really don't like Li Xingda right now. If you like him, then just go ahead and confess."
Xu Na was startled, her face filled with panic.
"I'm going back to my dorm. There are little bugs here, and they're making me so itchy." Xiang Lan found this person boring and had no desire to continue the conversation, so she turned and ran away.
Back in her dorm, Deng Yifan hadn't returned yet. She continued calling Li Xingda while simultaneously turning on her computer to check on the battle situation of the various factions upstairs.
The phone was finally answered, and she said, "President, have Wang Runqiu and Xu Na provided any useful clues?"
"No. However, the internet cafe administrator has provided some useful information, confirming that the person who leaked the information posted it in the internet cafe near the back door."
"I don't know if I'm being too sensitive. Do you want to go ask Xu Na again?"
Li Xingda paused for a moment, and Xiang Lan said expressionlessly, "She seems to like you."
After hanging up the phone, Xiang Lan let out a breath. She didn't think she had said anything earth-shattering, but Xu Na was indeed too strange.
The thread was open, and the initial buzz had started to die down, but the number of private messages her ID had received was astronomical. She opened her inbox, glanced at it, and saw it was full of either insults or support. She checked off the negative messages and deleted them all, leaving only the positive messages from the "angels." Finally, a string of text caught her eye. She wondered if she was seeing things, rubbed her eyes, and looked again.
"Xiang Lan, this is Fang Zidu. I've been trying to contact you by phone recently, but it's been busy. I regret that I didn't get any other contact information for you, so I'm trying to send you a message here. If you see this, please contact me as soon as possible, time difference doesn't matter. I want to know how you are doing, are you alright?"
Xiang Lan was laughing at the computer, looking like a lunatic.