"And then?" Song Rui asked impatiently.
"It's ridiculous to say, but he wasn't in my class. Through a lot of coincidences, I noticed him without even realizing it. Seeing him every day made me feel happy. One day, I saw him with another girl, and I was devastated. I decided to slowly distance myself from him, and then things gradually faded away." She thought for a moment, then continued, "I understand your feelings. First love is usually the most beautiful because you give the other person the most perfect ideal in your mind. But when you grow up and meet all sorts of people, you will understand the meaning of that relationship to you."
Song Rui gently grasped the hem of her dress and softly asked, "What does it mean?"
"It seems like just a ridiculous dream. When I woke up, there was nothing left, or it might just be a memory for a lifetime."
Song Rui nodded, seemingly understanding, "It seems like I'm starting to think it was all a ridiculous dream. It's really strange."
Song Jianan understood, "Little one, so you're still very young. Let's talk about love later."
Song Rui washed her face and obediently sat at her desk to read. Song Jianan hugged her computer and lay on the sofa. Both MSN and QQ showed that she was busy. She originally wanted to ask Fang Yanyan about how Zhou Yu had tormented her today, but he was not online. So she could only write her manuscript in a depressed mood.
She just felt a little upset. Those past events, spoken of in a different way, did not bring her any relief, but rather made her feel even heavier. She did not tell Song Rui the whole story; that story was only the first part, an insignificant part.
Suddenly, the "beep beep" sound on QQ pulled her out of her memories. An unfamiliar avatar popped up, and when she clicked on it, she saw that it was "July in the Fields," a avatar that hadn't been deleted. A line of text popped up: "Didn't you say you were on duty at the newspaper office? You actually have time to go online."
Ha, they must be thinking of me as that kid Fang Yanyan. She quickly replied, "Sorry, Fang Yanyan doesn't use this account anymore. He gave me this QQ account."
The other person quickly realized what was happening, "Hehe, sorry to bother you, may I ask who you are?"
Song Jianan thought for a moment and replied in a rather conservative way, "I am his colleague at the newspaper. He lent me his QQ number temporarily for the sake of convenience."
There was a long silence on the other end, then a smiley face appeared, "Oh, I see. Sorry to bother you."
Song Jianan smiled, unable to think of anything to reply, so she closed the chat box and continued writing. Then, after thinking for a moment, she changed her signature to, "The country has changed hands, QQ number changed. If you want to contact me, please use GPRS location."
She then wrote four words in her personal description: "Shallow joy, deep love." She didn't know why; it just came to mind in an instant.
She saw Song Rui off in the morning and then went back to sleep. She was woken up by her phone ringing before nine o'clock. Her head was spinning, and it took her a while to get out of bed. "Hello, this is Song Jianan. Who is this for?"
A deep, steady middle-aged male voice came out, "Looking for Song Jianan."
"Oh, wait a minute—" she mumbled sleepily, then glanced at the caller ID, where three large characters stood out—Director Zhang. Song Jianan immediately snapped awake, her voice becoming crisp and pleasant, "Director, it's me."
The head of the entertainment section was a very intellectual literary and artistic worker in his forties. He didn't talk much usually, but he was very knowledgeable about the policies and guidelines for literary and artistic publishing. He was a typical member of a large newspaper group, the mouthpiece of the Party, and a leader in public opinion. Therefore, the entertainment section was much more sophisticated and tasteful than those gossip magazines, but it was also relatively boring.
The director on the other end spoke slowly, "Little Song, are you settling in well after being transferred to our department?"
In broad daylight, on her day off, did he really call just to ask how she felt about coming to the new department? Song Jianan didn't believe it. She verbally agreed, "Thank you for your concern, Director. The entertainment section is still very active. I feel quite comfortable there. It's good."
"Oh, I'm glad you think it's good. Hehe, let me tell you something, it's about work. There's an international book exhibition in Guangzhou the day after tomorrow, and many famous people from home and abroad will be there. Last time, Professor Liu Xinwu couldn't arrange an interview time with us, so we changed it to this time. I just looked into it and decided to have Editor-in-Chief Zhang go with you."
Song Jianan blinked, unable to believe that such a good thing had fallen into her lap, and quickly agreed, "No problem, Director, I'll go to the newspaper office this afternoon to prepare the necessary materials."
After hanging up the phone, she immediately wanted to call her good friend Xu Yan from college, but after checking the time, she figured Xu Yan was probably recording a program, so she sent her a message saying that she was going to Guangzhou for an interview and that Xu Yan would take care of all her needs.
They didn't receive the call until noon. The two teased each other for a while and chatted until the afternoon. Song Jianan went to the newspaper office to pick up the materials, checked the schedule with Editor-in-Chief Zhang, and then went to the social news section to gossip with her former colleagues for a long time. Finally, she went to the school to pick up Song Rui and take her to the restaurant. Only then did she realize that her days were incredibly busy and fulfilling.
The Song family is a scholarly family, so even though they don't have much power, they are still very prestigious. Grandpa Song is a university professor, director of the Economic Law Research Office, and director of the Competition Law and Intellectual Property Law Research Center. He has trained many top lawyers in the fields of economic law and corporate law, including Xi Luoyu.
So-called elites are actually cunning people who can talk and laugh at any time. Amid the resentment and anger of the crowd, Xi Luoyu laughed calmly and unperturbed. "Nine strips, I won by myself. Song Rui, stick another strip on your face."
Song Rui angrily dipped a small piece of white paper in tea and slammed it on her forehead without hesitation. Song Jianan, who didn't know how to play mahjong, was bored watching from the side. She took a marker from Song Rui's bag, intending to practice her autograph so that she could imitate a celebrity when reporters from various media outlets signed their names at the book exhibition. However, Xi Luoyu adjusted his glasses and pointed to the small pieces of white paper scattered on the table, "Song Jianan, this is your place to improvise."
Song Rui was the first to react. Her breath gurgled as she flipped the note on her forehead, and she gritted her teeth and shouted, "Damn it, Xiao Xi, you're so impure! How can you mess with us with such filthy thoughts? Sister Jia Nan, don't be in cahoots with him!"
Song Jianan suddenly realized, "Oh, I understand, hehe." She reached out and took the stack of small slips of paper, weighed them in her hand, and asked Xi Luoyu, "Is this enough? I'm afraid you won't have enough."
Xi Luoyu laughed, "Hehe, how would I know? It's not a question of whether it's enough, it's a question of whether it's possible."
Another college student at their table, upon hearing this, became frustrated and angrily pushed his mahjong tiles aside, saying, "Don't be pretentious; pretentiousness leads to leniency."
Song Jianan and Song Rui looked bewildered. Xi Luoyu smiled slightly, slowly drawing cards with his hands, and softly uttered in authentic British accent, "Many people think they are full of niubility and like to play zhuangbility, which only reflects their shability."
This time, Song Jianan understood, but she looked completely dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning. The others gradually reacted as well, bursting into laughter. Song Rui was extremely curious, "Sister Jianan, what are you talking about?"
“I’m telling you, Xi Luoyu, don’t corrupt the children.”
"Really? Did I? Song Rui, can you even understand what I'm saying?"
Song Rui shook his head. "I don't understand. My English is terrible. Don't bully someone like me. Just tell me what you mean."
Xi Luoyu shrugged and smiled at Song Jianan, "She doesn't understand anything, so it doesn't constitute civil liability."
Grandpa Song arrived just before the banquet was about to begin. As soon as he entered, he asked where Song Jianan had gone. She quickly and cleverly ran over to him. Grandpa Song was very pleased and asked her about her work. Then, he exaggeratedly shouted, "Where's Xiao Xi? Why haven't I seen him today?"
Someone quickly called Xi Luoyu over, and Grandpa Song said with a smile, "You were playing Thirteen Orphans again today, weren't you? You seemed to be having a lot of fun with that little girl Song Rui. By the way, this is my granddaughter, Song Jianan."
Song Jianan quickly interrupted him, "Grandpa, I've known him for a long time, no need for introductions."
"It would be even better if we got to know each other, haha, it would have been even better if we had known each other sooner. Last time I was telling your dad..." Grandpa Song was about to continue when Song Rui popped out, "Grandpa, people from the Jiusan Society are looking for you."
She watched them walk away and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, Song Rui, you came just in time."
Song Rui looked bewildered. "What are you all saying here? Are you still going to play mahjong or not? Those adults keep talking nonsense. Who knows when we'll start eating? We could probably play a couple more rounds."
Song Jianan was both amused and exasperated. "All you know how to do is play games. You think you haven't put enough IOUs on your phone?"
“It’s better to make money, maybe that will motivate me more!” Song Rui’s eyes sparkled. “I now realize that there are so many joys in life. To hell with heartbreak, I’m going to talk to Third Brother and the others first, let’s see who’s in charge.”
After saying that, she ran away, leaving Song Jianan and Xi Luoyu staring at each other. The atmosphere was a bit cold. Suddenly, Xi Luoyu laughed and said, "Song Rui, that little girl, really ruined a good thing by looking for trouble. Actually, it would be nice if we were introduced to each other again."
Song Jianan didn't react for a moment, "Huh? You know them all? It seems like you're more familiar with Song Rui than with me."
As if he hadn't heard Song Jianan's voice, Xi Luoyu laughed to himself, his eyes clear and bright. His glasses had somehow slipped down slightly, resting on his high nose at a helpless angle. "Official, authoritative, and legally binding."
Author's Note: zhuangbility — to act cool
The same below
Seriously, why do I feel so much love for Xiao Xi?
I guarantee it, Su Li is really coming out soon, really. In fact, he's already out, just wearing a mask.
Chapter 14
As the dishes were served one after another, Song Jianan tried her best to control her urge to eat heartily, maintaining a ladylike demeanor. On the other hand, Song Ruizhen was not idle; she didn't even say a word, just focused on eating.
Xi Luoyu wasn't at their table; he was pulled away to drink with them. Song Jianan ran into him as she went out. He was leaning against the window in the corridor, his profile showing as if he was looking at something. His usually clear eyes seemed to be veiled by an indistinct mist, his features hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses. Song Jianan subconsciously glanced at him a few more times. He looked back, his eyes reflecting a lazy yet arrogant glint that vanished in an instant.
He waved to her, and Song Jianan walked over without much hesitation. Just as she was about to ask what she was doing here, she saw the sound of rushing water outside the window. She looked down curiously and exclaimed, "Oh, so this is a riverside hotel with a view of the Yangtze River!"
"Yeah, you're only finding out now?" Xi Luoyu opened the window, and a gust of cold wind rushed in. Song Jianan immediately felt a refreshing breeze and a faint dampness on her face. Her cheeks, which had been slightly flushed from the alcohol, felt much better. Turning to look at Xi Luoyu, she was surprised. "You don't look like yourself at all without your glasses."
Xi Luoyu asked with great interest, casually flicking the glasses in his hand, "What does that look like?"
“A person.” Song Jianan said expressionlessly, “What a lame joke.”
He didn't speak, holding his glasses in his hand as if looking at something, yet seemingly not paying attention to anything at all. The autumn night wind was strong, stirring up the river waves, and the tide rolled overwhelmingly towards the shore. It seemed like just the ebb and flow of the tide, but in reality, it was turbulent and fierce. There were fishing boats in the middle of the river, their faint lights moving slowly in the darkness, like ghosts.
Xi Luoyu seemed to have drunk quite a bit, his eyes were somewhat unfocused, but he kept staring at the river. Song Jianan's heart stirred; this posture was just like that person's.
Perhaps it is because they are inherently aloof and detached that they unconsciously become close to nature.
To ease the somewhat dull atmosphere, Song Jianan spoke up, "Are you Grandpa's student?"
"Yes, I did my undergraduate studies here, but I went to another place for my master's degree."
She laughed and said, "How strict is my grandfather? Don't be fooled by his cheerful demeanor now; I was terrified of him when I was a child."
“Strict, but the professor teaches very well. Many students who are not from the law department come to audit his classes. Let me give you two classic examples. A is thirsty and asks B to buy water. They agree that the price per bottle cannot exceed 3 yuan, but they don’t specify how much to buy. B buys 100 bottles of water from the convenience store at 2.5 yuan each. A is no longer thirsty at that moment because he has no money in his pocket.”
"kindness?"
"This is called an unclear agency clause. Also, in the last six months of the litigation period, one day A went out of his house to file a lawsuit, but when he opened the door, he found that there was a flood, and the court was also washed away by the flood. One day, six months before the last six months of the litigation period, A went out to file a lawsuit, but fell into a pit as soon as he stepped out, and did not climb out until one day in the middle of the six months."
"And what is this?"
"This is called suspension of the statute of limitations."
Just as Song Jianan was about to lament that it was a real pity she hadn't been her grandfather's student, Xi Luoyu spoke up before her, "Actually, I didn't like law at all and planned to switch to the economics and management department in my second year."
She was somewhat surprised, and after a long while, all she could think of was why. But she stubbornly held back. Since he wasn't going to continue, why should she force him? Besides, she wasn't curious.
Xi Luoyu put on his glasses, closed the window, and for a moment seemed to return to his shrewd demeanor. "Let's go. It's not good to be out in the wind at night; you'll easily catch a cold."
After the banquet, she took a taxi home. The weekend entertainment section of Jing Sheng Jing Shi's report was not yet finished, so she went online to find reports and reviews of the newly released "Curse of the Golden Flower" and slowly began to work on her writing.
Perhaps she had drunk a little too much, because Song Jianan felt dizzy and had difficulty even finding the words to form a sentence. Suddenly, her phone rang. She saw that it was Xi Luoyu calling and felt a little strange. She answered the phone, and a lot of noise came from the other end, but his voice was unusually quiet amidst the commotion. He asked, "Are you home?"
Song Jianan chuckled and said, "Well, where did you guys go hanging out with your senior and junior brothers?"
As soon as she said it, she realized her tone was a little strange. It didn't sound like a question between friends. The casual and joking tone was clearly only between lovers. She was startled by this realization and her mind immediately cleared up. Xi Luoyu laughed and said, "We didn't go anywhere. We just sang karaoke on the Avenue of Stars."
She said "Oh," feeling speechless, but Xi Luoyu didn't let the conversation die down. "By the way, I heard you're going on a business trip tomorrow afternoon, so I won't see you off. Have a safe trip."
"Heh, you don't need to see me off. It's not like I'm not coming back. It's only three days. Oh, right, I just remembered. I said I'd treat you to tomato hotpot last time, but I completely forgot. I'll treat you when I get back."
Xi Luoyu feigned surprise, "Oh, you finally remembered this. Looks like my call wasn't in vain."
Someone called Xi Luoyu's name from the side, and she laughed and said, "I'm not going to chat with you anymore. Go have fun. I still have a manuscript to finish. It needs to be sent out tomorrow morning."
He seemed unsatisfied and pressed on, "What manuscript are you rushing to finish?"
“I haven’t read any of the promotional materials or reviews for ‘Curse of the Golden Flower,’ I just wrote this haphazardly,” Song Jianan answered honestly. “Don’t laugh at me if it gets published tomorrow.”
"I've seen it, I even bought a ticket at the Workers' Cinema. Don't you like watching movies?"
"I'd rather download a movie at home and watch it slowly than go to the cinema."
Suddenly, the noise from the other end increased, as if the door to the private room had opened, and a familiar song drifted out: "Ten years ago, I didn't know you, you didn't belong to me, we were still together, walking through streets that were gradually becoming familiar."
The sudden singing abruptly interrupted their conversation. It seemed to last for about half a minute before Xi Luoyu's voice came through. Whether Song Jianan wasn't paying attention or the signal was too bad, she could only vaguely make out that he said, "Actually, you need two people to go to the movies. I'll treat you to a movie when you get back."
His voice was deep, the tone seemingly blending with that melancholy song—soft yet strong, with a touch of desolation. Song Jianan didn't know how to answer. Suddenly, her phone screen lit up, displaying a low battery warning and shutting down.
She felt relieved, and a vague sense of unease began to creep into her heart.