"Ah...no!" Yang Ke lied.
"Then why did you just say 'I'm back'?" Ye Xun pressed, she really wanted Yang Ke to tell her the truth, as that was a matter of trust for her.
"He's a salesman!" Yang Ke continued lying. "He always comes knocking on the door!"
Ye Xun smiled and nodded, but her heart was filled with gloom. She had originally wanted to explain her extraordinary encounter today, but now she had no mood for it at all.
"Please sit down! I'll get you a glass of water!"
Ye Xun paced back and forth in the living room when she suddenly noticed a book on the table. It was one of her most outstanding "masterpieces" from her vacation. Ye Xun couldn't help but smile. She picked up the book and gently flipped through it. A sticker caught her eye, surprising her greatly. It was a picture of Tong Tong and Yang Ke together. Tong Tong was gently kissing Yang Ke's cheek, her face full of a happy smile. Yang Ke seemed surprised by Tong Tong's gesture, but his surprise was tempered with a smile. Yang Ke's footsteps approached, and Ye Xun quickly put the book back on its place.
Yang Ke handed the coffee to Ye Xun. He also noticed the book on the table and secretly slipped it under the sofa cushion, but Ye Xun saw through his act.
"Why would he do this? Could it be that they..." Ye Xun wondered.
The two sat quietly for a while before Yang Ke spoke first: "Ye Xun, what brings you here today?"
"It's nothing, I just happened to be passing by and came up!"
"You're here to see Miaomiao, right?" Yang Ke said. "It always runs outside, but it's not here now!"
"Maybe it couldn't stand the constraints here and secretly went out to find love!" Ye Xun said with a smile.
"Then I'll have to think about it carefully!" Yang Ke laughed. "Let's see if we should use family discipline on it!"
"Yang Ke, what do you think of Tong Tong?" Ye Xun suddenly asked.
Yang Ke was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "She's mischievous, generous, and a bit stubborn. At first, I couldn't stand her, but after spending more time with her and getting to know her better, it became easier to deal with her. Now I actually find her quite interesting!"
Yang Ke spoke eloquently, while Ye Xun listened attentively.
"Yang Ke, I have to go!" Ye Xun said. "I won't bother you anymore; you still need to study for your exams!"
Yang Ke escorted Ye Xun to the door. As Ye Xun reached the door, she suddenly turned back and asked Yang Ke, "Yang Ke, is there anything else you want to say? To me, or to Tong Tong?"
Yang Ke hesitated for a moment and said, "Ye Xun, actually I've always wanted to tell you, I... Tong Tong, she..."
Ye Xun listened quietly. She just wanted to know if Yang Ke could tell her the truth. She had to make a choice between Yang Ke and Dai Qiang.
"Let's talk about it later!" Yang Ke finally couldn't bring himself to say it.
Ye Xun smiled and nodded, then left the room and went downstairs.
"Ye Xun, I want to tell you that there's nothing between Tong Tong and me. The person I truly love is you!" Yang Ke closed the door and leaned weakly against it. "But you've already chosen Dai Qiang, so I have no choice but to back down!"
Ye Xun went downstairs, her mind still replaying Yang Ke's hesitant words. He had only uttered the name Tong Tong. The image of Yang Ke praising Tong Tong and the sticker flashed before her eyes again. Ye Xun's heart sank. She finally understood that Yang Ke truly loved Tong Tong. Now, the only one who could pull her out of this pain was Dai Qiang.
As soon as Ye Xun opened the dormitory door, she heard Tong Tong's cheerful singing. She calmed herself down and asked, "Tong Tong, what's the occasion that makes you so happy today?"
"Ye Xun, you don't know, I beat Yang Ke!" Tong Tong said excitedly. "He even agreed to the conditions I set today!"
Ye Xun was taken aback for a moment, then immediately said, "Then I must congratulate you!"
Tong Tong happily started singing and dancing again, while Ye Xun just stared blankly at her, her thoughts completely disrupted.
"Ye Xun, I remember now!" Tong Tong said, "Dai Qiang called you three times today, but you weren't there, and your phone was off. He said if possible, you could call him tonight!"
"Okay! Thank you!"
"Ye Xun, has Dai Qiang started to like you again?" Tong Tong asked, leaning close to Ye Xun. "He sounded really eager. Maybe you two can get back together!"
"I hope so!" Ye Xun said with a smile, but her tone was very calm.
When the phone rang, Yang Ke was standing next to it, so he picked it up without thinking.
"Ye Xun, it's you! Is something the matter?"
"It's nothing!" Ye Xun said. "I'm looking for Dai Qiang, is he here?"
"Yes, wait a moment!" Yang Ke hung up the phone, called out Dai Qiang, and prepared to go back to his bedroom. Dai Qiang's voice echoed in his ears.
"Ye Xun, have you thought about what I said?" Dai Qiang asked.
Ye Xun hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Let's make up. Let bygones be bygones!"
"Thank you, Ye Xun!" Dai Qiang said gratefully. "I knew you would forgive me, and I knew we would get back together!"
Yang Ke, who was about to enter the bedroom, froze upon hearing this, turning back to look at Dai Qiang in a daze. Dai Qiang was excitedly agitated there. Yang Ke understood everything. He understood the purpose of Ye Xun's questions that afternoon, and why Ye Xun had looked hesitant and sorrowful on the rooftop of Tianyi Pavilion that night. Ye Xun was waiting for his confession, but he had missed his chance time and time again. Now it was all too late; Ye Xun had returned to Dai Qiang's side.
As Yang Ke was lying in bed, troubled by all of this, Dai Qiang knocked on Yang Ke's door.
"Dai Qiang, is something the matter?" Yang Keqiang asked, trying to sound alert.
Dai Qiang handed a can of beer to Yang Ke and said excitedly, "Ye Xun has agreed to come back to me. I know you are Ye Xun's good friend. Thank you for everything you've done for Ye Xun and for us!"
"It's nothing!" Yang Keqiang said with a smile. "I wish you happiness and joy!"
Yang Ke poured the beer into his mouth; the bitter taste numbed his heart.
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Chapter 29 A Small Punishment for Betrayal
Updated: 2008-06-26 17:24:06 Words: 0
Ye Xun and Yang Ke hadn't seen each other for almost a month. In this crowded world, it's difficult for two people to come together, but it's much easier for them to separate.
When Yang Ke passed by the playground, he unexpectedly ran into Ye Xun. Yang Ke curiously looked Ye Xun up and down. She looked like a defeated soldier who had just escaped from the battlefield, and she walked with a limp. Ye Xun got angry when she saw Yang Ke looking at her. For the past month, she had not missed a single day of wanting to vent her anger on Yang Ke.
"Hey! You're not going to just stand by and watch me die, are you?" Ye Xun said irritably.
"How could that be?" Yang Ke said. "I came here to do a good deed, didn't I?"
"Then hurry up! Be careful I don't let someone else have this great opportunity!" Ye Xun said.
"Then let's find someone else!" Yang Ke turned to leave.
"Come back!" Ye Xun hurriedly called out to Yang Ke. Her feet were so swollen that she couldn't move an inch.
"What is it?" Yang Ke turned around and asked deliberately.
"Are you going to help or not?" Ye Xun screamed hysterically, her face flushed red.
"How can you beg like that!" Yang Ke walked over helplessly and let Ye Xun climb onto his back.
"You should have done this a long time ago!" Ye Xun said. "You have absolutely no gentlemanly manners!"
"It's wrong not to help you, and it's wrong to help you!" Yang Ke complained. "Why am I always the one who's wrong? Don't I ever do anything right?"
"Boys are always wrong in front of girls!" Ye Xun said, repeating her truth.
"I have to go about my business!" Yang Ke said as he left the infirmary. He had made up his mind to punish Ye Xun today.
"What will I do if you leave?" Ye Xun asked.
"Didn't the doctor say it was just a minor sprain, not a broken bone or fracture?"
"Then I can't leave either!" Ye Xun said. "You're not just going to leave me here like this, are you?"
"How about this? I'll lend you my phone!" Yang Ke said. "You can call your classmates or friends and ask them to come pick you up!"
“Isn’t you my best friend?” Ye Xun said.
"You've finally started to consider me a friend! Didn't you say we were sworn enemies? And more than once!"
"You stingy little thing, you always hold grudges!" Ye Xun took Yang Ke's phone and threatened, "If you don't take me back, don't even think about getting your phone back!"
"Take it if you like!" Yang Ke said nonchalantly. "Anyway, Tong Tong calls and bothers me every day, so I can finally have a few days of peace and quiet!"
"Aren't you afraid I'll give your phone to Tong Tong?" Ye Xun said with a smile. "She's always been very interested in the contacts in your phone!"
Yang Ke had no choice but to make a concession: "I'll go rent you a pair of crutches, okay?"
"No!" Ye Xun gave Yang Ke no chance whatsoever. "Carry me back!"
"When I first met you, I thought you were quite gentle. How come you've become even more unruly than when you've been drinking!" Yang Ke finally surrendered. He bent down, and Ye Xun climbed onto his back with a smile.
"Why should I be gentle with you? You're not nice to me at all!" Ye Xun said.
"With your appearance, it's no wonder no one will treat you well!" Yang Ke carried Ye Xun all the way and was panting from exhaustion. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Yang Ke couldn't help but frown.
"Are you tired?" Ye Xun said mockingly. "Why don't you stop and rest for a bit?"
"No need!" Yang Ke said, "Just lie down properly!"
Ye Xun nestled against Yang Ke's back, pressing her face tightly against his shoulder, her body trembling with his every step. That night at Tianyi Pavilion, Ye Xun had envied Tong Tong, but today she was truly lying on Yang Ke's back, feeling his breath so close. If the embrace at "Weixiangyuan" was their first intimate encounter, then today was the second, but this time it was even closer. Thinking this, Ye Xun rested her head on Yang Ke's shoulder, smiling as she closed her eyes.
Yang Ke seemed to sense Ye Xun's closeness, and he slowed his pace, wishing he could carry Ye Xun on his back for the rest of his life.
Yang Ke's knocking on the door startled Ye Xun awake, and she quickly looked up. The door opened, and Dai Qiang stared blankly at the two people outside.
"Dai Qiang, go find a towel and scald it with hot water!" Yang Ke pretended not to see Dai Qiang's expression. "Ye Xun twisted her ankle and needs a hot towel to soothe it!"
Dai Qiang helped Yang Ke put Ye Xun on the sofa, and then busied himself applying a foot compress to Ye Xun's feet.
"Thank you!" Dai Qiang said.
"It's nothing, we're all friends!" Yang Ke said with a smile. "But she really is quite heavy! Dai Qiang, you should really persuade her to lose weight!"
"Nonsense!" Ye Xun said unhappily, "Where am I heavy? You're the one who's stupid!"
"Why don't you make a phone call?" Dai Qiang asked softly.
"I didn't bring my phone this afternoon because it was PE class!" Ye Xun said.
"I'm going to read a book!" Yang Ke said as he walked into the bedroom. He felt it wasn't appropriate for him to stand in the living room and eavesdrop on their conversation, even though he didn't want to hide yet.
Yang Ke lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and thought about the scene on the way. A smile quietly crept onto his face.
"Yang Ke!" Dai Qiang called out from outside the door, "Let's all have dinner together tonight!"
"Okay!" Yang Ke replied.
As soon as the knocking sounded, Ye Xun called for him to come out and open the door. Yang Ke came out of the bedroom; only Ye Xun was in the living room. Dai Qiang had probably gone downstairs to buy groceries. He opened the door, and Tong Tong squeezed in from outside.
"What are you doing here?" Yang Ke asked.
"I heard Ye Xun injured her foot, so I came to check on her!" Tong Tong said.
"But how did you know?" Yang Ke asked.
Tong Tong didn't answer, but Ye Xun smiled and waved her phone in her hand.
"This guy thinks I'm not miserable enough already!" Yang Ke muttered to himself.