"What are you doing?" Yang Ke asked.
"Don't worry about it, just lend a hand when I tell you to!" Tong Tong said in a coquettish tone.
Yang Ke helplessly stretched out his hand, and Tong Tong quickly wrote down a phone number on it.
“I already got your phone number during dinner!” Yang Ke said.
"What if you remember it wrong? What's the harm in leaving one more?" Tong Tong still finished writing down the string of numbers.
"Hurry up and go up, it's getting late!" Yang Ke said.
"Remember to call me!" Tong Tong reminded her, smiled, and excitedly ran upstairs.
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Chapter 005 A Narrow Escape
Updated: 2008-04-13 22:21:57 Words: 0
Tong Tong burst through the door, yelling and screaming, only to find Ye Xun already asleep. She immediately threw herself onto the bed and frantically shook the sleeping Ye Xun.
"Ye Xun, get up! Guess who I bumped into today?"
"You must have seen a ghost!" Ye Xun mumbled sleepily, clutching her pillow tightly with both hands. "Tong Tong, please stop messing around, I'm so sleepy!"
"Ye Xun, I ran into 'Nan Ke Yi Mu' again today, and it's the second time I've encountered him!"
“What ‘Nanke Yimu’? And ‘Heiye Qiancao’?” Ye Xun muttered in her sleep.
Tong Tong seemed to have suddenly thought of something. She leaned close to Ye Xun's ear and said, "Ye Xun, please give me the identity of 'Black Night Thousand Grass'! Please!"
"Here you go...here you go...it's all yours!" Ye Xun murmured, "I just beg you to stop making a scene!"
"You have no idea that 'Nan Ke Yi Mu' was so handsome! We talked all night long! What a coincidence! This must be what people call fate. I think no guy can compare to him..."
Tong Tong said sweetly, but when she turned around, she found that Ye Xun was already fast asleep. She stomped her foot in frustration, but she quickly fell into sweetness again. A gentle breeze blew, and the wind chimes on the balcony made a series of crisp sounds...
The phone rang in the living room. Yang Ke peeked out of the bathroom and looked into the living room, which was empty. He quickly rinsed his mouth of toothpaste foam and called out a few times towards the west room, but no one answered.
When Yang Ke came out of the bathroom, his phone was still ringing; it had been ringing all morning. Yang Ke called out to Dai Qiang a few more times, but still no one answered. He picked up the phone to answer, but hesitated and stopped, finally putting the phone back where it was, letting it ring again and again.
Ye Xun held her phone and listened quietly. She had dialed this number many times before, but this time was no exception. The system's voice relentlessly announced: "The number you dialed is unanswered. Please try again later!"
Tong Tong had already gone to class at the Jiangbei campus this morning and left a note for her:
Ye Xun:
I'm so sorry I couldn't attend your debate today. I'll definitely make it up to you in the future!
Also, you promised me last night that you would give me the identity of "Black Night Thousand Grass", so you can't go back on your word!
Ye Xun sighed deeply. Today's debate made her feel a little lonely. Neither of her two best friends were by her side, which made her feel a little sad. Ye Xun packed up her materials, stood in front of the mirror, used her fingers to lift the corners of her mouth, smiled at her reflection, then picked up her backpack and walked out of the room.
On the debate stage, Yang Ke glanced at the opponent's position, and Ye Xun was the first person to enter his field of vision. He was taken aback, and Ye Xun was smiling at him at that moment.
The debate ended with Yang Ke's side losing. As the two shook hands and walked off the stage, Ye Xun kept looking at Yang Ke and smiling.
"I never expected to meet you here!" Ye Xun said with a smile. The two walked out of the arena and walked through the gradually thinning crowd.
"Women are just as capable as men!" Yang Ke said, reminiscing about the competition.
"You're not bad!" Ye Xun said sincerely. "You're evenly matched!"
"You're so humble! Every time I meet you, I feel intimidated!" Yang Ke joked.
"Really?" Ye Xun said, "Then let's have another round of verbal sparring, and you're treating us to dinner today!"
"Everyone says you shouldn't pursue a cornered enemy, but you insist on annihilating them!" Yang Ke put on a bitter face.
Ye Xun smiled and said, "I should press my advantage and pursue the fleeing enemy, not seek fame like Xiang Yu!"
The two entered the restaurant. When it came time to pay the bill, Yang Ke persuaded Ye Xun to pay himself, but he couldn't find his wallet anywhere, even though it was on the table.
"Oh no!" Yang Ke muttered, "I forgot my wallet when I was changing clothes!"
Ye Xun couldn't help but laugh at Yang Ke's embarrassed expression. She paid the bill and whispered to Yang Ke, "Let me pay. Didn't you say 'Don't chase a poor man'? Consider this a consolation prize for you!"
"I'm sorry, even a hero can be brought down by a penny!" Yang Ke said apologetically. "I'll definitely pay you back later!"
"Forget it, you're asking me to borrow money to treat you to a meal?" Ye Xun said. "You're like asking a tiger for its skin and then making a vest for the tiger!"
Yang Ke laughed and said, "Okay, after dinner I'll invite you to my place for coffee!"
"Don't you live on campus? I can't go up to the boys' dorms, so this is probably just another empty promise! Don't try to fill my stomach with empty promises!"
"My friend and I rented a house off-campus. Don't worry, I will definitely keep my promise this time!" Yang Ke readily agreed.
Dai Qiang scrolled through the messages on his phone, all of them apologies and instructions. The more he read, the angrier he became. In a fit of pique, he removed the phone battery and threw it, phone and all, onto the bed. He left the room and climbed onto the rooftop. Bright sunlight streamed onto the rooftop, where potted plants grew vigorously. Dai Qiang sat on the rooftop railing, his body above Yang Ke's balcony. He took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and began to take deep drags.
Yang Ke opened the door and led Ye Xun into the living room.
"Please make yourself at home, I'll get you some water!"
Ye Xun agreed and wandered around the room alone. She went to the balcony and looked out. Although there was a constant flow of people downstairs, the bright room was very quiet. Ye Xun smelled the flowers on the balcony, then picked up the watering can and gently watered them. Ye Xun would never have imagined that the person she was searching for was sitting on the rooftop right above her at this very moment.
"Your coffee!" Yang Ke handed a cup of coffee to Ye Xun.
"It's so quiet here!" Ye Xun said. "It's getting harder and harder to find a place like this!"
"It's alright! This place is actually quite suitable for studying for the postgraduate entrance exam!" Yang Ke said. "It's just that the rent was too high. Luckily, a friend later came along and moved in with me!"
"If that's the case, then this is the position you'll be on as you charge into the next battlefield!"
"You could say that!" Yang Ke said. "How about it? Doesn't it smell like gunpowder?"
"I didn't smell any gunpowder, but the cozy atmosphere is overwhelming!" Ye Xun said, deliberately pointing to the bedroom on the west side and asking, "I'm afraid a girl lives there! Could this be considered 'keeping a mistress in a golden cage'?"
"I'd like to!" Yang Ke retorted without backing down, "but unfortunately it's not true! Fate doesn't always go as planned!"
"Want me to introduce you to someone?" Ye Xun said in a provocative tone.
“Sure!” Yang Ke said, not minding at all. Nowadays, college students often use sacred love as a joke.
Ye Xun wandered around the living room, looking at the decorations. Suddenly, she noticed a "Rules of Conduct" that Yang Ke had posted on the wall. The characters were particularly eye-catching. The "Rules of Conduct" were about pursuits and desires, while the "Rules of Conduct" were various things that were forbidden in university, including: "1. No smoking; 2. No drinking alcohol indoors; 3. No dating in university;..."
"That's a lie!" Ye Xun said. "Didn't you just tell me about your college rules? Isn't this one 'No dating in college'?"
“That’s right!” Yang Ke said. “I said I wouldn’t have a girlfriend, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t have female friends!”
"Sophistry!" Ye Xun said. "Pure sophistry!"
Yang Ke scrutinized Ye Xun closely. Ye Xun became a little flustered by his gaze and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You remind me so much of a friend of mine! If I hadn't seen her with my own eyes, I would have thought you were her!"
"Really? Then just treat me as another version of her, right? That doesn't violate your principles, does it?" Ye Xun tapped the "Willingness Precepts" and said.
"Of course it doesn't violate the rules, it's not like I'm looking for a girlfriend!"
"Yang Ke, why do you have so many principles? You're so petty and calculating, you're practically a stingy girl!"
Do I have one?
"Of course!" Ye Xun blinked and said, "Yang Ke, you can be my older sister. Anyway, there's no rule in your 'rules' about not being someone else's older sister!"
"Okay!" Yang Ke said with a wry smile.
Yang Ke escorted Ye Xun downstairs, and the two parted ways at the entrance.
"I really feel bad about today's lunch!" Yang Ke said. "I'll definitely find a chance to make it up to you next time!"
"No need!" Ye Xun said. "If you really want to make amends, that's fine too. Next Monday is my birthday, so think it over carefully!"
Yang Ke went back upstairs and saw Dai Qiang walk into the bedroom as soon as he entered. The bedroom door closed behind him.
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Chapter 006 A Forced Marriage
Updated: 2008-04-13 22:26:04 Words: 0
Ye Xun put the empty bracelet box back in the drawer and went to the balcony alone.
Ye Xun and her boyfriend Dai Qiang broke up half a month ago. In that time, they haven't seen each other or spoken on the phone even once. There have been many obstacles between them, but this one is the biggest. The passage of time terrifies Ye Xun. The moment she broke up with Dai Qiang, the grief almost tore her heart apart, but now? Even though the grief is still there, it has faded considerably. This feeling terrifies Ye Xun even more; she fears that everything between her and Dai Qiang will gradually disappear with the passage of time.
Ye Xun stepped onto the balcony and let out a long sigh. The wind chimes above her head tinkled, and Ye Xun looked up and gently tugged at them a few times. The crisp sound soothed her heartstrings and brought her considerable comfort. Her phone rang; it was Tong Tong calling.
"Tong Tong, when are you coming back?"
"I'll be back tonight!" Tong Tong smiled sweetly, "but I have to go see someone now!"
"Meet someone? Who are you meeting?" Ye Xun asked curiously.
"I can't tell you that, it's a secret!" Tong Tong said.
"A secret?" Ye Xun seemed to suddenly understand something. "Are you going to meet a guy? Do you have a boyfriend?"
"I guess so!" Tong Tong said. "Ye Xun, do you remember what you promised me?"
"What did I promise you? I don't remember!"
"How could you forget again?" Tong Tong said anxiously, "You clearly promised to give me the identity of 'Black Night Thousand Grass'!"
"Alright, since you like it, you can have it!" Ye Xun said. "What do you want it for?"
"That's a secret too!" Tong Tong said and then hung up the phone.
"A secret?" Ye Xun shook her head and smiled.
Yang Ke was reading in his room. He planned to sleep off-campus tonight so he could read some more in the morning. Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Please come in!" Yang Ke said. "The door isn't locked!"
Tong Tong walked in from outside the door. She tiptoed to Yang Ke's side. Yang Ke had just turned his head and was not surprised. Tong Tong laughed heartily. Her bell-like laughter echoed in the room, making people tremble.
"Why are you here?" Yang Ke asked in surprise.
"What's wrong? Can't I come?" Tong Tong pouted.
"That's not what I meant!" Yang Ke quickly explained. "I meant, how did you know I live here!"