"No matter where you go, you two always end up together!" Tong Tong said, pouting, "and you always leave me out!"
Yang Ke and Ye Xun remained silent, turning their backs to each other and chuckling to themselves.
The host announced a game for couples, and before Yang Ke could even hear the details, Tong Tong pulled him onto the stage. Ye Xun sat down and watched Yang Ke perform intently. The game was called "Sailing Together," and the rules were simple: each couple had a newspaper of the same size, and as the newspaper was folded smaller, each couple had to find a way to stand on it for 30 seconds as a team. As the newspaper shrank, couples were eliminated one by one, until only Yang Ke and Tong Tong remained. But the newspaper had been folded down to only a few centimeters square. Yang Ke winked at Tong Tong, who smiled and climbed onto his back. Yang Ke carried her on his back and stepped onto the newspaper with one foot. Everyone shouted a countdown for them, and Tong Tong smiled and pressed her face tightly against Yang Ke's shoulder.
Ye Xun sat in her seat, the deafening shouts echoing in her ears. For some reason, she felt these shouts were like blessings, a kind of cheer. A bittersweet feeling welled up inside her; each shout felt like a heavy blow to her heart. Ye Xun thought of Yang Ke's lie again. She sincerely hoped that one day Yang Ke would say it to her again, not to clarify anything for others, but genuinely. Ye Xun also felt a pang of envy for Tong Tong. She wished it was Tong Tong clinging tightly to Yang Ke's back right now, receiving cheers from everyone.
As Ye Xun was lost in thought, someone patted her on the shoulder. Ye Xun turned her head and saw Dai Qiang standing in front of her.
“Shall we go outside and talk?” Dai Qiang asked.
Ye Xun hesitated for a moment, but still followed Dai Qiang out.
The breeze outside the window was a bit cool, and it made people feel much more awake. In front of Tianyi Pavilion was a kindergarten. Looking at the kindergarten, Ye Xun couldn't help but think that when she and Dai Qiang first met, they must have been not much older than when they were in kindergarten. At least back then, they were still complete children.
"Ye Xun, I'm sorry!" Dai Qiang said, "I made so many mistakes in the past!"
"Isn't that all in the past?" Ye Xun said. "Since it's all in the past, let's just let it go!"
"Ye Xun!" Dai Qiang mustered his courage and said, "Come back to me, okay?"
Ye Xun was taken aback. She had thought about this question before, more than once, but she didn't expect Dai Qiang to bring it up today.
"Ye Xun, I know we've had a lot of conflicts and setbacks in the past few months, but aren't they too short compared to the twelve years we've spent together? Let's not let them affect everything we have, okay?"
Just as Ye Xun was about to answer Dai Qiang, applause and cheers from Tianyi Pavilion surged onto the rooftop. Yang Ke and Tong Tong had won the game challenge, which reminded Ye Xun of Yang Ke and made her hesitate.
"Dai Qiang, actually Yang Ke and I..." Ye Xun hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "...we're already friends!"
Dai Qiang was taken aback. He didn't know whether to suspect Ye Xun or Yang Ke. After thinking for a while, he finally voiced his doubts.
"Ye Xun, I've already asked Yang Ke, and he said there's nothing between you two?"
Ye Xun was startled. She didn't understand why Yang Ke would say that. Did he really not care about her at all? Were all her vague impressions just illusions?
"Actually, Yang Ke and I made another agreement, which is that we agreed not to date in college!"
Dai Qiang was rejected again, but he didn't want to give up. He deeply regretted his past actions. "Ye Xun, can't you really forgive me?"
"Dai Qiang, let's all think about this carefully, okay?" Ye Xun said pleadingly.
Dai Qiang nodded and went down from the rooftop alone. Just then, Yang Ke went up to the rooftop and saw a familiar figure walking down the stairs. As Yang Ke was wondering who that person was, he turned his head and saw Ye Xun by the railing. The figure from before was forgotten.
"You're here too!" Yang Ke greeted him.
"The game's over, right?" Ye Xun said. "Judging from your expression, you must have won!"
“They’re all just kids’ games!” Yang Ke said.
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Chapter 27 The Self in Paper Money
Updated: 2008-06-17 10:38:54 Words: 0
The two silently surveyed the scenery surrounding Tianyi Pavilion. The longer the silence lasted, the less they knew what to say. Yang Ke had met Ye Xun a second time on a similar night, and he remembered the scene: Ye Xun slept peacefully in Tianyi Pavilion, her body slumped over the table, the red candlelight flickering on her face…
"Ye Xun!" Yang Ke wanted to tell her what he had kept in his heart for a long time.
"What?" Ye Xun turned her head and looked at Yang Ke seriously. She even knew what Yang Ke was going to say to her, but she still waited anxiously.
“I…” Yang Ke hesitated for a long time, then suddenly he remembered something—the figure just now was Dai Qiang, maybe they had already… Wasn’t he asking him about Ye Xun just a few days ago?
"It's nothing!" Yang Ke said with a smile.
Ye Xun smiled faintly, turned her head away, and a look of disappointment welled up in her eyes.
As Ye Xun left the supermarket, she noticed that one of the 20-yuan bills in her change was almost broken in half. She considered going back to exchange it with the cashier, but the long queue discouraged her. Back in her dorm, Ye Xun hurriedly found tape and scissors to glue the bill back together. Suddenly, the serial number on the bill caught her attention: YX19840521. Ye Xun could hardly believe her eyes. She stared at the bill, mouth agape, her heart pounding.
"Could this be a dream?" Ye Xun muttered to herself. "I've found 'myself,' I've really found 'myself'!"
Ye Xun excitedly ran downstairs and headed straight out of the school. She wanted Yang Ke to see this miracle with his own eyes, this almost impossible miracle. Ye Xun knocked on the door, but there was no answer. As Ye Xun hesitated, she heard voices coming from downstairs. Ye Xun listened carefully and realized it was Yang Ke and Tong Tong.
"I'll give them a surprise!" Ye Xun thought to herself as she went up to the rooftop alone.
"Why were you in such a hurry to come back?" Tong Tong asked. "You could have played outside a little longer!"
"I still need to study!" Yang Ke said. "Don't forget, I still have to take the exam in January!"
"Okay!" Tong Tong said helplessly, "But I have a surprise for you today!"
"What surprise?" Yang Ke asked as he opened the door.
"I'll tell you when I get inside!" Tong Tong said as she slipped into the room.
Yang Ke shook his head helplessly and closed the door behind him. Ye Xun hesitated outside the door, unsure whether she should knock and go in; she didn't want to disturb Tong Tong's surprise.
"What surprise?" Yang Ke asked. "Hurry up and take it out, I still need to read in a bit!"
"All you ever do is chase others away!" Tong Tong said happily. "Am I really that annoying to you? I've never seen you chase Ye Xun away!"
“Of course I chased her!” Yang Ke said. “Didn’t I chase her every day during the summer vacation?”
Hearing this, Tong Tong felt somewhat relieved. She took a book out of her bag and handed it to Yang Ke.
"Where did you buy it?" Yang Ke asked in surprise. "After Ye Xun glued my book back together, I searched for it for a long time but couldn't find it!"
"I searched so many bookstores before I finally found it!" Tong Tong boasted. "How are you going to thank me?"
"I'll treat you to dinner another day!" Yang Ke said without hesitation.
"No way!" Tong Tong said, dissatisfied. "They went to a lot of trouble to buy you this book. Do you think you can just settle it with a meal?"
"What do you think?"
"Come out with me for a day this weekend!" Tong Tong said after thinking for a moment.
"A day?" Yang Ke said hesitantly, "That's too long!"
"If you think it's taking too long, give the book back to me!" Tong Tong reached out her hand to Yang Ke.
"Fine!" Yang Ke had no choice but to agree.
"It's a deal!" Tong Tong said. "No going back on your word!"
"Okay! I keep my word!" Yang Ke said. "But you can leave now! I really need to study!"
"They're trying to get rid of me again!" Tong Tong pouted again. "I'm not leaving!"
Yang Ke went over to pull her, but Tong Tong playfully dodged away. The two of them started circling the sofa. Yang Ke broke out in a cold sweat but still couldn't catch Tong Tong, while Tong Tong jumped and bounced happily.
"If you keep making a scene like this, I'll have to go back on my word!" Yang Ke threatened.
"You dare!"
"Try it if you don't believe me!" Yang Ke pretended to be furious. "Are you coming or not?"
"Fine!" Tong Tong said angrily, "I'm leaving right now!"
Yang Ke opened the door for her. Tong Tong dawdled to the door, and Yang Ke reached out to push her out. Tong Tong forced her way into the room, and the two engaged in a fierce tug-of-war in front of the room.
"Is this how you see guests off?" Tong Tong said. "Isn't that incredibly impolite?"
"Is this how you treat guests?" Yang Ke retorted, unconvinced. "Isn't that impolite?"
Ye Xun glanced down into the stairwell from the rooftop, and Yang Ke and Tong Tong's figures came into view. She froze, and all her excitement vanished instantly.
"Buy me another coffee, and I'll definitely leave after I finish it!" Tong Tong said.
"Let's skip it next time!" Yang Ke said. "I'll treat you to two drinks next time!"
"Next time is next time, but I must invite you this time!" Tong Tong insisted, looking like she would never give up.
"Someone's coming from behind you!" Yang Ke whispered in Tong Tong's ear.
Tong Tong quickly gave up resisting. She turned her head but saw no one. When she turned her head again, Yang Ke had already closed the door.
"You damned Yang Ke, you stinking Yang Ke! You actually lied to me!" Tong Tong said angrily from outside the door, kicking the door in frustration.
"Tong Tong, I won't see you off any further. Have a safe trip!" Yang Ke leaned against the door, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
"I'll definitely not let you off next time!" Tong Tong said, and walked away sullenly.
Yang Ke breathed a long sigh of relief, but before he could even enter the bedroom, the knocking started again.
"Why are you back again?" Yang Ke said, opening the door to find Ye Xun standing there.
"Has someone been here just now?" Ye Xun asked.
"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.
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Chapter 28 Gathering and parting are inherently a dilemma
Updated: 2008-06-21 01:30:34 Words: 0
Tong Tong quickly gave up resisting. She turned her head but saw no one. When she turned her head again, Yang Ke had already closed the door.
"You damned Yang Ke, you stinking Yang Ke! You actually lied to me!" Tong Tong said angrily from outside the door, kicking the door in frustration.
"Tong Tong, I won't see you off any further. Have a safe trip!" Yang Ke leaned against the door, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
"I'll definitely not let you off next time!" Tong Tong said, and walked away sullenly.
Yang Ke breathed a long sigh of relief, but before he could even enter the bedroom, the knocking started again.
"Why are you back again?" Yang Ke said, opening the door to find Ye Xun standing there.
"Has someone been here just now?" Ye Xun asked.