Extra 3
Zhou Ji was overjoyed beyond his expectations.
‘When did they first meet’? It was practically a giveaway question!
Confidently, he replied, “It was the time I played basketball with Lao Duan; Sister was there, and so were you.”
Was it because his Yuyu was so kind that she gave him such a simple question? He still remembered that time, he just found out he had a girlfriend from those clueless guys. But now, thinking back, he had to thank those fellows.
Ning Zhiyu looked at him with a strange look, shook her head coldly, “You answered wrong.”
Zhou Ji : “?”
Impossible!
So, from that day on, Zhou Ji had a bone to pick with this matter. He racked his brains and even thought so hard, and remembered the National Day of his third year of high school. He and his buddies went to the old city for breakfast, and she was helping at a food stall. But the answer was wrong again…
That evening, Ning Zhiyu had to work overtime.
Zhou Ji used his own private money to treat his spiritual mentor, Lao Duan, and his fiancee to skewer hot pot, attempting to cheat.
Inside the restaurant, Jiang Yumo happily took a lot of beef, and Zhou Ji hesitated to speak. In the end, he didn’t stop her. Well, if he wanted this couple to help him, he should pay for the meal. In these years of hustling outside, Zhou Ji had developed many good habits but also become stingy. Whenever he returned to his old home, he would first open the refrigerator and take away a batch of food. He knew the household’s habits; they always bought a lot of things, but his parents seldom came back to eat. The housekeeper would have the maid clean and throw away things regularly.
Zhou Ji had gotten used to it before.
Until he saw it by accident one time, he felt so distressed, as if what they were throwing away was his own flesh.
So, he made time to go back every week, coming empty-handed and leaving fully loaded.
He and Ning Zhiyu couldn’t finish it, so Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo helped share the burden. Thanks to him, Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo didn’t need much for living expenses each month, and their lives were quite comfortable.
Of course, this Zhou Ji had one significant advantage : he wouldn’t be stingy with his close friends, especially Ning Zhiyu.
The pot was boiling.
Jiang Yumo’s recent complexion is very good. After all, she’s in high spirits thanks to joyous occasions. Her work is relatively stable, and the diamond ring on her ring finger reminds her of her new identity : someone’s fiancée.
Duan Ye wasn’t that hungry. He had eaten something in the afternoon when he met with clients, so now he was focused on helping her get some skewers.
Zhou Ji’s loneliness and headache were something they initially wanted to ignore, but after all, it’s hard to ignore when someone asks for a favor. The conscientious Jiang Yumo took a sip of sour plum soup and asked with concern, “You suddenly invited us to dinner, is there something on your mind?”
Duan Ye froze, thinking, It’s over.
Sure enough, the next moment, Zhou Ji was deeply moved. He looked at Jiang Yumo and still seemed unsatisfied. Under Duan Ye’s deathly gaze, he dragged a chair over and said, “Sister, Yuyu gave me a tough question. She said she’d agree to marry me if I could answer it. She asked me, when our first meeting was, but I got it all wrong.”
Jiang Yumo was quite surprised. “You got it wrong? Seriously?”
She turned cold and elegant in an instant. “You even got your first meeting wrong!”
Zhou Ji : “…”
He pleaded his case, “It’s really not what you think, I remember it. But she said my answer was wrong. Sister, did Yuyu ever tell you when our first meeting was?”
Jiang Yumo lightly snorted. “You’re trying to cheat, that’s not allowed.”
Duan Ye nodded in agreement. “She gave you the question, not us.”
Seeing that Zhou Ji was about to play the blame game, Jiang Yumo added, “And even if I wanted to help you cheat, I don’t know the answer.”
“She didn’t tell you?” Zhou Ji seemed a bit incredulous. “I saw you guys talk about everything. I accidentally saw your chat last time.”
Jiang Yumo blushed, her eyes avoiding his gaze.
She wasn’t sure what Zhou Ji had seen in their conversation.
But girls can chat about anything and everything, especially when there’s Yan Qing, the big pervert, in the group.
Duan Ye glanced at Jiang Yumo thoughtfully.
“Anyway, she didn’t tell me!” Jiang Yumo raised her voice. “And I’m on Yuyu’s side. How could I tell you the answer without her permission?”
Zhou Ji : “…”
He looked at his brother, Lao Duan.
Duan Ye raised his hand and said, “Don’t look at me. If she doesn’t know, I know even less.”
He was never very interested in other people’s emotions, let alone paying attention to them. Asking him was pointless.
Zhou Ji felt desperate. “Can we split the bill for this meal?”
Jiang Yumo said, “No way! You’re the one who invited us!”
“Pay no attention to him,” Duan Ye poured another cup of sour plum soup for her. “Eat more.”
Jiang Yumo was delighted. “Alright.”
Before Zhou Ji could think of the right answer, they all welcomed the Labor Day holiday1. Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo had plans to return to Ningcheng. Duan Ye’s friend from the barbershop, Liu Zhi, was getting married, and the wedding was on May 1st.
Zhou Ji and Ning Zhiyu didn’t know Liu Zhi well, but when they saw Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo were going back, they also thought to go back.
Master Duan finally showed some kindness and advised Zhou Ji, “Your first meeting was in Ningcheng. Go back and take a look; maybe you’ll remember.”
Zhou Ji suddenly brightened up and booked tickets with Ning Zhiyu.
The four of them returned to Ningcheng together.
Ningcheng was still the same. The four of them rarely came back, and it was a holiday, so naturally, they had a get-together. After a meal with eight people, they split into two groups, with the men going to the newly opened billiard hall to chat and the women going to the old milk tea shop, not bothering each other.
Zhou Ji didn’t have time to play billiards; he sat on the side and said mysteriously, “There’s a saying that even three cobblers can surpass Zhuge Liang2. This saying has some truth to it. Can you three help me out? Answering this question is a must. Whether I propose or not is secondary. If I can’t even answer this question, it will become a black mark in my life forever. Do you understand? In the future, when we argue, she can easily defeat me with just one sentence. If I can’t remember when we first met, she will definitely say I don’t love her or something.
“It’s about my future happiness. Can you guys help me out a bit?”
Duan Ye didn’t want to get involved.
Zhao Zheng and Guo Shichao were also helpless. “You, as the person involved, don’t know. How can we outsiders know?”
Zhou Ji : “So, let’s all discuss this. Maybe you can give me some ideas.”
Guo Shichao : “Alright, since you’re my VVIP user. By the way, when can we settle last year’s expenses?”
Zhou Ji : “Why bring this up now? We can talk about it later.”
Duan Ye didn’t intend to get involved in this conversation; he kept checking his phone from time to time. This angered Zhou Ji, “Lao Duan, show some respect. You’ve been with Sister for so many years. Don’t be so clingy; it’ll annoy that someone.”
Indeed, Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo had been living together for almost a year now.
But it was strange; even after knowing each other for so many years and being together for several years, they still felt a strong affection for each other.
It was like passionate love, but with an added sense of security.
“Speak.”
Despite saying that, Duan Ye still glanced at his phone.
Zhou Ji had to place all his hopes on his military advisor, “Military Advisor, Lao Duan doesn’t want to help me. It’s definitely because Sister has been persuading him. I can understand that. Zhao Zheng, he’s still single, and he hasn’t won Yan Qing’s heart yet. I don’t expect him to give any effective advice either…”
Zhao Zheng clenched his fist and said, “D*mn it, Zhou Ji, are you itching for a fight?”
Duan Ye didn’t even raise an eyebrow.
“Military Advisor, help me,” Zhou Ji said. “I can’t rely on anyone else.”
Guo Shichao : “…”
Zhou Ji was just too persistent, and Guo Shichao had no choice. He regretted the idea he had given Zhou Ji for a game console back in the year of their college entrance exams. Since then, Zhou Ji had been bothering him for everything, big or small, related to Ning Zhiyu.
“Go on,” Guo Shichao said, accepting his fate. After all, he was kind-hearted and had a wealth of knowledge in emotional theory.
Afraid that Guo Shichao might regret his decision, Zhou Ji recounted the whole story like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.
Guo Shichao stroked his chin. “So, you’re saying that when you first met, you didn’t remember it, but she remembered it, right?”
Zhou Ji nodded.
“Let’s start with the process of elimination,” Guo Shichao counted on his fingers. “It’s unlikely that she fell in love with you at first sight.”
Zhou Ji gritted his teeth. “Why is that impossible?”
Duan Ye burst into laughter, a mocking tone in his laughter.
Zhao Zheng, however, wasn’t so subtle. “I have to say, Brother Zhou, please think about this question seriously. How could a stop student like her fall in love with you at first sight? Look at your face. It’s bigger than the foot basin they use at the fish market. You exude so much confidence that it could wrap around the Earth three times.”
Zhou Ji couldn’t take it and went over to fight with Zhao Zheng for a couple of rounds.
When he returned, panting, he said, “Military Advisor, continue.”
“She didn’t fall in love with you at first sight, so what kind of situation would make a deep impression on her?” Guo Shichao asked. “You arrived in Ningcheng on the first day of school, right? Before that, you had never been here, and the top student hadn’t left Ning City. So, your first meeting should have been between the first day of school and National Day. Just a couple of months. Think back on what happened during that month.”
Zhou Ji shook his head. “I can’t think of anything.”
Zhao Zheng said, “I have a bit of an impression.”
Zhou Ji looked at him.
“At that time, do you know how annoying you were? I, as the military advisor, really wanted to teach you a lesson. If it weren’t for Brother Duan not saying anything, you would have been in trouble long ago,” Guo Shichao reminded.
Upon this reminder, Zhao Zheng also recalled, “Seriously, I don’t even remember how annoying he was at the beginning.”
Zhao Zheng emphasized, “Just think about all the infuriating things you did that month, Brother Zhou. Honestly, your proposal isn’t even a big deal now. I think the top student is going to settle old scores with you. You’re in trouble.”
Zhou Ji looked at Duan Ye.
Lao Duan was his spiritual mentor.
Duan Ye tapped the table with his hand and offered some advice, “First, try to remember when you first met.”
“Apologize sincerely if you did something wrong,” Duan Ye said.
Zhou Ji still felt somewhat unwilling, “What about the proposal?”
Duan Ye glanced at him, not understanding how he ended up with such a silly friend. “What were her exact words?”
“As long as I answer correctly, she’ll agree.”
Duan Ye said, “That should be enough.”
Zhou Ji slapped his forehead, “Right! Lao Duan is reliable!”
Guo Shichao added, “Come on, let’s sketch out the places you might have been during that month.”
Zhou Ji leaned closer, and Guo Shichao borrowed paper and a pen from the store owner, then started to draw on the paper. “This is the route from school to Ning Zhiyu’s house, and this is the route from school to your house. Where else did you go during that month?”
Zhou Ji shook his head, “I can’t remember. It was probably just a few places.”
“Alright, the overlapping routes should be here,” Guo Shichao said. “Why don’t you try retracing your steps a few times? You might remember something.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Yumo received a message from Duan Ye and couldn’t help but laugh. “Now those four are going to Fifth High. Zhou Ji is dragging three of them along. Zhiyu, it’s like a closed loop, you bother Zhou Ji, and Zhou Ji bothers them.”
Yan Qing was very interested in this matter and asked Ning Zhiyu, “Yuyu, come on, reveal it. When did you and Zhou Ji first meet?”
Ning Zhiyu made a hushing sound, “It’s a secret.”
She teased again, “I can’t say. Yumo has a soft spot for Duan Ye, and she can easily spill the answer to Duan Ye. Duan Ye and Zhou Ji are as close as can be, so I’m worried.”
Husband-Protecting-Baby Jiang Yumo stepped in, “That’s not true. Duan Ye is really tight-lipped. If he’s not supposed to say something, he won’t.”
Ning Zhiyu added, “As for Yan Qing, I can’t say either. You can tell Zhao Zheng everything.”
Yan Qing asked, “?”
Sun Mengting hastily asked, “What about me? Can you tell me, please?”
Ning Zhiyu smiled faintly, “Sorry, I can’t. I know that if you find out, you’ll immediately tell Yan Qing and Yumo.”
Sun Mengting was speechless
“Okay,” Yan Qing perked up again, “They’re going to Fifth High? Let’s go too! There’s nothing else to do anyway.”
So, the eight of them met again at the entrance of Fifth High School.
Fifth High School!
It had been a long time!
It felt like just yesterday when the eight of them were playing in the school cafeteria. Standing at the school gate, they inexplicably felt a sense of nostalgia. They had truly become outsiders when it came to their alma mater.
Why else would the security guard not let them in?
Fortunately, the homeroom teacher of Class 10 happened to come by for something and was delighted to see his former students. Upon hearing that they wanted to visit the school, he told the security guard and brought the eight of them inside.
“Fortunately, everyone’s on break today, so I’ll let you in to have some fun,” the homeroom teacher said, looking at Duan Ye with a teasing tone. “Duan Ye, when will I receive your wedding invitation?”
Duan Ye glanced at Jiang Yumo.
Jiang Yumo felt a bit embarrassed, after all, the other person was a teacher.
Duan Ye said, “Next year, I’ll send you an invitation.”
The homeroom teacher smiled, “That’s how it should be. Both of you are students I’ve watched grow up. No matter how busy I am, I must make time to attend your wedding.”
The homeroom teacher had other matters to attend to and walked towards the office building after a few words with them.
Until his figure was no longer visible, Zhao Zheng, who was chatting with Guo Shichao, sighed, “Old Liu really favors Brother Duan.”
“Even elementary school students don’t get jealous like you.”
Yan Qing teased him, but Zhao Zheng had never retorted.
“By the way,” Sun Mengting suddenly spoke up, “Don’t you all think we’re like characters in a TV drama right now?”
Yan Qing, Jiang Yumo, and Sun Mengting had been close friends for many years. The three of them knew each other very well.
Yan Qing and Jiang Yumo immediately said in unison, “Yes! Romance in the Rain!”
Ning Zhiyu finally understood and burst into laughter.
Zhao Zheng and Guo Shichao also understood the inside joke among the girls.
Duan Ye couldn’t help but laugh.
Zhao Zheng playfully hooked Zhou Ji’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go, Zhou Keyun3, I’ll help you find your memories.”
Zhou Ji : “??”
- In China, Labor Day holiday is a five days holiday spanning from May 1st to 5th. ↩︎
- meaning that many people thinking together can surpass even the smartest strategist (Zhuge Liang is said to be the smartest strategist in the Three Kingdoms) ↩︎
- It seems in the Chinese drama “Romance in the Rain”(2001), there was a character named Li Keyun who lost her memories, so her friends helped her out to find traces to recover her memories. ↩︎