It was not even nine o’clock when Jiang Yumo arrived home. She quickly took a shower and returned to her room, intending to review the knowledge points outlined by her teacher. Just as she was about to start, her phone, which was in the pocket of her pajamas, vibrated. She thought it might be a text from Yan Qing or Duan Ye, but when she unlocked the screen and looked, she became excited! That Sister had finally accepted her friend request, and they were now friends!
The person’s handle name was Traveler.
Traveler : [?]
Jiang Yumo was afraid that the other person might be pressed for time, so she skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point: [Sister, I am Chen Shuhang’s cousin. He said you were an art exam candidate from the previous year. My grades are not very good, and I can only hover around the undergraduate admission line. I have ten years of experience in folk dance. By the way, I am now in my senior year of high school and I want to see if I can develop towards being an art exam candidate. So I wanted to ask you about the situation. I’m sorry if I’m bothering you!]
The other person remained silent for a while, as if they hadn’t seen the message.
When Jiang Yumo couldn’t resist the urge to send another message, the person replied: [Um… Did you add the wrong person? I don’t know Chen Shuhang. However, I do know some information about the questions you asked. If you don’t mind, I can tell you.]
Hmm??
Did she add the wrong person???
Jiang Yumo walked over in her slippers and rummaged through the compartment of her backpack, where her cousin had written a note with the contact information. She then checked the profile of the person she messaged, comparing each digit one by one, and confirmed that she didn’t add the wrong person. It must have been her cousin who copied the number incorrectly, maybe missed a digit or added an extra one?
After thinking for a while, Jiang Yumo didn’t call her cousin, but replied cautiously to the person’s message: [I’m sorry, it seems like I really added the wrong person.]
Traveler : [It’s alright, do you want to know about the situation related to art candidates? My aunt is a teacher at the school.]
Jiang Yumo : Sob sob, even strangers are so nice!!
She replies : [If it’s not too much trouble, of course I’d like to know.]
Traveler : [No problem, I see that your location is in Ningcheng, are you a local? I am too.]
Jiang Yumo : [Yes, I’m from Ningcheng. I thought I added the right person when I saw your location…]
Traveler : [/laughs.]
Traveler : [I’ll send you the specific information tomorrow. I hope it can help you.]
Traveler : [No problem, I’ll send you the specific information tomorrow. Hopefully, it will be helpful to you.】
Jiang Yumo : [Thank you so much!]
Traveler : [You’re welcome.]
Jiang Yumo went to bed before 10 o’clock today.
It was the earliest she had ever slept since the start of the school year, and she had another dream. In her dream, she had a bird’s-eye view, as if she was watching a TV drama, witnessing things that were happening.
In her dream, she appeared more mature with her favorite slightly curled long hair, wearing a fitted long dress in black, looking elegant and charming. However, the beautiful and mature her was silent.
She hid behind the door, with the door slightly ajar, and overheard the conversations inside the room—
“Lizhen, why don’t you take care of your daughter Yumo? She’s almost thirty now, almost thirty! She should start thinking about settling down. Yumo has good qualities, but she can’t afford to waste any more time. In a couple of years, all the good options will be taken by others!”
“I heard Yumo had a boyfriend when she was a student before, right? They’ve been dating for many years, why aren’t they getting married yet?”
“You probably don’t know, that boyfriend of Yumo’s… tsk tsk, his conditions are poor! He only has a mother, and his mother doesn’t even have a retirement pension. I heard he didn’t even go to college, just has a high school diploma. How can he be worthy of Yumo? If their family conditions were good, it would be fine, but just look at it, they can’t even afford a house to get married. No house, no decent job, and no money. The elders can’t offer much help either. If Yumo marries into that, she will suffer hardships. It’s better to break up early! Lizhen, I have a friend who dances in the square, and her son works in a bank. He has excellent conditions. If you’re interested, I can introduce them to each other!”
Mother Jiang didn’t say anything all along, probably feeling moved. Her tone was weary and hesitant as she said, “Maybe I should talk to Yumo and see what she thinks.”
“Oh my! You, as her mother, don’t even manage her properly. You just let her waste time like this!”
Mother Jiang’s voice was soft. “I’ll consider it if she is willing.”
The mature Jiang Yumo let out a long sigh as she heard it.
She was clearly exhausted.
Her shoulders trembled outside the door.
The scene shifted, and she, who had regained her composure, spoke cautiously to her parents at the silent dining table, “Alright, I’ll go on a blind date.”
These seven words were spoken with great difficulty.
As if there was a sharp knife in her throat, every word she spoke felt like blood dripping from her body.
Her parents whose hair was already gray were clearly very happy, but they didn’t want to show it too much, afraid that she would be unhappy.
As the current Jiang Yumo watched from the God’s eye perspective, she suddenly felt so sad, so overwhelmed with grief.
This overwhelming emotion persisted until she woke up.
Jiang Yumo sat blankly on her bed, realizing that the air conditioner had been turned off by her mother at some point, and the fan at the foot of the bed was whirring loudly.
Jiang Yumo only came back to her senses when she went out of the house, but she still felt a bit gloomy inside.
Once she arrived in the classroom, she truly immersed herself once again in being seventeen.
Regardless of what that dream meant…
The most important thing now was the monthly exam!
For the next two days of the exams, Jiang Yumo answered each question seriously. After the final exam, the students all breathed a sigh of relief, and then the excitement of the upcoming vacation took over. There were no evening study sessions during the exam period, and Jiang Yumo had already told her parents in advance. After leaving school, she went with Yan Qing and the others to a milk tea shop on the snack street.
The three of them ordered drinks.
Duan Ye and his friends also arrived.
“What is this?” Guo Shichao asked with disdain.
“Grass jelly roasted milk tea, a new item they just released, it’s quite good,” Yan Qing replied.
Jiang Yumo was still flipping through Ning Zhiyu’s notebook.
Duan Ye asked in a low voice, “Did you not do well on the exam?”
Jiang Yumo snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head, “Not really, not good, not bad…”
She stared at Duan Ye.
Duan Ye was really good. He didn’t talk much and didn’t show his emotions like others did, but from his brows and eyes, she could still see the youthful spirit of his age.
Almost impulsively, she blurted out, “Can you help me copy the notes?”
Ning Zhiyu’s notebook was really good.
It was simple and easy to understand. After reading it a few times, she felt that her own ideas had broadened and she had gained a lot from it.
Duan Ye looked at her in surprise.
As their eyes met, Jiang Yumo suddenly felt regretful. She didn’t know why she said that or why she made such an unreasonable request. But just a moment ago, she really hoped that Duan Ye would suddenly become diligent in studying… like starting with copying notes from this notebook, and maybe it would leave an impression in his mind.
Now she realized that she was being nonsensical.
Duan Ye hasn’t been attentive in class since junior high school and has wasted several years, so how could he possibly…
She was putting him in a difficult position.
It was also because she was influenced by her Mom’s words and that distressing dream.
But she shouldn’t have said that.
She immediately shook her head, forced a smile, and clenched the notebook in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white. “I was just joking.”
Almost at the same time, Duan Ye’s deep voice came, “Okay.”
He was just a little puzzled, but he didn’t have any hesitation.
It was as if no matter what she said or requested, he would agree.
Jiang Yumo looked up at him.
Duan Ye added, “Okay, so it’s this notebook, give it to me.”
He paused and asked, “When do you need it?”
Jiang Yumo found it hard to speak, “I was really just joking.”
Duan Ye smiled but said seriously, “I took it seriously. I will copy it.”
Jiang Yumo had no choice but to hand the notebook to him.
Guo Shichao and Zhao Zheng exchanged glances, with the same thought in mind—
Unbelievable!
Laughable, they couldn’t even understand these notes themselves, yet the fairy-like Jiang Yumo was asking Brother Duan to copy them!
Brother Duan was Brother Duan, the Brother Duan who made people speechless every day.
“Oh, by the way,” Guo Shichao joked, “When did Brother Duan confess to you, Sister Mo?”
Jiang Yumo : “…”
Yan Qing and Zhao Zheng both blurted out at the same time, “After the high school entrance exam!”
Guo Shichao counted on his fingers and said, “Oh, it’s been such a long time already. If I may say, Sister Mo, when Brother Duan confessed to you, you should say you liked someone from Qingbei1 University. Brother Duan would have gone through great lengths to get into Qingbei for you.”
Duan Ye glanced at him and asked, “Do you have something to say?”
Zhao Zheng also chuckled, “Little Guo, you’re so bold. Is our Sister Mo someone so unreasonable? Qingbei? You mean Beida Qingniao2 or Tsinghua Ziguang3, right?”
Yan Qing laughed, “Hahaha, Beida Qingniao!”
“Just Qingbei!” Guo Shichao pointed outside, “Forget about that, if Sister Mo said she wants the moon in the sky, and Brother Duan would have tried to get a ladder to reach it. Right, is there Chang’e4 on the moon? Tsk…”
He shook his head again, with a tone of resentment, “Even Chang’e is useless, our Brother Duan wouldn’t spare her a second glance.”
Jiang Yumo was embarrassed by their teasing.
Duan Ye was in a good mood and let them joke around.
Jiang Yumo looked at him with focused eyes.
Yes, she knew. Although Duan Ye was still young, she knew that as long as she asked, he would do everything he could to make it happen.
However, all relationships are two-sided, mutual. He never made things difficult for her, so how could she be willing to make things difficult for him and do things she didn’t like?
She looked down at the lemon slice in the transparent cup.
She reached out to touch the transparent water droplets on the cup wall, and the next second, Duan Ye handed her a tissue.
This action was so natural, even though he was still talking to Guo Shichao and the others, he had been keeping an eye on her.
Jiang Yumo’s room was particularly lively today.
Yan Qing and Sun Mengting changed into their pajamas, and the three girls squeezed onto one bed, chatting away.
Perhaps they were too happy today, Yan Qing mustered up the courage to dial Zhao Zheng’s number.
On the other end, it was noisy, clearly indicating that they were engaged in a game battle.
Yan Qing couldn’t understand these people, was the game really that fun?
Zhao Zheng answered the phone impatiently, “Speak.”
Yan Qing: “Tell your brother Duan to answer the phone and say that Sister Mo is looking for him.”
Zhao Zheng leaned back and said, “Never mind Sister Mo, Yan Qing, what’s wrong with you? Using the Queen to command the ministers like this?”
“Are you giving it or not?”
Zhao Zheng called out, “I owe you, just call Duan directly.”
Yan Qing laughed and scolded, “We girls value loyalty, how can I casually call my best friend’s boyfriend? Do you think I have no moral?”
Zhao Zheng had no choice but to take his phone, leave his game teammates behind, and reluctantly handed the phone to Duan Ye, who was coplying notes, “Brother Duan, Yan Qing is looking for you.”
How rare.
In such a lively moment, Brother Duan was sitting on the side, diligently copying notes for his girlfriend.
If people from other schools saw this scene, they would probably die of laughter.
Look at their Brother Duan.
During exams, he would never write so neatly. But now, he was carefully writing, afraid that his darling wife wouldn’t be able to understand.
Tsk.
Duan Ye finally put down his pen and asked, “What’s the matter with me?”
Zhao Zheng grinned, “Sister Mo is looking for you.”
Duan Ye furrowed his brows. Zhao Zheng leaned over to look at Duan Ye’s notes, and couldn’t help but admire, “Brother Duan, you’ve been writing for so long, can you understand it?”
Duan Ye glanced at him and said, “What do you think?”
Zhao Zheng burst into laughter and shook his head, “If you ask me, I’d better not like anyone in my entire life!”
If he had to be like Brother Duan, that would be the end of him.
Every time he looked at Brother Duan, he felt that being single wasn’t too bad!
Duan Ye replied, “You talk too much.”
He took the phone, unsure if the person on the other end was Yan Qing or Yumo, he said, “Hello.”
Yan Qing had her phone on speaker mode.
In the room, Duan Ye’s deep voice came through the speaker, and the three girls all had interesting expressions. Yan Qing and Sun Mengting were excited as if watching a drama, while Jiang Yumo looked a bit uncomfortable and could only secretly pinch Yan Qing, the troublemaker.
Yan Qing chuckled, “Brother Duan, it’s me.”
She teased, “Did you think I was Yumo? Even this ‘hello’ sounds so gentle.”
Duan Ye’s voice came through again, “Is there something you need?”
Yan Qing suppressed the pain from Yumo’s pinching, “Yes, Yumo said she’s hungry and wants to eat cold noodles and dumplings from Meishiyuan.”
Jiang Yumo couldn’t take it anymore, her ears turned red, “I didn’t say that!”
Duan Ye, amidst the noisy background, heard her voice and instantly relaxed his furrowed brows, “What else does she want to eat or drink, apart from cold noodles and dumplings?”
Yan Qing propped up her legs, “Bubble milk tea. I mean, Yumo wants to drink, two cups.”
“Alright.” Duan Ye moved his phone away and checked the time, “Wait for my call in forty minutes.”
After hanging up the phone, Yan Qing raised her arm in complaint, “Jiang Yumo, you ruthless woman, look how purple you’ve made my arm!”
Jiang Yumo wanted to tease her some more, “If you didn’t make that call, your arm would still be as smooth as ever.”
Yan Qing chuckled and exchanged a glance with Sun Mengting, then said to Jiang Yumo, “Yumo, why don’t you consider now, what pajamas to wear when you go downstairs to meet Brother Duan?
“Heavens, this is the ultimate benefit I’m giving to Brother Duan!”
Jiang Yumo : “……?”
- refers to Tsinghua University(清华大学 qīnghuá dàxué) and Peking University(北京大学 běijīng dàxué), the two most prestigious universities in China ↩︎
- a private vocational school under Peking University ↩︎
- a Chinese technology company called “Tsinghua Unigroup Co., Ltd.” which is affiliated with Tsinghua University ↩︎
- Chinese Goddess of the moon who was known as a very beautiful woman ↩︎
I feel the author has made this novel very realistic