On the second day, Zhou Ji had an exceptionally lavish breakfast delivered, with both Chinese and Western dishes available. Jiang Yumo’s gaze at him was complex, as she couldn’t really blame him. If her friends came to her house as guests, she would also want to bring out all the delicious and fun things she had. However, what Zhou Ji didn’t know was that the more he displayed the extraordinary side of his family, the further he pushed Ning Zhiyu away.
The four of them were sitting at the dining table, and Zhou Ji attentively peeled the eggshells for Ning Zhiyu, pretending to casually say, “Lao Duan, I know you’re quite disgusted with the two of us being a burden. How about this? Today, we have free time, so you can hang out with that someone, and we, the two ‘light bulbs’ will stay together.”
Duan Ye remained silent as he poured juice for Jiang Yumo.
Zhou Ji dramatically slapped his forehead, “Look at me, I almost forgot about your social status; you have no say in this. So, what do you think of my proposal, ‘that someone’?”
Jiang Yumo looked at Ning Zhiyu and asked, “Zhiyu, what do you think?”
Ning Zhiyu took a sip of hot milk and nodded, “Sure, you go with Duan Ye, and I’ll be with Zhou Ji.”
Zhou Ji was overjoyed upon hearing this. Jiang Yumo felt helpless, unable to bear watching Zhou Ji’s foolish happiness. Perhaps some people could enjoy an uncomfortable situation and still have a great time.
Whether it was ‘the people involved are blinded while bystanders see clearly,’ or if it was just Zhou Ji’s natural lack of intelligence and emotional awareness, when Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo were about to leave, both of them seemed hesitant to speak up, but Zhou Ji couldn’t see it and even thought they might want to back out, so he urged them to leave quickly.
Jiang Yumo : “…”
Duan Ye led Jiang Yumo into the elevator and let out a soft sigh. He said to Jiang Yumo, “Let’s just ignore him.”
The two of them came out of Jade Garden. Duan Ye had a strong sense of direction. Yesterday, while sitting in the car, he memorized the way out. They asked a passerby and found the subway station with Jiang Yumo. Jiang Yumo realized that Duan Ye had definitely mastered the skill of survival. With him, she hardly needed to worry about anything. It was as if he could arrange everything perfectly. Just like now, both of them were visiting Yanjing for the first time, unfamiliar with the place, but he quickly grasped the directions and would never lead her on unnecessary detours.
Duan Ye even intentionally obtained a subway map of Yanjing.
They avoided the morning rush hour, so the subway wasn’t too crowded, but Duan Ye still firmly held her wrist and led her into the subway train.
Looking around, there was only one empty seat, and he guided her to sit down, standing solemnly in front of her.
Jiang Yumo couldn’t help but laugh, recalling a certain scene that made her hold back her laughter. She reached out and tugged at his clothes. Duan Ye bent down, getting closer to her, and only then did she whisper softly in his ear, “You were just so exaggerated, as if I were…”
At this point, Jiang Yumo blushed.
She realized that the scenario she was thinking of couldn’t be said out loud.
It would be too embarrassing.
Her warm breath fell on his ear, and he waited for a while but didn’t hear the continuation. He asked softly, “What is it?”
Jiang Yumo quickly waved her hand, “It’s like I’m a patient1.”
Duan Ye helplessly replied, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Oh,” Jiang Yumo slapped herself three times in her heart.
Duan Ye straightened up again and earnestly looked at the subway map, occasionally glancing at Jiang Yumo.
Seeing his seriousness, Jiang Yumo asked, “What are you looking at this for?”
The subway lines in Yanjing were numerous, but luckily, following the instructions to take the subway was straightforward.
Duan Ye hesitated for a second and replied, “Just checking if we are going to the right station.”
Actually, that wasn’t the reason. She came to take the university entrance exam, which meant there was a possibility of getting accepted and attending a university in Yanjing. His thoughts might seem absurd and silly, but he wanted to memorize the subway map here, so that every time he came to find her in the future, they might not have too much time together, so he didn’t want to waste time being lost.
The two of them arrived at a park.
This was one of Yanjing’s distinctive features that Jiang Yumo had wanted to see for a long time. During the coldest winter, some of Yanjing’s park lakes would freeze over, and there would be tourists playing and skating on the thick ice. Ningcheng’s winter was also cold, but it wasn’t like Yanjing. She had seen it on TV before and found it quite extraordinary, so this time she came here to experience it firsthand.
As they say, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.
On the lake, some people were already there. Jiang Yumo couldn’t wait and pulled Duan Ye towards that direction.
At first, she was indeed excited. After all, it was her first time trying this, but as they approached the center of the lake, Jiang Yumo became a bit scared, especially when she thought about standing on the frozen surface. What if the ice beneath her feet cracked? Her legs became weak, and when she looked back, she realized they had come quite far from the shore.
Duan Ye had no choice but to reach out and hold her hand as they walked a few steps, but her hand was still icy. He couldn’t tell if she was feeling cold or just scared.
Jiang Yumo’s courage was as fleeting as the battery of her old cellphone.
Duan Ye wanted to laugh but was afraid of upsetting her, so he let go of her hand, walked in front of her, and turned to say, “I’ll piggyback you.”
Jiang Yumo also wanted to play along.
In reality, they weren’t too far from the shore. His suggestion ignited mischievous thoughts in her, and she jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, as if she were jumping on a mountain goat.
This wasn’t the first time Duan Ye carried Jiang Yumo on his back.
It was the third time.
The first time was during their third year of junior high. That year, Ningcheng had continuous rain for a month. Many people were sent to guard against flooding, but the rain was too abundant, and the school was submerged. Like other female students, she had to wade through a section of the road every day to reach the teaching building. One day, an annoying male student scared them, saying there were leeches in the water, and once they attached to the legs, they couldn’t be shaken off.
She was frightened by that incident.
At that time, Duan Ye, who was dozing off, scolded that boy impatiently.
The next morning, as she made her way, she built up her mental fortitude and saw Duan Ye waiting there from afar.
By then, they had become somewhat familiar, and their relationship as classmates was decent.
Duan Ye carried her on his back now, just like he did at that time in the past.
A few days since then, it was the high school entrance exam. When he confessed to her, she finally understood his feelings.
Looking back now, perhaps it was his actions that day that made her not reject him as she had rejected other boys.
The second time he carried her on his back was in their second year of high school.
It was during the sports meet, and she participated in the girls’ relay race. Perhaps due to her intense focus and eagerness to win honors for the class, she sprained her foot slightly, not too serious and not too painful. Still, he was worried and carried her to the medical room.
No one asked Duan Ye why he liked Jiang Yumo, and likewise, nobody asked Jiang Yumo why she liked Duan Ye.
Jiang Yumo was defeated by his dedication and seriousness.
She is not yet eighteen years old. In theory, there is still a very long road ahead in life, and one should not be too absolute in their speech. But when she looks at Duan Ye, she just feels that he will truly like her for a very, very long time.
“Duan Ye,” Jiang Yumo called out to him.
Duan Ye was carrying her and walking towards the shore.
Perhaps they are too young and easily attract a lot of attention. Even a photographer holding a camera would shift their lens towards them, capturing the moment.
Freeze.
A fresh photo is out.
The boy carrying the girl he likes, and the girl hugging his neck. Through the distance, and amidst the mist, their expressions are not very clear.
Duan Ye turned his head slightly, “Here.”
Jiang Yumo still didn’t bring up what happened before, and instead chatted with him, “Do you think Zhiyu will really reject Zhou Ji?”
Although she can guess Zhiyu’s thoughts, she still wants to discuss this issue with Duan Ye.
“She will,” Duan Ye rarely sounds so sure.
…Is this how he views his good friend?
Jiang Yumo wanted to smile but couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Why?”
Duan Ye chuckled softly, “This month, I am the boss. If the boss can’t achieve something, he definitely can’t either.”
- I’m pretty sure Yumo actually wanted to say ‘like a pregnant woman’! ↩︎