The seven people in the room are unable to empathize with Zhou Ji at this moment.
Zhao Zheng continued to criticize Zhou Ji, saying, “You’re pretentious.”
Yan Qing harshly agreed, “Exactly! If my parents were to transfer hundreds of thousands to me on my birthday… Sigh! No way, I wouldn’t even dare to dream that big.”
Jiang Yumo had long wanted to complain about Zhou Ji, “With so much money, what gift can’t you buy? You, still acting like you’ve suffered a great injury, it’s unbearable to watch.”
Ning Zhiyu also nodded, fully agreeing with them.
Only Zhou Ji felt hurt. Finally breaking free from these seven people, he sat there with messy hair and defended himself, “It’s the same every year. They always use my birthday as an excuse to socialize, and even if there are birthday gifts, it’s the assistants who buy them. If you were in my shoes, you might not be able to bear it either.”
“But,” Sun Mengting spoke up, “they didn’t forget your birthday.”
Zhou Ji was taken aback.
“Yes, even if it’s for socializing, they remembered your birthday this year when you, the birthday person, aren’t around.”
Zhou Ji tried to argue, “The assistants and secretaries remind them.”
“That just means they are busy with work,” Yan Qing said, “I’ve read in novels that it’s like this. They’re busy with work, and as children, we should understand… After all, they’ve provided you with a worry-free life. In fact, if you were born into an ordinary family, you might have other complaints about them.”
Ning Zhiyu said softly, “No matter how they remember it, they know today is your birthday.”
Zhou Ji began to doubt his life.
“No, do you really think this is enough? Have you become money-minded?” Zhou Ji couldn’t understand, “What kind of birthday gift is this? There’s no sincerity at all, no heartfelt effort!”
“Do you remember your parents’ birthdays?” Duan Ye, who had been silent all along, spoke up.
This one question was a deadly blow.
At least Zhou Ji couldn’t answer. Because, in fact, he didn’t know his parents’ birthdays, neither the month nor the date.
“Eighteen years old.” Jiang Yumo looked at Zhou Ji, “You are turning eighteen today, so be more mature from now on.”
Zhou Ji fell into contemplation.
This time, it opened his mind because no one had ever asked him if he remembered his parents’ birthdays before.
Indeed, he didn’t remember much.
He wasn’t even sure of the exact year his father was born, only that his father was in his forties.
On this evening, Zhou Ji took the initiative to send a message to thank his parents. To his surprise, the next day, they transferred money to him again… It seemed as if sending the message was equivalent to asking them for money. Zhou Ji shared this incident with his friends, but undoubtedly, he received a good scolding and was ordered to treat them to drinks! No need to be polite to the future capitalists!
Zhou Ji’s 18th birthday seemed to be a turning point.
After that, time flew by quickly. Spring came, and the weather became warmer. Jiang Yumo also shed her thick cotton coat and put on a jacket. During the previous semester’s final exams, Ning Zhiyu performed worse than usual, but she still ranked first in the entire grade. However, her student Zhou Ji’s results made Ning Zhiyu lose interest in teaching him. On the other hand, Jiang Yumo and Yan Qing were doing well. Occasionally during breakfast or dinner, Ning Zhiyu explained topics to them, and they could grasp the content. This helped Ning Zhiyu regain some confidence.
The ‘battle of wits’ between Duan Ye and Zhou Ji still occurred every month.
But Zhou Ji never beat Duan Ye; he was still Little Brother Zhou.
Approaching April, Zhou Ji had to return to his hometown to prepare for exams. He was not a local of Ningcheng, and his household registration was not there, so he had to go back to Yanjing to take the college entrance examination. Zhou Ji wasn’t happy about it, but he had promised Ning Zhiyu to take the exam seriously, and he couldn’t break his word. In fact, Zhou Ji’s parents didn’t care whether he took the college entrance exam or not. People like him had already had their life path arranged, and the college entrance exam was more like an optional test for him.
Zhou Ji was leaving.
Naturally, they had to throw him a farewell banquet.
Zhou Ji was sensitive to farewells : “I’m not never coming back! I’ll come find you all after I finish the exam!”
“But we’ll be separated for two months.”
Zhou Ji : “…”
The so-called farewell banquet was actually just ordering a few dishes at a small restaurant outside the school. They all ate and drank together, and then found some time to go to Ningcheng’s riverbank. The weather in April was perfect, neither cold nor hot. Walking on the embankment with a gentle breeze brushing their faces felt comfortable and pleasant. The girls, especially, felt the emotions of parting deeply. They even bought wish bottles from a boutique, which had been popular for the past couple of years. It was a small, transparent glass bottle with purple lavender inside.
Some people will stuff notes in and then throw them into the rivers, seas, and lakes.
Zhou Ji also got a wishing bottle.
He is very satisfied.
Because it seems like it’s a couple’s version with Ning Zhiyu.
In fact, boys are not very interested in this kind of thing, but watching the girls look very serious, one by one, they also restrain their smiles, write their wishes on the very small piece of paper, roll it up, and stuff it into the wishing bottle.
Zhao Zheng : [I really want to join the army, defend the motherland, and protect my friends. Please let me pass the enlistment.]
Guo Shichao : [If I can’t become a singer, let me become a rich person. Only one of the two.]
Yan Qing : [Let Zhao Zheng pass the enlistment.]
Sun Mengting : [If I have to become a nurse, then let me be a very capable nurse!]
Ning Zhiyu : [Get admitted to the ideal university and secure a good future.]
…
Jiang Yumo doesn’t know what to write.
In the end, she wrote on the note : [I hope the us in the original plot are doing well. Please.]
While Zhou Ji despised their immaturity, he wrote more than anyone else : [I hope that the next time I confess, she won’t say we’re from different worlds again… Maybe I should write it clearer so it won’t fail. I hope she agrees when I confess.]
Finally, only Duan Ye hadn’t written anything.
Zhou Ji and the others urged him, so he wrote a number on the note.
“12?” Zhao Zheng was puzzled. “What does this mean, what does 12 mean?”
Duan Ye just looked at Jiang Yumo.
Jiang Yumo was stunned for a moment, then pursed her lips and chuckled, her ears turning slightly red.
Duan Ye said, “It’s none of your business.”
Zhou Ji dragged out his words, “Exactly, we shouldn’t meddle in Brother and Sister’s affairs.”
Jiang Yumo was already too lazy to get annoyed.
However, the meaning behind the number 12 was only known to her and Duan Ye.
No one should talk about this matter, not even to Yan Qing and the others, who were close friends of hers, so she hadn’t mentioned it to them either.
Before leaving, Zhou Ji looked ‘earnestly’ at them and said, “My sons, Dad is going back now. Study hard, and I’ll give you red envelopes according to your exam scores! The higher the score, the bigger the red envelope!”
Zhao Zheng, who usually scored less than two hundred points in every monthly exam, replied, “Get lost!”
Zhou Ji then tried to please the girls and said, “Beautiful ladies, I’m going back, but I will save my good luck for you. No matter how many points you score, you will receive my red envelopes!”
Ning Zhiyu pursed her lips and reluctantly said, “You better study hard too.”
Zhou Ji happily replied, “Don’t worry, Teacher Ning! As soon as I finish the exam, I’ll come back. You wait for me!”
Everyone bid farewell to Zhou Ji reluctantly.
After Zhou Ji left, they realized that life was really interesting with him around. Now that he was gone, Zhao Zheng didn’t know who to banter with anymore.
The same was true for Jiang Yumo. Once while she was on the bus, she heard someone call out “Sister!” and she instinctively turned around. But when she realized it, she let out a sound like a startled groundhog : Ahh!!
Zhou Ji, please don’t come back anymore!!
Seriously, it’s so annoying!!
She couldn’t bear to be called ‘Sister’ by anyone anymore! TVT
In the afternoon at the cafeteria, Jiang Yumo was complaining to Duan Ye, “Zhou Ji is really toxic, he’s too poisonous. Even though an auntie in her fifties called someone ‘Sister,’ I actually turned around. I’m going to die.”
Duan Ye chuckled and corrected her, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Jiang Yumo sighed, “I’m going to report him to Zhiyu. He stayed up half the night and stole all the crops from my social media space. He definitely didn’t study properly!”
Duan Ye didn’t mention that Zhou Ji often called him in the late hours of the night.
The first time he answered, Zhou Ji kept hinting at him to keep an eye on the boys around Ning Zhiyu.
After that, he simply stopped picking up Zhou Ji’s calls.
Even without Zhou Ji, the atmosphere in Ningcheng remained lively, and time passed quickly. By the end of April, in order to take a class photo, each senior class had custom-made uniforms. Considering the cost, they ended up with white short-sleeved shirts. The uniforms arrived in May, and the school was also organizing graduation photos for each senior class.
Yan Qing secretly brought some makeup and applied a light touch of makeup in the restroom, even giving Ning Zhiyu a light layer of lip gloss.
Jiang Yumo also loved beauty. She got up early in the morning and secretly used her mother’s curling iron to curl the ends of her hair, tying it up in a high ponytail, looking youthful and beautiful.
With Ning Zhiyu’s permission, Yan Qing took several beautiful photos of Ning Zhiyu and sent one of them to the group.
Yan_Qing : [(Image attachment)]
Yan_Qing : [Come and see the beauty!]
Zhou Ji quickly replied to the message: [Damn!!!]
Zhou_Ji : [Send more pictures!!!]
When Yan Qing didn’t respond, Zhou Ji started spamming the group chat, but unfortunately, no one paid attention to him.
After a while, perhaps Zhao Zheng couldn’t stand it anymore: [That’s enough. Be content! Our Young Lady is already kind enough]
Zhou_Ji : [Stop talking nonsense. You don’t know the pain of a long-distance relationship.]
Zhao_Zheng : [(vomit emoji)]
Duan_Ye : [Relationship?]
Guo_Shichao : [Relationship?]
Sun_Mengting : [Relationship?]
Zhou_Ji : [Unrequited love, it’s long-distance ‘unrequited love’ relationship, alright?]
Jiang Yumo shared the group messages with Ning Zhiyu and said, “Look, they’re all mocking him, hahaha.”
Everyone could see that Ning Zhiyu had some feelings for Zhou Ji, so occasionally, they would play harmless jokes on him.
Ning Zhiyu looked at the numerous expressions of vomiting blood and poop that Zhou Ji sent and couldn’t help but burst into laughter as if she could see the craziness on the other end of the screen.
After taking the class photo, some other third year students went to other classes to take pictures with their friends.
Nobody knew who started it, but they began writing their names on their school uniforms. Soon, the whole third year students, including students from Class 1 and Class 2, was inspired by this atmosphere, and other students left signatures on their own uniforms.
This action boosted the atmosphere and also brought them closer together.
It felt like being invited by each other to sign on the school uniform, which was a very good thing, a proof of ‘our relationship is good.’
Although they didn’t know how long this school uniform would last, at this moment, it was a symbol of friendship.
Usually, Duan Ye wouldn’t participate in such activities, but he still had Zhao Zheng and Guo Shichao sign their names on his back.
When other classmates saw that Duan Ye wasn’t angry, they also came forward to sign on the boss’s school uniform—it was a cool thing to do!
Duan Ye couldn’t just give the cold shoulder to the other classmates either, so he only made one request, “Don’t sign on the chest area.”
Zhao Zheng clicked his tongue, “Of course, the chest area is reserved for Sister Mo, others shouldn’t touch it, violators will be executed!”
Guo Shichao chuckled, “You’re so silly, learned that from Zhou Ji, huh?”
Zhao Zheng : “…”
Jiang Yumo has a good relationship with many people, so soon, her school uniform was signed by many others, but she didn’t let anyone sign on the chest area.
Finally, on Duan Ye’s school uniform, at the chest area, she solemnly wrote her name—”Jiang Yumo.”
And Duan Ye, also on Jiang Yumo’s school uniform, at the chest area, signed his name—”Duan Ye.”
Still, Yan Qing, who had read countless romance novels, said, “You guys look like you’re signing marriage certificates, hehe~”
Jiang Yumo : “?!”
rokumi’s notes : what Yan Qing said, my thoughts exactly 🤭
I miss my school days, I feel so nostalgic 🥲