Jiang Yumo originally wanted to go back, but Zhou Ji also asked her to stay, so the three of them came to the newly opened KFC in the city center.
At this time, there weren’t many people at KFC, and it wasn’t as lively as during the daytime.
Zhou Ji wasn’t in the mood, so Duan Ye ordered three drinks casually.
A cup of ice-cold cola with half a cup of ice was for Zhou Ji.
A cup of Jiuzhen1 was what Jiang Yumo wanted to drink. She also wanted to have coffee float, but she was afraid that drinking a cup at this hour would cause her insomnia.
Duan Ye ordered a coffee float for himself and pushed the cup towards Jiang Yumo, saying in a gentle tone, “Just take a few sips, leave the rest for me.”
Jiang Yumo curved her eyebrows and quickly took two sips.
In the past, Zhou Ji would have definitely mocked them severely, but today, he hung his head low, looking quite pitiful, showing none of his usual arrogance and pride. Jiang Yumo wasn’t accustomed to seeing him so quiet and despondent.
Duan Ye seemed uninterested in his mood, and he kept paying attention to Jiang Yumo. He occasionally asked, “Would you like to eat something?” It was still Jiang Yumo who softened her heart and tentatively asked, “Zhou Ji, did you have a fight with Zhiyu?”
Duan Ye thought to himself, this is bad.
Sure enough, that sentence triggered Zhou Ji’s switch. He lifted his head, and the ‘mute’ seal was lifted. “Sister, you’re the one who cares about me.”
Seeing that he was about to start talking nonstop, Duan Ye sighed.
Jiang Yumo didn’t know Zhou Ji that well. They rarely interacted privately. In her impression, Zhou Ji was indeed a bit annoying, but not a bad person. He was loyal to his friends and, most importantly, he was generous.
However, she never expected Zhou Ji to be so chatty.
“I just can’t figure it out. Why do they want me to go abroad, both of them? Is the moon rounder overseas? My Mom did give me another choice : going to Hong Kong. I really don’t want to, though. It’s so far away. Even my grandfather wants to scold me over the phone every week. If I go there, it’s like being imprisoned! My Dad insists on sending me abroad, without even asking for my opinion. He didn’t ask if I wanted to go or not. Just like that, he made arrangements. I’m almost nineteen, legally an adult. Can’t I make decisions about my own life?
“Zhiyu is the same. She keeps asking me about my future plans every day. It gives me a headache just listening. I do have plans for the future, like being in love with her, getting married beautifully after a few years—that’s it! I thought she would definitely support me, but who would have known that after hearing it, she would be even more serious than my parents, with a stern face, insisting that I go abroad!
“By the way, when she heard that my parents wanted me to go abroad, she actually breathed a sigh of relief, as if she couldn’t wait for me to leave…” Zhou Ji said sadly, “It’s like she’s not reluctant to let me go at all. I told her that I might not be able to come back more than twice a year, and there’s the time difference—it’s night for me and day for her, or vice versa. But she still said, ‘Oh, then you should go. You must go.'”
Jiang Yumo : “…”
She regretted it. She should have taken a taxi home as soon as Duan ye received Zhou Ji’s call.
As a bystander, these things overwhelmed her.
So complicated… No wonder Duan Ye hadn’t been speaking all this time.
She glanced at Duan Ye, who shrugged helplessly.
“To be honest, Jiang Yumo,” Zhou Ji called her seriously for the first time.
Jiang Yumo unconsciously sat up straight.
“Could you help me?” Zhou Ji said, “Zhiyu listens to you. Please persuade her for me. Don’t let me go abroad. We’ve just started our relationship. When I went back to Yanjing for the exams, those two months were so hard. You can’t even imagine. I said back then that I would never do a long-distance relationship again. You probably took it as a joke, but I was serious.”
Jiang Yumo’s scalp feels numb. How could she intervene in such matters?
Isn’t this putting her in a difficult spot?
Before she could even refuse, Duan Ye held her hand under the table.
After giving her a reassuring look, Duan Ye finally spoke, “Zhou Ji, this matter, we can’t handle it. Don’t make it difficult for her either.”
“Lao Duan…”
“This is your matter, and it’s also your matter with her. We’re outsiders.” Duan Ye said, “You two should work it out and discuss it yourselves. Don’t make it difficult for her, you know how she is.”
Seeing Zhou Ji lowering her head and remaining silent, looking quite pitiful, Jiang Yumo couldn’t help but say, “It’s not that I don’t want to help you. You know Zhiyu’s personality, right? She’s very independent and has her own way of doing things. If I were to intervene in something like this, I wouldn’t be her friend anymore, and she wouldn’t like me that way.”
Zhou Ji sighed deeply.
Leaving KFC, Zhou Ji followed behind Duan Ye and Jiang Yumo, watching the two of them holding hands, watching them hug reluctantly beneath Jiang Yumo’s apartment building…
Perhaps because he was there, Duan Ye didn’t kiss Jiang Yumo.
Jiang Yumo entered the residential building, and Duan Ye waited below until the light in her bedroom turned on before turning and leaving the complex. Zhou Ji followed Duan Ye back home and couldn’t hold back any longer along the way, “Lao Duan, do you also think I should go abroad?”
Duan Ye : “…”
He honestly answered, “I don’t know, I’m not sure.”
He could answer other questions, but not this one.
Zhou Ji fell silent for a few seconds, “Zhiyu doesn’t understand, Jiang Yumo doesn’t understand. I can let that go, but you should understand my feelings the best. You also don’t want to be separated from Jiang Yumo, right? After you go somewhere else, you’ll still be in the country anyway. It won’t be difficult to meet up. You can visit her, or she can come find you during her vacation. But it’s not the same for me when I’m abroad. It won’t be as simple as coming back whenever I want. Tell me, how can I leave?”
Duan Ye glanced at him, “The future is long.”
That’s what he had been telling himself.
Unfortunately, this was ultimately a matter between Zhou Ji and Ning Zhiyu themselves, and even if they were the best of friends, they were still outsiders in the end.
Even if the reasoning is broken down and explained to Zhou Ji, he wouldn’t be able to take it in, simply because he’s the person involved.
Zhou Ji clearly wouldn’t listen either.
After Zhou Ji left, Duan Ye returned to the bedroom and pulled open the drawer.
Perhaps a year ago, he might have understood Zhou Ji’s feelings. Perhaps he would have sympathized and understood that Zhou Ji didn’t want to break up with his girlfriend. But he couldn’t forget that day, the day he stood on this side of the zebra crossing with Jiang Yumo. She had him in her eyes, and she said that if they truly loved each other enough to marry, having a house wouldn’t matter. Naïvely, she said they could rent one.
Yes.
But if you truly loved someone enough to marry them, how could you bear to let them suffer with you, to live together in a rented house?
The real estate pamphlet inside the drawer was so crumpled from his flipping through it that the corners had curled up.
The future is still long.
The day for their school enrollment is drawing nearer and nearer.
The conflict between Ning Zhiyu and Zhou Ji has grown deeper. Neither of them is willing to give in. They’ve entered a state of cold war, causing distress to their friends as well. Even the most outspoken Zhao Zheng hasn’t dared to express his opinion on this matter. They couldn’t say they support Ning Zhiyu, nor could they say they support Zhou Ji. When it concerns their friends’ futures, how could they dare to say anything?
On this day, Duan Ye accompanied Jiang Yumo back home. Jiang Yumo was going to Yanjing in a few days. After seeing her off, Duan Ye decided to set off as well, striving for the future. Their time together was becoming scarcer. Lately, they wished they could stick together for twenty-four hours straight. Duan Ye even had a few meals at Jiang’s house upon Mother Jiang’s invitation.
Father and Mother Jiang hadn’t explicitly expressed support for the two of them, but their attitude was clear. At least, they wouldn’t oppose.
This relieved Duan Ye.
They still lingered in the hallway, Jiang Yumo hugging his waist. She sighed, “Zhiyu hasn’t been happy these days. What are those two trying to achieve? Why must it be this way?”
Duan Ye knew she was concerned. He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, saying, “Both of them are pretty stubborn.”
“Actually, Zhiyu…” Jiang Yumeng hesitated in her words, “She really likes Zhou Ji. Boys might not understand girls. If she didn’t like him, if she just wanted a few months of romance, she wouldn’t care about him. They can’t talk about this matter now, but I can’t say Zhou Ji is wrong either.
“It’s just… he really likes Zhiyu, so he doesn’t want to separate.”
Just like now, she doesn’t want to be separated from Duan Ye at all.
The closer the days got, the unhappier she became.
She couldn’t even sort out her own thoughts and emotions, let alone handle others’ matters.
Duan Ye chuckled, “Don’t worry, things will always have an outcome.”
Hearing his tone, Jiang Yumo stepped out of his embrace and curiously asked, “Have you already thought a plan?”
“How could that be?” Duan Ye raised his hand and playfully flicked her nose, leaning in closer, “Am I that smart?”
Jiang Yumo pursed her lips and smiled, then hugged him again, “But I think you’re very smart and capable.”
“I can’t predict,” Duan Ye whispered in her ear, “But there will always be an outcome to this matter. Let’s just watch.”
After Jiang Yumo went upstairs, Duan Ye also left the residential building and walked outside.
Unexpectedly, he ran into Mother Jiang, who had returned from playing cards outside. She had returned with her card-playing friends.
From a distance, he could hear Jiang’s mother’s voice, “Oh my, I took a day off today and have to go to Yanjing for a few days to send my Momo to school.”
“So far away, are you willing?” a friend asked.
“Considering that she got into such a good school, how could I stop her?” Mother Jiang’s voice was full of joy, “Our family’s Momo is really impressive. What a great school that is! I’m so happy, there’s no time to delay. If your daughter gets into Tsinghua or Peking University in the future, would you want her to stay in the province?”
“Absolutely not. I really envy you, your daughter is so outstanding. You, well, just wait to enjoy the good life in the future!”
Mother Jiang joyfully said, “I’m not hoping for a life of ease. What I hope for is that Momo keeps getting better in the future. If she lives well, I’ll be content.”
As parents, it’s exactly like this. How could they let the bonds of blood and family tie down their children’s progress? They just hope for the children to do better and better.
Duan Ye couldn’t escape, so he faced it head-on.
Seeing Duan Ye, Mother Jiang didn’t shy away from her fellow mahjong players. She greeted him with a smiling face, “You’re here?”
Duan Ye nodded, “Just heading back now.”
Mother Jiang still held a bag of fragrant melons in her hand. She took two and handed them to Duan Ye, “These melons are quite sweet. Take them back and try.”
Caught off guard, Duan Ye held the two melons in his arms and quickly thanked her, “Thank you, Aunt.”
“No need to be polite.” Mother Jiang glanced at the night sky, “It’s getting late. You should come over for a meal at our place in a few days if you’re free.”
“Sure. Thanks, Auntie.”
It was only when he left the residential area that Duan Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Even when he was young, he was often mocked for not having a father. The complexity of his family situation made him mature earlier than his peers, so he saw many things clearly. Mother Jiang being kind to him wasn’t because she liked him a lot; it was because she loved her own daughter deeply and didn’t want her daughter to suffer.
They didn’t object, which should make him happy, but he shouldn’t feel satisfied.
What he wanted was their heartfelt approval and blessings one day.
No matter how tough and challenging the future might be, he wasn’t afraid.
Duan Ye was filled with determination and returned home with a longing for the future.
As he reached the entrance of the alley, he spotted a stretched black sedan parked not far away.
He walked over, and before he reached the car, the door opened. A man in formal attire stepped out of the car and approached Duan Ye, smiling, “Excuse me, are you Student Duan Ye? Our boss is looking for you.”
After a brief moment of doubt, Duan Ye’s expression calmed down considerably. He had already guessed who the person might be.
- a type of traditional Chinese herbal tea or beverage. It’s often made from a combination of various herbs and ingredients, and it’s believed to have health benefits and medicinal properties. ↩︎
Is this….. DY isn’t a potential domineering CEO too right… ☠️