That night, Zhou Ji and Ning Zhiyu chatted very late into the night.
Zhou Ji was extremely excited. After that day, he seemed to have been injected with a dose of adrenaline. He never complained of being tired again. Every day, he enthusiastically followed Duan Ye around different construction sites. Even if the buildings that had just been capped were still unfinished and the weather was hot, both of them were drenched in sweat, yet they possessed boundless energy. As long as they thought about the future with the girl they liked, as long as they thought about ‘her’ in Yanjing, it seemed like they could endure any hardship.
At eighteen or nineteen years old, the young men had an endless supply of strength.
They were distinctly different from the middle-aged people who worked tirelessly for their livelihoods within the construction sites.
Middle-aged people had already been bent by the hardships of life. They seemed numb every day, but occasionally, when they received calls from their wives or children, a sparkle would light up in their eyes.
Most of these middle-aged people were kind and sincere, willing to share their experiences with these two young men.
In this place, Zhou Ji saw scenes he had never witnessed before.
The environment he had lived in had always been glamorous, and he didn’t know that so many people in this world were striving so hard for their livelihoods.
The news about the two young men during this period was placed on Zhou Chenglei’s desk.
When he saw a photo of his son coming out of an unfinished building with a dusty face, and another photo of him wearing flip-flops while buying stir-fried noodles at a food stall, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
He even sent these precious photos to his wife, and the couple enjoyed them together.
Zhou Chenglei had always felt that there was something missing in him.
After seeing his son like this, he understood that what he lacked was an understanding of the grassroots. A successful businessman shouldn’t only focus on the upper echelons. Everything in this world is interconnected, from the bottom to the top, or vice versa. Practical experience leads to true knowledge. Perhaps the path his son was taking was also the right one?
The university military training was coming to an end.
Jiang Yumo realized that human potential was truly boundless. She had even grown accustomed to standing at attention. It was frightening.
Returning to the dormitory from outside, just as she placed the watermelon she had bought down to prepare to share it, her roommate emerged from the bathroom and curiously asked, “I heard a second year senior asked for your number. Is it true?”
“…,” Jiang Yuao asked, “How did you find out?”
The roommate exaggeratedly held Jiang Yumao’s face, “Darling, don’t you know you’re our department’s potential beauty queen now? Of course, you’re going to attract attention.”
The other roommates also put down what they were doing, turned their heads, and asked her, “Yumo, that sophomore is quite handsome. Did you give him your number?”
Jiang Yumo shrugged, “Obviously.”
She tapped her forehead and said with a serious tone, “There should be three words written on my forehead: ‘Not Single.'”
All three roommates had met Duan Ye before, and upon hearing this, they laughed. “Exactly, exactly! I still think Brother Duan is more handsome. He’s 185cm tall!”
Jiang Yumo didn’t know what was going on.
Surprisingly, all three of them started spontaneously calling him ‘Brother Duan.’
Even though she hadn’t explicitly told them, it was really strange.
College was truly different from high school. Jiang Yumo began to miss Duan Ye again. In high school, it seemed like everyone knew that Duan Ye liked her. So, even if someone had feelings for her, they wouldn’t act on it. They were all afraid of Duan Ye. But in college, apart from her few roommates, no one knew Duan Ye. She would be approached by people on the street, and they would ask for her number.
Looking back now, high school was better!
She didn’t know if Duan Ye was experiencing similar situations. He never talked about it, but she never worried. This confidence probably stemmed from Duan Ye’s affection for her, so she wanted to give him enough confidence as well. Jiang Yumo could only ever like Duan Ye.
The military training was coming to an end, which also meant they were approaching the National Day Golden Week.
The university students were all overjoyed. Some were buying tickets to go home, while others were staying in Yanjing, discussing where to hang out. The campus was bustling.
On the other side, Duan Ye’s Uncle saw that the two young men had been busy for so long without rest, so he arranged for them to have a few days off. After calculating for a bit, Zhou Ji found Duan Ye and followed him around for two whole days, finally convincing him. Zhou Ji wanted to go back to Yanjing to see Ning Zhiyu. After their recent reconciliation, of course, they needed to meet to solidify their relationship.
Duan Ye couldn’t do anything about Zhou Ji. He was annoyed by Zhou Ji’s persistence and had no choice but to agree.
Nowadays, many things were handled by the two of them. Even though it was the holiday season, it didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be things cropping up during their free time. As long as one of them stayed behind, it was fine.
“I owe you this time,” Zhou Ji patted his chest, “I’ll pay you back next time.”
The are several reasons why Duan Ye agreed. Firstly, Zhou Ji had indeed had a tough few months. Zhou Ji had been having conflicts since July with Ning Zhiyu. Now that they had finally made up, they were separated by distance. They needed to meet to rekindle their sweetness. Secondly, Zhou Ji wasn’t as adept as him at handling things, so he didn’t feel comfortable leaving Zhou Ji alone. Neither did his Uncle…
Of course, the most important reason was that Yanjing wasn’t too far from here, but Ningcheng was quite distant.
If Jiang Yumo was going back to Ningcheng, he had to consider practical factors. There was no direct transportation from here to Ningcheng. Even if he made the trip, he could only stay for a day or half a day.
He missed her a lot, but he didn’t want to pressure her.
It’s better if he saves his vacation for later, so he can let Zhou Ji go this time. When winter vacation comes, he should have enough vacation days to take her out for a trip.
Zhou Ji hooked his arm around Duan Ye’s shoulder and said, “What did I say? Long-distance relationships aren’t easy. But now we’re like brothers in hardship.”
Their girlfriends are in Yanjing, and they are both about to experience a potentially long period of long-distance relationship.
In theory, this is quite tough, but thinking that Lao Duan is also going through this with him, Zhou Ji can accept it.
Duan Ye teased, “Say one more word, and you won’t be goiing to Yanjing.”
Zhou Ji promptly shut his mouth.
Thinking about meeting Ning Zhiyu, he could only chuckle to himself while avoiding Duan Ye.
Long-distance relationships are really difficult, but… perhaps it’s because of the distance that each meeting becomes an anticipated surprise. Such a feeling might not be experienced by couples who are together every day.
Originally, Jiang Yumo planned to go home during National Day, but a few days ago, she received a call from her family. It turned out that the bus company organized a staff trip, and drivers with over ten years of experience were allowed to bring their family members.
This was a rare opportunity, and Jiang’s parents instantly put aside their longing for their daughter and decisively signed up.
Jiang Yumo : “?”
Well, her parents worked hard for so many years, so of course, it’s their time to enjoy life. She cancelled her ticket back to Ningcheng, thought about calling Duan Ye, but at the moment she dialed the number, she decisively hung up. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head – could she give Duan Ye a big surprise?
On the day before her vacation, Jiang Yumo found time to meet Ning Zhiyu.
Even though both of them studied in Yanjing, Yanjing was so big that meeting up wasn’t as easy as they had imagined.
During the meal, Ning Zhiyu dialed Zhou Ji’s number and put it on speakerphone.
This was their plan. Since they wanted to surprise Duan Ye, they naturally had to consider every aspect. For this reason, the four girls had a heated discussion in their best friends group : should Jiang Yumo call Duan Ye after arriving at the station, or should she knock on Duan Ye’s door?
Putting themselves in the situation, Yan Qing and Sun Mengting both said that opening the door and finding their partner there would be a bigger surprise.
Ning Zhiyu said that both ways were fine, and she didn’t participate in the vote.
Yan Qing even seems to have lost her sense of propriety. She said in the group chat : [Yumo, trust me! Just think about it: after Duan Ge finishes a tiring day of work and opens the door to see you, I guarantee he will like you even more. Who knows, he might really kiss you until your lips are swollen!]
Jiang Yumo : […]
Although her lips have been swollen from kissing, she would never say something like that!
Yan Qing : [Trust me, I’ve read all the romance novels on the market and online! No one understands better than me!]
Jiang Yumo: [… Alright.]
But now, a problem arises.
She still doesn’t know Duan Ye’s specific address.
Of course, she could ask, but if she asks now, she’s worried he might become suspicious.
Surprise, it’s a surprise! She mustn’t let him sense even the slightest clue. The true surprise is appearing in front of him completely unexpected and unanticipated.
So, how can she find out his address without him knowing?
The four girls thought of Zhou Ji.
Zhou Ji quickly picked up the phone. Before Ning Zhiyu could stop him, he said in a cheesy tone, “Yuyu, are our minds connected? I was just about to call you.”
Jiang Yumo looked at Ning Zhiyu in astonishment.
Yuyu…
Yuyu…
Could it be? Zhou Ji is way too… Wait, Jiang Yumo can’t believe her ears!
Ning Zhiyu felt both embarrassed and flustered. She covered her face with one hand and irritably stopped Zhou Ji from saying anything cheesier, “Zhou Ji, I’m on speakerphone. Yumo is right next to me, and she needs to talk to you.”
Zhou Ji : “?”
His tone changed in a second, “What the heck, Sister? You need something from me? What could possibly be between us?”
“You’re my Brother’s girlfriend and a good friend of my girlfriend,” Zhou Ji cautiously said, “There shouldn’t be anything between us, got it?”
Jiang Yumo looked at Ning Zhiyu and teased, “I give his survival instinct full marks.”
Ning Zhiyu was speechless.
“Alright,” Ning Zhiyu cleared her throat, “Don’t say strange things. Yumo has something to ask you.”
“Got it.” Zhou Ji’s triumphant laughter came through, “Sister, are you asking me for inspection? Don’t worry, I can say with confidence that there’s no one in this world more self-aware than Lao Duan. I’m second place at best. Besides, the youngest person of the opposite sex I’ve seen around here is the aunt who serves us food, and her daughter is older than you.”
Jiang Yumo : “I’m not trying to ask for inspection!! Tomorrow, I’ll take a train to your place, but I don’t want Duan Ye to find out!”
Zhou Ji : “Sure!! You say you’re not asking me, but you’re coming over in person to inspect!”
Jiang Yumo covered her forehead, “Zhiyu, I suddenly really want to know why you like this person so much. Come on, tell me.”
On the phone, Zhou Ji’s alarm bell rang loudly, “Don’t badmouth me, Sister. Alright, continue. You want to give him a surprise, right?”
Ning Zhiyu took over, “Yes, send the address to Yumo.”
“Easy!”
Ning ZhyYu thought for a moment and added, “Don’t let Duan Ye know.”
Jiang Yumo : “Don’t remind him what clothes to wear.”
Zhou Ji : “…”
Ning Zhiyu : “Don’t remind him to tidy up the room.”
Zhou Ji : “…”
Jiang Yumo : “Don’t hint that he shouldn’t go out.”
Ning Zhiyu : “Don’t tell him that something good will happen.”
Over the next few minutes, the two girls thought of all the mistakes Zhou Ji might make and warned him not to make mistakes, otherwise he’d face consequences.
Zhou Ji was speechless, “Is it necessary to be this careful?”
“It’s necessary,” Jiang Yumo said ruthlessly, “He’s not you. He’s very clever and sharp.”
Zhou Ji : “?”
He became angry, “Yuyu, she’s insulting me!”
Ning Zhiyu held her forehead with one hand, “Then prove to her that you’re clever too, can you?”
Naturally, Jiang Yumo reported this matter to her parents. Her Dad and Mom didn’t stop her, just advised her to stay safe.
With the address given by Zhou Ji, Jiang Yumo boarded the train to the city where Duan Ye was. She held her backpack, feeling both anxious and excited, as if she were about to do something extraordinary.
She had hardly slept last night, tossing and turning in bed.
The more she thought, the more excited she became. She stayed awake until two or three in the morning, originally planning to rest on the train, but she couldn’t sleep at all. Her heart raced wildly. It had been almost a month since she last saw Duan Ye.
However, she was about to see him soon!
So, this was the feeling of going to meet someone you likes!