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Psst! We're moving!
Chu Ning didn’t look back after running away.
The entire incident lasted no more than five minutes, and this unexpected event was quickly forgotten.
Back in the dormitory, only Qi Yu was there among the three roommates. Ying Jing walked over to peek at what he was doing. “What are you drawing?”
Qi Yu didn’t lift his head, his pencil sharpened to a fine point. “The internal cross-section of a stabilizer—I need it for tonight’s lab class.”
Qi Yu was from Hunan, and his Mandarin wasn’t very standard. Although he had improved significantly after three years of studying in Beijing, he still struggled with distinguishing between nasal sounds.
Ying Jing poked his shoulder and corrected him: “It’s shàng —repeat after me: shàng lab class, shàng bed, shàng sleep.”
Qi Yu, being earnest and hardworking, actually repeated it twice: “Shàng class, shàng bed, sleep…”
Just then, the door opened, and their bespectacled class monitor, Zhou Yuan, glared at them with wide eyes. “What the heck! What are you two doing in broad daylight?”
Ying Jing flashed his white teeth. “Welcome to Teacher Ying’s classroom!”
Zhou Yuan snorted. “Watch yourself. I’m warning you—don’t forget to submit your Maoist theory essay tonight. This is the third reminder. If you don’t hand it in, you’re really going to fail.”
Ying Jing patted Qi Yu’s shoulder and silently gave him an affectionate gaze.
After staring at him for two seconds, Qi Yu slowly turned back to his drawing and held up three fingers.
Ying Jing slapped his palm down. “Deal! Three meals, it’s settled!”
At 3:30 PM, they had a lab class. While others quietly took a nap, Ying Jing went to play basketball after eating. He came back drenched in sweat, holding a bag of ice cream popsicles. As soon as he entered the corridor, he shouted, “Anyone who wants ice cream, come to Room 308! First come, first served!”
His voice rang out like a morning bell in a valley—clear, crisp, and invigorating, waking everyone from their sluggish afternoon haze.
Ying Jing was well-liked, and their Room 308 was always the liveliest.
The ice creams were in short supply and disappeared in an instant.
“Cutie Pop is mine! Don’t snatch it, don’t snatch it!”
Ying Jing’s hand was pulled by his classmates, and his jersey was yanked halfway down, turning into an off-the-shoulder look. With great effort, he tilted his head and twisted his body, peeled open the wrapper, and took a big bite. Wow, it was freezing!
He sucked in air with a “hiss-hiss” sound and then extended the half-eaten Cutie Pop. “Here, take it, take it!”
The crowd booed loudly: “Cheapskate!”
For the 3:30 class, they left the dormitory ten minutes early and arrived one minute before the start—just enough to avoid being late. When Ying Jing and Qi Yu walked in, they saw a group of girls huddled together.
Zhang Huaiyu waved at them. “Ying Jing, come take a look at this!”
Class monitor Zhou Yuan frowned. “There are so many of us here. Why do you only call Ying Jing?”
“If you have the guts, get first place in exams every day, and I’ll consult you daily,” Zhang Huaiyu retorted.
The tension lingered. Ying Jing first smoothed things over with the guys. “Good men don’t fight with women.”
“Hmph.”
Then he leaned over and whispered to the girls, “Good women don’t fight with men either.”
“Mmm~”
People with high looks seemed to make anything they said more convincing.
“Why isn’t this lighting up?”
“Let me see.” The table was slightly low, so Ying Jing bent over and pointed to a section in the middle. “Here—it’s wired backward.”
He unplugged the three sensors on this line, adjusted their positions, and said, “Alright, turn it on.”
Once powered, the girls gasped in amazement: “Wow!!”
The previously dark circuit board now lit up brilliantly, and the small bulbs formed the shape of a heart—
Extremely bright.
“Do you want me to consecrate it for you at Mount Emei?!” A stern voice suddenly barked.
Silence fell for half a second. Everyone tensed up, shrinking back to their seats, flipping books or picking up pens. Ying Jing stuck out his tongue and obediently greeted the professor. “Professor Li.”
Li Zhoushan was in his early fifties. At first glance, his build was slightly round and chubby, not resembling the traditional scholarly appearance. His fierce face was infamous within the school.
“Fooling around! This is experimental material—you can’t use it for other purposes!” Professor Li pointed at the large glowing heart and asked Ying Jing, “Are you planning to enter this in a competition? Huh?”
Ying Jing chuckled sheepishly. “Well, it’s not impossible.”
Professor Li’s mustache nearly flew off in anger.
For several minutes, Professor Li lectured them in a manner akin to “put on socks before shoes, be a grandson before becoming a grandpa.” With each sentence, Ying Jing swiftly recited the next line under his breath.
With an accuracy rate of eight or nine out of ten, Ying Jing couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
“You’re always wasting my time. Class dismissed.” Professor Li turned around like a sulking old man, hands behind his back, and walked away.
Ying Jing slipped over to Qi Yu’s side, opened his textbook, and secretly played “Jump Jump” on his phone. Someone in his friend circle had surpassed his score—no way! He had to reclaim the top spot.
Qi Yu asked, “Have you prepared for next week’s competition?”
“Nope. What’s there to prepare? Once a year, the school just goes through the motions. Every time, the Aerospace Design major takes the prizes. Our department is just there to make up the numbers—oh, by the way, let’s play basketball tonight.”
“I can’t.”
“What? Going to pick her up?” Ying Jing whispered.
Qi Yu nodded. “Yeah, she gets off work late today.”
Ying Jing made a sound of acknowledgment. “You’re riding a yellow bike again?”
“Yeah, she finishes work late, and there’s no subway.”
A casual remark. Coincidentally, “Jump Jump” ended.
Ying Jing felt uneasy. Covering his phone, he said, “Anyway, tomorrow’s Saturday, and there’s no dorm check. I’ll go with you. Alright, it’s decided.”
“...”
Qi Yu was a straightforward and honest kid. It wasn’t easy for him to become the first university student from his small village. He had a childhood sweetheart named Gu Jinjin, who dropped out of school early and came to Beijing last year. Ying Jing didn’t know what she did, but occasionally, he overheard Qi Yu talking on the phone, speaking softly and accommodating her tone.
Riding a shared bike to pick up his night-shift girlfriend and then taking her back to her rental place—all to save taxi money.
Ying Jing secretly thought, what’s so great about dating? It’s exhausting.
That night, they took Line 13 to Xizhimen, transferred, and walked a bit to reach Bar Street.
The neon lights dyed the sky a murky gray, like a cloth draped overhead. It was frosty, and Ying Jing, still wearing his hoodie from earlier, shoved his hands into his pockets, wishing he could punch a hole through them.
Qi Yu sighed. “Why aren’t you wearing thermal pants?”
Ying Jing was puzzled. “Why do you sound like my mom? I’m full of righteous energy to survive winter. I even ate two popsicles this afternoon—I’ve never been afraid of the cold since I was little.”
They chatted idly to pass the time. At 11 PM, Gu Jinjin emerged from the bar entrance. She was even more “righteous” than Ying Jing, wearing a short skirt with her bare legs swaying in the wind.
Even from a distance, they could see that she was made up and joking around with some middle-aged male customers who had exited with her. One of them even had his hand on her waist.
Ying Jing’s eyes widened, and he glanced at Qi Yu beside him.
Uh…something felt strange.
The official boyfriend didn’t react at all. His expression was restrained, suppressed, as if his hands and feet were tied—or perhaps he was used to it.
Gu Jinjin didn’t seem to resist much either, half-heartedly pushing away while chatting and laughing with those people. A black Passat pulled up, the door opened, and Gu Jinjin happily got in.
Ying Jing’s anger erupted directly. He shoved Qi Yu. “What are you spacing out for?! Call her down!”
Snapped out of his daze, Qi Yu rushed forward and dragged her out of the car. Ying Jing rolled up his sleeves and followed closely behind.
Gu Jinjin screamed, “You’re hurting me! What are you doing?!”
The middle-aged man who had touched her waist earlier exclaimed, “Huh?”
Qi Yu and Gu Jinjin exchanged a few heated words. The man grew impatient. “Are you coming or not?”
Gu Jinjin turned back, smiling sweetly. “Yes, boss.” Then she looked at Qi Yu, on the verge of tears. “This is my big client. Can you stop causing trouble?”
“Just buy drinks if you’re buying drinks. Why are you going with him?”
“It’s just late-night snacks. Sales is tough—you wouldn’t understand.” Gu Jinjin shook off his hand.
Qi Yu’s eyes reddened. After a brief silence, he suddenly threw a punch at the so-called client’s face.
The situation spiraled out of control.
The girl’s screams, the mature man’s ferocity, and the fearless boldness of the young duo created chaos.
In moments, everything descended into disorder.
Qi Yu, usually mild-mannered, relied on a burst of adrenaline, but he quickly became the one getting beaten. Ying Jing…well! Not wearing thermal pants made him physically stronger,
But there were five of them, dear heavens—he couldn’t win!
Fights fueled by alcohol were too common. Passersby didn’t want to get involved, avoiding the scene as quickly as possible.
Chu Ning stepped out of the club. As she descended the stairs, Mr. Feng’s trusted secretary, Zhou, gentlemanly supported her hand. “Be careful.”
“No problem.” Chu Ning placed her cane down and smiled politely. “Thank you for today.”
“It’s my duty.” Secretary Zhou said, “This project’s surrounding area will be the core relocation zone for the district government. The profit forecast is promising within a year.”
Chu Ning nodded and smiled.
She wore an ankle-length dress to conceal her cast, paired casually with a small blazer, appearing both professional and light-hearted. She limped down the steps, and her driver was already waiting at the entrance.
Secretary Zhou opened the car door for her and kindly reminded her, “Madam is concerned about your leg. Wishing you a speedy recovery, and I’m looking forward to your engagement party with Zi Yang.”
Maintaining her smile, Chu Ning was about to sit in the car when she paused due to the commotion about ten meters away.
She turned her head to look.
Ying Jing, already battered and clearly losing, looked over pitifully.
Their eyes met in the night.
Ying Jing’s eyes brightened. He quickly grabbed Qi Yu by the collar and ran toward her. “Wait, wait for me!”
Chu Ning calmly retracted her gaze and continued getting into the car as if nothing happened.
Secretary Zhou didn’t inquire further, sitting in the front passenger seat.
Ying Jing grimaced and shouted for help. “I’m about to get beaten to death! Ah, I’m dead!”
No response.
The white Audi A6 moved forward like a sword leaving its sheath, bathed in silver light.
“Crap, crap.” Ying Jing’s eyebrows were almost rubbed off, while the drunken middle-aged men cursed and chased after them.
Qi Yu panted heavily. Gu Jinjin sobbed while looking back. “What should we do? It’s all because you were impulsive! Waaah!”
Damn.
Even Ying Jing, a single guy, found this girlfriend annoying.
Angrily, he shouted loudly, “I didn’t buy insurance!”
“Huh?”
“You owe me medical expenses.”
Gu Jinjin immediately pretended to be dead.
As the pursuers drew closer, Ying Jing despaired as he watched the taillights fade away.
But suddenly, the Audi stopped. A few seconds later, it reversed a few meters, stopping right in front of them.
Ying Jing thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Until the window slid down halfway, revealing Chu Ning’s forehead, nose, and lips. The slow-motion-like frame-by-frame reveal deepened the impression of their first encounter.
Ying Jing held his breath.
Chu Ning pursed her lips, glanced at him, and said nothing.
Ying Jing opened the unlocked car door and quickly scrambled in. With his strength, he collided with Chu Ning like a fireball, pushing her half a meter until her body pressed against the car door.
Her expression remained composed…painful, chest pain.
After Ying Jing got in, Gu Jinjin and Qi Yu followed.
“Bang!” The car door slammed shut, isolating the chaos outside.
Ying Jing patted his chest. So thrilling!
The calm inside the car was disrupted. Chu Ning leaned against the door, while Ying Jing sat snugly beside her, his hot breath inevitably brushing against her neck.
The stranger’s scent mixed with sweat, blood, and dust flooded Chu Ning’s nostrils. Strangely, upon closer inspection, she seemed to catch a faint whiff of Blue Moon detergent.
Realizing the impropriety, Ying Jing hastily nudged Qi Yu. “Move over, move over.” Then he turned around and sincerely thanked Chu Ning. “Beautiful lady, thank you so much!”
Lady?
Chu Ning’s ears perked up at that word, feeling a subtle displeasure. However, she calmly replied, “Mm.”
Though this boy had an obviously ingratiating tone, his handsome face—his double eyelids forming beautiful fan shapes—was pleasing to the eye. Even his flattery didn’t feel too repulsive.
Secretary Zhou in the front passenger seat hadn’t expected Chu Ning to stop the car. Quickly regaining composure, he felt it improper for her to be squeezed in the backseat. He gently instructed the driver, “Stop the car—Xiao Ning, let’s switch places.”
Chu Ning nodded slightly, and the car gradually returned to silence.
Ying Jing looked left and right, then lowered his head. The three of them, covered in dirt and looking like African refugees, starkly contrasted with Chu Ning’s clean and elegant appearance.
Ying Jing stared at his shoes, then glanced at hers. Beneath her long skirt, her left foot wore a matching low heel, while her right foot was solidly encased in a cast.
Ying Jing found it strange. “Eh? This morning, weren’t you running pretty fast?”
Chu Ning furrowed her brows, sensing something ominous.
“You kicked your leg up in a split and shattered the cast. Your figure was like the wind.” Ying Jing looked at Chu Ning, his distinct lashes fluttering. “I’m sure I didn’t mistake you. Uh, you broke your leg again this afternoon?”
“...”
Secretary Zhou, who was drinking water, choked and coughed violently, covering his mouth. Everyone’s gaze landed on Chu Ning’s casted leg, creating an overwhelming pressure that almost suffocated her.
Silence spoke louder than words. The atmosphere became truly awkward.
Chu Ning’s fingers trembled slightly as she gripped the long skirt covering her knees, twisting it as if wringing someone’s neck.
A modern-day version of The Farmer and the Snake .
Her expression remained outwardly calm, but inside, her displeasure blossomed into a carnivorous flower. “Tsk! You damn brat!”
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