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“Stop.”
Chu Ning called out twice, but the figure’s back was getting farther and farther away.
“Stop!” Her temper flared, and she chased after him, grabbing his arm.
Ying Jing shook her off. She grabbed again, and he shook her off again.
Damn it...
Chu Ning laughed in anger, blocking his way, “Are you even a man?”
Ying Jing’s steps halted. The word “man” had such an overwhelming effect; he liked it very much. But his mouth was still stubborn, “What does it matter if I’m a man or not right now? Didn’t you call me a kid the other day!”
Chu Ning couldn’t remember which day it was or what this “kid” nonsense was about.
Never mind, the memory wasn’t important.
“Why are you throwing a tantrum with me here?”
Ying Jing bared his teeth, “And whose fault is it supposed to be? You broke your promise first! You didn’t wait for me and made me come all this way for nothing.” He emphasized at the end, “We had an agreement!”
“Something urgent came up. You saw me just hang up the phone. If you hadn’t shown up, I would have told you in advance. Now that we’ve met, why don’t you just come eat with us. Is that so hard to understand?”
Chu Ning hated repeating herself. In work, repetition meant inefficiency. Personally, her truly close friends never needed her to explain things twice. This situation was making her very uncomfortable.
Yet Ying Jing dared to provoke her sore spot.
He didn’t take the time to think carefully that the other party had already lowered their stance.
Holding back her temper, Chu Ning asked again, “Are you coming to eat with me or not?”
Ying Jing turned his face to the left, four big words written across it: I don’t care.
“Fine.” Chu Ning nodded, thinking, suit yourself.
She turned and walked away. Ying Jing quickly turned his face back.
Just like that, she was gone?
Yes, really gone.
He was about to go crazy with frustration: Aaah! If you had said one more reassuring sentence, I would have calmed down!
But Chu Ning had already disappeared from the entrance.
The empty hall was filled with cool breezes coming from all directions.
Ying Jing’s face stiffened, no longer angry.
Feelings of loss, sadness, emptiness, and even a tinge of regret washed over him. He played with his fingers, tightening them, then loosening them, tightening them again, finally clenching them into a fist. He raised his hand to wipe his eyes, which were dry, with nothing there.
A slight sound came from the side—the front desk girl picked up the local specialties he had thrown into the trash.
“These aren’t damaged, take them back quickly.”
Ying Jing raised his head, forcing a smile, “No, thank you.”
“They’re really not dirty. They’re in packaging boxes, just wipe them when you get home.” The young lady was very gentle.
Ying Jing shook his head, “Give them to you. These are local specialties from Xingcheng, all the things I loved to eat as a child. I bought the most expensive ones.”
Talking to himself, he drifted away like a wandering soul.
When he touched his pocket while sitting in the car... he realized he didn’t bring his wallet, and his metro card was inside. Ying Jing felt increasingly heartbroken, walking along the road. It was a windy spot, and as night fell, the wind blew fiercely.
Cooled by the wind, becoming clear-headed, Ying Jing started to feel a bit remorseful. Thinking to himself, as a man, why should he argue with a woman? Now look, the specialty gifts weren’t delivered, and he didn’t even get to eat. This was a classic case of effort without reward.
The more he thought about it, the more regretful he became.
He should have insisted on treating her to a lavish meal.
Ying Jing rubbed his stomach, feeling both hungry and cold—this was self-inflicted suffering. Ah, regrets upon regrets.
Kicking small pebbles on the road, was there any medicine for regret in the world? The stone rolled and rolled, falling down the steps and into the sewer. At that moment, two short honks sounded behind him. Ying Jing didn’t think much of it and continued kicking the stones until the car stopped in front of him.
The cold wind stilled.
The car window rolled down halfway, and Chu Ning’s gaze fell on him.
His remedy for regret had arrived.
The two stared at each other for a moment, both eyes conveying speechlessness.
This time, before she could say anything, Ying Jing voluntarily opened the car door and quickly sat in the passenger seat. Warm air enveloped him, and he rubbed his nearly frozen face, babbling, “It’s too cold, I’m almost frozen stupid.”
This person’s emotional recovery ability was top-notch, whether it was a strength or a weakness was debatable.
Chu Ning helplessly and bluntly said, “Even without the wind, you’re still pretty dumb.”
Ying Jing learned to be smart, avoiding arguments with her. Instead, he mimicked a throat-slitting gesture, rolled his eyes, “Snap.”
“...” Pretending to look out the window, Chu Ning smiled faintly behind him.
The restaurant was in Guomao.
Feng Ziyang was exactly this kind of ostentatious person, liking to set appointments in such expensive places.
Seeing Ying Jing, Feng Ziyang was quite surprised and teased, “Oh, today you brought a bodyguard?”
Being a true Beijinger, his teasing tone rose, carrying a Beijing accent, making him very approachable.
Chu Ning introduced, “This is Ying Jing, and this is my friend, Feng Ziyang.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you.”
They briefly shook hands, and Feng Ziyang smiled, “We’ve met before.”
“Yes, last time at C Airlines, you were watching the game.” Ying Jing also remembered, “I even interacted with you.”
Feng Ziyang burst into laughter, slapping his shoulder and walking into the restaurant, “Your airplane models are amazing, flying for such a long time and interacting with the audience. Quite a test for the engine, eh? Did you make them yourself?”
“With my friend.” Ying Jing accepted the praise without excessive modesty, full of pride, “Right, you really know your stuff!”
The two walked shoulder to shoulder, chatting cheerfully, completely forgetting about Chu Ning behind them.
Chu Ning looked helpless. Two childish souls had collided; tonight, she wasn’t here to dine but to run a kindergarten.
Everywhere, Feng Ziyang’s VIP name was known. He knew Beijing’s gourmet spots like the back of his hand, eating less but well, a true connoisseur. And Ying Jing was simply there to support him.
“You have a good appetite,” Feng Ziyang praised with admiration.
Ying Jing wasn’t shy at all, speaking frankly, “I’m still young, I can still grow.”
Sitting next to him, Chu Ning couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Feng Ziyang liked this kind of personality—straightforward and refreshing. He snapped his fingers, “Add more dishes.”
After ordering four more, just as the waiter was leaving, Chu Ning suddenly said, “Bring him two bowls of rice.”
Ying Jing turned to grin at her, his neat teeth whiter than rice.
Chu Ning lightly tapped his head, “Eat your food.”
Feng Ziyang said, “I have a few bottles of red wine stored. Want some?”
Before Ying Jing could express his opinion, Chu Ning was dissatisfied, “No. He has class tomorrow.”
Feng Ziyang said, “Tomorrow’s class is tomorrow’s business. What does it have to do with today?”
Chu Ning glared at him.
“Ok, Ok.” Feng Ziyang raised his hands in surrender.
Ying Jing casually asked, “What red wine?”
Chu Ning glared at him again.
“Ok, Ok.” Ying Jing also raised his hands in surrender.
Feng Ziyang leaned back in his chair, took out a cigarette box, and put a cigarette in his mouth. In public places, he didn’t light it. His gaze lingered meaningfully between the two of them.
These two… Tsk.
During the meal, Feng Ziyang and Ying Jing hit it off. Both were model enthusiasts, talking about planes and tanks, leaving Chu Ning utterly confused. Finally, Feng Ziyang got excited, “Let’s go! Check out my place!”
“...”
Chu Ning sincerely reflected that recently, she had dug quite a few pits for herself.
The apartment Feng Ziyang usually lived in was near Guomao. An eighty-square-meter comfortable two-bedroom, one room for sleeping and one converted into a model room. Upon entering, three rows and four columns of neatly arranged glass cabinets were filled with various military models.
Planes, tanks, machine guns, everything imaginable.
“This is the GX-511 series, a world limited edition. And this one, did you notice?” Feng Ziyang boasted enthusiastically.
“The Invincible Warrior,” Ying Jing said, “Failed launch in Jiuquan in 1976.”
“An expert.” Feng Ziyang beamed, “I spent a lot of money buying it back. Look at the level of simulation, isn’t it delicate and realistic enough?”
“How much did you spend?”
Feng Ziyang showed his fingers.
Ying Jing wasn’t impressed, “Too expensive. I can make models of this level myself.”
“Bluffing, huh?”
“Really.” Facing this room full of treasures, Ying Jing remained calm, “If given the chance, I’ll invite you to visit my storage room.”
When encountering lifelong hobbies, even the most mature people have a childish side. It’s like their beloved toys being called ugly.
Feng Ziyang snorted, “Collecting is a bottomless pit. Not only does it require effort, but it also costs money.”
Implying that as a student, his capital was limited.
Ying Jing leaned against the wall, one hand in his pocket, nonchalantly studying the helicopter on the far left. He said, “Actually, I don’t spend much money—I usually make them myself.”
Feng Ziyang was about to blow his top, which delighted Chu Ning.
To push this ancestor to the brink could qualify as a once-in-a-lifetime series event.
Feng Ziyang nudged Chu Ning’s shoulder, “You don’t believe him, right?”
Ying Jing shifted his gaze from the models to fix it on Chu Ning.
Chu Ning smiled and said, “I believe him.”
Feng Ziyang was furious, “Are you even on my side!”
Ying Jing’s ears twitched, and his gaze immediately became alert, scanning between the two.
On my side? What side?
Recalling, they didn’t have any intimate gestures throughout.
...Probably not, right?
Hmm! Definitely not!
He chewed and swallowed his unease and suspicion, like a lump of rice ball stuck in his throat, but eventually managed to force it down.
Upon hearing Feng Ziyang’s question, Chu Ning laughed more openly, pointing at Ying Jing, “I’m not yours, but he is mine. He’s someone who earns money for me. Tell me, should I believe you or him?”
Feng Ziyang raised an eyebrow.
Ying Jing’s ear tips burned, stirred by Chu Ning’s phrase “he is mine,” causing his heart rate to spike.
How could this person be so reckless, claiming relationships without his consent.
A hot air balloon of resentment inflated in Ying Jing’s heart, fermenting and expanding, until finally, “Bang!” it exploded, showering the sky with marshmallows.
Chu Ning glanced back at him, and Ying Jing quickly averted his eyes, pretending to be unfazed.
Only he knew that the exploded marshmallows were sweetly hidden.
Later, Chu Ning went to the restroom. Seeing her leave, Feng Ziyang took a bottle of cola from the fridge and handed it to Ying Jing, “Working under her must be tough, huh?”
“Thanks, but I don’t drink cola.” Ying Jing said, “Not tough. Our project is still in the first phase, and the research report will be out in a few days. She rarely asks about details.”
Feng Ziyang nodded, “Yeah, she only focuses on results.” He added, “Chu Ning works very seriously and responsibly. If you have difficulties, you can directly tell her, but remember, don’t avoid or hide anything.”
Ying Jing deeply understood this point, “I will.”
Feng Ziyang cracked open the cola and drank a large gulp, “Do you find her a bit fierce and difficult to get along with normally?”
“No, not at all.” Ying Jing brown-nosed shamelessly, even scaring himself, “She’s super nice! Beautiful, kind-hearted, gentle, and patient. I’ve never seen such a perfect woman!”
Feng Ziyang chuckled, “Hey, hey, hey.”
Ying Jing wore a bright expression.
“Hey,” Feng Ziyang suddenly said, “Do me a favor.”
“Hmm?”
“In the future, regardless of work or life, if she makes you mad, try to understand her.” Feng Ziyang’s expression was relaxed, but his words were heartfelt, “Xiaoning had a tough time when the company first started. Even now, though the company is on track, not everything is decided by her. She’s shielding everyone, inevitably constrained. We’re men; we should take care of the ladies.”
Feng Ziyang’s words were straightforward, compelling one to take them seriously.
Instantly, a high levee rose in Ying Jing’s heart, majestic and ready to fulfill his request.
He said, “Alright!”
Feng Ziyang laughed, “I like chatting with you—it’s effortless, you get it immediately.”
Ying Jing’s tone was mature, imitating his speech, “You really know your stuff.”
“Hahaha.”
“You two are good friends, right?”
“Hmm?” Feng Ziyang retracted his smile, either due to the lighting effect or deliberately, his gaze mischievous, he countered, “Why, hasn’t Ning’er told you about our relationship?”
Ying Jing didn’t suspect anything, “Nope.”
Feng Ziyang was wicked, dangling the bait, leaving a profound statement—
“Alright, you’ll know in the future.”
After using the restroom, Chu Ning returned, “Had enough of these scraps of metal?” She was impatient, “We have work tomorrow, shall we go or not?”
Ying Jing nodded eagerly, “Let’s go, let’s go.”
Chu Ning wasn’t on the way, so she assigned Feng Ziyang to drive Ying Jing back to school.
There was still a distance to walk from the school gate. Ying Jing thanked him, and they parted ways.
Around the school, there was everything. Passing by a flower shop, the owner was about to close up. Ying Jing walked in and browsed around. The owner was having a clearance sale, “These flowers, ten yuan a bunch, want some?”
Mixed varieties, petals somewhat wilted, leaves starting to droop.
Ying Jing picked a few stems, paid with WeChat.
Upon entering the dormitory, Qi Yu exclaimed, “Wow! You bought flowers? ...White roses, what, are you turning into a flower fairy?”
“Did the flower fairy offend you? Why insult her?” Ying Jing was optimistic and could take a joke. He was in a good mood, finding a mineral water bottle to arrange the flowers.
“I am the flower fairy, any objections?” Ying Jing sat down at the table, opening his computer.
“Aren’t you going to sleep yet?”
“Not tired. I need to review the experimental data comparison of the previous three groups.” Ying Jing dimmed the desk lamp to the lowest brightness, careful not to disturb his roommates’ rest.
Night deepened, people slept—it was the most still moment of the day.
Ying Jing focused entirely, taking notes occasionally and typing code. His movements were gentle and quiet.
Under the glow of the lamp, it was like a thin veil.
Ying Jing looked up at the ten-yuan flowers he bought. They were white roses, with a beautiful meaning—
I am worthy of you.
He furrowed his brow, looking down.
Hmm!
Work harder to become better, so I can be worthy of you.
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