《The Lighter and Princess Gown》


 CH 1

    OVERGROWN GRASSLAND


    1


    ¡°Check your luggage one more time.¡±


    Without a word, Zhu Yun listened to her mother and opened up her suitcase and checked her belongings.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got everything, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got everything.¡±


    Her mother nodded with satisfaction.


    It was finally time for the next step. Zhu Yun¡¯s mother pulled her daughter to her side and grabbed her shoulders. ¡°When you get to school, make sure to call home, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°I really want to send you all the way to school.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You and Dad are both busy when school starts. I can go on my own.¡±


    Her mother¡¯s face was full of concern.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s not that far anyway. We¡¯re still in the same province.¡±


    Her mother urged her, ¡°Get along with your teachers and classmates.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°There are a few things I¡¯ll remind you about again. First, under no circumstance should you try to get special treatment, otherwise you¡¯ll get bullied. Second, make sure to keep a good relationship with your roommates. You¡¯ll be living together for four years. Third¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Before her mother expanded any further, Zhu Yun cut her off.


    She and her mother were the only two left at the ticket gate. Her mom¡¯s eyes were turning red. She pat Zhu Yun¡¯s head and told her, ¡°Be good. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    They waved goodbye.


    With her luggage in hand, Zhu Yun took a deep breath. After her emotions steadied, she felt quite at peace.


    She pulled two large suitcases onto the train car. And four hours later, she pulled two large suitcases out of the train car.


    It wasn¡¯t Zhu Yun¡¯s first time in this city. Neither was it her first time at this school. As one of the top schools in the nation, and considering the fact that it wasn¡¯t too far from home, this school had long ago become Zhu Yun¡¯s parents¡¯ target college for her. One of the professors at the school had also been a good friend of her father¡¯s, though she heard that he¡¯d died from a stroke several years ago.


    The school was full of enthusiasm on Registration Day. This was a top school, so the new students couldn¡¯t help looking around eagerly. No matter how tightly they shut their lips or tried to remain uanffected, they couldn¡¯t control the burning flames in their eyes.


    In contrast, the upperclassmen were much calmer, and the graduate students were even sluggish, the shine gone from their eyes. Their eyelids drooped, indifferent to the newly arrived chicks flapping their wings, rushing this way and that way.


    When Zhu Yun dragged her luggage into her dorm room, there was already someone inside.


    Zhu Yun once had a friend who liked makeup a lot. Thanks to her, in Zhu Yun¡¯s shallow understanding, all girls who wore makeup were classified as beautiful. According to that standard, the girl in the room holding a mirror must have been a world class beauty. Actually, her makeup made her face look like a birthday cake.


    When Cake Girl heard someone enter the room, she turned around. Two pairs of eyes met, and Zhu Yun gave a kind smile.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zhu Yun.¡±


    Cake Girl looked her over. The girl¡¯s smokey makeup did nothing for her white eyes. Being looked at in this manner, Zhu Yun nearly lost her smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ren Di,¡± Cake Girl finally introduced herself. And¡­ How many years did she spend smoking to end up with a voice as hoarse as that? Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts were muddled, unsure what to do next.


    Just then, a voice sounded behind her. ¡°That¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun turned her head around and a girl with glasses looked to her and Ren Di. She said, ¡°We must be roommates. Hi, I¡¯m Fang Shumiao!¡± And then there was another round of introductions.


    Ren Di didn¡¯t say much. After finishing her makeup, her expression was very indifferent. Understandable. How much of an expression could you expect a slice of cake to have?


    Zhu Yun had tried her best to keep the situation from turning cold. Fortunately, Fang Shumiao was pretty lively. As she spoke, she pulled out some dried fruit from her bag. ¡°A hometown specialty. Give it a try.¡± Zhu Yun thanked her and pulled out the jerky that her mother had prepared for her.


    Perhaps their class had fewer girls or some other reason, but a fourth girl never showed up. After politely chatting for half an hour, Zhu Yun suggesed, ¡°It¡¯s about time. We should go pick up our military training uniforms.¡± (t/n: At the start of the school year, some schools have mandatory military training¡ªMore info on Wiki and the web.)


    Fang Shumiao suddenly recalled such a thing. ¡°That¡¯s right! We have a class meeting in the afternoon too.¡±


    It was their first class meeting of college. They¡¯d meet their class advisor and classmates, so it was pretty important.


    The summer afternoon was hot and unbearable. After some tens of minutes standing in place, the front of the line showed no signs of moving. The line of people extended all around from the gymnasium.


    Zhu Yun was completely prepared. She pulled out an umbrella from her bag. ¡°You guys should come under too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Fang Shumiao moved under the umbrella.


    ¡°Ren Di?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks.¡± Ren Di had been standing behind them, listening to music. After being interrupted by Zhu Yun, she closed her phone and shouted to the front. ¡°Are you handing out the uniforms or not!?¡±


    Zhu Yun and Fang Shumiao were both startled by the outburst. Students who attended a top school such as this were usually quite favorable, well-behaved with gentle speech. But these new chicks were too excited on this day, so after Ren Di¡¯s outburst, the other students also chimed in.


    They shouted¡ª


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    ¡°Are you handing them out or not?! I¡¯m going to get heatstroke!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to faint from this heat!¡±


    After the shouting continued a bit, the sweat-covered organizer stepped out from the gymnasium. ¡°Settle down! When your name is called, come inside! You can all remember your student numbers, right?¡±


    Everyone bowed their heads and searched for the student IDs they¡¯d just received.


    The organizer, with a worn out list in his hands, raised his head and shouted, ¡°First is the Computer Department! Technology Applications Class 1! Number 1, Li Xun!¡±


    Zhu Yun was pleased. She¡¯d be out of the sun soon.


    ¡°Class 1, Number 1! Li Xun!¡± No one answered.


    The organizer¡¯s voice was growing hoarse from his shouting. ¡°Li Xun! Is Li Xun here?! Does this person exist? Li¡ª¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± a response came from who knew where.


    Zhu Yun was startled. This voice felt very clean. This clear, easygoing voice was easy to distinguish in the afternoon campus. Indeed. A good school had good seedlings. A pleased Zhu Yun slowly turned her head, but what greeted her caused her insides to burn.


    Everyone else was also startled. As the boy walked forward, the crowd split in two to make room for him, like Moses split the sea. After he disappeared into the gymnasium, the crowd started chattering again.


    ¡°Wow, what a showoff.¡±


    ¡°Who is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°The school lets you dye your hair?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Hey, did you see?¡± Fang Shumiao gently nudged Zhu Yun. ¡°His hair was blond.¡±


    I saw. How could anyone miss it. He was like a walking lightbulb.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s parents were both teachers, so she¡¯d come across all sorts of students before. But she¡¯d never seen a student with hair that bright. Zhu Yun surveyed those around her.


    Compared to high school students, college students had a lot more freedom. There were more than a few students who dyed their hair, but since this was a science and engineering school, people were generally more conservative. Browns were a common choice, and some might go so far as to dye their hair a dirty blond. But blond hair that looked nearly white when the sun shined onto it was a rare sight.


    What was his name? Li Xun. Zhu Yun felt a bit embarrassed. Why¡¯d you dye your hair like that? Are you pretending to be the sun? No one at this school wanted to be a disgrace.


    While Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts flew, Li Xun completed his training registration and exited the gym.


    Everyone seemed to have made a silent agreement. They all shut their mouths and looked over the boy out of the corner¡¯s of their eyes.


    He was wearing an ordinary gray, cotton, short-sleeved shirt. Since it was hot out, he¡¯d rolled his sleeves up to his shoulders, exposing a pair of slender arms. There was a thinness to him that only the young could have.


    He took large steps and left without meeting with another student. But he grazed Zhu Yun¡¯s shoulder. A tall stature, a narrow face, and somewhat tired. That was Zhu Yun¡¯s first impression of him.


    A short hmph cut her thoughts short.


    Zhu Yun turned her head to see Cake Ren cross her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Li Xun¡¯s retreating figure. Her expression wasn¡¯t great.


    Since they¡¯d met, this was the first time she¡¯d showed some type of emotion on her face¡ªraised left eyebrow, lips turned down, eyes receding. I guess it would be called a sneer. Her face remained fixed until Li Xun disappeared from their line of sight, and after a moment, she spit out the word very clearly, ¡°Arrogant.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help thinking that the two were quite the match.


    After the registration was complete, the students drifted over to the academic building.


    ¡°Hey, the library!¡± Fang Shumiao pulled Zhu Yun along as she pointed to a nearby building.


    Ordinarily, a school¡¯s library reflected the learning atmosphere of the school. Fang Shumiao looked inside at the large crowd, and she cried out in excitement, ¡°There are a lot of people! Awesome!¡±


    They must be distributing books.


    The hallways in the academic building were packed with new students, like a marketplace.


    Zhu Yun and the girls quickly found their class and took a seat. The rest of their classmates slowly gathered, sitting down with their roommates and chatting about this and that.


    And then, the room quieted.


    Zhu Yun turned around, and there was Li Xun. He took a seat diagonally behind her. Just as she was about to look over him more carefully, the bell rang and she snapped forward, eyes to the lecturn at the front.


    The halls grew quiet. And soon, a middle-aged male professor entered the room. He wasn¡¯t tall and his head was very round. He stepped up to the lecturn and smiled at everyone.


    ¡°Hello, everyone.¡±


    The students answered, their responses scattered and disjoint. ¡°Hello, sir.¡±


    The teacher rubbed his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce myself first. My name is Zhang Dai, and I am the advisor for Technology Applications Class 1. I¡¯ll also be your advanced mathematics teacher.¡±


    Teacher Zhang was obviously an academic type with a shining r¨¦sum¨¦, but he wasn¡¯t good at expressing himself. He stumbled on, ¡°How about everyone makes an introduction, so I can get to know each of you, and also so you can familiarize yourselves with each other. Who wants to go first?¡±


    Deathly silence followed.


    Teacher Zhang wiped away the sweat on his forehead. ¡°Then¡­ Let¡¯s go by your student number.¡±


    Student number? Number 1 in my class¡­


    From behind her, a student walked past her. He stepped up to the lecturn, and the advisor suddenly seemed even shorter. Zhu Yun stared ahead. She could finally look at his face openly.


    If she were being honest, he was a bit handsome. But his hair¡­ In such close proximity, Zhu Yun could see that he¡¯d used hairspray. If you¡¯re going to use it, use it well. His hair had been grabbed and fussed into a mess. To put it nicely, it looked like an overgrown field. In less pleasant terms, it looked like an old and worn-out broom.


    The rest of the students, Zhu Yun included, secretly looked forward to what Teacher Zhang would have to say.


    Teacher Zhang really must have seen all sorts of people though, for he was only briefly taken aback before recovering. He turned to the class and said, ¡°A lot of students in our class are from this province, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmh,¡± the students responded. Zhu Yun also nodded along with the class.


    Teacher Zhang then announced, ¡°This is the top scorer on the science exam. You all probably didn¡¯t know that, did you?¡±


    Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help but think, WHAT?!


    Top scorer? Now that she thought about it, when the scores were released, the science top scorer hadn¡¯t been reported in the newspaper. She did think it was a bit strange at the time, but since it didn¡¯t involve her, she didn¡¯t linger on it.


    So, the current situation was¡­ The entire district¡¯s examinees lost to a punk like him? Zhu Yun¡¯s stomach started to hurt a bit.


    Teacher Zhang pat Li Xun¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Go on, introduce yourself.¡± The entire class went silent. His dark eyes were heavy, like he was extremely tired. Teacher Zhang¡¯s words seemed to wake him up a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m Li Xun.¡± That clear voice sounded again, neither too high or too low. It was dependable, like the sound of a knock on a piece of high quality wood in a silent courtyard.


    Everyone waited for his next words, but it seemed he hadn¡¯t thought of what to say next. After a few seconds, he smirked. ¡°I¡¯m the top scorer on the college entrance exam this year.¡±


    One word flit into the heads of ten plus in-district students¡ª


    Motherfucker.


    TL Talks


    Happy Valentine¡¯s Day ?


    The tentative schedule is Tuesdays and Fridays (or Wednesdays and Saturdays depending on where you live), and I¡¯ll probably post 1-2 chapters at a time.


    The Lighter and Princess Gown is written by Twentine in two parts. The description posted on jjwxc honestly wasn¡¯t very descriptive, but I think the theme is simple enough. Zhu Yun is a girl who comes across as a good and obedient student, but perhaps there¡¯s more to her than meets the eye. When she starts college at a prestigious(?) and somewhat conservative school, she collides with a rather unconventional boy.

 CH 2

    OVERGROWN GRASSLAND


    2


    As it turns out, those who don¡¯t say much carry a lot of power. After the round of self introductions ended, Zhu Yun realized that the person who¡¯d left the deepest impression was still contestant number 1.


    Fang Shumiao whispered to Zhu Yun, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Mmh?¡±


    ¡°About Li Xun.¡±


    Keeping her voice down, Zhu Yun responded, ¡°He¡¯s very unique.¡±


    ¡°The teacher isn¡¯t going to allow him to keep that color hair, right?¡± Fang Shumiao frowned. ¡°We¡¯re adults now. Why¡¯s he acting so rebellious? My mom never let me befriend boys who dyed their hair.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t so bad, Zhu Yun thought. Her mother would probably have written a letter to the school president, berating about the unpleasant atmosphere.


    Zhu Yun unintentionally looked over to Li Xun. He was leaning back against his chair, still looking rather sleepy. His eyelids were drooping and his breathing was slow.


    Unconventional people like himself would draw attention anywhere they went, especially since he was also carrying the title of ¡°top scorer.¡± During the break after the introductions ended, several students crowded around Li Xun, speaking with him politely, wanting to learn more about him. But he hadn¡¯t seemed at all interested.


    Tsk, tsk, tsk.


    After that, Teacher Zhang spoke a bit more. He gave an overview of the courses and curriculum, and then he went over future employment trends and research directions.


    Zhu Yun noticed that after the introductions finished, Fang Shumiao was bent over her small notebook, jotting down something or other. From time to time, she would pause and mutter to herself.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ll stop here for today.¡± Teacher Zhang finally finished his lengthy speech. ¡°The last thing we have to do is select the class committee. I hope there are students with lots of ideas who are eager to participate. Let¡¯s choose the class president first. Who¡¯d like to¡­¡±


    Fang Shumiao seemed to have finished whatever she¡¯d been doing. She closed her notebook, looked up with a serious face, and raised her hand.


    ¡­¡­


    Teacher Zhang let out a sigh of relief after seeing someone so cooperative. ¡°Fang Shumiao, was it? Come on up to the front.¡±


    Fang Shumiao strided to the lectern at the front of the classroom and cleared her throat. ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Fang Shumiao. You¡¯re probably unfamiliar with me now, but no worries. We¡¯ll have tons of time to slowly get to know each other.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the main topic. Today, I am running for class president. Now, I¡¯ll go over my reasons for running as well as my qualifications. First, I¡¯m very willing to serve everyone. Second, I¡¯d like to improve myself. Third, I have experience being a class president. Fourth, I am confident and I have a firm resolve. Next, I¡¯d like to discuss what I consider the duties of a class president are.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­.¡± This familiar progression seemed to be her mother, the second edition. Zhu Yun sat up straight and respectfully as she listened to Fang Shumiao¡¯s confident speech for nearly five minutes.


    ¡°¡­That was my speech for class president. I hope that everyone can put their trust in and vote for me. Thanks you!¡±


    The advisor started applauding. This brought the rest of the class back to the senses and they clapped along.


    Teacher Zhang asked, ¡°Are there any other students who¡¯d like to run for class president?¡±


    After listening to Fang Shumiao¡¯s textbook speech, the other students were exhausted. Teacher Zhang asked several times, but no one made a sound. And so, Fang Shumiao smoothly received the position.


    Teacher Zhang told Fang Shumiao, ¡°When the meeting ends, come to my office. And bring another student along with you. There are some materials that need to be distributed.¡±


    When she returned to her seat, Zhu Yun shot Fang Shumiao a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re awesome.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Then Fang Shumiao asked, ¡°Hey, are you free after this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Can you come to the office with me? I think I¡¯m supposed to go get some things.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded. After a moment, she turned her head. Cake Ren had been completely uninterested in the class happenings after Li Xun¡¯s introduction. She¡¯d lowered her head and listened to music the rest of the time.


    Zhu Yun gently poked her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m helping Fang Shumiao at the office later. Are you coming with?¡±


    Ren Di looked at Zhu Yun indifferently. ¡°Why would I go?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The class meeting concluded. At the door to the academic building, Zhu Yun asked Ren Di once more, but she got the same response.


    ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ll just go, the two of us,¡± Fang Shumiao said quietly. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to come, don¡¯t call her anymore.¡± So, we parted ways at the street.


    Zhu Yun watched Ren Di¡¯s departing figure, and she felt a bit sad. If things were already like this on day 1, then didn¡¯t it mean that the next four years wouldn¡¯t pass by harmoniously either?


    Zhu Yun and Fang Shumiao busied themselves for the rest of the afternoon, and then they went to the cafeteria for dinner. On the way back to their dorm room, in the still and quiet corridor, they seemed to be able to hear some music playing. And it seemed to be coming from their room.


    After pushing open the door, they saw Ren Di sitting on her bed, a guitar in her arms.


    ¡°Ah? You can play guitar?¡± Zhu Yun closed the door and turned to ask.


    After they entered the room, Ren Di put down her guitar. In response to Zhu Yun¡¯s question, she just gave a short affirmative sound.


    Zhu Yun praised, ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I can¡¯t play any instruments.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still learning, so I¡¯m not very good.¡±


    It was rare for them to have something to talk about, so Zhu Yun wanted to continue their conversation. But then, a knock sounded on the door.


    ¡°Anyone there?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?


    ¡°I¡¯m from the student union. I have a few questions to ask.¡±


    Zhu Yun opened the door. The senior student standing there was holding a pen and notebook, as if she were going to record something.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing a census. Are any of you religious?¡±


    Zhu Yun turned back. Fang Shumiao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    Ren Di¡¯s hopped out from her bed.


    ¡°Are there any perks?¡±


    The senior asked with some uncertainty, ¡°Perks?¡±


    ¡°For example, if you¡¯re religious, are you exempt from morning and evening study hall or something?¡±


    Everyone else, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Zhu Yun wanted to believe that Ren Di¡¯s words were just a sign of her unique sense of humor. But from her expression, it was obvious that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The senior scratched her face with her ballpoint pen. ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t think so. There¡¯s no precedent for that.¡±


    Ren Di quickly lost interest and returned to her bed.


    Zhu Yun suddenly found it amusing. She turned back and said, ¡°Then, our dorm room¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not religious?¡±


    Zhu Yun was taken aback. ¡°What?¡±


    The senior leaned in and pointed to her collar.


    She looked down and saw that her cross necklace had slipped out at some point.


    ¡°Ah, this¡­¡± Zhu Yun stuffed the necklace back inside her shirt. ¡°It¡¯s just for looks.¡± The senior nodded and then headed to the next room.


    Military training started. The August sun could kill a person. The weather that day was something else. Even blinking was a strenuous task. After one morning, not only were the new students drenched in sweat, even the instructor couldn¡¯t take it any more.


    ¡°Line up under the shade of the trees! Take a break!¡±


    Everyone sat down in a row by the road.


    The sun had turned Zhu Yun muddle-headed. Fang Shumiao plopped down beside her, and then Zhu Yun shivered and came to her senses.


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. There are a lot of materials to organize for the class.¡± Fang Shumiao¡¯s face was all red and even her eyes were bloodshot from the heat. She grabbed her water bottle, only to realize that it was empty. She howled in grief.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ll go buy water.¡±


    ¡°No need, no need!¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her water bottle and said, ¡°I¡¯m out as well.¡±


    The vending machine was behind the laboratory. Zhu Yun took two turns and looked ahead, and then she stopped in place.


    Li Xun¡¯s hair was really useful in identifying him. He also seemed to be buying water, and he took a smoke while he was at it.


    Go over? ¡­Forget it. She didn¡¯t know how she would greet him at all. Zhu Yun decided to wait until he finished his cigarette to head over. Three or four minutes later, Li Xun put out his cigarette and turned back. Zhu Yun stepped slowly, adjusting her position so that a tree was always between him and her.


    After Li Xun left, Zhu Yun finally walked over to buy some water. Just as she picked up the bottles, Zhu Yun felt that her mouth was extremely dry. As she walked back, she decided to open her water bottle.


    The first floor of the laboratory was unlocked for easy passage, so Zhu Yun took a shortcut through the building. After she walked inside, she spotted Li Xun talking to a girl a few meters away.


    Zhu Yun turned away slightly.


    ¡°Hey. Can I get your contact info? Actually, I noticed you on the day we registered¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun still hadn¡¯t opened her bottle yet, so she could only grumble in her head. Wasn¡¯t this bottle too tight?


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have any intent of giving that out right now.¡±


    Let me drink the water. I want to drink my water.


    Silence.


    Zhu Yun finally got her bottle open. She gulped down half a bottle and finally felt like she wasn¡¯t going to die anymore. She turned and saw that that girl had already left. Li Xun was also about to return to the training ground as well. But before he could take three steps, another girl appeared before him, so Zhu Yun retreated into the corner again.


    ¡°I saw you on the first day of school. Can I get your contact info?¡± It was actually the same line.


    ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Zhu Yun stretched her head out from behind a pillar. Not surprising. This one was much prettier than the previous one. A girl who could make the dirt-covered military uniform actually look stylish. With a quick glance over, Zhu Yun could tell that she definitely wasn¡¯t from the computer department.


    His fame had really spread far and wide.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know how many girls sought him out, nor did she know how many girls caught his eye for him to leave his number. In any case, up until halfway through military training, a senior girl from the journalism school would leave with him every day.


    Then, during the second half of training, that girl was nowhere to be seen. She¡¯d been replaced by a girl who would deliver a cup of iced soy milk to him every day, rain or shine, without fail.


    Pretty much as she¡¯d expected, after the students¡¯ initial goodwill towards Li Xun went unreciprocated, most of the students gave up on the idea of becoming friends with him. Zhu Yun also heard some of the things they would say about him.


    But the thing that touched Zhu Yun was that college students were different from middle school and high school students. Everyone had matured a lot. When met with someone or something different and unexpected, even if it left them feeling unwell, most people would just go on minding their own business.


    Or did high school students just have higher IQs, and so they wouldn¡¯t let something go until they got to the bottom of it? Who knows.


    In any case, after the crazy excess of heat, September came. School was officially starting.

 CH 3

    OVERGROWN GRASSLAND


    3


    Fang Shumiao grabbed the class roster and headed to the front of the room to take attendance.


    Unsurprisingly, the handful of ¡°troublesome¡± students, Ren Di included, had skipped out on the morning study hall.


    By the time Fang Shumiao got to the end of the roster, her eyes were already tearing.


    The attendance rates for the morning and evening study hall directly correlated with the class¡¯ academic performance. And for Fang Shumiao, who was gunning for a spot on the student union, this was very important.


    But the class was full of too many strange kids. Fang Shumiao had only been in office for three days, but her face was already breaking out from the stress.


    Aside from Zhu Yun, none of the other students paid attention to the class president. Instead, they buried their heads in their books, especially Wu Mengxing, whose face was glued to her advanced mathematics textbook.


    Zhu Yun found it quite peculiar. The advanced math class had only met once so far, and the three main things Teacher Zhang imparted were: What is advanced mathematics? What were the requirements of the advanced mathematics course? How would someone learn advanced mathematics well?


    However, there were definitely some students who had higher demands for themselves. Previewing the material was understandable enough. So, Zhu Yun corrected her mentality and flipped open her textbook.


    That lunch, Fang Shumiao had to attend a meeting, and Ren Di had gone missing to who knew where, leaving Zhu Yun alone in the dorm room. It was too quiet. Coupled with the sun shining through the windows at her, she dozed off. When she finally opened her eyes, she realized that she was going to be late.


    To the advisor¡¯s advanced mathematics class.


    She ran straight to class, a bird¡¯s nest of hair on her head, praying that they hadn¡¯t taken attendance that day.


    In the classroom, Teacher Zhang was introducing calculus.


    Like a thief, Zhu Yun bent over to hide. While the teacher was facing the blackboard, she carefully snuck in through the back door of the classroom, and then she slid into the corner of the back row.


    As she tried to catch her breath, she asked the student beside her, ¡°D-did¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡­This voice. Zhu Yun pushed aside her bedhead. Li Xun.


    Since she¡¯d entered the classroom with her head down, she hadn¡¯t seen him. ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied quietly, but Li Xun didn¡¯t say anything else.


    For the new students, who¡¯d already suffered through all sorts of crazy practice exams in their senior year of high school, this advanced math course was very easy, to the extent of feeling like common knowledge.


    Because the course was so easy, Zhu Yun had more time to let her mind wander. For example, she noticed that the person beside her was very focused, though his focus wasn¡¯t on Teacher Zhang at the front of the room. Actually, even when Zhu Yun had asked her question, Li Xun hadn¡¯t really looked at her. All of his attention was focused on his legs.


    There was a small 11-12 inch laptop on his lap. Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t look over at what he was doing so blatantly, so she could only wonder what he was up to. She could hear an unending clattering of keys being pressed, very quickly too.


    Maybe he ought to consider getting a keyboard cover¡­ If you type as if no one is around, you¡¯ll be found out very easily.


    At the front of the room, Teacher Zhang called on the class representative to answer a question.


    Maybe Wu Mengxing had studied too much in the morning, which led to her difficulties in the afternoon. After her name was called, she was too nervous to even finish her sentence.


    ¡°That¡­ It¡¯s-it¡¯s¡­¡± Her face turned red as she stared at her book, not daring to raise her head.


    In those seconds of silence, the rhythmic typing sound from the back of the room became more evident. When the entire class turned back to look, Zhu Yun coughed. No use. First Place Li had obviously already slipped into his own world.


    Likely having run into some problem, Li Xun furrowed his brows and started mashing keys even more furiously.


    At the front, Wu Mengxing was still standing stiffly, so Teacher Zhang said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I called you to stand up to wake up a bit. I mean that for everyone. It¡¯s easy to doze off in the first class of the afternoon, but persevere a little.¡± He paused and then looked toward the back. ¡°Hm¡­ Li Xun, why don¡¯t you answer the question.¡±


    When he didn¡¯t respond, Zhu Yun hesitated on whether or not she should let him know, but the student on the other side of him spoke up first, ¡°Hey, he¡¯s calling on you.¡± He kicked Li Xun¡¯s leg and Li Xun finally raised his head.


    The student quickly whispered in a quiet voice, such that only those in the last row could hear. ¡°Practice question 6, decompose the compound function.¡± The book was open to the page and Li Xun glanced at it.


    The student continued, ¡°Start from the outside¡ª¡±


    Li Xun placed his laptop on the floor and stood up.


    As he stood up, a scent floated through the air¡­ Zhu Yun took a gentle sniff. Shower gel? As Li Xun answered the question, Zhu Yun was thinking about how the scent smelled of mint.


    ¡°Correct. Have a seat,¡± a satisfied Teacher Zhang replied. The class rep¡¯s neck was as red as Mala spicy sauce. (t/n: Mala sauce on Wikipedia)


    Li Xun took his seat and the classmate beside him exclaimed excitedly, ¡°That was so fast!¡±


    Gao Jianhong.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s impression of him formed during military training. At the time, Fang Shumiao had been bombarded with all sorts of chores. When she was looking for another student to help with the errands, Gao Jianhong offered to help many times. He was a bright and kind boy who was well liked in their class.


    After Li Xun¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by Teacher Zhang, it seemed he didn¡¯t have the heart to continue his project. He closed his laptop and started chatting with Gao Jianhong.


    The bell rang. Zhu Yun grabbed her books and stood up at the same time as Li Xun beside her. She unconsciously paused¡­ You first.


    She exited the classroom behind Li Xun and Gao Jianhong. The halls were filled with students leaving their classes. She raised her head. Li Xun¡¯s tall and golden head was very prominent amidst the crowd. He carried his books and laptop in one arm and his other hand was hidden away inside his pants pocket.


    When Fang Shumiao returned to their dorm room to see only Zhu Yun, her face fell. ¡°What do I do.¡± Fang Shumiao pulled a chair over and sat down by Zhu Yun. ¡°This stress is going to kill me.¡± Fang Zhumiao hugged and tugged on Zhu Yun¡¯s arm. ¡°How much do they hate studying? Why did they get into this school then?¡±


    ¡°Stay calm for now.¡±


    ¡°How can I stay calm? Look at the class¡¯ attendance record. I¡¯m so done for.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Fang Shumiao¡¯s voice was hoarse from being so angry. Zhu Yun suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you discuss it with Teacher Zhang?¡±


    ¡°Will that help?¡±


    ¡°Let him talk with them. He¡¯s a teacher after all, so maybe he can intimidate them a bit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re onto something.¡± Fang Shumiao suddenly grew eager as she moved her chair back.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen and saw that her mother was calling. She grabbed her phone and left the room, walking all the way to the balcony at the end of the corridor to answer it.


    Her mother gave the usual greeting. ¡°Are your classes a lot of work?¡±


    ¡°No, school just started.¡±


    ¡°How are your teachers?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to listen to your teachers. Don¡¯t let me worry.¡±


    ¡°How old am I? Don¡¯t you know whether or not I¡¯m obedient by now?¡±


    Her mother laughed tenderly. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ve always been very proud of you. By the way, how are your classmates?¡±


    Uh¡­ Zhu Yun thought of Cake Girl and Blond Weirdo.


    ¡°They have pretty strong personalities.¡±


    ¡°Strong personalities?¡±


    Rather than getting into a long discussion about it with her mother, Zhu Yun changed the topic. ¡°Ah! Our class president is one of my roommates. She¡¯s a really good student.¡±


    Sure enough, her mother¡¯s attention was diverted. ¡°Make sure to become friends with her.¡±


    Zhu Yun spoke to her mom about Fang Shumiao¡¯s worries of joining the student union, but of course, she skipped over the particulars of the troublesome students.


    ¡°You should help her out,¡± her mother said. ¡°She¡¯s a good kid, so you should help her as much as you can. What kind of students skip class from the very first day? That¡¯s just too outrageous.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    Her mother became serious as she said, ¡°A lot of students treat the college entrance exam like the finish line, but that¡¯s the wrong way to look at things. College is when you really start learning. It¡¯s not the end, and it¡¯s not a reststop. You mustn¡¯t treat it lightly.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡± Since it seemed like she was in for another lengthy lecture, Zhu Yun adjusted her phone.


    Her mother spoke very clearly for twenty minutes or so, before concluding, ¡°¡­Alright then. Studying is very important, but make sure you get adequate rest as well. And go out sometimes. Don¡¯t just stay holed up in your room all the time.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    As Zhu Yun was about to hang up, her mother added, ¡°And don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still young. You haven¡¯t interacted with society yet and you¡¯re still immature. Make sure you don¡¯t take pleasure in ignorance and don¡¯t turn rudeness into your disposition. Understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± To think she actually tried to change the topic. Ah, she was really too naive.


    When her call ended, Zhu Yun ran into Fang Zhumiao, who was returning from outside.


    Fang Shumiao was covered in sweat as she explained the results of her discussion with Teacher Zhang. ¡°Basically, Teacher Zhang said that I should let things play out on their own a bit first. If things don¡¯t change, then he¡¯ll say something. He said that since school just started, it would be too formal for him to step in and speak with the students right away.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded. Then she saw Fang Shumiao¡¯s expectant expression.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Fang Shumiao grabbed Zhu Yun¡¯s arm. ¡°Save me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    Zhu Yun thought over the words that her mother had just told her. Then she said, ¡°Okay. Who should I go talk to?¡±


    Fang Shumiao, ¡°Those two are the tough ones.¡±


    ¡°You want me to talk to them both?¡± Zhu Yun started sweating.


    Fang Shumiao, ¡°Then, you pick one.¡±


    ¡°Ren Di.¡±


    Fang Shumiao sighed. ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll go find Li Xun.¡± She lowered her voice and added, ¡°I just saw Ren Di. She¡¯s on the sports field.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked out from the balcony. It was getting dark, and above the field in the distance, the sky looked like a beast that would swallow all those who went near. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Zhu Yun bought two cups of milk tea downstairs and then prepared herself for a heart to heart talk.


    After a day of classes, most students were walking back to their dorms, but Zhu Yin walked along the gray cement sidewalks in the opposite direction.


    The sports field was enclosed by a wire fence. Zhu Yun walked to the gate and then saw two figures. It stands to reason that with the sky so dark, one wouldn¡¯t be able to see very clearly.


    However, it wasn¡¯t often that someone carried around their laptop like that.


    There were some people spread about, exercising. In the center, there was a soccer field, but it wasn¡¯t of great quality. The grass wasn¡¯t new, but rather looked wild, like uncultivated land. A lot of people who liked playing soccer had complained about it.


    But Zhu Yun felt that this place wasn¡¯t too bad. She imagined a pair of lovers sitting on the overgrown grass, staring up at the starless sky together¡­ This kind of old-fashioned and everlasting beauty was very enchanting.


    And then Zhu Yun came back to her senses. The two targets were ahead.


    Advance, or don¡¯t advance. That was the question.

 CH 4

    OVERGROWN GRASSLAND


    4


    After spending two minutes readying herself, Zhu Yun moved forward. Ren Di just happened to be leaving, so the two of them bumped into each other.


    And then, guitar on her back, Ren Di walked right past Zhu Yun. Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­.¡± Was it too dark?


    ¡°Ren Di?¡± she tried calling out, but Ren Di seemed totally out of sorts. She picked up her small motorbike from a dark corner and then rode off, disappearing in an instant.


    Well, that was pretty awkward.


    Now, only one of her targets remained. Zhu Yun really wanted to leave, but then she recalled Fang Shumiao¡¯s hoarse voice and her mother¡¯s earnest instructions. After standing in place for a few minutes, Zhu Yun decided to just bite the bullet and go for it.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    Li Xun didn¡¯t seem to be stuck in his own world this time. He heard her voice and turned. Because he¡¯d looked up with his eyes, a few creases appeared on his forehead. The glow of his screen added a coolness to his facial features.


    Regret¡­ Oh, she felt regret, regret, regret.


    She should have just returned to her room and enjoyed both cups of milk tea on her own.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Li Xun asked.


    The knot in Zhu Yun¡¯s stomach tightened. She should introduce herself first. ¡°Um, hello. I¡¯m Zhu Yun. We¡¯re¡ª¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Zhu Yun tried to calm down. ¡°So, recently the school is looking into the morning and evening study hall¡­¡±


    Li Xun lowered his head and resumed his typing.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Can¡¯t you let a person finish speaking first?


    Zhu Yun continued evenly, ¡°Because school just started, the teachers are keeping a watchful eye. The class president is really anxious about it too. She doesn¡¯t want to report you guys, so she¡¯s been hiding it, but if¡ª¡±


    Suddenly, something else appeared in front of them.


    Once again, she didn¡¯t get to finish speaking.


    Li Xun was sitting on the grass. One of his hands was typing on his laptop, and the other pulled a cigarette out from his pocket and lit it.


    He blew out a puff and then told Zhu Yun, ¡°Hold this.¡±


    ?


    ¡°Hold this.¡±


    Zhu Yun put her milk tea on the ground and grabbed the laptop with both hands.


    There was a code compiler on the screen.


    ¡°Press space.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand when people talk?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Zhu Yun pressed the spacebar, and then a window popped up. In it, there was a dark pixel character holding a sword.


    A game?


    ¡°Arrows and spacebar to move. Dodge the balls that float down and cross the river.¡± Li Xun was sitting on the grass, his back to a goalpost. He held a cigarette in his hand, legs stretched out, as he looked up at her. ¡°You get three tries. If you don¡¯t die, then I¡¯ll go to morning study hall.¡±


    Huh?


    Well, fine then. Playing games was easier than trying to speak with him.


    Zhu Yun took a deep breath and clicked start. Bang! A ball dropped down from the top of the screen. Zhu Yun trembled. She was dead. He called that ¡°floating¡± down?


    She raised her eyes and saw a very relaxed Li Xun. Zhu Yun asked, ¡°How many balls are there total?¡±


    Li Xun silently raised two fingers.


    Fine.


    Zhu Yun thought to herself, there are three chances and two balls. She knew where the first ball would fall, and she¡¯d find out where the second ball fell on her second try. Then, she¡¯d be able to succeed by the third time.


    She pressed start once more. Zhu Yun moved her character back and dodged the first ball. She continued moving as far as she could, and then another ball fell.


    Zhu Yun had already pressed the key to move, but she still got hit.


    She looked up again. Li Xun was still looking at her, a smirk on his face.


    What a rotten game design¡­ A person obviously couldn¡¯t react that quickly.


    But, no need to worry. There was still another chance. Zhu Yun relaxed and grabbed her hand. It was then that she realized that her palm was sweaty.


    Final chance.


    Zhu Yun easily dodged the first ball and continued backwards. She was tense, but she¡¯d already pressed the keys to move her character before the second ball could hit her.


    Zhu Yun let out a breath and jumped across the river.


    And then died.


    ????


    Zhu Yun¡¯s eyeballs nearly popped out.


    At her side, Li Xun covered his head and laughed until his shoulders shook, the cigarette ash floating through the air.


    Zhu Yun suddenly noticed the compiler running quietly at the corner of the screen. A thought suddenly crossed her mind. Ignoring Li Xun¡¯s ridicule, she investigated the compiler.


    They hadn¡¯t formally started learning to program yet, but the code there was very simple. It had a very clear framework, like a math flowchart from high school. At a glance, she saw the first conditional function.


    Cross the river and you die.


    Die. Fuck.


    The laptop was shut and taken away. Zhu Yun raised her head and looked at Li Xun standing before her. At such a close distance, she realized that he was really tall¡­ But being tall or short wasn¡¯t the problem at hand¡­


    ¡°Is¡­¡± Zhu Yun thought for a moment, and then she carefully continued, ¡°Isn¡¯t your game designed a bit unreasonably?¡±


    Li Xun didn¡¯t respond, simply patting away the ash on his sleeve.


    Zhu Yun laughed. ¡°Getting hit by a ball causes death. Crossing the river causes death. Something¡¯s wrong, right?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± he replied quietly, in a low voice, a cigarette hanging from his lips.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°So, you die no matter what you do.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Zhu Yun spoke cautiously, ¡°So, you¡¯ll always lose when you play this game?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°So why did you tell me play it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an eyesore.¡±


    WTF? Zhu Yun thought she must have misheard. ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re an eyesore to me.¡±


    Very standard Mandarin, and his voice was actually pretty nice to listen to.


    Taken aback, Zhu Yun was silent for awhile.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Li Xun finally pat all the dust from himself as he stood up.


    Zhu Yun felt that there was no one like her, someone who would still take notice of his smooth skin in such a circumstance.


    He looked down at her and grabbed the smoke in his mouth. Lightly, he said, ¡°You are. Way too. Fucking fake.¡±


    The wind blew.


    Zhu Yun arrived at the library. She wasn¡¯t there to look at books, but rather to watch the scenery.


    On the first day of classes, she found out that the library opened the doors on the top floor during the evening in the summer to air out the place. You could directly head out to the roof.


    The library had six floors, and the top had no railing. Sitting on the floor, you had a clear view of the fountain and the field.


    When she was younger, her mother told her that if she was in a bad mood, she should go to an open space and take deep breaths. Her stuffy heart would open up as well, and the trivial things in life would become less important.


    Zhu Yun ran to the open space and took a deep breath. And then she smelled the paint can in the corner.


    Cough, cough!


    ¡­Forget it.


    Zhu Yun sat down on the floor and opened a milk tea to drink. After she drank half of it, she suddenly heard a curt voice¡ª


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    She turned around and saw a shadow standing behind her. The sky was dark so Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t make out a face. But she could see the familiar outline of a guitar.


    ¡°Ren Di?¡±


    The shadow took a few steps over, and it was indeed Ren Di.


    Zhu Yun moved aside a bit to give her some space. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Ren Di frowned. ¡°What about you?¡±


    Without elaborating, Zhu Yun simply replied, ¡°I came for some air, to cool off.¡±


    Ren Di questioned, ¡°The dorm has air conditioning, but you came here to cool off?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s face was neither flushed or pale. ¡°There¡¯s natural air here, and there¡¯s less chance of getting sick. It¡¯s better here.¡±


    Ren Di furrowed her brows.


    Zhu Yun asked her, ¡°What about you? What are you doing here?¡±


    Ren Di reluctantly sat down. ¡°I come here to practice guitar.¡±


    ¡°You practice here?¡±


    ¡°People complain if I practice in the dorm.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at Ren Di¡¯s unhappy expression and then passed her a cup of milk tea. ¡°You want it?¡±


    Ren Di glanced at her, suspicious.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°The ice melted since I bought it awhile ago.¡±


    Finally, Ren Di accepted the milk tea.


    In the night, Ren Di started playing her guitar. Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t name the song, and Ren Di¡¯s hand movement was a bit jerky since she hadn¡¯t been playing long. But for some reason, as Zhu Yun listened, her stirred up emotions seemed to slowly return to normal.


    The power of music was really quite magical.


    After a bit, Zhu Yun remembered the task that Fang Shumiao had assigned her.


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmh?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you attend morning study hall?¡±


    Ren Di bit the straw in cup of her milk tea. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re busy every day?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°With what?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care so much?¡± Ren Di turned to her. ¡°It¡¯s not like it affects you if I don¡¯t go to morning study hall.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯re misunderstanding. That¡¯s not what I meant. Anyway, it¡¯s not easy on Fang Shumiao. If there are too many absences¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t raise my hand.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°When people were selecting the class president, I didn¡¯t raise my hand for her.¡±


    Zhu Yun hesitated a moment and then asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like Fang Shumiao?¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with her. I wouldn¡¯t have chosen anyone.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Ren Di directed an aloof expression at Zhu Yun. ¡°Choosing someone to decide what I should or shouldn¡¯t do¡­ Are you crazy?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never cared for that kind of thing.¡± Ren Di scoffed. ¡°But no one cares if I raised my hand or not. Still, since I didn¡¯t elect her, I won¡¯t follow her.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun was completely dumbfounded by Ren Di¡¯s unimaginable, and yet quite reasonable explanation.


    Ren Di glanced at her. ¡°Do you really enjoy running errands for her?¡±


    Zhu Yun paused and replied quietly, ¡°Well, we¡¯re all classmates.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Ren Di laughed but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    After sitting awhile longer, Ren Di picked up her guitar and stood up.


    Zhu Yun also got up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back together.¡±


    Ren Di shook her head. ¡°I have things to do at night. I have to go out.¡±


    ¡°This late?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    After parting with Ren Di, Zhu Yun returned to the dorm on her own. She sat on her chair a bit and took several trips to the bathroom.


    When Fang Shumiao asked about her, Zhu Yun explained, ¡°I drank too much milk tea.¡±


    A shabby bar, music playing.


    Li Xun, Gao Jianhong, and two other male classmates sat on a sofa, chatting. Li Xun¡¯s current girlfriend, Liu Sisi, sat close beside him.


    A little while later, someone walked up to them.


    Gao Jianhong looked over. ¡°Ren Di, why are you so late?¡±


    Ren Di replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Then she asked, ¡°Li Xun, come here.¡±


    Liu Sisi glanced at her. Li Xun stood up and climbed out from the crowded couch.


    Ren Di walked aside with him.


    ¡°Can that matter be settled?¡± Ren Di asked him.


    Li Xun leaned against the bar counter. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ren Di frowned. ¡°Really? Can I take your word for it?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    Ren Di continued seriously, ¡°Okay. When there¡¯s a profit, I¡¯ll pay you back as per our agreement.¡±


    Li Xun laughed. ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ren Di let out a breath.


    Li Xun looked at her. ¡°Why are you so tense? And why are you so late?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was being lectured.¡± She glanced at Li Xun. ¡°My roommate, Zhu Yun. Do you know her?¡±


    Li Xun, ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Ren Di thought for a moment and then suddenly laughed.


    Li Xun, ¡°What?¡±


    Ren Di leaned over to Li Xun and smirked. ¡°She¡¯s not well-behaved.¡±


    ¡°Mmh?¡±


    Ren Di raised her brow at Li Xun. ¡°When I was practicing, I saw her smoking on the roof.¡±

 CH 5

    5


    The day before each of her classes, Zhu Yun would preview the material for the next lesson. Her first class was on theory. Zhu Yun skimmed a few pages, and then she flipped the page back. The contents of the page caused her eyes to widen.


    Although she didn¡¯t yet understand exactly what those functions meant, the structure of it left a very deep impression on her. Wasn¡¯t this crossing the river to die? Zhu Yun started flipping through the pages, faster and faster. In her hands, the book rustled. After she finished looking over the last page, she let out a sigh.


    She closed the book and looked over the bold text on the cover. ¡°C Programming¡­¡± It was the first time since the college entrance exam that she¡¯d felt this fighting spirit ignite within her.


    She studied late into the night, and then before 6 in the morning, she woke up to continue.


    By the time class started, she¡¯d gone over three chapters.


    Teacher Lin taught the C programming course. She¡¯d heard that he was very famous and respected. A bit older than 50, he was already bald. He also liked to laugh, which led to the doubling of wrinkles on his face. He looked just the way an old man would.


    The class met in the multimedia classroom. It was really easy to slack off in a classroom like this.


    With several rows of computers running, as well as many bodies emitting heat, the room got really stuffy. Just half an hour inside was hard to bear. And with the computer monitors to act as barriers, as long as the professor remained at the lectern in front, you could fall asleep without anyone noticing.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know who to set as her rival, but she knew that she wanted to do well in the class. So, she decided to sit in the front row.


    The bell rang to signal the start of the class. Zhu Yun¡¯s eyes flit to and fro unnaturally. No one?


    ¡­There was no need to be like this.


    As she was thinking that, Top Score Li strode into the classroom. He¡¯d likely just woken up from an afternoon nap because his hair looked like a Super Saiyan¡¯s. When he walked into the room, he headed straight for the back row. A student told him, ¡°This computer doesn¡¯t turn on. It¡¯s broken.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Li Xun got up and looked around.


    Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help laughing inside¡ªYou had to fight for a seat in the last row of a college classroom. You don¡¯t understand that, and you even took a nap?


    Old Lin had finished his preparation for the lesson. His tea was ready, and he cleared his throat, about to start class. Then he discovered Li Xun standing up in the back. He waved at Li Xun and pointed to the seat beside Zhu Yun.


    An ominous feeling overcame Zhu Yun. No, no, no, no, no¡­


    Oh, yes. Teacher Lin said, ¡°Student, this seat is open.¡±


    Inside of Zhu Yun¡¯s head: No¡ª!


    The Saiyan walked over and sat down. Zhu Yun looked down at her book, expressionless.


    Teacher Lin started class. He held his cup of tea and asked the students, ¡°Is there anyone who already knows C or has used C to write some small programs?¡±


    Zhu Yun gave Li Xun a sidelong glance. Raise your hand. Don¡¯t you know about crossing the river and dying?


    Having received no response, Teacher Lin smiled and said, ¡°Ah, everyone¡¯s still a bit shy.¡±


    He put down his cup of tea. ¡°Everyone knows that this is the Information Age. Computer technology is being developed at a very fast pace, and programming languages have also been developed very quickly. Compared to all the new languages available now, C is, like myself, quite old.


    ¡°As the saying goes though, ¡®the older the ginger, the hotter its spice.¡¯ It is rich and compact. In the future, whether you want to continue studying algorithms or compilers, work on databases or operating systems, what you learn from C is enough to form a very solid foundation for all your future programming desires.


    ¡°But I have one more thing to say to everyone. Remember, just one short phrase¡ªart exists beyond technical skill.¡±


    The students listened without making a sound. Old Lin raised one finger, his eyes glimmering. ¡°You should all be very proud of yourselves for getting into this school. But remember not to make the mistake that good students often make¡ªfighting with the textbook.¡±


    Zhu Yun felt like someone had just choked her.


    ¡°You will learn about many programming languages in your four years of college. Remember, don¡¯t get caught up with all the technical things. You have to look at the big picture, the overall problem, even when you¡¯re dealing with simple programs.


    ¡°Alright. You students won¡¯t completely understand the frightening things I¡¯m talking about now. You¡¯ll just have to slowly experience it for yourselves. For now, everyone, look at your screens. It¡¯s time to start class.¡±


    Zhu Yun was savoring the words that Old Lin had just imparted. Unintentionally, she saw that beside her, Top Score Li was playing on his phone.


    Li Xun was tall, and he didn¡¯t know quite how to rest his legs. When the class first started, he sat with his legs together, but as the class continued, they grew more slack. Slowly, they started to encroach on Zhu Yin¡¯s territory. In the end, Zhu Yun could only sit with her legs together, not moving an inch.


    Her legs were really stiff. She really wanted to move them. Why was this class so painful¡­


    ¡°To study C, we must first learn about its history and characteristics. So, who can tell us a bit about the history of C?¡± Old Lin raised the first question.


    Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t ordinarily the type of student to raise her hand and answer questions, but she just really wanted to move. Her hand popped into the air as if she¡¯d had no control over it.


    Since she sat up front, Old Lin saw her immediately.


    ¡°You.¡±


    The material she¡¯d previewed yesterday appeared in her head and she repeated its content without a hitch. After she answered the question, her blood seemed to have gotten flowing. She felt refreshed, the same feeling you get after using the restroom.


    Zhu Yun sat back down leisurely. She caught a glimpse of Li Xun looking at her, a faint smile in his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    You just realized it was me?


    Zhu Yun nodded to him courteously. Then she saw Li Xun sneer before returning to the game on his phone.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Old Lin said, ¡°I said before that you were all too bashful. When I asked if anyone knew about C, no one raised their hand.¡± He asked her, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Zhu Yun quickly replied, ¡°Zhu Yun.¡±


    Old Lin searched for her name on the class roster and then made a check mark. ¡°You¡¯re the class representative.¡±


    Zhu Yun: ?!


    I had no such desire for that, Teacher!


    She heard a laugh beside her. Zhu Yun glanced over. Li Xun¡¯s head was still bowed, so she wasn¡¯t quite sure if he was laughing at her or his phone.


    The first lesson was about the basics, and the professor had only taught very basic content. Just as he finished lecturing, the bell rang. Old Lin didn¡¯t rush. He put the cover back on his cup and said, ¡°If you¡¯ve finished, you can go. Leave your computers on for the class representative to check.¡±


    Li Xun put down his phone and tapped away at the computer keyboard for a bit. A bit. Well, actually, not even five seconds had passed before he got up and left.


    Old Lin handed Zhu Yun the class roster. ¡°If they finished, put a checkmark. If not, put an X. Thanks for your work.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    The program they were to write was very simple, so the students finished one after another. Zhu Yun grabbed the roster and took a look at Li Xun¡¯s computer first.


    Hit the spacebar to run. A row of characters appeared on the screen¡ª


    Zhu Yun looked at it, and for some reason, she suddenly laughed.


    Half a month after classes started, the attendance rates for the morning and evening study halls were so low that the class advisor had to step in. Zhu Yun had already foreseen that day. And she¡¯d thought that with Golden Weirdo and Cake Girl¡¯s wonderful personalities, the class advisor was in for a big argument. But, contrary to her expectations, after not more than two days, this battle came to an end.


    So, did Li Xun and the rest start attending the study halls? Nope.


    Was it because the advisor couldn¡¯t handle them? That wasn¡¯t it.


    Fang Shumiao was the one to tell Zhu Yun about it.


    This Li Xun really did know how to play tricks.


    When the advisor sought him out for a talk, Li Xun presented a series of documents that he wanted to submit to the department. Then, the next day, the department head personally approved the formation of a freshman ¡°digital technologies practice seminar.¡±


    There were three important privileges allowed to those in the seminar¡ª


    1. It counts as an extracurricular.


    2. It affords for additional course credits.


    3. For the duration of the seminar, students are exempt from morning and evening study hall.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    After Zhu Yun finished listening, she asked, ¡°So this seminar will continue all throughout the day, for 24 hours, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep! 24 hours! All day, non-stop!¡± Fang Shumiao pat her thighs. ¡°I guess this works. Everything¡¯s taken care of! I won¡¯t have to worry about attendance records anymore!¡±


    While the seminar was formed under the department head¡¯s name, the old man rarely made an appearance, simply leaving Li Xun in charge. On the other hand, Old Lin was very interested in this project and became an unofficial advisor, stopping over at the base whenever he had time.


    When this matter was made public, the entire department was in an uproar.


    Gossip and rumors floated all around, like snowflakes flying through the air, all revolving around one main theme. Everyone was trying to guess at Li Xun¡¯s family background.


    Stories flooded in from all directions, and Zhu Yun seemed to hear a new version every day. Each version was so detailed and vivid, told with such resoluteness, that she could believe each and every one of them.


    The days passed on as such.


    One day, when Zhu Yun went to hand in her assignment to Old Lin, she ran into Li Xun, who was having a discussion with the teacher. Old Lin had on a pair of glasses as he worked on Li Xun¡¯s laptop. The strict look in his eyes made Zhu Yun wary of taking another step.


    Finally, they finished speaking and Li Xun took his laptop and left. When he saw Zhu Yun, he nodded to her and said casually, ¡°Hey, class rep.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Zhu Yun put her assignment on Old Lin¡¯s desk. He was drinking his tea with a smile on his face, seemingly in a great mood.


    A passing teacher joked to Old Lin, ¡°That student of yours sure has a personality.¡±


    Old Lin laughed.


    The other teached added, ¡°There are a lot of rumors.¡±


    Old Lin said, ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! Let me tell you¡ª¡±


    The other teacher¡¯s phone rang, so they waved goodbye and turned to take their call.


    Old Lin then turned to Zhu Yun and promptly continued, ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡ªYou guys will see in the future.¡±


    ¡­.


    ?


    Zhu Yun stood still for several seconds.


    Why don¡¯t you just say what you know now?


    But then Old Lin started talking about the homework, so that topic came to an end.


    One week later, the situation around the seminar calmed, but Li Xun¡¯s simple name seemed to have left an impression in many people¡¯s minds. When his seniors spoke of him, they were equivocal. When his dormmates spoke of him, they were evasive.


    Li Xun was still the same as before though. Skipping morning study hall, typing out his code at the fastest pace, napping in the afternoon, always appearing with a golden head that looked like weeds.

 CH 6

    Chapter 6


    6


    The programming practice seminar garnered much criticism, but in the days to follow, many students followed a course of action best described as ¡°despite what your mouth says, your body shows your true intentions.¡±


    Sleeping a bit more in the mornings, surfing the net a bit more in the evenings. For the students who weren¡¯t yet concerned about entering society and earning an income, this was a difficult temptation to resist.


    In any case, for the first half month after the seminar was formed, one after another, people sought out Li Xun to question him about it.


    And Li Xun refused no one. All students who inquired and registered were accepted. There were no other requirements.


    In the end, even Fang Shumiao joined them.


    Fang Shumiao¡¯s explanation was as follows. ¡°It¡¯s very competitive to get a spot in the Student Union. I have to squeeze out some time to meet and familiarize myself with the school leaders.¡±


    Of course, she didn¡¯t forget about her roommate. ¡°Do you want to come too? I¡¯ll talk to Li Xun for you.¡±


    Zhu Yun declined, ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m okay for now.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s parents were teachers, so from a young age, she¡¯d been taught that attending morning and evening study hall were the most basic and natural things that a student should do. It wasn¡¯t a thing that caused her difficulties. Moreover, she still hadn¡¯t quite figured out what this supposed ¡°practice seminar¡± even was.


    Rumor had it that it was special treatment for Li Xun because of his family¡¯s strong backing. But Zhu Yun didn¡¯t believe a word of it. Why was that? There was no reason.


    After some time passed, things began to show gradual changes. Zhu Yun found that many of the students who had chosen to participate in the seminar slowly returned to the study hall.


    Fang Shumiao brought back some news from the front lines.


    ¡°It was too ridiculous.¡± With a frown, she continued, ¡°The project was too hard. We¡¯re just learning the basics now. We¡¯ve only seen a bit of code, but they want to do something so complicated. My head feels like it¡¯ll explode.¡±


    ¡°Was it really hard?¡±


    ¡°Super hard!¡± Fang Shumiao replied without hesitation.


    Zhu Yun was a bit curious about the project, but then she suddenly thought of something else. She asked, ¡°What about Ren Di?¡±


    As the class representative for their C programming course, and as far as Zhu Yun could see, Ren Di had no interest in programming. Even on assignments, Ren Di would copy her work.


    After mentioning Ren Di, Fang Shumiao¡¯s tone became unclear.


    ¡°Her? ¡­She¡¯s not participating in the seminar.¡±


    ¡°Then why is she staying there?¡±


    ¡°Li Xun let her. He put her name down on the roster on the first day, but he didn¡¯t care whether she showed up or not.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Fang Shumiao shrugged. Then she secretly glanced over at Zhu Yun and whisperred, ¡°Let me tell you. Every night, Ren Di will go meet with Li Xun.¡±


    Zhu Yun raised her brows.


    ¡°Li Xun too. There were a few times that he was really busy, but once Ren Di showed up, he¡¯d drop everything he was working on. Then he wouldn¡¯t come back until the middle of the night, and no one knows where they went. Mysterious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Zhu Yun was about to speak when Fang Shumiao continued, ¡°Eh, well it¡¯s not that no one knows. Gao Jianhong knows, but he won¡¯t talk.¡± She curled her lips. ¡°Tch, mysterious¡­ What else would a guy and girl be up to? We¡¯re all grown up, so what¡¯s there to feel guilty about.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°And Ren Di, she¡¯s such an idiot. Who doesn¡¯t know that Li Xun changes girlfriends faster than a person changes clothes? What could she be planning?¡±


    After she finished speaking, Fang Shumiao rolled her eyes and walked off. Zhu Yun hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to say a word.


    The difficulty of the seminar¡¯s project cleared out 90% of its participants. Another interesting phenomenon that resulted was that after those students returned to the study hall, they rarely participated in the gossip about Li Xun.


    After some more time passed, all the students got serious again. The midterm exams were here. It was the first real college exam for these students, and since it would account for 30% of their final grades, everyone was especially attentive.


    Zhu Yun as well, especially since she was the representative for their programming course.


    No one knew who she was trying to compete against. She would spend the whole day in the library, various systems and compilers on her computer screen, tirelessly answering a single question again and again with multiple methods.


    Every time she wanted to relax a bit, that pixel character would suddenly pop into her head. It charged at her with a sword in its hands, and then her fighting spirit would reawaken.


    On the day of the exam, Zhu Yun rolled up her sleeves and headed into the test room. Since this was a programming course, the exam naturally took place on a computer. After the exam started, Zhu Yun went straight to the final programming question.


    The problem was to ¡°write a program that draws a heart.¡±


    Zhu Yun frowned. Teacher Lin¡¯s question was too careless. The simplicity of the problem was a bit excessive¡­ Her feelings then were essentially: A chef prepares all the ingredients for an imperial feast, only to find that the customer simply wanted instant noodles.


    Zhu Yun sighed and then completed the programming problem before returning to the reasoning questions. Her studying had been comprehensive, so she quickly completed the exam. As she was about to get up to submit her exam, she realized that beside her, Li Xun had yet to get up.


    Eh¡­


    For some reason, Zhu Yun had released the hand that was about to click the submit button.


    She flipped through the exam paper several times but genuinely didn¡¯t see anything that needed changing. The program she wrote for the final question was also running smoothly. A standard heart pattern that couldn¡¯t be more standard¡­


    What gave her a sense of complacency was when she glanced over at math rep Wu Mengxing. Although the actual code wasn¡¯t visible, she could see that the length of the code in the compiler was four times longer than her own. What was she writing? How verbose.


    Li Xun finally handed in his exam. Zhu Yun had already been sitting for more than ten minutes, doing nothing. When she saw Li Xun leave, she found herself sighing, and then she handed in her exam as well.


    Several days later, the grades came out.


    Completely contrary to Zhu Yun¡¯s expectations, Li Xun only scored 11th in the class. She¡¯d beat him out at 7th. When Zhu Yun saw the rankings, she was overjoyed, feeling like she was floating in the clouds. But when her test paper was returned, she was shocked.


    The grader had marked too brazenly, docking several points for a rounded decimal.


    As for the C programming grades, they¡¯d both (all?) gotten full points.


    Zhu Yun held her exam as she tried to take in the moment. It didn¡¯t seem as exciting as she had thought it would be¡­


    When she went to Old Mr Lin¡¯s class that day, Zhu Yun discovered that her seat was occupied by Wu Mengxing, who was in a discussion with Li Xun. Wu Mengxing¡¯s backpack was at her own seat, so Zhu Yun figured that she¡¯d return there soon. She walked over and waited in the other seat next to Wu Mengxing.


    ¡°Can¡­ Can you help me look over this?¡± she heard Wu Mengxing ask.


    ¡°Open it,¡± Master Li said lazily.


    Wu Mengxing started her program, and Zhu Yun peeked over. It was from the exam, to draw a heart.


    ¡°This is how I went about it.¡± Wu Mengxing stumbled through her words, as if frightened by Li Xun. ¡°I split the heart into three parts, and then¡­ And then I split it again into left space, the first part of the heart, the middle space, the second part of the heart, and then I used a loop¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun immediately understood. This thought process was much like Wu Mengxing¡¯s personality, honest and upright.


    After a moment, Zhu Yun heard Top Score Li laugh. ¡°You call yourself the math class rep?¡±


    How rude and hurtful!


    Indeed, Wu Mengxing was quite embarrassed by his ridicule. Trembling, he said, ¡°C-c-can you let me see yours?¡±


    Li Xun responded, ¡°There¡¯s no point in that. You should ask the class rep over there instead.¡±


    ???


    Wu Mengxing turned around. When he turned, Zhu Yun and Li Xun¡¯s eyes met briefly. Zhu Yun¡¯s thigh cramped even as her expression remained even.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Wu Mengxing, ¡°Zhu Yun, can you let me see your program?¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    After all, she was a nice, kind student, like a spring breeze.


    Zhu Yun opened her program and Wu Mengxing¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°It¡¯s so clean!¡±


    Two loops, six lines total.


    Wu Mengxing said, ¡°So you can write a function to make a heart. My method was really dumb.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Wu Mengxing¡¯s face was very serious. He grabbed his notebook and started writing, muttering as he worked. He had the foundation, but sometimes you just can¡¯t figure something out. But seeing the method now, he quickly understood.


    Armed with this new insight, Wu Mengxing¡¯s expression brightened. He thanked Zhu Yun several times, and she told him there was no need for such courtesy between friends. A joyous and harmonious relationship.


    After Wu Mengxing left, Zhu Yun returned to her seat. The warmth in her face hadn¡¯t yet dissipated when her eyes met Li Xun¡¯s once more. Zhu Yun really wanted to ask him about what kind of experience he had that would cause him to ridicule someone in such a manner.


    ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± Li Xun was leaning back in his chair, his gray shirt bunched loosely at his waist.


    ¡°Mmh?¡± Zhu Yun asked blankly. ¡°What?¡±


    Li Xun sneered and turned away.


    Hey, who are you looking down on? After being continiously provoked by him, Zhu Yun, for some reason, blurted out, ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Li Xun lazily narrowed his eyes. ¡°Mmh?¡±


    A tall order. Filled with some kind of energy, Zhu Yun charged forward, ¡°Can you let me see your program?¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s response came unhurried, ¡°Sure.¡±


    He tapped on the keyboard and then the compiler appeared on the screen. Zhu Yun moved closer.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    What in the world.


    In terms of length, Li Xun¡¯s code was longer than Wu Mengxing¡¯s. But where Wu Mingxing¡¯s idea was immediately understood and archaic, like using wood to make fire, Li Xun¡¯s¡­ Zhu Yun focused all her brain power, but she could only comprehend up to the fifth line.


    What was that part after that? What was the final outcome?


    An even voice came from behind her, ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, don¡¯t force yourself. It¡¯ll just trouble you.¡±


    As someone who¡¯d yet to deal with the strong stimuli in the world that could cause a sudden onslaught of pain¡ªcommonly described as nerve pain¡ªZhu Yun¡¯s head started to hurt a lot. While her head was spinning, the bell sudenly rang.


    Tea in hand, Old Mr Lin stepped into the classroom, and Zhu Yun quietly returned to her seat.


    After class ended, Li Xun left the room, and then Zhu Yun pulled out her pen and scribbled down the key points of the code she¡¯d seen earlier before rushing back to her dorm room. She started flipping through her textbooks and going through information she¡¯d collected. Four hours later, after dozens of tests, she was finally successful in replicating Li Xun¡¯s code.


    Time to run the program.


    On the screen, a three dimensional red heart appeared, beating badump, badump against the dark background.


    Later, on the rooftop, the night breeze felt very refreshing. Zhu Yun sighed as she looked over at the distant fountain and poked open her milk tea. She took a sip and then heard a familar voice behind her¡ª


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    Zhu Yun turned around and greeted, ¡°Ren Di, come sit.¡±

 CH 7

    . Chapter 7


    7


    Under the hazy night sky, a guitar melody sounded. Zhu Yun was shocked at Ren Di¡¯s improvement. The last time she¡¯d heard Ren Di play, her level was on that of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. But now, she could even alternate between various chords.


    After she finished playing, Ren Di put her guitar down at her side and sat down next to Zhu Yun.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± She was being quite genuine this time.


    Ren Di shrugged.


    After a moment, Zhu Yun suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s worth it.¡±


    Ren Di grew a bit suspicious.


    Zhu Yun pointed at her guitar and said, ¡°To be able to play that, it¡¯s pretty worth it to skip out on study hall.¡±


    Ren Di stared back at her blankly, and after a bit, her mouth twitched. Zhu Yun felt, during the entire time that she¡¯d known Ren Di, this was the closest she¡¯d seen to her ¡°laughing.¡±


    A piece of paper appeared in front of her face.


    Zhu Yun moved over, and borrowing the dim moonlight, she saw that there was an address written on the paper.


    ¡°My office. If you¡¯re tired of hanging out at school, come by.¡±


    ¡°Office?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not far from campus.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded and put away the slip of paper.


    Ren Di stretched her back and rubbed her eyes, expressing her weariness.


    ¡°You must be tired,¡± Zhu Yun remarked.


    ¡°Mmh. I have to meet with Li Xun later too.¡± Ren Di grabbed the bottle of water beside her for a sip. Quietly, she complained, ¡°I¡¯m going to have to fight with that idiot Liu Sisi again.¡±


    ¡°Liu Sisi?¡± Zhu Yun thought for a moment. ¡°From the art school?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The one who can¡¯t take a picture without a filter.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi was Li Xun¡¯s girlfriend, with a Coke bottle body, like a mannequin.


    Ren Di scoffed. ¡°That plastic chick won¡¯t last long with Li Xun.¡±


    Zhu Yun recalled her earlier talk with Fang Shumiao, and she said, ¡°Seems like Li Xun changes girlfriends pretty frequently.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ren Di finished drinking her water and capped the bottle. ¡°The brat, his private life¡¯s a mess.¡±


    Zhu Yun spoke quietly. ¡°Then, you should be careful.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t dare put it too explicitly, so she explained cautiously, ¡°About¡­ Taking appropriate precautions¡­¡±


    At first, Ren Di had a baffled expression. But after realizing what Zhu Yun was saying, she threw her head back in laughter.


    ¡°Hahaha! My god!¡± Ren Di was so amused that she completely forgot about appearances, and she sprawled across the floor laughing.


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to roll around on the ground.¡±


    Ren Di sat back up and pat Zhu Yun strongly.


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking hilarious!¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ren Di pulled out her cigarettes from inside her jacket. She handed the box to Zhu Yun and asked, ¡°Want one?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head.


    ¡°No?¡± Ren Di stuck a cigarette in her mouth and squinted at her. In her deep and coarse voice, she said, ¡°If you take one, I¡¯ll tell you something fun.¡±


    Zhu Yun silently grabbed a cigarette.


    Ren Di laughed.


    ¡°Li Xun and I don¡¯t have that kind of relationship.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Ren Di took a smoke and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like him, but¡­ Someone in our dorm room does.¡±


    Zhu Yun choked and started coughing, as if this were her first time smoking.


    Their dorm room only had three occupants, so there wasn¡¯t even a need to eliminate anyone.


    Ren Di rested her arms on her knees. With another laugh, she said, ¡°Otherwise, why do you think she¡¯s trying so hard to remain in the seminar? With that brain of hers, she¡¯s going to have a lot of trouble on Li Xun¡¯s project.¡±


    Li Xun looked at Ren Di.


    Ren Di asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head and said, ¡°You only asked me to smoke so you could startle me?¡±


    Ren Di laughed. When she was done, she said, ¡°You¡¯re so fucking funny.¡±


    Zhu Yun sat back. In the smoke, she went back through her memory for any hints or signs. So, when Fang Shumiao had brought up Ren Di and Li Xun, was her ambiguous tone trying to mask her jealousy? She liked Li Xun¡­ Since when?


    ¡°She has no chance.¡± Ren Di exhaled a long string of smoke without any other expressions. ¡°She won¡¯t be able to last long. Li Xun¡­ Most girls won¡¯t be able to keep up with him.¡±


    That night, Zhu Yun made it back to the dorm just before curfew. Inside their dorm room, Fang Shumiao sat in her chair in a daze.


    Zhu Yun walked over and waved a hand in front of her. ¡°Anyone home?¡±


    Fang Shumiao came back to her senses. When she saw Zhu Yun, the look on her face was like that of someone who¡¯d just seen their saving rope. She grabbed tightly onto Zhu Yun¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Zhu Yun, save me!¡±


    Startled, Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Wh-what is it?¡±


    From her desk, Fang Shumiao handed over two sheets of paper for Zhu Yun to see. ¡°This¡­ Do you know what to do?¡±


    Zhu Yun took the papers and looked them over. On it was a list of functions required to build a website. Zhu Yun asked, ¡°What is this?¡±


    Fang Shumiao laid still on her desk. ¡°The seminar project.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at the listed requirements. ¡°You guys are going to practice developing a website?¡±


    Fang Shumiao relied, ¡°It¡¯s not practice. Flip the page.¡±


    Zhu Yun flipped to the second page and saw the inscription of a company¡¯s name at the bottom. She glanced back over at Fang Shumiao, whose expression was one of confusion.


    ¡°Zhu Yun, he intends to sign a contract with an outside company.¡±


    Zhu Yun was speechless. Then she looked over the first page again. ¡°How are you guys going to split up this work?¡±


    ¡°If we get the contract, everyone takes one part? I¡¯m not really sure.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded. Then she asked, ¡°So what will it take to get the contract?¡±


    ¡°Contract, my ass!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Fang Shumiao stood up, her brows creased on her face.


    ¡°Look at what it says on the paper. The requirements written there are obviously things that we don¡¯t have the ability to do yet. Moreover, the other groups competing for the contract are IT professionals with a lot more experience.¡± At this point, Fang Shumiao couldn¡¯t help letting out a sigh. ¡°We have to complete the project to get course credit. It¡¯s obvious that we can¡¯t complete it, and yet we keep wasting our time like this.¡±


    Zhu Yun handed the papers back to her. ¡°Then, what are you planning on doing? Backing out?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Fang Shumiao seemed stumped by the question. ¡°Back out?¡± It didn¡¯t seem that she¡¯d considered that option. After staring at the papers in her hand for a bit, she started to zone out again.


    This time, Zhu Yun didn¡¯t disturb her. She returned to her own desk and moved the computer mouse. Since she hadn¡¯t shut it off before leaving, the computer woke up and the screen lit up.


    The bright red heart on the monitor was still pulsing badump, badump.


    The sky was dark outside the window. Was Ren Di still practicing?


    After she sat awhile, Zhu Yun quietly spoke up, ¡°Fang Shumiao, I¡¯ll help you write the function you¡¯re working on.¡±


    Fang Shumiao excitedly ran over to Zhu Yun and gave her a great big hug. The two looked through the list of functions to write and ended up choosing ¡°related product recommendations.¡±


    Languan Foods had already been operating for tens of years, primarily producing snackfoods and nutritional supplements. But with the developments of the internet, the company felt that their traditional business model was no longer viable and decided they¡¯d need to make a transition.


    After receiving her task, Zhu Yun started sketching out ideas and searching for related materials. For days and nights on end, Zhu Yun spent a week working on the function(s). When she was finished, she packaged it up and let Fang Shumiao bring it with her to the seminar.


    To be quite honest, this was her first time trying something like this, so Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t sure whether it would even work or not.


    On Saturday morning, Zhu Yun woke up very early. She climbed out of bed and sat down at her desk, chin in her hands, her mind in a bit of a daze. Her desk was covered in web development books that she¡¯d borrowed from the library. She¡¯d flipped through the pages so much that they were nearly ripped off.


    Fang Shumiao¡¯s schedule for the day was to go to her meeting in the morning, attend the seminar in the afternoon, and then return late at night.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t have much of an appetite all day long. When Fang Shumiao returned, Zhu Yun rushed to ask, ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Fang Shumiao didn¡¯t understand. ¡°How was what?¡±


    ¡°The seminar.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Fang Shumiao shrugged. ¡°He said we can¡¯t use it.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s heart froze, and she even forgot to ask why it was unusable.


    Then Fang Shumiao continued, ¡°But, he said that writing a function would count as a contribution to the project, so my course credit will be okay and I won¡¯t have to leave the seminar! Zhu Yun, you¡¯re a genius!¡±


    Genius, my butt.


    Zhu Yun finally asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t it be used?¡±


    Fang Shumiao blinked her eyes. ¡°He didn¡¯t say.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s face was nearly screaming out¡ªThen you should have asked him!


    Perhaps Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts had been too loud, as Fang Shumiao moved her chair over and started to explain. ¡°So, it¡¯s like this. Although the number of students in the seminar is settling at a few more than ten, the core team only consists of a few people. Li Xun and Gao Jianhong are at the center. They¡¯re constantly together, propelling the project and maintaining the overall framework. It might just be that the function you wrote¡­ doesn¡¯t follow their thought process.¡±


    What kind of thought process did they have?


    The function was already written, so what other thought processes did they have?


    Zhu Yun¡¯s felt a pain in her chest and her breath was short. She was a bit glad that she hadn¡¯t eaten much for dinner, otherwise she¡¯d be having stomach pains too, for sure.


    ¡°Forget about it. Their brains are different from normal people¡¯s. Come on! This is for you!¡± Fang Shumiao brought out a large bag. Inside was a small bear backpack. ¡°I bought it at the mall a few days ago. This is to thank you.¡±


    Zhu Yun waved away the idea. ¡°No need for thanks. It was good practice.¡±


    ¡°No, you have to accept it, otherwise I¡¯ll feel really apologetic. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tomorrow too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really unnecessary. You¡¯re being much too polite.¡±


    ¡°Take it, take it. It wasn¡¯t easy finishing things and getting to this point, so we have to celebrate. This entire week¡­ my mind had been a mess.¡±


    That night, Zhu Yun had a dream. In the dream, a group of little bears trampled all over her body.


    The next night, they continued to step all over her.


    ¡­¡­


    After being trampled across three nights in a row, with dark circles under her eyes, Zhu Yun grabbed her function and went off in search of Teacher Lin.


    She really couldn¡¯t accept the fact that ¡°things were finished.¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t tell Teacher Lin that this had been for the seminar class. She simply said that she was practicing recently, and she wrote a function that she hoped he could look over for her.


    Teaher Lin looked through the code silently, and then he looked at Zhu Yun. This was a rather familiar expression. When she¡¯d come to his office previously, he¡¯d been looking at Li Xun this way as they had their discussion. With such an expression, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help but grow more serious.


    Old Mr Lin said to her, ¡°Zhu Yun, this function looks very short. You must have refined it many times, right?¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded.


    ¡°Good. As the saying goes, code is like a girl¡¯s skirt. The shorter the better.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°But simple and uncomplicated is just one aspect to things. You¡¯re just missing a little something. You need to work on taking your thoughts and making them more abstract and modular. On the first day of class, I said this. Don¡¯t get too caught up in the technical details. You have to look at the big picture.¡± Old Lin closed the compiler and was silent for a few seconds. Then, he asked, ¡°Do you like programming?¡±


    The question made Zhu Yun go quiet.


    Did she like it a lot? Not quite. Did she dislike it? That wasn¡¯t quite right either.


    So then, what caused her to move in this direction?


    ¡°If you¡¯d like to get more practice, I suggest you go talk to Li Xun.¡±


    Why?


    ¡°It will definitely be helpful.¡±


    Oh really?


    Zhu Yun left with her head low. As she exited the office, she saw another pair of shoes.


    When she looked up, she saw Li Xun leaning against the window, laptop under his arm. Although it was autumn, he was still wearing short sleeves, which had been rolled up to his shoulders. His head of golden hair was messy as usual.


    Against the light, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t make out his expression. Though, after a thought, she figured it was probably the same old mocking, sarcastic look he always had.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the class rep listen to the teacher?¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t have the strength to bother with him so she just turned and walked away.


    After walking three meters, a clear yet lazy voice called out from behind her¡ª


    ¡°Are you coming? If you come, I¡¯ll welcome you.¡±

 CH 8

    8. Chapter 8


    Zhu Yun felt like she was going to explode. She¡¯d been the recipient of lots of news recently, and she really needed some time to digest it all.


    During her brief exchange with Li Xun that day, Zhu Yun gave her ordinary and courteous response¡ª¡±I¡¯ll think it over. Thank you for your invitation.¡± After Top Score Li heard her, he snorted and headed into the teacher¡¯s office.


    The stuffy feeling inside of Zhu Yun started to grow.


    But, people¡¯s minds were strange things. Over the next few days, Zhu Yun constantly went over the events in her head. Although Li Xun¡¯s laughter was cause enough for a beating, all in all, this situation left her with more positive feelings than negative feelings. Especially his final, ¡°If you come, I¡¯ll welcome you.¡± In comparison to his previous ¡°You¡¯re too fucking fake,¡± she felt rather victorious.


    This, here, is the joy of being a person.


    After several days of feeling radiant, Zhu Yun finally calmed down. She started to genuinely consider her options.


    Li Xun¡¯s seminar¡­ Did she want to participate?


    As she thought over the question, Fang Shumiao¡¯s words slipped into her mind. ¡°Although the number of students in the seminar is settling at a few more than ten, the core team only consists of a few people. Li Xun and Gao Jianhong are at the center. ¡±


    Core team¡­


    Zhu Yun¡¯s chin hung over the library desk, swaying back and forth, as she tried to come to a decision.


    During Old Mr Lin¡¯s class, Li Xun sat next to Zhu Yun as always. From the moment class started, he¡¯d be messing around on his own laptop. He only raised his head for a few minutes when there was a class assignment.


    He didn¡¯t mention the seminar to Zhu Yun again. She understood though. For Top Score Li to invite someone even once was already a humbling event. To expect him to ask again was like waiting for an iron tree to bloom.


    While Old Mr Li was going over some basics, Zhu Yun whispered, ¡°About that¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmh,¡± Li Xun replied, his eyes still glued to his laptop screen, his fingers typing nonstop.


    Zhu Yun, ¡°About that matter from before¡­¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s eyes were a bit crossed. Zhu Yun realized that every time Li Xun was deep in thought, his expression looked extraordinarily cold.


    ¡°Say what you have to say,¡± he told her.


    Zhu Yun got straight to the point. ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over and I¡¯d like to join your seminar group. Since your project won¡¯t be easy, I¡¯d like to practice and improve my abilities.¡± Before she¡¯d even finished speaking, he¡¯d already turned back to his laptop. When she was done, he gave an ¡°Mmh¡± to express that he understood her.


    With regards to this future boss, Zhu Yun had already decided to endure his treatment. She asked him, ¡°When does the seminar meet?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no set time. When you¡¯re free, come by.¡± Li Xun continued tapping on his keyboard as he added, ¡°I¡¯ll always be there.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at him for a moment, and then she finally said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    When she returned to her dorm room, Zhu Yun saw Fang Shumiao, and then she remembered that she hadn¡¯t told her roommate about this ordeal. After she finished her story, Fang Shumiao looked at her.


    ¡°Why do you suddenly want to join the seminar?¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t tell her about Li Xun¡¯s invitation, just her conversation with Old Mr Li.


    ¡°Teacher Li said I should join for practice.¡±


    Fang Shumiao said, ¡°Oh¡­¡± before quickly adding, ¡°So, did you tell Li Xun that you helped write that function for me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Zhu Yun knew what her concerns were, so she assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell him. When I go, I¡¯ll choose something else to do.¡±


    Fang Shumiao nodded.


    She didn¡¯t have class that afternoon, so after eating lunch, Zhu Yun carried two library books on web development with her and headed to the seminar classroom.


    Li Xun¡¯s practice base was located on the first floor of Laboratory A. Although Zhu Yun had passed through the building several times before, it was the first time that this was her destination. The corridors were a bit dark, but she found it. The door to the base. Without knocking, she leaned in and pressed her ear against the door. She heard some muffled sounds.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s heart pounded. She was a bit nervous.


    As she took a deep breath in preparation, the door opened.


    Wu Mengxing held a small broom in one hand and a trash bag in the other. His face was covered in sweat. Seeing Zhu Yun in front of him, he nearly jumped back.


    ¡°Aiya, what are you doing here?¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­.¡±


    So you¡¯re here too. You weren¡¯t tortured enough by Li Xun yet?


    After they greeted each other, Zhu Yun moved aside to let Wu Mengxing toss out the trash. And then she slipped inside the room. It was the size of an ordinary classroom, with 20 something computers inside. They were grouped up into fours around a table.


    When Zhu Yun entered, there were five people present, herself included. Oh, wait, that¡¯s not right. Six people, since Wu Mengxing had just returned. Inside the room, one person was cleaning, one was eating, a pair of lovers were flirting, and one person was working in front of a computer¡ªthis was obviously not Li Xun, for he was part of the flirting pair.


    Zhu Yun stood at the door and looked over at the plastic Barbie, Liu Sisi, draped over Li Xun. The two were feeding each other ice cream. Some for you, some for me, and everyone¡¯s all happy.


    How was she supposed to greet anyone.


    As Zhu Yun stood there in thought, Gao Jianhong, sitting in front of the computer, spotted her. He waved to her. ¡°Zhu Yun!¡±


    Li Xun turned and saw her. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    Zhu Yun could only nod.


    Li Xun pointed to the computers casually. ¡°You can sit wherever.¡±


    Backpack on her shoulder, Zhu Yun was about to head over to a spot by the wall when Gao Jianhong called out, ¡°Come here. Zhu Yun, over here.¡± He pointed to the seat beside him.


    No, no, no. Too close. Hard to manage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just sit over here.¡± She put down her bag on a table by Li Xun. After a moment, Wu Mengxing, having finished cleaning, walked over. He sat down beside her and said, ¡°I sit here.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded to him.


    It was quiet all around, but for the occasional sounds of lips smacking in the corner. Zhu Yun sat for a bit. Seeing that Li Xun and Liu Sisi had yet to finish their ice cream, she quietly asked Wu Mengxing, ¡°When do we get started?¡±


    ¡°With what?¡±


    ¡°Activities.¡±


    Wu Mengxing opened his mouth and said, ¡°It¡¯s already started. This is how it is around here. He doesn¡¯t assign tasks, so you can work on whatever whenever. The computers are connected to the net, so you can go online and play games for a bit. There are a lot of games on the computers.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Why would I come here to play computer games?


    Zhu Yun opened her bag and pulled out her web development book. She started flipping through it and became entranced. When she finally lifted her head, more than an hour had passed. The room had filled up with a few more people, but it was still very quiet.


    She turned to see that Liu Sisi had already left. Li Xun was sitting in a chair, tapping on the keys of his laptop. Then she turned to Wu Mengxing, whose face was serious as he coded. Zhu Yun glanced over it, and he seemed to be refining a search function.


    Zhu Yun licked her teeth. Suddenly, she felt quite lonely.


    She lowered her head and continued to read. This time, she was going to finish reading in one go. While she was immersed in this sea of knowledge, a long and slender finger suddenly tapped on the page. When she looked up, she saw an impatient face.


    Li Xun said, ¡°Come on, work on something.¡±


    Was he finally giving me a task?


    Zhu Yun closed her book and waited for his orders.


    Li Xun tossed a practice book in front of her. Zhu Yun looked down, and then she lifted her head, her face expressionless. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Liu Sisi¡¯s tiny head appeared from behind Li Xun and she giggled.


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Li Xun looked to have lost his patience with Liu Sisi. He said to Zhu Yun, ¡°Help out. Just complete it however.¡±


    Liu Sisi nudged Li Xun. ¡°What do you mean ¡®however¡¯? It can¡¯t be ¡®however¡¯.¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s brows tightened as he pulled on Liu Sisi¡¯s collar.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Be gentle, my clothes will rip!¡±


    Li Xun dragged her over to beside Zhu Yun. ¡°Stay here.¡± Liu Sisi pouted and sat down unhappily.


    After dropping her off, Li Xun left, leaving Liu Sisi behind. With her face resting in her hands, she watched Zhu Yun.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Zhu Yun.¡±


    ¡°School junior, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    So you¡¯re a school senior¡­


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhu Yun smiled and opened the English workbook. ¡°What are you supposed to write?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re translating art dissertations. We can pick any we want.¡±


    ¡°So, did you pick one out?¡±


    ¡°I did! Let me show you!¡±


    Liu Sisi squeezed over and excitedly searched on the computer.


    She typed into the search, ¡°Youth painter Tian Xiuzhu.¡±


    Many pages quickly popped up. Liu Sisi clicked on a link and said, ¡°This one!¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at it and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t an art paper. It¡¯s a profile.¡±


    Liu Sisi, ¡°Aiyo, whatever.¡±


    Fine. It¡¯s your homework, so whatever you say.


    Zhu Yun took over the mouse and skimmed through the page. The article described the young painter¡¯s academic experiences as well as his present achievements.


    ¡°Handsome and good¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s eyes narrowed as she saw Liu Sisi¡¯s eyes stuck to the screen. There was a photo beside the article. The young man had delicate features and was smiling bashfully.


    Zhu Yun continued to scroll down, and then she saw one of his art pieces. Her heart jumped.


    It was a charcoal sketch titled ¡°Rugged Hills.¡± The sketch showed a withered mountain range. The strokes were mature but unrestrained. It was an image that could be described as ¡°toppling mountains and overturning the seas.¡± It looked effortless but magical.


    Somewhat surprisingly, Zhu Yun felt that, at a glance, the explosive aura in this image was reminiscent of some ¡°hills¡± in her home.


    Someone poked her arm. Liu Sisi looked to her with an unsatisfied look.


    ¡°Scroll up to his photo!¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­.¡±


    She scrolled back up and started translating. The article was very short, so she only needed ten minutes. After cleaning it up, she¡¯d completed the assignment in 15 minutes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Liu Sisi had stood up and started walking around when Zhu Yun started translating. Seeing that she¡¯d finished, she grabbed Zhu Yun for a hug from behind.


    Senior, your chest¡­ Liu Sisi¡¯s chest was firm, more like two ** pressed against her.


    A thought suddenly piqued Zhu Yun¡¯s interest. She turned around and asked Liu Sisi, ¡°Between Tian Xiuzhu and Li Xun, who do you like more?¡±


    Liu Sisi giggled and nudged her. ¡°Aiyo, why are you asking such a pointed question. It¡¯s too unfriendly.¡± Pointed? Unfriendly?


    Liu Sisi hugged Zhu Yun and whispered into her ear, ¡°Whoever you like more is who I like more.¡± After she finished, she happily packed her bags and went to find Li Xun. Still sitting in her seat, Zhu Yun was speechless.


    When evening came, Zhu Yun packed up her things and was about to leave. Before she left, she went to say goodbye to Li Xun. He glanced up at her from his busy activities and quietly praised, ¡°No wonder you¡¯re the class rep. You finish homework really fast.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Zhu Yun felt she ought to make it clear to him before she left.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to do other people¡¯s homework.¡±


    Liu Sisi turned to look at her.


    Li Xun was still busy working as he said, ¡°It was just helping out a friend.¡± His fingers flew around on the keyboard. Zhu Yun was very curious about what he was doing, what kind of program he was writing, what kind of thought process he was following. But she couldn¡¯t see.


    After her homework was complete, Liu Sisi was completely at ease. Draped over Li Xun, she sat steadily, like a mannequin.


    Zhu Yun felt her lungs swell with air. She couldn¡¯t just let things go. After standing a few seconds, she finally said to Li Xun, ¡°Hey.¡± She hadn¡¯t called his name, but Li Xun still looked up.


    Zhu Yun bitingly reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I came at your invitation.¡±

 CH 9

    9. Chapter 9


    ¡°I came at your invitation.¡±


    After those words went out, the handful of people in the room stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. Gao Jianhong looked amused. Liu Sisi pouted. The room was still. Li Xun was chewing gum, his face expressionless.


    Zhu Yun straightened her back. You can¡¯t have forgotten your previous invitation, have you? Quit playing.


    After a moment of exchanging glances, Li Xun closed his laptop and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Okay what?


    Li Xun sighed lightly and stood up. One arm was hooked on his waist as he looked around at the seminar participants. After seeing his expression, Zhu Yun suddenly felt an ominous feeling.


    What. What are you planning on doing?


    Li Xun knocked the desk and said, ¡°Come on, everyone stop what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Zhu Yun tensed up.


    Li Xun raised his hand and without further ado, he made an introduction.


    ¡°This¡ª¡± He motioned to Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­is the princess I¡¯ve invited.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Gao Jianhong laughed out loud. Liu Sisi also covered her mouth. The other students didn¡¯t know what to do, so they could only applaud. Fortunately, Zhu Yun had many years of teaching behind her, and she was able to remain calm.


    Li Xun checked the time. ¡°We¡¯ll have a welcome party for the princess. My treat. Come along if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Zhu Yun held back her impulse to burn off his hair and told him, ¡°Thanks, but there¡¯s no need.¡±


    Li Xun looked at her. ¡°Come on. Since I invited you, I can¡¯t let our princess feel unwelcome.¡±


    Did I kill your whole family in a previous life? Why must you attack me like this.


    Liu Sisi grabbed onto Li Xun. ¡°Where¡¯s the party? I want to go too.¡±


    Li Xun gave the name of the place, a nearby karaoke lounge. Liu Sisi obediently grabbed her phone and left the room to make a reservation.


    There was no use saying any more. Zhu Yun could only take her seat and wait for her classmantes to finish their work and give her a big welcoming.


    At 7 o¡¯clock, the group of six headed out.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know that the karaoke lounge was such a hot destination. All the rooms were booked that Friday evening, and their group had only gotten one because Liu Sisi was friends with one of the employees.


    The place was decorated nicely, but the soundproofing wasn¡¯t that great. Zhu Yun grew dizzy from the shrieking next door.


    Liu Sisi got ready to hog the mic on the stage. Indeed, Liu Sisi was worthy of being called an art student. She sang well and danced a bit as well. She seemed like a professional.


    Although this get-together was, in name, a welcome party for Zhu Yun, after the group finished a case of beer, Zhu Yun had yet to experience what it felt to be the ¡°main character.¡± She enjoyed the evening on her own, trying to listen to Liu Sisi¡¯s singing against all the background noise. Suddenly, a tall figure walked over with two bottles of beer.


    There really wasn¡¯t enough space. Li Xun took a seat and sat down on part of Zhu Yun¡¯s clothes. He handed her a bottle.


    Zhu Yun shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡±


    Li Xun didn¡¯t press her further and placed one of the beers on the table. Then he drank from his own bottle.


    Zhu Yun glanced over at Li Xun.


    While very noisy, the atmosphere was really quite nice. Li Xun looked to have drunk a bit and he seemed very relaxed.


    Zhu Yun took the chance to talk to Li Xun about the format for the seminar.


    ¡°Hey, uh, Li Xun.¡±


    Their surroundings were so loud that Li Xun didn¡¯t show any sign of having heard her.


    Zhu Yun mulled over the thought briefly before shouting into his ear, ¡°Li Xun!¡±


    Li Xun choked on his drink and cursed, ¡°Are you looking to die?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun decided to discuss things first, before apologizing. ¡°You should do her homework for her next time!¡±


    Li Xun looked at her.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°It only makes sense to do your own girlfriend¡¯s homework!¡±


    Li Xun smiled and responded, but Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t hear him clearly.


    ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    Li Xun repeated himself, but Zhu Yun still couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Speak louder¡ª!¡±


    The next second, Zhu Yun felt her collar tighten, and then her entire body was pulled over.


    The light scent of Li Xun¡¯s chest.


    Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? He smokes, drinks, dyes his hair, and engages in all sorts of debauchery, but he always smelled so clean.


    Boss Li¡¯s unruly voice sounded in her ear. ¡°What makes sense is for you to listen to my words.¡±


    Who do you think you are?


    Zhu Yun wordlessly got up. As she pushed herself up, her palm accidentally slipped on his thigh.


    Hic¡­


    Zhu Yun¡¯s eyes looked up. Li Xun sat on the sofa without a care, zero intent on moving. The colorful lights shining around the room reflected beautifully off his golden hair. Zhu Yun stared at him, wondering if he¡¯d be taken away without a word if the Anti-Vice Squad were to come right now.


    Li Xun asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± He spoke quietly, but Zhu Yun could make out his words by just looking at his lips.


    Zhu Yun shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    Li Xun leaned over to her, his monolids giving his features a particularly sharp appearance. ¡°Be more straightforward and people will like you more.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Li Xun turned and half jokingly asked the room, ¡°Hey, let me ask you guys. Are women better when they¡¯re a bit dumb?¡±


    Everyone was a bit drunk by then. After hearing Li Xun¡¯s words, Gao Jianhong was the first to raise his hand. ¡°Yes!¡± The others answered loyally.


    In the end, even Liu Sisi at the stage shouted into her mic, ¡°That¡¯s right! Dumb women are the best! Long live the dumb women¡ª!¡±


    ¡­These guys had all gone crazy.


    Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. She got up and bid the group farewell. ¡°I¡¯m heading out first. Enjoy the rest of your night.¡± She had to reconsider whether she was going to remain enrolled in the seminar group.


    After she put on her coat, she heard Li Xun call out, ¡°You¡¯re thinking up nonsensical things again.¡±


    No, my thoughts are quite reasonable and fitting.


    Li Xun motioned her over with his finger.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± After ten seconds of inner battle, Zhu Yun decided to tolerate him once more.


    She leaned over and Li Xun lazily said, ¡°Check your email when you get back.¡±


    What?


    After that, Li Xun payed no more care to Zhu Yun. He¡¯d turned back to play dice with Gao Jianhong.


    Zhu Yun returned to her dorm with a muddled head. She turned on her laptop and checked her inbox. There really was an email. The subject line read ¡°To the Princess, Her Highness.¡± Zhu Yun¡¯s nerves were skipping around. She clenched her teeth and opened the email. Then she stared at her screen.


    The contents of the email were very familiar. It was the recommendations function that she¡¯d helped Fang Shumiao write. But it was also different, like it had been edited.


    Compared to his appearance, Li Xun¡¯s code was very friendly, readable. After every edit he¡¯d made, he added detailed comments and explanations. It was like reading a textbook. Zhu Yun only had to stop a few times to look up more information; otherwise, she read through the comments smoothly in half an hour.


    Looking at his code was like listening to him speak. With just a glance, you could clearly see his intention and thought process, and even that high and mighty, needs a spanking attitude came through. There were no complicated tricks to his code, just the same as with his temper. Direct, clear, unobstructed, right there for you to see.


    Zhu Yun made herself a cup of coffee, and then she checked the send time on the email. 7 o¡¯clock that evening. 7 o¡¯clock¡­ Wasn¡¯t that right before they left school? So, had he spent that afternoon going through her code? That can¡¯t be right¡­ How did he know that she¡¯d written the function? When did he find out?


    Full of suspicions, Zhu Yun recalled Li Xun¡¯s carefree, smiling face. The image of him sitting in his chair, typing away on the keyboard. And finally, his head plopped down on the table.


    In any case, she figured she should forget about quitting (the group) for now.


    The next day was Saturday. Zhu Yun got up early and had a simple meal before heading over to the (seminar) project base. It was early, so she¡¯d thought that she¡¯d be the first on the scene. But when she walked inside the room, she saw Li Xun sleeping across two chairs.


    The room reeked of a hangover.


    Zhu Yun went to open a window, to let the air circulate. When she turned back, she noticed that Li Xun¡¯s shirt was revealing his waist because of his sleeping posture. He had one hand rested on top of his eyes, and the other rested over his abdomen.


    Were those chairs stable? They didn¡¯t look very stable¡­


    And his stomach was exposed. With the breeze from the window, would he wake up to a stomachache?


    Zhu Yun took a peak outside the room. The campus was still on this Saturday morning. Like Li Xun, everyone was still sleeping.


    Zhu Yun quietly walked over to him and grabbed hold of Li Xun¡¯s shirt, planning to pull it down.


    Nothing bad would happen, right? In more stories, something would happen at this point.


    Zhu Yun tried to keep her arms steady as she pulled down his shirt. Halfway through the process, Li Xun moved. Perhaps the moving fabric on his skin made him feel an itch. His hand moved from his face to scratch his stomach. And then, he woke himself up.


    Zhu Yun immediately pulled back her hand and looked at Li Xun as he opened his eyes. Her heart sighed.


    See? In stories, this is when something happens.


    Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t a big incident. Li Xun clearly hadn¡¯t slept enough. His face looked like he was constipated. He sat up, and his hair looked like a Super Saiyan¡¯s again. His brows were so tightly knit that they could crush a fly. He wasn¡¯t entirely awake yet, but the first thing he did was open his laptop and power it on.


    Do you really need to push yourself that much? Aren¡¯t you afraid of a sudden death?


    Li Xun¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t great. Zhu Yun decided not to provoke an active volcano, so she returned to her seat.


    Li Xun rubbed his face. Because he¡¯d been drinking and he hadn¡¯t slept enough, his eyes were a bit swollen. No matter how he rubbed, he couldn¡¯t rid himself of the grogginess. He walked over to the washroom to wash his face with cold water.


    When he returned to the room, his scary aura had already dissipated. He pulled up his shirt to wipe his face, but instead of a dry face, he ended up with a wet shirt and water drops on his face and hair.


    After sitting down, Li Xun bent over and quietly said, ¡°Lighter.¡±


    Zhu Yun handed the lighter on the table to him.


    Li Xun lit a cigarette.


    ¡°Tell me a joke.¡±


    His voice was rarely this rough and low.


    But¡­ Tell a joke?


    Zhu Yun turned to him. Li Xun was rubbing his temples as he spoke.


    ¡°To wake me up.¡±


    The morning campus was quiet. The sun wasn¡¯t high in the sky yet. The room was dim, gentle.


    Zhu Yun thought for a moment. Then she said, ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to smoke in the laboratory building.¡±


    Li Xun looked up from his hand. Zhu Yun was surprised to see his exhaustion had caused his eyes to become double-lidded. People with monolids were really a magical species.


    His lips curved up.


    ¡°That is a joke.¡±

 CH 10

    10. Chapter 10


    10


    Maybe it was because she was able to make Boss Li laugh, but Zhu Yun was finally fortunate enough to see the project details this day.


    The task list was very long. Zhu Yun looked over it quietly as Li Xun got up and leaned on the table next to her.


    ¡°You can earn up to two credits towards practical training. 0.2 for general items and 0.4 for special ones.¡±


    Zhu Yun raised her head and asked, ¡°What counts as a special item?¡±


    ¡°Things that make money.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Boss Li was standing very close to her, so she had to turn her head up to see his face.


    How was his skin so nice when he pulled so many all nighters?


    A frown on his face, Li Xun continued smoking, his eyes unable to stay open.


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°So, do the students get to keep all the money from this project?¡±


    ¡°Keep dreaming.¡± His hangover made his voice a bit coarse. He turned and looked at her, his still-wet shirt gently folded and resting in a heap below his waist. ¡°Do you know what a school-enterprise co-op is?¡±


    The classroom was still as a park in the early morning. Even the sun hadn¡¯t been there to disturb them. Zhu Yun was curious as to how they¡¯d chatted so natually until day arrived, as if they¡¯d been old friends.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zhu Yun said. ¡°Every department has something like it. Working together with an outside business.¡±


    ¡°Mmh. Of course, this would generally be an opportunity to earn some money, but the system isn¡¯t exactly an efficient one. By the time the money reachers the school, there isn¡¯t much left, and then that has to go towards the venue and management fees.¡±


    ¡°So all the money this project earns will go to the school?¡±


    ¡°Not quite. We get a split too.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡±


    Li Xun didn¡¯t answer. He pressed his cigarette butt onto a sheet of paper and then said, ¡°You want to earn some money?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Did I come here just to earn money?


    Zhu Yun politely replied, ¡°No, no. I was just asking.¡±


    Li Xun sat on the table, his long legs dragging on the floor. In his lazy way, he said, ¡°You¡¯re starting again. What are you pretending for? Just say what you want to say.¡±


    Zhu Yun had been acting courteously, but after Li Xun pricked at her, she automatically reacted. ¡°At the mention of money, you¡¯re suddenly so guarded. Just like your hair, your character is so crude.¡±


    After she spoke, the two of them were both dumbstruck.


    Flabbergasted, Li Xun said, ¡°Say that again?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°The refined and outstanding ** Zhu, say that again.¡± (t/n: In all cases that asterisks appear, it is because they were present in the original text.)


    A single slip could cause her everlasting sorrow. Who would come save her.


    ¡°It was a mistake.¡± In a quiet voice that couldn¡¯t be any quieter, Zhu Yun said, ¡°I need to go to the restroom.¡±


    With his long arms, Li Xun grabbed onto Zhu Yun¡¯s collar, nearly choking her to death.


    ¡°Why are you running away?¡± Li Xun asked from behind her.


    In a situation such as this, Zhu Yun truly felt that a man was a man and a woman a woman¡ªshe was speaking to physical strength. Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t pull free. Li Xun pinched at her neck, and she stiffly turned around.


    Those monolids again.


    Are you some kind of fucking god.


    ¡°What was that about my character? And my hair?¡±


    Zhu Yun blocked her neck and said, ¡°They¡¯re great, both of them¡­ I was just being ridiculous earlier. It was a mistake, really. A mistake.¡±


    A sound came from the hallway, giving Zhu Yun a fright. She whispered, ¡°Someone¡¯s coming! Let go!¡±


    Li Xun scoffed. ¡°Am I afraid of being seen? Or are you?¡±


    His grip was as stable as Mount Tai, calm and leisurely, no concern for the approaching sound.


    Just before the door opened, Zhu Yun gave a great push and strode back to her seat, burying her head in the project task list. Wu Mengxing walked into the room and saw Li Xun and Zhu Yun. He waved and greeted them. Then he grabbed a broom and started cleaning the room.


    Li Xun yawned. Then he said to Zhu Yun, ¡°Forget that. Bring your things over here. You¡¯ll work with me.¡±


    Zhu Yun lowered her head and responded shortly, ¡°Okay,¡± before flipping closed the papers in her hand.


    One after another, people drifted into the room. When Gao Jianhong arrived, his face showed his exhaustion. He¡¯d wanted to sit and rest a bit, but Li Xun pulled him up and also called Zhu Yun over for a meeting.


    Zhu Yun finally saw the contents of Li Xun¡¯s laptop. His desktop was very clean. No games, not even project files or school documents. Zhu Yun suspected that his computer was just filled with compilers and software plugins.


    Zhu Yun already knew that the project was for Languan Company, so Li Xun gave her a rundown on the progress so far.


    ¡°You two can work on the functions a bit. They don¡¯t have to be too detailed yet. Just make sure to have a clear vision with them. We can work on them more in depth after getting the contract with the company next week.


    Zhu Yun looked at Li Xun. ¡°The contract hasn¡¯t been signed yet?¡±


    Gao Jianhong responded, ¡°Not yet. But I¡¯ve already looked into our biggest competitor, and they are of very mediocre quality. We should be able to win the contract.¡± With a laugh, he nudged Li Xun. ¡°The great chief engineer, we¡¯ll count on you.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked over to see Top Score Li give a composed smile.


    After she returned to her seat, Zhu Yun suddenly had a thought¡ªso, right now, she was part of the core development team?


    In the following days, Li Xun concentrated on planning the framework while Li Xun and Gao Jianhong prepared a website template. The pile of books on Zhu Yun¡¯s desk grew larger while the hours of sleep she got descreased. And yet, her excitement only increased.


    On Wednesday, Li Xun arranged for the three of them to be excused from class. Together with Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong, the group headed to Languan Company.


    Languan¡¯s factory was located in the suburbs, so Zhu Yun had looked up the bus routes in advance. But the day of their meeting, Young Master Li hailed down a taxi and spent 500 dollars on it for the day.


    They left at 7 in the morning, and twenty minutes later, the taxi got off the Second Elevated Loop (Highway) and started heading down a small road. There was construction on the roads, so the group spent more than an hour being shaken to and fro, as if riding on a boat.


    Zhu Yun had worried that they¡¯d be very busy in the morning, so she¡¯d padded her stomach with two buns before they left. In the end, she threw everything up halfway through their journey. Fortunately, the taxi driver stopped for a bit, so at least she didn¡¯t vomit in the car.


    Gao Jianhong crouched down beside Zhu Yun and asked with concern, ¡°Are you okay? How can you vomit this much?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s face was very pale. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Li Xun stood further away, his arms crossed. ¡°Must be the nerves.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s eyes were red from vomitting. She raised her head and glared at him.


    Li Xun said, ¡°Just look at yourself.¡±


    Gao Jianhong couldn¡¯t help jumping in, ¡°Can you just be quiet? She¡¯s already suffering.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s breathing was uneven. She¡¯d already thrown up everything inside her stomach. Otherwise, she would have saved a bit for his face.


    Li Xun tossed a bottle of water to her. ¡°Hurry and finish vomitting. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After their journey continued, Zhu Yun¡¯s stomach started feeling better. She looked up and saw Li Xun in the passenger seat, continuously yawning. Zhu Yun took a deep breath. This time, he was right. She was a bit nervous.


    They finally arrived at their destination around 8:30. The scene outside the car was a large, open space. The factory was made up of three buildings. The inner most one was the tallest and it seemed to be the office building. While the factory was large, it didn¡¯t seem particularly conventional. The passing workers moved without hurry, much like people out shopping.


    After they got off the car, Li Xun made a call. Shortly after, an employee came out to escort the trio.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here already. Why are you so late?¡±


    Gao Jianhong quickly spoke up, ¡°We apologize. There was construction on the road.¡±


    The employee said, ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting all day. Hurry up.¡± He led the group to the innermost building. It was very empty, and when they stepped inside, they felt a chill. Standing in the corridor, you could see the dust against the sunlight.


    This was a food processing plant¡­?


    When they arrived on the third floor, they finally felt a bit of liveliness. On either side of the stairs sat a flower pot with twisting wealth plants. They walked into the conference room from the back door. Inside, someone was making a presentation.


    There were 20-something people inside the room. Sitting at the front were four men in suits and formal attire. They were the boss(es) of Languan and top-level engineers. Behind them were rows of software company employees, waiting to make their pitch.


    After arriving to the room, the employee who escorted them took his leave. Zhu Yun sat down and listened attentively to the current presentation.


    When her nerves started to dissipate and she calmed down, Zhu Yun noticed a problem¡­ The man at the front was presenting a cool user interface (UI), talking about powerful function analysis, and the company¡¯s bright future. But¡­


    You¡¯re trying to land a programming contract. What do you mean by giving a Powerpoint presentation?


    The material they¡¯d presented had all been downloaded from the net; their functions were ripped from other sites. They didn¡¯t have any vision whatsoever. Zhu Yun frowned as she looked at the spokesperson with saliva spitting out from their mouth. Finally, she realized that he didn¡¯t even have the most basic of plans set.


    She felt warm air by her ear. Zhu Yun turned her head to see the blond devil at her right, his arms crossed, leaning over to her.


    Quietly, she asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Upon closer inspection, Zhu Yun discovered that Li Xun¡¯s eyelids weren¡¯t strictly monolid. At the edge of his eyelids, they split a bit. Thin and delicate, they looked really nice. When soft, they were like a swallow¡¯s tail. When intense, they were like a scissor¡¯s blades.


    He smiled and asked her, ¡°Still nervous?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Doesn¡¯t seem like it.


    As the presentations continued, Zhu Yun relaxed. Because she¡¯d already seen Li Xun¡¯s code.


    It was finally their turn. Top Score Li pulled his laptop out from his backpack and got up. He walked to the front without a single warning, so Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t even able to say ¡°good luck.¡±


    He was at the front making his presentation. That carefree voice that was neither high nor low eased all her emotions. As Zhu Yun listened, she started to forget what he¡¯d said, and she just watched him.


    How many nights had it been since he¡¯d slept? Often times, Zhu Yun would leave the practice base, and Li Xun would still be working. Like he¡¯d said in the beginning¡ª¡±There¡¯s no set time. When you¡¯re free, come by. I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    He was dressed in an ordinary grey shirt, and his head of hair was the only bright point on his body. Li Xun¡¯s stature was tall, shooting up like a young bamboo tree. Only, he never raised his head properly. When he sat, he would curl up and nestle into his seat. When he stood, his back would be slightly hunched over.


    Zhu Yun looked at him. And then, she pulled her phone out from her jacket and took a photo.


    Gao Jianhong looked over at her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun put down her phone and said, ¡°Nothing. I just thought¡­ this would be a good momento.¡±


    Gao Jianhong smiled and turned back to the front. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Aside from the initial commotion at his hair, Li Xun¡¯s presentation progressed without a hitch. Their presentation was the shortest, but they earned the most technical questions. Li Xun¡¯s vision was very clear and thorough, so he was able to answer all the questions satisfactorily.


    The old boss didn¡¯t understand programming. With a frown, he said, ¡°Your interface doesn¡¯t look very attractive.¡± The engineer beside him quickly whispered a few sentences into his ear, and then the boss nodded, brows still furrowed.


    Li Xun grabbed his laptop and walked back to his seat. Zhu Yun shot him a thumbs up. The corner of Li Xun¡¯s mouth curved up, arrogant as ever.


    They were the final group to present, and then the boss gave a final speech. He spoke seriously for a bit. After letting everyone know that they would be contacted at a later date, he dismissed them all. Zhu Yun and co followed the crowd out. Suddenly, she noticed a man.


    Standing at the side was a thin, young man.


    Then her collar was pulled by Li Xun. ¡°You¡¯re going to walk into the wall.¡±


    Zhu Yun quietly whispered to Li Xun and Gao Jianhong. ¡°Look at that guy over there.¡± She slyly pointed over to the young man. ¡°Don¡¯t you think he looks familiar?¡±


    Gao Jianhong shook his head. ¡°Never seen him.¡±


    Zhu Yun frowned. ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before.¡±


    Li Xun said, ¡°If you like him, go ask him. Your taste is pretty bad though.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    As they made a turn, Zhu Yun suddenly stopped in her steps. ¡°I remember.¡±


    Li Xun squinted at her.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°I saw him when I went with Fang Shumiao to her meeting. He¡¯s a graduate student in our department.¡±

 CH 11

    Overgrown Grassland


    11. Chapter 11


    ¡°He¡¯s a graduate student in our department.¡±


    Li Xun didn¡¯t react. Gao Jianhong at least asked, ¡°A graduate student?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He was really ugly and thin as a skeleton, so he¡¯d left a deep impression on Zhu Yun.


    Gao Jianhong thought for a moment. Then he asked, ¡°Do you remember who his advisor is?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Fang Shumiao.¡±


    Gao Jianhong looked at Li Xun, who was lighting up a cigarette. He looked up and said, ¡°What are you doing hanging around here? Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    When they got back to school, Zhu Yun quickly found Fang Shumiao to question her.


    ¡°Who? What graduate student?¡± Fang Shumiao had entirely forgotten.


    ¡°When you went to that representative meeting, weren¡¯t there a bunch of other people as well? It ended really late, so I went to pick you up.¡± Zhu Yun did her best to help her friend remember. Fang Shumiao was licking her lollipop as her eyes floated up.


    ¡°Ah! The skeleton!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the skeleton. He¡¯s a graduate student in our department, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Han¡­ What was his name?¡± Fang Shumiao took a bite off her lollipop. ¡°He¡¯s not a student rep though. He was there as stand-in for his advisor.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s his advisor?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, but it was a female professor. Why do you ask?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head. Fang Shumiao asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been really busy with the Student Union recently, so I haven¡¯t had a chance to drop by the project base. How are things? Did you guys get the contract?¡±


    Zhu Yun responded. ¡°We¡¯re waiting for the notifications, but it should¡­¡±


    It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?


    Well, that she didn¡¯t know. The next day, the skeleton graduate student came to visit their seminar group.


    His name was Han Jiakang. After arriving, he called Li Xun out to talk for quite a long time. Zhu Yun hadn¡¯t yet figured out the situation when it was time for her afternoon class.


    Li Xun didn¡¯t return during their C class, and Old Lin didn¡¯t ask about him. Just before class ended, Zhu Yun saw that there was a female professor waiting outside the classroom who greeted Old Lin. Old Lin instructed Zhu Yun to take care of the class assignments, and then he walked away with the female professor after class.


    Zhu Yun was still untangling the situation when Gao Jianhong walked up from the back of the room. He sat down in Li Xun¡¯s seat and said, ¡°We hit it.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Hit what?¡±


    Gao Jianhong replied, ¡°The project.¡± (t/n: I think he¡¯s saying they won the contract.)


    When Zhu Yun had seen Han Jiakang at Languan yesterday, she¡¯d suspected as much. Gao Jianhong was simply confirming what she already thought.


    ¡°We really saw a demon,¡± Gao Jianhong cursed. His eyes darted around the now empty room, and he quietly spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Zhang Xiaobei. She used to work in the automation industry. Don¡¯t know who she¡¯s got a relationship with at this school, but she came in as an associate professor this year.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Automation? How did she end up in the computer department then?¡±


    Gao Jianhong sneered. ¡°What kind of profits could she have earned from that old lab. She changed professions.¡±


    When Zhu Yun didn¡¯t respond, Gao Jianhong asked her a baffling question. ¡°Do you know how much can be gained from this project?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head, so Gao Jianhong traced two numbers on the table for her to see.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    She¡¯d wrongly accused Li Xun. He wasn¡¯t being crude at all. It was only natural to be a bit guarded when it came to money.


    Li Xun didn¡¯t show up to their next two classes. Zhu Yun¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t in it either, but she pushed through the rest of her classes before grabbing her backpack to return to the project base.


    The blond devil was sitting in his chair, typing up code as usual. Zhu Yun walked over to him and Li Xun looked up. When he saw her, he pointed to something on the desk. Zhu Yun picked up a sheet of paper, an official set of requirements and the timetable for the project.


    ¡°The green part is yours. This is a strict timetable.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked over the contents roughly. ¡°Why are so many items missing now?¡±


    Li Xun seemed to have mistyped something. He pressed the backspace button with his pinky, and then he placed his laptop on the table. He stretched his legs. Li Xun rubbed his eyes and asked, ¡°Is Gao Jianhong here yet?¡±


    Just then, Gao Jianhong walked into the room and said, ¡°Here.¡±


    Li Xun motioned for him to come over.


    Gao Jianhong put down his bag. ¡°Are we having a meeting?¡±


    Li Xun said, ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Not long after, a group of people walked in. The group was led by Zhang Xiaobei and Old Lin. Behind them were Han Jiakang and several other older students. Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong subconsciously straightened their backs. Li Xun opened the door to the classroom next door and a row of people walked inside and sat down.


    Zhu Yun looked over to Zhang Xiaobei. Her makeup was light, her stature was tall, and she had long hair. Her expression appeared good-natured.


    Old Mr Lin rubbed his hands together and smiled. He said, ¡°I¡¯ve brought together our two groups for one main purpose. Our seminar group has recently been contracted to outsource a software project. It just so happens that Teacher Zhang¡¯s graduate students also signed on to this project. Teacher Zhang and I just had a discussion, and we came to the conclusion that both groups should join forces and cooperate with each other! You lot can learn from your seniors as well. As for who the project head will be, we should leave that to Teacher Zhang. After all, the graduate department would be a bit more experienced.¡±


    None of the students spoke a word. Then, Zhang Xiaobei said, ¡°The point is that this was a coincidence. Director Liu was on a business trip at the trip and my students were also busy with their other work, so we weren¡¯t able to communicate well. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be in this kind of situation.¡±


    Zhu Yun glanced behind her. Han Jiakang¡¯s expression was even and calm while he sat at the back of the room.


    Old Lin said, ¡°There¡¯s no problem. Working together is a good thing too. You can benefit from each other¡¯s strengths as well as make up for each other¡¯s shortfalls. It will be good for my students to get along with others¡ª¡± He pointed to Li Xun. ¡°A temper that¡¯s so high into the skies needs to be dragged back down to earth.¡±


    Li Xun scratched his chin. Even if Old Lin didn¡¯t say it directly, everyone could hear his flaunting, praise-filled voice.


    Zhao Xiaobei looked at Li Xun. ¡°This must be Old Lin¡¯s favorite pupil. Your name precedes you.¡± Her eyes curved as she chuckled. ¡°One look and I can see that Old Lin¡¯s students are not ordinary.¡±


    Old Mr Lin waved away her praise. ¡°No, no. He¡¯s like a wolf cub. When he starts working, even I grow scared of him!¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei laughed again.


    Then Old Lin pointed to Zhu Yun. ¡°If you need anything, please bring it up with my class representative. She¡¯s very reliable.¡± Taken by surprise, Zhu Yun quickly turned to Zhang Xiaobei and nodded.


    After a bit more discussion, Old Mr Lin excused himself as he had a class to attend.


    Zhang Xiaobei turned to Li Xun and said, ¡°Though you¡¯re all undergraduate students, Teacher Lin has told me you¡¯re quite outstanding. Working on this project will be good practice for you. If you run into any troubles or difficulties, you can come to find me. You can also seek out your seniors. There¡¯s no need to feel bothersome.¡±


    Li Xun nodded his head leisurely.


    ¡°Alright then. Han Jiakang, you stay behind to discuss a bit more. Everyone else, get back and start working. Life is about efficiency!¡±


    There were only four people remaining.


    Skeleton Senior still had a calm expression on his face. ¡°Do you guys have any questions?¡±


    Li Xun shook his head.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be leaving too.¡± He pulled out a pen and paper, and then he wrote down a string of numbers. ¡°This is my number. Save it. If you have any questions, you can call me.¡± He got up, about to leave.


    Suddenly, Zhu Yun asked, ¡°When did you guys register?¡±


    Han Jiakang turned back.


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°The companies listed on the participants list didn¡¯t seem to have your names on it.¡±


    Han Jiakang examined her.


    Zhu Yun laughed and continued, ¡°If we knew there would be graduate students leading the team, we wouldn¡¯t have worked so hard.¡± She turned to Li Xun. ¡°Right? So many all-nighters was tough work.¡±


    Li Xun slowly nodded.


    Han Jiakang¡¯s tensed brows relaxed. He said, ¡°When registration opened, we were busy with another matter. Even though registration closed later on, with our advisor¡¯s help, the company accommodated us.¡±


    Silence.


    Han Jiakang continued, ¡°Although we didn¡¯t make a presentation that day, our materials had already been prepared. Teacher Zhang¡¯s intent was for us not to get worked up with internal conflict, as it would just waste our resources.¡±


    More silence.


    Han Jiakang¡¯s bony face didn¡¯t betray any other emotions. ¡°Any more questions?¡±


    Everyone was looking at Li Xun. He slowly shook his head.


    Han Jiakang left.


    Li Xun straightened up and yawned. Beside him, Gao Jianhong also got up from his chair. His expression didn¡¯t look good as he said, ¡°Li Xun, let¡¯s talk a minute.¡± Li Xun followed Gao Jianhong out to talk, and Zhu Yun started playing games on her phone.


    By the time their afternoon class started, Zhu Yun had already looked up some information about Zhang Xiaobei. She was 32 years old this year. Her passage into this school had gone very smoothly and she¡¯d been promoted quickly. She didn¡¯t have any particular achievements, and despite being an associate professor, she¡¯d never published a single individual paper in any of the core scientific journals.


    As Zhu Yun rested on the desk, her body and mind both felt very tired. All her exhaustion had piled up and was pressing down on her now. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


    When she opened her eyes, the sky was dark. Gao Jianhong had gone off somewhere, but Li Xun was leaning against the windowsill, smoking.


    Perhaps it was to keep from suffocating Zhu Yun to death, or perhaps he just wanted to feel the breeze, but Li Xun was standing at the window, very far from her. If not for the smoke floating around, she¡¯d have thought the scene before her was a painting.


    ¡°Li Xun?¡±


    Li Xun looked over. ¡°The reliable class representative is awake?¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    She walked over to him as he put out his smoke. It had just rained outside and the air smelled of moistened earth.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gao Jianhong?¡±


    ¡°He went to do some work.¡±


    Zhu Yun was taken aback.


    Li Xun looked at her and asked, ¡°What, did you think he wouldn¡¯t work anymore?¡± Zhu Yun didn¡¯t say anything. That was precisely what she had thought.


    Li Xun lazily leaned against the windowsill and laughed.


    The view out the window was nice. There was a bamboo forest. Dark green leaves, a grey shirt, golden hair, and incandescent lights. Once again, it seemed as if they¡¯d become old friends.


    Li Xun had his arms crossed. He glanced over to her and said, ¡°He said everything he wanted to say. If you have anything you want to say, go ahead.¡±


    Zhu Yun was quiet.


    Li Xun laughed. ¡°Again? If you have something to say¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you just going to do it?¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s brows jumped. ¡°Mmh?¡±


    Zhu Yun turned to him. ¡°Teacher Lin has always been focused with academic research, so he¡¯s never dealt with these kinds of dishonest practices. He doesn¡¯t know, but surely you know what that Zhang Xiaobei did. She¡¯s even going to be the project leader. So, are we just going to work for her? I¡¯ve been hearing about advisors like this for a long time. We don¡¯t have to give in so easily. There must be some other way of resolving things. Even without them, with our abilities, finishing this website wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    When she finished, Li Xun smiled. ¡°Her Highness, the princess, is full of confidence.¡±


    It was the first time that Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t affected by his teasing.


    Her back heated up. Who invested the most into this project? Who made the plans for it? Who spent days and nights working on it? Who built the solid framework for it?


    How could he still joke at a time like this?


    Zhu Yun tried to find even the smallest trace of anger on his face, but she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡±


    ¡°Why would I be angry?¡±


    You¡¯re always looking down on this and on that, so why are you so afraid now that you¡¯ve hit a hard wall?¡ªOf course, she kept such mocking commentary to herself. She couldn¡¯t say it. If just for the fact that he¡¯d spent so many nights working for this project, she couldn¡¯t say it.


    Zhu Yun felt like she was suffocating, and she couldn¡¯t help turning to the side.


    After several minutes of silence, Li Xun bent over. ¡°Did you cry?¡±


    Zhu Yun turned and glared at him.


    Li Xun said, ¡°Your eyes are all red.¡±


    I was holding back!


    Li Xun smiled. The sound of swishing bamboo leaves in the wind came from outside the window. While Zhu Yun remained quiet, Li Xun asked quietly, ¡°Princess, have you seen evil people before?¡±

 CH 12

    12. Chapter 12


    What did that mean? Evil people? How bad did a person have to be for them to be considered evil?


    Before waiting for a response, Zhu Yun heard Li Xun say, ¡°Right now, you¡¯re like a tire without any air.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­.¡±


    How was she supposed to respond to that? Her attack power had truly decreased.


    Li Xun walked away and said, ¡°Go get some work done. You¡¯ve already wasted an entire afternoon.¡±


    But Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t recover her excitement. She suddenly felt that she¡¯d spent a lot of energy on this seminar project. Even her last year in high school had never been this tiring. A tightly wound string had been released. That desperation and exhaustion that hadn¡¯t bothered her before was now falling down on her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a break today,¡± Zhu Yun said.


    Li Xun stopped at the door. The atmostphere felt a bit strange. A few seconds later, Li Xun turned back around and walked up to Zhu Yun. He grabbed onto her shoulders.


    The depth of emotion Zhu Yun saw in his eyes caused her inner soul to tremble.


    Li Xun spoke quietly, deeply, ¡°Zhu Yun, do you know this?¡±


    What?


    ¡°Everything in the world can only maintain its original form at the very beginning. As time moves forward, those things will diverge from their original form.¡±


    That made sense.


    ¡°But those things are still worth the effort we put into them.¡±


    Why?


    ¡°Because with our hard work, we can keep those things from changing too greatly.¡±


    Is that so.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Mmh¡­


    Zhu Yun looked into Li Xun¡¯s sincere eyes. She could only lift her head and nod. Just as she started to nod though, Li Xun¡¯s expression had returned to that of an arrogant young master.


    ¡°So just get angry a bit, but don¡¯t think of doing anymore than that.¡±


    He stuffed his hands into his pants pockets, and a pair of cutting eyes looked down at her. Quietly, he threatened, ¡°If you dare drop out (of this project), I¡¯ll have to kill you.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    In order to avoid death, Zhu Yun returned to the project base to get working.


    As the computer booted up, she looked over at Gao Jianhong. He¡¯d been concentrating awhile before he finally noticed her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Did Li Xun give you some chicken soup yet?¡±


    Gao Jianhong stopped typing. He tried to restrain his laughter. Quietly, he replied, ¡°Mmh¡­ Nearly scared me to death.¡±


    Agreed.


    That evening, Zhu Yun¡¯s work was moving along very inefficiently, but still, she didn¡¯t leave until late. When she finally left, Li Xun was still curled up in his chair, typing away, just as before.


    The night was quiet after a rainstorm.


    As Zhu Yun passed the sports field, she walked over to it. The grass was wet. The field was empty. She looked around a bit, and then changed her course and headed to a print shop in the residential area.


    ¡°What would you like to print?¡±


    ¡°A photo.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your USB?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on my phone. Do you have a cable?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. How many?¡±


    ¡°Just one.¡±


    She printed out the photo she¡¯d taken of Li Xun at the Languan presentation. Then, she placed it into the deepest recess of her backpack. It was very useful.


    When she returned to the project base the next day, all her weariness had worn away. She didn¡¯t feel as tired as she had after their meeting with Han Jiakang the previous day. And she wasn¡¯t like a shriveled up tire, unable to recover her excitement for any task. Her face was gleaming and her spirit was alive.


    This was much better than chicken soup. She was basically carrying an energy source on her back at all times.


    The collaboration with Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s lab began.


    Because Old Mr Lin¡¯s lessons required much preparation, and because he had the utmost faith in Li Xun, he left the seminar project in Li Xun¡¯s care from the start. He only dropped by the project base if any problems arose.


    Zhang Xiaobei, on the other hand, was very different. She put a lot of effort into both her lab and the seminar group. She wanted to treat everything with fairness, so she stopped by the project base every day, whether or not there were any issues. She was concerned about the progress. She made suggestions on changes. She would test pages. And then, she would bring each day¡¯s completed materials back to her lab to integrate together with the rest of the project.


    These steady, though busy, days continued. At first, everything seemed to be progressing wihout a hitch, but then problems slowly started to appear.


    The first big project that Zhang Xiaobei undertook was the frontend aesthetics. Advisor Zhang¡¯s favorite thing was changing the color of the dialogue boxes.


    Zhu Yun was in charge of the UI. When she received a draft from the lab, she immediately wrote up the the necessary plugin and components. But not long after, another draft would arrive. Colors, sizes, form details all underwent changes. In the end, Zhu Yun ended up rewriting the entire plugin. After several rounds of this torture, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    She sought out Li Xun and explained the situation. Li Xun put down his laptop and gave a call to Han Jiakang.


    Han Jiakang¡¯s expressionless skeleton face was the same as ever. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Li Xun asked him to relay to Zhang Xiaobei that Languan¡¯s representative would be coming, in the near future, to check up on the progress of this project. He indicated to Han Jiakang that, if if the team didn¡¯t even have a completed page to show to the representative, things would unfortunately look very bad.


    Han Jiakang made no responses as he listened quietly.


    Zhu Yun noticed that Han Jiakang¡¯s steps seemed to falter on his way out, as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, he left without a word.


    After that, the chaotic situation seemed to improve. The Languan representative visited several times, and each time it was Zhang Xiaobei who greeted him.


    Li Xun¡¯s pace quickened.


    Zhu Yun started to suspect that he didn¡¯t need to sleep. During the day, he went to his classes. And then the rest of the time, he holed himself up inside the project base, surrounded with books and documents.


    And Zhu Yun seemed to have been injected with chicken blood. (t/n: to be very energetic and excited) Her objectives were set and her vision was clear. She felt as if she¡¯d been tied up with a rope, a rope whose ends were in Li Xun¡¯s hands.


    As Li Xun worked faster, Zhu Yun would increase her pace to match. If he wasn¡¯t tired, she wasn¡¯t tired.


    After the initial planning, work progressed according to schedule. The coordination with the company was smooth as well. Zhang Xiaobei was in a good mood, so one day, she sent Han Jiakang down to the project base with a box of imported snacks to reward the seminar group. Everyone cheered with joy.


    Aside from the three core members, none of the students in the seminar group were privy to the details of the project with Languan. All they knew was that the team was working together with some graduate students, and now, the graduate advisor had sent over rewards, which everyone happily accepted.


    From the pile of snacks, Zhu Yun looked over at Li Xun.


    As usual. Staring at the screen with a grave expression, as usual.


    Buckled down to the computer with an arrogant demeanor. Turning the computer on with indifference. Zhu Yun took a bite of a piece of dried mango, wondering which of Li Xun¡¯s appearances frustrated people more.


    Her final conclusion¡ªthey were about the same.


    ¡°What kind of story are you writing up about me now?¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­.¡±


    Do you have some type of listening device inside my head or something?!


    Li Xun looked up and glanced at her.


    Wu Mengxing walked over to ask him a question.


    After listening to him, Li Xun smiled and said, ¡°Packaging? You¡¯ll have to ask Zhu Yun about packaging.¡± Zhu Yun was calmly eating dried mango, and a confused expression crossed Wu Mengxing¡¯s face.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Our class rep is a packaging genius. She could write a novel with the things she keeps to herself. She doesn¡¯t say or let people see anything.¡± He nodded to Zhu Yun. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    My ass, you¡¯re right.


    Li Xun pointed to her. ¡°Look, she¡¯s doing it again.¡± Zhu Yun remained calm and composed. She immediately looked away from him. Then, Li Xun called out to her, ¡°Come over here.¡±


    Who are you calling for?


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you.¡±


    Zhu Yun turned around. Li Xun pointed to the pile of snacks and said, ¡°Pick some of the good ones and pack them¡ª¡±


    Zhu Yun cut in, ¡°You want to keep them for midnight snacks?¡±


    Li Xun continued, ¡°And then send them over to Liu Sisi.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s face looked like it was paralyzed for five seconds. Then she nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    But on that subject¡­ As she packed away some snacks, she asked Li Xun, ¡°I haven¡¯t done her homework in awhile. Has she become self-reliant?¡± Li Xun was busy typing away. She wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d heard her.


    ¡°This is from Li Xun.¡±


    ¡°Mmh, thanks.¡±


    Zhu Yun casually asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been coming to the project base recently?¡±


    ¡°We broke up.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Although she¡¯d heard rumors that Li Xun changed girlfriends very quickly, seeing the results with her own eyes was a different experience.


    ¡°Broke up?¡±


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Liu Sisi pouted.


    The image of Liu Sisi singing at the karaoke bar suddenly floated into Zhu Yun¡¯s mind, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit sad.


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t look torn up over it, but Zhu Yun still felt the desire to comfort her. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be sad. In the future¡­¡± She stopped in the middle of her words.


    In the future, things will be better.


    Will things be better in the future? Of course. Gentle and proper boys. Kind and modest boys. ¡­There were a lot of them.


    So why did you stop speaking?


    While Zhu Yun was having her own inner monologue, Liu Sisi said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not sad. I dumped him.¡±


    Zhu Yun was quiet.


    ¡°Really.¡± Liu Sisi was worried that Zhu Yun wouldn¡¯t believe her, so she added, ¡°He had a lot of girlfriends in the past, but they were all the ones who dumped him.¡±


    This¡­


    So the amazing Top Score Li also had a side to him that others didn¡¯t know about.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t pursue anyone, and he doesn¡¯t dump anyone. Of course, he doesn¡¯t stay with anyone. It¡¯s always the girls who come and go.¡± Liu Sisi smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t things so simple with him?¡±


    Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Why did you leave?¡±


    Although his temper could use some improvement, in all honesty, once you got used to that golden head of his, Boss Li was actually pretty handsome.


    ¡°Nothing in particular.¡± Liu Sisi leaned against a Yulan tree and looked at the courtyard in front of the art institute. ¡°Actually, when I first asked him out, I hadn¡¯t thought about it much. It was just because he was handsome. He¡¯s the same. He just dates so he can relax and alleviate some of his stress.¡± Liu Sisi looked back to Zhu Yun. ¡°You know, when we were together, none of our phone calls ever lasted more than three minutes. If I wanted to find him, I¡¯d have to go to your practice base.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Liu Sisi said, ¡°It was fine in the beginning, but after the freshness wore off, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m not being arrogant; I have a lot of suitors too, okay. It¡¯s just, who could stand being holed up in front of the computer, day after day?¡±


    Zhu Yun thought about it, and then she said, ¡°You could talk with him.¡±


    Liu Sisi didn¡¯t respond immediately. The wind blew gently. The flowers on the Yulan had mostly fallen already.


    Liu Sisi said, ¡°I¡¯ve had a decent number of relationships in the past.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°Mmh.¡±


    Liu Sisi continued, ¡°Boys are actually pretty easy to understand. Who¡¯s genuine and who¡¯s fake. Who you can date a short while and who you could spend your life with. I can see all that.¡±


    Liu Sisi straightened up a bit. ¡°Boys who excite you and boys who move you fall under two different types. Forget it. You don¡¯t have to comfort me. We had an amicable breakup, and no one owes the other anything.¡± Then she seemed to suddenly remember something. ¡°Oh yeah, his new girlfriend is from the broadcasting school. She¡¯s a better student than me, so you probably won¡¯t have to help her with her homework.¡±


    Zhu Yun really didn¡¯t know what to do next.


    Liu Sisi accepted the bag of snacks, and then she said, ¡°Is studying programming hard?¡±


    Huh? Why suddenly ask that?


    Zhu Yun responded, ¡°It¡¯s alright. If your math and English skills are good, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Liu Sisi cut in. ¡°Stop. Those are the words I hate the most. I¡¯ll be going then.¡±


    As she watched Liu Sisi rummage through the bag of snacks happily, Zhu Yun sighed. No wonder Li Xun said he liked ¡°dumb girls.¡± They really weren¡¯t so bad. Easygoing and simple to deal with. After a breakup, a bag of snacks could put a great big smile on her face. And then, the two of them would have nothing to do with each other anymore.


    When she returned to the practice base, she saw Li Xun, who looked just as he had before she left. He hadn¡¯t even changed positions.


    Zhu Yun went to report to him. ¡°I gave them to her, and she liked them.¡±


    Li Xun responded, ¡°Mmh,¡± as he typed away on the keyboard. Zhu Yun took a glance at what he was working on. Li Xun was tidying up the code that she and Gao Jianhong had written. Originally, Zhu Yun had wanted to bring up Liu Sisi to him, but seeing his focused expression, she just swallowed the rest of her words.

 CH 13

    Overgrown Grassland


    13. Chapter 13


    13


    One day, sometime when the project had progressed halfway, Han Jiakang came to the practice base. His attitude on that day seemed a bit different from before. His head was low, and he looked a bit hesitant.


    Li Xun waited ages, but Han Jiakang still didn¡¯t speak.


    Zhu Yun snuck a glance from the side. He hadn¡¯t come to deliver another of those rotten ideas, had he? Oh please God, say he hadn¡¯t.


    After dawdling awhile, Han Jiakang finally said, ¡°Can I work here with you guys?¡± He seemed a bit apologetic as he spoke softly. Only those right beside him could hear his words. Gao Jianhong and Zhu Yun exchanged glances, and then they looked at Li Xun.


    Han Jiakang quickly added, ¡°Just for this project. Because¡­ I¡¯m pretty much the only one on our side working on it. Running back and forth isn¡¯t very efficient. If we¡¯re in the same place, it¡¯ll be easier to communicate.¡±


    That would¡­indeed increase efficiency.


    Li Xun scratched his face. Then he pointed to the last empty spot at the table.


    Han Jiakang sighed in relief. ¡°I¡¯ll go get my things then, and I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    The three of them were sitting together, with Zhu Yun between the boys. After Han Jiakang left, Li Xun got up and told Zhu Yun, ¡°Switch seats with me.¡±


    Ah? As Zhu Yun packed up her things, she couldn¡¯t help wondering why. Was he still bothered that his project had been stolen away, and so he didn¡¯t want to have to look at Han Jiakang?


    Li Xun packed up his laptop and switched seats with Zhu Yun. Then he said to Gao Jianhong, ¡°Since you two are sitting next to him, study him when he works. He¡¯s very skilled with front-end development, and he has a great understanding of HTML and CSS. Looking at his layouts, he should have some background in design. Learn from him.¡±


    Li Xun kicked Zhu Yun¡¯s shoe under the table and asked with some contempt, ¡°What are you zoning out for? Especially you. Don¡¯t just spend every day thinking about how well things perform. Are you really female? Can¡¯t you put some effort into appearances?¡±


    Hey, I¡¯m pretty good looking.


    Do you even know my three measurements, you asshole. If I took my glasses off and put on some makeup, all those other girls like Liu Sisi would have to stand on the sidelines.


    Li Xun asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡­Nothing.


    Zhu Yun silently returned to writing code. A short while later, Han Jiakang returned to the base with his belongings.


    At first, Zhu Yun had been apprehensive about Skeleton Senior, but later, slowly, she came to realize that things weren¡¯t like she¡¯d originally imagined.


    Han Jiakang¡¯s work ethic could rival Li Xun¡¯s. Moreover, just as Li Xun had said, his abilities shouldn¡¯t be underestimated, especially when it came to front-end development. Zhu Yun watched as he programmed and found out that those colorful embellishments on the page weren¡¯t from some kind of template. He was writing those things all out.


    When Han Jiakang first started, he was rather quiet. As he got to know everyone, he became more cheerful. Even after Han Jiakang arrived, well, Li Xun still took on the biggest workload. But Han Jiakang was full of knowledge and very willing to help. Most importantly, his attitude was tiers above many other smart kids.


    Before even a week had passed, Wu Mengxing and the rest of the seminar group were warmly embracing their senior.


    The days grew colder as autumn arrived.


    On one cool evening, the project was finally completed.


    That evening, a trip was made to the Languan headquarters. Zhang Xiaobei included, there were five people headed to meet with the representative from Languan. Sitting beside the computer, their discussion lasted into the night. They went around the group and took turns speaking. A final test was conducted, and they discussed subsequent maintenance updates as well. In the end, everyone¡¯s mouths were parched, regardless of how much water they drank.


    Zhang Xiaobei seemed to have more to discuss with the representative, so she sent Li Xun and co, as well as Han Jiakang, off on their own.


    When they left the building, the wind was raging.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s skin tightened as the wind blew at the sweat beads on her skin. In a bit of a trance, she felt like an insect molting its old shell.


    Li Xun lowered his head and lit a cigarette. In a slightly hoarse voice, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. My treat.¡±


    Zhu Yun wondered why Li Xun always brought them to places like bars and karaoke rooms, places that never saw the light of day.


    The boss at the bar seemed to know Li Xun, as the two smiled and chat a bit.


    The group headed inside and Li Xun ordered drinks. He put one bottle down in front of Zhu Yun. Against the deafening sound of the band on the stage, Li Xun shouted to her, ¡°Princess! Drink!¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s face froze.


    Li Xun looked at her expression and laughed jovially as he tossed the beer to her. Zhu Yun rushed to catch it.


    ¡°This is glass, not plastic!¡± She held the chilled bottle in her arms as she shouted back to Li Xun, ¡°What happens if you break it?!¡±


    Li Xun moved over to her. His eyes were colder than water, and they shined more brightly too. He scoffed at her and said, ¡°Then it breaks. What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    Zhu Yun seriously wanted to flip the table.


    There were twenty bottles lined up atop it. Li Xun grabbed one and raised it up for a toast. Seeing this, the other two boys each grabbed a bottle, and then all three looked over to Zhu Yun.


    Look at them, forcing an honest girl to debauchery.


    Zhu Yun had a drink with everyone. She didn¡¯t have a good alcohol tolerance though, so just one bottle already made her tipsy. The three boys were drinking happily, and Han Jiakang even shed some tears of joy.


    Mmh¡­


    Wait, tears of joy?


    Zhu Yun rubbed her eyes and stood up. Li Xun and Gao Jianhong also momentarily stopped their dirty jokes.


    At first, Han Jiakang had been sobbing quietly, but in the dark room, with loud music playing, he started to cry without restraint. His crying grew louder until his tears could power a village. (t/n: Or more precisely, his crying grew as loud as a waterfall, on a mountain, that could power a village)


    Zhu Yun looked at Li Xun and Gao Jianhong, and Li Xun pointed at her.


    What does that mean? I have to take care of it?


    Zhu Yun sighed. Then she moved over to Han Jiakang¡¯s side and pat his back. ¡°Senior, are you okay? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Even tears of joy shouldn¡¯t be this extreme.


    Han Jiakang couldn¡¯t stop crying as he stuttered, ¡°Tomorrow¡­ I-I have to¡­ the advisor¡­ move (house).¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun tried to analyze his words. Crying. Moving. Do you have a crush on Zhang Xiaobei? Your taste is rather particular¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s another project too. I can¡¯t finish all the things I have to do¡­ If I can¡¯t finish them, I can¡¯t graduate¡­¡±


    So that was it. Zhu Yun handed him a napkin, and Han Jiakang blew his nose and wiped away his tears.


    With the help of some alcohol, he was letting out all his bottled up grievances.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been a graduate student for three years. My classmate¡¯s been at it for four years. For an entire year he didn¡¯t go to class, and instead had to do the advisor¡¯s bidding. His work on his thesis has been pushed to a standstill, but she won¡¯t let him go. She won¡¯t let him graduate. Just look at what I¡¯ve become.¡± He pulled out his phone, trembling as he showed Zhu Yun some pictures.


    Zhu Yun was shocked. So he wasn¡¯t born a skeleton.


    ¡°She made my classmate teach her class for her. It¡¯s been an entire year, but she only gave him 800 yuan! And he had to kiss her ass to get it too!¡±


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, just don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple! The advisor is close with the school administrators, and she¡¯s also close with the city¡¯s education board. How could my friend and I dare to offend her.¡±


    Han Jiakang held his face in his hands. ¡°It¡¯s our fault for being so naive back then. She said she was training us, but it was all for money! If it¡¯s a project that earns money, she¡¯ll definitely try to nab it! Her programming skills aren¡¯t good enough, so she works us like dogs!¡±


    Han Jiakang lifted his head and looked at Li Xun. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth. She¡¯s the one who stole the Languan project from you. She¡¯d heard from Teacher Lin about what you were doing, and that you were doing well and would land the project. Then she contacted the company with the school¡¯s name. On the day of the presentations, we didn¡¯t have anything. I only found out that fucking day that we¡¯d be working on the project!¡±


    Zhu Yun turned to look at Li Xun, who was leaning on the sofa, drinking beer. He looked as if he hadn¡¯t heard a thing.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Every day, I would come asking for programs and data, because of her. I¡¯m ashamed to even show my face!¡± Once Han Jiakang got stirred up, he started revealing all his secrets.


    ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Zhu Yun quickly grabbed onto him. ¡°Calm down first.¡±


    Beer, tears, and snot all mixed together. Han Jiakang looked pitiful.


    But he wasn¡¯t done talking yet. ¡°Let me tell you. The only thing she¡¯s good at is promoting. Even with my eyes closed, I can tell you what she¡¯s telling that Languan representative.¡±


    Han Jiakang impersonated Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s voice. ¡°I know a few friends in the media. They have a favorable impression in the industry and can help you write an article. How about we both make an appearance. It will help to promote your website as well. Win-win for the both of us!¡±


    ¡°And then¡ª¡± Han Jiankang pat his thigh. ¡°Just wait for it, when the article comes out. I guarantee it, your names won¡¯t appear anywhere! In the end, this project will be credited all to her!¡±


    Han Jiakang looked angrier than anyone else present. He started stomping his feet. ¡°That bitch! Bitch! Bitch! My entire fucking graduate career has been ruined by her!¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at Han Jiakang, who had completely lost control of himself.


    ¡°If it¡¯s so troubling, wouldn¡¯t it be better to leave?¡± she asked.


    Han Jiakang sat there, staring into the distance, looking lost. Finally, he said, ¡°No, I need the degree.¡±


    Zhu Yun finally heard Li Xun laugh from the side. He was only now responding to all of Han Jiakang¡¯s vexations? She turned and saw Li Xun waving her over. Han Jiakang had already fallen asleep on the sofa, so Zhu Yun moved over to Li Xun¡¯s side, waiting for his brilliant idea.


    ¡°Did you hear it?¡± Li Xun¡¯s eyes were glistening. The more he drank, the more they glistened.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhu Yun asked.


    Li Xun pointed to his ear.


    He said a lot of things. You¡¯d have to give me some idea of which particular thing you¡¯re talking about so that I can analyze it.


    Seeing Zhu Yun¡¯s still-confused face, Li Xun laughed. He straightened up and leaned against the sofa. Then he said, ¡°And Ren Di even told me you were her friend.¡±


    Suddenly, something clicked in her head. His one sentence had flipped her world around, from this stressful and difficult here to that wild and roaring there.


    Zhu Yun turned. On the stage, a band was performing. And then, Zhu Yun spotted a familiar face in their midst.


    She¡¯d already forgotten Han Jiakang¡¯s words. She could only see a girl with heavy makeup on her face. The only sound left in her ears was a smoky, husky voice.


    People surrounded them. They shouted, screamed, went crazy. Gao Jianhong was drinking. Han Jiakang was in a drunken slumber. Li Xun was hidden in the darkness.


    Zhu Yun stood up from the sofa and stood on her tiptoes to see Ren Di, to listen to her sing.


    The world told me that the sky is blue, the grass is green, that she was warm.


    She also told me that the road is wide, that God is kind, and that she was perfect.


    Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t see Ren Di¡¯s expression clearly, but she would probably be smiling. Her smile was more ostentatious than Li Xun¡¯s. More sarcastic too.


    Zhu Yun sat back down on the sofa. Li Xun held up a beer. Zhu Yun picked up a bottle from the table and the two of them clinked bottles and downed their drinks. She couldn¡¯t drink it all, but she kept drinking anyway. As the world spun around her, Ren Di¡¯s stirring voice seemed to melt.


    ¡­¡­


    I told the world to just shut it.

 CH 14

    Overgrown Grassland


    14. Chapter 14


    The natural result of drinking too much was to vomit.


    Zhu Yun had never imagined that there would be a day where she hugged the toilet, vomitting. When she finished, she even looked up at the light and laughed.


    There was no saving her. She felt like dying.


    She went to the faucet and washed her face with cold water, praying for her sense of reason to return. She raised her head and saw her very red face in the miror. She touched her cheeks. Hot.


    She stepped out of the washroom, where Li Xun stood waiting.


    ¡°Are you okay? Why did you drink so much at once?¡± Li Xun had a hand on his waist, frown on his face, and a pair of eye-catchingly long legs.


    Zhu Yun charged at his legs.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Li Xun extended his arms to hold her up. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head. Li Xun¡¯s frown deepened as he considered what to do. Then he pulled her outside and made a phone call. Shortly after, Gao Jianhong, dragging along a drunken Han Jiakang, came outside. And not long after that, Ren Di also came out with her guitar on her back.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ren Di walked up to Zhu Yun and waved her hand. ¡°Hey!¡±


    Zhu Yun waved back. ¡°Hey!¡±


    Ren Di laughed. Li Xun asked her, ¡°Can you leave now?¡±


    ¡°Mmh. We were about finished up, so the others can take care of the rest.¡±


    Li Xun nodded, and then he shoved Zhu Yun towards her. ¡°You take her.¡±


    After being pushed, Zhu Yun felt like she wanted to vomit again. Ren Di pat her back and said, ¡°Steady. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    On the road, a muddleheaded Zhu Yun said, ¡°This isn¡¯t the way back to school.¡±


    Li Xun pulled out his smoke. ¡°You¡¯re going back to school at this hour?¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Then where are we going?¡±


    Ren Di held onto her. ¡°Back to my studio.¡±


    Ren Di¡¯s studio was in an office building a few streets south of the school¡¯s campus. The building was four stories. For ease of putting in equipment, the space was just wide and open, with only a few load bearing pillars.


    The south-facing side of the studio was practice space. There were instruments and sound systems spread across the floor, along with a tangle of wires. The north-facing side was for resting. The decor was very primitive, with just two wide beds, covered with a mess of things.


    It was nearly 2 am.


    After the long day, everyone was exhausted. Gao Jianhong put Han Jiakang on a bed and dropped down as well. Less than half a minute later, he was asleep.


    Ren Di put down her guitar and helped Zhu Yun to the other bed. Without removing her makeup, she knocked off for the night as well.


    There was only a dim light on in the studio. Zhu Yun took a look around and saw Li Xun¡¯s bag and clothes in the corner. She quietly asked Ren Di, ¡°Does Li Xun sleep here often?¡±


    Ren Di was too tired to open her eyes. She simply said, ¡°Mmh. Sometimes when he works too late at the practice base, he¡¯ll sleep here.¡±


    ¡°You let him stay here for free?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s our band¡¯s investor.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Ren Di turned over. Her voice grew quieter as she said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you curious about our relationship before? This is it. He¡¯s the investor that I found.¡±


    Zhu Yun blinked.


    Ren Di yawned. Muddleheaded, she said, ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    Zhu Yun turned her head and saw Li Xun by the wall. ¡°Hey, are you sleeping?¡±


    Li Xun seemed to be thinking about something. When he heard her voice, he looked over. ¡°I will, later. Go to sleep.¡± Then he turned the light off.


    The room went pitch black.


    Zhu Yun was lying in bed, her head pointed towards the place Li Xun was sitting. She turned over in bed a few times, and then she realized that there was some light past her head.


    Zhu Yun looked over and saw that Li Xun had finished a smoke and was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, his laptop open.


    Everyone else was already sleeping, so she whispered as quietly as she could, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Li Xun replied, ¡°Nothing. Go to sleep.¡±


    Zhu Yun extended her neck more. ¡°The project¡¯s already finished, so what are you still writing?¡±


    Li Xun impatiently lit another cigarette and turned to her. ¡°Are you going to sleep or not? Why do you have so much crap to say after you drink.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Quiet.


    After three seconds, Li Xun turned back to his work¡ª


    ¡°Are you starting a new project?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with you?¡±


    Tsss! Ash fell on his hand and Li Xun closed his laptop.


    Even from five meters away, Zhu Yun could feel his anger. She quickly retreated and timidly said, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll shut up. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    The world was quiet once more.


    Several minutes later, Li Xun felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    In the darkness, it seemed like something furry was creeping up behind him.


    Li Xun was extremely focused when he worked and rarely got distracted. But this fuzzy thing was that was entering the vicinity of the computer screen cut into his thoughts. He turned. Zhu Yun¡¯s head was approaching. Her body was stuck to the wall behind them as she moved forward, little by little.


    Luckily, Li Xun wasn¡¯t afriad of ghosts. If he¡¯d been a timid person, he would have already fainted.


    ¡°Lan¡ª¡± a quiet voice started to read. Li Xun reacted immediately as she started speaking. He put down his laptop and covered her mouth.


    ¡°Guan¡ª¡± Zhu Yun struggled against him to finish. ¡°Lan, ohh¡ª¡±


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Li Xun whispered. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his hand. ¡°You dare bite me?!¡±


    She dared to bite. She dared to kick too.


    Zhu Yun started to kick chaotically, and the anger inside Li Xun burned. Finally, he grabbed Zhu Yun¡¯s arms and pressed them together.


    ¡°Can you stop messing around?!¡±


    ¡°Languan Company!¡±


    After their struggle, she found that she¡¯d lost her glasses. In order to better see her opponent and give off an imposing air, she moved her face closer to his and stared into his eyes, their noses nearly touching.


    ¡°I saw it!¡± Her breathing grew faster, the smell of alcohol in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see. That was for Languan! What project is that? How long have you been working on it? Why did you hide it from us? You better tell the truth.¡±


    Her voice was getting louder. Li Xun was afraid that she would wake someone up, so he covered her mouth again.


    This time, Zhu Yun was prepared. The moment he released his hold on her, she quickly grabbed onto him, like a monkey on a tree, dragging him down.


    Li Xun fell to the floor.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± When his knees hit the floor, he clenched his teeth in pain.


    After Zhu Yun¡¯s successful counterattack, she didn¡¯t forget her imposing stare. ¡°Got you!¡±


    Li Xun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Someone on the bed turned. Li Xun glanced over, and then he looked down at Zhu Yun, hanging off of him. Finally, he let out a helpless sigh and closed his laptop. He got up from the ground and dragged Zhu Yun out to the balcony.


    After closing the door behind them, Li Xun pulled Zhu Yun off of himself.


    ¡°After drinking a little, you went fucking crazy.¡± He couldn¡¯t help cursing at her as he looked at the disheveled-haired Zhu Yun.


    Zhu Yun pointed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. What was that?¡±


    Li Xun leaned against the balcony railing and looked out at the quiet night scene. In a tired voice, he said, ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like girls like you. Rambling all day long, asking and asking and asking.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Li Xun looked at her, and then he headed back inside. Zhu Yun wanted to grab onto him, but he turned back and pinched her chin. He was very close.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Wait here.¡±


    And so, Zhu Yun obediently waited on the balcony. After a moment, Li Xun returned with his laptop in hand. He handed it over to Zhu Yun and then lit another cigarette.


    Zhu Yun looked at it and Li Xun said, ¡°The main purpose of this system is¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Zhu Yun cut him off. ¡°I¡¯ll look at it myself.¡±


    Li Xun raised his brows.


    A triumphant expression crossed Zhu Yun¡¯s drunken face. Slowly, she said, ¡°I can understand your code now. I don¡¯t have to force myself.¡±


    As he recalled their past exchange, Li Xun couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    Zhu Yun sat down on the ground and then said, ¡°So tell me. Why are you making this?¡±


    ¡°To sell it.¡±


    ¡°Sell it?¡±


    ¡°Languan¡¯s website development is a bit lacking. If they continue on as is, they will have a very hard time earning money.¡±


    Zhu Yun raised her head. Li Xun was leaning against the railing, cigarette in his hand. He wasn¡¯t smoking though. His head was lowered as he fiddled with it.


    On the floor above them lived a foot massage shop. Their shop sign was neon pink. As it shined onto his golden head, the image was both dirty and yet beautiful.


    ¡°If you knew it wouldn¡¯t make money, why didn¡¯t you tell them?¡± she asked.


    Her comment made Li Xun laugh. ¡°If I told them, how would I earn money?¡±


    Zhu Yun lowered her head without speaking.


    Li Xun continued, ¡°There are tons of shopping sites and much larger platforms. Languan is producing and selling their own products, but their site has no special features. Why would anyone buy fron them? They only follow the trend, but they don¡¯t even understand their own strengths. Did they think money was that easy to earn?¡±


    Zhu Yun still didn¡¯t respond.


    The air felt stagnant.


    Li Xun was quiet a moment, and then he spoke softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to hide it from you guys. In the beginning, I hadn¡¯t planned to do this. If Zhang Xiaobei hadn¡¯t jumped in, and we¡¯d signed the contract, I would have given them some suggestions. But since she did push her way in, this was my only option.¡±


    Li Xun dropped his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it.


    This quiet was making him a bit uneasy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get into a huff, I¡¯m not one to flatter people.¡± With a frown, he looked over at Zhu Yun¡¯s drooping head. ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Snoring.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Li Xun crouched down and looked at Zhu Yun¡¯s lowered head. She was already completey asleep. He was left speechless. Finally, he said, ¡°¡­I¡¯m seriously fucked.¡±


    He carried Zhu Yun back inside and placed her on the bed. He sincerely hoped that she wouldn¡¯t remember anything in the morning.


    The next day, Zhu Yun got up and saw that Li Xun had already left. She and Gao Jianhong headed back to school together. After class finished, she headed straight to the practice base.


    Li Xun was having some fun with his new girlfriend. Zhu Yun walked over and pulled at her slender waist. Gently pulling her to the side, Zhu Yun said, ¡°Come on, sit here for a bit.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± his girlfriend asked unhappily.


    Zhu Yun pulled over a chair and sat down in front of Li Xun. ¡°We didn¡¯t finish our talk last night.¡±


    For the first time, Li Xun felt the headache from an all-nighter.


    He got up and led Zhu Yun into the hallway. Just then, Gao Jianhong was heading inside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Li Xun replied, his steps accelerating. Zhu Yun was basically hauled off by him. After heading down the hall, they made a turn, and then Li Xun pushed Zhu Yun against the wall.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to keep going on incessantly, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Li Xun was tall, and as he looked down at her, his larger momentum bolstered his superiority. Zhu Yun quietly tip-toed to bolster her height, to little avail.


    ¡°Say things clearly.¡±


    ¡°Clearly, my ass!¡±


    She pushed Li Xun. He didn¡¯t budge, but at least it expressed her emotions.


    ¡°We spent so much effort working on this website, but then you say that it¡¯s useless. So was all our hard work pointless?¡±


    ¡°Pointless?¡± Li Xun scoffed. ¡°You didn¡¯t gain anything from completing this project?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s voice went quiet. ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s not exactly right.¡±


    ¡°If I had told you that the website wouldn¡¯t make any money, and that someone else was going to take credit for it, would you have worked that hard?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°There are no buts. There was nothing wrong with the website. It was completed well. Whether or not it makes money depends on a lot of factors.¡±


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°You still could have told us. We would have continued to keep working together.¡±


    ¡°Have you already forgetten what Han Jiakang said?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Continue? Working for someone else? Making money for them?¡±


    Zhu Tun couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Money, money, money! All you have to talk about is money. You¡¯re just the same as Zhang Xiaobei.¡±


    Paah!


    Li Xun¡¯s hand hit the wall beside Zhu Yun¡¯s face.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that you won¡¯t know the cost of fuel and rice until you¡¯re the head of a household.¡±


    Huh?


    Li Xun continued, ¡°Do you know how much it costs to pay Ren Di¡¯s crap band?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head and Li Xun scoffed.


    He raised his chin and asked, ¡°Do the computers in the practice base run quickly?¡±


    Nod.


    ¡°Do you know their specs?¡±


    Shakes head.


    ¡°Have you ever wondered why this is the only classroom in the entire school where the computers run this fast?¡±


    She shook her head again.


    ¡°Would the school have spent money to prepare them for us? Why would they? Because you¡¯re pretty?¡±


    Ah? You think I¡¯m pretty? Zhu Yun realized that her thoughts had completely changed course.


    Li Xun looked at her. He straightened up and said, ¡°There are only so many good projects. If you don¡¯t fight for them, then they¡¯re gone. You want me to give up my resources? You¡¯re dreaming.¡±


    Zhu Yun snuck a glance at him.


    Li Xun¡¯s arms were on his waist as he looked to the side, in thought.


    He really looked like a stray dog.


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°If you were dissatisfied with Zhang Xiaobei, why didn¡¯t you mention it to us sooner? Why did you have to suffer in silence?¡±


    ¡°If I spoke up earlier, there would have been tons of back and forth, and nothing would have come out of it.¡± He looked at Zhu Yun. ¡°There are many ways to resolve a single issue. I could make something better and you guys could gain more experience with this project. There was no reason to waste time. As for Zhang Xiaobei¡­¡± He scoffed. ¡°The world is filled with people like her. If I were to deal with each and every one of them, I wouldn¡¯t be able to put a meal on the table.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun lowered her head and Li Xun asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Zhu Yun pouted. ¡°I¡¯m recalling something.¡±


    ¡°Recalling what?¡±


    ¡°The pot of encouraging, poisonous chicken soup you gave me in the beginning.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun copied Li Xun¡¯s tone. She cleared her throat and then spoke emotionally, ¡°Everything in the world can only maintain its original form at the very beginning. As time moves forward, those things will diverge from their original form. But those things are still worth the effort we put into them. Because with our hard work, we can keep those things from changing too greatly. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± She wiggled her brows at Li Xun. ¡°Right?¡±


    She¡¯d just meant to tease him, but she hadn¡¯t expected that Li Xun would purse his lips. ¡°You remember my words that clearly?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    The victorious General Li arrogantly returned to the base. Zhu Yun tried to restrain herself, but after a bit, she ran up to Li Xun and vented her anger by giving him a shove.


    Li Xun staggered and turned back. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Zhu Yun glared at him. ¡°You golden haired demon, hmph!¡± Then she rolled her eyes and walked off.

 CH 15

    15


    Explaining things to Gao Jianhong took much more time than with Zhu Yun. And when he returned to the practice base, his expression wasn¡¯t carefree, like it had been the last time. He was quiet for many days, before slowly recovering his spirit.


    Zhu Yun felt that sometimes, things got more complicated between two men than it did between a woman and a man.


    Once all three parties were back on the same page, Zhu Yun asked Li Xun about their next order of business. She wanted to know how exactly his new project was different from the website they had built.


    Li Xun gave a copy of the project to both of them. Zhu Yun took it back to her dorm and spent the whole night going through it. Afterwards, she felt a bit strange. And also a bit disappointed.


    She¡¯d thought that she would see the makings for an unrivaled website, the culmination of amazing ideas, perfect algorithms, and great marketability. But that wasn¡¯t the case. Strictly speaking, what Li Xun was developing couldn¡¯t be called a website. Rather, he was expanding upon what had been included on the site that they originally built.


    The functions looked very simple, but Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t understand them. The same went for Gao Jianhong.


    One day, Li Xun brought both of them to a coffee shop. When she walked inside, Zhu Yun felt that they were finally meeting up in a place where the sun did shine. They sat in a corner with a power outlet. When the waiter brought over a menu, Li Xun opened his laptop as he said, ¡°Order whatever you want to eat.¡±


    Boss Li was treating, so Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t going to hold back. Shortly after, Zhu Yun¡¯s favorite foods filled the table. Gao Jianhong couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°You eat this much?¡±


    Zhu Yun took a bite of her cream bun. ¡°I¡¯ve been using my brain too much recently.¡±


    Gao Jianhong shrugged, expressing his understanding.


    Li Xun turned on his laptop and turned the screen for them to see. Zhu Yun said, ¡°No need to look. I¡¯ve nearly got it memorized. But this isn¡¯t a website, so what are we going to sell?¡±


    Li Xun replied, ¡°Who said that you can only sell websites?¡±


    Zhu Yun chewed on her bun, waiting for him to elaborate.


    Li Xun said, ¡°Languan doesn¡¯t want to sell on other platforms. They want their own site. That¡¯s fine, and they¡¯ve got a starting point. But they don¡¯t understand the trends of the internet.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°What trends?¡±


    Li Xun explained, ¡°In the past few years, internet shopping malls have started garnering interest. Though they seem to be flourishing, and there are many such sites, they won¡¯t last long. Most of the resources will slowly start to pool together on a few large platforms. It¡¯s very hard to build up that kind of platform.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°We can¡¯t do it?¡±


    Li Xun looked at her. ¡°We can. It¡¯d take about ten years.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Seeing how little faith Zhu Yun seemed to have, Li Xun leaned forward. ¡°Princess.¡±


    Zhu Yun put down her bun. ¡°Can you stop calling me that?¡±


    Li Xun asked, ¡°Then what should I call you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I have a name?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Princess sound nice?¡±


    ¡°The problem is that I¡¯m not a princess.¡±


    ¡°Then, what are you?¡±


    A knight¡ªthe word suddenly appeared in her head, but she didn¡¯t say it out loud, afraid that he would laugh at her.


    ¡°Just continue.¡± She kept on eating.


    Li Xun looked at her, and then he asked, ¡°Do you remember how many products Languan makes?¡±


    Zhu Yun answered, ¡°More than 500.¡±


    ¡°You can write a search function for a couple hundred items on your own. But what if there are a couple hundred million items?¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t have a response.


    ¡°What about if there are billions or tens of billions? When things can no longer be stored on a single database, you¡¯ll have to start researching distributed data stores. And then you¡¯ll have to determine how to arrange the data, how to recommend it, how to add and delete things. You¡¯ll need to have a strong algorithm supporting every task, such that it doesn¡¯t all collapse onto itself. Do you think you could do it, given a month?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re just talking about the search function here. Whether at the start or later on, this kind of website requires a lot of manpower and investment. We don¡¯t have enough people for that, and Languan doesn¡¯t have enough money either.¡± Li Xun leaned back against the sofa. ¡°So, to try to compete with those large sites is unrealistic.¡±


    After a moment, Li Xun added casually, ¡°But to become a force to be reckoned with isn¡¯t completely impossible either.¡± Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong both turned to him.


    ¡°The characteristic of a large platform is that it is expansive. Now this is true for all things: when something becomes expansive, it becomes hard to be selective. So if we can create a function that thoroughly refines the data, maybe that old factory can be saved.¡±


    Li Xun pointed to his screen and said, ¡°Languan has the edge when it comes to nutritional products. The majority of their products are health supplements, which are rather unique. They¡¯re the only ones who produce those products. This may be due to the fact that the mother of Languan¡¯s boss is involved with traditional Chinese medicine.¡±


    You even know what the mother of the boss does?


    ¡°Our main purpose is targeting health maintenance. Look here¡­¡± he presented to the group.


    In order to ease the selection and purchasing process, Li Xun made a detailed product recommendation system.


    ¡°Most people aren¡¯t very familiar with nutritional and health products. They won¡¯t be bothered to read the details of each item, so it¡¯s better that we directly provide the remedy they seek.¡± Li Xun clicked on the search bar. ¡°When you type in symptoms like ¡®dizzy with blurred vision¡¯ or ¡®nausea and vomitting,¡¯ the system will recommend which products to purchase. Since Languan¡¯s products are all grouped together in series or lines, it will be easy to make recommendations.¡±


    Zhu Yun stared at the screen. And then she said, ¡°What if we include explanations about the causes and effects of their symptoms, and then we recommend which products are most suitable? Wouldn¡¯t this be more convincing and cause people to purchase the products?¡±


    Li Xun looked at her, his expression particularly cold. But Zhu Yun just continued eating, as she¡¯d already grown used to Li Xun¡¯s scary expressions while he was deep in thought. She also knew that, while his eyes were on her, his mind wasn¡¯t.


    Li Xun¡¯s thoughts were high up, like his height. He liked looking from down from above, where he could oversee everything. His thoughts must have been speeding past. He went back through the system and started weaving carefully, like a spider building its web.


    After a few minutes, Li Xun¡¯s face relaxed. Simply, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll add it.¡± Then, he nodded, and that meant everything was fine.


    Li Xun lit a cigarette and leaned back in his seat leisurely. He looked at Zhu Yun.


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Li Xun smiled and shook his head. Cigarette in his mouth, he looked out the window as he said, ¡°You can order more if you want.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeding a pig right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeding a Zhu.¡± (t/n: her last name, Zhu, is pronounced the same way as the word for pig)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It seemed that she would never win when it came to a battle of words. Well, that was fine. She sat there quietly, eating her bun.


    On that serene afternoon, in a time when the mobile phone industry had just begun rising, a time before the era of smartphones, she sat in a small coffee shop, listening to Li Xun explain his ideas, his plans, and the new system he¡¯d be installing at the base.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d be able to sell the program to Languan. All she knew for sure was that these memories would be forever stored in her brain. Whenever she recalled them, the rays of light and the scent of cream buns would flood her senses.


    They started working to perfect the software¡¯s functions.


    Zhu Yun soon realized that one of the positives to developing an add-on was that they could avoid conflict with Zhang Xiaobei. What they were building wasn¡¯t a website. There was no intent on ¡°replacing¡± anything. If Zhang Xiaobei were to question them about it, they could just explain it as ¡°expanding their interests.¡±


    Li Xun worked on the project as if his life depended on it. He poured over all the data and information. Especially when it came to the medical texts, he wouldn¡¯t allow random them to just copy excerpts for it. And so, after Zhu Yun completed the page design, she immediately threw herself into the arms of the Chinese medicine world.


    Li Xun gave Zhu Yun an article that listed all of Languan¡¯s products. Each product was accompanied by a detailed description, an ingredient list, as well as usage directions.


    ¡°How long are you going to keep fucking reading the Huangdi Neijing?¡± Li Xun dumped a pile of information onto the desk. ¡°Push forward from the back. From the products to the pharmacology¡ªbe meticulous!¡± (t/n: the Huangdi Neijing or ¡°Yellow Emperor¡¯s Inner Canon,¡± are a set of medical texts)


    ¡°What if there aren¡¯t any products for certain symptoms?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Li Xun got up and moved closer to Zhu Yun. Forced to retreat, she moved back as far as she could, and then she heard Li Xun say, ¡°Princess, is our software called ¡®The Cure for All Diseases¡¯?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head.


    Had he showered? He smelled so fresh.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s not, you don¡¯t have to take up the noble profession of a doctor and try to save all lives.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded.


    Li Xun had just returned to working when Zhu Yun spoke up, ¡°About that¡­¡±


    He glanced over.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°I¡¯m not a princess.¡±


    Li Xun looked at her without a word, then he lifted his hand and pointed to her. ¡°Zhu Yun, do you believe me when I say that if you bring this up one more time, I¡¯m going to print out the word ¡®Princess¡¯ and attach it to your forehead?¡±


    With his brows furrowed and forehead crinkled, Li Xun typed away on his keyboard. Zhu Yun silently cursed him as she closed her copy of Huangdi Neijing.


    Although Li Xun kept emphasizing to push forward from the products, to Zhu Yun, the field of Chinese medicine was still too immense, too complicated and foreign. She¡¯d already presented several proposals to Li Xun, each of which had been rejected, one after another.


    When Li Xun saw how frantic Zhu Yun had become, he gave her two days off to rest. Of course, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t rest a single bit. In the end, she took advantage of the weekend to visit the largest Chinese medicine institute in the city, to see if she could find some inspiration.


    The museum was located at the center of the city, a peaceful spot in the midst of the busy noise. It was classically decorated, and stepping inside felt like stepping into a Chinese painting. It was warming and delightful.


    As Zhu Yun walked past the lobby inside, the crowd dwindled. As she walked further inside, she passed by a small courtyard. She vaguely heard the sound of someone speaking. She walked towards the sound and saw a small hall. On the door, there was a poster introducing some master¡¯s health lecture.


    Zhu Yun stood outside and snuck a glance through the glass. There were only a few people sitting sparsely around the room, playing on their phones.


    The teacher at the front of the room caught her off guard. With a long beard and long hair, he looked just like the image of a great sage. Upon further inspection though, the man wasn¡¯t that old, in his 40s at most.


    No one was listening, but the teacher didn¡¯t seem to care as he continued to speak calmly. He had the enthusiasm of a college professor lecturing on Maoism.


    Zhu Yun was tired from walking, and since the door was open, she stepped inside and took a seat.


    An old acupuncture map hung on the stage. The teacher laughed and said, ¡°Anytime I mention Daoism, everyone thinks they have to cultivate, to soar to the heavens. That¡¯s too high up though, so if they fail, they¡¯ll fall to their death.¡±


    Zhu Yun laughed.


    The teacher continued, ¡°We¡¯ll settle for the next best thing. If we cannot ascend to the heavens, we should at least live our lives out peacefully and healthily.¡±


    Zhu Yun sat and listened awhile. The teacher spoke of many things, which mostly wound up tangled up in her mind. While she couldn¡¯t really appreciate the knowledge level of his talk, she did find his casual conversation enjoyable.


    It was about time she got going. Zhu Yun got up, and then she saw another passerby at the door, another seemingly tired person looking for a place to rest. Zhu Yun stopped in her steps.


    The teacher was still speaking, ¡°We Daoists emphasize the idea of ¡®doing as our heart desires¡¯, and so, even though you¡¯re all playing on your phones or sleeping as you¡¯d like, I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll continue speaking. Even if you¡¯re not listening, I won¡¯t be angry.¡±


    The young man had delicate features and looked extremely handsome.


    Zhu Yun took the bus back to campus. On the way back, an thought flashed in her mind. The boy she saw who¡¯d looked so familiar¡­ Wasn¡¯t he from that assignment that she helped Liu Sisi with? What was his name? Zhu Yun furrowed her brows.


    ¡°Youth artist¡­ Tian Xiuzhu?¡±

 CH 16

    The young painter was quickly pushed to the back of Zhu Yun¡¯s mind.


    When she got back to school, she headed straight to the practice base. She¡¯d wanted to talk to Li Xun about some software capabilities, but when she arrived, Li Xun¡¯s girlfriend from the broadcasting school was sitting in her seat, chatting to him.


    His girlfriend was looking at him with utter adoration as she said, ¡°How did you find this place?¡±


    Li Xun, ¡°Love.¡±


    He looked over the script once, memorized it, and started reciting his lines. ¡°It was love that led me. I¡¯m no sailor, but if you were on a distant shore, I would bear the storm to earn a treasure as you.¡±


    His girlfriend, ¡°I confess. Had you not overheard my sincere confession while I was unawares, I would have acted more aloof! So, excuse me. It was the dark night that leaked out my deepest secret. Do not take my promise to be unashamed frivolousness!¡±


    Li Xun, ¡°Lady, I swear by the sacred moon above¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡ª!¡±


    His girlfriend¡¯s voice cracked, as she got caught up in her emotions. She coughed and cleared her throat. Then she continued, ¡°Do not swear by the moon, for the moon is ever-changing. If you swear by it, your love may be just as changing!¡±


    ¡°What should I swear by?¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s girlfriend grabbed his hand. ¡°If you must swear, swear by your amazing person! You are the only one whom I am infatuated with, whom I worship!¡± (t/n: You can also read ¡°person¡± to mean one¡¯s self and also physical body)


    ¡°Truly? Is that what you truly want?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    How did Shakespeare¡¯s words become so vulgar when you two recite them?


    Zhu Yun walked over and sat down next to Wu Mengxing. He, and all the other members of the practice base, had long gotten used to Li Xun¡¯s changing girlfriends. They were unaffected by the scene.


    ¡°Amazing person¡­ Pfft!¡± Zhu Yun snorted in contempt.


    ¡°Mmh?¡± Wu Mengxing looked up from the computer screen. ¡°Person?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head. A few seconds later, lightning struck her thoughts. She suddenly recalled the acupuncture map that the teacher at the Chinese medicine institute had used.


    ¡°A body¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun got up and walked over to Li Xun¡¯s girlfriend. She grabbed onto her waist and pulled her away. ¡°Come here, sit over here a minute.¡±


    His girlfriend¡¯s impassioned performance had been cut short. She stamped her feet, her face burning red in indignation. ¡°This is the second time!¡±


    Li Xun comforted her, ¡°Let¡¯s talk tomorrow.¡±


    His girlfriend grabbed her scripts and harrumphed before strutting off. Li Xun watched her walk away and then he lit a cigarette. He glanced over at Zhu Yun. ¡°Having fun?¡±


    ¡°Do you make it a joke to find girlfriends?¡±


    Li Xun leaned against his chair and said, ¡°Of course you should enjoy your time when you¡¯re dating.¡± He raised his chin at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you the day off? What are you doing here?¡±


    Zhu Yun tidied her thoughts, and then responded, ¡°I went to a Chinese medicine institute and I saw a map of human acupuncture points. Didn¡¯t you keep saying that the interface for the program was too complicated? Why don¡¯t we use a diagram of the body?¡±


    Li Xun was curled up in his chair. He responded, ¡°Mmh. Continue.¡±


    Zhu Yun grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and started drawing a body. ¡°Using a human body would definitely make it more intuitive. Let¡¯s say the pen is the cursor.¡± She moved her pen in a circular motion around the diagram. ¡°When the user sees the body diagram, they can click on the area of their body that feels uncomfortable, and then a list of ailments and their descriptions will pop up. This creates a better sense of guidance for the user. We can also section off different parts of the body¡ªhead, limbs, back, abdomen, etc.¡ªto create a sense of uniformity.¡±


    Zhu Yun put her idea out there and waited for Li Xun¡¯s appraisal.


    Li Xun continued smoking, his eyes glued together by the smoke. Then, he turned to Gao Jianhong and asked, ¡°When will the motion capture system be ready?¡±


    Gao Jianhong replied, ¡°Installation and testing will take at least a week.¡±


    Li Xun nodded.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his mention of a motion capture (mocap) system. They wanted to use mocap to create animated effects?


    ¡°Perfect. We can use this project to practice,¡± Li Xun said. ¡°Just studying theory is useless. You learn much faster with practice.¡± Zhu Yun nodded. She was deep in thought, and when she raised her head, she was met with Li Xun¡¯s ¡°amazing body.¡±


    ¡°You contact Liu Sisi,¡± he said to her.


    Zhu Yun paused.


    Why would you tell me to contact your ex-girlfriend?


    Li Xun said, ¡°Tell her to find me an expert in 3D (animation) from the animation college. The can name their price.¡± His words made Zhu Yun¡¯s blood boil.


    They can name their price.


    Tsk, tsk.


    With such grand words, Liu Sisi quickly found two fourth-year seniors in the animation college. After seeing the mocap program, they were stunned. ¡°Woah¡­ Even our school doesn¡¯t have this!¡±


    Not having it is the normal thing.


    At the time, motion capture was a pretty new technology. Forget about a small art school, in the entire country, there were no more than five schools equipped with it.


    Zhu Yun quietly snuck a glance at Li Xun. When they¡¯d first been introduced to the equipment, she and Gao Jianhong had both been shocked as well. They didn¡¯t feel they had any particular need for the system, but Li Xun stood his ground against them and insisted on purchasing it. Li Xun enjoyed trying stuff, and he was always seeking out new things.


    Being able to learn this system for free, the seniors were extremely happy. Having this experience on their CV would definitely be helpful after they graduated and were searching for jobs. Both of them expressed that they didn¡¯t need any payment, and that they would work passionately to complete the project, as if it were their own graduation project.


    After all the plans were set, Li Xun¡¯s work picked up speed.


    Zhu Yun realized that, after she joined the practice base, she seemed to have been infected with Li Xun¡¯s tendency to go overboard with her work. All her academic achievements seemed to have just been a dream. When she was in non-core courses, she was either coding or searching up information. On a quiz before the finals, she dropped from fourth in the class to ninth.


    What made it worse was that Li Xun actually rose from 11th to 10th. He was seriously fucking stable.


    Looking at their names next to each other on her grade report, Zhu Yun felt indignant. She folded the paper and put it away.


    After her morning English class finished, Zhu Yun decided to drop the homework off to Old Mr Lin.


    As she walked over to his office, she thought about how the (3D) model would render. Since mocap wasn¡¯t something people had used before, so she wondered if there would be any compatibility issues. She felt she ought to have a discussion with Li Xun about it¡­ To remind him, lest they only realize it later on and have to re-do everything.


    As she was thinking about it, a flash of blond hair passed by her.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s steps stopped¡­


    Li Xun?


    He must have been there to ask Old Lin some questions again. Zhu Yun pursed her lips. Although she was Old Lin¡¯s class representative, it was obvious to everyone that he favored Li Xun more.


    She walked into Old Lin¡¯s office with the class¡¯ homework in her hands. Old Lin was drinking tea, and there was only another teacher in the room with him.


    After handing over the homework, Old Lin asked her, ¡°How are things at the project base? Are here any difficulties that you need my help diagnosing?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°We¡¯re still holding down the fort.¡±


    Old Lin chuckled. Then Zhu Yun asked him, ¡°Did Li Xun come by earlier?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Then Zhu Yun said her goodbye to Old Lin and left.


    After leaving his office, she felt that it was a bit curious. Li Xun was the only one in their entire school to have that color of hair.


    She walked over towards the place she¡¯d spotted Li Xun. The offices there were very small, and the corridor was very still. Zhu Yun subconsciously lightened her steps.


    In the office furthest in, she heard a quiet conversation.


    Zhu Yun looked around her, and then, as if she were a ghost, she snuck over and crouched down, pressing her ear against the door. Even though Li Xun and Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s voices weren¡¯t very loud, since the hallway was very quiet, she could hear their conversation clearly.


    ¡°Have you finished thinking it over?¡± Zhang Xiaobei asked.


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Li Xun, I recommended you to Treasure Technologies because I saw that you were talented and qualified. Treasure, as you know, is a very famous software company.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Their projects are very competitive. If you can complete it, you might be able to get an internship with them.¡± Zhang Xiaobei laughed and continued, ¡°Originally, they didn¡¯t want to accept an undergraduate student, but I talked with their representatives for more than a week until they agreed to accept you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Pfft. Outside the door, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t stop a slight laugh from escaping her lips.


    Zhang Xiaobei seemed to have heard how halfhearted his response was, and she sighed.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re busy with your project group, but everything has its level of importance. You don¡¯t need to feel conflicted. I¡¯m someone with experience, so more than anyone else, I know which projects will be helpful to your future. You can ask Teacher Lin about his opinion as well.¡±


    Li Xun nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll think about it again. Uh¡­ If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Taken by surprise, Zhu Yun¡¯s face scrunched up.


    Don¡¯t leave in such a hurry! Give me some time to evacuate first!


    Just as she was about to run off, she heard Zhang Xiaobei speak again. ¡°Your family¡¯s in a difficult situation, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Huh?


    Zhu Yun stopped in her steps, as did Li Xun in his.


    Zhang Xiaobei said, ¡°Your registered residence is in the countryside, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    What?


    At the start, Zhu Yun had felt that Li Xun¡¯s shining bright hair gave off a very rural aura. But after getting to know him, she couldn¡¯t possibly imagine how Young Master Li¡¯s extravagant and (monetarily) wasteful mannerisms could be in any way connected to the countryside¡­


    Or had rural villages been upgraded to this degree now too?


    While these thoughts flew around in her head, Zhang Xiaobei continued, ¡°But your information¡¯s been changed since you registered for classes, including your family¡¯s contact info and address, and all your other information.


    ¡°You requested student aid from the school, and they gave it to you. I¡¯m not sure how you made it through the auditing, but if you were to be investigated thoroughly, your student aid would surely be canceled. And if the school were to be more severe in their handling of the situation¡­ Well, I¡¯m sure you know how things would turn out.


    ¡°Of course, my words are just to let you know that I understand your difficulties. Right now, you must be busy leading your project, and you have to attend class as well. You must be tired out. If you come to me, you won¡¯t have to worry about anything else.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. I¡¯m someone with experience, and I know what will help your future the most. You should think it over, and don¡¯t feel conflicted.¡±


    The world grew still.


    After a long moment, Li Xun finally said, ¡°Teacher.¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei, ¡°Hm?¡±


    He chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re really amazing¡­ Seriously.¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei replied, ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhu Yun quietly got up and left.


    In the following days, Li Xun continued on as usual. He attended class, he worked, and he criticized their programming for rudimentary mistakes. When Zhu Yun was submitting documents to him, she always wanted to bring it up, but in the end, she never ended up saying anything.


    A few days later, Zhu Yun saw Zhang Xiaobei in Old Mr Lin¡¯s office.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought that he¡¯d be so busy¡­¡± Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s face was filled with distress.


    Old Lin tried to comfort her, ¡°I know, I know. Teacher Zhang, don¡¯t be anxious.¡±


    ¡°How can I not be anxious?! I¡¯ve already submitted the participant list. Ah¡­ It¡¯s my fault for not asking him first. I got excited when I saw the chance, and I took the initiative. Who knew that he¡¯d¡­ Ah¡­!¡±


    ¡°You had good intentions.¡±


    ¡°Even if I had good intentions, he still didn¡¯t accept them. I¡¯m dying here. The project will start soon, and my graduate students all have their own work to do. Where am I going to find someone.¡±


    Teacher Lin replied, ¡°The point is that Li Xun¡ª¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to report to the company now?¡±


    After being asked continuous questions, Old Lin finally frowned. With some hesitation, he said, ¡°Then, how about I¡ª¡±


    With her notebook in her hands, Zhu Yun knocked on the door. ¡°Teacher.¡± Old Lin and Zhang Xiaobei turned their heads at the same time.


    Zhu Yun gave a nod and said, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m here to deliver the homework.¡±


    Old Lin¡¯s expression immediately brightened. ¡°Come, come, come!¡± Zhu Yun walked over and Old Lin gave her shoulder a pat. He turned to Zhang Xiaobei and said, ¡°This is my class representative. You know her already, I think.¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei examined her, her eyes like a scale, repeatedly weighing her options. ¡°I do. She was on the Languan project.¡±


    Old Lin said, ¡°What do you think about her level?¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°Right?! She¡¯s very good at studying! Her mind is nimble, and her thoughts wide!¡± Old Lin proudly praised. He turned to Zhu Yun and said, ¡°Have you heard of Treasure Technologies?¡±


    Zhu Yun smiled and said, ¡°I know it.¡±


    That evening, Zhu Yun pushed pushed open the door and walked up to the rooftop. Fiery clouds burned up the sky.


    Three people were sitting there. Ren Di and her two bandmates were gathered to discuss a new song. Zhu Yun walked over and sat down next to them. She pulled out her laptop and opened it up.


    Ren Di teased, ¡°Have you been infected by Li Xun? Carrying a laptop wherever you go¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun slouched over and said, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for a file.¡± Zhang Xiaobei asked her to be on standby to receive the project requirements.


    ¡°Let me introduce you. This is our band¡¯s guitarist, Eight. And this is our drummer, Little Six.¡± (t/n: The guitarist is called ¡°ba ge¡±, literally eighth elder brother, or apparently the name of a bird.)


    The two boys with strange names saluted Zhu Yun, ¡°Yo!¡±


    Zhu Yun returned their greeting with her own, ¡°Yo!¡±


    Ren Di laughed and Zhu Yun asked her, ¡°Do you have a smoke?¡± Ren Di handed her a cigarette and helped block the wind so she could light it.


    It had been a long time since she¡¯d smoked. Zhu Yun looked at the far-off burning clouds, thinking of how he¡¯d made her so busy that she¡¯d forgotten everything.


    She¡¯d left first, so she hadn¡¯t heard the end of the conversation between Li Xun and Zhang Xiaobei the other day. But she hadn¡¯t been worried that Li Xun would give in to Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s request. She knew that it would have been impossible, but still, she didn¡¯t stay to hear the end of their conversation.


    Zhu Yun thought for a long time about why. In the end, she realized that, from the bottom of her heart, she couldn¡¯t bear to see Li Xun bow down to someone.


    That arrogant, wild dog¡­ How could he possible bow down to someone?


    She couldn¡¯t accept that. She wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Planning to kill someone?¡± Beside her, Ren Di laughed. ¡°Why is your expression so scary?¡±


    Her computer pinged. An email had come in.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°Play something nice for me.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ren Di picked up her guitar and started singing a song. Zhu Yun squinted at the requirements on her screen. When she read through the end, she smiled.


    She sucked on her cigarette, and the she started tapping away on her keyboard.

 CH 17

    The next day, Master Fried Hair walked into Old Lin¡¯s classroom with a yawn and he sat down in his chair. ¡°Water.¡±


    Am I your maid?


    ¡°Water.¡±


    Zhu Yun handed a bottle of water over to him. After Li Xun had some water to replenish his mind, he turned on his computer.


    ¡°I want a few days off,¡± Zhu Yun said.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°I have some things to take care of.¡±


    ¡°What things?¡±


    ¡°None of your business.¡±


    Li Xun looked her over, and then he asked, ¡°Is it your time of month?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Li Xun magnanimously told her, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a payed holiday.¡± The conversation seemed to have gotten along smoothly.


    That evening, while Zhu Yun was studying the Treasure project in her room, she received a call from Li Xun.


    Zhu Yun had discovered this particularity about Top Score Li while participating in the seminar. When he contacted people, he rarely texted them or used chatting apps. He felt that they lowered efficiency. So, instead, he would directly call anyone he needed to get in touch with. If you didn¡¯t answer his call, then you could start planning your funeral.


    Zhu Yun took a sip of water to wet her throat. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Meet me,¡± he said in a low voice.


    ¡°Right now?¡± Zhu Yun looked outside. ¡°It¡¯s late.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at your dorm. You have one minute.¡± Then, he hung up.


    I have to change. One minute? Are you telling me to jump down to meet you?


    Zhu Yun considered for a few seconds whether to change her clothes or make the meeting time. She ended up heading downstairs in her pajamas.


    Li Xun was waiting at the milk tea place next to her dorm.


    It was already dark out, and the dim light from the milk tea shop was insufficient to dispel Li Xun¡¯s low-pressure system. Zhu Yun walked over to him. She was still five meters away when Boss Li started talking, ¡°Did your brain get smushed?¡± (t/n: A low pressure system is associated with cyclones, i.e. powerful, imposing, etc. I guess.)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Can¡¯t you speak properly?


    The yellow haired demon and the girl in pajamas were attracting a lot of attention. Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t bear the stares from her classmates, so she whispered to Li Xun, ¡°Go. Let¡¯s move to the side.¡±


    Li Xun followed her over to the bushes. There were no lamps there, only the moonlight. And some fire¡­ Li Xun¡¯s cigarette glowed orange in the darkness.


    ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re thinking,¡± he said.


    The round moon in the sky shined silver; it was beautiful. But not bright enough.


    ¡°You¡¯re laughing?¡± Li Xun glared at her. Zhu Yun quickly shook her head and put on a serious expression.


    After he¡¯d scolded her sufficiently, he got to the point. ¡°Did Zhang Xiaobei ask you to do something?¡± Zhu Yun nodded, but before she could respond, Li Xun cut her off.


    ¡°Withdraw.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve alrady signed the agreement.¡±


    ¡°I told you to withdraw!¡± He was being impatient, but she wouldn¡¯t give in.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You dare disobey me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhu Yun paused a moment, and then she said, ¡°Li Xun.¡±


    ¡°Mmh?¡±


    ¡°I think that maybe you¡¯ve misunderstood something¡­¡±


    ¡°What have I misunderstood?¡±


    She kindly explained to him. ¡°You and I¡­ We¡¯re classmates. You¡¯re not my boss and I¡¯m not your subordinate.¡± Zhu Yun spoke calmly. ¡°While I respect you as the head of the seminar, we¡¯ve neither made any verbal agreement nor signed any kind of labor contract. To be honest, I don¡¯t think that you have adequate reason¡ª¡± She looked at him. ¡°To make me listen to you.¡±


    Quiet.


    Silence.


    More quiet.


    Continued silence.


    After awhile, Li Xun hooked his hands on his waist and said, ¡°So we¡¯re equals?¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded.


    That¡¯s right. We¡¯re equals. Long live equality.


    ¡­But can you stop advancing.


    Li Xun wore a fitted black sports shirt. The collar on his shirt was up, like a knife¡¯s blade. An apprehensive feeling overcame Zhu Yun, who felt stark naked in her soft, yellow pajamas, standing in front of him, unable to attack.


    He walked forward casually, but Zhu Yun found she could only retreat, until she was pressed against the roadside trees. The branches poked into her back, like an army of soldiers were pressing their weapons to her.


    He lowered his head and asked again, ¡°We¡¯re equals, you said?¡±


    He was so close that he blocked out the moonlight.


    Okay¡­


    Okay, okay.


    I admit that you¡¯re¡­just a little bit¡­taller than me¡­


    After admitting defeat, she cursed him silently. People who used their sex and height to act superior were simply too disgraceful.


    Li Xun had more to say, but in that moment, Zhu Yun saw someone passing by acoss the way. She didn¡¯t give Li Xun the chance to speak again, as she speedily shouted to the passing figure, ¡°Juliet!¡±


    The people around them, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun pushed Li Xun away and said, ¡°Look. Juliet. Your Juliet finished class.¡± She pointed behind him, but Li Xun looked on at her, expressionless.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know what Li Xun¡¯s new girlfriend¡¯s name was. The biggest impression she¡¯d made for Zhu Yun had been while she was practicing her lines.


    But this girl was something. After hearing ¡°Juliet,¡± she immediately knew she was being called. She jogged over.


    ¡°Li Xun!¡±


    While Li Xun turned back to look, Zhu Yun slipped away from him.


    ¡°Will you help me practice my lines some more?¡± Juliet grabbed onto Li Xun¡¯s arm and complained, ¡°The Romeo my teacher paired me with is too short. I can¡¯t express the feeling!¡±


    Zhu Yun spoke up from the side, ¡°Um, you two should go practice. I¡¯m heading back too.¡±


    Li Xun smiled insincerely.


    Juliet hugged him and said, ¡°Okay? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhu Yun added, ¡°Have fun.¡±


    She walked back to the milk tea place, and then she turned around.


    Their backs melted into the night, gently and lightly.


    How did the lines go?


    So, excuse me. It was the dark night that leaked out my deepest secret. Do not take my promise to be unashamed frivolousness.


    ¡ª


    The first time that Zhu Yun visited Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s lab, she felt like she¡¯d entered a sweatshop.


    As long as Han Jiakang and the rest of her research group weren¡¯t completing a special task¡ªfor example, buying things for Zhang Xiaobei, picking up packages, and things like that¡ªeveryone was to remain in the lab room from 8am to¡­ some time in the evening. It was a very fixed pattern, more stable than people at an office job.


    The ¡°great project that was favorable to one¡¯s future prospects¡± that Zhang Xiaobei spoke so highly of was a project for the city¡¯s Finance Bureau, creating a system reporting fixed assets.


    When Zhang Xiaobei wasn¡¯t around, Han Jiakang secretly told Zhu Yun that this project was easy as pie. The system had already been halfway developed. The engineer at Treasure who was in charge of the project had been transferred, and no one else wanted to pick it up.


    Han Jiakang contemptuously told her, ¡°A government project like this is basically a ploy to fish for the public¡¯s money. Whether or not it ends up being successful depends on whether or not the project lead has been bribed well.


    He told Zhu Yun, ¡°And it¡¯s not that the programmers over there are too busy. It¡¯s just that, after the first round of inspection, after they pocketed the money, the people at Treasure had no more interest in the project. And since Zhang Xiaobei is always trying to cling onto Treasure, at their command, she was left to clean up their mess.


    After looking over the last programmer¡¯s code, Zhu Yun felt that this project wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Although it wasn¡¯t as perfect as Li Xun¡¯s code, it was still easily understandable and of decent quality.


    Wait¡­ Zhu Yun cut short her own thoughts. When had his abilities become the standard that she measured others to?


    After two days, Zhu Yun finished combing through and working out the previous programmer¡¯s code.


    Zhang Xiaobei pulled some time out of her busy schedule to check on her progress. ¡°Let¡¯s see your progress.¡±


    Right now?


    Before Zhu Yun realized, Zhang Xiaobei had already reached over and started the program. Then, a serious expression crossed her face. ¡°Why are there more than ten errors and more than thirty warnings?¡±


    Zhu Yun was originally going to say something, but after spotting Han Jiakang signaling to her, she shut her mouth.


    ¡°Your progress isn¡¯t good enough. Work faster. Fix your errors and warnings. We¡¯ll talk again when you get your program running.¡± Then, she left like the wind.


    In the afternoon, she had English. Before class started, Zhu Yun was scribbling on a sheet of paper.


    ¡°Seriously fucking sad to see.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked up and saw that Master Li had sat down beside her.


    Up until then, the two had only sat next to each other in Old Lin¡¯s class. What was the occasion?


    Zhu Yun closed her notebook just as the professor entered the room.


    Li Xun had zero intent on listening to the lecture. Zhu Yun could understood that. On the first day that she walked into the project base, she saw a pile of thick, worn English programming books sitting on top of his desk. And whenever he had an exam for math or English, he always scored full points.


    Zhu Yun silently lamented at how unfair god was. At the same time, Li Xun asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Will you die if you don¡¯t pretend to be a fool?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun pursed her lips as Li Xun whispered, ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    He frowned. Zhu Yun felt that something was bothering him. If he weren¡¯t in class right now, he would probably have pulled out a smoke by now.


    ¡°If you¡¯re having any problems, just tell me.¡±


    ¡°There are no problems.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Li Xun looked at her and Zhu Yun raised a brow. For some reason, he scoffed and then smiled as he said, ¡°Geezus¡­¡±


    Seems like you have lots of thoughts going through your mind as well, Zhu Yun thought.


    Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t trying to bite off more than she could chew. She really didn¡¯t need any help with the project because she never had any plans on finishing that freakin¡¯ thing.


    After she asked Zhang Xiaobei some questions and confirmed that she didn¡¯t understand a thing about the project, Zhu Yun felt like a horse running free in the grass as she joyously started coding.


    Han Jiakang had told her that Zhang Xiaobei hated laziness. When she checked on their progress, there was one particular thing she looked out for¡ªthe more lines you had, the happier she was. That was what she liked. And so, with the speed of a rocket, Zhu Yun started submitting file after file, pulling down the once-stable system with the strength of a baby pulling on a teat.


    She coded with utterly cumbersome logic and made use of the most horrific template. Three days later, the system had become a minefield. It appeared to run properly, but it was filled with traps and pits. The code had no readability and no scalability.


    When Zhu Yun looked at it, she wanted to vomit. But Zhang Xiaobei was happy. Zhu Yun was working fast enough. She was writing enough lines. And the program functioned. It was just perfect.


    After a few days of perfection, disaster hit. One day, when Zhu Yun arrived at the lab, she sensed that something wasn¡¯t quite right. Everyone was bent over lower than usual, their heads buried deeper than usual. The room was stiller than a morgue.


    Han Jiakang passed by Zhu Yun and whispered, ¡°Zhang Xiaobei was scolded by Treasure. You¡ª¡± The clicking of high heels sounded from the hall. Han Jiakang¡¯s face paled. Before he even finished speaking, he returned to his spot.


    Zhang Xiaobei pushed open the lab door and walked up to Zhu Yun. She shoved a pile of materials for some project or another at her. She pointed at Zhu Yun¡¯s nose and, in front of the entire room, she shrieked, ¡°Tell me what the hell you wrote!¡±

 CH 18

    No one dared to speak, and no one dared to lift their heads.


    Zhu Yun was thinking that, while she was being scolded here like this, her senior graduate students could still concentrate so well on their work. In fact, they seemed more engrossed in their work than usual. It was rather like the chairman reading books at the execution ground. (t/n: More on Caishikou Execution Grounds)


    Zhang Xiaobei pointed at Zhu Yun and pelted her with reprimands. ¡°What have you turned a good program into? Garbage! I brought it over for the company to check, and their expressions¡ªaiya, you should have seen their expressions! Why are you hanging your head without saying a word? Don¡¯t you know what it is to be ashsamed?! And you¡¯re just a young girl¡­


    ¡°I only looked away a moment, and you made this mess! It¡¯s my fault for trusting you too much. You came to me with such confidence, but what is this now? How thick is your skin that you can still come into this laboratory?!


    ¡°Tell me. Speak up. Is this how Teacher Lin taught you?!¡±


    Zhu Yun quietly hung her head and didn¡¯t look at Zhang Xiaobei.


    When Zhang Xiaobei didn¡¯t get a response from Zhu Yun, even after all her scolding, she clenched her teeth. She shouted to the rest of the room, ¡°No response at all! Do you all see this?! No response at all! What a troublemaker!¡±


    In her anger, she shoved Zhu Yun. Her fingers were sharper than her voice.


    Zhu Yun stepped back and quietly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry?!¡± After getting a response out of her, Zhang Xiaobei shouted even louder, ¡°This is a government project! Do you think a single ¡®Sorry¡¯ is enough to make up for anything?! You¡¯ve cost the school its reputation! Can you handle that burden?!¡±


    Zhu Yun had thought she¡¯d been very collected. It wasn¡¯t until she exited the lab that she realized that her heart was beating extremely fast. Regardless of what she really thought, Zhang Xiaobei was still a teacher. And since ancient times, a teacher and student had never been equals. Zhang Xiaobei had that advantage over her.


    In the hallway, Zhu Yun fanned herself. She really did sympathize with Han Jiakang and the other graduate students. She also wondered how they would all turn out after working under such an advisor for several years.


    Carrying her laptop, she headed back to her dorm room. Zhang Xiaobei gave her two days to edit the program. Zhu Yun¡¯s last chance, she¡¯d called it. She¡¯d put a lot of emphasis on each word when she said it, and Zhu Yun truly felt the weight and significance that came with her ¡®last chance.¡¯


    Zhu Yun returned to her dorm, to find the busy Fang Shumiao inside.


    The weather was getting colder and final exams were right around the corner. Half a month ago, Fang Shumiao became part of the group of ¡®outstanding students,¡¯ as she started to prep for her exams. When Zhu Yun walked into their room, Fang Shumiao greeted her but quickly returned to organizing her study materials.


    At this point, Fang Shumiao rarely showed up to the project base. And suddenly, Ren Di¡¯s words echoed in Zhu Yun¡¯s head. ¡®She won¡¯t last long. With Li Xun¡­ Most girls wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with him.¡¯


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t linger long about the meaning of her words. Instead, she opened her laptop to take care of Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s kindness in giving her a ¡®last chance.¡¯


    ¡­¡­


    She really wanted a smoke. If only Fang Shumiao weren¡¯t in the room.


    She¡¯d been given two days time, but on the afternoon of the second day, Zhu Yun was called in for a meeting. Their conversation that day wasn¡¯t in the lab, but rather in Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s office. There weren¡¯t many professors who had their own office, but unfortunately, Zhang Xiaobei happened to be the youngest of them.


    Zhang Xiaobei rarely used her office, as she was always busy in the lab or in talks with businesses. The whole way there, Zhu Yun wondered why Zhang Xiaobei called her to this kind of hidden away place to admonish her.


    Was it possible she¡¯d gained a conscience and didn¡¯t want to humiliate Zhu Yun in public? Probably not¡­


    With these complicated thoughts swirling through her head, she knocked on the office door. A calm voice said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Zhu Yun entered the office, and the air inside chilled her to the bone. Zhang Xiaobei stood beside her desk, a fresh cup of tea on the table.


    ¡°Students nowadays are really something.¡± Zhang Xiaobei spoke very softly now, a complete turnaround from her previously loud shouts. After hearing her voice though, Zhu Yun would have rather she¡¯d yelled.


    Zhang Xiaobei walked up to Zhu Yun. Their heights were similar, but Zhang Xiaobei had the advantage of a pair of heels. She looked down at Zhu Yun and quietly asked, ¡°You think you¡¯re something great, don¡¯t you?¡±


    That¡¯s right, there were in fact some areas where she was quite good. But Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t sure what exactly Zhang Xiaobei was referring to, so she remained quiet.


    ¡°I asked you a question.¡±


    How do I answer?


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to talk?¡±


    Zhu Yun really didn¡¯t know how to reply to her. Yes? That definitely wouldn¡¯t work. No? That didn¡¯t seem like it would work out either. Just as Zhu Yun was contemplating her options, Zhang Xiaobei picked up the cup of tea on her desk and splashed it onto Zhu Yun¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been teaching for so many years! But this is the first time I¡¯ve met a student as low as you!¡± Zhang Xiaobei couldn¡¯t stop herself. Her laboratory voice had returned in full strength. ¡°You think you¡¯re so clever, don¡¯t you? You tried to make a fool of me? I really didn¡¯t know that students nowadays had such evil thoughts! Purposefully writing it poorly to make me look bad? You still dare to be a student?! If you could do such a thing to embarrass your teacher, what wouldn¡¯t you dare do when you join society?!¡±


    Zhu Yun finally understood why Zhang Xiaobei had called her into her office. How could she admit that she¡¯d been deceived by a lowly undergraduate student with all her subordinates watching?


    Zhang Xiaobei pointed at her. ¡°Go back and fix it all. I¡¯m telling you, Zhu Yun, your behavior is really too vile. Go home and think it all over, whether or not you¡¯ll ever be able to study abroad or join a postgraduate program. Do you still want the school¡¯s recommendation? You¡¯d better figure out how you¡¯re going to explain all of this to me!¡±


    After Zhang Xiaobei finished throwing her fit, she left.


    Zhu Yun wiped away the tea on her face.


    When she left the office, she felt a bit chilly since her clothes were wet. She wanted to get back to her dorm quickly. Then she heard someone call out, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Zhu Yun turned around and saw a boy running over, a grave expression on his face. She recalled that his name was Zhou Jinyang, one of Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s grad students. He didn¡¯t usually speak much, always sitting in the corner working. He didn¡¯t have much presence in the lab.


    He pulled Zhu Yun over to the side and quickly told her, ¡°Han Jiakang told her.¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°Han Jiakang told her,¡± Zhou Jinyang repeated.


    Zhu Yun continued to look at him silently.


    ¡°Han Jiakang¡¯s task wasn¡¯t completed well so Zhang Xiaobei told him off. He tried to win her favor, so he told her about you intentionally writing the code poorly. You get it, right? Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s anxiety caused her to quickly forgot about his mistakes.¡±


    Zhou Jinyang must have snuck out of the lab. He spoke nervously and his voice shook. She could see the thrill of revealing a secret in his eyes. When he was done spilling the secret, he looked at Zhu Yun, waiting for her reaction.


    Previously¡­


    Zhu Yun was thinking. Previously, what had she been wondering about?


    ¡°I have to get back.¡± Zhou Jinyang looked at Zhu Yun, who still hadn¡¯t moved. He started leaving, but then he turned back to Zhu Yun and said, ¡°You¡¯d better not tell Han Jiakang that I told you.¡±


    She remembered¡ª


    Those seniors of hers. After working under this kind of advisor for a few years, what kind of people would they become? As he left, she looked at Zhou Jinyang¡¯s stooped figure. She felt that she¡¯d figured out the answer.


    Zhu Yun returned to her dorm, her screen displaying the ¡®last chance¡¯ that Zhang Xiaobei had given her. Zhu Yun didn¡¯t want to look at it anymore, and she shut her laptop.


    She went to take a shower, to scrub away the smell of tea all over her body. After she changed into her pajamas, she made herself a cup of coffee and then pulled out a programming book from her bookcase. She leisurely enjoyed the rest of her afternoon.


    Not long after, she received Li Xun¡¯s phone call. ¡°Come to the base,¡± he said.


    Zhu Yun was about to ask him why, when Li Xun changed his mind. ¡°No. Go to the sports field. Bring your laptop.¡±


    It was already December, and the grassy field had naturally turned yellow. There weren¡¯t many people on the sports field. It was finals season, so everyone was locked up with their books.


    Li Xun was sitting in his old spot, near the broken soccer post. The post was rusting, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind as he leaned against it still. He was looking down.


    Zhu Yun was thinking as she walked over. He spent all day, every day, glued to his laptop, constantly working, but why wasn¡¯t he near-sighted¡­ It really makes a person jealous.


    Li Xun was smoking. When she arrived, he looked up. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I told you to bring your laptop.¡±


    Zhu Yun sat down next to him. ¡°I¡¯m too tired.¡±


    Li Xun frowned as he smoked. Zhu Yun looked over pensively.


    Li Xun asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°You¡¯re really strange today. I didn¡¯t follow your instructions, but you¡¯re actually not scolding me.¡±


    Li Xun gave her a look. ¡°You haven¡¯t had enough yet?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    How did he find out.


    Zhu Yun looked away. The wind rolled through the grass, which swayed wantonly, without direction. She felt cold, but with him beside her, she didn¡¯t want to move.


    ¡°It was you that day, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Li Xun pulled out his smoke and continued, ¡°I was standing at the door of the room, and when that person left, their steps were really loud.¡±


    She suddenly grew nervous. Compared to Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s questioning and yelling, Li Xun¡¯s soft sentence made her much more nervous. Her heart was nearly jumping out of her chest.


    He leaned against the peeling goalpost and quietly said, ¡°Actually, when you accepted Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s proposal, I should have guessed.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s fingers tightened. She waited quietly for what he would say next. She didn¡¯t want to let him know that someone had heard his discussion that day. It¡¯d be better if everyone who witnessed such an embarrassing thing were to all die off.


    After a long moment of silence, Li Xun laughed gently. ¡°I say, Princess¡­¡±


    She felt like she was on thin ice.


    Li Xun pulled up his right leg and rested his arm on it, and then he laughed in the chilling wind. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m made of tofu?¡± (t/n: To be easily damaged)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    She turned to him. His hair was blowing in the wind, just like the dried grass, wanton, without a care. She felt that she would never forget his laugh in this moment.


    Suddenly, Li Xun kicked her foot with his other leg.


    ¡°You *.¡± (t/n: Originally censored)


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°With what time did you waste on her? Do you have that much free time?¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to chain you to a pillar so that you won¡¯t fucking blindly go messing with psychological games.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He put out his cigarette in the grass.


    Zhu Yun had finally found the power to reply. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t say anything. Without any care to the environment, Li Xun kicked his cigarette butt into the distance. Then he pointed at Zhu Yun and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to bring your laptop over to the base, I¡¯ll just go to your dorm to work.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. When the time comes, you¡¯ll find out whether I will or won¡¯t do it, Princess.¡±


    You will. You¡¯re so particular, there¡¯s nothing you wouldn¡¯t do. You could even fly if you wanted to.


    When he was done speaking, Li Xun got up and pat off his bottom before walking away.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Zhu Yun called out. She couldn¡¯t get up as quickly, but she didn¡¯t want to let him leave, so she grabbed onto his legs. He turned back. Looking up to him from this angle, Zhu Yun felt her neck was going to snap. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. Just focus on our group¡¯s work.¡±


    Li Xun, a bit helplessly, replied, ¡°I said¡ª¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything.¡±


    Zhu Yun finally got up and walked over to Li Xun¡¯s side. She looked at him in the eyes and said, ¡°Li Xun, I¡¯m not a princess.¡±


    Li Xun had never been looked at this way by her before. He was silent.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a * either. Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡±

 CH 19

    Overgrown Grassland


    19. Chapter 19


    19


    That evening, Zhu Yun sat in her room, her phone in front of her. She¡¯d been staring at it for nearly half an hour.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Fang Shumiao walked out from the bathroom and asked Zhu Yun, ¡°If you keep staring, will it turn into a flower?¡±


    Zhu Yun seemed to wake from her trance, and the brushed off her hands. She grabbed her phone and walked outside.


    Fang Shumiao asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Making a call. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Zhu Yun replied.


    She walked out onto the balcony and closed the door behind her. Then she made a call to her mother. After a few rings, the line picked up, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Yun? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Did you get off work yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Go ahead and talk.¡±


    Zhu Yun leaned against the railing. It was cold from the nighttime wind. ¡°It¡¯s nothing really¡­ I just missed you, so I called,¡± Zhu Yun said quietly.


    After hearing her daughter, she chuckled and said, ¡°I miss you too.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°How have you been recently? It¡¯s nearly time for final exams. When does your break start?¡±


    ¡°Our exams are next week. The holiday break starts after then.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to study well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun was quiet for a few seconds. Then her mother asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°So what are you mumbling about?¡±


    ¡°Noth¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun hesitated. Her mother said, ¡°I¡¯ve been a teacher for half my life. You think I can¡¯t tell if something¡¯s bothering you? Tell me what¡¯s the matter.¡±


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°There¡¯s a teacher at our school who¡¯s too strict.¡± She scratched her neck. That¡¯s where Zhang Xiaobei had thrown hot tea at her. Her skin was still red.


    Her mother laughed. ¡°Strict teachers are the one¡¯s with brilliant students. When your father was still teaching, he was famous for being strict. Otherwise, would they be able to get results? If a teacher is too lax, how will their students improve?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single star in the sky that night.


    Zhu Yun was quiet a bit, and then she said, ¡°Mom, my grades are dropping really fast.¡±


    Her mother paused and then asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°At the midterms, I was 4th in the class, but after our last exam, I dropped to 9th.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are your courses difficult?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡±


    Zhu Yun looked up at the bedsheet hanging outside on the floor above theirs. What was that pattern? A cartoon or some floral pattern?


    ¡°What is it?¡± her mother asking again. ¡°Are there any problems with your schoolwork?¡±


    ¡°No. There¡¯s a teacher in our department who works with the graduate students. She dragged me into working on a project for her. The schedule is really tight, so I don¡¯t have much time to study¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Her mother cut her off before she could finish.


    ¡°Graduate students are graduate students. What does that have to do with you? How could your teacher think of dragging you in to help with their project?!¡±


    Zhu Yun replied quietly, ¡°She meant well. She said it would be good practice.¡±


    Her mother said, ¡°Zhu Yun, you¡¯re still too young. You don¡¯t understand enough. Forget about it. I¡¯ll ask your father to take care of it. Just focus on your studies. I want to see your final marks later.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°Tell me the name of that graduate advisor.¡±


    Zhu Yun hesitated. ¡°Mom¡­ She¡¯s an associate professor at our school.¡±


    ¡°Is that so. Then this is a big deal.¡± Her mother scoffed. ¡°A small associate professor dares to act so arrogantly? Schools nowadays truly lack order. Tell me what that advisor¡¯s name is.¡±


    Zhu Yun pouted. She finally saw what was on that drying bedsheet upstairs. Dogs. (t/n: ¡®Dog¡¯ can also be a derogatory reference to a person with poor conduct, morals, etc.)


    ¡°Zhang Xiaobei.¡±


    ¡ª


    At the entrance to the hotel, Zhu Yun made a call to confirm the room number. Then she headed up. The grand and luxurious hotel was located downtown. They served Chinese style cuisine, and three floors were decorated in a Chinese style, with carved pillars, looking like a splendorous mansion. (t/n: Zhu Yun is headed to a private room in the restaurant in the hotel)


    The waitstaff were well trained. After asking Zhu Yun¡¯s room number, she was escorted upstairs with a smile. The stairs on either side had interlocking brackets on the columns. The entire layout was very elaborately done, captivating Zhu Yun¡¯s eyes.


    Their private room was on the third floor. It bore the name Baihua. The attendant opened the door and told her to enter, before leaving.


    When he saw her enter the room, a man greeted her. ¡°Zhu Yun, come here.¡± The middle aged man sitting inside the room who greeted her was her father, the Deputy Director and Inspector General to the Provincial Ministry of Education, Zhu Guangyi.


    Zhu Yun walked over and sat down beside Zhu Guangyi. ¡°Dad.¡±


    Zhu Guangyi motioned to the person beside him and said, ¡°You don¡¯t even recognize your university president. What kind of student are you.¡±


    Zhu Yun quickly lowered her head to the president, Qian Wendong. ¡°Hello, President Qian.¡±


    ¡°Hello, hello.¡± The president quickly waved his hand dismissively and said to Zhu Guangyi, ¡°Don¡¯t blame the child. I¡¯m so busy every day that my feet are hardly ever still. The students who recognize me are truly only a few.¡±


    Zhu Guangyi said, ¡°It truly is a busy time. The education reform has intensified, and many things are in disorder. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve gotten off work on time.¡±


    President Qian finsihed their greetings with a few more comments, and then the waiter was called in to bring out the food.


    Her father had been friends with the school president for many years. When they met, they could talk endlessly about education. Zhu Yun snuck a glance across the table.


    Zhang Xiaobei sat in the spot closest to the door. She wore no makeup and her face was extremely pale. She had on very simple business attire, and her feet¡­ They were probably adorned with a pair of flats.


    Including herself and her father, there were nine people at the table. Aside from the school president and Zhang Xiaobei, Zhu Yun didn¡¯t recognize anyone.


    The food was served.


    Presdent Qian laughed and started off the occasion. ¡°Inspector Zhu and I are old schoolmates and friends. It¡¯s been a long time since had the chance to meet. They say when old friends meet, tears are bound to fall, and recollections go on endlessly. Let¡¯s not be miserable today; let¡¯s enjoy our meal happily. Since we¡¯re all free today, let¡¯s have a chat and take care of any misunderstandings.¡±


    As he nodded, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t just stare at me, everyone. You haven¡¯t eaten, right? Let¡¯s eat first. We can talk as we eat.¡±


    Everyone had just picked up their chopsticks when Zhang Xiaobei stood up. She walked over to Zhu Guangyi and Qian Wendong and lowered her head. ¡°President Qian, Inspector Zhu, there are a few things I must say. If I don¡¯t say them¡­ I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to swallow any food.¡± And then she quickly wiped at her eye.


    Was she crying? Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t see very clearly from her seat.


    Zhu Guangyi didn¡¯t say anything, but President Qian replied, ¡°If you have something to say, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°First, I¡¯d like to admit that I made a mistake,¡± Zhang Xiaobei said. ¡°I¡¯m too young and I was too anxious to get promoted. That¡¯s why I made this kind of mistake.¡± Her voice sounded fragile, like that of a young, sick girl with little chance of recovery.


    ¡°But I truly didn¡¯t act with ill intentions. You must believe that I acted with good will! Zhu Yun had previously participated in a project for Languan Company, and her performance was praised by everyone. That¡¯s why I asked her to participate in my project.


    ¡°I was in too much of a rush, and my temper got out of hand. The issues that came up in our exchanges¡­¡± Zhang Xiaobei turned to Zhu Yun. ¡°I genuinely apologize to you. I overstepped my bounds.¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei was the only person standing up in the room. She lowered her head, trembling slightly, looking ever so helpless. Zhu Yun believed that she genuinely felt helpless. Because in this Baihua room, the only person in a lower position than her was Zhu Yun.


    Or perhaps¡­ Zhu Yun glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye. She had a casual thought. Perhaps her position right now was actually higher than Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s.


    After Zhang Xiaobei finished speaking, Zhu Guangyi spoke calmly. ¡°Right now, professors and students are both under a lot of pressure. They should work to understand each other.¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei nodded her head.


    Zhu Guangyi continued, ¡°Professors are pressured by their teacher evaluations. This is the crux of many problems that occur.¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei finally appeared to want to speak. She lifted her head, but Zhu Guangyi turned to President Qian. ¡°For that reason, we must investigate more thoroughly. We need to put an end fo those rotten and chaotic academic titles!¡± His words suddenly turned harsh, causing Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s shoulders to tremble.


    Zhu Guangyi continued, seriously, ¡°There are many professors nowadays who lack morality, who have fallen, acting only in their own interests! They have fake academic histories, fake research papers, fake awards! Their ability to teach is extremely lacking, and they depend upon all forms of obscenity to further their positions. They are devoid of ethics and conscience, oppressing their students, breeding corruption. Was this the purpose of those academic titles?¡±


    President Qian¡¯s expression was also stern. With a frown, he agreed, ¡°That¡¯s right. Although the repurcussions have increased, there are still those who creep through loopholes by luck. These are things we must eliminate.¡±


    Zhang Xiaobei¡¯s face was extremely pale. He body was shaking, and she could barely keep herself upright. During the meal, two people ate without tasting a thing. One was Zhang Xiaobei, the other, Zhu Yun.


    There was a bowl of mushroom soup in front of her. Zhu Yun looked at the floating droplets of oil and felt nauseous. She was disgusted at the soup, disgusted at Zhang Xiaobei, and disgusted at herself.


    After their meal, Zhu Guangyi and Qian Wendong both had more to discuss, so Zhu Yun took a taxi back to campus. The sky was already dark. When she arrived at the laboratory building, she saw that a window of the practice base was still lit. There was just one person there, only one row of lights on.


    As always, he was nestled in his chair, his legs up on the desk. On his legs was a laptop, and beside his hand was an ashtray. Li Xun was typing away, focused on writing his code, up until a head appeared right beside him.


    A startled Li Xun dropped cigarette ash onto his hand. It was so hot that he dropped the cigarette and stood up. Zhu Yun laughed at the side.


    Li Xun glared at her. ¡°Are you a person or a ghost?!¡±


    ¡°Guess.¡±


    Li Xun rolled his eyes and dusted off his clothes before sitting back in his chair. Zhu Yun took the seat next to him.


    Li Xun asked, ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°To watch.¡±


    Li Xun looked at her.


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Li Xun shook his head and continued working.


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°So how far have you gotten?¡±


    Li Xun waved his finger and Zhu Yun moved closer.


    He let her look over a completed function. The room was quiet. Li Xun didn¡¯t speak loudly. Zhu Yun listened attentively, and slowly, she forgot what he was saying.


    Right. She was right.


    Just as she¡¯d previously thought, coming here to take a look and have a listen, caused that nauseous feeling to completely disappear. She discovered that besides yelling at people and writing code, Li Xun had another function¡ªaiding in digestion and soothing the liver.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Zhu Yun came back to her senses and realized that Li Xun was silently looking at her. He¡¯d already been working all day, so he didn¡¯t have the energy to tease her. He just asked directly, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need any help?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°It¡¯s already taken care of.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t torture yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mmh.¡±


    Li Xun complained about her a bit before returning to his work.

 CH 20

    Overgrown Grassland


    20. Chapter 20


    20


    The next day, she returned to the project base. The heavy atmosphere had been swept away and replaced with an enveloping sense of confusion. That strange scent emanating from a certain someone¡¯s body, and those intoxicating eyes¡­ They turned Zhu Yun¡¯s body numb.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk,¡± Li Xun clicked his tongue, sitting in a cloud of smoke.


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Did he know about Zhang Xiaobei? From his expression¡­ He most surely did.


    Zhu Yun sat down in her chair and turned on the computer. She didn¡¯t have the strength to concern herself about Li Xun. After a few days without working, she really needed to speed up her pace on the project.


    Li Xun rested his head on his hand and said, ¡°Princess.¡±


    Zhu Yun glanced at him. He looked like he was smiling, but also not. Thoughtful, he said, ¡°You really are a princess.¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t respond. Li Xun lamented, ¡°It¡¯s really quite eye-opening.¡±


    Zhu Yun decided to ignore his presence.


    Li Xun turned to Gao Jianhong and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I said I don¡¯t get along with any girls whose IQs are higher than 60.¡± Gao Jianhong was laughing so much that his body was shaking.


    If I could only choose one between an IQ of 60 and not getting along with you, I¡¯d certainly choose to have a detached relationship with you until the end of time.


    Zhu Yun put her books on the table and calmly looked at him. ¡°Are we still working?¡±


    Li Xun glanced over and laughed. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s work.¡±


    Ready to get back to work, Zhu Yun opened up the project progress report. Then she said to Li Xun, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ll be able to finish before the break.¡±


    Li Xun replied without much concern, ¡°Just make sure you finish your part. Don¡¯t worry about the rest.¡±


    Zhu Yun felt that she was going to have to work like her life was on the line this week. Not only for their project, but also for her final exams. Her mother¡¯s words rang in her ear once more. ¡°Make sure you study. I want to see your grade report afterward.¡±


    This riddle-like pressure¡­ Zhu Yun sighed inwardly. Just then, her eyes happened to meet Li Xun¡¯s. He shot her a contemplative smile and then lowered his head to continue writing.


    Zhu Yun was suddenly in a good mood.


    During their afternoon break, Zhu Yun buried her head in her studies, unwilling to waste time heading to the cafeteria to eat. Li Xun sat beside her, typing away. The practice base was very quiet, only the tapping sounds of the keyboard ringing in the air. After awhile, the sound came to a stop. Li Xun closed his laptop. ¡°Not eating?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head. ¡°You go ahead.¡±


    Li Xun bent over and asked, ¡°You¡¯re putting this much energy into it?¡± He glanced at her. ¡°¡®The Basic Principles of Marxism¡¯¡­¡± After a few seconds, he taunted, ¡°The bounds of a princess¡¯ thoughts are truly different.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhu Yun looked over at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to study?¡±


    Li Xun replied simply, ¡°Nope.¡±


    Zhu Yun gave a sarcastic laugh. ¡°That¡¯s right. On all the exams for Marx and Mao, you score five points above the passing grade. It¡¯s super stable. You definitely don¡¯t need to study.¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s brows jumped up.


    What?


    Li Xun¡¯s face showed that he didn¡¯t care to quibble with her, so he turned and left. Zhu Yun was left in the practice base by herself. She made use of the time to get memorizing.


    Once people become engrossed in a task, time passes by very quickly. Zhu Yun was analyzing the fundamental conflicts in present day Chinese society, when a flying object hit her head and cut off her thoughts. ¡°Ah!¡± she cried out as she grabbed her head.


    The missile took two rolls on the table and then finally stopped. A cream bun.


    Li Xun sat down next to her. Having eaten his fill, he yawned, seemingly without a care in the world. And Zhu Yun returned to her books. The fundamental conflicts of present day society¡­ First¡­ What was it now? Fuck. She¡¯d already forgotten???


    Zhu Yun quickly lifted up her spirits and tried to start again.


    Productive forces and relations of production, economic base and superstructure. The basic driving forces of societal development. Rooted in the fundamental contradictions of class struggle, societal¡ª


    ¡°Get me a cup of water.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Societal revolution¡ª


    ¡°Make sure it¡¯s cold.¡±


    After being cut off again, she couldn¡¯t concentrate. Being interrupted in the middle of memorizing something was like the feeling of having to stop mid-pee. Zhu Yun wanted to explode.


    Li Xun rushed her. ¡°Hurry up.¡± Zhu Yun grabbed Li Xun¡¯s cup and went to get him some water. Li Xun sat relaxed. When Zhu Yun returned with his water, he took a sip without a second thought. And then he promptly spit it out.


    Seeing Li Xun¡¯s face to his neck turn red from the hot water, Zhu Yun let out a content sigh. It was so satisfying seeing him beaten.


    Unfortunately, her joy barely lasted ten seconds. Li Xun tossed aside the cup and kicked at the table, sliding off on his chair.


    Zhu Yun turned to run, but she seemed to have overestimated her athletic ability and underestimated the length of Li Xun¡¯s legs. When he grabbed her neck, Zhu Yun closed her eyes, the image of a warrior with a broken arm slipping into her head.


    Fine, I¡¯ll die! It was worth it!


    He pulled her over to the table. The fingers he used for typing were slender and strong. He pressed her against the table and looked down over her.


    ¡­¡­


    No matter how ruthless the scene here was, the afternoon lighting was still absolutely stunning. His face met the sunlight. Shoulders, collarbone, the angle of his jaw¡­


    Zhu Yun would not admit defeat. Aside from his fried yellow hair and the personality that deserved a beating, Li Xun was rather delicate. This kind of delicacy reminded Zhu Yun of when she was younger, of the first time that she saved money to buy imported pencils. Overwhelmed with emotions, she started writing in her workbook. The feeling that, no matter how rough the paper she wrote on, the pencil would still write smoothly and fluently, was the same feeling Li Xun had.


    ¡°Choose your method of death.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    It¡¯d be great if his lips were forever sewn shut.


    Zhu Yun struggled. ¡°You messed with me first.¡±


    ¡°Mmh?¡±


    When Li Xun exerted force with his hand, Zhu Yun¡¯s legs started to tremble. It wasn¡¯t that he used all his strength, but rather, he sort of kneaded at her skin, the same way he often rolled a cigarette between his fingers to pass the time.


    She tried to reason with him. ¡°I was memorizing things¡­ And you kept interrupting me.¡±


    Li Xun scoffed.


    Zhu Yun continued. ¡°I only have this time in the afternoon to study. I haven¡¯t payed attention to my politics class for the entire second half of the semester. If I don¡¯t memorize it all now, I¡¯ll fail the exam next week.¡±


    You have to be a bit reasonable, dude!


    Li Xun looked at her without much of an expression, as if he were taking this in. Then he laughed.


    ¡°Your neck¡¯s pretty thin.¡±


    Her heart thumped. The sunlight shining into the room suddenly broke into pieces of gold.


    Just then, a woman¡¯s voice came. ¡°Zhu Yun, what are you two doing?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s back went numb, as if someone had just poured a bucket of ice water over her head. Her life was being shortened here.


    Li Xun turned and saw their class advisor standing in the doorway. With him, was a middle-aged woman. She was the one who had just spoken. There was a smile on her face, and she looked quite amiable.


    Zhu Yun straightened up. Her heart was beating rapidly as she walked over steadily. First, she greeted her professor. ¡°Hello, Teacher Zhang.¡± Then she turned to the woman and quietly said, ¡°Mom, what are you doing here?¡±


    Her mother replied, ¡°You saw your dad, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too busy, so he couldn¡¯t spend any time with you. Fortunately, my school is on vacation for a few days, so I came over to see how you were doing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Her mother laughed. Beside them, Teacher Zhang said, ¡°I knew you¡¯d be here. It wasn¡¯t easy for your mom to visit, so you should have a meal with her.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhu Yun went back to get her bags. She said to Li Xun, ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out first.¡±


    Li Xun raised his brow. Zhu Yun returned to her mother¡¯s side and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I haven¡¯t had lunch yet.¡±


    Zhu Yun left with her mother. On her way out, she glanced around the room and saw that Li Xun had nestled back into his chair. He opened up his laptop and then he unwrapped the cream bun on the table and started eating it.


    After ordering their meal, Zhu Yun and her mother sat down in the cafeteria. ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating too little?¡± her mother asked. ¡°Are you getting enough nutrients?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± She was barely able to get her words out.


    ¡°I was speaking with your teacher and he didn¡¯t seem to know about that graduate advisor and her project. If you were having problems, why didn¡¯t you go talk to your advisor? You have to trust your teachers.¡±


    The point is that speaking to him wouldn¡¯t have helped.


    ¡°Or did your grades fall for a different reason?¡±


    Zhu Yun nearly choked on her mother¡¯s casual question. She looked over at her mother, whose expression was very even. Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know if she was asking seriously or playfully.


    ¡°I heard about that seminar from your advisor. It counts towards your practical training credits, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡± Zhu Yun nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s just your first year, so you don¡¯t need to rush anything.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go anymore.¡±


    Other than nodding, Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    After seeing Zhu Yun agree, her mother had a spoonful of soup. The seaweed soup wasn¡¯t cooked very well. Her mother frowned and said, ¡°Goodness, why is it so salty?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°The soup in the cafeteria is always a bit salty. Should we go out to eat?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s too much trouble. Let¡¯s just stay here.¡± Her mother looked around and then lamented, ¡°College sure is nice. It¡¯s full of youth and vitality.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice at your high school too?¡±


    Her mother shook her head and said, ¡°High school¡¯s not like that. Everyone has so much pressure to graduate that there¡¯s no youthful spirit at all.¡±


    As they ate, Zhu Yun asked her mother, ¡°Where are you staying? The university hotel?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not staying. I just came to see you, and then I¡¯m heading home.¡±


    ¡°That sounds rushed.¡±


    Her mother pat her head. ¡°I have to send some things over to your dad, and then I¡¯ll be heading home. Be good.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    She walked her mother to the school gate and then hailed down a taxi. As they were about to part, her mother said, ¡°That boy in the classroom, is he your classmate?¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close to him. He doesn¡¯t seem like a decent kid.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply.


    When her mother opened the car door, she still hadn¡¯t heard a response. She turned to look at Zhu Yun. ¡°Look at the way he dresses. What¡¯s going on with his hair? It¡¯s not at all proper.¡± Her mother spoke calmly. ¡°Although you search for individuality when you¡¯re young, there¡¯s still a limit to everything. I walked all around your school, but I didn¡¯t see anyone like him. What have I always told you?¡±


    You¡¯ve told me a lot of things¡­ Which one in particular are you asking about¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s good to get along with everyone and not act too unusally. Those who try to be too individualistic will have difficulty along the way.¡±


    Ah, that one. Zhu Yun nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    Her mother smiled, pleased. She gave Zhu Yun¡¯s head a quick rub. ¡°Study well, but don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. I hope that your grades are good, but more than that, I hope that you¡¯re healthy and happy. You know how much I love you. Alright, go on back to your dorm. Make sure to rest.¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡ª


    The practice base was quiet and still. As finals week approached, people were busy studying and reviewing, so many of them stopped dropping by. And since it was winter, the weather was chilling. The classroom felt particularly cold and cheerless.


    Li Xun was typing away speedily. But shortly after, he stopped. He turned his head but didn¡¯t say a word. Staring at the computer screen, his expression remained cold, as before.


    Zhu Yun sat down and nudged his shoulder. ¡°You ate my cream bun. Remember to buy another tomorrow.¡±

 CH 21

    Overgrown Grassland


    21. Chapter 21


    21


    Crap¡­


    As she entered the exam room, there was just one word spinning inside Zhu Yun¡¯s head.


    Crap! Crap! Crap!


    In the end, a person wasn¡¯t a machine. Their energy had a limit. Marx just wasn¡¯t nearly as interesting as mechanical systems.


    Sadly, Zhu Yun¡¯s last recollection of the subject was back on that afternoon¡¯s ¡®fundamental conflicts in Chinese society.¡¯ On the days following, she¡¯d made no progress whatsoever with it. And so, in that state, she walked into the exam room. Er, or was it an execution ground?


    Zhu Yun sat in the center of the room, her heart beating so quickly that it might explode at any minute. Her mother had always told her that you had to concentrate on your studies. Last minute cramming wouldn¡¯t bring good results. She realized that she hadn¡¯t before understood the depth of those words, not truly. At worst, she¡¯d thought that ¡®wouldn¡¯t bring good results¡¯ meant her exam score would be a bit lower, but she¡¯d not expected that her mind would be subject to such tormenting pressure.


    Since she knew that anything she wrote would be garbage, why should she bother writing anything at all?


    This was how helpless a person could become.


    Having expected that Marx wouldn¡¯t sit well with herself, Zhu Yun had already started to try coming to terms with it. Since things had come to this, the only thing left to do was to calmly face it head on.


    Just then, someone sat down beside her. Zhu Yun turned her head.


    Li Xun was really going into battle with an easy heart. He¡¯d walked into the room emptyhanded. After he sat down, he pulled out a black pen from his pocket and placed it on his desk.


    Depending on the importance of a course, students nicknamed their college exams as either ¡®wrapped¡¯ or ¡®loose.¡¯ ¡®Wrapped¡¯ exams were exams in important subjects, where the course professor usually proctored the exam personally. They would come up with complicated seating charts to employ during exams. This was in contrast to the ¡®loose¡¯ exams, in reference to courses that weren¡¯t too important to their degree. There was no assigned seating, and students could sit wherever, so long as there was an empty seat between two students.


    ¡®The Basic Principles of Marxism¡¯ was very obviously a ¡®loose¡¯ exam.


    Zhu Yun looked at Li Xun with a stiff expression.


    What did that mean?


    Were us two Marx-Lennin idiots going to have to embrace each other to keep warm? Recalling that, just two days ago, she¡¯d made fun of Li Xun¡¯s politics (class) scores, but here she was in the same situation as him, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help lament that karma truly came quickly in one¡¯s life. She wasn¡¯t even in the mood to greet him.


    The proctor walked into the room with the exams in hand. ¡°Take a seat, everyone. Place your ID cards on the left. Backpacks go by the window in the back. You cannot have anything on your desk.¡±


    Everyone quickly moved. Zhu Yun grabbed her bag and moved to walk past Li Xun. Young Master Li¡¯s legs were stretched out, his arms crossed and eyes closed.


    How late had he worked until last night? The dark circles around his eyes looked like they¡¯d been added with makeup. Zhu Yun decided not to disturb him, so she carefully stepped over his legs.


    Li Xun woke up when the teacher started handing out the exam.


    Zhu Yun answered the questions she could and was left confused by those she couldn¡¯t. Since the old pots had been dropped and broken, she was finally able to ease up. If she was going to die anyway, why not feel at peace about it. Zhu Yun wrote and then stopped and then wrote. Occasionally, she would glance over at Boss Li beside her.


    The image of Li Xun holding a pen was very foreign to Zhu Yun. In her mind, his hands were always tapping at a keyboard.


    Zhu Yun wrote her exam as she silently criticized him. Perhaps because she understood Li Xun to some extent now, his show of superiority made Zhu Yun feel like he was constantly (striking a) pose. For example, right now.


    Everyone one else was stooped over their test papers, but he was the only one leaning back in his chair, as if saying that there wasn¡¯t enough space. His body was just slightly turned, a frown on his face, looking down at his exam with an arrogant expression, as if he were a king passing judgement.


    That pair of legs was too attention grabbing, especially when he was wearing black. The smooth line really made a person wonder about the workings of the world.


    Zhu Yun silently sighed. Before she could take her next breath, Li Xun had already finished the first page of his exam. Then, he turned the paper towards her. In a swift move, the sheet flew over to Zhu Yun.


    ?!?!?!?!


    Zhu Yun gasped.


    What are you doing?! Did your brain get fried too?!


    Li Xun¡¯s actions had been too quick, too natural, too matter-of-fact. It was like time had stopped for him. No one saw this frightful scene. Zhu Yun¡¯s was the only heart pounding. Her mouth was parched. Her body broke out in a cold sweat. She was feeling very much unwell!


    What was this? ¡­Cheating? Cheating?!!! Oh my god!!!


    Zhu Yun had never done this sort of thing in her life. Even if there had been some small incidents, it was never something as large scale as this. No need to say it, but she¡¯d never even witnessed this kind of direct, barbaric method!


    If she scored poorly, she would return home and suffer for two weeks, tops. But if she were caught cheating, if her mother found out, she wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her fair, white skin any longer.


    Li Xun¡­ Fuck.


    Torture¡­ This exam had become utter and complete torture. The two exam proctors had become grim reapers. She lowered her head and covered the exam paper with her arm, silently praying to every god or deity she could think of.


    Ten minutes later, Zhu Yun had started to calm down. The benefit of a ¡®loose¡¯ exam was that the proctors weren¡¯t very strict. The two teachers sat at the front of the room, one reading a book and the other looking like he was observing the class. Of course, it was very possible that he was just zoning out.


    Zhu Yun furtively glanced at Li Xun. He was just as before, the same posture, the same epression, speedily filling out his exam paper. He must have been perceptive, because he turned ever so slightly and looked at Zhu Yun.


    She was about to express her thoughts on this situation, when Li Xun glanced down at the sheet of paper under her arm. His expression seemed to carry a tiny bit of urgency, and then he returned to his exam. Zhu Yun was touched by how calmly he acted.


    Zhu Yun had a good seat, located behind and to the right of the lecturn. Since the teachers weren¡¯t being very active in their supervision, if they didn¡¯t turn their heads, she had a lot of space to work.


    She dropped her eyes. The quality of the exam papers was worrying. Pressing down on the paper, you could see the black ink of the sheet beneath.


    Zhu Yun was thinking about how Li Xun¡¯s writing was always in 10.5 Song font¡­ Who¡¯d have guessed his handwriting was so nice? While it wasn¡¯t entirely uniform and there were scratch outs, that hardly took away from its beauty. His words were firm and decisive, his thought process clear. It looked very much like his coding.


    The proctor made an announcement, ¡°You have 30 minutes remaining. Make use of your time.¡±


    Zhu Yun quickly put an end to the nonsense in her head and looked at the two exam sheets. There were some differences on their fill in the blanks section. Zhu Yun was conflicted. Thought she was always modest when she spoke about her studies, to be honest, she was still a bit confident in herself. To change her answer to someone else¡¯s¡­


    Two crisp taps rang out. Zhu Yun turned her head to see that Li Xun had finished his exam. He had his legs crossed, and his chin rested on one hand. With the other, he tapped on the table.


    He frowned at her with disdain. Zhu Yun felt that she could hear his thoughts: Can you fucking hurry up?


    Zhu Yun took a deep breath and crossed out her answer.


    ¡°You there! What are you doing?!¡±


    The entire exam room seemed to tremble at the exclaimation. The proctor had finally come of out his daze. He looked this way. Pointing to Zhu Yun, he said, ¡°The girl with the glasses! What are you doing?! Take out your things!¡±


    The gods were useless. My life has come to its end!


    Zhu Yun¡¯s face paled, her hopes turned to dust. She didn¡¯t know how they had seen, and she didn¡¯t want to know. The result was what mattered.


    The teached walked over, like a demon about to claim a life. Zhu Yun had never in her life been this afraid before. She didn¡¯t know that there could be such a terrifying moment in one¡¯s life. Her eyes turned red.


    The teacher walked up to Zhu Yun and reached out a hand¡ª


    And grabbed a sheet of paper from the desk behind her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the proctor asked sternly.


    Ah?


    The teacher scanned over the exam and then picked up the student¡¯s ID card on the corner of their table.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    The girl behind her was in Class 2. Her face looked familar, but Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t seem to remember her name. Her hair spread out, blocking her face, as she followed the teacher outside the classroom.


    ¡°See that? Don¡¯t hold onto any wishful thinking. Answer your own exams,¡± the book-reading proctor at the front said.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s fingers trembled and she was soaked with sweat, as if she¡¯d gone to die with that girl all the same.


    Suddenly, she heard a sound beside her. Zhu Yun turned. Li Xun was laying on his desk, trembling like her. But he wasn¡¯t trembling from fear, but rather laughter. He turned his head slightly and peeked over at her. When he saw her deadly pale face, he couldn¡¯t help himself. He buried his head back into his arms and continued laughing, his yellow hair shaking gently.


    It¡¯s fine, Zhu Yun thought warmly. It¡¯s fine.


    If I walk out of this exam room alive, I¡¯m going to season you with salt and cook you in a broth.


    When the exam was over, the students in the back passed forward their exam papers. Zhu Yun was still nervous, too scared to even make a casual move. Li Xun quickly reached over and accurately snatched back his own exam paper.


    This exam truly felt like a matter of life and death.


    When Zhu Yun walked out of the exam room, her legs were still weak.


    There was a tap on her shoulder. Zhu Yun turned and saw the criminal mastermind. She really wanted to lay it on him, but just as she was about to berate him, he grabbed her neck. ¡°This way.¡± He dragged her out the math building from another path. There were fewer people. Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Were you trying to get me killed?!¡±


    Li Xun smiled as he pulled out a cigarette, looking over at her. ¡°You said you had guts?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re turning this on me?!¡±


    When they left the math building, the winter wind blew at them. Her heart rate had slowed. Zhu Yun shouted angrily, ¡°You should have at least told me beforehand!¡±


    ¡°I sat next to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Zhu Yun felt a sharp pain in her head.


    I hope that next time, your method of expression can be as direct as your method of cheating.


    The sweat on Zhu Yun¡¯s forehead hadn¡¯t evaporated yet.


    Li Xun blew out a cloud of smoke, and he said, ¡°I¡¯ve never slipped up.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°You¡¯ve done this many times?¡±


    Li Xun looked ahead and replied lightly, ¡°You¡¯d have a heart attack if I told you about my experience as a stand-in.¡± (t/n: Taking exams for other people)


    ¡­You should just shut up.


    When they arrived at the practice base, Li Xun pulled out his keys to unlock the door. Since it was finals week, all the seminar activities had come to a halt. But the project wasn¡¯t yet complete, and Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t just stop working on it. She even hoped that the school would delay their break by a few days.


    Li Xun went to get some water. Zhu Yun watched after him, and she suddenly asked, ¡°Why did you¡­¡±


    He took a few more gulps and drank half the bottle of water. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Why did you sit next to me and let me see your exam paper?


    Zhu Yun saw Li Xun¡¯s glistening eyes, and then she didn¡¯t want to ask her question anymore.


    Li Xun raised a brow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun pouted. Slowly, she said, ¡°Nothing really. I was just thinking that you only just pass the exams in our politics class. You¡¯re like a clay idol crossing a river, but you let me copy off of you? It won¡¯t cause any problems, will it?¡±


    Li Xun glanced at her. ¡°Worried?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Li Xun leaned against the back of the chair and gave his signature smile. His lips were still moist from the water he just drank. When he smiled like that, a person¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but tremble.


    ¡°Princess, let¡¯s be a bit more candid, okay.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Zhu Yun silently retorted with a, ¡°Tsk.¡± She turned away from him.

 CH 22

    Overgrown Grassland


    22. Chapter 22


    22


    The end of the final exam period arrived. All that remained was Zhu Yun¡¯s programming course.


    Old Lin was proctoring the exam, and his supervision would easily be labeled ¡®loose.¡¯ He put on his glasses and sat at the front, drinking tea and reading a newspaper. The exams inspector stopped by, and circled the room twice, and then he reminded Old Lin to keep an eye out. But after the inspector left, Old Lin just picked his newspaper back up.


    Zhu Yun completed the exam very quickly, and without looking around once, she handed in her test and walked out the door.


    It was noon and the building was quiet. She walked over to the window and the sunlight %struck her eyes. The school¡¯s schedule was just amazing. Having her programming exam last gave her an odd sense of peace, as if the entire semester had finally come full circle.


    When she returned to her dorm room, Fang Shumiao was in the middle of packing up. Zhu Yun asked her, ¡°You¡¯re going home? What day is your train?¡±


    Fang Shumiao replied, ¡°I still have to wait a few days. The Student Union still has some things to finish.¡± Zhu Yun nodded understandingly.


    That afternoon, she gave her mother a call to report on her final exams.


    ¡°You¡¯re finished?¡± her mother asked.


    ¡°Mmh. This morning was my final exam.¡±


    ¡°Are you coming home tomorrow? What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to stay a few more days because I still have some things to finish at school.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s eyes darted around. ¡°You know Fang Shumiao, right? Our class president. She¡¯s on the Student Union and they still have things to finish, so she asked me to help out. Since she lives out of the district, she¡¯s in a rush to get home.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like that.¡± Her mother was quiet a long while. Then she said, ¡°Okay, then stay two more days. But don¡¯t take too long. (Chinese) New Year is early this year, so I still have to buy you some clothes when you get back.¡±


    Victory¡­


    Zhu Yun put down her phone and headed back to the practice base. Their software was in its final stages as well. When Zhu Yun saw Li Xun, she knew that he¡¯d stayed up all night working. The room was filled with the smell of cigarettes.


    He turned around. ¡°What did you come for?¡±


    Zhu Yun put down her bag. ¡°To work.¡±


    Li Xun said, ¡°School¡¯s on break. What work are you doing?¡±


    Zhu Yun turned on her computer. Beside her, Li Xun was cursing for her to, ¡°Hurry up and go home. Go, go, go!¡±


    Do you have some kind of manic disorder?


    Zhu Yun ignored him. She¡¯d finally finished all her exams, so without those trivial things, she could now put all her energy on¡­ Wait a minute, when had exams become trivial things? Zhu Yun opened up the project report to check Li Xun¡¯s latest progress.


    ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± She was surprised to see that the software was basically complete. She checked it out and it ran very smoothly.


    ¡°It still needs to be optimized.¡±


    Optimized¡­


    ¡°But it¡¯ll be done soon.¡±


    Zhu Yun listened to his hoarse voice and asked, ¡°Can you stop smoking?¡±


    Li Xun paused. He pursed his lips and unhappily asked, ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    You deserve to smoke to your death.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you test it.¡± Zhu Yun moved the mouse cursor over to the shoulder on the diagram and clicked it. After a brief animation, a menu popped up listing various ailments that would cause one¡¯s shoulder discomfort. Zhu Yun scrolled down.


    ¡°Ah? There are even recipes?¡± This function wasn¡¯t there before.


    ¡°I added it last week.¡± Li Xun rubbed his temples and quietly said, ¡°Sometimes forcing recommendations on users will cause adverse effects, so I added descriptions to make the software more user-friendly. Even if someone isn¡¯t planning on buying anything, they could browse around a bit. Consider it a method of retaining customers.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at Li Xun. She felt that his gaze looked a bit faroff, as if his mind were a bit foggy. Would he suddenly drop dead here?


    Zhu Yun scratched her head and then exited the program.


    ¡°Eh?¡± When she exited to the desktop, Zhu Yun was surprised.


    Li Xun yawned and asked, ¡°What? Was there something wrong?¡±


    Zhu Yun pointed to her monitor. ¡°The logo is missing.¡± She opened up the art package. ¡°Where are the diagram pieces? You go rest, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    It was quiet for a few seconds. Li Xun looked at her like a zombie.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the diagram?¡± Zhu Yun waved a hand in front of Li Xun¡¯s face. ¡°Tell me where the diagram is, and then go rest. Are you sleeping with your eyes open?¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s eyes trembled and then he looked at her coldly. So he wasn¡¯t sleeping. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± he cursed. He closed his eyes. ¡°Those two ** from the animation college.¡± (t/n: Censored things were censored in the original)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun understood. ¡°Did they forget?¡±


    Li Xun was about to curse again, but then he choked on his smoke. He coughed, and then he grabbed his head. Maybe he felt uncomfortable.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can still make it now. What kind of style do you want it? I¡¯ll make it.¡±


    She started up the art software and then turned to him¡ªCan you not look at me with such disdain in your eyes?


    ¡°Forget it.¡± When Li Xun finished coughing, he frowned. ¡°You making it, hah¡­¡±


    That one little ¡®hah¡¯ seemed to embody all his arrogance. ¡°Then you do it.¡±


    Another ¡°hah.¡±


    ¡°Should we call the two seniors from the animation department?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°Are you in a rush? You need to get home for New Years?¡±


    Li Xun put out his smoke and quietly said, ¡°Languan¡¯s rep already contacted me. The meeting is at the end of the week.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    There were still three days.


    Zhu Yun looked at the exhausted Li Xun. With a single movement, she shut off both of their computers. Boss Li roared out, ¡°Who told you to turn it off?!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhu Yun grabbed her bag and got up.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Walk, my ass.¡±


    ¡°Go out and find some inspiration!¡±


    She walked over to the window and opened it. The cigarette smell in the room was too strong. They¡¯d have to air the place out awhile.


    Li Xun seemed very on edge. ¡°Leave me alone! Just go home!¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°I¡¯m serious! Walk around the art museum, and who knows, inspiration might strike!¡±


    ¡°As if!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me? The inspiration for the diagram came to me when I was feeling down and I visited the traditional medicine museum.¡±


    ¡°Get out of my sight right now!¡± Li Xun slammed his hand down on the table and stood up. His aura when he stood up was so different¡­ Zhu Yun¡¯s hair stood on end.


    Li Xun looked down at her, the expression on his eyes looking sinister. ¡°Zhu**, don¡¯t you love keeping your words to yourself? What¡¯s wrong with you today? Are you leaking?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s voice was quiet as a whisper. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to stop keeping my words to myself?¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m telling you otherwise.¡±


    Crap.


    She snuck a furtive glance at him, as she sincerely tried to persuade him. ¡°I¡¯m serious though. Go. Go out for a walk. Maybe inspiration will strike. Even if it doesn¡¯t, it¡¯ll still be better than keeping yourself holed up in here. Take a whiff of the smoke smell in here. I can barely open my eyes.¡±


    He quickly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡±


    She sighed, feeling helpless to say more.


    ¡°What time is it already? The art museum is closed by now. We¡¯ll talk about it again tomorrow.¡±


    ?


    He turned back and opened his laptop.


    ¡­¡­


    So, did she achieve her goal or not?


    The next morning, Li Xun¡¯s call woke her up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Neither of them liked to sleep in, especially Li Xun. He slept later than a dog and woke earlier than a rooster. Zhu Yun grabbed her things and headed to the school gate. Li Xun was already there, waiting. As she approached the school gate, Zhu Yun slowed her steps.


    With the dawn behind him, Li Xun looked to be completely alone in the world.


    When Zhu Yun got closer, she realized that he¡¯d just taken a shower. He¡¯d styled his hair, the way it had looked on their first day of school. Wind-blown and chaotic. It was really flashy. It was really good looking. Like the antagonist in a manhua.


    ¡°How long are you going to drag out the last few steps?¡± Li Xun¡¯s hands were stuffed in his jacket pockets. He looked at Zhu Yun and asked, ¡°Should I ready a horse-drawn carriage for the princess?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Li Xun was hailing down a taxi when Zhu Yun said, ¡°The bus stops right in front.¡±


    Li Xun frowned, saying, ¡°You want to take the bus in this cold weather?¡± So he knew that it was cold, huh¡­


    After paying and getting out the car, Li Xun said, ¡°I¡¯ll get the tickets. Go wait over there.¡± It was nice going out with the project lead. You didn¡¯t have to pay for anything.


    There were a few girls waiting in line at the ticket counter. From their appearance, they seemed like fine arts students from the art institute. After buying their tickets, they turned to go inside the museum. They couldn¡¯t help looking back for a glance before whispering and giggling together.


    Zhu Yun stared at them. They dare laugh at Top Score Li? Are you girls looking for death? But then a few seconds later, she realized that they hadn¡¯t been making fun of him¡­


    She looked over at Li Xun. This day, a certain someone had disregarded the weather and worn a mid-length, dark blue jacket. And left it unzipped. He had a belt around his waist, and his entire outfit carried a certain hardness. There was no thickness to it, and his clothes were slim-fitting. No wonder he felt it was cold.


    Zhu Yun glanced around and noticed that all the passing females looked over at him. Might this be the legendary ¡®sacrifice yourself for the happiness of ten million¡¯?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± After buying the tickets, Li Xun called Zhu Yun over to go inside.


    The temperature in the art institute wasn¡¯t very warm either, but fortunately, there were at least walls to block the wind. It wasn¡¯t as cold as outside.


    They walked into the first exhibit hall, which held an exhibition on modern Japanese artists. The art was very bizarre. After staring at one painting for a long time, Zhu Yun felt that the staff had hung it upside down. Different trades truly felt world¡¯s apart. After looking at a few more pieces, Zhu Yun was still unable to see the beauty in them.


    The art institute was large and very still. Zhu Yun¡¯s mind started wandering rather quickly. She wondered what the difficulty would be to create and maintain a search program for the art institute, that conveniently helps find exhibits and artists that interest you¡­


    Her thoughts were cut off by Li Xun¡¯s footsteps. She¡¯d originally thought that, with Li Xun¡¯s temper, he would have made a clamor and left. Entirely beyond her expectations, while she was here bored out of her mind, Li Xun looked very patient.


    It was very easy to discern his like, or dislike, of an art piece. Some pieces, he immediately dismissed, while others, he stopped in front of for awhile.


    When they walked into the third hall, Zhu Yun¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°That one!¡±


    Li Xun turned. ¡°Mmh?¡±


    Zhu Yun headed straight inside. After walking around the art museum, she¡¯d finally found the one painting that caught her interest.


    Li Xun followed her. ¡°You like this?¡±


    Zhu Yun pointed at the charcoal sketch and exclaimed excitedly, ¡°Look at the name!¡±


    There was a small label under the bottom left corner of the painting.


    Charcoal ¡ª ¡°Rugged Hills¡± by Tian Xiuzhu. (t/n: The name of the piece, linxun can mean either ¡®rugged terrain¡¯ or ¡®upright person.¡¯ Coincidentally, the ¡®xun¡¯ in the name is the same ¡®xun¡¯ as Li Xun¡¯s name.)


    ¡°Rugged Hills¡­¡± The corner of Li Xun¡¯s mouth rose. He looked over at Zhu Yun, a kind-of smile on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen this artist before!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°What fate.¡± It really was such luck. Zhu Yun told Li Xun about the assignment she helped Liu Sisi with, as well as her trip to the traditional medicine museum. Then she sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that we¡¯d meet again. The way things are going, we might be able to collaborate in the future.¡±


    Before Li Xun could share any opinions, Zhu Yun continued, ¡°He¡¯s really young too, about our age. And he looks like a really good kid.¡± Completely unlike you.


    Li Xun rolled his eyes.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°His paintings are really amazing.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you even know what you¡¯re looking at.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what others say.¡± Zhu Yun had an amazing memory. That article she¡¯d translated for Liu Sisi was still stored up in her head. ¡°Did you know, when he was fourteen¡ª¡±


    Li Xun covered his ears and turned away.


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    She quickly followed after him and said, ¡°All the articles called him a genius painter.¡±


    Li Xun replied without much care, ¡°So what if he¡¯s a genius. Fat lot of good that¡¯s worth.¡±


    Zhu Yun had intended on reciting Liu Sisi¡¯s article back to Li Xun, but after his words, her excitement pittered. That¡¯s right. Fat lot of good that¡¯s worth. He still had to eat and sleep, all the same. And if he didn¡¯t wear enough layers, he¡¯d still get cold, all the same.


    As she thought of that, while she stood behind that lazy, quiet back, she made a face at him.

 CH 23

    Overgrown Grassland


    23. Chapter 23


    23


    While they didn¡¯t end up finding any inspiration, they did have fun. After they¡¯d had enough of walking through the museum, Boss Li generously treated Zhu Yun to a meal. Full service. Under Li Xun¡¯s contemptuous gaze, Zhu Yun chose a Korean restaurant. And again, under his contemptuous gaze, she ordered bibimbap.


    ¡°You have a pretty big appetite,¡± Li Xun said, sitting across from her.


    Zhu Yun looked up and asked,¡±You¡¯re not eating?¡±


    Li Xun shook his head.


    ¡°You use your brain so much. How do you not get hungry?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything.


    With a mouth full of rice, she clicked her tongue. ¡°High efficiency and low consumption. Your system truly defies the natural order.¡±


    ¡°Have some taste, won¡¯t you? Swallow your food and then talk.¡± He glanced at her before looking out the window.


    A hot headed guy like him was trying to fake being a civilized and cultured person?


    The two sat next to a window. After starting outside a bit, Li Xun asked, ¡°Mind if I smoke?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± She looked around. The school was on break, so the entire college town was deserted. They were the only two inside the small restaurant.


    Li Xun lit a cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke. When Zhu Yun heard the sound, she suddenly recalled something she¡¯d read while researching traditional Chinese medicine: Mental stress affects the spleen and stomach, affects sleep patterns, and causes lack of appetite.


    Looking out the window, Li Xun¡¯s face was blank and uninviting, as if he were deep in thought. The city was empty. What was there to look at? Everyone had already left.


    Zhu Yun thought back to the scene when Gao Jianhong was leaving. He¡¯d playfully punched Li Xun¡¯s shoulder, and Li Xun smiled on lightly, as always. All the members who were working on their project went home for New Year¡¯s, and she was planning to do the same.


    Nobody had considered the possibility that their project would fail, as if the idea of failing was completely unfathomable. With him there, how could they fail. But, what did he think?


    This was the first time that she¡¯d thought of this. Had he considered that they might fail? Had he been very stressed about it? She quickly reasoned out that, of course he had. As if being a genius would have affect that.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhu Yun swallowed the rice in her mouth, and then she started again, ¡°Li Xun¡ª¡±


    At the sound of her voice, the person across from her laughed, his face loosening up. Her words had been cut off by his laugh. Li Xun pointed out the window with his chin. ¡°Look.¡±


    Zhu Yun turned. It was snowing.


    The first snow that season had come rather late. It arrived slowly, unhurried, after everyone had already gone. Those who remained were immediately attracted by it. The snowflakes were small and delicate, carried by the wind, unwilling to land. The sky was bleak and overcast, but the dancing snowflakes brought a gentle calmness.


    ¡°What were you going to say?


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°To Languan.¡±


    Li Xun paused. Then, quietly, he replied, ¡°Forget it. Hurry and get home.¡±


    ¡°My family lives very close,¡± Zhu Yun said. ¡°It¡¯s only a few hours by train, so there¡¯s no need to rush. Moreover, a second person brings a bit more strength.¡±


    Li Xun laughed. ¡°Strength? The strength to carry a bag?¡±


    ¡°Sure, carrying a bag is still something.¡±


    Li Xun looked at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s decided,¡± Zhu Yun said, before shoving her head back into her food.


    Li Xun was quiet awhile. He tapped the ash off his cigarette, and then he said, ¡°I really admire you.¡±


    It was afternoon when they left the restaurant. Li Xun pushed open the door, stepped out, and then shivered. ¡°Why¡¯s it so fucking cold?!¡± He started walking with large steps, but not before shoving Zhu Yun back inside. ¡°Wait inside. I¡¯ll hail down a taxi.¡±


    My clothes are thicker than yours, okay?


    Getting a taxi wasn¡¯t easy in the snow. Zhu Yun stood inside the restaurant and looked out at the tall Li Xun. She saw his shoulders shrink inward. After five minutes, she went out to relieve him. Li Xun¡¯s lips had already turned purple.


    They finally got a taxi. When they returned to the campus, the snow was falling heavily and the wind was blowing ferociously. Li Xun finally gave up his act. He left the car and, like a wisp of smoke, disappeared towards the project base. From behind, Zhu Yun roared with laughter. Then she blew out a breath as she looked up towards the grey sky.


    A kimchi-scented first snow. How wonderful.


    ¡ª


    The next day, Li Xun caught a cold.


    ¡°You deserve it¡­¡± Zhu Yun scoffed as she looked at Li Xun.


    After getting sick, his temper got worse. She could see the blood in his eyes, as if he wanted to devour her whole.


    Zhu Yun handed him the medicine she bought. ¡°Take three tablets.¡±


    Li Xun grabbed the medicine and swallowed an entire row of five tablets.


    Shocked, Zhu Yun cried out, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t kill me!¡± Impatiently, he said, ¡°Taking a larger first dose¡ªdon¡¯t you even have that much common sense?¡±


    Which planet¡¯s common sense was that???


    He truly didn¡¯t have the energy to work, so the logo design was left to Zhu Yun to handle. Boss Li lied down across a makeshift bed of four chairs to recuperate. The project base was extremely quiet. Only the mouse, keyboard, and their breathing interrupted the silence.


    Eyes closed, he spoke up, ¡°Just get something done roughly. It doesn¡¯t affect the actual program in the end. I¡¯ll have someone re-do it later.¡±


    Zhu Yun had thought that he¡¯d fallen asleep. So he¡¯d just been resting.


    With the design software on the screen, Zhu Yun rested her chin in her hands as she thought. Soon, she drifted into a bit of a trance until Li Xun¡¯s sneeze pulled her back to reality.


    Since it would be changed later, she would just throw something together for now. She looked around the room, and her eyes caught on the bamboo grove outside the window. From that image, Zhu Yun started looking up materials.


    She truly wasn¡¯t good at this. It took her more than an hour to complete the logo design. This was ten thousand times harder than programming.


    ¡°It¡¯s really fucking ugly¡­¡± Li Xun had apparently woken up at some point. He had his arms crossed while he stood behind her, critiquing. ¡°The colors clash and the composition is poor.¡±


    Zhu Yun clenched her teeth.


    Li Xun said, ¡°Are you really a girl?¡±


    She shoved aside the mouse and turned around to him. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, do it yourself!¡±


    Li Xun looked at her with sleepy eyes. As if glossing over the situation, he simply said, ¡°Add it in.¡±


    He just knew how to talk big¡­


    While she added the logo to the program, behind her, Li Xun coughed several times. His coughing was getting more serious, as if wanting to force away the discomfort.


    She¡¯d spent four hours designing the logo, and it only took four minutes to get it into their program. Zhu Yun worked quickly. When the logo was set, she tested the program again, and then she turned around. ¡°I¡¯m going to go out real quick. Wait for me.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you some cough medicine. If you keep coughing like this, your throat will suffer.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t bother listening to him. She grabbed her coat and said, ¡°Just wait a bit. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± As Zhu Yun ran out, she heard Li Xun calling behind her. ¡°Come back! I¡¯ll give you the money!¡±


    As if I couldn¡¯t afford some cough medicine? You¡¯re really looking down on me too much!


    Zhu Yun ran over to the pharmacy. At the nurse¡¯s recommendation, she bought some cough syrup.


    She genuinely prayed for Li Xun to recover quickly. They were going to Languan tomorrow. If he couldn¡¯t speak then, was she going to be responsible for the presentation? No way. She wasn¡¯t like him. She couldn¡¯t handle that kind of pressure. Zhu Yun wished that he¡¯d get well soon, but she couldn¡¯t help thinking that he deserved this all the same.


    ¡°If you try to act cool, you¡¯ll incur the wrath of lightening¡­¡± Zhu Yun grit her teeth.


    Suddenly, her cellphone rang. Her mother was calling. She stopped walking and answered, ¡°Hello?¡±


    In a concerned tone, her mother asked, ¡°Zhu Yun, how are things going with the class representative?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be done in two days.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Hurry home. Just help a bit and be done with it. If you put this much work into it, are you even going to celebrate the new year?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your Auntie Jiang is here. We¡¯re having dinner together tonight.¡±


    ¡°Dinner?¡± Had she misheard? ¡°Tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Her mother laughed. ¡°Auntie Jiang¡¯s son has come back from abroad too. Do you remember him? Truly a scholar at a famous school. It¡¯s different from a school in our country. When you get back, you should talk to him, absorb some of his experience and prepare for your future.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow. I can¡¯t make it back tonight no matter how much I rush. I haven¡¯t even bought a train ticket yet.¡± Zhu Yun started calculating in her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be home before tomorrow night, for sure.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± her mother replied, calm and composed. ¡°Your dad¡¯s over that way. He¡¯s got a meeting today, but he¡¯ll be done afterwards. I told him to pick you up on the way home. Make sure you explain to your class representative. The work was very sudden anyway. It took a lot to invite Auntie Jiang over. And your (older) cousin is very busy with school as well. He made time out of his busy schedule to come see you. See how great your reputation is? Pack your things quickly. Your dad will be there soon, so don¡¯t make him wait.¡± After saying all she had to say, Zhu Yun¡¯s mother hung up.


    Zhu Yun kicked at the ground.


    One day. Off by just one day. Wang Yuxuan, why couldn¡¯t your plane have crashed?!


    Half an hour later, Zhu Yun got another call. Unhappily, Li Xun asked, ¡°Where did you go? How does it take this long to buy medicine?¡±


    She dropped her third cigarette to the ground and stomped it out. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    After she hung up, her father, Zhu Guangyi, called. Zhu Yun really wanted to smash her phone. Without answering the call, she ran back to the project base. At the least, she had to deliver the cough medicine.


    Li Xun was sitting at the desk, testing the program. Gasping for breath, she ran over to him and put the cough syrup down in front of him.


    Focused on the computer screen, Li Xun spoke like a grand young master, ¡°Get me a cup of water.¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t move.


    Li Xun looked over at her suspiciously. ¡°Are you telling me to take this without water?¡± His voice was hoarse. His ordinarily beautiful voice had become so rough.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He quickly sensed something was wrong.


    ¡°Li Xun, at home¡­¡± Zhu Yun¡¯s voice trailed off and Li Xun¡¯s brows jumped up.


    ¡°At home¡­ It¡¯s a bit urgent¡­ I have to head back first.¡±


    The bamboo trees outside were still. After a moment, Li Xun said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, is it?¡±


    Don¡¯t ask with such concern. I¡¯m just going home to have dinner with a student studying abroad.


    She shook her head.


    Li Xun relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing much left to do. Go home and celebrate,¡± he replied quietly as he grabbed a cigarette. She wanted to advise him not to smoke, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out of her mouth.


    Her phone was ringing again. Li Xun signaled to her, ¡°Your phone. Why are you zoning out?¡±


    Zhu Yun answered her phone. It was her father. ¡°Zhu Yun, why didn¡¯t you answer my call earlier?¡±


    ¡°The ringer was on silent.¡±


    Li Xun reached for his coat.


    ¡°Your mom already told you, right? I¡¯ll be there soon. Meet me at the school gate in half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    When she hung up, Li Xun had already put on his coat. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you to the train station.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no need,¡± Zhu Yun replied. He looked at her, but she didn¡¯t return his gaze.


    Li Xun quickly took off his coat. ¡°Be careful on your way home.¡± He sat down and continued pounding on the keyboard, endlessly.

 CH 24

    Overgrown Grassland


    24. Chapter 24


    Zhu Yun and her father returned home at 7pm that night. As they left the car, they ran into Jiang Lin and her son. Jiang Lin and Zhu Guangyi exchanged greetings as they headed into the house. Zhu Yun and Wang Yuxuan trailed behind their parents.


    ¡°The semester just finished, right?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    When the front door opened, the warmth and aroma of food flowed out. Zhu Yun¡¯s mother enthusiastically greeted everyone. ¡°What a coincidence,¡± her mother said. ¡°You all came together!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jiang Lin replied. ¡°Such a coincidence.¡±


    Jiang Lin and Zhu Yun¡¯s mother were good friends. When they met, they never had enough time to talk about everything. Zhu Yun was changing her shoes in the foyer when she heard her mother say, ¡°Why does it feel like you just keep getting younger?¡±


    Jiang Lin politely reponded, ¡°What do you mean young. I¡¯m 50-somthing years old, an old woman.¡±


    ¡°Who would believe that you were 50?¡± Zhu Yun¡¯s mother pat Jiang Lin¡¯s shoulder and laughed. ¡°It must be because your son works so hard. He never causes his mom to worry, so she gets younger the longer she lives.¡±


    Jiang Lin also laughed. She turned back to Wang Yuxuan and said, ¡°Hurry and greet your Aunt Liu. Don¡¯t just stand there.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan gave a forced laugh. ¡°What can I do but stand here? You¡¯re blocking the way.¡±


    Jiang Lin smacked him. ¡°Rotten kid. You just came home and you¡¯re already talking back.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan turned to Zhu Yun¡¯s mother and greeted her, ¡°Auntie Liu, hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello, hello. Quickly, come in.¡±


    Dinner was already prepared, so everyone sat down to eat. Zhu Yun first stopped by her room to change her clothes. When she went to wash her hands, she ran into Wang Yuxuan. They stood still a moment. Then he turned to the side and said, ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    After she washed her hands, she returned to the dining room. Her mother and Jiang Lin were having a cheerful conversation. When she saw Zhu Yun, she waved her over. ¡°Come over and chat with your Auntie Jiang.¡±


    Jiang Lin waved her hand, dismissive. ¡°No need to talk to me. You should talk with Xiao Yu. It¡¯s been a long time since you¡¯ve seen each other. How long has it been¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s mother quickly spoke up, ¡°Nearly six years. We haven¡¯t seen Xiao Yu since he went abroad.¡±


    ¡°Aiya, really. Time just flies by. Zhu Yun¡¯s already grown up into a young lady. What a good girl.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean good.¡± Zhu Yun¡¯s mother laughed and then looked over at her. ¡°Hear that. You should be good.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Wang Yuxuan arrived to the table, and Zhu Yun¡¯s mother had him sit next to Zhu Yun. Zhu Yun¡¯s mind was elsewhere though. After awhile, she¡¯d only had a few bites of dinner.


    ¡°Not hungry? Or are you on a diet? Why are you eating so little?¡± Wang Yuxuan whispered to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You should eat.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m starving.¡± Wang Yuxuan ate quickly, and his bowl was empty in the blink of an eye. ¡°Auntie Liu¡¯s food is still as delicious as ever.¡±


    Across the table, Zhu Yun¡¯s mother smiled at his words. ¡°You¡¯re still so nice, Xiao Yu. Eat more. I cooked a lot.¡± Then she turned to Zhu Yun and said, ¡°Make sure to talk to Xiao Yu later on. He¡¯s what a truly great student is. He received a full scholarship. Xiao Yu, I heard that your mom say that you coud join the faculty when you graduate?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan replied a bit helpless, ¡°Are my mom¡¯s words even trustworthy?¡±


    Jiang Lin pointed at him and told Zhu Yun¡¯s mother, ¡°Look at this child. His lips are always closed. He never tells people anything.¡± She turned to her son and asked him, ¡°What are you afraid of? We¡¯re not strangers here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯re all family that I have to tell the truth. I¡¯d have boasted about it already to others.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t help laughing at Wang Yuxuan¡¯s words. Zhu Yun watched quietly as the words bounced back and forth between the others. She really wanted to leave the table¡­ Zhu Yun shot a glance at Wang Yuxuan, wondering to herself when he would finally finish eating.


    Wang Yuxuan must have heard Zhu Yun¡¯s silent call, because after he finished his second bowl, he put down his chopsticks and pat his belly. ¡°I¡¯m so full. Auntie Liu, since we¡¯re done eating, we¡¯ll leave (the table) first. Take your time with your conversation.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s mother called to her, ¡°Show Xiao Yu around a bit and talk to him.¡±


    Zhu Yun stood up and she and Wang Yuxuan walked away from the table. Behind them, her mother was still chatting with Jiang Lin. ¡°I¡¯d like to send her abroad to study too. Let her see more of the world. To be honest, the education in our country right now¡­¡±


    When the two headed to the second floor, the voices below faded away.


    Zhu Yun opened the the door to her room. Wang Yuxuan asked, ¡°This is your room?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very neat and tidy.¡±


    ¡°Of course, since no one¡¯s living in it.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan said, ¡°That¡¯s different. A hotel room is tidy as well, but it feels cold. At a glance, you can tell that this room¡¯s owner has good habits.¡±


    Zhu Yun chuckled. She turned and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t talk like it¡¯s your first time here.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan also laughed. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what they call ¡®a walk down memory lane¡¯? Just trying to add some freshness to things.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan was five years older than Zhu Yun. Because their mothers were good friends, the two had met when they were young. Wang Yuxuan always told Zhu Yun that he¡¯d carried her when she was still just a baby, but she never believed him. Unfortunately, after school started, everyone was focused on their studies, and so the two didn¡¯t get to hang out much.


    Zhu Yun got Wang Yuxuan a glass of water, and then the two sat down on the couch.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to ask me anything?¡± Wang Yuxuan asked. ¡°That¡¯s what auntie told you do to earlier.¡±


    Zhu Yun pulled out her laptop from her bag. ¡°Is the moon pretty abroad?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan replied with a click of his tongue. ¡°How insincere.¡± Zhu Yun powered on her laptop and Wang Yuxuan pouted. ¡°Is it really so boring to talk to me? You even have to go online to entertain yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not that. I have to check my email.¡± Well, actually, Zhu Yun didn¡¯t really need to check her email. It had just become a habit to open her laptop when she was bored.


    Wang Yuxuan watched her from the side, so she really had to check her inbox. She hadn¡¯t expected that she¡¯d really have a new email. It was a school notification that grades were up.


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh!¡± Wang Yuxuan cried out, excited. ¡°Grades are up. Hurry and check!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhu Yun had no words for Wang Yuxuan.


    Wang Yuxuan urged again, ¡°Hurry and check them.¡±


    Zhu Yun logged onto the school network and clicked on the semester transcripts. Wang Yuxuan was more concerned than she was. He leaned over to see her results, and then exclaimed with admiration, ¡°Not bad, cousin! Your results are high in all your classes! Hurry and check your national ranking.¡±


    After he spoke, Zhu Yun didn¡¯t move from the screen.


    ¡°Cousin Zhu?¡± Wang Yuxuan turned and then saw Zhu Yun laughing. Now, she wasn¡¯t laughing at him. She was laughing at one of her final scores.


    The Basic Principles of Marxism: 97 points.


    Three points short. But alas, the world wasn¡¯t perfect. The image of a certain top scorer¡¯s cold, cocky expression floated into her head, which only caused her laughter to deepen. When she came back to her senses, she saw that Wang Yuxuan was looking at her, a bit stumped. She asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± He looked away, towards the bookcase at the side. But he quickly turned back to her. ¡°Cousin Zhu.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°Can I praise you on something?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll become arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t say it.¡±


    ¡°But I have to.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun closed her laptop. Then, all of a sudden, Wang Yuxuan said, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten pretty.¡±


    Zhu Yun paused, her brows jumping up. ¡°Really?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan replied, ¡°See, I knew you¡¯d get arrogant.¡± Zhu Yun shrugged, and then he moved on to something more serious, asking, ¡°Auntie Liu wants you to study abroad. What do you think about it?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡±


    ¡°The time to think about it is now, before it¡¯s too late. If you plan to study abroad, you should start getting ready as soon as possible. No need to go overboard, but your major courses should be outstanding. Better yet would be to get some articles published in journals. I have some connections for that, so if you need help, let me know.¡±


    Zhu Yun scratched her face. ¡°I¡¯m not really a theorist, so I don¡¯t like dealing with articles much.¡±


    ¡°Going the practical route is fine too. Join some big competitions. The more activities you have, the better.¡± Wang Yuxuan continued, ¡°I work with finance, so I¡¯m not very familiar with computing. But the pathways are similar enough. When I get back, I¡¯ll help¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Zhu Yun reminded him, ¡°I haven¡¯t even finished my first year yet¡­¡±


    Wang Yuxuan looked at her, and then he smiled. ¡°Right. You¡¯re still a kid. But still, you should prepare for it. Opportunities go to those who are prepared.¡±


    You could stay at school to lecture on student affairs.


    ¡°Is it tough living abroad?¡± Zhu Yun attempted to change the topic.


    Wang Yuxuan shook his head. A bit pensively, he said, ¡°Once you see yourself clearly, it¡¯s not tough at all.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan said, ¡°Life is filled with distractions, so it¡¯s very easy to lose sight of things. A lot of people give up who they are. They spend their time chasing after things that don¡¯t suit their life. I¡¯ve been on my own for six years, and I¡¯ve seen a lot of people like that.


    ¡°But what can you do about it.¡± He continued, ¡°When you¡¯re in a foreign place, in order to gain acceptance into the society, you¡¯re bound to have to give some things up. Get rid of some habits, widen your outlook. To be honest, I¡¯m trying really hard to stop myself right now.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Stop yourself from what?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan playfully replied, ¡°Stop myself from using English.¡±


    Zhu Yun laughed.


    At 9:30pm, Jiang Lin called to Wang Yuxuan, ¡°Get ready, we¡¯re leaving!¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s mother and Jiang Lin set the date for their next get together. The 7th of the new year.


    ¡°It¡¯s not often that Xiao Yu comes home. Look how skinny he¡¯s gotten. We¡¯ll have to fill him up.¡± As Zhu Yun¡¯s mother sent her friend off, she added, ¡°Xiao Yu, have you left your contact info with Zhu Yun?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied.


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t understand anything in the future, please help her out. Don¡¯t think of it as bothersome.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan grinned at Zhu Yun and said, ¡°I like being bothered. Remember to bother me, Cousin Zhu!¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After sending their guests off, Zhu Yun¡¯s mother grabbed her hand. ¡°Aiyo, I¡¯ve missed you. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    Before her mother¡¯s talk with her, Zhu Yun first went upstairs to retrieve her laptop. ¡°Mom, have a look.¡±


    It was her semester grade report. Zhu Yun had scored full points in four classes, and she was ranked 2nd in her class. Her mother was extremely happy, and she called her husband over. ¡°Look at Zhu Yun¡¯s grades.¡±


    Zhu Guangyi glanced at it and then replied calmly, ¡°Not bad. There¡¯s still space for improvement.¡±


    Zhu Yun gave an, ¡°Mmh.¡±


    Her mother gave her father a nudge. ¡°Don¡¯t pressure her too much!¡± A grade report was simply magical. With it, a conversation flowed very smoothly.


    ¡°Go on and get to bed. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you out to buy some new clothes. New Year¡¯s is nearly here. You came back too late.¡±


    Zhu Yun returned to her room and took a shower. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Eventually, she pulled out her phone and texted Li Xun. It was a simple text, one sentence long: ¡°I got 97 points for Marx.¡±


    A few seconds later, Li Xun replied: ¡°Why¡¯s that higher than my score?¡±


    Zhu Yun laughed but didn¡¯t reply. She buried her head in her soft pillow, afraid that her laughter would be too loud. The moonlight shined on her head, gentle as a stream of water.

 CH 25

    25. Chapter 25


    There was a big crowd. People shopping at the end of the year acted like they were dying to get rid of their money. The shops were filled with men, women, old and young, alike. Zhu Yun¡¯s mother grumbled, ¡°I told you to come home earlier, but you didn¡¯t listen. Now everything¡¯s been sold out.¡±


    ¡°How could everything be sold out?¡± Zhu Yun carried several bags as she stepped out of the elevator onto the third floor. Ladies¡¯ apparel. ¡°There¡¯s a lot here.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re leftovers from what others didn¡¯t want.¡± Her mother was also carrying a handful of bags. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring more clothes home from school? Now we have to buy an entire new wardrobe for you.¡±


    Zhu Yun quietly grimaced. She¡¯d been in a rush that day. When she got back to her dorm, she¡¯d only had time to pack up her laptop and books. Like she¡¯d been in the right mind to worry about clothes.


    Mother and daughter walked into a clothing boutique. While her mother picked out clothes, Zhu Yun followed behind, her mind wandering.


    Today¡­


    She checked her watch. Noon.


    Was he prepared? Did he leave for the company yet?


    Zhu Yun had sent Li Xun a text that morning, but he hadn¡¯t responded. She didn¡¯t dare to call him so hastily, worried that she might disturb him. She grew fretful.


    ¡°How¡¯s this one?¡±


    ¡°Ugly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun coughed. She looked at the wide-eyed, gaping-mouthed store clerk and said, ¡°No, I mean¡­ It¡¯s very nice.¡±


    Her mother asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday? Why do you seem not yourself?¡±


    Zhu Yun rubbed her nose. ¡°I must be tired from hurrying home.¡±


    Her mother expressed her understanding. To the clerk, she said, ¡°All she knows is studying. The new year is right in front of her, but if I hadn¡¯t mentioned it, she would still be at school. She¡¯s completely uninterested in dressing up.¡±


    The store clerk weighed those words, and then she admired, ¡°That¡¯s great. One look and I can see that our customer would be a great student. She seems extremely oustanding.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s mother handed the dress over to her daughter. ¡°Try this on. It¡¯s very pretty.¡±


    Zhu Yun carried the dress into the dressing room. Changing clothes in the winter was annoying. Zhu Yun took off her glasses, about to pull her sweater over her head. In the middle of this, her phone vibrated. At the phone¡¯s vibration, she couldn¡¯t be bothered with the state of her undress. Sweater around her neck, she pulled out a hand and checked her phone.


    Li Xun responded. ¡°I¡¯m on the way. Tell you about it later.¡±


    When was later?


    Zhu Yun had a ton of things she wanted to say to him, but she felt she didn¡¯t have the time right now. In the end, she just sent a short text. ¡°Jiayou.¡±


    There was no reply.


    Zhu Yun changed her clothes and then walked out of the dressing room, her head low. The clerk smiled at her, about to give a compliment. But then she noticed a major problem. ¡°Customer, your dress is on inside out.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at herself. ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Her mother had been choosing more clothes. She looked over and said, ¡°Zhu Yun ah, what do you spend all your time thinking about?¡±


    Without a word, Zhu Yun returned to the dressing room to adjust her clothes. She walked back out and the clerk finally exclaimed, ¡°It looks wonderful! Customer, white really suits you. Your skin is so beautiful!¡± Zhu Yun had been about to put her glasses on when the clerk spoke again, ¡°Customer, you look better without glasses.¡±


    If I don¡¯t wear my glasses, I can¡¯t see a damned thing


    All dressed, Zhu Yun looked at herself in the mirror. Needless to say, her mother¡¯s taste was great. A white dress of good quality, the bottom hem embellished with flowery petals. A wide deerskin belt wrapped around her waist. Because it was winter wear, the dress also had a matching short, light colored fur jacket. Zhu Yun¡¯s face looked especially small, hidden behind the fur.


    ¡°So pretty! This one is really pretty! It suits you so well!¡± the clerk made a strong recommendation.


    Hearing the clerk¡¯s praises, Zhu Yun¡¯s mother asked her, ¡°I chose well, didn¡¯t I?¡± Zhu Yun nodded. Then her mother told the clerk, ¡°We¡¯ll take this one.¡±


    They bought a few more outfits. By the time that Zhu Yun¡¯s arms nearly lost circulation from all the bags she carried, her mother was finally satisfied. ¡°This seems like enough,¡± her mother said. ¡°Imagine what it would have been like if you¡¯d visited your aunt and uncle for the new year, dressed in rags.¡±


    On the way home, her mother went over their New Year¡¯s itinerary. Zhu Yun listened absent-mindedly. When they arrived home, her mother started preparing dinner. Zhu Yun didn¡¯t have much of an appetite. She told her mother she had assignments to do and headed up to her room.


    ¡°Assignments? The break has just started! You don¡¯t even have the textbooks for your next semester yet!¡±


    Zhu Yun called back, ¡°I meant that I¡¯m reviewing!¡±


    Her mother put on her apron, and then she shouted upstairs, ¡°You can¡¯t stop for two days for the new year celebrations?!¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, if she wants to study, let her study.¡± Zhu Guangyi was drinking tea and reading the newspaper in the living room. ¡°You get the most angry when she doesn¡¯t study. When she does study, you get irritated. What exactly do you want her to do?¡± After tying her apron, Zhu Yun¡¯s mother looked up the stairs without saying a word.


    Zhu Yun plopped down onto her bed and started tossing and turning. She kept checking her watch, her phone, the internet. Why was time passing by so slowly?


    She tried studying and practicing coding, but she couldn¡¯t focus. Her chest felt tight, like something was pressing on it. She was fretful, impatient.


    When her mother called her to dinner, Zhu Yun simply had no appetite. She gave lukewarm responses to her parents questions about studying abroad.


    ¡°What do you think of Xiao Yu?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s great.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many opportunities to study abroad recently. Since there are fewer students, the conditions are really good. But I heard from your Auntie Jiang that when Xiao Yu had just started studying abroad, he had a rough time. There are still prejudices against us over there.¡±


    Zhu Yun shrugged.


    Her mother continued, ¡°But if you¡¯re really able to succeed, that¡¯s a respectable thing. You can¡¯t remain in your own little circle forever. You have to expand your horizon into their large society.¡±


    Zhu Yun was entirely unconcerned by this matter. She glanced over at the window. ¡°It¡¯s snowing again,¡± she said.


    ¡°Again?¡± Her mother laughed. ¡°This is the first snow of the year.¡±


    Zhu Yun was taken aback.


    So that day, it hadn¡¯t snowed here. That snowfall had been theirs alone to see. A sense of comfort washed over her in that moment.


    ¡ª


    That night, at 2 in the morning, Li Xun¡¯s reply came: ¡°It¡¯s all good.¡±


    Zhu Yun took a long, deep breath. She walked over to her door and locked it. Then she climbed back into bed and pulled her blanket over her head. She called Li Xun.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Li Xun¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmh. You¡¯re still awake?¡± He seemed to be outside; she could hear the sound of the wind in the background.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°I was watching TV with my family.¡±


    He laughed, not at all convinced.


    Zhu Yun bit her lip. ¡°About that¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    She heard the sound of a lighter. Zhu Yun didn¡¯t want to talk in circles, so she asked directly, ¡°Did you meet with the Languan representatives? What did they say? Why did it go on until so late?¡±


    ¡°**** I spent ages demoing the software.¡± (t/n: Censored in original text)


    ¡°Were they satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Aside from the logo being ugly, they were very satisfied.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to discuss the details of the contract more tomorrow. It should be taken care of before the new year.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Li Xun was smoking on the windy and snowy street. This storm was larger than the first. The nighttime temperature was low, and the ground was covered in a layer of snow.


    He laughed and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. Go to sleep.¡±


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°Wait. Is your cold better?¡±


    Li Xun answered, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then make sure to get more rest. Hurry home for the new year.¡±


    The sound of Li Xun¡¯s breathing paused. Then, quietly, he replied, ¡°Mmh.¡±


    After she hung up, she felt like a heavy stone had fallen from her heart. Zhu Yun stretched out and tightly pressed her face to her pillow. Then she gave a roaring cry, ¡°Ahhh¡ª!!!¡± She¡¯d been afraid her parents would hear, so she buried her head deep in her pillow. When she lifted her head, she started seeing stars from the lack of oxygen. She rolled around her bed giddily.


    This felt great. She felt at peace, but that didn¡¯t mean that she could fall asleep. Even after staying awake, excited all night, the next day, she was still overflowing with energy.


    A few days later, she started helping her mother prepare for the new year celebrations. Because of Zhu Guangyi¡¯s position, their family received numerous guests every year. They were mostly scholars and educators, and they often had much to speak about. Fortunately, those activites didn¡¯t come until after New Year¡¯s Eve.


    The New Year¡¯s Eve family dinner was just with family. They made a reservation at the restaurant more than two months prior, and it was stuffed full. Zhu Yun¡¯s (paternal) grandfather had already passed away, leaving behind her 80-something year old grandmother. Her legs weren¡¯t well, and her mind wasn¡¯t in top form either. Because Zhu Yun¡¯s parents were both busy with work, there was no one to take care of Grandma, so Zhu Yun¡¯s father arraned for Grandma to stay in a top-quality nursing home. They visited her once a week.


    Their table started dinner early, at 7pm, and ended by 8. Grandma¡¯s energy was limited. After the New Year¡¯s customs, she grew tired, so they drove her back to the nursing home.


    Sounds of firecrackers echoed across the city. It was deafening.


    After sending Grandma home, Zhu Guangyi drove home. Zhu Yun was full and too tired to hold a conversation, so she sat with her head against the car window, staring up at the sky.


    That night, the sky was more lively than the ground. Fireworks filled the sky.


    When they turned onto their block, the buildings were still blocking her view. Zhu Yun took off her seatbelt, getting ready to leave the car. Then, she glanced out the window and saw a person standing at the fountain.


    The car made a turn, so she¡¯d only caught a glimpse of the figure. Though she¡¯d only seen his outline¡ªnot even his hair¡ªher heart started racing wildly.


    Calm down, she told herself. There were tall guys everywhere.


    But it was no use. Her excitement wasn¡¯t fading.


    After returning home, Zhu Yun¡¯s mother turned on the TV. Zhu Yun headed straight for the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.


    She pulled out her phone and called Li Xun. After two rings, he picked up. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± What should she say? Finally, Zhu Yun said, ¡°¡­Happy New Year.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ How did the software stuff go?¡±


    ¡°We finished ages ago. The contract is settled too.¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°Mmh.¡±


    Li Xun asked, ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    Zhu Yun sat down on top of the toilet lid and said, ¡°Nothing much. We just had dinner. You?¡±


    ¡°I received the payment, so I¡¯m preparing to hand out red envelopes to the team.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhu Yun asked, puzzled.


    ¡°What are you ah-ing about?¡± He sounded like he was smiling.


    ¡°Li Xun¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m outside your house.¡±


    Zhu Yun tightened her grip on her phone.


    I was right! That was you just now! It was you! It was you! I didn¡¯t fucking see wrong!


    She stood up and paced in a circle. Quietly and quickly, she asked, ¡°How did you know where I live?¡±


    Master Li replied lazily, ¡°Would it be hard to check your school records if I wanted to?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    That¡¯s not how computing skills are meant to be used.


    A knock came on the bathroom door and Zhu Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Then she remembered that she¡¯d locked the door.


    ¡°Zhu Yun, we¡¯re going to have some fruit. Do you want mango or pomelo?¡± her mother asked.


    Zhu Yun called outside, ¡°Either is fine. Pomelo then!¡±


    Then her mother left.


    She hadn¡¯t heard. I have to thank the firecrackers tonight.


    ¡°Um, Li Xun, I might have to¡­¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Li Xun¡¯s voice was calm and even. ¡°Do you know where Lihua Hotel is?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡± It wasn¡¯t far from her house, a couple streets over. A small hotel.


    ¡°I¡¯m staying there. Come when you have time.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    She was about to say something when her mother came back to the door. ¡°Why are you taking so long? The apples are already wrinkling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡±


    Zhu Yun held her phone back to her ear, to find that Li Xun had already hung up.


    She walked to the living room to chat with her parents as they watched TV. Zhu Yun stuffed her mouth with fruit as she watched the TV program without really paying it any attention. As she watched the entertaining skit, her thoughts were on the question she¡¯d forgotten to ask earlier.


    It was New Year¡¯s Eve, so why hadn¡¯t he gone home?

 CH 26

    Overgrown Grasslands


    26. Chapter 26


    Zhu Yun watched a bit of TV, but went upstairs after getting bored. Her mother reminded her that they had to stay up to usher in the new year.


    ¡°Usher in the new year?¡± As if Zhu Yun was in the mood to do that. She made an excuse, ¡°I¡¯m kind of tired.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Her mother glanced at her. ¡°What time is it, and you¡¯re already tired? You usually study through the night.¡± Zhu Yun sat on the sofa uncomfortably.


    At 11pm, her mother had already become drowsy. Her father nudged her mother and told her to go on to sleep. She yawned and headed up the stairs, but not before urging Zhu Yun, ¡°Make sure to usher in the year. At 12, go to the prayer room and make your wishes.¡±


    Zhu Yun really sat on the sofa until 12am. When the TV host started counting down the last few seconds until the new year, Zhu Yun got up. Their prayer room was on the third floor, converted from a storage room. Her grandmother believed in Buddha, and her mother¡­ occasionally believed.


    When she walked into the dark room, she was overcome with the scent of sandalwood. (t/n: It¡¯s used to make incense)


    Zhu Yun sat down on some padding and checked the time. 12am, perfect. In accordance with her mother¡¯s request, Zhu Yun kowtowed thrice, in preparation to ask for her blessings.


    Just then, the cross necklace she wore fell out from her collar


    Zhu Yun stared ahead blankly. She¡¯d nearly forgotten¡­ In truth, she often forgot about it, that she wore this necklace. It was an old necklace, one she¡¯d had for many years. The design was nothing special, and it was made with the cheapest metal. In fact, the metal had already dulled.


    Zhu Yun had already forgotten what the owner of the necklace looked like. Whenever she recalled that time, her mind simply conjured up a blurred figure. That girl had been arrogant, like a peacock.


    She tucked the necklace back inside her shirt. Then she remembered that she seemed to have forgotten to make her wish.


    Oh well.


    Midnight was peak time for firecrackers. Zhu Yun walked out of the prayer room and cleared her throat towards downstairs. Her father¡¯s voice came from his bedrom, ¡°We¡¯re heading to sleep. You should get to sleep soon too!¡±


    Zhu Yun replied loudly, ¡°Okay!¡±


    Night had finally come.


    Zhu Yun returned to her room and locked the door. Outside, the sounds of firecrackers echoed, and fireworks filled the sky. After sitting in a daze on her bed awhile, she went to the bathroom to shower. By the time she dried her hair and tidied things up, it was already 1am.


    She tossed her towel to the ground and walked over to her closet. After going through her clothes, she pulled out her new white dress. Zhu Yun changed her clothes and then stood in front of the mirror. She applied a light layer of foundation and added a touch of lip gloss. She blinked a few times at the mirror, and then she sat down on her bed, quietly waiting.


    When you were waiting for something, patience became difficult.


    The sounds outside were clearly thundering, and yet she still seemed able to hear her heart beating. She clasped her hands together, lightly, sweatily.


    How irritating¡­ She pressed her lips together. Seriously fucking irritating.


    Time ticked by, one minute, one second at a time. The sounds outside started to calm, with only occasional echos from afar, reminding everyone that this unordinary night had yet to end.


    2 o¡¯clock. Zhu Yun stood up and grabbed her bag, carefully leaving her room. Her steps were light as a spirit walking. The house was quiet. Her parents were both pretty heavy sleepers; they hadn¡¯t even been effected by the firecrackers. She walked down the stairs and pulled out a pair of high heels from the shoe cabinet, but she didn¡¯t wear them immediately.


    She tiptoed to the door and slipped out. The chill of the stone steps made every pore on her body close up tight. She didn¡¯t dare let out a breath.


    After standing still for two minutes, ensuring that her parents hadn¡¯t woken up, Zhu Yun finally put on her heels. She turned and looked at the snowfall against the moon. Then she took a deep breath, jumped off the steps, and headed out.


    The streets had already emptied out, with only firecracker remnants left behind. They were soft, and walking on them felt like walking on snow.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s dress did leave her a bit cold in midwinter, but though she had an extra jacket in her backpack, she didn¡¯t want to put it on.


    She recalled the day she and Li Xun had visited the art institute. And then her steps quickened. Faster and faster, until she was sprinting. Her hair and dress fluttered wantonly around her, seeming to echo her heart¡¯s beat.


    The midnight bell had already been rung, and hers was the only ship still sailing this night.


    There were only two streets between Zhu Yun¡¯s house and Lihua Street. There were various small hotels and restaurants there, many of them open 24 hours a day. She knew precisely where Lihua Hotel was, so she ran over. There, saw a group of guys playing cards in the hall.


    She immediately spotted that shining, golden head. Now that their project was on a break, he finally didn¡¯t look like he was suffering. He knew how to smile.


    A certain golden haired guy was about reveal his winning hand, when his smooth move was interrupted by a shout¡ª¡±Li Xun!¡±


    He paused for a few seconds, and then turned around. His victory expression turned into a dumbstruck one. Li Xun stared at her blankly, and then let out a stunned, ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    The image of Li Xun¡¯s turned head, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, a hand ready to reveal his card¡­ It was really amusing. Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help laughing. And he laughed too.


    ¡°What are you throwing out? Are you still playing or not?¡± the next player rushed.


    Li Xun tossed aside the card in his hand and said, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t keep playing.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Li Xun shrugged and replied helplessly, ¡°I have a visitor.¡± He placed his winnings in the middle of the table and said, ¡°It¡¯s not much, but buy yourselves a box of cigarettes.¡± He¡¯d won the most games at the table, so when he redistributed the money, the other guys happily wished him a happy new year.


    While re-shuffling the cards, the guys looked past Li Xun, a mischeivous look in their eyes. One of them narrowed his eyes at Li Xun and said, ¡°Quit dillydallying and get back to your room.¡±


    Li Xun got up from the table, amidst the other guys¡¯ laughter, and complacently walked over to Zhu Yun. A wicked gleam crossed her eyes, and as they walked, she asked quietly, ¡°If I turn around and leave right now, would that make you look bad?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± He lowered his head, a smile on his face, and said, ¡°Princess, are you leaving?¡±


    Zhu Yun pursed her lips and said, ¡°Depends on your performance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to make you satisfied.¡±


    Zhu Yun raised a brow.


    Li Xun asked, ¡°Are you still leaving?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Quietly, she said, ¡°I guess I won¡¯t leave yet.¡±


    Li Xun bent down and whispered into her ear irreverently, ¡°Your Highness.¡± Zhu Yun stopped herself from laughing, and the two headed upstairs.


    Halfway up the stairs, she heard laughter ringing from below. Her face felt a bit hot.


    New Year¡¯s celebrations were really nice.


    Lihua Hotel was small, so the corridors were narrow and all the rooms were all singles. Li Xun pulled out his key to open the door, and Zhu Yun waited quietly behind him. She looked at him, in the narrow space, under the dim lighting. He was nearly as tall as the door frame.


    After opening the door, Li Xun turned to the side and said, ¡°Princess, please enter.¡±


    Zhu Yun walked inside and took a look around the room. ¡°It¡¯s messy.¡±


    He laughed and tossed the key onto the desk. ¡°Let me wash my face.¡± Li Xun was looking particularly magnanimous that day.


    Zhu Yun looked around for a spot to sit down. The room was indeed messy. Hadn¡¯t he just arrived today? How could someone turn their room into such a mess in just one day? He didn¡¯t have a suitcase with him, just a black sports duffel. It was partly unzipped, Li Xun¡¯s clothes piled inside.


    Li Xun walked out from the bathroom and said, ¡°Why are you standing? Have a seat.¡±


    ¡°Where am I supposed to sit?¡¯


    Li Xun rubbed his hands as he looked around. Finally, he motioned to a spot with his chin. ¡°Over there.¡±


    The bed. The single bed. Against the wall.


    Forget it. Zhu Yun walked over to the chair covered in clothes and cleared it off. Li Xun took the bed.


    The chair was tall. Zhu Yun very much enjoyed the overlooking view she had. ¡°It¡¯s too messy in here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°Like a pigsty.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    She¡¯d attacked ruthlessly, only to have him lazily agree. That didn¡¯t seem quite right. His seriousness was too out of the ordinary. Whether or not he truly agreed with Zhu Yun¡¯s words, Li Xun didn¡¯t make any retorts, and simply listened to her speak.


    Maybe he hadn¡¯t even really been listening?


    He yawned and then reached for a cigarette. While Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts were battling with each other, Li Xun tapped the back of his hand with the cigarette and raised his eyes.


    ¡°Stand up.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Stand up and let me see.¡±


    Zhu Yun knew more or less what he was thinking. She got up slowly. This seemed to be the first time she¡¯d ever looked down on him like this.


    He lit his cigarette and used the dim light to inspect her. Zhu Yun didn¡¯t dare look him in the eyes, so she stared out the window, on the street that she¡¯d come from. As she looked on at the bare tree branches, her thoughts ran wild.


    Did he like the dress? Of course he did. Otherwise, why would he tell her to stand up? She thanked her mother for having such elegant taste. Hallelujah.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to work so hard to suck in your stomach. There¡¯s not much meat there anyway.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Could he ruin the moment any more?


    She knew that there was no way he could have been so serious, letting her gain the upper hand. Disheartened, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help rolling her eyes. Just then, she saw Li Xun lower his head. He tried to hide a laugh, but he couldn¡¯t. That touch of gentleness in his lips, in the foggy air, made it impossible for one¡¯s heart to not be shaken.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s heart pounded in her chest. She looked left and right, hoping to change the topic. After spotting a plastic bowl beside his laptop, she stared and asked, ¡°You had that for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°You had malatang (hot, spicy soup) for New Year¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that?¡±


    ¡°You¡ª¡± Before she could finish speaking, her cellphone vibrated, giving her quite the fright. She pulled it out; it was the alarm she¡¯d set when she left. Because she was afraid that it might get too late, she set her phone to remind her every half hour. That was already the second vibration.


    ¡°When are you heading home?¡± Li Xun asked.


    Zhu Yun looked up. ¡°¡­Before 4:30 should be fine.¡± It was already past 3, which meant there wasn¡¯t much time left. This night was truly passing quickly.


    While she was caught up in her thoughts, a paper object flew at her. She subconsciously grabbed it in her arms. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Li Xun took off his shoes and moved further onto the bed, his back to the wall. He yawned. ¡°A tribute.¡±


    Ah, payment?


    ¡°It¡¯s very thin.¡± Zhu Yun pinched the envelope. Without holding back her disdain, she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to make sure I was satisfied?¡± Li Xun raised a brow but didn¡¯t speak.


    Zhu Yun opened the red envelope and poured its contents out. A card. Oh.


    ¡°This is your pay card.¡±


    Li Xun stretched his arm over, and Zhu Yun pushed the ashtray towards him. When he was done, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve already deposited the money from the Languan project.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°What¡¯s the PIN?¡±


    ¡°Six 8s.¡± How unoriginal¡­ (t/n: 8 is considered a lucky number)


    Zhu Yun put away the card and then pulled her chair over to Li Xun. She said, ¡°Tell me about what happened with Languan. What did you tell them? Did they like what we made?¡±


    Li Xun gave a cold look. ¡°How old are you that you still need bedtime stories?¡±


    She kicked the bed. With a helpless expression, Li Xun said, ¡°Talking about those kinds of things in this kind of situation really isn¡¯t my style.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at him, silent. Three seconds later, Li Xun said, ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    He started going over the past few days¡¯ events, and Zhu Yun realized that she really liked listening to Li Xun talk. It wasn¡¯t only that his voice sounded nice, but it also revealed a light, yet indestructable directional sense.


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Were you scared when you went to the company?¡±


    Li Xun replied, ¡°Why would I be scared?¡±


    ¡°You were by yourself¡­¡±


    Li Xun scratched his cheek. ¡°Let me see¡­¡±


    ?


    ¡°The first time I saw a programming book at someone¡¯s house was nearly ten years ago.¡± Li Xun spoke in his easy, carefree manner. ¡°I buried myself in studies for ten years, so how could I be scared off by a small program for a food company?¡± He looked at Zhu Yun a bit teasingly. ¡°Generally, people feel scared because they feel guilty, for example, a certain princess taking an exam.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Can we not mention that.


    Zhu Yun asked Li Xun for more details. Hearing him mocking the grand Languan Company, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help laughing. He paused for a few seconds and Zhu Yun smiled at him. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Li Xun lowered his eyes and slightly leaned to his side, against the pillows. Without much attention, he said, ¡°I broke up with Cui Xiangjun.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Cui Xiangjun.¡±


    The name didn¡¯t spark anything in Zhu Yun¡¯s memory. ¡°Who?¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s face had darknened. In no good mood, he shouted, ¡°Juliet!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    So her name was Cui Xiangjun. Your girlfriend¡¯s name even sounds like a Qinhuai prostitute. (t/n: Briefly, see in the history section, Li Xiangjun of Beauties of the Qinhuai River)


    Zhu Yun nodded.


    Li Xun asked, ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem too distraught over it, I won¡¯t bother comforting you.¡±


    Li Xun snorted. He licked his lips and the sleep in his eyes became more apparent. Zhu Yun looked away.


    But looking away didn¡¯t matter. Her face was still burning. Quietly, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the bathroom.¡±


    Inside the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror. She pushed aside the stray strands of hair that were in her face. After wetting her hands in cold water, she shook them off and pat her face to cool down.


    The night was intoxicating.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know how long she¡¯d been rubbing her face in the bathroom. But when she walked out, she discovered that Li Xun had already fallen asleep. She tiptoed over to check if he might be faking it, but he wasn¡¯t. He¡¯d tried. He¡¯d washed his face and smoked, but he was unable to keep away the exhaustion.


    Zhu Yun crouched down and looked at him without reserve. His face was thin, and he had double eyelids. When he was awake, the sharp lines made him look arrogant, but when he was sleeping, he looked like a good little boy.


    Li Xun¡¯s hands rested on the bed, long and pretty. Zhu Yun extended a finger, wanting to touch between his thumb and forefinger. She tried a few times to get the right angle, but then Li Xun stirred and Zhu Yun immediately pulled her hand back.


    Her phone vibrated again¡­


    Zhu Yun smiled at the dreaming Li Xun. Forget it. The future ahead was long.

 CH 27

    Overgrown Grassland


    27. Chapter 27


    Knock, knock, knock! After knocking for quite a bit, there was still no response. Zhu Yun¡¯s mom called from outside, ¡°Zhu Yun ah, wake up.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhu Yun?¡± There was no response even after calling her name. Zhu Yun¡¯s mother pushed open the door, walked over the bed, and pulled at the covers. ¡°Hurry and wake up. It¡¯s already 11 o¡¯clock. We¡¯re going to have lunch soon.¡±


    Finally, a head popped out from the rolled up blanket. A sleepy Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t even open her eyes. Her mother pinched her waist and said, ¡°How can you be so tired? You didn¡¯t sleep enough last night?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s head felt rusted. She arched herself out from under the covers. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Her throat was dry.


    Her mother said, ¡°Hurry and get up. We need to go give our New Year¡¯s greetings soon.¡± Tired and grumpy, Zhu Yun dawdled over to the bathroom to wash.


    The busy new year had begun. Everyone¡¯s schedule was packed full from the 1st to the 15th of the new year. Zhu Yun changed her clothes and grabbed several bags before following her parents out the door.


    From the 1st to the 5th, they had family dinners. Her mother¡¯s relatives were few, but more important were her father¡¯s family. Zhu Yun had four uncles, one who was abroad. Her father was the third brother.


    Each year¡¯s activities were basically the same, but this year, there would be some new talking points. Her second uncle¡¯s son, Xiao Feng, was a year younger than Zhu Yun. He would be participating in the college entrance exam this year, but his results were at that awkward neither good nor bad place. His parents were quite worried.


    The moment that Zhu Yun walked into the door, her second aunt pulled her aside to consult about the entrance exam. Xiao Feng sat on the sofa, playing some handheld game.


    Second Aunt pressed him, ¡°Your cousin studies well. If you have anything you don¡¯t understand, ask her about it quickly.¡±


    Zhu Yun replied politely, ¡°No, I¡¯m just average.¡±


    Her aunt smiled and said, ¡°How can you call yourself average with such a high score? What will someone like him do? I remember you were often first in the entire school in high school. You must be a superior student in college now too, right?¡±


    Zhu Yun found this topic rather a bit embarrassing. ¡°I¡¯m average. Really, just average¡­¡±


    Her aunt said, ¡°You¡¯re just being modest.¡±


    What¡¯s the big deal about first in the school when we also had first in the country¡­


    Her aunt pulled Xiao Feng over and said, ¡°Hurry and talk with your cousin.¡± And then she pleaded with Zhu Yun, ¡°My darling niece, please tell him. He doesn¡¯t study, but the entrance exam is right around the corner. He¡¯s driving me mad.¡±


    After Xiao Feng was dragged over, he simply started playing his game in a new spot. Second Aunt glared at him angrily. ¡°Just look at him!¡±


    ¡°Jiang Li!¡± Mama Zhu¡¯s voice called from the kitchen. Second Aunt left, leaving behind Zhu Yun and Xiao Feng.


    Zhu Yun looked at her. Though they were cousins, Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t close with Xiao Feng. When he was a child, he¡¯d gotten very sick and had to stay in the hospital for half a month. Her second aunt and uncle had been given a great scare, and so after Xiao Feng recovered, they couldn¡¯t bear to scold him. Instead, they always let him have his way.


    Xiao Feng liked playing and he hated studying. There had been a few occasions when Second Aunt had asked Zhu Yun to help him study, but Zhu Yun¡¯s mother declined for various reasons. Her mother had told her more than once not to get too close to him.


    ¡°She¡¯s always grumbling about that every day. So annoying!¡± Xiao Feng quietly muttered.


    Zhu Yun teased, ¡°What doesn¡¯t annoy you?¡±


    Xiao Feng looked up from his game. He glanced at her and said, ¡°Playing.¡±


    ¡°After the entrance exams, you can continue to play.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take the exam. I¡¯m not like you, so I¡¯m not good at studying.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault for being a good student.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao Feng looked up from his game again. Zhu Yun laughed and pat him. ¡°There¡¯s just half a year left. Just endure a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    Zhu Yun had successfully completed her ¡®chat¡¯ task. When she pulled out her phone, she heard Xiao Feng whisper, ¡°Are you free once you¡¯re in college?¡±


    Zhu Yun thought about it a moment. ¡°What kind of ¡®freedom¡¯ do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Our teacher said that after we get into college, we¡¯ll be liberated.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll probably be even more tiring.¡±


    Xiao Feng stretched his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t have any aspirations in life, so I¡¯ll just get into some bottom-rate college and that¡¯ll be that.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked down at her phone. An unread message. Her heart thumped as she opened it.


    Li Xun: ¡°I¡¯m back at school. See you when the semester starts.¡±


    Zhu Yun replied: ¡°Got it.¡±


    Xiao Feng was still speaking, ¡°I was never interested in school or studying. It was so boring. College must be that way too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true.¡±


    After sending her text, Zhu Yun deleted her messages. ¡°How can you know if it¡¯s interesting or not if you don¡¯t go? Also¡­¡± She paused and then added quietly, ¡°Since those you¡¯ve met so far haven¡¯t been impressive, isn¡¯t that all the more reason you should look forward to college?¡±


    Xiao Feng didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Just try hard.¡± Zhu Yun whispered, ¡°Otherwise you¡¯ll miss out.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Xiao Feng didn¡¯t understand what she was saying at all. He muttered something and then went back to playing his game.


    The family gatherings passed by, trouble-free. After the 5th of the year, they started meeting with her father¡¯s friends, which was much more tiring. Zhu Yun always had a smile plastered to her face; there was a chance her cheeks would get stuck like that.


    Zhu Yun met Wang Yuxuan again.


    ¡°Running with your feet off the ground, eh, Zhu mei?¡± (t/n: Instead of Cousin Zhu, I¡¯ll use Zhu mei (lit. ¡®younger sister¡¯), which implies they¡¯re close to some extent, but not actually related.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhu Yun was so busy that her head was covered with sweat. Following her mother¡¯s instructions, she brought Wang Yuxuan a glass of water.


    He accepted the glass and looked around. ¡°There are a lot of people.¡±


    There were indeed a lot of people. No matter how large the Zhu house was, it still got crowded when tens of people were inside it at the same time.


    Zhu Yun looked over Wang Yuxuan. He was dressed in a suit, and he even had a tie on.


    ¡°Why are you dressed so formally? You¡¯re going to scare people.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you adding too much importance to it? How could it scare people? I brought this suit back from abroad.¡± Wang Yuxuan took a few steps back and struck a pose for Zhu Yun. ¡°Handsome?¡±


    Gag.


    Had her expression been too straightforward? Wang Yuxuan made a face and unhappily said, ¡°You¡¯re not even going to give me this little bit of face? I¡¯m going to have to make a complaint with Auntie.¡± Zhu Yun shrugged, not continuing his banter.


    She was holding the snow lotus water that her mother had prepared for this party. Sweet, fragrant, and delicious. She took a sip and leaned against the wall, taking a break. Wang Yuxuan was chatting to her, and she responded a bit absent-mindedly.


    She really wanted to return to school¡­ What kind of excuse could she make to head back sooner¡­


    ¡°Speaking of, it¡¯s really been too long since I¡¯ve been home. The country has changed a lot. I feel like I don¡¯t match with it now,¡± Wang Yuxuan lamented.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    An idea suddenly popped into her head. She turned to Wang Yuxuan and asked, ¡°How long are you staying here?¡±


    ¡°What is it? My break is pretty long this time. There¡¯s still a month left.¡±


    ¡°You must be curious about college here, right? Should I give you a tour of my school?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan didn¡¯t respond.


    Zhu Yun continued to chase, ¡°My college is very representative of this region. It¡¯s one of, if not, the best science and engineering institutions. So, are you interested? Do you want to go?¡± She rubbed her hands and enticed, ¡°Come visit. Take a look around.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­Why does it smell like you¡¯re scheming something?¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re thinking about it too much.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan looked at Zhu Yun, and after awhile, he said, ¡°I get it.¡±


    What do you get?


    Wang Yuxuan leaned over and whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t want to stay at home any longer, right? I can understand. To be honest, your mom is kind of scary.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been afraid of her. She gives off this vibe that says, ¡®If your grades are bad, you don¡¯t deserve to come into this house.''¡± He straightened his back and shook the glass in his hand. ¡°Fortunately, your Xuan gege worked hard. I got to this position because I spent my life fighting for it.¡±


    Zhu Yun forced a laugh.


    Wang Yuxuan pat her shoulder and said, ¡°Leave it to me. When do you want to leave?¡±


    The discussion went very smoothly. As Wang Yuxuan said, he had his position now because he¡¯d fought for it.


    Zhu Yuan, though, must have saved the nation in a past life. She put on an act in front of her mother, acting as if she didn¡¯t want to show Wang Yuxuan around her school. Which her mother disapproved of.


    ¡°It¡¯s not often that your cousin comes home. Why can¡¯t you show him around your school?¡± Then her mother spoke with concern, ¡°But since the school is on break, there are many places you won¡¯t be able to go to. Should I have Zhu Yun¡¯s father contact the school?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Wang Yuxuan promptly shook his hands. ¡°Please don¡¯t involve all these people. I¡¯ll just take a look around. We can go after the 15th. By then, it won¡¯t be as busy here, and everything that needs to be taken care of should be finished.¡±


    Zhu Yun calculated in her head. She¡¯d be able to go back half a month early. Not bad at all.


    After they made their plans, Wang Yuxuan started claiming his credit for this achievement. Since they had yet to leave, Zhu Yun didn¡¯t dare to offend him, and so, she followed along with his whim.


    ¡°You¡¯re always carrying around your laptop. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Practicing.¡±


    ¡°Do you like your major that much?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you put so much effort into anything. Do you want something to drink?¡±


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°¡®Anything¡¯ is the hardest thing to fulfill. Hurry and pick something.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhu Yun took a deep breath and closed her laptop. She raised her head and then said what was really on her mind. ¡°Wang Yuxuan, you¡¯re really annoying.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been easy getting away from home. She¡¯d found a coffee shop and had planned on spending the afternoon coding, but then Wang Yuxuan had to tag along and chirp about this and that. He just went on and on.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just find a book to read by yourself?¡±


    ¡°You need to balance work and rest. I¡¯m home for a holiday, so why would I read?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. A person should have an upright attitude. Don¡¯t forget that you were able to leave home because you were going to ¡®chat with your cousin about school.''¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it. Your Xuan ge isn¡¯t one to hold onto small things like that. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Zhu Yun drew in a breath. ¡°Wang Yuxuan, you didn¡¯t have this much to say before¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when I just returned. I hadn¡¯t found my language sense yet, but now I¡¯m all good.¡± Zhu Yun pinched the bridge of her nose, and Wang Yuxuan smiled and said, ¡°If I don¡¯t play around, I¡¯d be so bored sitting here. Why don¡¯t you show me what you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Zhu Yun had no tricks, so she let him see her laptop. ¡°We¡¯re developing a software.¡±


    ¡°Looks like it has to do with medicine. There are a bunch of people starting up medical websites at my school.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a website. More like an add-on.¡±


    ¡°Mmh. A website would be too difficult for freshman like you.¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡± She couldn¡¯t help laughing as she held on to her coffee cup.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Wang Yuxuan grabbed the mouse and started clicking around on the human diagram. ¡°This is interesting. Tell me more about it.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Zhu Yun said. ¡°Our boss says that a good (customer) service software should be usable by old and young, everyone alike. If they can¡¯t figure it out, then there¡¯s a problem with the software.


    Wang Yuxuan looked up at her, and Zhu Yun continued, ¡°Try it out. If there¡¯s something that¡¯s difficult to understand, make a note about it. You can be our tester. But if you can¡¯t figure out how to use this, then I¡¯ll seriously have to suspect that you bought your diploma off from somewhere.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan didn¡¯t move, so Zhu Yun asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan smiled. ¡°Zhu mei, you¡¯ve really changed from the past.¡±


    Zhu Yun paused. ¡°What was I like in the past?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan recalled, ¡°Like a rabbit who only cared to be lazy. When Aunt Liu gave an order, you would complete the task, but only as much as she asked for. You never did more than required.¡±


    Zhu Yun declined to comment on that. Instead, she said, ¡°Continue using it. Finance student, give us a top-class review with an international perspective.¡±


    ¡°Look at your temper.¡± Wang Yuxuan pointed at her and clicked his tongue. ¡°I just made a few casual observations.¡±


    Zhu Yun curled her lips and turned to the side. The coffee shop windows weren¡¯t clean enough. There was still dust on it, which had become very clear with the sunlight shining on it.


    Wang Yuxuan straightened up and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Zhu mei, I suddenly have a desire to go check out your school.¡±

 CH 28

    Overgrown Grassland


    28. Chapter 28


    In the early morning, Zhu Yun had already packed her things into the car.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need us to send you?¡± Her mother suggested again, ¡°Why don¡¯t we call for a driver to send you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Wang Yuxuan pat his chest. ¡°Auntie Liu, I have years of experience as a driver. I promise to send Zhu mei safely back to school.¡±


    While Wang Yuxuan arranged the car trunk, Zhu Yun¡¯s mother pulled her aside and told her quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep on the way. Stay alert. Road conditions abroad are still different from those at home.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°When you get there, you should reserve the hotel room. Let him drive. When you go out, don¡¯t let him spend any money.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Also¡ª¡±


    ¡°I got it, I got it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll wait on him properly. We¡¯re going now.¡± Zhu Yun slipped out of her mother¡¯s grasp and slid into the car.


    When the car finally drove out of the courtyard, Zhu Yun let out a long sigh. Wang Yuxuan grinned and stepped on the gas. In a clear voice, he said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, you¡¯re currently watching the Dreamworks production, The Island. (t/n: The 2005 film is about a guy trying to escape an island, after finding out the island inhabitants are used for organ harvesting.)


    Zhu Yun looked over out of the corner of her eye.


    Wang Yuxuan laughed and said, ¡°Come on then, give me the directions.¡±


    ¡°Keep going straight, and get on the highway.¡±


    The whole trip, Wang Yuxuan chattered on incessantly, which only made Zhu Yun yawn continuously. She rested her head against the car window and pulled out her cellphone. No missed calls or unread texts.


    Zhu Yun had already informed Li Xun that she¡¯d be returning today. On the days leading up to the new year, the two of them had been in constant contact. But shortly after, Li Xun had accepted a new project, so there hadn¡¯t much news from him lately.


    Zhu Yun and Wang Yuxuan safely arrived at the school in the afternoon. Since winter break hadn¡¯t wasn¡¯t over, the campus was empty and deserted.


    Zhu Yun grabbed her luggage from the car and said, ¡°I¡¯m going. You can find a hotel yourself, right?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± Wang Yuxuan looked at her, dumbfounded. ¡°You¡¯re just going to burn the bridge after crossing the river?¡±


    It did seem rather disingenuous¡­


    ¡°How about this?¡± Zhu Yun suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll make some time to show you around tomorrow. It¡¯s too late today, and you must be tired from driving. You should rest.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan swung the car keys on his finger. He was about to speak but stopped, as he squinted at something behind Zhu Yun. Motioning to behind her, he asked quietly, ¡°Hey, do you know him?¡±


    Zhu Yun turned around and her hair stood on end. A certain person with golden hair, dressed in casual clothes, stood there. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, a plastic convenient store bag hanging off his arm, looking like someone just passing by. He lazily looked over Zhu Yun and Wang Yuxuan.


    Zhu Yun considered whether or not to introduce the two. In the end, she decided against it. From the way Top Score Li looked right now, he probably didn¡¯t much care for getting to know Wang Yuxuan.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Li Xun asked.


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    Li Xun said plainly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He turned to head back to campus.


    Zhu Yun quickly told Wang Yuxuan, ¡°I¡¯m heading back first. I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan shrugged and replied, ¡°Okay. Have a good rest.¡± He returned to the car and start it up. When he raised his head, he saw that Zhu Yun had caught up with that boy up ahead.


    Zhu Yun dragged her suitcase as she walked beside Li Xun. She glanced at Li Xun, the latter walking leisurely, composed as before.


    She cleared her throat and said, ¡°About that¡­¡±


    The lazy voice came, ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing for the new project you accepted?¡±


    ¡°An integrated system for shipping and receiving forms for an auto parts company.¡±


    ¡°Will it be hard?¡±


    Li Xun pulled out and lit a cigarette without responding.


    Fine, let¡¯s just pretend I didn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°Who was that just now?¡± Li Xun¡¯s voice was a bit unclear because of the cigarette hanging from his mouth.


    Zhu Yun answered instantly. ¡°My driver.¡±


    Li Xun snickered. ¡°Oh?¡±


    When they returned to her dorm, Li Xun said to Zhu Yun, ¡°Princess, do you need help carrying your bags up?¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t dare trouble you.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t have many things, so it¡¯s not heavy.¡±


    Li Xun nodded and added a quick, ¡°When you¡¯re done, come to the project base,¡± before leaving.


    Now that winter break had reached its midpoint, the dorms had been unlocked. Zhu Yun carried her luggage in, but was already huffing and puffing halfway to her room. She started to regret letting her face swell just to look imposing when she slapped it. (t/n: To impress by feigning abilities)


    But he was really something. She¡¯d declined as a polite gesture, and he really didn¡¯t help her.


    Neither Ren Di or Fang Shumiao had returned yet. When she¡¯d left for break, she hadn¡¯t closed the window tightly enough, so there was now a layer of dust covering their dorm room. After Zhu Yun finished unpacking her things, she mopped the floor once over. Then she ran over to the lab building.


    The project base was the only room open in the entire building. Zhu Yun hurried in to see Li Xun¡¯s long legs raised up as he worked.


    ¡°Come here. Make a copy of these files and the code.¡±


    Zhu Yun was deathly tired, and her throat felt like it was on fire. Instead of answering him, she walked over to the corner, grabbed a bottle of water, and gulped half of it down.


    Li Xun looked up from his laptop at her. He taunted, ¡°Carrying a suitcase tired you out that much? Truly pampered¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t be bothered with him.


    Li Xun put down his laptop. Resting a hand on the back of his chair, he leaned to look at Zhu Yun. With a smile, he said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you really that tired?¡±


    ¡°Not as tired as you.¡±


    ¡°The words in your head are different from the ones coming out of your mouth.¡±


    Zhu Yun secretly rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Hurry and get to work. Finally, I have an assisstant.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Although her work up until then, and even the reason she returned to school early, had been to help him, it was sufficient that she knew that. Hearing him say it out loud really felt shitty.


    Zhu Yun put down her bottle of water. Calmly, she said, ¡°School hasn¡¯t started yet, so you don¡¯t have any reason to ask me to work. This is cruel overtime.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Li Xun tilted his head ant looked at her. ¡°Then what will it take for Your Highness to start working?¡±


    ¡°Improve your attitude.¡±


    He raised his eyebrows. Zhu Yun stared back, wordlessly. He walked over to the metal cabinet and bent down to grab a bag.


    After a moment, Li Xun put his laptop on the table and stood up. Zhu Yun extended her head to look over with interest. Li Xun brought the bag over and placed it in front of Zhu Yun. It was a pretty large paper bag, and it seemed decently heavy.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Your overtime pay.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Faintly, he said, ¡°Take a look.¡±


    Zhu Yun opened the bag. Inside was an exquisite, long box. When she saw the branding on the box, she had a suspicion regarding its contents. And after she opened the box, her suspicion was confirmed. Although her expression was calm and collected, her heart was pounding.


    A dress!


    Why would he gift her a dress?!


    When had he bought it? How long ago? No, put those questions aside first. The dress was newly released, wasn¡¯t it? And this brand was fucking expensive¡­


    Zhu Yun looked up to see Li Xun leaning against the metal cabinet, calm and relaxed.


    ¡°Is it enough?¡±


    How was she to answer that¡­


    ¡°If it¡¯s enough, come over and start working.¡±


    Since Boss Li had given her a way out of the situation, Zhu Yun respectfully accepted. She packed away the dress and then returned to her seat. Li Xun also walked over and sat down beside her to send over the documents.


    ¡°Why did you give me this?¡± Zhu Yun asked quietly.


    As his hands continued typing, Li Xun chuckled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s only right for a princess to have a gown.¡±


    Zhu Yun trembled. She felt like there was someone in her heart, twisting and turning uncontrollably.


    A master. Truly, a master.


    ¡°I¡¯ve copied the files to you. Read over the program first. If there¡¯s something you don¡¯t understand, ask me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mmh.¡±


    Zhu Yun focused and got to work. By evening, she¡¯d combed through the entire program. She asked Li Xun, ¡°I¡¯m done. Do you need me to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Not right now.¡±


    Ah? You said earlier that I¡¯d be assissting you.


    Li Xun asked plainly, ¡°Don¡¯t you need to hang out with your driver tomorrow?¡±


    He¡¯d heard her conversation with Wang Yuxuan?


    Zhu Yun blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get him to leave.¡± When Li Xun didn¡¯t respond, she continued, ¡°I can work tomorrow. I¡¯ll tell him to leave right away.¡±


    After a few quiet seconds, Li Xun laughed. He spoke lightly, ¡°Tell him to leave, then.¡±


    At 8 o¡¯clock that evening, Zhu Yun called Wang Yuxuan, who was overcome with boredom in his hotel room, watching TV. ¡°Zhu mei! You finally thought of me!¡±


    ¡°Xuan ge.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Xuan ge, there¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Stop. Wait,¡± Wang Yuxuan cut her off. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°Let¡¯s go out to eat. My treat.¡±


    A cautious Wang Yuxuan said, ¡°Something¡¯s not right. What are you planning? What are you going to do to me?¡±


    Zhu Yun was in a rush, and she couldn¡¯t be bothered to joke with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the school gate. Hurry over.¡±


    Thirteen minutes later, the two met up at the school gate. Zhu Yun directed Wang Yuxuan downtown. After driving in circles a bit, they finally stopped at a high-end shopping mall. ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant here that¡¯s pretty good. It¡¯s on the top floor.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan pouted.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan looked up at the building and said, ¡°You should have told me earlier that we were coming to this kind of place. I would have changed my clothes.¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°There aren¡¯t so many formalities in China. Get out of the car.¡±


    When they walked inside the building, they were greeted with a brightly lit lobby. The specs for the place were top-class. The first two stories were filled with imported goods.


    ¡°Aiyo, the tariffs must be high.¡± As they walked, Wang Yuxuan pointed to one of the stores. ¡°This brand costs half the price where I¡¯m at.¡±


    Zhu Yun took a look. ¡°Are they any good?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t smoke.¡±


    The restaurant was just off the elevator on the top floor. It was past mealtime, so there weren¡¯t many customers. The waiter brought them to their seats, and then Zhu Yun handed the menu over to Wang Yuxuan. ¡°You order.¡±


    He responded, ¡°I won¡¯t hold back then.¡±


    ¡°Order what you¡¯d like.¡±


    After they ordered and the waiter left, Zhu Yun spoke up. ¡°About tomorrow, I won¡¯t be able to show you around.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan paused. ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°After dinner, go back and get some rest. I¡¯ll make up a guide for you, and you can go around on your own tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So this is what was waiting for me.¡± Wang Yuxuan crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. ¡°I was thinking that you couldn¡¯t possibly be so kindhearted that you¡¯d even invite me out for a meal.¡±


    Zhu Yun explained, ¡°There are important matters I have to deal with at school, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have come back so early in the first place.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan opened up his napkin and tucked it into his collar. He chuckled and muttered, ¡°The way I see it, you have an ulterior motive in mind.¡± Zhu Yun pretended not to hear.


    When the food was served, Wang Yuxuan said, ¡°Who was that blond kid?¡±


    ¡°A bastard.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we have a civil conversation?¡±


    Zhu Yun cleared her throat. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan stared at Zhu Yun and didn¡¯t move.


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡±


    Wang Yuxuan shook his head slowly. ¡°I have a feeling that I need to get to know you again.¡±


    Zhu Yun straightened her posture, and Wang Yuxuan put up a defensive gesture. Zhu Yun gave him a strange look and then said, ¡°I need to step out for a minute. You should start eating first.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t reply and stepped out. Ten minutes later, she returned, and Wang Yuxuan looked her over. Rather regretfully, he said, ¡°It¡¯s true, that saying. The more well-behaved a person is, the scarier they get when they rebel.¡±


    Zhu Yun lowered her head and drank some soup. Wang Yuxuan gave a bit of genuine advice, ¡°Zhu mei, young girls nowadays love picking out people based on their pretty faces. Don¡¯t fall into that cliche.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He picked up his fork, and looking at Zhu Yun, he said again, ¡°Auntie likes those properly raised, undirtied, pure and innocent boys.¡±


    Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help lifting her head to look at him. ¡°You¡¯ve gone crazy, right?¡±


    ¡°The first two things I said¡­ You can take them as my going crazy. But the last thing¡­¡± Wang Yuxuan leaned in and fixed his eyes on Zhu Yun. ¡°That blond kid, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s dependable.¡±


    Zhu Yun dropped her spoon. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°His first impression may be that he¡¯s very individualistic, but he¡¯s too self-aware and lacks constraints. He doesn¡¯t suit you. You won¡¯t be able to change him. In the end, you¡¯re the one who will end up getting hurt.¡±


    Silence.


    Then Zhu Yun responded quietly, ¡°Where have your thoughts gone to¡­¡±


    Wang Yuxuan said, ¡°Zhu mei, I know you too well.¡±


    When she heard that, Zhu Yun suddenly laughed.


    She raised her head, and in that moment, Wang Yuxuan saw a frightening slyness in her eyes. Zhu Yun¡¯s skin was soft and tender as tofu. With her dark eyes, and lips turned red from drinking hot soup, under the high-end restaurant lights, she looked indescribably beautiful.


    Without realizing it, she spoke in Li Xun¡¯s relaxed tone, ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you don¡¯t know me well enough.¡±


    ¡°Zhu mei¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun placed Wang Yuxuan¡¯s spoon into his bowl of soup. ¡°Eat your food. It¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    When that topic ended, the dinner table turned silent.


    Under the table, there was a small box in Zhu Yun¡¯s hand. She¡¯d just bought it. An expensive, high-duty lighter.


    This doesn¡¯t mean anything. It¡¯s just a present, since that dress had been so expensive. From a young age, her mother had always told her that she couldn¡¯t spend others¡¯ money without giving something in return.


    An eraser formed in Zhu Yun¡¯s head, slowly erasing Wang Yuxuan¡¯s words from earlier. At the end of their meal, the only thing on her mind was how she would gift the lighter.

 CH 29

    Overgrown Grassland


    29. Chapter 29


    When they separated that evening, Zhu Yun handed Wang Yuxuan a small notebook. ¡°Those are some travel itineraries and shops that I recommend. If you run into any problems tomorrow, give me a call.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan scoffed, clearly unhappy.


    Zhu Yun spoke up, ¡°About that¡­¡±


    ¡°Mmh?¡±


    ¡°I really do have work. Don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Wang Yuxuan looked to her, but Zhu Yun was feeling guilty so she didn¡¯t dare look him in the eyes. He said, ¡°Zhu mei treated me to a nearly four figure dinner. Would I dare be angry?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Wang Yuxuan feigned grief, ¡°Like the saying goes, when you eat food from others, your mouth becomes soft. It¡¯s true.¡±


    Zhu Yun immediately raised her head. ¡°Then, if my mom calls to ask about things, you¡¯d better not reveal anything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to take a foot after winning an inch!¡±


    Zhu Yun pat Wang Yuxuan¡¯s shoulder. With a smile, she said, ¡°Cooperate, won¡¯t you. I¡¯ll treat you next time.¡± Then she turned and headed back to the school campus.


    Wang Yuxuan touched the spot where she¡¯d hit him and muttered, ¡°How half-hearted.¡± He opened the small notebook and saw the detailed commentary. Seeing that she¡¯d been conscientious enough, Wang Yuxuan let out a small sigh.


    Zhu Yun returned to her dorm room. After showering and changing her clothes, she put her things away. Sitting in her chair, she spun in circles a bit, before finally stopping to look at the box on her desk. Compared to a box for clothes, a box for a lighter was much smaller, indeed.


    Would she lose out on grandeur?


    In the quiet night, Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts flit about.


    How should she give it to him? She didn¡¯t want to be too casual and not give it the proper amount of respect. But she didn¡¯t want to give it too much importance, lest she end up putting herself in a disadvantageous spot.


    How could she skillfully recreate an atmosphere similar to ¡®It¡¯s only right for a princess to have a gown.¡¯ For whatever reason, this small matter had her mind working so hard that it nearly bled.


    The next day, she headed over to the project base with dark circles around her eyes. Li Xun had already split up the roles for their new project. He put all of Zhu Yun¡¯s responsibilities into a document and sent it to her.


    A few hours later, Li Xun came by to check on her progress. ¡°The size of the page is wrong. What are you thinking about?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°I¡¯m not done with it yet.¡±


    ¡°Your skills turned into this after celebrating the new year?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± She was just a bit distracted, is all.


    The lighter was in her pocket.


    Zhu Yun looked over by Li Xun¡¯s hand. Next to his computer, there was already a lighter.


    No chance¡­


    Li Xun said, ¡°Forget it. If you¡¯re going to be absent-minded, it¡¯s better not to work. Let¡¯s go eat. You can pick the place.¡± Boss Li was being quite magnanimous today as well. He got up to get his coat, and then Zhu Yun followed suit.


    As the light flickered, a thought crossed Zhu Yun¡¯s mind. She glanced over at Li Xun, and then, at the speed of lightening, she snatched the lighter on the desk and hit it behind the computer tower. Her move had been quick and smooth, and when Li Xun turned around after putting on his jacket, he didn¡¯t notice a thing.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡± Zhu Yun nodded, her face even and calm. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    They headed to the plaza just off campus. Since school hadn¡¯t started yet, many shops weren¡¯t open. They passed by a cosmetics store, and Li Xun stopped in front of the wall mirror by the door.


    Zhu Yun watched him ruffle his hair in the mirror.


    To what extent does your narcissism go¡­


    ¡°Come here,¡± Boss Li ordered.


    Zhu Yun walked over.


    Li Xun said, ¡°Look.¡±


    Look at what¡­?


    It wasn¡¯t a slimming mirror like they had in fitting rooms, nor was there any atmospheric lighting, so your flaws were made very obvious. The dazzling lights inside the store, coupled with the ceramic floor tiles, truly revealed a person¡¯s true appearance.


    His looks really withstood the test¡­


    Then, what did she look like today? Zhu Yun quietly looked at her own reflection. Haggard¡­


    It was all that lighter¡¯s fault.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts ran wild. She didn¡¯t dare look at Li Xun, afraid that he¡¯d see her shortcomings. She kept moving around, so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch a still image of her.


    ¡°Is it getting too long?¡± Li Xun asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    He frowned and grabbed at his hair. ¡°I can see the black.¡±


    Zhu Yun just realized that Li Xun¡¯s hair had grown out a bit. When he ruffled his hair, the black roots were visible.


    ¡°So fucking annoying.¡±


    Then why do you insist on dying your hair blond?


    Li Xun muttered under his breath, and then he pushed open the door to the cosmetics shop. Zhu Yun followed him inside and watched as he familiarly walked over to a shelf and pick up a box of hair dye.


    It was an imported item, and the box had a Chinese translation slapped onto it. Zhu Yun could only see the bottom row in large print: Natural, permanent look; no stiffness!


    She had no words.


    After buying the hair dye, the two of them headed to find a place to eat.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the shop to dye your hair?¡± Zhu Yun asked.


    ¡°Nowhere¡¯s open. Downtown is too far of a walk. Not worth it.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded. And then she realized that Li Xun was looking at her.


    ¡°You pick the place. My treat.¡±


    You¡¯ve already said that.


    ¡°Then when we get back, you can help me dye my hair.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    That condition hadn¡¯t been in place earlier!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Just read the directions and you¡¯ll get it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never dyed hair before¡­¡± There was no one around her who dyed their hair; he was the first.


    Li Xun finally lost his patience. ¡°You can¡¯t even do that, how can you be a woman?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Does a woman have to know how to dye hair?!


    Zhu Yun really wanted to talk back, but after seeing Boss Li¡¯s expression, she decided against it. To relieve her resentment, she purposefully chose an expensive Japanese restaurant. Without another word, Li Xun yawned and walked inside.


    While they ate, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t help glancing over at Li Xun¡¯s hair.


    ¡°What do you keep looking at? Eat your food.¡±


    Across from her, he took a bite of his sushi roll. With a strange pressure pushing down on her, Zhu Yun ate without tasting a thing, wasting the exquisite food in front of her.


    When they left the restaurant, Zhu Yun watched the direction that Li Xun was walking and asked, ¡°Are you going to Ren Di¡¯s studio?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    ¡°Is Ren Di back too?¡±


    ¡°No. They¡¯ll be back when school starts.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked around.


    Since everyone was on vacation, the atmosphere around campus couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit chilly. She recalled her experience last night in the dorm. The campus was quiet, large and open.


    There was just the two of them. Two dots joined by a line.


    The studio had been emptied out quite a bit, probably because the musicians had taken away their instruments. There was a full-length mirror on the south wall. When Li Xun walked in, he immediately pulled a chair over in front of the mirror. Then he pushed the hair dye he¡¯d just bought into Zhu Yun¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Study this a bit.¡±


    Zhu Yun opened the box and pulled out the instruction pamphlet. The process was simple. After Zhu Yun read the instructions, her confidence doubled.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll start dying¡­¡± If I mess up, don¡¯t blame me. Zhu Yun pulled on a pair of plastic gloves.


    The sky was overcast, and though it was still early, the room was rather dark. Not to the extent that they had to turn on the lights though.


    Zhu Yun thoroughly mixed together the two tubes of dye. Since there was no space to put the container down, she handed the mixed contents to Li Xun. ¡°Hold this for me.¡±


    Li Xun lazily accepted it.


    Things often look easy, but in reality are hard to do.


    It was Zhu Yun¡¯s first time dying hair, and she was indeed not proficient at it. She was worried the hair dye would get something dirty or end up where it shouldn¡¯t be, so she worked very carefully. So carefully that she still hadn¡¯t finished after a long while.


    ¡°Are you still hungry or something?¡±


    Zhu Yun lifted her eyes and happened to catch Li Xun¡¯s gaze head on.


    With his hair was wet, the shape of his face became more distinct.


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re full, why are you so weak?¡±


    Zhu Yun cleared her throat. Then she added a bit of strength. Through the thin layer of plastic, the temperature and feel of his head clearly passed onto her fingertips to her nerves.


    Quiet.


    The open space and the cold, concrete walls made the scene more stark.


    ¡°Get me a smoke,¡± he said quietly.


    Zhu Yun took off her gloves and grabbed the box of cigarettes from his coat. She pulled one out and Li Xun lowered his head and opened his mouth. She looked at his back, his neck, shoulders, over to the collar of his dark shirt. Dark, like a riddle.


    When she put the cigarette into his mouth, she suddenly realized something.


    Fire¡­


    Where there is a cigarette, there must be a source of fire.


    Fire¡­


    My fucking chance!!!


    God has opened his eyes. The question she¡¯d been thinking about all night¡ªhow to skillfully create the same atmosphere as ¡®It¡¯s only right for a princess to have a gown¡¯¡ªfinally had an answer.


    ¡°Light. What are you thinking about?¡± he asked, the cigarette in his mouth.


    Zhu Yun suppressed the sputtering volcano inside of her. ¡°Mmh,¡± she replied quietly, and then grabbed the lighter from her pocket. His expression immediately stiffened. It was indeed an eye-catching lighter. Wrapped in a golden snowflake pattern, it shined brilliantly and looked extremely beautiful.


    With a press of her finger, fire leapt up smoothly. Fortunately, she¡¯d prepared the lighter earlier. It¡¯s lighting mechanism was a bit different from ordinary lighters, and so required a bit of skill.


    He was quiet for a moment. When he turned his head, his expression softened, he narrowed his eyes, and dipped his head to light his cigarette. His wet hair and slender neck looked like a slow-motion shot in a movie. The light reflecting on his face gave off an indescribable sexiness.


    After exhaling a mouth of smoke, he looked at the lighter again. ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s hand trembled a bit. Several responses tumbled around in her head, but in the end she just ended up saying, ¡°If it¡¯s not bad, then I¡¯ll leave it with you.¡±


    Eh? That wasn¡¯t too bad.


    Li Xun lowered his head and his shoulders shook.


    He was laughing¡­


    What was so funny¡­


    At first, Li Xun laughed just a bit, but then, he started laughing loudly, as if he could no longer hold back. He raised his head up and cracked up with laughter. His clear and bright laugh echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls and into her heart.


    Goosebumps covered Zhu Yun¡¯s body. She couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, and she really wanted to find a crack to crawl into.


    Just as Zhu Yun was about to break, Li Xun finally stopped. The continuous laughter had turned his face a bit red. Eyes curved, he said, ¡°Alright, leave it with me. Help me put it away.¡±


    Success. No matter what he says, her plan was a success.


    Zhu Yun turned around and put the lighter into his coat.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ?


    Zhu Yun turned back and looked at Li Xun leaning back in his chair. A smile still on his face, the cigarette hanging from his mouth, he narrowed his eyes and looked down. ¡°Put it away here.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked down and saw that he¡¯d stretched out his right leg.


    A pocket on his black pants.


    Hell¡­


    Fucking hell, I underestimated Top Score Li again!


    Zhu Yun looked at his calm, composed expression. She refused to lose. She walked over and put the lighter into his pants¡¯ pocket.


    He was sitting, and his pants were tight, especially at the thighs. There looked to be something in his pocket. Money, or keys? His legs looked very solid. Although he didn¡¯t have a muscular build, he looked slender and flexible.


    This was Li Xun¡¯s body¡­


    When she recalled that, Zhu Yun¡¯s legs turned to jelly.


    She lowered her head, as if doing something, but actually just trying to hide her face. It was definitely completely red. Definitely.


    Li Xun was very near, and the air was filled with cigarette smoke.


    Zhu Yun finally stuffed the lighter into his pocket, and then she stood up. Their faces touched. Compared to her burning hot face, Li Xun¡¯s face was cold, like a piece of silk. Zhu Yun¡¯s courage had been broken, and Li Xun was still smiling.


    ¡°¡­I need to use the washroom.¡± Zhu Yun didn¡¯t dare look up at the mirror as she mumbled a few words, turning to leave. She headed straight into the washroom, locked the door, and leaned with her back against it.


    She clenched her hands into fists, pressing, pressing. Inside of her, she screamed to the heavens.


    Pull yourself together!


    Fortunately, Zhu Yun had a strong mentality. After a short while, she washed her hands and calmly stepped out of the bathroom.


    With the lighter episode behind them, and Li Xun¡¯s hair-dying completed, after returning to the project base, Zhu Yun was finally able to concentrate on her project.


    After that incident, the two of them acted the same as before, as if nothing had happened between them at all.


    Several days later, Gao Jianhong returned. He happened to see Li Xun¡¯s new lighter and curiously asked, ¡°Ay, what good taste. Where¡¯d you get it? Let me see.¡±


    ¡°Get away.¡± Li Xun put away the lighter. ¡°Hurry up and start working with the princess on the project. We have other things to do, so we need to finish this before school starts.¡±

 CH 30

    Overgrown Grassland


    30. Chapter 30


    School started.


    To Zhu Yun, who¡¯d returned to school half a month earlier, working every day until the moonlight shined through the windows, the start of classes didn¡¯t leave her with any special feelings.


    Maybe class would be more relaxing?


    Since they¡¯d finished the project for the auto parts company, the project base was on a vacation. During class, her phone vibrated. It was a text from the bank, notifying her of a balance change on her payment card.


    Not bad, Boss Li. At least he was never late with payment.


    Zhu Yun raised her head; she sat at the back, so she was able to look around the classroom. Li Xun hadn¡¯t come to class. It¡¯d be his bad luck if the teacher took roll. No one would dare to cover for him. His presence was too obvious, so the entire class might get in trouble.


    After class, someone came to to find Zhu Yun. It was the programming class rep from Class 2. ¡°Teacher Lin wants you to stop by his office.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    What was this about? School just started three days ago, and she hadn¡¯t even had a class with him yet.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s good news,¡± the class rep said. ¡°Teacher Lin looked very happy.¡±


    Not knowing the purpose of her visit, Zhu Yun carried her bag over to the office. Even from afar, she heard Old Lin¡¯s flustered voice. ¡°What am I supposed to say? Why are you so lacking in sense?!¡±


    Zhu Yun stopped. ¡­This was called being happy?


    She slowly walked up to the door and peeked inside the open gap.


    Oh.


    Wasn¡¯t that their great Top Score?


    Old Lin and Li Xun were the only people inside the room. Li Xun had obviously lost all his patience, but since Old Lin was blocking his way, he couldn¡¯t leave. He leaned against the desk and stared at the flower pot on it.


    Zhu Yun knocked lightly.


    The two people inside the room turned their heads. Li Xun reached out and grabbed Zhu Yun inside.


    ¡°Her.¡± Li Xun pushed Zhu Yun in front of Old Lin.


    Zhu Yun wanted control of her body back, but Li Xun grabbed her neck, forcing her still.


    ¡°Have her go.¡±


    Go where? Let go of me.


    Old Lin came to her rescue. ¡°Release her. Don¡¯t take such liberties with others¡¯ bodies.¡±


    Li Xun moved his hand. He straightened up, planning to leave, when Old Lin shut the door. ¡°Wait!¡±


    After a slight struggle, Zhu Yun finally understood what was going on.


    Class 2¡¯s rep was correct. There was good news. The software they¡¯d created for Languan had won the first place award for nationwide technical innovation.


    ¡°Ah, seriously¡­¡± Li Xun looked entirely helpless as he stuffed his hand into his pockets. Zhu Yun immediately knew that he was reaching for a cigarette. She kicked him and he looked at her.


    This is the teacher¡¯s office. Don¡¯t act so arrogantly!


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Li Xun seemed to have received Zhu Yun¡¯s silent message, and he pulled his hand back out.


    ¡°It¡¯s just one event. How much of your time will it really take up?¡± Old Lin pled with Li Xun.


    Li Xun pointed his chin at Zhu Yun. ¡°Tell her to go.¡±


    ¡°You must both go! Gao Jianhong as well. You will form a three member team!¡±


    Zhu Yun was taken aback. Forming a team for what?


    Li Xun turned his body, only to be pushed back by Old Lin.


    ¡°Go to the event and meet some outstanding scholars. Speaking with them will bring you many benefits and no downsides. You can also prepare for the mid-year computer security competition. It¡¯s such a good opportunity, so why aren¡¯t you taking advantage of it?¡±


    Competition? What competition?


    Someone, explain it to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Young Master Li replied, not giving any face.


    Old Lin stared at him blankly. Then he turned to Zhu Yun and complained, ¡°What¡¯s he saying?! What do you think he¡¯s saying?! Do you think you¡¯ll definitely win if you go?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°No¡­.¡±


    Li Xun, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Old Lin¡¯s face had turned completely red. He screamed towards the ceiling, ¡°Li Xun! You rascal, you¡¯re too out of control!¡±


    Zhu Yun quickly brought over some tea, to try and smooth the situation over. ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t be angry. Let¡¯s talk about this slowly.¡±


    Old Lin took the cup and panted as he drank the tea. Li Xun took advantage of this break to step out the room. As he left, he exchanged a glance with Zhu Yun that meant, ¡®You take care of it.¡¯


    When Old Lin put down his tea, he was surprised to see Li Xun had disappeared. His blood pressure soared.


    ¡°He¡¯s infuriating!¡± He stared at Zhu Yin. ¡°I¡¯ve seen many talented students, but this is the first time across all heaven and earth that I¡¯ve met someone like him!¡±


    Zhu Yun stood at the side and quickly replied, ¡°It¡¯s my first time too. He¡¯s really quite hateful!¡±


    Old Lin sighed and then sat down. ¡°Such a good opportunity¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t say anything.


    After Old Lin calmed down, and started again. ¡°Even if we forget about the competition for now, he has to make an appearance at the awards event. Your software was so well made that we¡¯ve already had several medical institutions inquire about it. What kind of contract did you sign with the foods company? Was there any mention on improvement of the core software? Give me a copy of the contract later, and I¡¯ll have someone look over it.¡±


    Zhu Yun was completely taken aback. Wasn¡¯t it just a small piece of software? Had it received such a great welcome?


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too complacent!¡± Old Lin immediately poured cold water on her thoughts. ¡°Zhu Yun, don¡¯t ever learn from that rotten brat. Arrogant, headstrong, and condscending!¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes sir.¡±


    Old Lin frowned and angrily grumbled, ¡°¡­With that temper of his, he¡¯s going to suffer later.¡±


    ¡ª


    Zhu Yun pushed open the door to the project base and walked directly over to Li Xun. She stuck a note onto his laptop, listing the schedule for the awards event.


    The note just happened to cover his compiler, but it didn¡¯t seem to have affected Li Xun one bit. Expressionless, he continued typing.


    He could type without looking. And he could plan without looking. And he could place breakpoints (for debugging) without looking.


    You¡¯re truly a god.


    Zhu Yun admitted defeat. She took the note off and sat down beside him.


    ¡°It¡¯s just one small event. Go get your award. Teacher Lin fought for this.¡± Zhu Yun stressed, ¡°He fought for this for you.¡±


    Li Xun rubbed his eyes, clearly not wanting to say anything more.


    Zhu Yun tried to go at it from another direction. ¡°There¡¯s a prize.¡±


    Li Xun yawned. ¡°Not enough.¡±


    ¡°No matter how small a mosquito is, it¡¯s still meat.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at Gao Jianhong, who replied, ¡°Right. And we just happen to have finished our project, and we haven¡¯t accepted a new one yet. Just treat it like a free vacation.¡±


    Zhu Yun had never tried so earnestly to persuade someone before.


    ¡°Go. Teacher Lin is already angry about it.¡±


    Li Xun lazily shot a glance at Zhu Yun. She silently looked back at him.


    Save us some trouble, won¡¯t you. Teacher Lin helped you so much.


    After a long while, Li Xun finally put out his hand toward Zhu Yun. She put the note in his hand. Li Xun narrowed his eyes as he looked it over, and Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong waited cautiously for his decision.


    Finally, Top Score Li looked up and asked dispirited, ¡°What¡¯s the weather in the capital like now?¡±


    Though he was very much unwilling, Li Xun finally gave in and agreed to go to the event. But he was too relaxed, unconcerned about the itinerary.


    That meant the job of coordinating was left to Zhu Yun. First, she contacted the others¡ªfrom there school, there were eight people total who would be attending the event. Aside from the three of them, there were five older students. There was aso a teacher for a year 3 class who would be accompanying them.


    In order to avoid missing too many classes, their flight was the morning of the event.


    Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong sat together, and Boss Li sat behind them. Gao Jianhong had the window seat, so he glanced at Zhu Yun and asked, ¡°Do you want the window seat? We can switch.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just sit here.¡±


    Because it was still early, after the plane took off, the passengers quickly slipped into sleep mode.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t sleep though, and neither did Gao Jianhong. He stared out the window, and finally Zhu Yun whispered, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Gao Jianhong came back to his senses and replied, ¡°Nothing¡­ You¡¯re not sleeping?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep during the day.¡±


    Gao Jianhong nodded.


    After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, ¡°Zhu Yun, what are your thoughts about the competition?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The mid-year college info security competition. Teacher Lin told you about it, didn¡¯t he? He wants the three of us to enter as a team.¡±


    Uh¡­


    Zhu Yun hesitated as she replied, ¡°Li Xun¡­ It was already difficult to get him to come to this event. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s interested in the competition.¡±


    Gao Jianhong laughed. ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±


    Zhu Yun saw his expression, so she asked, ¡°You want to participate?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. You?¡±


    To be honest, Zhu Yun had no plans for it. Her personality was one that required a bit of prodding. If there was no compelling reason, she wouldn¡¯t participate in these kinds of competitions.


    ¡°It would be beneficial for us,¡± Gao Jianhong said. ¡°If we win an award at the competition, whether we want to study abroad or do postgraduate studies, it will be very helpful.¡±


    Abroad¡­


    Postgraduate¡­


    Zhu Yun fiddled with the seat buckle, getting lost in her thoughts.


    When the plane landed, it wasn¡¯t yet 8 o¡¯clock.


    The event started in the afternoon at a university downtown. Their accommodations were inside the school. When they arrived, the teacher split them up into rooms. ¡°You can rest in your rooms upstairs. We¡¯ll meet up at 12:30.¡±


    Zhu Yun followed one of her seniors up to their room. When they entered the room, the other girl turned on the air conditioning and started going over her program.


    ¡°Your group won first place, right?¡± she asked.


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°Mmh.¡±


    The senior student glanced at her again, but didn¡¯t say any more.


    Zhu Yun looked out the window and saw students walking to and fro on the campus.


    She started wondering what Li Xun was up to.


    Probably having a nap¡­


    A bit past 12, Zhu Yun and her rooommate headed to their meeting place. The event wasn¡¯t small, so there were people giving directions along the way.


    The group was meeting in the lobby of the administrative building. There were posters all around the door, welcoming the guests. Since the event hadn¡¯t officially started yet, many of the school¡¯s students were around, still preparing.


    ¡°Zhu Yun!¡± Gao Jianhong called to her in the crowd. Zhu Yun turned but didn¡¯t see a single sign of the golden head.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°When I left, he just woke up. He said he¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    Their accompanying teacher walked over to Zhu Yun and told her, ¡°Your award is early in the program, so you should sit up front. Make your preparations.¡± The teacher seemed to finally realize¡ª¡±Eh? Where¡¯s Li Xun?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± Zhu Yun didn¡¯t dare to tell the teacher that she¡¯d made several unanswered calls.


    The teacher frowned. ¡°Tell him to hurry up! Send someone over first!¡±


    Outside, in front of a small grove, a teacher stood on top of a stool, shouting instructions. Zhu Yun told Gao Jianhong, ¡°You wait here. I¡¯ll check in first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She waited patiently. After awhile, it was finally their turn. The teacher stretched their neck. ¡°Project group for medical and health function development!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Zhu Yun had a mental lapse.


    Who picked that name. Was this actually the health product recommendation software they made?


    ¡°Team leader, Li Xun!¡± the teacher shouted. ¡°Are you present? Li Xun!¡±


    She tried to raise her hand inside the crowd to grab the teacher¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± The answer came, grandly again.


    Zhu Yun paused. This scene felt very familiar. She turned, and then she couldn¡¯t help covering her mouth. Young Master Li had washed his face and styled his hair messily. He¡¯d changed into a casual suit, unbuttoned, revealing a clean shirt.


    She looked up¡­


    Under the afternoon sun, he¡¯d also donned a pair of sunglasses. His outfit looked fresh and relaxed. He was really treating this like a free vacation.


    As Zhu Yun looked at him, her emotions suddenly grew complicated. She both wanted to straighten up and flaunt, while at the same time, lower her head for fear of shame.


    While everyone¡¯s attentions had been drawn to this blinding character, someone tapped Zhu Yun¡¯s shoulder. She turned and saw the boy behind her give a lively smile.


    ¡°It really is you. I thought I was mistaken. It¡¯s been a long time, Zhu Yun.¡±


    A long time indeed.


    ¡°How have you been?¡±


    I¡¯m fine, but why haven¡¯t you died yet?


    ¡°How¡¯s Teacher Liu (Zhu Yun¡¯s mother)? I haven¡¯t seen her since graduation. If I had the chance to visit¡­ Why are you looking at me like that? Don¡¯t recognize me?¡±


    I recognize you. How could I not. Even if you turned to ashes, I¡¯d still recognize you.


    Her necklace suddenly felt hot¡ªthe cross necklace she often forgot about felt like it weighed 500 kg.


    ¡°Zhu Yun?¡±


    She finally smiled and extended her hand. She and the boy shook hands. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Fang Zhijing.¡±

 CH 31

    Overgrown Grassland


    31. Chapter 31


    The autumn wind was very strong.


    A young Zhu Yun followed her mother to school.


    It was registration day. Zhu Yun didn¡¯t need to take a complicated path; she was very familiar with the place. Her mother was a head teacher for the high school students. Her primary school hadn¡¯t been far away, so she would often wait for her mother to finish work and head home together.


    Her mother led her to the school gate. ¡°Wait here for me. I¡¯m going to greet your head teacher.¡±


    Zhu Yun obediently nodded.


    Her mother was gone for quite awhile. In her boredom, Zhu Yun looked around, and then a figure suddenly appeared in her line of sight. It was a girl, standing by the flower bed in front of the school. Her head was lowered. A few seconds later, as if sensing someone was looking at her, she turned her head.


    Zhu Yun quickly looked away. After a moment, Zhu Yun snuck a glance over to find that the girl had lowered her head again. So Zhu Yun kept looking at her.


    The strong wind had swept away all of Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts.


    Around them, other students walked around. Only she and that girl stood quietly at the front gate. As if killing time, Zhu Yun kept looking over the other girl. Finally, Zhu Yun was caught red-handed. Her heart thumped. She was about to turn away, when the girl waved to her.


    ?


    Zhu Yun looked around, and then pointed to herself. ¡°¡­Me?¡±


    The girl waved again.


    Looks like it was her.


    The girl was a bit taller than Zhu Yun. She was thin with medium length hair. Her skin was very fair and her features delicate¡­ Zhu Yun walked a bit closer and then realized that the girl was wearing makeup.


    Pale face, dark black eyeliner, a slender and bright red flower petal in her mouth. It was the only color on her face. Zhu Yun stopped in her steps. It was her first time seeing a junior high student wearing makeup. It went completely against the teachings she¡¯d grown up with.


    The girl grabbed another bunch of petals from the flower bed and handed them to Zhu Yun. She accepted them carefully in her hands. The girl raised her chin and quietly said, ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    That was the first time Zhu Yun met Liu Xiaoyan.


    They had only been able to exchange names when Zhu Yun¡¯s mother called to her. Her mother¡¯s complexion didn¡¯t look good when she left the building. On their way home, she muttered, ¡°How do they assign teachers? If there¡¯s a chance to change classes¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun hadn¡¯t understood at the time. When she started school, she saw that her head teacher was a language teacher. She was a 30 something female, slightly chubby, and very kind. No matter what the students did wrong, she always spoke softly instead of loudly critcizing.


    Zhu Yun really liked her.


    In class, Zhu Yun met Liu Xiaoyan once again. When they made their self introductions, Liu Xiaoyan spoke very briefly. She finished and the class clapped, and then she returned to her seat. As she passed Zhu Yun¡¯s desk, Liu Xiaoyan glanced down at her.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that girl too cold?¡± the boy behind her asked. Zhu Yun cast a sidelong glance. What was his name¡­ Fang Zhijing?


    ¡°Who¡¯d have guessed her entrance score was so high,¡± Fang Zhijing continued talking to his deskmate.


    That¡¯s right¡­ Zhu Yun had also found it strange. This was the city¡¯s best junior high. Zhu Yun¡¯s class was also a special one, so for Liu Xiaoyan to rank 3rd in the class from the entrance exam, was no small feat.


    In the days following though, Liu Xiaoyan didn¡¯t give off a ¡®good student¡¯ aura at all. She never spoke in class, and she never asked the teacher questions after class. Whereas everyone else bought extra practice books, she would stop studying when she finished her homework.


    There was one class that she was more dedicated to though: English. Liu Xiaoyan was very diligent in English class. Whenever Zhu Yun was on duty for the day and went to clean Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s seat, she always saw the desk covered with English books. Maybe she wanted to go abroad?


    Liu Xiaoyan also had a diary. Whenever she had free time, she would write in it. Then she put it deep inside her desk.


    After the first day of class, Zhu Yun hadn¡¯t spoken to Liu Xiaoyan again. To be honest, no one in the class really spoke to her. Liu Xiaoyan was excessively individualistic. With just that bit of makeup, she became like a completely different species.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s mother caught wind of this unusual student, and she was very unhappy with the fact that Liu Xiaoyan wore makeup to school. Zhu Yun¡¯s mother had asked their teacher to intervene several times, but even to the end, Teacher Wang didn¡¯t try to restrict Liu Xiaoyan much.


    The next time Zhu Yun spoke to Liu Xiaoyan, they were at the flower bed again. It was a free activity period, and Liu Xiaoyan was sitting on the steps, her head stuffed in her diary, writing something or other.


    There was no one else around. Zhu Yun quietly walked up behind Liu Xiaoyan and watched her writing English in her diary. Her skilled cursive handwriting was very pretty. Zhu Yun¡¯s English was also pretty good, but in comparison, she still had a ways to go.


    Just as Zhu Yun finally made out the contents of the writing, Liu Xiaoyan turned around.


    As if on reflex, Zhu Yun grabbed some red flower petals from the flower bed and put them in her mouth. She looked into the distance, towards the sports field, pretending she was just passing by, checking out the festivity.


    Why did this petal feel so tingly? Zhu Yun felt it a bit odd but didn¡¯t dare let it show on her face, lest she look unnatural. Liu Xiaoyan continued to watch her.


    Don¡¯t worry. Calm down. Zhu Yun brainwashed herself: I¡¯m here to eat the scarlet sage.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can eat that,¡± Liu Xiaoyan said.


    ?


    Zhu Yun felt someone beside her, and she cautiously turned to face Liu Xiaoyan. Confused, Zhu Yun asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    A rare expression of awkwardness showed on Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s face. ¡°Hurry and take that out.¡±


    Zhu Yun spit out the flower petals. It would have been better if she hadn¡¯t looked, because when she did, her hair all stood on end. Covering the flower petals were small ants. After being frightened, the ants started scattering away.


    No wonder it felt so strange on her tongue!!!


    Zhu Yun tossed aside the flower petals, her body trembling as she fell to the ground.


    Liu Xiaoyan couldn¡¯t help it as she started laughing from the side. Zhu Yun paused. It was the first time she¡¯d seen Liu Xiaoyan laugh like this. In that moment, she¡¯d even forgotten the ants in her mouth.


    Forget it. If she ate them, she ate them. They were originally food anyway.


    After that day, the girls became friends. It was also then that Zhu Yun found out that Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s diary was filled with passages from the Bible. The text was much too difficult for junior high Zhu Yun to read. After flipping through it numerous times, she still couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Do you believe in this?¡± Zhu Yun asked Liu Xiaoyan.


    ¡°Not exactly.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, why did you copy it down?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe it either. He and I don¡¯t have that kind of relationship.¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t really understand. But there was something that she knew¡ªLiu Xiaoyan didn¡¯t study English because she wanted to go abroad or because she wanted to do well in school. It was for that God, whom she couldn¡¯t exactly say she believed in or not.


    Zhu Yun was extremely intrigued by Liu Xiaoyan. This new girl had completely attracted her¡­ Zhu Yun always sought out Liu Xiaoyan to play. They ate together, studied together, and sat on the stairs eating flowers together.


    The rest of the class seemed to have a misconception about Liu Xiaoyan. They found her arrogant and rude, but Zhu Yun didn¡¯t agree. Liu Xiaoyan was indeed arrogant, but she wasn¡¯t mannerless. In fact, she was very softhearted.


    On one winter day, a blizzard came and school let out early. Everyone left for home, leaving behind only Zhu Yun who waited for her mother to get off work. She was watching the snow fall outside the window when Liu Xiaoyan returned to the classroom. She¡¯d brought back a stick of sugar-coated hawthorn fruit.


    They sat in the classroom together, zoning out. In this wintery cold weather, the sky and ground both looked bleak. Only this candied fruit was a shocking red amidst it all.


    During the heavy blizzard, Liu Xiaoyan told Zhu Yun about herself.


    Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s parents had divorced, and she lived with her (maternal) grandmother. Just before school started, her grandmother fell ill. The illness had come unexpectedly, as if a mountain were to fall. The doctors told her, diplomatically but clearly, that the chance for survival was slim. Later, the hospital no longer allowed her grandmother to stay there, so Liu Xiaoyan brought her home. Every night, her grandmother was tortured with pain, and Liu Xiaoyan didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Occasionally, she would pray to God.


    ¡°Actually, I begged all kinds of deities,¡± Liu Xiaoyan said. ¡°I did all that I could, but He gave me the deepest impression. Maybe it was because the day after I prayed to Him, my grandmother¡¯s condition greatly improved.¡±


    ¡°So you started to believe in Him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I believed.¡± She stressed, ¡°When I prayed to Him, I asked Him to help my grandmother. I promised that if He did, I would stay with Him forever. Since He did it, I had to keep my end of the deal.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Zhu Yun mumbled. ¡°Rather than believing, you¡¯re returning a favor. Right? My (maternal) grandma believes in Buddha, and she often lights incense to redeem her vows.¡±


    Liu Xiaoyan thought for a moment, and then she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s something like that.¡±


    The sun had set when her mother came to pick her up. On the way home, her mother urged her for the 200th time to stay away from Liu Xiaoyan. Zhu Yun was recalling the taste of the hawthorn fruit as she gave a halfhearted reply.


    ¡°Acting so unorthodox at such a young age, believing in such nonsense¡­¡± her mother grumbled. ¡°And that teacher of yours, Zhu Yun, aside from what she says in class, don¡¯t listen to that nonsense she has to say.¡±


    Zhu Yun was startled. It was true that Teacher Wang would share warm and meaningful words with the class when they had a break. But that was just like small talk. She didn¡¯t understand why her mother would specifically bring it up.


    Later on, as the class¡¯ studies grew more intensive, the students¡¯ English comprehension also increased decently. And because Liu Xiaoyan didn¡¯t try to hide it, everyone gradually came to know Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s story.


    She was too different from everyone else. Her only friend was Zhu Yun.


    Fortunately, their head teacher, Teacher Wang was very open-minded. Zhu Yun knew that Teacher Wang often spoke up for Liu Xiaoyan. Though some other teachers and parents remained disgruntled, Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s scores hadn¡¯t fallen, and she was instead one of the top students. So the principal just continued on his way, one eye open and the other eye closed.


    On Christmas, Zhu Yun skipped class. It was a very meaningful thing for her; it was the first time in her life after all.


    Liu Xiaoyan took Zhu Yun shopping, and the whole time, Zhu Yun had been scared witless and yet exhilarated. While they sat in the square eating roasted sweet potatoes, Zhu Yun nervously brought out the present she¡¯d prepared for Liu Xiaoyan.


    ¡°Today¡¯s very important, right?¡± Zhu Yun asked quietly. ¡°I looked up some information.¡±


    Liu Xiaoyan didn¡¯t speak as she opened the present.


    Zhu Yun spoke nervously, ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll like it. It wasn¡¯t very expensive.¡± She hadn¡¯t had ample reason to ask her parents for money, so she could only save up a week of allowance to buy the present.


    Liu Xiaoyan turned around and lifted up her hair. ¡°Help me put it on.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s fingers shook as she helped put on the necklace. It wasn¡¯t even that cold out. Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s neck was very pale and pretty.


    ¡°It¡¯s done¡­¡± Zhu Yun whispered.


    Liu Xiaoyan turned back around and gave Zhu Yun a kiss on the cheek. Zhu Yun didn¡¯t dare to move. Liu Xiaoyan laughed and said, ¡°I like it a lot. Thank you.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s spirits rose. While they chatted, Zhu Yun said, ¡°It¡¯s almost the end of the semester.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡± Liu Xiaoyan didn¡¯t sound very interested.


    ¡°Let¡¯s work hard to shut them all up.¡±


    Liu Xiaoyan turned to her. ¡°Shut who up?¡±


    ¡°The kids who sit behind me.¡±


    Fang Zhijing and his boys were always gossipping about Liu Xiaoyan.


    ¡°They¡¯re always talking about you. Don¡¯t you get angry?¡±


    ¡°Angry about what? He says that everyone has original sin.¡± Liu Xiaoyan hooked a finger around the cross necklace that Zhu Yun had given her. Without much care, she said, ¡°If they want to make me angry, they have to have the ability first. Would you believe me if I said that Fang Zhijing won¡¯t be able to beat me in a single exam for this semester¡¯s finals?¡±


    Zhu Yun smiled at her.


    Liu Xiaoyan slid over and asked, ¡°What, you don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head. ¡°I believe you.¡±


    She liked looking at Liu Xiaoyan. Pretty and proud, like a peacock.


    You will beat them¡­


    Zhu Yun told her this, silently.


    Later on, they did indeed beat the boys on the final exams. And then, the next semester, the girls beat them again¡­ If not for that incident, the girls probably would have beat them on all the final exams after that as well.


    The autumn of their second year of junior high (grade 8), a horrifying and shocking terrorist attack, that shook the entire world, occurred across the ocean. All the media reported about it, day and night, nonstop, and the entire world became shrouded in ominous clouds.


    As a junior high student, Zhu Yun hadn¡¯t payed much attention to the news. It was all too distant from herself. Compared to her, Liu Xiaoyan was much more interested in the unfolding events. Through the news, Zhu Yun had learned that this horrifying terror attack was related to religious beliefs. During those few days, Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s words grew shorter.


    What Zhu Yun had failed to notice was that, aside from Liu Xiaoyan, there was another person in their class who¡¯d grown quiet.


    Zhu Yun remembered clearly that it had been a Thursday. Liu Xiaoyan hadn¡¯t shown up to that afternoon¡¯s physical education class, so Fang Zhijing, as the PE class representative, went back to the classroom to get her. Liu Xiaoyan hadn¡¯t noticed his calls, and then the two got into an altercation. Later that evening, after dinner, Liu Xiaoyan had returned to the classroom to find that someone had gone through her desk. And inside, there was a dark pile of something.


    Liu Xiaoyan pulled it out and unwrapped it with shaking hands. It was a black robe, and inside was her notebook, all torn up. She looked over at Fang Zhijing, who looked back at her.


    ¡°Since you like God so much, you should die with them. You¡¯ll be able to see Him when you¡¯re dead.¡±


    At the time, Zhu Yun¡¯s mother had called her in to the teacher¡¯s office to go over her exam. When she returned, Liu Xiaoyan had already made her move.


    The students in the classroom had all cleared a space to watch the fight. No one wanted to get involved, and no one wanted to help. Liu Xiaoyan had always been a bit cold and proud, and there were many students who hated her.


    It was the first time she¡¯d gotten this angry. She grabbed her English dictionary from her desk and started violently smacking Fang Zhijing¡¯s head. But Liu Xiaoyan was a girl, and her strength couldn¡¯t beat Fang Zhijing¡¯s. He pressed her against the desk and used the black robe to cover her face.


    At the same time, Zhu Yun was following Teacher Wang back to the classroom. Her face looked exhausted. But then, the moment that she stepped into the classroom and saw the scene before her, she ran forward to stop it. She pulled the kids apart, and after seeing how Fang Zhijing had beaten Liu Xiaoyan, how he¡¯d wrapped the robe around her face, the warm and gentle Teacher Wang suddenly fell apart. She slapped Fang Zhijing and shouted, ¡°Are you crazy?! Have you gone insane?!¡±


    Their classes were put on hold, and the people involved were called into the principal¡¯s office. Everyone else sat in the classroom, chatting excitedly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you all know? Teacher Wang believes in that too.¡±


    ¡°She believes in what the hijackers believe, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The two of them are from rival groups.¡±


    ¡°This is so interesting!¡±


    ¡°How did you find that out?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you watched TV?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t speak a word. She looked at Liu Xiaoyan¡¯s empty seat. What was that on the ground? Zhu Yun walked over and saw the necklace she¡¯d sent her.


    Perhaps it had fallen off in their fight. Zhu Yun picked it up, wanting to help Liu Xiaoyan put it back on later. But Liu Xiaoyan didn¡¯t come back.


    She never returned to class after that. Zhu Yun heard from her mother that she¡¯d transferred schools. At the same time, Teacher Wang stopped being their head teacher. Instead, a very strict male teacher led their class from then on.


    Zhu Yun never looked for Liu Xiaoyan. The evening of the incident, on her way home from school, she saw Fang Zhijing returning a black plastic bag to her mother.


    The young and ignorant Zhu Yun still had many things she didn¡¯t quite understand. She just had a faint feeling¡ªFor the rest of her life, she would never again see that girl who had once eaten scarlet sage with her.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Zhu Yun was called back by a shout.


    She turned and saw an impatient looking Top Score Li. He was holding the certificate he¡¯d just received.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? You didn¡¯t even hear when I was talking to you.¡±


    She turned back forward to see that Fang Zhijing had also received his award already. He didn¡¯t return though, and was instead enthusiastically chatting with the organizers of the event.


    Li Xun leaned against his chair, and casually said, ¡°We¡¯re finally done. After we pack our things later, I¡¯ll take you somewhere fun.¡±


    Zhu Yun seemed not to have heard, and his words slipped past her. Instead, Zhu Yun pushed past Li Xun and grabbed Gao Jianhong. ¡°Are you participating?¡±


    Gao Jianhong didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The competition.¡± Zhu Yun looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that you wanted to participate in the competition. Do you still want to?¡±


    Gao Jianhong finally understood. ¡°Yeah, but didn¡¯t you say¡ª¡±


    ¡°I changed my mind.¡± Zhu Yun grabbed tightly to his arm. ¡°Let¡¯s work together. We¡¯ll work on it this semester, okay?¡±


    Gao Jianhong¡¯s eyes slowly lit up. ¡°Sounds good!¡±


    Leaning against his chair, the bored Top Score Li finally seemed to react. Expressionless as Zhu Yun leaned over his legs, he asked ominously, ¡°What did you say?¡±

 CH 32

    Overgrown Grassland


    32. Chapter 32


    Li Xun expressed great discontent at hearing that Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong wanted to participate in the competition.


    The way Gao Jianhong explained it, Li Xun had originally wanted to use this trip as an opportunity to take him and Zhu Yun out and around. At first, he hadn¡¯t been interested in the event at all. Then he decided to take it as a chance for a vacation and also to reward his staff. But now¡­


    In the cafeteria¡ª


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Gao Jianhong replied, ¡°Out.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°Out where?¡±


    Gao Jianhong, ¡°He left right after the event, probably out having fun.¡±


    Zhu Yun curled her lips and sat down next to Gao Jianhong with her meal tray.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly change your mind?¡± Gao Jianhong asked.


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°Nothing really. I just want to participate.¡±


    Gao Jianhong said, ¡°Since we¡¯re going to participate, we should do a good job and win. When we get back, we can talk to Teacher Lin about the specifics. But we still need a third member.¡±


    ¡°We need another member¡­¡± Zhu Yun¡¯s mind wandered a bit. She inadvertently looked up and met Gao Jianhong¡¯s eyes. The two both saw what the other was thinking¡ªAnother member? Why not Top Score? Hits every target without a miss; he¡¯d make this a sure thing.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be too hard,¡± Gao Jianhong spoke up first. ¡°I asked him when we were in our room, but he didn¡¯t have a single grain of interest. I think he¡¯s pretty set against it. And since we suddenly decided to participate, that messes up his plans for the project base.¡±


    Zhu Yun expressed her agreement. For as long as they¡¯ve known each other, Zhu Yun had never seen anyone who could convince Li Xun to do something he didn¡¯t want to. On the other hand, Li Xun had a very high success rate convincing others.


    ¡°You should go ask him.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhu Yun raised her head, and Gao Jianhong added, ¡°You should try talking to him about it. I think we might have a sliver of hope that way.¡±


    Zhu Yun replied with a chuckle and said, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too highly of me.¡±


    Gao Jianhong persisted, ¡°Try it out. Unless you have a better candidate in mind?¡±


    After we ate, we returned to our rooms. The sky was already getting dark, but Li Xun hadn¡¯t returned yet. Zhu Yun lied in bed, thinking. Then she texted Li Xun: Where are you?


    There was no reply.


    Zhu Yun called him, and after a few rings, a girl answered the phone. Music blared on the other end, and it was obvious that he was out someplace. Zhu Yun shouted a few things, unsure if she was being heard. Finally, she took a deep breath and shouted loudly, ¡°Hello?! Can you hear me?! Is Li Xun there?! Tall guy with blond hair!!¡±


    She¡¯d startled the senior she was rooming with, and she quickly turned to apologize.


    There was a bit of static on the phone, like the sound of a door closing. And then there was silence.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Zhu Yun was take by surprise at the crisp, clear voice on the other end. She¡¯d thought he¡¯d have been dead drunk already.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Her woman¡¯s intuition told her that if she gave the real reason she was calling right now, he would resolutely refuse. ¡°¡­Um, the teacher told me to call you and tell you not to stay out too late. We still have things to do in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    He hung up. Zhu Yun narrowed her eyes as her thoughts took off¡­ How could she persuade Li Xun to get into the water with them?


    In the middle of the night, her phone vibrated. Gao Jianhong had texted to let her know that Li Xun had returned: I¡¯ll go over to a senior¡¯s room for a bit. Go convince him.


    Zhu Yun put down her phone and went into the bathroom. She stretched a bit, and after a five minute warmup, she retrieved her equipment and headed out.


    Li Xun was staying in the floor above. The building was filled with students participating in the events today, so even in the middle of the night, there were sounds of indistinct conversations.


    Computer department, a lively night owl production camp.


    Zhu Yun arrived at Li Xun¡¯s door. She took a deep breath and knocked.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Li Xun, it¡¯s me.¡±


    A few seconds later, Li Xun opened the door. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun lifted up something. ¡°Did you drink a lot? I brought some yogurt.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t drink.¡±


    Stay calm.


    Zhu Yun changed tactics. ¡°Do you want to go for a midnight snack? The cafeteria must have something delicious.¡±


    ¡°I already ate.¡±


    That¡¯s okay.


    Zhu Yun pulled out a plastic bag from her bag. ¡°Did you bring enough clean clothes?¡±


    Li Xun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After some silence, Li Xun waggled his finger. ¡°Bring the bag here.¡±


    Zhu Yun obediently handed the bag over. Just as she was about to speak, Li Xun cut her off. ¡°Alright, you can go back and sleep.¡±


    Boom! The door closed.


    Zhu Yun wanted to cry but had no tears. She¡¯d just bought that bag. This must be the kind of situation the ancients described as ¡®gave away a bride, and lost an army on top of it.¡¯ (t/n: to suffer double loss after trying to trick the enemy)


    The next day, the teachers rounded up for a meeting. The host school¡¯s students were also holding an important networking event in the afternoon. Unless something came up, Li Xun wouldn¡¯t be attending.


    The social event organizer was a third year student. The preparations were well done. They¡¯d set up a special directory on the computers in the multimedia lab, with all the winning projects for everyone to peruse and discuss together.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t check anyone else¡¯s, except for Fang Zhijing¡¯s. He¡¯d worked on a screen capture and playback software. The source code wasn¡¯t available, so she had to make an educated guess on the quality of the code based on the sophistication and fluidity of the program.


    It went without saying that there was quite a gap between first and second place¡­ A peaceful feeling passed over Zhu Yun.


    She really wanted to widen this gap in a formal competition.


    Li Xun ah, Li Xun¡­


    Zhu Yun started cooking up plans again.


    After a short while, someone pat Zhu Yun from the back. She turned around to see a pretty girl. Her smile was sweet as she greeted Zhu Yun, ¡°Hi, how are you.¡±


    Who are you?


    Li Xun politely replied, ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Xu Lina. I go to this school.¡± The girl was very cheerful. ¡°I saw your project, and it¡¯s really amazing. No wonder you guys won first place. It was so complete.¡±


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    Xu Lina moved closer and Zhu Yun smelled a light, fruity fragrance.


    ¡°I¡¯m a first year too,¡± she said. ¡°There aren¡¯t many first years here, just the few of us. Like a rare species.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there aren¡¯t many.¡±


    Their exchange went on for awhile, and when it ended, Xu Lina offered an invitation to Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong. ¡°Since you guys are leaving tomorrow, we should have some fun together before then.¡±


    Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong exchanged glances. Just then, the organizer, Guan Rong came over. ¡°Come join us in the fun.¡±


    Zhu Yun had thought that they¡¯d invite all the students out, but they¡¯d only invited some ten or twenty. All those invited had done pretty well in the competition. After a simple meal, the group went out to karaoke.


    Guan Rong had reserved a large room. Xu Lina told Zhu Yun that their advisor had payed for it. His beloved students had to make friends with impressive people for there to be a chance for innovation.


    ¡°How magnanimous,¡± Gao Jianhong told Zhu Yun with a laugh. Zhu Yun also laughed and replied, ¡°Our guy¡¯s pretty magnanimous too.¡±


    His temper¡¯s just a bit rotten.


    Gao Jianhong grabbed two beers. The room was filled with people, mostly boys, and everyone was pretty friendly. After people had some drinks, the place livened up a bit, but the atmosphere was very relaxed.


    Zhu Yun¡¯s alcohol tolerance wasn¡¯t that great, so Xu Lina specially ordered two cocktails. They were a light color and not too strong. And so, Zhu Yun got careless. She was thirsty so she drank both glasses in a row. And then she started to feel dizzy.


    The people around her were boasting about Fang Zhijing, and Zhu Yun¡¯s mouth dropped open to her chin.


    Zu Lina stayed beside Zhu Yun and she whispered, ¡°Fang Zhijing¡¯s also a first year. Their project was pretty good, but I think yours was better.¡±


    I guess you have good eyesight.


    Xu Lina said, ¡°Guan Rong and them demolished your program. Your code was really clean, and the logic was really clear. Your main programmer is just too strong.¡±


    Zhu Yun really wanted to laugh, but she also felt that laughing right now would be too immodest. She couldn¡¯t act like Li Xun.


    How should she respond so that it sounded modest but didn¡¯t sound fake¡­ Zhu Yun¡¯s mind was in a mess, and in the end, she simply replied with two words¡ª


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Gao Jianhong had a great laugh.


    Xu Lina continued, ¡°But he doesn¡¯t seem to have the best personality. I greeted him on the day we distributed the awards, but he doesn¡¯t really seem to look at you when you speak.¡±


    Zhu Yun pointed to herself, and then pointed to Gao Jianhong at her side, an experienced expression on her face. ¡°If we¡¯re talking about him looking down on people, the two of us have the most experience. We¡¯re seniors in that topic.¡±


    Gao Jianhong laughed and drank some more. Zhu Yun said, ¡°But when I think about it, we¡¯re pretty amazing too.¡±


    Xu Lina asked, ¡°Really?¡±


    Zhu Yun answered, ¡°Because not only were we able to program, we even matched his rhythm.¡±


    Xu Lina excitedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s his rhythm?¡±


    Zhu Yun raised a single finger¡ª


    ¡°I am the boss.¡±


    Gao Jianhong laughed so hard that he started shaking. After a moment, he coughed twice and sat up straight. Xu Lina also stifled her laughter and pressed her lips together as she looked at Zhu Yun.


    Only Zhu Yun continued spewing words as if no one else were present. ¡°You know? In our group, he¡¯s known as Emperor Flying Fingers.¡±


    In the end, Gao Jianhong couldn¡¯t help himself. A mouthful of beer splashed out from his mouth.


    Zhu Yun was going to continue speaking, when suddenly the back of her neck tightened and she was dragged up.


    Gao Jianhong spoke up, ¡°Hey, be careful.¡±


    Xu Lina looked at the person behind Zhu Yun. ¡°Why are you only coming now? We contacted you awhile ago. Sit! Do you want to eat anything?¡±


    Li Xun didn¡¯t pay any heed to the others. Without saying a single word, he dragged Zhu Yun out of the room.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Xu Lina was about to follow them when Gao Jianhong stopped her. He told her, ¡°Our boss is admonishing a subordinate. Just wait.¡±


    In the corridor¡ª


    Zhu Yun was pushed against a wall, her back to the cold surface. Through the colorful lights in the hall, she saw Li Xun¡¯s unhappy face.


    ¡°You really do go crazy after a single drink¡­¡± Li Xun was chewing gum and he spoke quietly.


    Zhu Yun looked directly at him.


    ¡°Li Xun.¡±


    Li Xun frowned.


    Zhu Yun whispered, ¡°Join the competition with us.¡±


    Li Xun remained silent.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a piece of cake for you.¡± Zhu Yun rubbed two fingers together. ¡°You just need to concentrate a little bit, and then you can win the contest and line your pockets, easy as pie.¡±


    Li Xun asked, ¡°Why should I waste time on something that¡¯s a piece of cake?¡±


    Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t think of a reason. So she changed tactics.


    ¡°You know, the people in that room look down on you. And¡ª¡±


    ¡°Zhu Yun,¡± Li Xun cut her off. ¡°Am I crazy?¡±


    ¡°On what front?¡± When Li Xun¡¯s face remained serious, Zhu Yun quickly said, ¡°No, not crazy.¡±


    Maybe because he felt it was pointless trying to talk to a drunk person, but Li Xun moved to leave. Reflexively, Zhu Yun extended her hand to block him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t (you) leave¡ª!¡±


    Li Xun¡¯s jacket was unbuttoned, and he wore a cotton T-shirt inside. Before he had the chance to turn around, Zhu Yun grabbed onto the collar of his shirt.


    Since she was drunk, she moved rather carelessly. She pulled on Li Xun¡¯s collar and stretched it out, turning a fashion item into an old shirt.


    Li Xun shouted angrily, ¡°Let go!¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t care about anything else. She responded loudly, ¡°Join the competition with us!¡±


    Everyone passing in the hallways looked over at them. Li Xun cursed under his breath, wanting to pull away. And then, a drunken and unsteady Zhu Yun slipped and fell flat on her face.


    But still, she didn¡¯t let go. And so, everyone heard a ripping sound. Rather than an old shirt, half of Li Xun¡¯s chest was now exposed.


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Li Xun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Everyone else, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun fell into the wall.


    Although Li Xun¡¯s complexion was never exactly white, it had never gotten this dark before.


    ¡°Zhu Yun.¡± Li Xun was very, very close to her, so close that she could even hear his teeth grinding. ¡°If you were a guy, I¡¯d have already hit you.¡±


    Zhu Yun knew that she was in the wrong, so she didn¡¯t dare talk back.


    Li Xun looked at her staying silent with a lowered head. After a few seconds, he quietly asked, ¡°Why do you want to win the competition? You don¡¯t seem like the kind to be interested in this kind of thing.¡±


    Zhu Yun remained silent.


    Li Xun waited and when she still didn¡¯t reply, he turned to leave.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Just then Gao Jianhong walked out from the room. From behind Li Xun, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it together.¡±


    Li Xun didn¡¯t turn around. He gave the simplest and clearest answer, ¡°No.¡±

 CH 33

    Overgrown Grassland


    33. Chapter 33


    Getting Li Xun to join their team seemed to have ended in failure.


    It wasn¡¯t really unexpected. Zhu Yun had already said that she¡¯d never seen anyone convince Li Xun, whereas Li Xun was a master.


    But¡­ It still felt really bad.


    Zhu Yun held back a fire within her, though she knew that she couldn¡¯t blame Li Xun. He never tried to hide who he was. From the first day of school, when he introduced himself, everyone knew about the kind of person he was.


    And yet¡­ Zhu Yun didn¡¯t know why she was wasting her efforts on this issue, but she couldn¡¯t rid herself of the resentment. She buried her head in her pillow and banged her head a couple of times.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Fang Shumiao turned around to ask. She looked at Zhu Yun with concern. ¡°Ever since you came back from the capital, you seem possessed. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Zhu Yun climbed out of bed and changed to go out.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Zhu Yun responded weakly, ¡± I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Saturday. Aren¡¯t you going to the project base? Strange.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    If she went there, she¡¯d just sit around and do nothing. Gao Jianhong was meeting with Old Lin, and Li Xun wouldn¡¯t have any work to give her. Life suddenly felt so empty and meaningless.


    Zhu Yun %regretfully headed out. Just as she walked out the door, she ran into someone. Ren Di. The weather was getting hotter each day, so Ren Di had started wearing T-shirts. Zhu Yun looked at her arm.


    ¡°You got a tattoo?¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡± Ren Di showed her the tattoo. ¡°Does it look nice?¡±


    A hornet.


    Zhu Yun nodded. ¡°It looks nice.¡±


    Ren Di had her guitar on her back; she must have just returned from her studio. Seeing Zhu Yun looking a bit out of it, she said, ¡°What are you so preoccupied with?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. What are you doing back here?¡±


    ¡°I came to get some clothes.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded. Just as she was about to leave, Ren Di stopped her. ¡°Hey, wait for me. Let¡¯s go get something to drink.¡±


    The view from the library rooftop was beautiful.


    ¡°When you said get a drink, you meant milk tea?¡± Zhu Yun didn¡¯t have anything to say.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ren Di poked a hole in one cup and handed it to Zhu Yun. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare let you drink alcohol.¡±


    ?


    Ren Di probed curiously, ¡°I heard from Li Xun that you¡¯re a crazy drunk.¡±


    At the mention of Li Xun, the fire inside Zhu Yun started burning again. Her breathing grew rapid, and bubbles filled her milk tea.


    Finally, Ren Di chuckled. ¡°What, you finally can¡¯t stand him now?¡±


    Zhu Yun narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you¡¯re rejoicing in someone else¡¯s misfortune?¡±


    Ren Di gave a big laugh, and slapped Zhu Yun¡¯s shoulder. Zhu Yun choked on her milk tea and started coughing as she gasped for breath.


    ¡°Watch it!¡± Zhu Yun¡¯s face had gone completely red as Ren Di had an arm around her shoulder, shaking from laughter. Somewhat apologetic, she asked, ¡°Come on then, tell me. What is it?¡±


    Without feeling bashful, Zhu Yun told Ren Di about the matter of the competition. When she finished, Ren Di nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s normal?¡±


    ¡°He wants to make money.¡±


    ¡°The competition won¡¯t take up too much of his time.¡±


    ¡°He has his own plans.¡± Ren Di comforted her, ¡°Let me tell you. We once asked him for help with a music remix program, but even after a month, he didn¡¯t have time. In the end, we payed him and gave him some business.¡±


    Zhu Yun bit her straw and muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone as money-loving as him.¡±


    After a moment, Ren Di said, ¡°It seems like he¡¯s saving up money.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still a student? Why¡¯s he in such a rush to save money?¡±


    ¡°He must want to start his own company. He¡¯s the kind of person who doesn¡¯t trust others, so he probably won¡¯t accept investments easily. He¡¯ll want to save his own money. Moreover¡­¡± As she spoke, Ren Di grew quiet. ¡°Once, he went to a concert, and he was in a bad mood. After he drank a lot, he let slip that he has a debt to pay.¡±


    Zhu Yun nearly bit her tongue. ¡°What?!¡±


    She could understand wanting to start his own company, but what was this about paying a debt?!


    ¡°Hey, be quiet!¡± Ren Di glared at her. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure either. He just mentioned it casually.¡±


    Zhu Yun had truly been surprised.


    A debt. To who?


    Thinking of the high and mighty Li Xun, Zhu Yun suddenly felt dizzy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come up with any weird ideas either. It probably isn¡¯t anything major. He knows what he¡¯s doing.¡± Ren Di also reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t let any of this get out, or else Li Xun¡¯s going to kill me.¡±


    Zhu Yun raised a hand and swore, ¡°I won¡¯t say anything even when I¡¯m dead!¡±


    In the afternoon, Zhu Yun obediently headed over to the project base. Since there was nothing to do, she would read.


    The room was quiet. The sound of the wind blowing the bamboo trees echoed.


    Gao Jianhong hadn¡¯t returned from speaking with Old Lin yet. Sitting in her seat, Zhu Yun snuck a glance at the golden haired demon, curled up in his chair, writing code.


    This guy seriously wasn¡¯t a naive kid. Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts were running wild. Li Xun was an audacious fellow, but had upright ideas. Who knows how far he may have taken things?


    But¡­ Zhu Yun¡¯s thoughts suddenly took a turn. She¡¯d worked with Li Xun for quite awhile, and altough he was bossy and domineering, he was also very dependable. He took care of things calmly, and Zhu Yun could only concede defeat in the end.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Zhu Yun trembled and quickly recovered.


    Li Xun impatiently pointed at the desk. ¡°What are you thinking about now?¡± Zhu Yun shook her head, and Li Xun pointed at a cup. ¡°Water.¡±


    Zhu Yun passed the cup to him.


    Shortly after, Gao Jianhong returned and discussed the outcome with Zhu Yun. ¡°Teacher Lin gave us a few options. A vulnerability scanner, malicious activity detecter, or the school has a firewall designing¡ª¡±


    Zhu Yun nudged Gao Jianhong¡¯s arm, cutting him off. She quietly asked Li Xun, ¡°Is our discussion disturbing you?¡±


    Since we¡¯re at the same table, we shouldn¡¯t disturb your productivity.


    Master Li didn¡¯t even look up as he generously replied, ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked Gao Jianhong, ¡°Did you find anyone to fill the team?¡±


    Gao Jianhong replied, ¡°No. Do you have any suggestions?¡±


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°I do have someone in mind.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Zhu Yun glanced behind him. He turned around and then asked, ¡°Wu Mengxing?¡±


    Master Golden Hair sneered from beside them.


    Zhu Yun, ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    She did her best to ignore him, and instead said to Gao Jianhong, ¡°Yeah. His foundation is very solid. And since he was able to remain here so long, his perseverance is also first class.¡±


    As she spoke, Li Xun glanced at her.


    Gao Jianhong replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go ask him.¡±


    Zhu Yun grabbed onto his arm. ¡°No need to rush. We¡¯ll ask him when we get everything else sorted.¡±


    Gao Jianhong, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong¡¯s discussion went pretty smoothly. They decided to just pick a topic and try working on it. Old Lin had told them not to feel too rushed, since there was plenty of time anyway.


    The days to follow were especially busy. Of course, they¡¯d been busy when they were working on the projects that Li Xun procured, but these were two different situations.


    How did that famous line go?


    Only when you¡¯ve lost something do you realize how important it was.


    Only when you no longer have Top Score Li do you realize how fucking useful he was.


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡± Zhu Yun sighed as she lied on the small balcony of their room, smoking and admiring the view.


    Her mother¡¯s call came. ¡°Zhu Yun, how have you been recently?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Guess who contacted me today.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Fang Zhijing. You remember him, don¡¯t you? He said that he hasn¡¯t seen me in a long time, and he also mentioned that the two of you would be attending some kind of computer security competition together. We haven¡¯t spoken much since he graduated, but he¡¯s still so polite.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He¡¯s just trying to take any opportunity to get close to you.


    ¡°I asked your cousin, and he said that attending these kinds of competitions will be helpful for studying abroad. Make sure to work hard. Fang Zhijing even told me that he wanted to beat you.¡±


    Resting with her chin in hand, Zhu Yun lazily replied, ¡°He should have the ability first.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, look at yourself. You leared a few things and now you¡¯re showing off.¡± Her mother seemed to be in a good mood. After chatting a bit more, she told Zhu Yun to watch out for her health, and then she hung up.


    Zhu Yun put away her phone and turned around.


    ¡°He needs to have the skills first¡­¡±


    She blew out a mouth of smoke that disappeared into the air. Zhu Yun stretched and looked up toward the sky. ¡°Right, Xiaoyan?¡±


    After putting out her cigarette, Zhu Yun was about to head back inside, when something caught her attention. She returned to the railing and looked down at a certain street.


    Who else could that dazzling, golden head belong to but Li Xun?


    He was on the small road by the woods, with a woman.


    A new girlfriend?


    Zhu Yun yawned.


    Zhu Yun rolled her eyes, turned, and quietly headed inside.


    From the balcony to Zhu Yun¡¯s dorm room was about 15 meters. Zhu walked for the first five, and then ran for the second ten.


    She pushed open the room door, stormed in, and grabbed Fang Shumiao by the shoulders. ¡°Do you have binoculars?¡±


    Fang Shumiao looked at her blankly. ¡°What? Binoculars? For what?¡±


    ¡°¡­To look at the stars.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Fang Shumiao pat Zhu Yun. ¡°Go shower and calm down.¡±


    Zhu Yun sighed. She knew that most people wouldn¡¯t have such equipment. She went to sit down, but before her bottom even touched her chair, she suddenly thought of something and ran out.


    Fang Shumiao shouted from behind, ¡°Zhu Yun, what¡¯s going on with you lately?!¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what was going on with her either.


    When she returned to the balcony, Li Xun was still standing in the same spot. She opened up her phone camera and zoomed in as much as she could. Though the image was blurry, it was still better than looking with the naked eye.


    There really was a woman. But, wasn¡¯t she a bit¡­


    Zhu Yun had seen the girls that Li Xun dated, for example Liu Sisi and Juliet. Not a single one wasn¡¯t a bright, stunning beauty. But the woman she saw on her phone¡­ Though her features weren¡¯t clear, Zhu Yun could still make out her clothes. There was one word to describe her appearance: unsophisticated. Incomparably unsophisticated. And her stooped posture completely lacked character.


    His tastes changed a bit too quickly, no?


    Li Xun had his hands on his waist, his face turned to the side.


    Zhu Yun was very familiar with this posture. It meant he¡¯d already used up all his patience. When this stance came out, it meant Li Xun was about to chase the other person away.


    But, even though his patience was gone, he still hadn¡¯t left.


    The woman was speaking to him, though he offered no responses. While Zhu Yun was thinking how strange it was, Li Xun finally turned to go. The woman grabbed onto him, but he pulled away. His actions weren¡¯t gentle. And that woman didn¡¯t try to stop him again.


    Zhu Yun remained on the balcony until her phone ran out of battery. She hadn¡¯t discovered anything either. Then the woman left too.


    Zhu Yun curled her lips.


    What was going on here.

 CH 34

    The next day, there was a meeting at the project base.


    Gao Jianhong spoke awhile, and then he noticed that Zhu Yun seemed a bit absent-minded. ¡°What is it? Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhu Yun came back to her senses and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± She turned to the side and asked, ¡°Where did Li Xun go today?¡±


    Gao Jianhong replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. He called me in the morning and said he¡¯d be busy today, and that I¡¯d be in charge here for the day.¡±


    Busy? Did it have to do with that woman from yesterday?


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t want to be distracted, but she couldn¡¯t help herself from thinking about it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± Gao Jianhong beckoned to Zhu Yun with a hand.


    Li Xun skipped all his classes that day. After class, Zhu Yun headed to the project base to discover that Li Xun had already returned. As usual, he was curled up in his chair, writing code. Everything seemed normal.


    Zhu Yun sat down and casually asked, ¡°Where were you today?¡±


    Li Xun answered, ¡°I went for a walk downtown.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked, ¡°Downtown? Why did you go there?¡±


    Li Xun glanced at Zhu Yun and mocked, ¡°What, now that the princess¡¯ competition project is all set, she has time to be nosy now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Who cares about studying you, Top Score Debtor.


    Zhu Yun inwardly scoffed, and then she turned back to her work. She happened to notice a bag beside Li Xun¡¯s legs; it looked to be from the stadium downtown¡­


    That evening, Gao Jianhong invited Zhu Yun to have dinner. On the way, they thought about the details for their competition project. ¡°Malicious program analysis has been done many times before. Should we try something new?¡±


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°Sure, but there are only a few directions you can take with this security competition. Maybe we can do something with the hardware¡ª¡± She suddenly paused and Gao Jianhong asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun looked toward the school gate and saw a person standing there.


    ¡°Zhu Yun?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Zhu Yun opened her mouth. Gao Jianhong said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. What do you want to eat? Want to go out?¡±


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°No, let¡¯s just eat at school, and then get back to work.¡±


    Gao Jianhong laughed. ¡°No need to rush. Relax. I¡¯m not Li Xun.¡±


    They headed to the cafeteria, and Zhu Yun kept her head down the entire walk, counting the pebbles on the ground. None of the things Gao Jianhong said stuck in her head. Just as they were about to walk up the steps, Zhu Yun stopped.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhu Yun called out to Gao Jianhong. ¡°I just remembered something. I have to make a stop at my dorm.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun blurted out the first thing that came to ming. ¡°My mom told me to send her some things, and I nearly forgot. Don¡¯t wait for me. Go eat first. I¡¯ll see you later at the base.¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡± Gao Jianhong walked into the cafeteria on his own, and Zhu Yun quickly headed over to the school gate.


    Was she there?


    Was she there?


    Was she there?


    Zhu Yun looked all around, and finally, she spotted a figure across the street, in front of the dessert shop. Actually, at such a distance, it was hard to see clearly. Zhu Yun only recognized her because of her unsophisticated clothes.


    Pretending as if she were just passing by, Zhu Yun walked over to the girl and looked over her. Her complexion was sallow and her skin was in poor condition. She carried a large sack, her shoulder stooping. She looked very tired.


    Zhu Yun walked past, and then she turned around and walked past again. She continued this a few times before stopping. Then she looked around, and when she didn¡¯t spot Li Xun, she decided to walk up to the girl directly.


    ¡°Aiyo!¡± Zhu Yun walked up to and into the girl, quickly apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    The girl looked startled, but quickly replied, ¡°I-it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Zhu Yun said again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My mind was elsewhere, and I wasn¡¯t careful¡­¡±


    The girl shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She had a very strong country accent, but she spoke a bit powerlessly. She was thin and looked very worried.


    As if having a friendly chat, Zhu Yun started asking, ¡°You¡¯re carrying such a big suitcase all by yourself. You must not be from around here, right?¡±


    ¡°What? Oh¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m visiting from elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Are you here for a vacation?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what are you visiting for?¡±


    The girl¡¯s reactions were very slow. Every time Zhu Yun asked her a question, several seconds would pass before she started to reply.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m looking for my younger brother.¡±


    Zhu Yun took a second to analyze her response, and then she felt like her chest had exploded.


    Younger brother!


    Younger brother!!


    So she was looking for her younger brother¡ª!!!


    Zhu Yun looked at the girl¡¯s face again. Considering what the girl had said, Zhu Yun suddenly realized that she was quite tall. Zhu Yun herself was about 168 cm, but she was still half a head shorter than this girl. And when she took another look, she felt that the girl¡¯s face was okay looking as well. Though she appeared outdated and her skin wasn¡¯t so good, her basic structure was fine¡­


    And those double lidded phoenix eyes¡­


    Zhu Yun felt a bit anxious. She didn¡¯t quite understand it. Even when she¡¯d met Li Xun¡¯s fashionable, large-chested girlfriends, she¡¯d never felt this way.


    But in front of her now was Li Xun¡¯s older sister. She was his family. If Zhu Yun wasn¡¯t mistaken, she clearly remembered that this was precisely how Zhang Xiaobei had threatened Li Xun before. His address was listed in the countryside, but the school was unable to contact his family¡­


    He didn¡¯t go home for New Year¡¯s.


    Considering how Li Xun had treated the girl last night, he surely wasn¡¯t on good terms with his family. If she wasn¡¯t careful and misspoke, and Li Xun found out, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be a laughing matter.


    Zhu Yun wondered if she ought to just leave and pretend she¡¯d never met this girl.


    The girl had her head lowered. At her side was an old fashioned, worn out, dusty fabric bag. She also carried another large bag in her hands. Though she was tall, she was very thin. Standing on the side of the road all by herself, she looked truly exhausted.


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t have the heart to just leave. This was still his older sister. So, she pointed to the coffee shop near them and asked, ¡°Should we sit awhile?¡±


    The girl quickly shook her hands, ¡°No, that¡¯s okay.¡±


    Zhu Yun said, ¡°I happen to be waiting for someone too. Let¡¯s wait inside.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really not necessary.¡±


    Zhu Yun gave it her all and put on her brightest, sincerest smile. Her face had gone stiff when the girl was finally concinved to head into the coffee shop.


    The place wasn¡¯t a low-quality one. The waitress was a part-time student and looked a bit snobbish. When she saw the other girl¡¯s appearance, along with all her luggage, her expression turned sour. ¡°We require a cover charge here.¡±


    It was the first time in Zhu Yun¡¯s life that someone had spoken to her with such a tone. She was so taken aback that she nearly grabbed the next table¡¯s coffee and tossed it in her face.


    The girl lowered her head and said, ¡°Forget it¡­ I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. Come and sit.¡± Zhu Yun pulled the girl into a seat and ordered two cups of coffee.


    When the coffee came though, the girl didn¡¯t drink any. She just kept her head lowered, afraid to touch anything.


    Zhu Yun tried to figure out what to talk about.


    ¡°Um¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Li Lan.¡±


    Her last name was also Li.


    ¡°Is he your biological brother?¡± (t/n: Because often, you might call any close, younger male a ¡®younger brother.¡¯)


    Li Lan shook her head.


    ¡°Cousins?¡±


    Again, she shook her head.


    ¡­¡­


    Zhu Yun changed the topic a bit. ¡°How long has it been since you¡¯ve seen him?¡±


    Li Lan spoke extremely quietly. ¡°A very, very long time.¡±


    Zhu Yun asked a few questions and she discovered that Li Lan had grown still and silent. When she looked carefully, she realized that Li Lan¡¯s shoulders were trembling, as if she were crying.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Li Lan replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    But she looked extremely upset.


    Zhu Yun hesitated and pulled out her phone. ¡°Is your brother a student at our school? What¡¯s his name? Maybe I know him, and I can help you call him.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Li Lan immediately rejected her offer. She looked up, and her eyes were red. ¡°Don¡¯t look for him. He doesn¡¯t want to meet with me¡­¡±


    There are tons of things he doesn¡¯t want to do. You can¡¯t always let him have his way.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just one meeting.¡±


    ¡°No, really. He¡¯ll get angry!¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at Li Lan¡¯s passive appearance and felt a bit vexed. She frowned and decided she wouldn¡¯t skirt around anymore. She asked directly¡ª¡±If you aren¡¯t really siblings, what kind of animosity do you have between the two of you? Why can¡¯t you meet with him? He just hates you, because?¡±


    Li Lan¡¯s complexion paled in an instant.


    Yah, yah, yah¡­ Crap, screwed up! Zhu Yun quickly tried to salvage the situation. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Just that it seems like¡ª¡±


    ¡°He probably hates us,¡± Li Lan murmured. She had a hand over her face. ¡°It¡¯s only right that he doesn¡¯t want to see us¡­¡±


    What was this situation?


    Zhu Yun slowly provoked Li Lan, wearing away her wariness. It didn¡¯t seem like Li Lan ordinarily had many people to talk to. She slowly started to relax as she talked with Zhu Yun, this stranger.


    Zhu Yun was alarmed as she listened to Li Lan¡¯s story. Not because the story itself was grand and magnificent, but because Li Xun was the protagonist. Without his permission, she¡¯d uncovered one of his secrets. She wanted to stop, but she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡ª


    Li Lan and Li Xun hailed from a fertile region. Zhu Yun had heard of the place before; it was famous for the lake there. The scenery was beautiful, even if it was in the countryside.


    Zhu Yun thought to herself that, it was no wonder that his skin was so nice, having grown up in nature.


    Li Lan hadn¡¯t had much schooling, so there were many things that she couldn¡¯t exactly express clearly. But the important thing in storytelling was emotion. And as Li Lan stumbled through her tale, Zhu Yun could hear many emotions that had been buried over the years.


    These step-siblings had the same father and different mothers. Li Xun joined Li Lan¡¯s family when he was six years old. Before then, no one had known of his existence.


    Li Lan¡¯s father, Li Chengbo, was originally a farmer. Later, following the trend, he started working in foreign trade. He even opened a factory. It wasn¡¯t small, so there were a lot of employees. Among them was Li Xun¡¯s mother.


    The way Li Lan told it, Li Xun¡¯s mother was very beautiful. Unlike the other factory workers, she had an ostentatious beauty. Though she was very poor, she lived fashionably. She made pretty clothes and listened to the most popular bands¡¯ music cassettes.


    In the factory, she endured a lot of criticism. Everyone would gossip about her behind her back, but she didn¡¯t seem to care.


    Li Chengbo quickly found himself attracted by this woman. He hid the fact that he already had a family and started to court Li Xun¡¯s mother. From Li Xun¡¯x appearance, it was easy to guess that Li Bocheng was also very handsome. Tall, young, fit, with a great resolve. It didn¡¯t take long for her to fall in love with him and become pregnant with Li Xun.


    Li Chengbo had the same mentality of the older generation in the countryside. Value males and belittle females. When Zhu Yun¡¯s mother went for a checkup and was told that her child was a girl, Li Chengbo told her to get rid of it. No matter what Li Xun¡¯s mother said, he wouldn¡¯t relent. And so, when she was eight months pregnant, she left the factory.


    Later on, Li Chengbo¡¯s business failed and after going bankrupt, he returned to his home village. He¡¯d gotten temperamental as well.


    Li Lan was five years old at the time, the youngest in her family. She also had three older brothers. Li Chengbo didn¡¯t like her and would often scold her. Because her mother was frightened by her father, she didn¡¯t treat Li Lan too well either. She lived a hand-me-down life, using whatever was left behind by her older brothers.


    Her father eventually fell into gambling and drinking. Their home was filled with a foul atmosphere. Everyone had a big temper, aside from Li Lan, for she had no one to take her temper out on.


    When she was ten years old, Li Xun¡¯s mother brought Li Xun to their home.


    Li Lan was still young at the time, and she hadn¡¯t known what the arrival of this mother and son pair would bring. She was simply very happy because she would no longer be the youngest in their house. Maybe she¡¯d be able to let her temper out on Li Xun too. But reality had a crueler picture in store. Li Lan soon realized that this new younger brother was even worse than all three of her older brothers combined. Forget bullying him. Just walking near to him would cause him to lash out at you.


    But there was one benefit of Li Xun¡¯s arrival. Li Lan¡¯s brothers and mom had another punching bag now, a new target. And for the first time ever, Li Lan had someone on her side against everyone else.


    Previously, Li Chengbo would torture everyone from his alcoholism, but there was suddenly a new addition to the food chain. With a strong will that she¡¯d never used before, Li Lan¡¯s mother treated Li Xun¡¯s mother like an unwanted guest. She would ridicule and verbally abuse Li Xun¡¯s mother. In front of everyone, she criticized and denounced Li Xun¡¯s mother as a whore for seducing another woman¡¯s man, and she cursed Li Xun as a bastard.


    After Li Xun¡¯s mother¡¯s arrival, Li Lan¡¯s mother¡¯s life became a lot more lively. Even still, Li Xun¡¯s mother persevered and remained in their home. At the time, she had a serious illness and no family to rely on. If she didn¡¯t go there, then 6-year-old Li Xun would have no means for survival.


    In order to appease Li Lan¡¯s mother, Li Xun¡¯s mother stopped caring for her appearance. She kept her hair messy and her face untidy, disappearing into the crowd. She was cautious and solemn about everything she said and did.


    Li Lan would clean until very late every night. Even after everyone else had gone to sleep, she would still have work to do. Several times she¡¯d seen Li Xun¡¯s mother admonishing him to appease his older brothers and get along with them, though Li Xun never agreed to. Then his mother would grow upset and hit him, and he would cry, but still not agree.


    Li Lan was soft-hearted, and she never felt that the mother-son pair were as evil as the rest of her family claimed. She pitied them really. And so, Li Lan started to help them. At the time, Li Xun¡¯s mother could hardly sleep at night because of her illness. While the rest of her family slept, Li Lan would secretly cook porridge for her and tend to her.


    She slowly grew to like Li Xun¡¯s mother. His mother used very simple material to make her a dress. It was the first dress she ever had. His mother also gave her music tapes to listen to. Li Lan fell in love with these new-age things, and she would seek the pair out whenever she had time.


    Li Xun wasn¡¯t very good at taking care of others, so he was completely helpless with his mother¡¯s illness. As his older sister, Li Lan berated him, ¡°You have to listen to your mom.¡± She knew her older brothers well. Their favorite thing to do was bully others and give people a hard time. You simply had to go along with them, and they would grow tired of you.


    She pleaded with him sincerely, but unfortunately, Li Xun didn¡¯t listen to her. Li Lan angrily shouted at him, ¡°This is what your mom wants!¡±


    Li Xun glared at her and replied, ¡°It¡¯s not!¡±


    Unable to communicate with him, Li Lan decided to ignore him as well.


    Later, Li Xun¡¯s mother passed away. Her passing was very tragic. Her body lost its shape and she curled up. It was such a frightening sight that Li Lan¡¯s mother didn¡¯t go to bother them during those days.


    She passed away in the middle of the night. Li Lan was present then. And when Li Xun learned that his mother wouldn¡¯t make it through the night, his cries sounded like he wanted to die himself.


    On her deathbed, his mother held his hand. As in all times past, she told him to get along with the rest of the family. Seeing his mother in this state, Li Xun cried without making a sound, and he finally nodded his head, quietly agreeing to his mother¡¯s request.


    It had been her life long wish, but for some reason, when he finally agreed, his mother looked like she¡¯d been hit with the world¡¯s greatest pain. She lifted her hand up, a grim expression on her face, as if an evil spirit had possessed her. With endless resentment and pain, she grabbed Li Xun¡¯s hand¡ª


    ¡°No!¡± His mother¡¯s eyes shook. Using the last bit of her strength, she told her son, ¡°Li Xun, you can never become like them!¡±


    His cries then were earth-shattering. As if he were shouting out all of his grievances, he shouted, ¡°I know!¡± After hearing this, his mother peacefully left.


    Li Lan stood at the side, her whole body trembling. She didn¡¯t know how to describe what she felt at the time. It was the first time in her life that she felt such an attachment to someone outside of her family. It was like a hot flame burning cleanly, scorching you, and leaving you with no place to hide.


    A thought came to her mind, that she had to find a way to help this younger brother who never called her ¡°sister.¡±


    Later, Li Xun started would start school. Because the school there was small, the elementary and junior high students attended together. Li Lan¡¯s oldest brother had already graduated, and her second and third brothers were in junior high. Li Lan only studied for three years before staying at home to help with family matters.


    From the moment Li Xun started school, Li Lan realized that her brothers would bully him even more severely. She didn¡¯t understand where their anger came from, but they were like enemies who couldn¡¯t possibly live under the same sky. Li Xun never tried to get revenge though. He was just a child; he couldn¡¯t beat them, so he just had to bear their treatment. It wasn¡¯t long before his entire body was covered in bruises.


    Her brothers would secretly rip apart his books, toss away his backpack, and use any method to keep him from going to school. But, no matter how many bruises he got, or how ripped up his books were, Li Xun never missed a day of class. And he also learned not to study around her brothers. And so, in the night, under the lamps, aside from Li Lan washing clothes, there was also a studying Li Xun.


    His attitude towards her remained poor as usual, or perhaps it¡¯s more fitting to say that he continued to carry a heavy hostility towards their entire family. Li Lan didn¡¯t mind. After all, there were many people who disliked her, and she didn¡¯t feel that Li Xun¡¯s fierceness was entirely genuine.


    She quietly took care of him, washing his clothes and feeding him, helping divert her brothers¡¯ attention from him. And like that, the days passed, until one evening, when to her surprise, Li Lan didn¡¯t see Li Xun studying. She headed to the back courtyard and found him in the junk pile. He was clutching at his ribs, and when Li Lan asked him what was wrong, he didn¡¯t answer.


    Later on, she found out that Li Xun had gotten into the one ¡°top class¡± that was actually considered decent at their rotten school. The class was located in the north building, which was a considerable distance from where Li Lan¡¯s brothers took their lessons. But more importantly, the special class required a school fee, and Li Lan¡¯s mother wouldn¡¯t give Li Xun the money, so he was unable to join the class. He ended up returning to his original class.


    Her brothers had been very happy about it, as if he were the same as them again. They happily beat him up, breaking his ribs.


    Li Xun didn¡¯t go to the hospital. Li Lan wrapped him up simply and secretly saved money to buy him pork stew. When Li Xun was able to stand again, he made a request to Li Lan for the first time¡ªhe wanted to borrow some money.


    Li Lan didn¡¯t have any money herself, but Li Xun didn¡¯t care. He shouted at her, and she even cried. In the end, she lied to her mother and asked for some money. Li Xun took the money and went to town on his own. When he returned, everyone, including Li Lan, were startled to see that he¡¯d bleached his hair blond.


    During that time, dying your hair wasn¡¯t common, and especially, such outrageous colors were rarely seen. Because of his individualism, Li Xun suffered even more. His father was especially furious. Li Chengbo was so angry that the rest of the family stayed in the corner, no one daring to step forward.


    There had been more than one occassion when Li Lan thought her father would beat Li Xun to death¡­ But even to the end, Li Xun wouldn¡¯t admit any wrongdoing and he wouldn¡¯t dye his hair back.


    Eventually, everyone grew tired of hitting, of yelling, and they all became accustomed to the way things were. And so, that year, a young boy used this simple though childish method to prove how different he was to the rest of them.

 CH 35

    Li Xun¡¯s kept his hair that way until now.


    When she saw the shocking color of it, Li Lan actually felt a warmth wash over her. All things said and done, he¡¯d dyed his hair with money he borrowed from her. Though the connection wasn¡¯t exactly strong, and though Li Xun hadn¡¯t given her a single word of thanks¡­ This ¡°secret¡± that no one else knew of moved Li Lan in a way she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time.


    Li Xun¡¯s rough childhood made him mature early, and it also made him very wary. But no matter how he matured, he was still a child; he needed others¡¯ concern. Gradually, he started to accept Li Lan¡¯s care and concern, though he would never admit as much.


    The days passed, one by one, and Li Lan realized that, as Li Xun grew up, the once calm days turned chaotic.


    Li Xun often left home, though for short periods at a time. The family had been busy preparing for Li Lan¡¯s eldest brother¡¯s wedding, so they didn¡¯t have time to worry about Li Xun. Li Lan¡¯s mother actually felt it was better if he left; there would be one less mouth to feed that way.


    Later on, not only did Li Xun leave, be brought Li Lan with him. Li Lan was a timid person, so she never dared to leave on a whim. Every time, Li Xun had to drag her out against her will.


    The attraction of the city was indeed great. Even as Li Lan trembled with fear, she was drawn by the dazzling world and its temptations. Once, Li Xun had prepared a long while for their trip. Li Lan would ask him about it, but he never gave a hint about it. Later, Li Lan found out that he was taking her to a concert.


    Li Lan was stunned. It was the band that Li Xun¡¯s mother often let her listen to. Li Lan didn¡¯t dare to believe her eyes. She couldn¡¯t enter the concert arena at all. Li Xun had to drag and push her in.


    The entire concert truly felt like a dream. The exciting and upbeat music pounded in her ears, and it felt like a fantasy had turned real. She kept asking Li Xun where he got the money, but he just told her not to worry about it.


    At the end of the concert, Li Lan was standing at the entrance to the concert venue when she spotted Li Xun talking to another boy. He was a bit older than Li Xun, and from his clothing and the way he carried himself, the two boys were from completley different walks of life.


    After they spoke briefly, the boy got into a small car and left. But before he did, he turned back and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the exam time!¡±


    After that, Li Xun brought her to a small restaurant near the concert arena. As Li Lan thought over the wonderful performance, Li Xun told her, ¡°I¡¯m leaving soon.¡± Li Lan had thought that ¡°leaving¡± would be like what he was already doing, occasionally staying out to play before sneaking in back home. So, she just nodded.


    It wasn¡¯t until later on that Li Lan understood what he meant by ¡°leave.¡± Without a second thought, she rejected the idea. She grabbed onto him, trying to hold him back from doing this death-seeking thing. She knew that their family had some problems, but at least, it was something to block the wind and rain. It was something that you could depend on.


    Li Xun talked to her about it once. He told her that he happened to meet some people in the city, and their houses had a lot of new and interesting things.


    ¡°Do you know about computers?¡± Li Xun asked. ¡°Their houses have those really thin computers.¡±


    When Li Xun spoke about these new things, his eyes lit up. Li Lan didn¡¯t know much about them, and since Li Xun was speaking so quickly from excitement, she had a hard time understanding what he was going on about.


    But she did hear the end of his talk¡ª¡±I want those things too, but if I stay here, I¡¯ll never have them.¡±


    That was the first time that he told her what he was thinking and what he wanted. But Li Lan couldn¡¯t accept it. She didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. All she knew was that her little brother was just a teenaged kid. If he left home, he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive.


    Li Xun tried to reason with her, but Li Lan totally refused to listen. She wasn¡¯t as articulate as he was, and she wasn¡¯t good at telling stories. Regardless of what Li Xun said, she would simply return with a ¡°No. Just, no.¡±


    In the end, Li Xun got angry and had a big fight with Li Lan. He said some hurtful things, which made her feel terrible and angry.


    Li Lan got sick. What surprised her was that the entire time she was sick, Li Xun didn¡¯t leave her side. The sick Li Lan dreamt of Li Xun¡¯s mother and her final words before dying.


    Li Lan couldn¡¯t bear to see Li Xun leave. Sometimes she felt that, even if she had her own children later, she might not love them more than she loved her little brother. Though her brain wasn¡¯t anything great, for some reason, she remembered very clearly every word and every detail they spoke about.


    But she also knew that she was part of ¡°them.¡±


    When Li Lan got better, she stole some of her father¡¯s alcohol money and told Li Xun to leave that night and never come back.


    Before he left, he told her something. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back in the future.¡±


    ¡ª


    Her coffee was already cold, and the server had stopped by as well.


    Zhu Yun was thinking. She recalled Ren Di¡¯s words¡ªHe has to earn money to pay off his debt.


    What debt?


    The money Li Lan spent on Li Xun was hardly anything. So when he spoke about a debt, that must have been an emotional debt.


    Zhu Yun looked over at Li Lan, trembling before her. She was a typical person whose liveliness had been rubbed away by life.


    ¡°Actually, I knew from the very beginning that he would leave,¡± Li Lan murmured. ¡°He hated our family. He hated us to death.¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t say anything, and Li Lan quietly continued, ¡°I never wanted him to return any money to me. But now that my father¡¯s gone, my mother can¡¯t get out of bed, and my brother¡¯s sick. We don¡¯t have enough money for the hospital bills. My mom forced me to ask him for money¡­ I had no choice.¡± Li Lan lowered her head in a daze. ¡°My family turning out this way must be retribution.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at this thin woman. She¡¯d had a lifetime¡¯s worth of suffering. The suffocation and exhaustion of her life showed through. Even her pain seemed slow and dull.


    Li Lan rubbed her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just said all this nonsense¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head.


    Li Lan quietly said, ¡°No one at home wants to listen to this stuff.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t hate you that much,¡± Zhu Yun suddenly said.


    Li Lan replied, ¡°You don¡¯t know him. You don¡¯t understand him.¡±


    Zhu Yun silently thought to herself that, maybe she understood just a tiny bit¡­


    Li Xun was very proud, even to the extent that he was prejudiced. Often times, he didn¡¯t speak out his true thoughts. He would never be threatened by anyone, and no one could force him to do what he didn¡¯t want to do. If he really hated her, no matter what tricks Li Lan pulled, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get any money from him.


    Additionally, he spent so much every month, and he supported a money-losing band¡­


    After her story, Zhu Yun understood a lot of things.


    All hearts needed consolation.


    ¡°Thank you for listening to me.¡± Li Lan couldn¡¯t think of any kind of gift. She thought left and right, and quietly said, ¡°I-I¡¯ll show you my brother.¡±


    !?


    Zhu Yun had been deep in thought about ethical matters, and when she heard Li Lan, she nearly jumped out of her seat.


    Li Lan pulled out a laminated photo from her bag. It looked rather old, and the colors were faded. ¡°This is our only family photo. We took it at New Year¡¯s one year. Look¡­¡±


    Li Lan pointed for Zhu Yun to see, but she didn¡¯t really need it pointed out. The moment Li Lan pulled out the photo, Zhu Yun¡¯s eyes had already landed on someone.


    ¡°How old was your brother here?¡±


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    Zhu Yun took a deep breath. How cute¡­


    The child Li Xun had been very thin, but his bone structure was good. His face was taut, a faint forced smile on his lips. That unyielding and arrogant personality could even be seen when he was so young.


    Zhu Yun nearly forgot to blink. She kept staring and staring at the photo, as if it meant she¡¯d be able to add ten years to their relationship.


    In the photo, Li Xun looked lonely. He stayed a bit aways from everyone else, and only Li Lan stood behind him.


    ¡°Your little brother likes you a lot, right?¡± Zhu Yun said.


    Li Lan shook her head. ¡°He likes girls like his mom.¡±


    Zhu Yun glanced at Li Lan, silent.


    Awhile later, as curfew approached, Zhu Yun went to the counter to pay. When she returned to their table, Li Lan said, ¡°Can I keep sitting here?¡±


    Zhu Yun paused and then said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Before leaving, she secretly bought Li Lan a steak set meal. She told the waiter, ¡°If she asks, tell her it¡¯s a gift from the store.¡±


    After leaving the coffee shop, Zhu Yun kept thinking back to the conversation she¡¯d just had. She headed back to the project base, and when she pushed open the door, she saw Gao Jianhong.


    It was then that she finally realized. It seemed that she¡¯d stood him up.


    Zhu Yun quickly apologized, ¡°Sorry, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Gao Jianhong packed away the books on his desk. ¡°I just spoke to Wu Mengxing a bit, and he seemed pretty interested in the competition. We should talk about it together tomorrow.¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded, and Gao Jianhong stood up. He said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll head out first.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Li Xun?¡±


    ¡°He just stepped out, but he should be back soon.¡±


    After Gao Jianhong left, Zhu Yun was the only person in the project base. Zhu Yun closed the door and walked over to Li Xun¡¯s seat. She opened up the bag on his desk, the one branded with the downtown stadium¡¯s name.


    As she¡¯d expected, there were concert tickets for the weekend inside.


    He was going to take her?


    Just then, she heard a sound from the hallway. Zhu Yun put the bag back in its original position.


    When Li Xun saw Zhu Yun on his return, he raised his brows. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I just need to tidy up, and then I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Li Xun sat down in his seat, but he didn¡¯t turn on his computer. Instead, he asked Zhu Yun, ¡°Where were you this evening?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She told herself to calm down. ¡°I had something to do, so I went out a bit.¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    With a calm face, Zhu Yun grabbed two books on her desk and put them in her bag. Then she saw Li Xun wave her over. Zhu Yun took two steps towards him, and Li Xun leaned over.


    She stood there, and he sat there. With his face turned like that, his ear nearly touched her chest.


    ¡­¡­


    !??!?!?!?!?!?!?


    As the weather warmed, her clothing had gotten thinner. With such a thin layer of cotton between them, Zhu Yun could clearly feel the contours of Li Xun¡¯s cheek.


    Her bra felt a bit tight.


    A burst of warm air hit her back, spreading across her limbs and her ears.


    She couldn¡¯t step back because Li Xun had his right hand on her waist. She nearly couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. What was one plus one equal to again¡­


    Just as Zhu Yun felt like she was going to faint, Li Xun looked up. He didn¡¯t straighten up, but instead just looked up from chest-level, his eyes sweeping over her. His brows raised slightly, as if he were smiling, but not quite. ¡°With your heart beating this fast, you must be lying.¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s whole body felt numb.


    That¡¯s definitely not why my heart is beating so fast.

 CH 36

    Zhu Yun frantically escaped and returned to her dorm room. The door opened, and then closed, and then she leaned against it, panting heavily.


    Fang Shumiao turned to her and asked, ¡°Why¡¯s your face so red?¡±


    Zhu Yun¡¯s reply came slowly. ¡°Climbing the stairs¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun didn¡¯t study any more that night. After taking a shower, she headed to bed early. Li Xun hadn¡¯t actually done anything. He just said that knowing sentence, and then, as if nothing had happened, he turned on his computer and started working.


    Of course, Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t be the first to confess. What if she was just jumping through the hoops that he made? Top Score Li was, after all, very clever, and he didn¡¯t reveal his hand logically.


    But that evening, Zhu Yun truly received too great a shock. That night, she had a dream.


    In her dream, they took on the same positions, only instead of things being vertical, they were horizontal. Zhu Yun lied on a small bed, and Li Xun leaned over, on top of her. He turned his head, and with his ear to her chest, he listened to her heartbeat.


    It was very quiet in her dream. She lowered her head to look at his face, but she could only see his bright, golden hair. She looked around her, and recognized her surroundings as the small, single room at the Lihua Hotel, where he¡¯d stayed over New Year¡¯s.


    She quickly realized she was dreaming. She forced her eyes open and, as expected, the dark ceiling above greeted her. In the still of night, she grabbed onto her burning red cheeks, unable to fall back asleep.


    The next day, she went to her meeting with Gao Jianhong, severe, dark circles under her eyes.


    ¡°I spoke to Teacher Lin again yesterday, and we decided on a plan.¡± Gao Jianhong put down the documents he¡¯d prepared onto Zhu Yun¡¯s desk. ¡°¡®Server defense system, based on microchip emulator.¡¯ You guys, take a look.¡±


    Zhu Yun and Wu Mengxing each grabbed a document and started reading.


    ¡°Hey, Li Xun, take a look at this for me too.¡± Gao Jianhong turned to Top Score Li. ¡°Li Xun! Hey!¡±


    Zhu Yun glanced back, over towards him. Li Xun was facing his computer, but he wasn¡¯t typing. His expression was calm, as if thinking about something. Gao Jianhong continued calling his name, and finally, he came back to. He glanced over, and Zhu Yun quickly turned away.


    Li Xun didn¡¯t say anything, but he did wave Gao Jianhong over, who handed him the documents.


    It was already Friday. The concert was just two days away.


    He must have bought the ticket for Li Lan. So¡­ Was he going to take her there?


    The day went by peacefully. On Saturday, Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong brought Wu Mengxing to Old Lin¡¯s competition research event. They spent the whole morning steeping inside of the office.


    Although Wu Mengxing was very excited and passionate about joining the competition, compared to Gao Jianhong and Zhu Yun, his skills were rather lacking. He spent a lot of time going through the logs.


    Gao Jianhong and Old Lin explained the contents to him, while Zhu Yun stood off to the side. She looked like she was listening, but her mind had already flown away to farther pastures.


    Wu Mengxing finally seemed to grasp the content, and then Zhu Yun and the boys returned to the project base. Li Xun was sitting in his seat, coding.


    Zhu Yun glanced over near his feet. The concert ticket bag was still sitting there. Had Li Lan left already, or was she still nearby, waiting for him?


    Finally, Sunday arrived. Zhu Yun headed over to the project base early in the morning and discovered Li Xun nestled in his chair, typing away. He must have stayed up all night, as his eyes were bloodshot. He looked very tranquil though.


    It was still early, so he and Zhu Yun were the only ones in the room. Zhu Yun walked over and asked him, ¡°You didn¡¯t head home last night?¡±


    Li Xun ignored her.


    Zhu Yun continued watching him. ¡°Did you grow out from that chair?¡±


    She looked over to his screen, where line after line of code rhythmically appeared. He never made any edits, and it even seemed that he didn¡¯t need to stop to think. He was as accurate as a machine spitting out code.


    All his attention was focused on that task. He wouldn¡¯t be thinking about anything else.


    Zhu Yun quietly returned to her seat and waited for Gao Jianhong and Wu Mengxing.


    When Wu Mengxing arrived, he looked depressed. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t finish¡­¡± Last night, before they left, Gao Jianhong gave him some tasks.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. How much did you get done? We¡¯ll help you look it over,¡± Gao Jianhong said. Wu Mengxing opened up his program. Zhu Yun glanced over it; it was a mess.


    It was clear that Wu Mengxing had done a lot of homework, but he¡¯d bitten off more than he could chew. He wanted to use an advanced algorithm, but he lacked the ability to complete it properly. By the end, all the bits were scattered about, mixed up, and the program unable to function.


    Seeing Gao Jianhong¡¯s furrowed brows as he looked over the code, Wu Mengxing blushed. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll fix it again.¡±


    Gao Jianhong told him, ¡°It¡¯s better to just re-do it.¡±


    Wu Mengxing clenched his teeth and lowered his head, nothing to say.


    Gao Jianhong looked up from the computer, and upon seeing Wu Mengxing¡¯s expression, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Wu Mengxing replied quietly, ¡°I¡¯m worried I¡¯ll drag you guys down¡­¡±


    Gently, Gao Jianhong said, ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s a problem with your ability. You just want to make something with bells and whistles, something showy. A program doesn¡¯t have to be complicated. You should code according to the function you¡¯re after. Often times, the simpler you work, the more secure. Keep that in mind. You have the ability, just don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±


    Zhu Yun looked at Gao Jianhong. Compared to Li Xun¡¯s genius-like abilities, Gao Jianhong was much more sincere and honest. He wasn¡¯t as pointed as Li Xun either, and much more tolerant.


    To be honest, she¡¯d never met anyone as stubborn as Li Xun.


    Gao Jianhong noticed Zhu Yun¡¯s gaze and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡±


    The seconds passed back, and noon quickly arrived. Gao Jianhong invited Zhu Yun and Wu Mengxing out for lunch, but Zhu Yun declined.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. You guys go ahead.¡±


    She stayed behind at the project base, together with Li Xun¡ªthough she herself didn¡¯t know what exactly that meant.


    Li Xun was the same, quiet, tranquil. Programming required a lot of concentration. It had nearly been an entire day and night.


    Zhu Yun sat at her desk, silent, organizing that morning¡¯s discussion notes. After reading through less than 500 words, she had to re-read the sentences six or seven times, and she still didn¡¯t have a clue what she was reading.


    Finally, she put down her papers and looked over to Li Xun. ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat?¡±


    No answer.


    She tried again, ¡°Maybe we can¡­eat something together?¡±


    Again, no answer. She might as well have been speaking to the air.


    After awhile, Gao Jianhong and Wu Mengxing returned. Wu Mengxing¡¯s stomach was nearly hanging out. Gao Jianhong must have also talked to him a bit more, because he seemed quite happy, brimming with enthusiasm from head to toe.


    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s continue our meeting!¡±


    Zhu Yun turned away, diverting her gaze from Li Xun.


    Time flew by.


    1, 2¡­ 5, 6 o¡¯clock¡­


    The concert was at 8. Two hours for admittance.


    Still not leaving?


    You¡¯re really calm, huh.


    The sky slowly darkened, and the sun set in the west. Just like the afterglow on the bamboo grove, Gao Jianhong and Wu Mengxing¡¯s discussion was disappearing and coming to a close.


    Finally, Zhu Yun packed up her things. Gao Jianhong looked at her and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhu Yun quietly replied, ¡°Let¡¯s continue this tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tired?¡±


    Zhu Yun nodded. Gao Jianhong put away his paper and pen, and told Wu Mengxing, ¡°Then, we¡¯ll stop here for today.¡±


    Wu Mengxing promptly replied, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯ll keep working a bit.¡±


    Zhu Yun turned around and walked directly to Li Xun. She didn¡¯t say anything or stop. She just bent over and grabbed the bag with the concert tickets before leaving.


    Gao Jianhong had seen the scene from behind them. Finding it strange, he was about to ask about it, when Wu Mengxing bombarded him with his own questions.


    The moment Zhu Yun left the room, those fingers that had been typing away on the keyboard for the past few hours finally came to a stop. He scratched his chin.


    ¡ª


    Zhu Yun raced out towards uptown. She went up and down the street in front of the school gate, checking every milk tea shop, every coffee shop, every dessert store¡­ But she didn¡¯t see any signs of those unsophisticated clothes.


    Half an hour later, a dejected Zhu Yun dropped down and sat on the roadside, covered in sweat. This was like searching for a needle in a haystack. How would she able to find her¡­


    Tired and panting, Zhu Yun checked her watch. It was already after 7. It was too late. The tickets were going to go to waste.


    Zhu Yun gave up and opened up the bag. She pulled out the tickets. Two tickets, 1880 yuan each.


    After a few seconds, Zhu Yun flipped out the bag to check for a ticket office or contact. Maybe she could return the tickets¡­


    She didn¡¯t find a ticket office contact, but she did find another slip of paper. Zhu Yun grabbed the paper and unfolded it. The contents of it were very simple¡ª


    ¡°Taifu Hotel, room 408. When you¡¯re done, come get reimbursed for transportation fees.¡±


    My god¡­


    Everything seemed to start spinning around her. Zhu Yun had a headache.


    She stood up.


    Reimbursed¡­


    Recompense to your ancestors¡­


    Looking at the handwriting on the paper, Zhu Yun could imagine his calm and composed manner as he wrote it. She could see his efforts to avoid being linked to the family, and yet he couldn¡¯t let go of his sister, the one person who had taken care of him. Zhu Yun¡¯s appearance in his life may be able to help with some odd jobs.


    Doing some odd jobs wasn¡¯t a big deal, but couldn¡¯t he just say something. Was there a need to be so¡­


    Zhu Yun stomped her feet. A passing child and parent glanced over at her.


    Zhu Yun checked her watch. 27 minutes still. Being on time was out of the question, but if things went smoothly, they wouldn¡¯t be too late.


    Zhu Yun hailed down a cab. ¡°Taifu Hotel.¡±


    The driver paused. ¡°Taifu? It¡¯s just a 5 minute walk ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going somewhere else after. Wait for me!¡±


    They arrived at the hotel in a jiffy. Zhu Yun jumped out of the car, but didn¡¯t forget to call back, ¡°Make sure you wait for me!¡±


    She took the elevator to the fifth floor. Zhu Yun ran to room 408 and knocked clamorously on the door.


    ¡°Li Lan? Li Lan, are you there?¡±


    A few seconds later, the door opened a sliver. Trembling with fear, Li Lan looked out. ¡°¡­No need to clean. I¡¯ll clean myself.¡±


    Who¡¯s here to clean for you? Zhu Yun pushed open the door and grabbed her. Then she pointed to herself. ¡°Me. It¡¯s me. Do you still recognize me?¡±


    Li Lan said, ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±


    Zhu Yun was already familiar with her slow personality, so without waiting for an answer, she dragged the girl out. ¡°Come with me!¡±


    Li Lan tried to pull back. ¡°What are you doing? Where are you trying to take me? What are you trying to do?¡±


    Zhu Yun replied, ¡°Just come with me!¡±


    ¡°No. No, stop pulling me¡­¡±


    She really did work every day. Although Li Lan¡¯s body was thin, her strength was rather startling. Zhu Yun couldn¡¯t pull her, and finally she let out a sigh. She turned back and smiled as she said, ¡°Li Lan, a few days ago, you said you liked bands.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know how sinister her smile looked, but Li Lan seemed frightened and didn¡¯t respond.


    Zhu Yun maintained her smiling face and said, ¡°I¡¯m taking you to a concert.¡±


    Li Lan stared at her a moment, and then she shook her head. ¡°No¡­ Concerts are too expensive.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhu Yun waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not expensive at all. I got them for free. It¡¯ll just be a waste not to go.¡±