【10.】

  After returning, I stayed at home for a few more days. Although the holiday was still seven days long at that time, it just meant that I had a few more days to stay at home. I think people who attend university locally should all have this feeling, we are less concerned about holidays than our non-local classmates.

  On the last day of the May Day holiday, I made an appointment with Tao Hao to go out. During this time, I talked to Tao Hao about Shen Zhong, of course, including those inexplicable ambiguities between us.

  Tao's eyes widened: "Wow, little girl, you're something! In the future, if you really marry a high-ranking cadre's son, I won't ask you to promote me. Just find another high-ranking cadre's son for me by your husband's side and that'll be enough."

  I nodded: "Yes, when one man gets Tao, his chickens and dogs rise to heaven. Your days of prosperity are just around the corner."

  Tao's words are sharp and quick-witted, rarely letting others gain the upper hand in conversation. This time, I managed to find a loophole, which is quite rare.

  She glared at me indignantly and concluded: "You, you got a good deal and still pretend to be clever. Having a high-ranking official pursue you is as rare as winning the lottery, if I were you, I would have gone for it early on, why hesitate?"

  Good... as expected of Tao Hua.

  I awkwardly replied: "What you said is true... but... somehow it's always a bit... how to put it..."

  "A feeling of being unreliable."

  I slapped my thigh: "Right! That's the feeling. You also said that winning the lottery is a good thing. But think about it, if you casually bought a few numbers and someone told you the next day that you won 50 million, wouldn't you feel like you're dreaming?"

  Tao's hands were propped under his chin, in a contemplative pose: "Now that you mention it..."

  "Besides, falling in love is not like buying lottery tickets. If you buy a ticket and don't win, that's it, but if you invest so much in a relationship and find out it's all for nothing, I'm afraid I'll collapse."

  Tao shook his shoulders and spread out his hands, looking utterly helpless: "That's what they mean by high-risk investment."

  "There are too many major shareholders, I fear it's hard for me to have a seat."

  "This thing...” Tao Hao looked at me, “has its pros and cons. Anyway, Jiajia, you're still young, take advantage of the time when you can have fun and play around for a few more years, every chance is precious. Don't wait until you're old and no one wants you anymore before regretting that youth is fleeting. Besides... who's to say that you'll definitely be the one being played? Shen Duan is three years younger than you. You dating him is just like playing house!"

  It's all right once you get home...

  That guy's aura, just thinking about it gives me the chills. I definitely don't want to mess with him. So I sighed and said: "Well, things are already a mess, I don't know what to do either. It feels like the more you suppress your emotions, the more they'll backfire. I'm really afraid that one day my feelings will just burst out. Besides, you're right, when women are young, who wouldn't want to be pursued by such an excellent person? I don't want to fall in love so early either, let's just drift for a few more years."

  The person opposite slapped his palm on the table: "Truth!"

  This idea is despicable, but I'm just an ordinary girl. You can't ask me to be elegant, nor can you ask me to have great ideals. I just want to enjoy myself in my best years, being chased and pampered by different boys. A life that's already set out for me with Tao Hao is absolutely not what I want.

  The day school started, I went a bit late. Unfortunately, it rained halfway through my walk and I didn't have an umbrella on me. That wasn't the worst part, but I was carrying a laptop in my hands. This thing getting wet would be terrible...

  So I was awkwardly trapped at the school's main gate, chatting with the old security guard about life and ideals. Finally, I returned to the topic: "Sir, do you have an umbrella?"

  Grandpa looked confused: "No."

  ……

  What's the point of talking to you then?

  Took out the phone from his body, just opened it and found that it was out of power. This is really... unlucky.

  "Excuse me, sir, may I borrow your phone for a moment?" I can still recite Tao's cell phone number from memory.

  The old man with a mysterious smile told me: "This phone can only call our school's internal numbers."

  ……

  Liu Jia?

  Someone shouted behind me, I turned around and saw Du Bin standing there with an umbrella. I felt a pang in my heart: "Senior, you always descend from the sky."

  He smiled slightly.

  Du Bin's smile gives people a feeling of being very clean, just like a big brother next door, without any sense of distance. Unlike Shen Zhong, every time he smiles, my breathing almost stops.

  "Didn't bring an umbrella?"

  I nodded like pounding garlic.

  "Then I'll take you there."

  "Senior, you are really... Ah, anyway, I'm just too grateful."

  He took the thing out of my hand, and with a very gentlemanly manner, he tilted the umbrella to my side: "It's always like this during this season, remember to bring an umbrella when you go out from now on."

  I was like a student listening to teachings: "Uh-huh."

  He saw me off at the door, holding an umbrella to watch me enter the dormitory gate, and then stood quietly in the rain. I turned back to look at him, not knowing what he was thinking.

  When I returned to the dormitory, Jin Tongtong gave me a faint glance without saying a word. I always felt that there was hostility in her eyes, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out what I had done to offend her. So I attributed it to the fact that she might be having her period and was emotionally unstable, and didn't think about it anymore.

  At night, Jin Tongtong said that Du Bin wanted to invite all of us in the dormitory to have dinner together. I had heard before going to college that when someone in the dormitory has a boyfriend, they would invite everyone to eat together. Such a glorious reason for freeloading, how could people like Tao Hao and me be absent?

  Even if I have to borrow two legs, I'll go!

  The restaurant where we had dinner at night is the most expensive one near our school. Tao Hao and I exchanged a look, feeling that Du Bin really gave Jin Tongtong enough face this time.

  The four of us entered the private room, and Du Bin was already inside. He saw us coming in and stood up to pull out chairs for each of us one by one. A perfect gentleman demeanor that made people feel from the bottom of their hearts that he is a polite person.

  The dishes were also very good. Overall, it was a pleasant meal.

  But there's a small twist...

  I sat next to Du Bin, when serving dishes he picked up a chopstick and handed it to me, saying: "Eat more, don't be polite."

  It should be a normal thing to say, but in today's situation... it would inevitably make people feel strange. I lowered my head and said thank you.

  On the other side, Tao patted my thigh desperately. I looked over and she raised an eyebrow, although it was extremely abstract, but I still understood, so I could only respond with a helpless expression.

  She rolled her eyes, probably thinking these things were indeed crazy.

  I pretended to glance at Jin Tongtong casually, her face was a thousand-year-old cold expression, but the resentment in her eyes could no longer be hidden. I was shocked and lost my appetite.