Jiang Yubai sat next to Lin Zhixia and read the email she received today.
Jiang Yubai slid the mouse wheel and Lin Zhixia started eating strawberries.
She had only eaten two strawberries when Jiang Yubai said, "Their professor is one of the authors of the HHL algorithm paper..."
"It's him," Lin Zhixia nodded, "I kind of want to join their group."
Jiang Yubai tapped the table lightly with his fingertips: "Is your current group not good enough?"
Lin Zhixia described it truthfully: "Our group is very good, with a high degree of interdisciplinary research, and I have learned a lot of new things. I like the group meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays the most, and I also like the reports and exchanges. The topics chosen by my supervisor are all good, and there is a lot of room for freedom. As long as I can do it, I can basically publish an article in a journal or conference. However, publishing a paper is not my only goal, I want to do some practical applications. When I was an undergraduate, senior Tan Qianche did a pretty good job."
Jiang Yubai looked at her, and she said, "Look at their recruitment notice. The work content of the postdoctoral fellow is quite novel."
As she spoke, she picked up a fork and picked up a fresh strawberry.
Her lips are bright red and moist, more tender and delicious than fruit flesh.
Jiang Yubai shifted his gaze calmly.
He looked ahead, sitting upright and steady, and gave reasonable advice: "If you have made up your mind, apply as soon as possible. This email is sent to doctoral students in related majors at universities around the world. There is only one position, and the competition is fierce. First come, first served."
Lin Zhixia sighed softly: "But you will graduate from college next year. If I go to the United States, won't we be separated again?"
Jiang Yubai muttered in a very low voice, "I'm used to it."
Lin Zhixia didn't hear clearly: "Are you talking to me?"
Jiang Yubai was very secretive: "Nothing."
Lin Zhixia said vaguely: "Jiang Yubai..." She deliberately spoke incoherently as if she was holding a rice cake in her mouth.
Jiang Yubai really made a request: "Say it again."
Lin Zhixia fought back: "I won't tell you."
Jiang Yubai compromised and said, "When we were in the second year of junior high school, you went to the high school department for training..."
Lin Zhixia stared at him. He continued, "Since then, I have gotten used to being separated from you temporarily. It's a good thing that you move forward, and I will always support you."
Lin Zhixia suddenly remembered what Jiang Yubai had said to her when they were in junior high school. He said that Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai had never been apart, they just had to perform different tasks at a certain stage.
Lin Zhixia clearly remembered the playground, the red plastic track, the white clouds floating in the blue sky, the classmates in the Grade 2 (17) class, and her deskmate Jiang Yubai. That was six years ago. Somehow, her eyes suddenly became moist, and the hazy tears blurred her vision. Jiang Yubai took out a tissue and handed it to her. He asked gently, "What did you think of?"
Lin Zhixia muttered: "I thought of you and me when we were twelve years old."
She whispered, "You may not remember it. I wish I could share my memory with you."
Jiang Yubai said: "I remember it very clearly."
"Really?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
He said seriously: "Really."
Lin Zhixia believed it. She finished the sentence she had deliberately made vague: "Jiang Yubai, I dreamed of you last night."
Jiang Yubai's mind moved.
Lin Zhixia held her chin with one hand: "I dreamed that you and I went to high school together. You rode a bicycle to carry me, and I hugged your waist tightly. We were almost caught by the class teacher because premature love is not allowed in the Provincial No. 1 Middle School."
Jiang Yubai couldn't help but chuckle: "When did I start to have a premature love affair with you?"
"You confessed to me right after the start of our second year of high school." Lin Zhixia hinted.
Jiang Yubai pushed the chair further away from her: "You were only fifteen years old at that time."
Lin Zhixia quickly added: "I didn't skip a grade in my dream."
"Why didn't you skip a grade?"
"I don't look very smart in my dreams."
—Lin Zhixia made a huge concession.
Jiang Yubai finally told her that he found out that he liked her when he was fifteen. He confessed this secret openly and honestly, and it really won Lin Zhixia's favor.
Lin Zhixia reacted immediately: "So, you've been secretly in love with me for several years? You've been secretly in love with me for so long without telling me, you're really patient."
It's more than just "secret love"
When it comes to the word "forbearance", Jiang Yubai feels deeply touched.
Lin Zhixia observed the changes in his expression, grabbed his wrist again, and asked, "Have you ever stayed up late because you missed me? Have you ever seen me in your dreams?"
She unashamedly recited a famous line from the Book of Songs: "I cannot get what I want, I think about it day and night, I am so carefree, I toss and turn."
After a period of exploration and research, Jiang Yubai discovered a pattern - if he behaved reservedly enough, Lin Zhixia would throw away all psychological burdens, actively approach him, and even sleep in the same bed with him at night.
So he said very seriously: "I don't remember it very well."
Lin Zhixia really fell into his trap. She sat on his lap and expressed her feelings to him: "If you appear in my dream, it must be a good dream. The next morning, I will be in a good mood."
Jiang Yubai hugged her body with both hands and lifted her up. Her feet were suddenly suspended in the air. She was so surprised that she couldn't say a word. But Jiang Yubai put her on the bed.
Lin Zhixia pulled him down together, then turned over and sat on his waist.
Jiang Yubai's waistline was thin and smooth, and Lin Zhixia explored it for a while. Just as Jiang Yubai was about to reach out to her, Lin Zhixia stopped him and said, "Don't move."
The corners of his lips curled slightly: "I won't move."
Lin Zhixia nodded with satisfaction.
Jiang Yubai said again: "Come closer, I will tell you what I did to you in my dream before."
Lin Zhixia was bewitched by him. She supported herself on the pillow with both hands and moved closer and closer to him. He grabbed her waist and pressed her down on the bed. She struggled for two seconds before giving up completely. Jiang Yubai was really too strong. She was no match for him at all - just like Jiang Yubai's test scores could never exceed hers, her physical strength could not beat Jiang Yubai.
She asked him, "What are you doing?"
He whispered in her ear: "Don't you want to hear me describe my dream?"
"Yes," Lin Zhixia urged, "tell me quickly."
Jiang Yubai picked out the contents of his two recent dreams and told them to her. Lin Zhixia's ears turned red with embarrassment: "You..."
Her chest rose and fell, and Jiang Yubai kissed the tip of her ear: "Are you still listening?"
Lin Zhixia thought for a while and said, "Yeah."
Jiang Yubai asked: "Well, what does it mean?"
Lin Zhixia felt that Jiang Yubai was not like this before. When he was a child, he was more shy than she was. In order to cover his red ears, he would deliberately wear clothes with hats so that he could put the hat on his head. She deliberately avoided his questions and pretended that she had something to do: "I don't want to play with you anymore. I have to go write a postdoctoral application."
Jiang Yubai believed it. He let go of her.
Lin Zhixia grabbed Jiang Yubai's shoulders with both hands and tried to knock him down - which of course was impossible to succeed. So they started playing on the bed, like an upgraded version of the "cat and mouse" game, and the laughter in the bedroom almost never stopped.
Lin Zhixia quickly adapted to her new room.
She lives very comfortably.
She always kept in mind her duties as a "home tutor".
Every night, Lin Zhixia would study with Jiang Yubai. They shared a desk, and their chairs were very close to each other, just like a couple in a university library.
Lin Zhixia often looked through Jiang Yubai's after-class notes, and helped him organize his reading materials, supplementing a lot of math and statistics content. She played the role of a "home tutor" conscientiously.
Jiang Yubai opened his notebook, and the three years of junior high school suddenly flooded into his mind.
Thinking back, Lin Zhixia had coached him in the same way.
Lin Zhixia seemed to have a tacit understanding with him. She said: "Unconsciously, we have all grown up."
Jiang Yubai didn't reply. He held Lin Zhixia's right hand.
Lin Zhixia pulled her hand back: "I have to meet with my advisor tomorrow, I'll finish writing this plan first."
Lin Zhixia was attracted by the research group at MIT. She knew that the professors in their group were the founders of the entire industry, their experimental equipment and academic achievements were world-class, and their research topics were novel and incredible. Lin Zhixia wanted to experience their academic atmosphere in person.
So far, Lin Zhixia's mentors have been very helpful to her.
Her doctoral advisor was actually very easy to talk to. The next morning, Lin Zhixia found him in his office and talked to him about her plan to do a postdoc at MIT. She also handed her plan to her advisor.
The instructor glanced at Lin Zhixia's document and told her that with her current level, she could indeed be a postdoctoral fellow. The only problem was that she had not graduated yet. She should prepare the materials for doctoral graduation and get her doctoral diploma before she could transfer to the United States to work.
There are countless PhDs from prestigious universities around the world, and they may all be competing with Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia tentatively asked her tutor whether it was possible for her to graduate next year.
The tutor said that he would help Lin Zhixia actively strive for it, and the details would have to be discussed with the school because there were few similar precedents. Even though Lin Zhixia had published several top journals, participated in some top conferences, and received invitations from German and Swiss universities, some of the school's rules were still not easy to break.
Lin Zhixia expressed her understanding.
She was unsure of her graduation date, but she still submitted her postdoctoral application.
Lin Zhixia believed that there were people in the world who were smarter than her, who were better at using resources than her, and who, after years of accumulation, would surpass her in depth and breadth of knowledge. Could she get a postdoctoral position in that group? She had a faint sense of uneasiness and doubt in her heart.
She put the question aside for the moment.
Many hands make light work. Only half of August had passed, and the "new quantum computing platform" had the simplest prototype. The platform was connected to the laboratory of senior sister Wei Ruoxing for testing. It was not until then that Duan Qiyan suddenly realized: "This thing doesn't have a name yet, let's give it a name!"
Up to now, Duan Qiyan has been doing odd jobs in the group. He also pulled Tang Tingting in. He originally thought that Tang Tingting's level was not as good as his, and after joining the group, she could only admire him. Unexpectedly, Tang Tingting only took a few days to understand Wei Ruoxing's circuit design.
Tang Tingting quickly became familiar with Feng Yuan, Luo Ying and Wei Ruoxing, and often addressed them as sisters in the group. The atmosphere was as harmonious and happy as it could be, which was completely different from what Duan Qiyan had expected.
Tang Tingting's attitude towards Lin Zhixia is the most enthusiastic.
As of now, the person with the heaviest workload in the entire group is undoubtedly Lin Zhixia.
However, Lin Zhixia never felt tired. She always went to work with a cheerful look on her face.
Duan Qiyan privately chatted with Lin Zhixia and asked her if she was tired. She responded modestly: "I didn't do much today."
Not doing much
As we all know, the more green squares there are in the daily updates of GitHub (code hosting website) users, the more diligent the person is.
On Lin Zhixia's github page, the large area of densely packed squares is all thick green.
Isn't that not doing much
Duan Qiyan suggested: "Why not just call our platform 'Nothing Did Today'?"
Lin Zhixia asked blankly: "Why is it named like this?"
Duan Qiyan said: "To paraphrase what you just said."
Lin Zhixia frowned slightly. Then, she urged him, "Go to the group and ask everyone what they think."
Duan Qiyan hesitated: "No one will agree."
"Not necessarily," Lin Zhixia showed the demeanor and trust of a leader, "Maybe someone supports you."
Too.
Duan Qiyan thought.
If he can't save face, he may lose everyone's support.
The name "I didn't do anything today" sounds abrupt and casual at first, but it is also very down-to-earth. Duan Qiyan thought that they should first lower customers' expectations of the product, and then let customers feel the power of the product. This is a witty and humorous marketing strategy.
So Duan Qiyan mentioned it in the WeChat group.
He waited for a few seconds, but no one paid any attention to him.
He specifically circled all the group members.
Tang Tingting was the first to respond: "I beg you, brother, please use your brains to think about it. What kind of name are you going to come up with? If you put it online, people will laugh at you."
Duan Qiyan was not angry. He explained his point of view, but it elicited a long string of "Hahahahaha" from Tang Tingting.
He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed and asked, "Why do you always pick on me?"
Tang Tingting retorted: "That's hilarious. It's as if I have to attract your attention. Stop flattering yourself."
Duan Qiyan was distracted by her: "Are you trying to attract my attention?"
He seemed to have hit Tang Tingting's sore spot.
Tang Tingting suddenly stopped.
She no longer responded to Duan Qiyan.
Duan Qiyan immediately contacted her privately and sent the same message again: "Are you deliberately trying to attract my attention?"
Tang Tingting was silent, as if she didn't exist in this world.
Duan Qiyan rubbed the screen of his mobile phone with his thumb and pressed his fingerprint in the WeChat chat box.
Duan Qiyan thought about it carefully. He and Tang Tingting had known each other for more than seven years. When they were rehearsing the school anniversary program in junior high school, he and Tang Tingting played a couple. The classmates in the class often surrounded them and made fun of them. This made fun of them for several years, and continued until they graduated from high school.
Duan Qiyan feels that he is actually a very smart person.
After thinking it over, he sent a WeChat message: "I was wrong. Damn it, you are so... "
Before Duan Qiyan finished typing the next line, Tang Tingting said, "Stop teasing me. There are so many handsome guys in that group. There's no reason for me to focus on you alone."
Yes.
There are so many handsome guys in that group.
Duan Qiyan felt inexplicably irritated.
He never judged a person by appearance, nor did he pay attention to his own dress. The only exception was when Tang Tingting blamed him for his short pants, which were easy for girls to touch, shortly after the university started. She asked him to reflect on himself. He said "what a mess", but he actually bought a pair of men's three-quarter pants that covered his knees.
And now, he said, "Can being handsome be enough to make a living? Don't be like a jerk and only focus on people's appearance."
He held on to his cell phone, quietly waiting for Tang Tingting's ruthless humiliation.
Duan Qiyan had already expected that Tang Tingting would humiliate him mercilessly, and he swore that he would fight back fiercely.
However, Tang Tingting said: "You are also very handsome."
Duan Qiyan held onto the desk with both hands and stood up suddenly without warning. His chair scraped against the ground, making a loud "crackling" sound.
The three roommates all looked at him inquiringly. Shen Fuxuan asked him, "What big trouble has happened to you? You are so startled."
Duan Qiyan didn't answer Shen Fuxuan. He ran out of the dormitory.
Shen Fuxuan was surprised.
In Shen Fuxuan's impression, Duan Qiyan's personality has matured and he would not suddenly return to his junior high school days.
Shen Fuxuan thought that it was the chat records in the group that irritated Duan Qiyan. He opened WeChat and looked through the chat messages.
Many WeChat group members are enthusiastically discussing the naming plan.
Jiang Yubai suggested the name "ptsic", which is the combination of the first letters of the English names of the undergraduate alma maters of all the students in the group. This suggestion was unanimously agreed by everyone, and everyone praised Jiang Yubai for his thoughtfulness and good name - except Lin Zeqiu.
Lin Zeqiu said: "Nothing special."
Jiang Yubai sent him a friend request, but he rejected it. He added a reason for the rejection: "I have nothing to talk about with you. I will delete you after adding you. It's better not to add you."
Lin Zeqiu never could have imagined that at this moment, Lin Zhixia was sitting next to Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zhixia watched this scene and comforted Jiang Yubai softly: "My brother doesn't have many opportunities to spend time with you. He doesn't understand you and doesn't know how good you are. Don't be sad."
Jiang Yubai turned his head and looked in another direction: "I thought... he would pass the friend verification."
Jiang Yubai took the initiative to show his goodwill to Lin Zeqiu, but Lin Zeqiu only responded with cold words.
Jiang Yubai obviously wanted to get along well with Lin Zeqiu, but he failed at the first step. He did not comment on Lin Zeqiu's behavior. Perhaps he was pretending to be calm and strong. Lin Zhixia felt distressed. She declared: "It doesn't matter, as long as I like you, nothing else matters."
Jiang Yubai grasped the key point: "Your brother's objection doesn't matter?"
Lin Zhixia coaxed him softly: "Of course, you are the most important to me."
In the huge study room, all the sounds seemed to stop at this moment. Bright light streamed on the desk, and Lin Zhixia gently held Jiang Yubai's fingers. She turned his palm over, opened the drawer, took out an invitation, and put it in his palm.
This is a party invitation with a date and time: August 31st at 7:00 p.m.
August 31st is Jiang Yubai's birthday.
Jiang Yubai closed the invitation letter slowly and calmly. Lin Zhixia thought he had guessed it.
She confessed to him: "When I was a child, I told you that on your eighteenth birthday, if I was still your classmate, I would prepare a huge surprise for you."
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Yubai's lips: "I'm nineteen years old."
Lin Zhixia stared at his face for a long time, and her heartbeat became faster again. She half lowered her head and muttered to herself: "Well, last year I just came to school, I didn't know many people, and I didn't meet your friends. This year my social circle has expanded, and I invited some classmates to help you celebrate your birthday together."
Strangely enough, Jiang Yubai's first reaction was not excitement or happiness.
The venue where Lin Zhixia held the party for him was a restaurant near the school—a mid-range restaurant, but definitely not cheap. Jiang Yubai had never thought about money, but he knew that Lin Zhixia had always lived frugally.
In Jiang Yubai's imagination, Lin Zhixia had been frugal for many years and finally saved a sum of money. She didn't let him bear her expenses, but instead spent a huge amount of money to hold a party for him and invited many friends... Jiang Yubai was silent for a while. Lin Zhixia raised her head and met his complicated gaze.
Lin Zhixia's thick and curled eyelashes trembled slightly: "Are you unhappy?"
Jiang Yubai knew that he couldn't beat around the bush at this moment and had to speak his mind directly to avoid causing Lin Zhixia's misunderstanding.
So he said, "I'll let you..."
He paused, and his words became more concise: "It's a waste of money."
Lin Zhixia's eyes lit up: "Do you want to help me save money? It's okay, the owner of that restaurant gave me a discount, all meals and drinks are 85% off. I plan to make your birthday cake myself, and the chef sister has promised to teach me..."
Jiang Yubai's family employed three chefs.
The "sister chef" that Lin Zhixia mentioned was most likely a young female chef in her thirties. She had superb cooking skills and an easygoing personality, and was best at making pastries and cold cuts.
Lin Zhixia is smart and eager to learn. She has a high level of comprehension and learns things quickly. She is very clever in both her mind and her craft. With the help of the chef sister, on the afternoon of August 31, Lin Zhixia made a delicate lychee mousse cake by herself.
Lin Zhixia was very happy.
She ran out of the kitchen and went to find Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai was working out in the gym. He gripped the horizontal bar with ease and did pull-ups in a very standard manner.
Lin Zhixia leaned against the door frame, secretly observing Jiang Yubai. She remembered that Jiang Yubai liked to hang on the horizontal bar when he was a child. When she saw him hanging on the horizontal bar, he looked so silly. Now, he has grown up. She stared at his arms, shoulders, and chest. Her thoughts and feelings are completely different from when she was young.
Jiang Yubai also noticed her.
He was in a good mood, and his tone was smiling: "Wait a moment, I'll go take a shower first."
Lin Zhixia nodded: "Okay, okay, wait until you take a shower and change your clothes, then we'll set off."
After that, Lin Zhixia returned to her room and picked and chose in the closet. She found her favorite skirt, put on high heels, put her hair up, and put on a little light makeup. After doing these things, she returned to the kitchen, picked up the cake in the paper box, and waved goodbye to the chef sister.
At seven o'clock in the evening, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai arrived at their destination.
Lin Zhixia booked a garden seat at a restaurant. She took Jiang Yubai's hand and led him into the lush garden - the cool night breeze blew, carrying the fragrance of summer flowers.
The sun sets in the west, and the sunset glows red like fire.
The sunset glowed with beautiful scenery, and many friends gathered together. They spontaneously sang a happy birthday song in unison, and the atmosphere became more lively.
Jiang Yubai's good friends were all there. He walked over to chat with them. This group of handsome guys seemed to shine brightly in the dim sky.
Jiang Yubai's classmate Sun David was also present today.
Sun David found that the boys who had the best relationship with Jiang Yubai were all tall and handsome from the second generation of the rich. In fact, Sun David's family was also very rich, he was just not very tall, and his male self-esteem needed to be strengthened. When he saw a group of tall and handsome guys gathered together, he didn't think about going over to talk to them.
The party game is about to begin, and Li Zirui acts as the referee.
Li Zirui is one of Jiang Yubai's friends and an undergraduate student that Lin Zhixia once tutored. In Li Zirui's eyes, Lin Zhixia's status is equivalent to "Teacher Lin". As Lin Zhixia's boyfriend, Jiang Yubai's seniority is automatically one level higher than his. He doesn't want to play games with Jiang Yubai anymore, and being a referee is more suitable for him.
Li Zirui knew everyone present - the only thing that surprised him was that the doctoral senior named "Wen Qi" in Lin Zhixia's group also showed up today.
Li Zirui heard from Wu Pinyan that Wen Qi had a serious social barrier and he was very reluctant to attend parties, let alone communicate with others. If that was the case, why did Wen Qi appear at Jiang Yubai's birthday party
As the sky darkened, the light bulbs in the garden came on.
The small light bulbs were strung on several ropes, surrounding the pergola and flowers, casting a dim halo of light.
Wen Qi's seat was right next to the flowers. He followed social etiquette today and dressed simply. He combed all his hair back, which was quite like the Hong Kong movies of the last century. He was also wearing a pure black suit. He turned his face casually, and the outline of his jaw was impeccable, which matched his high nose bone and was very attractive.
There were girls who approached him at the party.
But he doesn't talk much.
Beneath his beautiful appearance, he hides a dull, taciturn and uninteresting soul. Girls who were slightly interested in him gradually lost interest in him.
Wen Qi neither participated in party games nor chatted with others. Laughter and noise had nothing to do with him. His world was monotonous and silent.
Why
Even Lin Zhixia felt strange.
Lin Zhixia held a glass filled with wine. Tonight was her first time tasting red wine, and she took several sips. Jiang Yubai asked her to drink less, and seemed to be unconvinced that she could drink.
Lin Zhixia raised her glass in front of Jiang Yubai and drank it all. He looked at her in surprise, and she said, "I'm good at drinking. I can do everything."
"Are you drunk?" Jiang Yubai asked her.
Lin Zhixia whispered, "I didn't."
This is a lie.
She felt a little groggy.
She walked to the table, grabbed the bottle, and held it up to the light, only to find that the alcohol content of the red wine she had just drunk was as high as 15 degrees. That's not right, the red wine Lin Zhixia ordered was obviously 8 degrees, why was there an outlier with 15 degrees
Lin Zhixia thought suspiciously for a moment, and Jiang Yubai interrupted her thoughts: "Can you drink 15% alcohol?"
The setting sun had faded away, the sky was dark and the moon was invisible, colorful lights were intertwined in the pergola, and the melodious music drifted farther and farther away. Lin Zhixia put down the bottle of wine and still said stubbornly, "It's only fifteen degrees, it's okay."
Before he finished speaking, Sun David continued, "I brought a box of wine as my birthday gift to Jiang Yubai. My father has a winery in France, and this batch of red wine is really delicious, but the alcohol content is a little high. Lin Zhixia, are you dizzy? Sit down and take a rest, and drink some lemonade."
This batch of wine has a high market price.
The unit price of each bottle is as high as four figures in RMB.
However, David Sun did not mention the price of the wine at all.
He felt that Lin Zhixia's family background was similar to Miao Danyi's. Lin Zhixia was able to plan a birthday party for Jiang Yubai and prepare so many games so that most of the guests had a great time and enjoyed their meals - this made Sun David somewhat envious.
David Sun turned his head and glanced at his girlfriend.
It was strange that David Sun's girlfriend Miao Danyi almost ignored him tonight. When he talked to Miao Danyi, she would only respond with short interjections, such as "um", "oh", "haha", etc., and she didn't seem to be interested in chatting.
Sun David turned around and talked to another classmate. At this time, Li Zirui invited him to join another party game, and Sun David readily agreed. They played board game cards, and the aroma of wine mixed with the aroma of food floated around them.
Miao Danyi said to Sun David, "I'm going to the bathroom."
"Okay," Sun Dawei said, "It's dark here, be careful when you walk, don't stumble."
Miao Danyi did not respond.
She bypassed Sun David and left from another exit. When she passed Wenqi, she put her arm around his shoulder. Her hand stayed on his shoulder for a few seconds. She was wearing a diamond bracelet, and the gemstone shone brightly.
Wen Qi slowly stood up and followed her away.
They left silently.
Almost no one noticed them.
Except Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia was the organizer of this party, but she did not invite Wen Qi. She knew that Wen Qi did not like this kind of lively celebration. He was a stalker in the social scene - if you broke his safe distance, he would be at a loss.
So, why did Wen Qi appear at Jiang Yubai's birthday party tonight
Lin Zhixia was puzzled.
Although she drank half a bottle of wine, her mind was still clear. She noticed that Wen Qi and Miao Danyi had left the table and followed them involuntarily.
Jiang Yubai grabbed her wrist: "Where are you going?"
"Just take a look." Lin Zhixia replied.
Jiang Yubai asked her: "What are you looking at?"
Lin Zhixia was vague: "I don't know either."
Jiang Yubai had just eaten the lychee mousse cake made by Lin Zhixia. He had to admit that Lin Zhixia was very good at making cakes - as long as she wanted to learn, there was basically no skill she couldn't learn.
Jiang Yubai thought that Lin Zhixia had prepared an extra surprise for him.
He said with interest, "I'll go with you."
"Yeah," Lin Zhixia held his hand tightly, "We need to move lightly."
Why
Jiang Yubai did not ask the question in his mind.
He was extremely submissive to Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia remembered the direction Miao Danyi left. At this moment, she was full of curiosity—no one in the world could stop her from pursuing the truth. She was drunk from the smell of wine, and her steps were not steady.
Jiang Yubai held her arm.
She told Jiang Yubai: "They are over there, surrounded by trees."
"Which way?" Jiang Yubai didn't understand what he meant.
Lin Zhixia said, "Let's go a little further." Then she said, "Does this count as disturbing them..." She reflected, "If the truth is what I think, Wen Qi might be in a miserable situation. He always does his own thing, never disturbs others, and often helps others..."
Lin Zhixia was talking incoherently, and Jiang Yubai guessed from her fragmentary words what Wen Qi had encountered. He and Lin Zhixia walked through a dark shade of trees, and the broken dead branches fell on the lush grass, making a slight "crunching" sound when Lin Zhixia stepped on them.
But she did not affect Wen Qi and Miao Danyi.
Five or six meters away from Lin Zhixia, Miao Danyi stood on tiptoe and smoothed the collar of Wen Qi's shirt. He immediately turned his head away, and she held his face again. In the dim moonlight, they looked at each other for a few seconds. Wen Qi asked her: "The person sitting next to you tonight..."
"He is my roommate," Miao Danyi claimed, "and he and I came here together."
Wen Qi pursed his lips tightly.
It's harder than climbing to the sky to pry open his mouth.
Miao Danyi said, "My heart started pounding when I saw you. I don't like those nonsense people. To be honest, I like smart people. The smarter you are, the more I like you."
Wen Qi still said nothing.
Miao Danyi seemed to be facing a wall. She continued to talk with relish: "I talk to you every day, without interruption, but there are other girls like me..." Before she finished speaking, Wen Qi bent down slightly.
He made moves to get closer to her.
He is not a wooden man and can also make some reactions.
Wen Qi and Miao Danyi have known each other for nearly a year. Miao Danyi insisted on sending him "good morning" and "good night" every day, asking about his meals, and occasionally running to his dormitory to find him. Wen Qi deleted her four times, and then added her back. He didn't understand why she was so determined and persistent, as if she could see through his skin and into his heart.
This kind of friend is really rare.
Friendship and love are usually two-way arrows. Miao Danyi didn't need to ask for anything from him. He could neither give her emotional satisfaction nor compensate her in other ways. Wen Qi had been abroad for so many years, and even his relatives didn't care about him as much as Miao Danyi did.
He stammered, "What do you want to say..."
Miao Danyi grabbed his tie.
She slowly pulled her fingers upwards, and Wen Qi came closer to her.
The leaves rustled in the night wind, the dim light and shadows intertwined like fog, and her emotions were moved even more. She asked, "What do you think?"
What do you think
Lin Zhixia was stunned when she heard this.
Lin Zhixia whispered, "She has a boyfriend. If her boyfriend and she have an open relationship, it's not a big deal. I saw Tan Qianche kissing another girl downstairs in the laboratory building before, and the girl's boyfriend was watching them. I was really surprised at the time..."
"There is such a thing?" Jiang Yubai was also a little shocked.
Before she finished speaking, Miao Danyi kissed Wen Qi on the chin.
Lin Zhixia grabbed Jiang Yubai and wanted to take him away from here. Lin Zhixia suddenly felt that she and Wen Qi were similar to each other in some way. When she encountered an unsolvable interpersonal relationship problem, she actually wanted to hide away quickly - but she stepped on a broken branch again, and the sudden "crack" sound broke the quiet atmosphere of the moonlit night.
Miao Danyi caught a glimpse of Lin Zhixia's skirt and quickly called out, "Lin Zhixia!"
Lin Zhixia couldn't escape.
What should I do
Jiang Yubai remained calm: "It's okay, let's go."
"Let's go back to the birthday party?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
However, Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia walked into the sight of Wen Qi and Miao Danyi. He was calm and composed, as if he could remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before his eyes. Miao Danyi obviously did not expect Jiang Yubai to appear. Her breathing suddenly stagnated.
Lin Zhixia was still hesitating whether to tell the truth, Jiang Yubai reminded her with a pun: "The banquet is almost over."
Miao Danyi understood his implication. She said hurriedly, "I have been planning to end it for a long time."
Lin Zhixia also understood.
Miao Danyi meant that she wanted to have a showdown with Sun David.
But she once told Lin Zhixia that Sun David was the source of her tuition and living expenses. She would graduate from college next year, and her grades were not outstanding, so she was not eligible for the scholarship for the time being.
Lin Zhixia looked at Miao Danyi. Her eyes were pure and she said nothing.
Miao Danyi felt inexplicably depressed.
The scene she had imagined, where Lin Zhixia would "expose her on the spot", did not happen, not even a hint of it. Obviously, Lin Zhixia wanted to save some face for Wen Qi and Miao Danyi, and Jiang Yubai probably thought so too.
This matter should have ended here.
Miao Danyi lifted her skirt and stepped over the shadow under the tree. She took a deep breath, and before she could say a word, she heard Sun David's voice again: "Miaomiao, hey, are you here? You haven't been around for so long, I came to find you, are you okay? You didn't eat anything tonight, so you don't have a good appetite, let's go home and ask the chef to cook two good dishes."
Sun David came over from the other side of the dense bushes.
He didn't catch a glimpse of Wen Qi.
He only saw that Lin Zhixia hid behind Jiang Yubai. He still hadn't figured out why. Was he scary
He said to Lin Zhixia, "I didn't say what I said just now. I'm not saying that the food at your banquet was bad. You organized it very well and we had a great time. Your ideas for party games are novel and fun. Jiang Yubai is lucky to have you as his girlfriend, right, Xiao Jiang?"
Before Jiang Yubai responded, Wen Qi suddenly asked, "You and Miao Danyi..."
Wen Qi raised his voice: "You live together?"