After looking at the house, Zhan Xi and Luo Xinran went to Pizza Hut for dinner for convenience. After filling their stomachs, they each had a drink and sat down to chat.
Zhan Xi's grades in the college entrance examination were okay. Although she was not good enough to get into A University, a 985 university in Qiantang, she could still try to get into several good universities in other provinces. However, Chi Guilan firmly opposed her leaving the province, and in the end she could only study at G University, which was ranked top in Qiantang.
Luo Xinran is from another province. She has the same major as Zhan Xi and graduated from the Chinese Language and Literature Department of the College of Humanities. When she was in school, she wrote articles for some public accounts. After graduation, she became a freelancer. She is good at writing film reviews and articles related to the entertainment industry. She has written several tweets with more than 100,000 views. She currently rents a house in the east of Qiantang City and lives a very chic life.
Compared to her, Zhan Xi was just a pitiful office worker. Luo Xinran listened to her talk about work and asked, "So what are your plans for the future? Will you listen to your mother and take the civil service exam next year?"
Zhan Xi shook his head and looked up at her: "I won't take the exam anymore. I plan to apply for a transfer to another department."
Luo Xinran was surprised: "Other departments in your company? What departments?"
"Planning Department." Zhan Xi explained, "I flipped through the employee handbook a while ago. The company encourages employees to transfer departments. There is one opportunity every year, in the middle of the year. I want to give it a try."
Luo Xinran asked: "Don't you like HR work?"
"It's not that I don't like it." Zhan Xi took a sip of his drink, "It's just that there are actually no extra vacancies in the department right now. I got in through the back door, and it's just like idling away my time. It's too boring. I wanted to do a challenging job after graduation. You know, I had already negotiated with the previous company, but my mother wouldn't let me, saying that the company was small and unstable."
Zhan Xi did her internship at a very small media company. Her business areas included live broadcasting, short videos, micro-films, etc. She was a planner and liked her job. Her colleagues were all young people and they had to brainstorm every day. Zhan Xi was planning to stay, but when Chi Guilan heard about the company's situation, she didn't have any room for negotiation and asked Zhan Xi to leave.
"Zhan Xiaoxi, I admire you very much," Luo Xinran said sincerely, "You have worked so hard to get a double degree. If you don't do a job you like, you are really sorry for yourself."
Zhan Xi looked at her with a wry smile: "Don't flatter me. I envy you for being so free."
Sometimes, Zhan Xi also feels that he is quite awesome.
She didn't choose her university major herself, but Chi Guilan asked someone to help her choose it, saying that Chinese language and literature is suitable for civil service examination after graduation. Originally, her mother's first choice was law, but Zhan Xi didn't like it even more. In the end, they both took a step back and the world was wide open.
After Zhan Xi entered the university, she heard that the school had a policy of pursuing double degrees, and she signed up for the exam in the second half of her sophomore year. She immediately became interested, and while concentrating on reviewing, she began to save money.
Later, she got what she wanted, passed the exam, and started studying her favorite Internet new media major in the School of Communication in her sophomore year.
Two majors, double tuition, double the number of professional courses, double the homework, and classes on weekends and evenings. Double midterm and final exams, double graduation thesis, and just like that, Zhan Xi hid it from his family for more than three years and got his second degree.
Chi Guilan asked Zhan Xi to apply for postgraduate study when she was a junior, but Zhan Xi didn't like her major. She didn't refuse and submitted an application for the postgraduate study summer camp, knowing that it would be impossible to get in based on her grades.
After the results came out, Chi Guilan scolded her a lot, and then argued with her for a long time about whether to take the postgraduate entrance examination or the civil service examination, but she never asked her daughter what she thought.
Until now, no one in the family knew that Zhan Xi had a double bachelor's degree.
Zhan Xi was so excited that she cried when she received two identical degree certificates upon graduation. Only her three roommates knew how hard she had worked for the past three years and how frugal she had been in order to pay for her second tuition! But even so, after graduation, Zhan Xi still couldn't choose a career according to her own ideas. No matter what she did, she was controlled by her family.
Try to transfer to another department - this is the best way she can think of to realize her self-worth and please her mother.
She didn't dare to say she would resign, for fear that there would be an earthquake at home.
At around 8 o'clock, Zhan Jie called Zhan Xi and urged her to go home.
The two girls left the restaurant and walked towards the subway station together. Luo Xinran lit a cigarette and asked, "When are you going to tell your brother that you want to move out?"
Zhan Xi put his hands in his pockets and kicked the pebbles on the ground: "If he is not asleep when I go back later, I will tell him directly, tomorrow at the latest."
Luo Xinran took a puff of his cigarette, shook his head and sighed: "I used to think that my parents didn't care about me after their divorce, and I was really miserable. After I met you, I realized that it doesn't seem to be a good thing for your family to control everything."
Zhan Xi smiled helplessly, "Yeah, I was forbidden to fall in love when I was in school, but as soon as I graduated, they asked me to go on a blind date. They controlled which university I went to, what I applied for, where I lived after graduation, what time I went home, who I met, my work, exams, and even what clothes I wore." She pointed at Luo Xinran's ripped jeans with her chin, "If I wore your pants, my brother would never let me go out."
Luo Xinran laughed: "What if I change to this cool hairstyle?"
"Then just come and collect the body for me!" Zhan Xi clicked his tongue twice, "I guess the body is not intact."
“Hahahahahaha…”
After parting with Luo Xinran, Zhan Xi took the subway home and arrived home after 10 o'clock. The house was quiet, Zhan Jie and Qin Fei had already closed the door of the master bedroom. Zhan Xi thought, I will talk to my brother tomorrow.
After taking a shower, she got into bed, turned on her phone and found someone had sent her a WeChat message.
One was Lin Yan, who sent a message of “Good night”.
Lin Yan is just like that. He doesn't send good morning or good night messages every day. He just sends them every now and then to show his presence. When Zhan Xi sees it, he will reply with "good night", but he will not reply again.
The other is Wang He.
Wang He: Today is Saturday, are you going anywhere to play
Egg Pudding: Sorry, I was taking a shower and didn’t see you. I went shopping with my college roommate today and had dinner together in the evening.
Wang He: The activities are quite rich and colorful [smirk]. You’re taking a shower at this time. Are you going to be home very late
Egg pudding: Because the restaurant was far away, it took more than an hour to get there.
Wang He: It’s not safe for girls to go home too late.
Maybe he meant well, but the tone of his words was too much like what Chi Guilan and Zhan Jie said, so Zhan Xi didn't reply. A while later, Wang He sent another message.
Wang He: Why don’t you ask me how I spent my day
Zhan Xi: “…”
Egg Pudding: How was your day
Wang He: In the morning, I accompanied the leader to an opening ceremony, had social events at noon, rested at home in the afternoon, and went out to sing with a few brothers in the evening.
Egg Pudding: Are you in KTV now
Wang He: Yeah, listening to them howling like ghosts and wolves [proud].
A word popped up in Zhan Xi’s mind - double standard.
Egg Pudding: It’s late, you go play with your friends, I’m going to bed.
Wang He: Do you have plans for tomorrow? I'll treat you to a meal.
The two chatted on and off for a week. According to the rules of blind dates, it was about time for them to meet, but Zhan Xi didn't want to see him at all.
Egg Pudding: Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t do it tomorrow. I haven’t recovered from my cold yet and I want to rest at home.
Wang He: Why are you coming home so late even though you are sick
Zhan Xi couldn't tell him that he had already made an appointment with the agent to view the house a few days ago, and moving out was such an urgent matter!
Egg Pudding: I was fine during the day, but I’m not feeling well now. I’m going to sleep. Good night.
Wang He: Good night, drink more hot water.
Zhan Xi didn't lie. She didn't feel anything when she was with Luo Xinran, but now she seemed to have a fever and felt dizzy. She quit the chat and prepared to go to bed, but she saw a message from the blue cartoon whale.
Zhan Xi: “?”
She suddenly felt like a sea king. In the middle of the night, there were actually three boys lining up to chat with her. But for some reason, she preferred chatting with "a big fish" to Lin Yan and Wang He. It was more relaxing and stress-free.
Clicking on the dialog box with "What a big fish", Zhan Xi saw that he had sent a text and a picture.
What a big fish: Good evening, let me show you a tank.
What a big fish: tank.jpg
Crock? What crock? Zhan Xi was at a loss for words.
The picture shows a dark grey jar, probably pottery, round and simple, smooth and without patterns, placed on a white table, and its size cannot be seen without a reference. The lighting is very professional, and a piece of black velvet cloth is laid at the bottom of the jar, seemingly casually but elegantly, just like an unearthed cultural relic exhibited in a museum.
Zhan Xi asked sincerely.
Egg Pudding: Is this an antique from your collection
What a big fish:…
What a big fish: This is your flower vase! That tank! The tank under the flower!
Egg Pudding: Ohhhhhhhhhh!!!
Zhan Xi didn't understand flower vases. In her opinion, containers for flower arrangement were all called flower pots. She could almost imagine the other person's speechless expression. She was embarrassed because she had made a small mistake.
Egg pudding: Did you buy it
What a big fish: I wanted to pick it up, but I couldn’t.
Zhan Xi smiled.
Egg pudding: So delicious!
What a big fish: I’ve been looking for it for a long time, and this is the best.
Egg pudding: It looks really good! Should I start making it tomorrow
What a big fish: I have something to do during the day tomorrow, so I will start work at night.
Egg Pudding: Thank you for your hard work. [Bow]
The other party was typing, Zhan Xi waited, but after a while no message came. She did not quit, and a few seconds later the other party was typing again. After repeating this three or four times, the message finally came.
What a Big Fish: Have you been on a blind date
Egg pudding:
Big Fish: Have you ever been on a blind date before
Why are you suddenly asking about a blind date
Zhan Xi had indeed been on two blind dates after graduation, and Wang He was the third one, she answered honestly.
Egg pudding: Yes, twice.
What a big fish: Are you nervous
Egg Pudding: I'm fine, not too nervous. What's wrong? Are you going on a blind date
What a Big Fish: Yes, I have a blind date tomorrow morning.
Zhan Xi remembered what the boss of "Xiao Yu Yu Handmade Embroidery" said to her - this Tou Yu was a young man with low education. Subconsciously, she always felt that he was younger than her and spoke in a simple and childish way, so she couldn't help but ask.
Egg Pudding: Are you very young? Why are you going on a blind date so early
What a big fish: I’m not small.
What a big fish: I am a very big fish.
Egg Pudding: Hahahaha!
Zhan Xi laughed out loud in bed.
Big Fish: Let me ask you a question: What should I pay attention to when going on a blind date
Zhan Xi stopped laughing, thought for a while and then answered.
Egg Pudding: If you are a boy, you must dress neatly and properly, wash your hair, and ask the girl what she wants when ordering. You can split the bill or pay for it yourself. It's just the first time we met, and if a boy takes the initiative to split the bill, it will lose points and appear stingy. But I always took the initiative to split the bill with others. One person didn't take my money, and another did.
What a Big Fish: So which one do you like
Egg Pudding: I don’t like them all, and I’ll pay for them because I don’t like them! I’m sorry. If I like them, I won’t pay for them. I’ll just have an excuse to ask them out again and I’ll pay for them~[shy][shy]
What a big fish: Learn new knowledge! [Surprised]
Egg Pudding: Have you never been on a blind date
Big Fish: No, tomorrow will be the first time. I chatted with a girl on WeChat before, but we never met. We blocked each other after two weeks of chatting.
Egg Pudding: Did you block her or did she block you
What a big fish: She blocked me.
Egg Pudding: Why? Did you make her angry
What a Big Fish: I am not good at chatting, I have low cultural level, and my typing skills are problematic.
Egg pudding: Is there a grammatical error
What a Big Fish: Yes, there is a grammatical error.
Egg Pudding: I think it’s okay. It’s a little bit confusing at times, but I can understand it.
What a Big Fish: My sister told me to practice more, so I am practicing now.
Zhan Xi thought this was a really honest boy and it was very interesting to chat with him.
Egg Pudding: Huh? Are you saying that chatting with me is a way to practice how to pick up girls? How do you know I'm a girl
Big Fish: I don’t flirt with girls.
What a big fish: Are you a girl
Egg Pudding: I won’t tell you. [Left Hum]
The other party was silent for a moment, then started typing again. Zhan Xi suppressed his laughter and wanted to see what he would say. After a while -
Big Fish: Are you angry? [grievance]
Zhan Xi was really going to be entertained to death by him.
Egg Pudding: I’m not angry. I studied Chinese in college. You can practice chatting with me. If you make any grammatical errors, I can help you correct them!
Big Fish: Really? You are such an amazing person!
Egg Pudding: Then do you want to call me teacher? [Breaking into laughter]
What a big fish: Teacher Egg!
Egg pudding:…
Egg Pudding: Good student, the teacher is sleepy and wants to sleep.
Zhan Xi actually quite enjoyed chatting with him and thought he was a very funny little boy. He just touched his forehead and found that he was really feeling hot and his eyelids were twitching uncontrollably.
Big Fish: If you feel annoyed with me, just tell me, it’s okay, I will make good flowers.
Egg Pudding: I’m not bothering you. I have a slight fever and don’t feel well. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
Zhan Xi wondered curiously whether he would also send a message saying "Drink more hot water", as if this was the most common thing a straight man would say when he heard that a girl was sick.
But the other party did not say this, he just sent a picture.
A cluster of small yellow-green flowers with leaves was gently picked up between her fair and slender fingers. The petals were small like five-pointed stars and looked very delicate and cute.
What a big fish: This is tuberose, I made it.
What a big fish: If you have a fever, you need to take medicine and see a doctor. Teacher Egg, go to bed early and have a sweet dream. Good night.