Chapter 77 : Coaxing People

The dormitory of the broadcasting station was newly built two years ago, and the facilities were relatively complete. The floor was made of cement, and the walls were painted white, making the place quite bright.

The two walked through the corridor in silence. In the water room, several people were fetching water. Although they were strangers, they greeted Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing warmly. Liang Qingqing smiled in return and obediently stood behind Fan Yanxing, waiting in line with him.

In a hidden corner where no one could see, she playfully tugged at his shirt. When he turned his head to look at her, she quickly slipped her hand inside his shirt and poked his firm abs, pouting and sighing softly, “Ah, some people made promises to me before…”

Before she could finish, Fan Yanxing helplessly grasped her mischievous hand. As he watched the people in front leave the water room one by one, he turned to look at her seriously and said, “I’m just jealous.”

Fan Yanxing’s straightforwardness caught Liang Qingqing off guard. She was momentarily stunned, then burst into a giggle, and said sweetly, “I know, but my eyes and heart are all for you. No other man can squeeze in.”

Her words clearly pleased Fan Yanxing. His previously cold expression softened instantly, a smile breaking out from the corners of his eyes. He cleared his throat, quickly glanced around to ensure no one was watching, and finally let his smile fully show. But then a hint of displeasure crossed his gaze.

“That man from earlier clearly had ill intentions. During the training period, you should keep your distance from him.”

“I know. Don’t worry, I’m right here. No one can steal me away,” Liang Qingqing said, playfully tapping Fan Yanxing’s chest with her index finger and smiling as she tilted her head.

The atmosphere became affectionate. Fan Yanxing, caught off guard by her clear display of affection, found it both amusing and embarrassing. He swallowed, staring at her rosy lips for a while before finally looking away. He turned on the faucet, using the sound of running water to mask his accelerating heartbeat.

“Besides, after today, everyone will know I have a partner. Who would dare to shamelessly try to come between us?” Liang Qingqing said. She never considered straying, so naturally, she didn’t want any troublemakers.

Although Fan Yanxing was easily appeased, over time, the constant jealousy could become more than just sweet words. It would turn into something more serious.

“Let’s hope so,” Fan Yanxing replied. Seeing someone coming to fetch water, he hurriedly responded to Liang Qingqing, holding the basin in one hand and pulling her arm with the other to signal her to follow.

“Are you not jealous anymore?” Liang Qingqing teased as she followed half a step behind him, her tone playfully rising. Fan Yanxing glanced at her with a half-smile and replied, “When it’s just the two of us next time, you can taste the jealousy yourself.”

This made Liang Qingqing stop smiling.

When they reached the room, it was already crowded with people. Liang Qingqing was assigned the lower bunk on the left side near the door. To her surprise, Zhou Lilan was occupying the opposite bed. Her upper bunk was occupied by another female broadcaster from the same village, and the remaining three people were unfamiliar faces.

Everyone was quite pleasant to look at at a glance.

“Yanxing?” Zhou Yongkang immediately spotted Fan Yanxing as he entered the room. He was momentarily stunned but frowned when he saw Liang Qingqing behind him.

He didn’t expect that today, while sending Liang Qingqing off, Fan Yanxing would come to the Liang family’s house. Even if their relationship was good, he wouldn’t be allowed to take time off to send someone, after all, there were still two older brothers around.

Just as he was puzzled, he remembered the rule set by Team Leader Old Xie that only one person from the family was allowed to take time off to send someone off, and it all made sense.

Just as he was letting go of his concerns, Fan Yanxing had already grinned and said, “Secretary Zhou, I’m here to see my partner off to training.”

At these words, Zhou Lilan, who had been busy organizing her things, abruptly looked up in shock at Fan Yanxing, then turned her gaze to Liang Qingqing, her face full of disbelief.

Her reaction was so obvious that Liang Qingqing met her gaze immediately upon looking up, it was impossible to ignore.

But what kind of look was Zhou Lilan giving? It seemed as if she were questioning how Fan Yanxing could be interested in her.

In fact, Zhou Lilan’s initial reaction was exactly that. She couldn’t understand how Fan Yanxing, a talented and capable person from the big city, could be interested in a mere pretty face, especially one that was selfish, arrogant, and lazy…

However, times had changed. Liang Qingqing, whom she once looked down upon, had quietly undergone a dramatic transformation. The girl she had once deemed insignificant was now an intern at the provincial broadcasting station, with a promising future ahead.

Considering this, Fan Yanxing and she did seem like a match made in heaven.

Zhou Lilan lowered her gaze, pinched her palm, and pretended to be indifferent while continuing to pack her things. Zhou Yongkang, standing next to her, naturally saw his daughter’s small gesture. However, he couldn’t say much and could only sigh inwardly. He adjusted his mood and smiled at Fan Yanxing, “Oh? Then I’ll be looking forward to your wedding.”

“Sure, we’ll definitely invite you,” Fan Yanxing replied, his smile deepening at the mention of a wedding.

Seeing this, Zhou Yongkang sighed inwardly again but didn’t show it. He waved his hand and smiled, “You two go ahead and get settled. I’ll help Lilan clean the tables and make the beds.”

Fan Yanxing nodded, placed the basin on the floor, wetted the cloth, and bent down to start cleaning. “I’ll wipe the bed boards first and then make the beds once the water dries.”

“I’ll clean the tables with my mother,” Liang Qingqing said, quickly withdrawing her gaze as soon as Zhou Lilan had looked down. She now looked at Fan Yanxing with a bright smile, her eyes filled with a meaningful expression.

Finally, it was her turn to feel jealous!

But did Fan Yanxing know that Zhou Lilan had feelings for him? Perhaps it wasn’t exactly love, but rather an affection, as Zhou Lilan’s look earlier was more of surprise and shock rather than sadness or distress.

Never mind, she wouldn’t hold this jealousy against Fan Yanxing. It was likely to backfire, given that her own romantic entanglements were far more numerous.

The dormitory was noisy and bustling. Everyone was too busy to chat much. After exchanging brief greetings, they started tidying up their beds and belongings. If they didn’t get things organized, they’d have no place to sleep that night.

The weather was hot, so the tables and bed boards, wiped down with water, dried quickly. Fan Yanxing was quick and efficient, spreading out the bedding while Liang Qingqing lent a hand. Soon, everything was set up, and her belongings were neatly arranged on the table, with valuable items hidden away.

Although she trusted that no one would dare steal in such a situation since it would be foolish to risk a hard-earned job over trivial gains being cautious was always wise.

After they finished setting up, Liang Qingqing went to Dorm 503 to find Huang Yali and invite her to join them for a meal. However, Huang Yali declined, saying she was going home to eat because her mother had made a special meal.

Upon hearing this, Liang Qingqing didn’t insist. She followed Fan Yanxing and Ma Xiuzhi to the state-run restaurant. This was Ma Xiuzhi’s first time dining at a state-run restaurant, and she seemed unsure of how to behave. She let Liang Qingqing decide what to order, agreeing to everything she chose.

“After coming a few more times, you’ll get used to it. When I get my salary, I’ll invite everyone to eat,” Liang Qingqing said, resting her chin on her hands with a smile.

“Save your salary for yourself,” Ma Xiuzhi instinctively advised. However, as soon as she spoke, Liang Qingqing lightly tapped her hand. “Mom, you can’t save money forever. We need to enjoy the present,” she said with a cheerful tone.

Ma Xiuzhi couldn’t agree with this reasoning. Money was good, and saving it was not a bad thing. It could buy more expensive things and be kept for emergencies…

Enjoying the moment was all well and good, but what if they needed money in the future?

Ma Xiuzhi wanted to explain this to Liang Qingqing but saw Fan Yanxing nearby and decided to hold her thoughts for now. She would talk about it another time.

The skilled cooking at the state-run restaurant was impeccable. After they had eaten their fill, the three of them took a walk, accompanying Liang Qingqing back to her place.

“When we have our next break, we’ll come to the city to visit you. Don’t go back to the village. It’s too troublesome running back and forth,” Ma Xiuzhi said as she held Liang Qingqing’s hand and then left with Fan Yanxing.

Watching them leave, Liang Qingqing leaned on the railing on the second floor, feeling an inexplicable melancholy. She was lost in thought until she heard footsteps behind her and realized she had been daydreaming alone for a while.

Turning around, she saw three pairs of somewhat familiar eyes the roommates from her shared room.

They must have gone out to explore the nearby area and were now discussing the local scenery. They stopped talking when they saw Liang Qingqing.

“Back already?” Liang Qingqing took the initiative to speak, flashing a friendly smile. Her features became lively and vivid, bathed in the evening glow behind her, making her look stunning.

The three of them were not very outgoing. They were momentarily dazzled by Liang Qingqing’s beauty and took some time to respond.

“Yes, have you finished your meal and come back?”

The person speaking had short hair that reached her ears and two adorable little fang-like teeth that showed when she smiled. Liang Qingqing remembered her name was Zhang Xiaoyue. She and the girl next to her, Deng Ping, were both educated youth from the neighboring village, and they had a good relationship. They had both been selected as announcers and had grown even closer.

The other person was Chen Juan, also an announcer chosen from the educated youth group. However, she was older, already married with children in their village. It was said she had a five-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter.

They exchanged a few casual remarks, which made their relationship more comfortable. They laughed and chatted as they all entered the dormitory together.

Soon after, Zhou Lilan and Wang Chunrong returned as well. They were holding hands and seemed to be in high spirits, greeting everyone as they walked in.

Seeing this, Liang Qingqing felt a sense of relief. Based on the current situation, the dormitory didn’t have any “strange” individuals with awkward personalities. However, she couldn’t be entirely sure, as they had only just met. It would take some time to see if anyone had any hidden quirks.

Liang Qingqing sincerely hoped that nothing unusual would happen in the next half month and that everything would go smoothly.

As they were all unfamiliar with each other, they chatted briefly before heading to wash up. Since tomorrow was the first official day of training, everyone wanted to get a good night’s sleep and thus all headed to the water room with their basins.

Having just finished eating, Liang Qingqing felt a bit full. Seeing the long line at the water room, she decided not to join the queue. Instead, she pulled out a book from her desk and began to read to pass the time. This book was borrowed from Fan Yanxing. He didn’t have many books, most of them were popular revolutionary literature. Liang Qingqing had carefully chosen a biography with a narrative.

She was not interested in or inclined to read the more abstract books.

Her leisurely reading caught the eye of Zhou Lilan, who looked over with curiosity. Her eyelashes fluttered as she quickly glanced at the book cover while pretending to pick up something.

She was surprised to find that Liang Qingqing was reading a biography by an author she liked. This sparked a feeling of excitement in her, as if she had found a kindred spirit.

“I have a few more of his books if you’re interested. I can lend them to you if you’d like,” Zhou Lilan offered.

As soon as the words were out, Zhou Lilan realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud. Her ears instantly turned a shade of pink, and she couldn’t help but look at Liang Qingqing with a hint of expectation.