Chapter 35

Perhaps it was because she had bumped into Lin Yan Zhou in the cafeteria at noon, but Wei Jing’an dreamed of him during her nap.

The dream was a heavy gray. A burning sun hung in the sky. It was the opening ceremony speech for the first year of high school. Everyone sat on benches in the open-air playground. Time had blurred the original colors of her memories.

She must have been feeling very uncomfortable at that time. Her body had been weak since she was little. She couldn’t run, jump, get cold, or get hot. Later, she couldn’t hold it back and almost threw up on the playground. The teacher noticed her unusual behavior and told her to go back to the classroom.

She was sweating profusely. She carried her bench and walked on the road. She felt light as if she wasn’t stepping on anything solid. As she squatted on the ground, feeling uncomfortable and wanting to lie down, Lin Yan Zhou appeared.

He was wearing a clean white shirt and black long pants. His hair was soft and messy. He stood in front of her, blocking the dazzling sunlight. He squatted down on his own initiative. He was dressed so cleanly, not caring at all that he might get his clothes dirty from the student who looked like she was about to throw up.

His hand gently rested on her back. The feeling was magnified, and the sweat that had dampened her entire back gradually stopped. It was cool and sticky, as if she was being targeted by a venomous snake in the dark. She was too weak to think much. She took the candy he offered and stuffed it into her mouth, gulping it down.

The candy tasted delicious, with a strong, sweet, and fishy flavor.

It was a brand she had never seen before. It worked very well. After eating it, her dizzy head quickly returned to normal.

It was Lin Yan Zhou’s appearance that made those gray memories become vivid.

Wei Jing’an woke up from her dream.

She had no classes in the afternoon. Everyone in the dorm was out.

Zhao Meng, who shared a bunk with her, saw her wake up and took off her headphones. “Jingjing, you’re awake?”

Wei Jing’an nodded, climbed out of bed. The dorm was a four-person room with beds above desks. She picked up her cup and took a few sips of water. Her dry throat was moistened, and she felt much better. She didn’t go back to bed. She sat in a chair.

She took out the notebook she had tucked away in the back.

She opened to the newest page and wrote: I came to the school where he is. I saw him. Today was still a great day because I like him.

She drew a cartoon smiley face next to it.

The corners of her lips slightly curled up. She closed the notebook.

Li Jingjing and her bunkmate were chatting. They were talking about what happened at noon.

Li Jingjing: “Jingjing and I saw Lin Yan Zhou. He’s really handsome in person!”

Liu Zilun was also from Qingcheng. She took out her phone and showed it to Li Jingjing: “Right? Right? Of course, he’s handsome. I went to the same junior high and high school as Lin Yan Zhou! Did you just see him by himself? Was Zhang Wei Xuejie around?”

Li Jingjing was confused: “Who’s Zhang Wei Xuejie?”

Liu Zilun exclaimed: “You don’t know Zhang Wei Xuejie? It’s her! The finance department’s four-year reigning department flower. I’ll show you a picture. She’s been childhood sweethearts with Lin Yan Zhou. They both go to Qingda. And Lin Yan Zhou hasn’t lived on campus for a long time. He’s been running a company outside. Why do you think he suddenly came back?”

Wei Jing’an looked up, her fingers unconsciously tapping her palm: “Why?”

Liu Zilun glanced at her and enthusiastically explained: “Of course, it’s because of Zhang Wei Xuejie. Recently, she invited a well-known entrepreneur from China to give a lecture at our school. The lecture you two are going to tomorrow is organized by Zhang Wei Xuejie. Zhang Wei Xuejie has been very busy lately. Lin Xuechang’s abilities are well-known. He must have come back to help her. She looks like she’s lost a lot of weight…”

Li Jingjing scrolled through posts, confused: “Are they together?”

Liu Zilun glanced at her: “They’re definitely flirting. It’s probably just a matter of time.”

Li Jingjing laughed: “You’re their fan, aren’t you?”

Liu Zilun laughed proudly: “Many people like them. They’re both handsome and beautiful, and they’re both excellent. You can check out the posts. It’s the latest post. The title is ‘God and Goddess Love Revealed.’ It mentions the postgraduate program. Lin Xuechang was supposed to be admitted to the postgraduate program. He was the top student in finance. But he gave up his postgraduate program spot for Zhang Wei Xuejie. Of course, Zhang Wei Xuejie got the spot. Don’t you think that’s sweet?”

Wei Jing’an didn’t say anything.

Zhao Meng wasn’t interested in gossip. She was wearing headphones and watching a drama.

Li Jingjing, on the other hand, was enjoying it. After a while, she said, under Liu Zilun’s expectant gaze: “…I don’t think so. Lin Yan Zhou started his own business last year. Now he’s working. His company is doing very well. It wouldn’t be useful for him to get a postgraduate program spot. He wouldn’t give up his job to go back to school, would he?”

Li Jingjing shrugged: “School is for getting a job, right?”

Liu Zilun snatched her phone: “I’m not talking to you anymore. You don’t understand this kind of romance.”

Li Jingjing sighed repeatedly: “Oh my god, Liu Zilun, you’re a bystander. You’re blinded by love.”

Liu Zilun was annoyed. She shared something with Li Jingjing, but she didn’t get a response. It made her feel like there was a lump of frustration in her chest. She took a few breaths and loudly retorted: “You said he’s working. He hasn’t been to school for so many days. Why did he come back recently? If it’s not to help Zhang Wei Xuejie, is he here to watch our freshman military training?”

Li Jingjing was silent for a moment: “You’re right.”

Wei Jing’an clenched her fingers tightly. The joy her dream had brought her didn’t last long. It was quickly shattered by reality.

He’s always been a very excellent guy.

He doesn’t lack suitors or other equally excellent people.

And her liking for him could only be kept a secret.

The gap between them was too big. She didn’t even dare to tell him about her feelings.

Wei Jing’an reopened her notebook and drew a sad face next to the smiley face.

The weather in Qingcheng changed quickly. Yesterday, it was sunny. The next day, it was shrouded in dark clouds. Wei Jing’an stood by the window, looking at the gloomy sky.

“Is it going to rain?”

Li Jingjing replied: “Yeah. It rains a lot in Qingcheng during the summer. I don’t know how long this kind of weather will last.”

The cool, moist air made Wei Jing’an think of Lin Yan Zhou again for no reason. She didn’t understand why. He was kind, gentle, and polite. These gloomy words shouldn’t describe him.

But Wei Jing’an had this feeling.

Just brushing past him was like standing in front of a huge deep-sea monster. The moist air roared towards her. Before she could react, she was swallowed into a sticky, bloody maw.

She lowered her brows and extended her hand, catching a few cold raindrops.

She had imagined countless times what kind of clothes she would wear. But when it came time to go to the lecture, she suddenly got cold feet. She hadn’t really wanted to go. She just wanted to keep Li Jingjing company. But after learning that Lin Yan Zhou might attend, the activity became a must-do.

After thinking about it, Wei Jing’an still wore her most comfortable white short-sleeved shirt and jeans.

The lecture was mainly for students in the finance department. Besides the speaker talking about his own experiences, he would also answer questions about the job prospects for finance students.

The large lecture hall was almost full.

How many people were there for the lecture itself, and how many were there for Zhang Wei Xuejie or Lin Yan Zhou, was unknown.

Li Jingjing pulled Wei Jing’an to find two seats that were separated.

“There are too many people. We can’t sit together. Let’s just sit like this.”

Wei Jing’an nodded.

The boy next to her was handsome and gentle. He took the initiative to greet her. Out of politeness, Wei Jing’an smiled at him.

The boy blushed and lowered his head. For three years of college, he had always been diligent in his studies. Someone had confessed to him on the confession wall, but at that time, he was focused on his studies and didn’t want to waste his energy on other things.

But just now, he clearly felt the cheesy feeling of “his heart being shot by an arrow” that was written in books.

The girl’s personality must be shy. She was pulled around by her friend looking for an empty seat. He had just casually raised his head and hadn’t paid much attention at the time. But just now, she suddenly stood in front of him and said, “Excuse me, classmate,” a little embarrassed. She sat down, next to him.

For a long time, her soft voice lingered in his mind, soft and sweet, like a kitten hiding in the grass, tentatively making a friendly sound to passersby.

Zhao Jingze pretended to draw on a piece of paper with his pen. But in the end, reason was overwhelmed. He turned his head: “Hello, classmate. Are you in the finance department?”

Although the lecture hall was large, there were too many people. Wei Jing’an didn’t see Lin Yan Zhou. She was disappointed. But then she heard the question next to her. The voice was too soft for her to hear. She leaned towards the boy and asked, “…What?”

Zhao Jingze saw her small, cute ears. His face turned red several degrees. He quickly looked away and repeated himself.

Wei Jing’an answered: “No, I’m in applied psychology.”

Zhao Jingze was speechless. He didn’t know what to say. “That’s pretty good. Psychology is interesting, right?”

Wei Jing’an didn’t feel anything, but she still said: “Okay.”

Qingda’s top program was finance. All the students who got into this program were top students. Psychology was in an awkward position. It was the tail-end program.

Wei Jing’an’s academic performance was considered above average. Qingda was one of the best key universities in China. It was already unexpected that she could get in.

She didn’t really care about which program she was in.

Her voice was as soft and harmless as she was.

Zhao Jingze felt like his heart was being scratched by a cat’s claws.

He straightened his back and turned his head to say a few more words, but he couldn’t help but bump into a pair of cold, sinister eyes. The man stood on the stage, wearing a sharp suit. He raised the microphone. His cold and indifferent voice was amplified.

“Quiet.”

After a moment, he said again: “Don’t talk.”

After Lin Yan Zhou stepped down, the invited entrepreneur walked to the front and took the microphone.

The microphone made a loud crackling sound. Lin Yan Zhou stood in the corner, indifferent. His sharp brows and eyes were shrouded in a gloomy cloud. His cold gaze fell on Wei Jing’an, who was in the middle of the crowd.

An inexplicable tightness filled his chest. In a place where he couldn’t see, a huge shadow was growing in the darkness. The veins that crawled all over his body, hidden under his suit, were frantically bulging outwards, gradually turning blood red, like a giant octopus extending its sticky tentacles.

They struggled and writhed under his sharp suit.

The ground beneath his feet was covered in a damp, murky puddle, exuding a dark, swampy smell. His hands, which hung at his sides, clenched tightly. The jealousy that had bred in him made him want to reach out with his tentacles, push the boy away from her, and pull her to his side… He suppressed the malice that had suddenly arisen in his heart.

This malice was too intense. He couldn’t control it.

His brows and eyes were cold. His thin lips were tightly shut.

It made Zhang Wei, who was standing next to him and wanted to ask for his help, stop in her tracks. She had to turn to someone else.

Outside, a sudden downpour began.

The air instantly filled with the dampness of rainwater and the fishy smell of wet soil.

Wei Jing’an forgot everything around her, lost in that voice that made her heart ache. She lowered her head. Lin Yan Zhou’s sudden appearance made her feel uncomfortable. She regretted not dressing up before coming out.

She clutched her pen tightly and took a few deep breaths before slowly raising her head.

Their eyes met across the crowded room.

She immediately froze.

Her cheeks instantly turned red. Her courage couldn’t support her in winning this staring contest. She lowered her head and buried her face in her chest. No matter how she breathed, she couldn’t stop the nervousness and shyness that came from the bottom of her heart.

Did he see her?

It would be best if he didn’t. She was too ordinary and mediocre. It would be enough to just secretly like him. If he found out… She bit her lip, not daring to think about it.

He would gently tell her that she wasn’t his type.

Then, she wouldn’t even have the right to fantasize.

Lin Yan Zhou, of course, saw Wei Jing’an. He saw her cheeks turn from pale to crimson. This process brought him genuine joy.

His gloom dissipated. He took a few steps forward, leaving the water-soaked ground.

The struggling tentacles retreated back into his body.

He stood beside the stage, a gentle, harmless smile on his lips.