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Chapter 20: It’s Not a Big Deal If You’re Wrong

After leaving the mobile phone store, the two of them went to a nearby electronics mall.

With rows of laptops on display and flashy LED promotional videos on the walls, they stepped inside. As soon as they entered, the staff, who had been chatting together, turned to look at them. The mall, with dozens of shops on the same floor, was even more enthusiastic than the mobile phone store. This made Jian Li feel a bit uncomfortable; she preferred to browse quietly on her own.

Noticing her discomfort, Zhou Shubei lowered his head and asked, “Do you have any preferences for the color?”

Jian Li replied, “No.”

Zhou Shubei nodded and motioned for her to sit on a nearby sofa. “I’ll take a look around. If I find something suitable, I’ll call you.”

“Okay.”

Jian Li sat down in the corner of the sofa, and a staff member brought her a cup of warm water. She thanked them, the temperature just right against her palm. Jian Li took a few sips, then looked at her new phone. However, it felt a little too intentional. She glanced around at others. They were holding their phones casually, as if it was the most normal thing to do.

They were focused—some were smiling at the screen, some were typing quickly, others were giggling and sharing something with their friends, holding up their arms to take selfies, redoing them if they didn’t look right. Some were taking photos of Zhou Shubei.

They all seemed so natural.

“Ding dong!”

The loud notification sound caught the attention of two people nearby who were looking at their phones.

Jian Li fumbled with her unfamiliar phone, the screen so clear it almost hurt her eyes. After unlocking it, she immediately turned the sound off.

[Tan Xueying: Look at this! New Year’s event—first place can earn extra credits and go to Ice River!]

[Tan Xueying: We four can form a team.]

It was an event organized by the student union. Anyone in the school could sign up, either individually or in teams. Registration required team info and a performance program. The spots were limited, and the student union would select interesting participants based on the list.

Jian Li was tempted by the extra credits, but she felt uneasy about performing in front of the whole school. She was also quite averse to the attention. [I don’t know anything. Sorry, Yingying.]

[Tan Xueying: Just sign up and try. You don’t have to be chosen. Other departments have plenty of programs.]

Before Jian Li could reply, she heard Zhou Shubei calling her name. “Jian Li.”

She got up and walked over. Zhou Shubei slightly moved to the side, offering her space. “Take a look.”

Jian Li wasn’t much into computers, but she did want one that looked nice. She preferred a white, thin one with an appropriate screen size—it looked clean and comfortable, and the price was also reasonable.

“Looks good.”

Zhou Shubei turned to the staff and said, “This one, please. Get the highest configuration.”

In just over an hour, Jian Li had almost everything packed. Zhou Shubei still had other things to attend to. At the school gate, Jian Li took her things and got out of the car. As she stood by the window, she said, “Thanks. When you have time, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Zhou Shubei responded and handed her the bag he had placed by his feet. “Here, take it.”

It was heavy—the things he had bought at the mobile phone store.

Zhou Shubei smiled lazily. “You can thank me now.”

Back in her dorm, Tan Xueying had just finished a game and strolled over. “You bought a laptop?”

“Mm, the old one doesn’t work anymore,” Jian Li said, gently putting the bag down.

“Yeah, it’s time for old gadgets to retire. The new one is much more comfortable to use,” Tan Xueying said, happy for her friend. She helped take the old computer away. “I’ll post it on the second-hand market. It’ll sell for 200-300 easily. You also bought a phone and tablet?”

The brand logo was obvious, and Tan Xueying picked up the box. “This is really useful for taking notes in class and stuff. It has the largest storage, so you don’t have to write in a notebook. Electronic files are easy to find, and they won’t degrade.”

Jian Li took everything out of the bag, including the tablet, a stylus, two sets of Bluetooth earphones (one black and one white), three spare data cables, charging adapters, a tempered glass screen protector, a protective case, and a portable charger.

She had bought everything she might need.

Tan Xueying looked at all the items in surprise. “Why did you suddenly buy so much?”

Jian Li was usually very frugal. When Tan Xueying saw the computer, she felt that Jian Li was finally treating her consumption needs properly. When she saw the phone, she thought it wasn’t too much, considering the old one was outdated. But when everything was laid out, even Jian Li was a bit surprised by the amount.

“Did someone guide you to spend like this?” Tan Xueying asked, feeling concerned. She had heard of cases where people were manipulated into spending for commissions or had small loans opened without their knowledge. “Did you sign anything or have your face scanned? Who was it? Was it this guy?” She looked at the screen and saw a familiar cat icon.

“Zhou Shubei?” Tan Xueying recognized it.

She wasn’t particularly close to Zhou Shubei, but she had seen that cat picture on her brother’s WeChat, and her brother had noted down his full name. She had also seen pictures of the cat on Sheng Ying’s moments. When she asked, Sheng Ying told her that the cat was Zhou Shubei’s and was called Marshmallow—a heterochromatic cat.

Jian Li asked: [How much were these items?]

She needed to keep track of her expenses.

Zhou Shubei replied quickly. Probably because typing was inconvenient on the road, he sent a voice message: “They’re for you. Don’t forget to thank me.”

The background noise was loud with wind, and his tone was casual, like giving a child ten bucks—just a small, thoughtless gesture.

He didn’t explain further, and Jian Li didn’t ask again. Some items had price tags, and for the others, she asked Tan Xueying and searched online.

Tan Xueying looked at her putting everything away and asked, “Are you and Zhou Shubei together now?”

Jian Li froze for a moment. “No.”

“Then he’s chasing you?” Tan Xueying continued speculating. “Zhou Shubei’s way of chasing someone is practical yet a bit romantic. What are you going to do?”

Jian Li didn’t have any plans, closing the storage box. “He’s not chasing me. He’s just a nice person helping me out, just like how Yingying helps me.”

One helped her find part-time work, and the other lent her money to get out of a tough situation.

Tan Xueying was half-convinced. “Really? Something doesn’t feel right.”

She didn’t want to linger on this topic, afraid of overthinking, getting greedy, or developing unattainable feelings.

“How about the team for the event?” she changed the subject.

Tan Xueying sighed. “Chu Yue and Qing Wen can’t make it; they’re swamped with studying for their law finals. I posted on the forum, hoping to find some suitable teammates.”

This semester, the winter break was early. The exam was the week after New Year’s.

Thanks to the forum, Tan Xueying quickly found two teammates. They arranged to meet at the second canteen to discuss. Tan Xueying decided to take Jian Li along.

At the second canteen during off-peak hours, there weren’t many people. Tan Xueying casually linked arms with Jian Li, who tightened her grip on her books but didn’t move.

“Junior, over here!”

The familiar voice.

Jian Li looked over. By the wooden railing, Song Lang waved at them, and Zhou Shubei was sitting nearby, holding his phone to his ear, glancing over when he heard the sound.

Jian Li felt a jolt, her hand almost burning against the glass door. “Is it them?”

Tan Xueying smiled. “Yeah, Song Lang wants to go ice fishing in Ice River. He signed up for the event too. Zhou Shubei doesn’t know.”

The four of them had already eaten. Song Lang bought four cups of different flavored hot fruit tea. Tan Xueying was about to say something when Jian Li picked up the cup with less sugar.

“Jian Li’s joining too? Then we have exactly four people. A small duet team,” Song Lang said.

Jian Li opened her straw. “I’m not joining.”

Song Lang asked, “Why?”

Tan Xueying quickly chimed in, “Li Li’s too busy. Who’s going to be the lead singer? Let me be clear—I can’t sing.”

“Old Zhou, of course,” Song Lang said, slinging an arm around Zhou Shubei’s neck, pointing to him. “Top 10 Campus Singer. Good looks, talent, popularity—he’s the lead. I’ll play the drums. What about you, Junior?”

“Guzheng, Konghou,” Tan Xueying said, sipping some rose puff tea. “Not sure how it’ll go with your drums.”

“East meets West—it’ll work. We’ll see when we try,” Song Lang replied, giving Tan Xueying a thumbs-up. “You can play Konghou? Impressive.”

“Keep it low-key,” Tan Xueying said modestly, then turned to Zhou Shubei. “What should we sing? East meets West—what should we perform?”

Zhou Shubei leaned back, removing Song Lang’s hand from his shoulder, and lazily scanned the room. “Still undecided.”

And so, they started discussing songs.

Mostly, Tan Xueying and Song Lang did the talking, with Zhou Shubei chiming in occasionally. Jian Li quietly listened, the room growing darker as the glass reflected their figures.

“Let’s sing folk songs. They’re pretty popular lately,” Song Lang suggested. “Old Zhou’s voice would suit folk songs.”

Zhou Shubei casually declined. “No.”

Song Lang protested, “Why not?”

“No reason. I don’t need a reason not to sing,” Zhou Shubei replied with a slight smile, then asked Jian Li, “Teacher Jian, do you have any candy?”

“Yes,” she said, taking out two lozenges from her bag.

Tan Xueying’s eyes widened. She glanced between Zhou Shubei and Jian Li, then suddenly realized something and silently chuckled.

After more than half an hour of discussing, they hadn’t reached a conclusion. Jian Li stood up to go to the restroom. The cold water flowed through her fingers, and her mind kept circling back to the fact that Zhou Shubei would be singing.

She had never heard him sing before. The week after he’d returned the umbrella, she had heard that he had been accepted to Beicheng University, bypassing the college entrance exam—a fact that had made her classmates envious.

She hadn’t seen him since. The basketball court had been empty, and the classmates who used to crowd around the windows had all gone home. At the Monday flag-raising ceremony, the head of the teaching department had announced the news, encouraging everyone to work hard and aim for Beicheng University.

“Why not go to Beicheng University? Is it because I don’t like it?” Her desk mate sighed, his face against the test paper. “Ball ball, please give me an unforgettable brain. I’d be willing to trade ten years of mixed diet for it.”

“You’re really unwilling to lose a single thing,” a girl in front of them laughed.

“What’s wrong with that? It’s just wishing, and of course, I wish for the version without side effects,” the desk mate said.

“That’s a good point.”

Jian Li finished the last question and, as usual, looked out the window. The trees along the river had blossomed, and a group of ducks swam leisurely in the water.

She searched on her phone for the distance between Xiyuan and Beicheng—over 2000 kilometers.

The bell rang, pulling her back to the present. She dried her hands and returned to her seat.

Tan Xueying and Song Lang had already left. Only Zhou Shubei remained.

“Where did they go?” Jian Li asked.

“They went downstairs to buy some food.”

Jian Li nodded and noticed a cup of warm water placed in front of her. It was obvious who had made it. “Thank you.”

Zhou Shubei raised an eyebrow, his tone casual. “It’s just a cup of water. No need to be so formal.”

Jian Li took a big sip. “Because you weren’t obligated to do it.”

Zhou Shubei laughed lightly. “Fine, but next time, you don’t need to say it. I’ve heard it so many times, my ears are getting calloused.”

Jian Li held the cup with both hands, silent for a moment before responding.

Zhou Shubei looked at her with curiosity, as though asking casually, “Is your robotics engineering final that busy?”

“Yes,” Jian Li said, meeting his amused gaze. That little white lie was quietly revealed. Her grip tightened around the cup as she admitted, “I don’t know anything. I’d just be a burden.”

Zhou Shubei rubbed his neck, lightly tapping the table with his long fingers, then gestured to the door. “Guess if the next one to come in is a man or a woman?”

Jian Li didn’t understand the sudden change in topic, and Zhou Shubei laughed. “Just guess.”

This area had a football field nearby, next to basketball and badminton courts. It was still early for evening joggers, and most people were playing basketball. The art school was next door, and when Jian Li stepped out of the restroom, she saw a guy walking toward them.

“A man,” she guessed.

Just as she finished speaking, the glass door opened, and two girls walked in. The guy she had seen was a few steps behind them.

She had guessed wrong.

Jian Li looked at Zhou Shubei, who smiled lazily. “It’s not a big deal if you’re wrong.”

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