Extra 4: If-4

On Thursday afternoon, He Ye only had two classes. Afterward, she went with Meng Qiao to a barbershop outside of school.

In high school, girls didn’t have many hairstyle choices. But in college, they quickly improved their fashion skills and began leaving behind their high school look.

Meng Qiao had already saved a photo of the hairstyle she wanted on her phone. She showed it to the barber: “Can you do this?”

The barber looked at the photo: “Yes, big curls? That style is really popular now.”

He Ye sat next to Meng Qiao, getting her hair cut. The barber glanced at He Ye’s photo and asked, “Are you getting the same style?”

He Ye shook her head and showed him the photo of the hairstyle she wanted.

The barber: “Air bangs? They’ll suit you perfectly. Don’t worry, I promise you’ll look amazing.”

He Ye looked at herself in the mirror, feeling both excited and nervous, afraid the reality might not match her expectations.

_

Nine o’clock in the evening was the time He Ye and Lu Jin usually had their video call, and her roommates all knew about it.

The three girls put down what they were doing a few minutes early and smiled at He Ye.

Meng Qiao: “When Lu Jin sees Ye Zi’s new hairstyle, will he be so amazed that he flies over tonight?”

Wang Ran: “That’s too much. He might fly over tomorrow night, though.”

Guo Leyan: “I’m so jealous of Lu Jin. He can do whatever he wants with Ye Zi, but we can only watch.”

He Ye: “…”

She tried to escape to the balcony, but the three roommates blocked her way, insisting that she stay in the room so they could witness Lu Jin’s reaction.

Outnumbered, He Ye was forced back into her chair. Guo Leyan even turned on the flashlight dramatically to add extra lighting.

He Ye laughed awkwardly because of her roommates, and when the video call alert rang, her heart skipped a few beats.

Her roommates fell silent immediately.

He Ye was curious about Lu Jin’s reaction. Would he really be surprised, or would he not even notice her new hairstyle?

After hesitating for over ten seconds, He Ye pressed the answer button.

Lu Jin, who seemed to have just left the library, sat on his bike. He was smiling when the call connected. But after seeing He Ye clearly, he zoomed in on the screen, focusing intently. His smile faded as if he was studying an experiment with seriousness.

He Ye lowered her eyes, embarrassed, while her roommates burst into laughter.

With their goal met, He Ye quickly left her chair and went to the balcony.

Lu Jin saw the screen shake and realized that he and He Ye had become entertainment for her roommates.

When the screen settled again, it showed the rear camera view.

Lu Jin: “A new hairstyle?”

He Ye: “Yeah.”

Lu Jin: “I didn’t get a good look, show me again.”

He Ye didn’t move.

Lu Jin: “I’ll see it sooner or later.”

He Ye: “Then we’ll wait until next time.”

Lu Jin: “Fine, I’ll come over tomorrow night.”

He Ye, now panicked, said, “The National Day holiday starts soon. You can’t come this week.”

She had classes on Sunday and then again on Monday and Tuesday. The seven-day holiday would start on Wednesday.

No matter how wealthy Lu Jin was, He Ye didn’t want him spending money so freely.

Lu Jin: “Are you going home for National Day?”

He Ye: “Of course, don’t you plan on going home?”

Lu Jin: “I was hoping to take you to visit Beijing.”

He Ye: “I definitely have to go home, and it’s tourist week, so Beijing will be packed.”

Lu Jin: “I wouldn’t go to the crowded places. I’d mostly stay on campus, but I’d love for you to show me around some of your favorite spots.”

He Ye hesitated. She couldn’t tell whether Lu Jin was more interested in her or the famous Tsinghua University.

Lu Jin: “Come over on the 1st, go home on the 5th, and return to school on the 7th. I’m sure uncle would be okay with that.”

He Ye thought, even if she didn’t go home for National Day, her dad wouldn’t mind as long as she had a good reason, like studying or spending time with her roommates.

Lu Jin: “Or go home first and visit Beijing later. It’s up to you.”

He Ye: “…I haven’t decided yet.”

Lu Jin: “No matter where you are, I’ll definitely come to find you.”

He Ye: “…Let’s talk about National Day later. For now, don’t come over this week.”

Lu Jin: “Okay, now let me see the new look.”

To make He Ye feel less embarrassed, Lu Jin switched his camera to rear-facing.

Feeling more at ease, He Ye turned her camera back around.

She held her phone up silently, glancing to the left, right, and outside.

After a long silence, Lu Jin finally spoke again: “Don’t move.”

He Ye looked at the screen: “What?” 

Lu Jin: “I’m taking screenshots. The first few were blurry.”

A few minutes after He Ye agreed to visit Beijing for a few days, a message appeared on her phone about her flight. 

Apparently, her boyfriend had booked her a flight to Beijing at 7:30 PM on September 30th. 

He Ye checked the air ticket prices and gritted her teeth before messaging her boyfriend: [The high-speed rail ticket on the 1st is only 600 yuan!] 

Even though He Ye had almost six figures in savings, she was still used to being frugal, having just graduated from high school. A high-speed rail ticket costing over 600 yuan seemed expensive to her, but now, after her boyfriend’s action, she felt that traveling by rail was actually economical. 

Team Leader: [I will take the high-speed rail next time I go to Shanghai, until I can afford your ticket.] 

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [Even if you have money, you shouldn’t spend it so recklessly.]

Team Leader: [Or you can manage my money for me?]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [I don’t want to.]

Team Leader: [You seem like you really want to.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [If you keep saying that, I’ll ignore you.]

Team Leader: [Okay, I promise you that when I graduate from college, my savings will not be less than what I showed you last time.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [If you don’t spend so much, your savings after graduation could even double.]

Team Leader: [Which is more important, my savings or my mental health? I can’t stand seeing you less.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [That’s a twisted way of thinking.]

Team Leader: [You don’t miss me as much, so you don’t understand.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [That’s right, I don’t miss you. Refund the ticket. I’m not going.]

Team Leader: [You miss Tsinghua University, and Tsinghua represents Beijing. Welcome to visit, He Ye.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [……]

He represents Beijing? Why not all of China?

On September 30th, at 9:50 PM, the plane landed on time.

He Ye turned on her phone. Lu Jin’s message popped up: [I’m at the exit.]

Ye Ziyuanyuan: [The plane hasn’t landed yet. It might take a few more minutes.]

Team Leader: [No rush, take your time.]

He Ye put away her phone.

The male passenger next to her took down his suitcase, glanced at He Ye’s, and helped her take hers down as well.

He Ye politely thanked him.

The weather was cool, and He Ye had packed three sets of clothes and a few books in her small suitcase.

As the plane stopped, He Ye dragged her suitcase and joined the line to walk out.

Lu Jin was standing right at the exit, tall and dressed in black pants and a white sweatshirt. Before He Ye even noticed him, his narrow black eyes had already locked onto his girlfriend.

He Ye felt a bit awkward due to the new relationship.

Lu Jin took her suitcase with one hand and handed her the coat he had brought with the other: “It’s raining, and it’s cold today.”

He Ye had checked the weather and wore long sleeves, but still underestimated how chilly Beijing would be that night.

She put on her boyfriend’s coat, which was loose and carried the familiar scent of laundry detergent she had often smelled during the summer break.

“Let’s go,” Lu Jin said, taking her hand.

In this unfamiliar airport and city, He Ye instinctively trusted her boyfriend.

As they exited the airport, night had already fallen, and a humid wind blew, tossing her long hair around her shoulders.

Lu Jin tilted his head.

Noticing his movement, He Ye lowered her eyes.

To Lu Jin, his girlfriend’s soft white cheeks and calm gaze made her the type of girl who could either be protected by some boys or bullied by others.

Lu Jin had both these instincts.

He liked her very much, and sometimes wanted to make her cry.

But he had promised they would sleep in separate rooms for the next few nights, just like in the hotel in Shanghai.

He Ye trusted him—he had just arrived, and she knew he wouldn’t disappoint her.

The taxi arrived, and Lu Jin stored away the suitcase before sitting next to his girlfriend.

“Are you sleepy?” Lu Jin asked softly.

He Ye shook her head, gazing out the window and admiring the night view of the capital city.

Lu Jin didn’t interrupt her.

Although there was no traffic jam at night, the distance was far, and it still took 50 minutes to reach the neighborhood where Lu Jin had rented an apartment. By the time they arrived, it was already 11 PM.

Lu Jin opened the umbrella, held it with one hand, and dragged the suitcase with the other.

Raindrops hit the suitcase, but since it was waterproof, there was nothing to worry about.

Noticing He Ye looking around, Lu Jin explained: “These are mostly older neighborhoods.”

He Ye understood. It wasn’t like newer cities where high-rise buildings could be built anywhere.

Lu Jin had rented a place on the third floor of a six-story building with no elevator.

He Ye held the umbrella while Lu Jin walked beside her, carrying the suitcase.

The paint in the hallway was a bit worn, and the voice-activated lights weren’t very bright. On the dimly lit stairs, only their footsteps could be heard.

He Ye had a strange feeling, as if something more could happen in this old-fashioned setting.

When they reached the third floor, Lu Jin turned left, took out his keys, and opened the door.

He Ye entered first.

She had seen the apartment before in a video call. While Lu Jin didn’t mind living in an old neighborhood, he would never compromise on the interior design.

The two-bedroom apartment had clearly been renovated by the landlord recently, with a stylish and classy look.

Lu Jin brought in the suitcase and took out a pair of brand-new white slippers from the shoe cabinet. Bending down, he placed them at He Ye’s feet.

He stood up straight, looked down at her, and said, “I bought these just for you.”

His voice was so close, He Ye felt her heart race. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.

Lu Jin followed her gaze and saw that his sleeve was half-wet.

He didn’t seem to mind: “I’ll change later.”

He Ye told him to change now, while she could explore the apartment on her own.

It was a two-bedroom apartment, over 60 square meters in size. You could walk across the living room in just a few steps.

There were two bedrooms. Lu Jin had just walked into one, and He Ye opened the door to the other, which was half-open.

The room wasn’t big. The bed was covered with a four-piece set with white and light pink edges and scattered rose patterns. There were two photo frames on the bedside table: one with a photo of the two of them, and the other with a photo of He Ye herself.

He Ye looked at both the master bedroom and the guest room. It was hard not to like it.