Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Yang Ming quickly dialed Lan Lingâs number, but a message came â âUser had shut down.â Yang Ming sighed. Lan Ling had been away for four months. He didnât know how her studies have been going, and he had yet to get her grandmotherâs authentic teaching.
The phone rang suddenly, and Yang Ming was surprised. He thought that Lan Ling had called back, but when he looked at the number, it wasnât her. It was an unfamiliar out-of-town long-distance phone number.
âh.e.l.lo.â Yang Ming picked up the phone.
âLittle Yang? Iâm Yingyingâs mother!â The voice of w.a.n.g Guifen came over the phone.
âAunty, h.e.l.lo.â Yang Ming said politely, âAre you looking for me?â
âItâs like this. That⊠Didnât I bring Yingying to attend a wedding? As a result, someone here likes Yingying. He asked her to go out with him today! I just wanted to remind you not to let a rival take her awayâŠâ w.a.n.g Guifen had always believed that only compet.i.tion could reflect the importance of her daughter. Therefore, when she found out that someone was pursuing Zhao Ying, she quickly informed Yang Ming.
Although her daughterâs suitor was from the Sui Family, w.a.n.g Guifenâs interest was no longer piqued. In her view, the Sui Familyâs strength was far worse than Yang Ming.
âWait, Aunty. How come Zhao Ying also went? Didnât she say she was not going?â Yang Ming asked in shock.
âIt just happened that she finished her report in the past few days, and she had nothing going on, so she came with us.â w.a.n.g Guifen said, âRight, we will go back tomorrow, but the tickets are hard to buy nowâŠâ
âThen how about this, Aunty? I will go and pick you up.â How could Yang Ming not understand w.a.n.g Guifenâs meaning?
âReally? Isnât this troublesome?â w.a.n.g Guifen pretended to be embarra.s.sed and asked.
âItâs okay. Then, should I go there tomorrow morning?â asked Yang Ming.
âYou can come earlier, too. Yingying misses you,â said w.a.n.g Guifen.
Zhao Ying missed him? Yang Ming was shocked until he didnât know what to say, and he didnât know whether what w.a.n.g Guifen said was true or false.
âOkayâŠâ Yang Ming hung up the phone inexplicably and stretched. Valentineâs Day, itâs really not easy to celebrate.
Yang Ming put on his coat, came to the balcony and watched Song Jiang in the cold wind, a city that he had lived in for nearly two decades. He wanted to light a cigarette but found that he had forgotten where he left the lighter. It might have been lost at sea today, or it might have been left in the hotel where he lingered with Chen Mengyan.
Yang Ming reluctantly put the cigarette back into the cigarette case.
Suddenly, Yang Ming was keenly aware that someone was watching him. He abruptly turned his head and found that Shu Ya was looking at him from another balcony.
Yang Ming was astounded, Am I not the only one on this floor? However, he immediately remembered. Shu Ya lived on the top floor, and the loft where Yang Ming stayed was indeed one level higher than Shu Yaâs. He was now in the level below the loft, which was next to Shu Yaâs room. Only half of the s.p.a.ce on the top floor was changed to the lobby below the loft.
âHow come you didnât rest yet?â Yang Ming saw Shu Ya, sighed and waved at her.
âArenât you not asleep yet? Youâre already here. Why donât you come to see me?â Shu Yaâs voice was calm. He didnât know what she was thinking.
âI just got here. I thought you have rested.â After all, Yang Ming and Shu Ya were just ordinary friends. Yang Ming couldnât go to see Shu Ya every time he came to Tavern Heaven on Earth.
âCome and chat with me?â Shu Ya batted her eyes.
âNow? Isnât it too late? Another day maybe?â Yang Ming said in a dilemma.
âWhy? Did you come with your girlfriend?â Shu Ya smiled.
Yang Ming was helpless. He looked at the time on the phone and said, âOkay, Iâll just go sit for a while.â
â En , then you come over. I will open the door for you.â Shu Ya said with some delight.
âNo need. I will go over from here.â Yang Ming jumped out along the edge of the balcony and climbed to Shu Yaâs balcony like Spider-Man. After a few moments, he stood in front of Shu Ya.
â Oh , your skills in having an affair is good!â Shu Ya smiled.
Yang Ming almost didnât stand still after listening, and smiled bitterly, âI do this to a.s.sa.s.sinate people. What does it have to do with an affair?â
âYou must be quite busy on Valentineâs Day?â Shu Ya asked with some sarcasm.
âHow do you know?â asked Yang Ming.
âIâm guessing,â said Shu Ya. âI am leaving tomorrow. The concert here is over.â
âYouâre leaving tomorrow?â Yang Ming was stunned. He didnât pay attention to the schedule of the concert.
â En , Iâll go to Macau tomorrow, and then go back to the mainland, but it wonât be Song Jiang anymore. Then itâll have to be arranged again.â Shu Ya said, âThank you for your hospitality during this time. Iâm really happy.â
Yang Ming was still wondering why Shu Ya was still looking for a chat even though it was so late. It turned out that she wanted to say goodbye to him. He also felt a little bit emotional at the same time. He recalled the process of getting acquainted with Shu Ya. It seemed like a fairy-tale.
Yang Ming was also feeling unfortunate about the mystery that had always puzzled him. Yang Ming had never been able to connect Shu Ya and Su Ya together, but these two people were amazingly similar in some respects!
After his bafflement, Yang Ming could only chalk it to the wonders of the world to explain such a coincidence.
âI wonât say those words of goodbye, but you can contact me whenever you need to.â Yang Ming sighed.
â Hehe , it seems that you really see me as your good friend.â Shu Ya smiled.
âSpeaking of which, I am honored. I really get a lot of face when I say that I have a big celebrity as a friend.â Yang Ming also smiled, âI am far worse. If you speak of me, no one would know me.â
âWhy should you say it out? Itâs enough to remember it in your own heart.â Shu Ya didnât care about it. She took a well-wrapped item from the coffee table and handed it to Yang Ming. âThis is for you.â
âA Valentineâs Day gift?â Yang Ming was a little surprised. âDo you have a secret crush on me?â
âYeah, what about it?â Shu Ya smiled and said, âItâs only a temporary farewell gift. Open it when you go back.â
âOkay.â Yang Ming nodded and said, âI didnât know you were leaving. I will give you a gift next time.â
âIt doesnât matter, Hehe .â Shu Ya didnât care. âOkay, go back earlier. Your girlfriend would be anxious later.â
Yang Ming smiled awkwardly, but what Shu Ya said was also true. Sun Jie should already have taken a shower. Yang Ming stood up and returned to his room from the balcony.
However, Yang Ming still overestimated the speed of Sun Jie and Xiao Qing. The two had yet to come out of the bathroom. Yang Ming even thought evilly, Are these two people doing some shady business that exceeded friends.h.i.+p?
He wanted to use his x-ray vision to see, but he held back. It was really tasteless to peek at his own women. If he wanted to see it, he could look righteously.
He knocked on the door. After a while, Sun Jieâs voice came. âWho is it? What do you want?â
âOpen the door. I also want to wash up,â said Yang Ming simply.
âIf you have the ability, you can come in through the wall.â Sun Jie replied seriously.
Yang Ming scratched his head and looked at the thin door panel and the fragile door lock, but he still couldnât actually do it. There were waiters in the vicinity. Although they wouldnât interfere at all, it was still somewhat inappropriate.
At this time, he received a call from Guo Jianchao. âBrother Yang, do you need to call the waiters to withdraw?â
Yang Ming looked at the waiters at a distance and looked at the door in front of him. It was hard to resist. He finally gritted his teeth and said seriously, âOkay, I have to rest. Have them all withdraw.â
âOkay, I will inform them. Brother Yang, call me again if you need anything,â said Guo Jianchao.
Sure enough, not long after, these waiters received a short message. After giving a salute to Yang Ming, they left the top floor.
A little while after these people left, Yang Ming carefully put his hand on the door handle of the bathroom. Just as he touched it, the door of the bathroom opened. Yang Ming was shocked. Before he could retract his hand that was extended halfway, Sun Jie and Xiao Qing walked out having changed into their pajamas. Xiao Qing didnât care, but when Sun Jie saw Yang Mingâs hand in mid-air, she mocked, âDid you think of doing something worse than an animal? But it is useless to think about it. The door was locked from inside. Even you couldnât pull it open.â
Yang Ming took back his hand awkwardly. He smiled and said, âDid you two finish showering?â
âDonât you want to wash? We would give you the place.â Sun Jie said with a smile.
Yang Ming was disheartened. Did you not know that I wanted to shower with you? But it was already like this, Yang Ming had to walk into the bathroom and close the door without locking it. Thinking about it, Sun Jie and Xiao Qing wouldnât come in. If they did come in, it would be better.
Yang Ming was injured, so he simply wiped down his body. He didnât take a bath or use the sauna.
Walking out of the bathroom, Yang Ming shouted twice, but he didnât see anyone. Looking upstairs, he saw a room with a âDo not disturbâ sign. Yang Ming smiled. Apparently, it was locked from the inside.
Yang Ming wanted to see if they had slept or not, so he used his special abilities and looked into the room. He saw that Sun Jie was kneeling by the door and watching the movement outside through the peephole. On the other hand, Xiao Qing was sitting on the edge of the bed grinning at Sun Jieâs somewhat funny actions.
Yang Ming found it funny. It seems that Sun Jie is observing me! So, Yang Ming didnât look at the room anymore. He went into another room. Then he laid down on the bed and looked at the movement in Sun Jieâs room with his peripheral vision.
Sun Jie thought that Yang Ming would sneakily come to the door of her room so that she could scare him then, but she didnât expect Yang Ming to enter the room next to hers!