As Ye Shaoyang was moping about his sad situation, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Zhou Jingru.
He answered it, and Zhou Jingru said, âBig Brother Shaoyang, are you ready? Iâm going to send a car over to pick you guys up.â
Ye Shaoyang was shocked. âPick us up to do what?â
Zhou Jingru was slightly taken aback. âDidnât you ask me out to go swimming? I even got my swimwear ready. Youâre not chickening out, are you?â
âSwimming?â Ye Shaoyang scratched his head and asked, âWhen did I ask you out to swim?â
âLast night, Xiao Ma called me up saying that you wanted to ask me out to swim but were shy about it. He even asked me to bring Wang Ping, to make it less awkward.â
F*cking sh*t!
Ye Shaoyang immediately understood Xiao Maâs plan. Xiao Ma wanted to ask Wang Ping out but feared that he would be rejected, so he used Ye Shaoyangâs name to ask Zhou Jingru and Wang Ping out.
Little sh*t, when did he become so smart and able to think up this kind of sneaky plan?
After Zhou Jingru didnât get any response, she figured it out.
âBig Brother Shaoyang, Xiao Ma did this in order to get to Wang Ping, didnât he? ...Well, weâve already gotten ready, so why donât you just come and relax?â
Since Zhou Jingru had already asked and got ready, Ye Shaoyang thought it would be bad not to go. He didnât have much to do today, so Ye Shaoyang felt it was okay to go relax.
After ending the call, Ye Shaoyang turned around and quietly stared at Xiao Ma.
Xiao Ma immediately got nervous, âLittle Ye, donât look at me like that, dude. Iâm just trying my best to get the girl I want. I know it was wrong, but I mean, I did this for you too. See, now, you can spend time with Zhou Jingru too.â
Ye Shaoyang let out a sigh and said, âExcuses, excuses. If you keep talking you little sh*t, Iâll beat your fat ass up!â
When he heard this Xiao Ma immediately panicked, âLittle Ye, please just come with us? Please do this for me? Please!â
Ye Shaoyang gave him a stern look and said, âNo mercy next time!â
After twenty minutes or so, the car Zhou Jingru sent arrived. The driver was old and didnât talk much, but he drove pretty fast. After about half an hour, they had arrived at their destination. When they got there, they saw Zhou Jingru and Wang Ping waiting outside.
Xiao Maâs face immediately became as bright as a flower when he saw Wang Ping. Quickly, he went to her and began to chat with her.
Zhou Jingru and Ye Shaoyang gave each other a look and were speechless.
âSince you guys were near, I thought this swimming pool was appropriate,â Zhou Jingru explained. âThereâs a small pool here. I got people to clean it out and change the water as well.â
An attendant took Ye Shaoyang and Xiao Ma to buy some swimwear; then, he showed them to their lockers. When the two guys arrived at the swimming pool, Zhou Jingru and Wang Ping had also just arrived.
Both the women had almost perfect bodies. Unfortunately, the spectators were only Xiao Ma and Ye Shaoyang.
âHere. Inner tube or floaties: which one do you want?â Zhou Jingru asked.
âIâve never used either of them.â
Ye Shaoyang smiled, turned, and jumped into the water. He swam underwater for quite some time before coming up. He turned to the three who stood and stared in awe as they watched him.
âWhatâs wrong?â Ye Shaoyang looked at them in confusion.
The three of them only shook their heads.
When Zhou Jingru got into the pool, she slowly swam over to Ye Shaoyang and said, âBig Brother Shaoyang, I never knew you could swim so well.â
âOh, when I was young, there was nothing much to do on the mountain. Since there was a lake on the mountain, I would go swimming every time it got hot. I think that was the only entertainment I had back then.â
Xiao Ma put on an inner tube and he jumped into the pool.
Wang Ping got in from the other side of the pool and said, âI donât know how to swim. Could someone come teach me please?â
âIâll will. Iâll teach you!â Xiao Ma quickly pushed himself over.
Ye Shaoyang frowned and asked, âYou donât seem like you know how to swim.â
âThatâs why she and I need to train together.â
Zhou Jingru giggled and said, âGive him a chance. Letâs go swim for a bit.â
The two of them swam and chatted. They also watched as Xiao Ma and Wang Ping struggle in the shallow area. When the two were tired, Zhou Jingru ordered some drinks and passed one to Ye Shaoyang.
Ye Shaoyang reached out, and Zhou Jingru screamed, âMy God!â
Ye Shaoyang saw that she was staring at his arm. He realized that she was staring at the red line that had reached his elbow.
âWhen did it...grow that far?â Zhou Jingru asked in a sad voice.
âRecently, I think, but Iâm fine. I have a monthâs time. Thatâs more than enough time to find that Gu master.â
Zhou Jingru let out a sigh and said, âYouâre optimistic.â
Suddenly, Zhou Jingruâs phone rang. She picked it up and frowned, âItâs Li Ansheng. I wonder what he wants.â
âWhy donât you just answer it?â Ye Shaoyang asked.
Zhou Jingru answered the call, and after listening for a few seconds, her face turned pale. Then, she asked, âAre you sure?â
After listening for a little longer, she became so shocked that she let the phone slip from her hand and hit the ground. Ye Shaoyang quickly picked it up and asked, âWhat happened?â
Zhou Jingru remained quiet for quite some time. Then, she grabbed Ye Shaoyangâs hands and looked at him intently, âBrother Shaoyang, thereâs something I need to tell you, but promise me not to freak out!â
Ye Shaoyang got ready and said, âTell me.â
Zhou Jingru took a few deep breaths and said, âLi Ansheng said that a few security personnel found two bodies lying outside Madam Cheeâs Temple. One of them was Tan Xiaohui, and the other was Xie Yuqing. It seems like they got into some accident.â
Ye Shaoyangâs heart dropped. He looked at her and asked, âWhat accident? What do you mean?â
âI mean...,â Zhou Jingru took a deep breath and unwillingly said, âTheyâre dead.â
Zhou Jingru watched Ye Shaoyangâs face slowly turn pale. His breathing slowed down. She knew Ye Shaoyang was close to Xie Yuqing, and that they were good friends. She wanted to comfort him, but Ye Shaoyang grabbed her hand and asked, âWhere are they?â
âTheyâre still outside the temple. Weâve called the police, Brother Shaoyang--â
Before she could finish, Ye Shaoyang let go of her hand. He ran out and away from the pool without putting on shoes or changing clothes. After ten minutes of running, he reached the temple. When he arrived, he saw a few police cars, and two officers were setting up a perimeter.
When they heard footsteps, the two officers turned and saw Ye Shaoyang barefooted and in swim trunks. The two of them were shocked.
The faster of the pair tried to stop him, âStop! This is a crime scene!â
Ye Shaoyang elbowed the officers and rushed into the temple yard. As he got near, he saw two officers carrying out a body covered with a white cloth on a stretcher.
When he was close enough, Ye Shaoyang pulled off the cloth and saw a familiar face that wasnât that familiar anymore because it had become pale and lifeless.