"What the heck?!"
"Are you kidding me!"
"You're insane!"
Que You sat up abruptly, staring down at him as if he were a lunatic.
Chi Ze Rui shrugged nonchalantly, "Just kidding, you wouldn't let it go."
Que You: "..."
Que You punched him in the shoulder, indignant. "You damn idiot! Is that how you joke? You scared me to death. But then again..." He scratched his head, "It is unlikely you'd like her. When the young lady first came to Jiangcheng, you couldn't stand her."
Chi Ze Rui lowered his eyelids and remained silent. He recalled a line from a movie: "The most deadly relationships are those where you fall in love with someone you once hated." He couldn't say he hated Wen Ting Xue, but he didn't like her much when they first met. Later, when Brother Yu took care of her so much, he thought she was weak and spineless. Then, she slowly blossomed by Brother Yu's side, becoming more cheerful and outgoing. And he, unknowingly, fell for her. This relationship was truly deadly. He couldn't speak of it, nor could he let it go.
-
Everyone had a great time, except for Xing Jia He, who was still training. Song Jia Mao was so tanned from military training that only his eyes and teeth showed when he smiled at night. Fu Shi Lin instantly stopped complaining about her own tan.
After dinner, the group walked to the roadside to wait for a car. "Are you two really not going back?" Qiao Xi Xi asked.
Xu Ke Xin nodded, "Mm, I found a tutoring job, so I won't be going back. Don't tell them."
Qiao Xi Xi pouted, "Okay. I wanted to go to the haunted house together during National Day."
Xu Ke Xin smiled, "You guys go have fun. I'll go with you during the New Year."
Song Jia Mao raised his hand, "Count me in then. I'm not afraid of ghosts." He wasn't going back for National Day either; he wanted to use these days to train himself better. After all, he was going to be a police officer!
Qiao Xi Xi high-fived him, "No problem!"
"Huh?" Fu Shi Lin, who had been staring blankly across the street, narrowed her eyes. "Sister Xue, isn't that your cousin?" Fu Shi Lin pointed to a person across the street and asked Wen Ting Xue.
Two minutes later, Song Rui Ning, who was supporting a drunkard, looked up in confusion. The group blocking his path was instantly stunned. The drunkard was none other than Yu Zhi Shu!
Yu Wen Li quickly took his sister, calling out to her twice, but she didn't respond. Song Rui Ning said, "She's in a bad mood today and drank a bit too much at the dinner party. She's asleep."
"Bad mood?" Yu Wen Li frowned. "What happened?"
Song Rui Ning rubbed his temples, "It's about the case." He couldn't say more due to Yu Zhi Shu's privacy.
Yu Wen Li nodded and then asked, "Where's Lin Yuan Zhi?"
Song Rui Ning's expression flickered, "He's on a business trip."
"Business trip?" Yu Wen Li sneered. "You had a fight, didn't you?"
Song Rui Ning paused for a moment, "It's common for couples to argue."
-
After carrying Yu Zhi Shu back to the rented apartment, Wen Ting Xue helped with the aftermath. Song Rui Ning and Yu Wen Li stood outside smoking. The others had already returned to school to pack their luggage.
"Cousin, tell me honestly, is my sister in a bad mood today because of Lin Yuan Zhi?" From the first moment he met him, Yu Wen Li hadn't liked Lin Yuan Zhi much. He had a gut feeling they weren't the same kind of people.
Song Rui Ning was silent for a moment, "You'd better ask your sister." He didn't want to gossip about others' private lives.
Yu Wen Li nodded and then softened his tone, "Cousin, I know you're at the same law firm as my sister. I..."
"I'll take good care of her, don't worry," Song Rui Ning replied quickly.
"Thank you," Yu Wen Li said sincerely.
Song Rui Ning smiled and shook his head, "You're welcome. But similarly..."
"You can rest assured too," Yu Wen Li said.
-
The next day, at the Wen family residence in Jiangcheng.
Wen Ting Xue was woken up early by Aunt Fang. The whole group went to her bedroom to do her makeup and dress her up. Today she was eighteen, and Yu Xiu Xiu and Wen Zhong En had decided to throw a big party. Therefore, she had to look beautiful. Wen Ting Xue was groggy, letting the makeup artist fuss over her.
"All done." After applying lipstick, the makeup artist pulled Wen Ting Xue to a full-length mirror. "Take a look, satisfied?"
Wen Ting Xue finally came to her senses, then blinked. And blinked again. The fairy hadn't disappeared! This was indeed a case of "clothes make the man." With a custom-made white dress and ethereal makeup, she didn't look like Wen Ting Xue at all; she looked like a fairy who had descended to earth! As she took a step closer, the hem of her skirt swayed, revealing her slender, fair legs. Wen Ting Xue finally believed the person in the mirror was herself. It was truly sorcery. She looked unrealistically beautiful. But, could they just weld this makeup onto her face?
On the way to the hotel, Wen Ting Xue received a video call from Xu Ke Xin. "Xin..." As soon as she spoke, the other party hung up. Wen Ting Xue was speechless.
A few seconds later, Xu Ke Xin called again. Wen Ting Xue quickly said, "It's me."
Xu Ke Xin was embarrassed, "I know." Both of them burst into laughter after she said that. They didn't know what was so funny, but they just wanted to laugh. Xu Ke Xin said, "You look incredibly beautiful today, even more so than a celebrity."
Wen Ting Xue hummed, "For saying that, I'll forgive you for hanging up on me." Xu Ke Xin smiled and nodded, then said solemnly, "Happy birthday, and may you always be happy." She had spent her eighteenth birthday at school. At the time, she hadn't realized that Wen Ting Xue had organized people to skip military training to celebrate her birthday. She had said, "Eighteen is a big day, it can't be sloppy." That day, she had bought a huge cake, and they had celebrated her birthday at a hotel. Xing Jia He was also there. Therefore, she regretted not being able to attend Wen Ting Xue's birthday banquet.
-
That night, Wen Ting Xue was mesmerized by the fireworks. After they finished, she realized Yu Wen Li and the others were gone. Her messages went unanswered. "What are they up to?" The young lady pouted unhappily. After another ten minutes, there was still no response. Wen Ting Xue angrily threw down her phone, thinking, "Fine, ignore me then!"
"Ding—"
"..."
What a coincidence? Wen Ting Xue stared at her phone, then grudgingly picked it up after a moment. She'd just look, not necessarily reply. She unlocked it; it was a text message, without a beginning or end: "Happy birthday." Wen Ting Xue instantly knew who the sender was. Xie Jin Yi. It was the same number. It hadn't changed. Wen Ting Xue held her phone, her mind a complex mess, until it rang, bringing her back to reality. Without looking at the caller ID, she answered, "Hello?"
Her voice was a little hoarse. The person on the other end paused, "You're not crying, are you?"
Wen Ting Xue was bewildered, "Why would I cry? Is there anyone worth crying over?"
Que You: "..."
"Is there anyone worth crying over."
"It's over!"
This tone clearly indicated she was angry! Brother Yu really messed up this time! Que You had a flash of inspiration and shouted, "Get down here quickly! Brother Yu is in trouble!" Wen Ting Xue didn't even bother to put on her slippers. However, the car drove further and further into the outskirts, nowhere near a hospital. "Where are you taking me?" Wen Ting Xue's eyes began to show wariness. Que You nodded vigorously, "You'll know when we get there. Don't worry, sis, I would never trick you."
Wen Ting Xue ultimately chose to trust him. The car stopped in a patch of woods on the outskirts of the city. It was quiet all around, not a soul in sight. Wen Ting Xue: "?" Was this a prank? Que You flashed his headlights, and the surroundings instantly lit up. The sounds of drums, guitar, bass, and electronic keyboard started playing one after another. Wen Ting Xue turned her head; not far from the main road was a band. Yu Wen Li stood at the front, holding a guitar. Amidst the melodious and heartfelt singing, people around held up lights to create an atmosphere. The cars parked on the main road also turned on their headlights. But they weren't shining on the band; they were shining on Wen Ting Xue.
When the song ended, Yu Wen Li walked from darkness into light, and then from light into darkness. Wen Ting Xue watched him stand in front of her, holding a bouquet of roses, his eyes tender as he asked, "Yi Yi, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?" Proposing after turning eighteen, those who understand, understand.