Overgrown Grassland

22. Chapter 22

22  

The tip of the ultimate examination interval arrived. All that remained was Zhu Yun’s programming course.

Previous Lin was proctoring the examination, and his supervision would simply be labeled ‘free.’ He placed on his glasses and sat on the entrance, consuming tea and studying a newspaper. The exams inspector stopped by, and circled the room twice, after which he reminded Previous Lin to maintain a watch out. However after the inspector left, Previous Lin simply picked his newspaper again up.

Zhu Yun accomplished the examination in a short time, and with out trying round as soon as, she handed in her take a look at and walked out the door.

It was midday and the constructing was quiet. She walked over to the window and the daylight %struck her eyes. The college’s schedule was simply wonderful. Having her programming examination final gave her an odd sense of peace, as if the whole semester had lastly come full circle.

When she returned to her dorm room, Fang Shumiao was in the midst of packing up. Zhu Yun requested her, “You’re going dwelling? What day is your practice?”

Fang Shumiao replied, “I nonetheless have to attend a couple of days. The Scholar Union nonetheless has some issues to complete.” Zhu Yun nodded understandingly.

That afternoon, she gave her mom a name to report on her ultimate exams.

“You’re completed?” her mom requested.

“Mmh. This morning was my ultimate examination.”

“Are you coming dwelling tomorrow? What do you need to eat? I’ll purchase it for you.”

“…I’m going to remain a couple of extra days as a result of I nonetheless have some issues to complete in school.”

“What’s it?”

Zhu Yun’s eyes darted round. “You realize Fang Shumiao, proper? Our class president. She’s on the Scholar Union they usually nonetheless have issues to complete, so she requested me to assist out. Since she lives out of the district, she’s in a rush to get dwelling.”

“So it’s like that.” Her mom was quiet an extended whereas. Then she mentioned, “Okay, then keep two extra days. However don’t take too lengthy. (Chinese language) New 12 months is early this yr, so I nonetheless have to purchase you some garments whenever you get again.”

Victory…

Zhu Yun put down her telephone and headed again to the apply base. Their software program was in its ultimate phases as effectively. When Zhu Yun noticed Li Xun, she knew that he’d stayed up all evening working. The room was stuffed with the odor of cigarettes.

He circled. “What did you come for?”

Zhu Yun put down her bag. “To work.”

Li Xun mentioned, “Faculty’s on break. What work are you doing?”

Zhu Yun turned on her pc. Beside her, Li Xun was cursing for her to, “Hurry up and go dwelling. Go, go, go!”

Do you may have some sort of manic dysfunction?

Zhu Yun ignored him. She’d lastly completed all her exams, so with out these trivial issues, she may now put all her power on… Wait a minute, when had exams develop into trivial issues? Zhu Yun opened up the challenge report back to examine Li Xun’s newest progress.

“You’re carried out?” She was shocked to see that the software program was mainly full. She checked it out and it ran very easily.

“It nonetheless must be optimized.”

Optimized…

“Nevertheless it’ll be carried out quickly.”

Zhu Yun listened to his hoarse voice and requested, “Are you able to quit smoking?”

Li Xun paused. He pursed his lips and unhappily requested, “Why do you care?”

You should smoke to your demise.

“I’ll provide help to take a look at it.” Zhu Yun moved the mouse cursor over to the shoulder on the diagram and clicked it. After a quick animation, a menu popped up itemizing varied illnesses that might trigger one’s shoulder discomfort. Zhu Yun scrolled down.

“Ah? There are even recipes?” This perform wasn’t there earlier than.

“I added it final week.” Li Xun rubbed his temples and quietly mentioned, “Generally forcing suggestions on customers will trigger hostile results, so I added descriptions to make the software program extra user-friendly. Even when somebody isn’t planning on shopping for something, they might browse round a bit. Take into account it a way of retaining clients.”

Zhu Yun checked out Li Xun. She felt that his gaze seemed a bit faroff, as if his thoughts had been a bit foggy. Would he all of a sudden drop useless right here?

Zhu Yun scratched her head after which exited this system.

“Eh?” When she exited to the desktop, Zhu Yun was shocked.

Li Xun yawned and requested, “What? Was there one thing flawed?”

Zhu Yun pointed to her monitor. “The emblem is lacking.” She opened up the artwork bundle. “The place are the diagram items? You go relaxation, I’ll deal with it.”

It was quiet for a couple of seconds. Li Xun checked out her like a zombie.

“The place’s the diagram?” Zhu Yun waved a hand in entrance of Li Xun’s face. “Inform me the place the diagram is, after which go relaxation. Are you sleeping together with your eyes open?”

Li Xun’s eyes trembled after which he checked out her coldly. So he wasn’t sleeping. “Fuck…” he cursed. He closed his eyes. “These two ** from the animation school.” (t/n: Censored issues had been censored within the authentic)

“……”

Zhu Yun understood. “Did they neglect?”

Li Xun was about to curse once more, however then he choked on his smoke. He coughed, after which he grabbed his head. Possibly he felt uncomfortable.

Zhu Yun mentioned, “It’s okay. We will nonetheless make it now. What sort of type would you like it? I’ll make it.”

She began up the artwork software program after which turned to him—Are you able to not have a look at me with such disdain in your eyes?

“Overlook it.” When Li Xun completed coughing, he frowned. “You making it, hah…”

That one little ‘hah’ appeared to embody all his vanity. “You then do it.”

One other “hah.”

“Ought to we name the 2 seniors from the animation division?”

“It’s too late.”

“Are you in a rush? You’ll want to get dwelling for New Years?”

Li Xun put out his smoke and quietly mentioned, “Languan’s rep already contacted me. The assembly is on the finish of the week.”

……

There have been nonetheless three days.

Zhu Yun seemed on the exhausted Li Xun. With a single motion, she shut off each of their computer systems. Boss Li roared out, “Who informed you to show it off?!”

“Let’s go.” Zhu Yun grabbed her bag and received up.

“What are you doing?!”

“Let’s go for a stroll.”

“Stroll, my ass.”

“Exit and discover some inspiration!”

She walked over to the window and opened it. The cigarette odor within the room was too sturdy. They’d must air the place out awhile.

Li Xun appeared very on edge. “Depart me alone! Simply go dwelling!”

Zhu Yun replied, “I’m critical! Stroll across the artwork museum, and who is aware of, inspiration may strike!”

“As if!”

“You don’t consider me? The inspiration for the diagram got here to me once I was feeling down and I visited the standard drugs museum.”

“Get out of my sight proper now!” Li Xun slammed his hand down on the desk and stood up. His aura when he stood up was so totally different… Zhu Yun’s hair stood on finish.

Li Xun seemed down at her, the expression on his eyes trying sinister. “Zhu**, don’t you’re keen on conserving your phrases to your self? What’s flawed with you immediately? Are you leaking?”

Zhu Yun’s voice was quiet as a whisper. “Didn’t you inform me to cease conserving my phrases to myself?”

“Now I’m telling you in any other case.”

Crap.

She snuck a furtive look at him, as she sincerely tried to steer him. “I’m critical although. Go. Exit for a stroll. Possibly inspiration will strike. Even when it doesn’t, it’ll nonetheless be higher than conserving your self holed up in right here. Take a whiff of the smoke odor in right here. I can barely open my eyes.”

He rapidly replied, “I’m not going.”

She sighed, feeling helpless to say extra.

“What time is it already? The artwork museum is closed by now. We’ll discuss it once more tomorrow.”

?

He turned again and opened his laptop computer.

……

So, did she obtain her aim or not?

The following morning, Li Xun’s name woke her up. “Let’s go.”

Neither of them favored to sleep in, particularly Li Xun. He slept later than a canine and woke sooner than a rooster. Zhu Yun grabbed her issues and headed to the college gate. Li Xun was already there, ready. As she approached the college gate, Zhu Yun slowed her steps.

With the daybreak behind him, Li Xun seemed to be utterly alone on this planet.

When Zhu Yun received nearer, she realized that he’d simply taken a bathe. He’d styled his hair, the way in which it had seemed on their first day of faculty. Wind-blown and chaotic. It was actually flashy. It was actually good trying. Just like the antagonist in a manhua.

“How lengthy are you going to pull out the previous couple of steps?” Li Xun’s arms had been stuffed in his jacket pockets. He checked out Zhu Yun and requested, “Ought to I prepared a horse-drawn carriage for the princess?”

……

Li Xun was hailing down a taxi when Zhu Yun mentioned, “The bus stops proper in entrance.”

Li Xun frowned, saying, “You need to take the bus on this chilly climate?” So he knew that it was chilly, huh…

After paying and getting out the automobile, Li Xun mentioned, “I’ll get the tickets. Go wait over there.” It was good going out with the challenge lead. You didn’t must pay for something.

There have been a couple of women ready in line on the ticket counter. From their look, they appeared like tremendous arts college students from the artwork institute. After shopping for their tickets, they turned to go contained in the museum. They couldn’t assist trying again for a look earlier than whispering and guffawing collectively.

Zhu Yun stared at them. They dare chortle at Prime Rating Li? Are you women on the lookout for demise? However then a couple of seconds later, she realized that they hadn’t been making enjoyable of him…

She seemed over at Li Xun. This present day, a sure somebody had disregarded the climate and worn a mid-length, darkish blue jacket. And left it unzipped. He had a belt round his waist, and his whole outfit carried a sure hardness. There was no thickness to it, and his garments had been slim-fitting. No surprise he felt it was chilly.

Zhu Yun glanced round and observed that each one the passing females seemed over at him. May this be the legendary ‘sacrifice your self for the happiness of ten million’?

“Let’s go.” After shopping for the tickets, Li Xun known as Zhu Yun over to go inside.

The temperature within the artwork institute wasn’t very heat both, however thankfully, there have been a minimum of partitions to dam the wind. It wasn’t as chilly as exterior.

They walked into the primary exhibit corridor, which held an exhibition on trendy Japanese artists. The artwork was very weird. After observing one portray for a very long time, Zhu Yun felt that the workers had hung it the other way up. Completely different trades actually felt world’s aside. After taking a look at a couple of extra items, Zhu Yun was nonetheless unable to see the wonder in them.

The artwork institute was giant and really nonetheless. Zhu Yun’s thoughts began wandering reasonably rapidly. She questioned what the issue can be to create and keep a search program for the artwork institute, that conveniently helps discover displays and artists that curiosity you…

Her ideas had been reduce off by Li Xun’s footsteps. She’d initially thought that, with Li Xun’s mood, he would have made a clamor and left. Completely past her expectations, whereas she was right here bored out of her thoughts, Li Xun seemed very affected person.

It was very straightforward to discern his like, or dislike, of an artwork piece. Some items, he instantly dismissed, whereas others, he stopped in entrance of for awhile.

Once they walked into the third corridor, Zhu Yun’s eyes all of a sudden lit up. “That one!”

Li Xun turned. “Mmh?”

Zhu Yun headed straight inside. After strolling across the artwork museum, she’d lastly discovered the one portray that caught her curiosity.

Li Xun adopted her. “You want this?”

Zhu Yun pointed on the charcoal sketch and exclaimed excitedly, “Have a look at the title!”

There was a small label underneath the underside left nook of the portray.

Charcoal — “Rugged Hills” by Tian Xiuzhu. (t/n: The title of the piece, linxun can imply both ‘rugged terrain’ or ‘upright individual.’ Coincidentally, the ‘xun’ within the title is similar ‘xun’ as Li Xun’s title.)

“Rugged Hills…” The nook of Li Xun’s mouth rose. He seemed over at Zhu Yun, a kind-of smile on his face.

“I’ve seen this artist earlier than!”

“Oh?”

“What destiny.” It actually was such luck. Zhu Yun informed Li Xun in regards to the project she helped Liu Sisi with, in addition to her journey to the standard drugs museum. Then she sighed, “I didn’t count on that we’d meet once more. The best way issues are going, we would be capable of collaborate sooner or later.”

Earlier than Li Xun may share any opinions, Zhu Yun continued, “He’s actually younger too, about our age. And he seems to be like a very good child.” Utterly in contrast to you.

Li Xun rolled his eyes.

Zhu Yun mentioned, “His work are actually wonderful.”

He laughed. “It’s wonderful that you simply even know what you’re taking a look at.”

“That’s what others say.” Zhu Yun had a tremendous reminiscence. That article she’d translated for Liu Sisi was nonetheless saved up in her head. “Do you know, when he was fourteen—”

Li Xun coated his ears and turned away.

Zhu Yun, “…………”

She rapidly adopted after him and mentioned, “All of the articles known as him a genius painter.”

Li Xun replied with out a lot care, “So what if he’s a genius. Fats lot of excellent that’s value.”

Zhu Yun had meant on reciting Liu Sisi’s article again to Li Xun, however after his phrases, her pleasure pittered. That’s proper. Fats lot of excellent that’s value. He nonetheless needed to eat and sleep, all the identical. And if he didn’t put on sufficient layers, he’d nonetheless get chilly, all the identical.

As she considered that, whereas she stood behind that lazy, quiet again, she made a face at him.