Chapter 11: College Schoolmate

Strolling side-by-side with Shi Yan on the best way to the third educating constructing, Ruan Zhizhi deeply suspected that her resolution simply now was a mistake. She shouldn’t have let Shi Yan carry her right here, as a result of…at that second, wherever they walked, the eyes of passersby pierced her coronary heart like a knife.

Ruan Zhizhi regarded down, making an attempt to feign the looks that every part was pure and regular. Shi Yan’s tempo wasn’t quick. It was as if he was afraid she wouldn’t be capable of sustain with him. The define of his aspect profile was extraordinarily refined, and there was all the time a faint trace of tobacco on his physique.

Once they changed into the third educating constructing, they needed to stroll by means of a confined space within the hall. There weren’t any lights. The area was sealed tight; not even a beam of sunshine may penetrate it. It was cramped and oppressive.

Immediately, her physique turned extremely tense. As a result of circuit failure incident at her college earlier than, Ruan Zhizhi was now a bit claustrophobic. Though it wasn’t extreme, it was sufficient to make her uneasy at this second.

She walked slowly and with problem. Beads of sweat dripped from her brow.

Instantly, a hand stretched out beside her and gently held her wrist.

Relating to her present relationship with Shi Yan, this was a really protected transfer. He didn’t take her hand or put an arm round her. He merely held her wrist politely and at a distance, as if empathizing along with her worry.

“Are you actually scared?” Within the darkness, his voice was restrained, heavy, and a bit husky.

Ruan Zhizhi nodded, then subconsciously added: “Once I was learning in college, I used to be doing a harmful experiment within the laboratory. There was a sudden circuit failure and the door was locked, so I couldn’t get out. The opposite college students and I had been trapped inside for hours. So now, each time I’m in an hermetic area, I’ve some psychological resistance.”

The opposite get together’s grip on her wrist faltered for a second. After a very long time, he out of the blue set free a lightweight snicker. Whereas laughing, he softly whispered as if pondering out loud, “So you continue to keep in mind.”

She was unable to listen to what he’d stated clearly. Ruan Zhizhi couldn’t assist turning her head to take a look at him. Within the dimly lit area, she vaguely caught sight of the delicate smile on the corners of his lips. It handed earlier than her right away.

Shi Yan walked a bit bit forward of her, his grasp on her wrist neither mild nor heavy. The 2 walked slowly on this approach. For some cause, Ruan Zhizhi really felt considerably relaxed.

To her shock, following behind him made her really feel protected.

After passing by means of the hall and strolling all the best way to the door of Gu Nian’s workplace, Ruan Zhizhi stood nonetheless, pondering of the best way to say goodbye to him in a approach that appeared well mannered and heat. 

Shi Yan was standing throughout from her. He was very tall in stature. At this second, he lowered his eyes to observe her. There was an undercurrent in his ink-black pupils that surged up violently. His feelings had been unclear.

Amidst the silence, he approached. He reached out and gently rubbed her face.

She instantly felt the blood in her physique coagulate. Ruan Zhizhi froze in place, her eyes widening stiffly.

However the man who had simply carried out such an intimate gesture merely raised his hand and defined frivolously, “There was mud.”

…Was it from simply now within the hall?

A faint tobacco scent from his fingers remained on her cheek. Ruan Zhizhi calmed down and felt that her response simply now brought on her to lose a bit face.

Shi Yan retreated just a few steps again, checked out her together with his head tilted, and appeared to ask casually, “The particular person you talked about earlier than, do you continue to like him?”

She was confused for just a few seconds. After some time, Ruan Zhizhi lastly realized Shi Yan’s that means. Beforehand on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, she had informed Chen Jiayan that she already had somebody she favored. Shi Yan was additionally current on the time. 

She raised her head to fulfill his gaze. There was a second of silence. In the long run, she nonetheless nodded.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Ruan Zhizhi reached out to clean her hair, then additionally adopted offhandedly, “And also you? Do you continue to like her even now?”

Shi Yan was silent. He lowered his gaze to take a look at her. A pair of darkish, lovely eyes flickered on and off, and after some time, he nodded and stated sure. 

The 2 bid one another a well mannered farewell as soon as once more. Ruan Zhizhi stood there and watched him stroll away step-by-step. Underneath the solar, the shadow he solid on the bottom was pulled into a protracted, skinny line. Each time he stated goodbye, his again appeared lonely and desolate.

“Aiya, Zhizhi you’re right here. Go, go, go, I’ll deal with you to morning tea. A brand new place simply opened close to A College. My colleague informed me that it’s particularly good. In a bit, there’ll be a lineup for lunch.” Gu Nian had simply packed up her issues and was strolling out of the workplace when she noticed Ruan Zhizhi standing on the door. She energetically came to visit and pulled her away.

Ruan Zhizhi absentmindedly adopted her during the gates of A College. The Hong Kong-style tea home was certainly very shut. It was solely a block away from the college.

It was a bit after ten o’clock within the morning. The restaurant appeared to have simply opened for enterprise. Led by a waiter, the 2 immediately walked inside and selected an excellent seat by the window.

Gu Nian had simply completed a category. Now she was so hungry that her chest was sticking to her again. She took the menu and ordered every part in a disarray as common. It wasn’t in any respect the quantity that two women may end. 

Ruan Zhizhi, who was sitting throughout from her, sighed exasperatedly. “My eldest miss, your behavior of losing meals has not modified in any respect since college.”

Though Gu Nian’s family was solely an strange, reasonably prosperous household, she was their solely daughter. Her dad and mom regarded her because the pearl of their palms and had pampered her immensely since childhood.

As well as, her boyfriend since college, Cheng Fengjin, was the inheritor of a listed firm. Subsequently, her financial circumstances had been greater than beneficial. Even now, she nonetheless didn’t know the pains and difficulties of the human world. Every little thing she did was based on her mood.

When it comes to waste, Cheng Fengjin had additionally stated quite a few instances that he would assist her appropriate this unhealthy behavior. However based on Ruan Zhizhi, it appeared that after the 2 of them acquired collectively, the behavior of losing turned increasingly extreme. 

Li Sichen used to typically say that Gu Nian was spoiled by Cheng Fengjin. It was certainly so.

Compared, Li Sichen was greater than 100 instances merciless to Ruan Zhizhi. 

Since there have been only a few clients presently, the meals got here rapidly. Rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings, rooster toes, fried radish cake, and sampan congee had been organized on the eating desk in a circle. The perfume assailed their senses, immediately evoking Ruan Zhizhi’s urge for food.

Whereas Gu Nian threw away her picture and devoured the meals, she prattled to Ruan Zhizhi: “Zhizhi, subsequent week I’m having a marriage with Cheng Fengjin. You already know, I’ve suffered from insomnia each night time these previous few nights, my hair has fallen out, and my darkish circles appear to be a panda’s.”

“What? Don’t inform me you don’t wish to marry Cheng Fengjin anymore.”

“…Aiya, that’s not it, I simply—simply assume {that a} lifetime is so lengthy. What if he treats me badly after marriage? What if we will’t endure the seven-year-itch and get divorced? What if he finds out that I’m not so good as I assumed?”

Ruan Zhizhi was helpless. She fastidiously reasoned along with her. “That is simply typical premarital phobia. One one hand, you lengthy to get married, however alternatively, you’re afraid of the constraints of marriage.” She picked up her spoon and ate a mouthful of congee, chewing slowly. “As I’ve stated, you need to be content material that you just had been in a position to meet Cheng Fengjin. On this world, there are many instances once you fail to search out what you’re searching for. Instances the place love has discovered its approach, like with you two, are very uncommon.”

Gu Nian was quiet. Her brows had been tightly creased collectively. After a while, she sighed. “Honestly, I already know that Cheng Fengjin is excellent to me. I feel that, quite than worrying about being tied down, I’m extra afraid that he’ll assume I’m a burden sooner or later.”

A burst of laughter escaped, and Ruan Zhizhi curved her lips as she pacified Gu Nian: “When you’re a burden, he’ll fortunately be burdened for a lifetime.”

Throughout their 4 years of college, what Ruan Zhizhi envied probably the most was Cheng Fengjin’s wholeheartedness in the direction of Gu Nian. In fact, this was one thing she would by no means get from Li Sichen.

And since she knew she couldn’t get it, she yearned for it much more.

Ruan Zhizhi had all the time been by herself since childhood. Li Sichen as soon as supplied her with a short interval of heat and firm, however he by no means gave her the slightest sense of safety. When she was by his aspect, she was blissful, but additionally uneasy. It was as a result of she knew that he may depart anytime, wherever.

Satirically, the one who really gave her a way of safety turned out to be a stranger dropped at her by probability: Shi Yan. 

If it weren’t for that five-day, four-night journey to Yunnan, maybe she wouldn’t have had the slightest intersection with that particular person in her complete life. She was conscious that he handled her a bit in another way, however for what cause?

May it’s…as a result of she regarded a bit just like the lady he favored? Or, was all of the consideration he confirmed her purely a whim, one thing that exerted no effort?

Ruan Zhizhi imagined a thousand potentialities, and but she by no means imagined the likelihood that she was the particular person Shi Yan had positioned on the backside of his coronary heart—the particular person he had not directly beseeched for a few years, however may by no means have. 

“Zhizhi, what are you serious about? You’ve ignored me for thus lengthy.”

Ruan Zhizhi’s ideas had been drifting to outer area, however her practice of thought returned on the sound of Gu Nian’s voice. With out pondering, she subconsciously replied, “I’m serious about somebody.”

She had solely stated this casually. She didn’t anticipate Gu Nian’s curiosity to reach right away. Even her premarital phobias had been solid apart. “Who’s it? Zhizhi, is somebody pursuing you? Or…was your coronary heart moved by somebody?”

Embarrassment rose up right away. Afraid that Gu Nian and her massive mouth would misunderstand, Ruan Zhizhi rapidly defined: “You assume an excessive amount of. It’s only a very, very strange one who can at most be referred to as a pal.”

“Who, who? Aiya, good Zhizhi, simply inform me. Or else I’m going to lose sleep tonight.”

Unable to face up to Gu Nian’s pestering, Ruan Zhizhi thought of it and tried to answer as plainly and succinctly as potential. “His title is Shi Yan, he’s a professor in your faculty’s psychology division. Final time on the journey to Yunnan, he was additionally there.”

Listening to the title “Shi Yan”, Gu Nian was stupefied for a second earlier than she got here again to her senses. “Shi Yan…I’ve all the time thought he was probably the most clever professor at A College. His IQ is far larger than mine, and he additionally appears tremendous good-looking. However this particular person, ah. He’s all the time chilly and doesn’t prefer to acknowledge anybody. He’s particularly aloof.”

Ruan Zhizhi nodded in approval.

“Oh, proper.” Gu Nian set down her chopsticks. With a chunk of fried radish cake in her mouth, she spoke inarticulately, “Zhizhi, do you know that Shi Yan was once our former college schoolmate?”

“What?!”

Ruan Zhizhi’s mind appeared to crash that second. For a very long time, it wouldn’t activate.

Shi Yan and her had been college schoolmates? In different phrases, he had additionally studied at UCLA?

How may it’s…this world was actually too small.

Gu Nian adored gossip. Hastily, she was stuffed with vitality. “You really didn’t know? He was once an influential determine at college. Along with his excessive IQ, he graduated from a consecutive research of an undergraduate and masters program in 4 years. Briefly, he was a legend within the worldwide college students’ circle on the time.”

With nice problem, her mind completed digesting this large quantity of knowledge. When Ruan Zhizhi started to talk, there was a bit doubt in her tone: “Actually? Then why don’t I’ve any impression of him in any respect?”

Gu Nian couldn’t assist rolling her eyes. She stated indignantly, “Again then your coronary heart was set on Li Sichen, how may you continue to have time to care about different members of the alternative intercourse, ah! In your 4 years of college, there was just one particular person in your eyes—Li Sichen. Everybody else was a part of the background, or else categorised pretty much as good or unhealthy.”

Ruan Zhizhi: “……”

Squinting her eyes, Gu Nian didn’t know what distant issues she was pondering of and continued to blather: “I keep in mind seeing Shi Yan fairly just a few instances after we ate on the cafeteria. He typically sat behind us and ate alone. There have been so many individuals that went as much as speak to him, asking to sit down with him and so forth. All had been rejected by him.” When Gu Nian talked about this, she couldn’t assist sighing. “On the time I all the time puzzled if there was somebody he was ready for.”

Ruan Zhizhi’s lips curled, but she remained fully unmoved. “Is the theatrical drama in your thoughts so wealthy? Possibly he doesn’t like being disturbed by different individuals when he eats, and simply needs peace and quiet.”

“How is that potential? There’s nobody on this world who likes to eat by themselves. It’s a lot too lonely.”

Lonely.

Certainly, that is what she had seen probably the most in Shi Yan.

A robust and heavy sense of loneliness. Even when he was strolling in a crowd, he appeared misplaced.

His eyes had been all the time gloomy and sharp, continually making individuals really feel that he didn’t belong on this profane world. Secretive and harmful.

And but, for some unknown cause, Ruan Zhizhi felt that she and him gave the impression to be getting nearer and nearer.

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