After finishing her noon broadcast, Ruan Yu took a nap right in the broadcasting room. This nap almost made her late for her afternoon class, fortunately, Jian Xiangxiang’s phone call woke her up just in time. The first-afternoon class was Introduction to Journalism, held in the large lecture hall together with Class Two.
Large lectures were the easiest classes to skip, and precisely because they were easy to skip, professors usually took attendance. What should have been the safest classes became the most dangerous ones, making everyone anxious and, ironically, improving attendance rates.
Ruan Yu arrived late, and all the front seats were already occupied. Among the sea of dark heads, she couldn’t spot Jian Xiangxiang and her friends, so she simply chose a seat near the door in the last row. Just as she sat down and opened her book, she felt someone squeeze in beside her. That person’s arm pressed against hers without hesitation, creating an intimate distance that made Ruan Yu feel invaded.
“Who’s this?” The person snatched the photo tucked in her book.
“Classmate…” Ruan Yu started to speak but stopped the moment she turned and saw who it was. The person sitting next to her was Teng Yi. He wore a bright smile, appearing to be in a good mood.
“Why are you here?” Ruan Yu asked. Instead of answering, he waved the photo in his hand and asked again, “Who is this?”
In the photo was a woman in a black suit and white shirt, looking sharp and capable.
“Lin Hong.”
“That TV host?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“What? You like her?”
Ruan Yu nodded, taking back the photo and tucking it back into her book. Lin Hong was her idol. She used to love watching Lin Hong’s TV program “Two Shores, One Family” the most. She admired the firmness and grace Lin Hong displayed as a national-level host, and she always hoped to become someone as poised and distinguished as Lin Hong one day. She kept Lin Hong’s photo with her as motivation.
“Why did you come here?”
“To find you.”
“Find me? What for?”
Before Teng Yi could answer, the professor arrived. Professor Dai was a middle-aged woman in her forties. Although she was already a mother of two, she took good care of herself, showing no traces of age on her face. The classroom fell silent.
Professor Dai scanned the packed seats and, unusually, started teaching without taking attendance.
“Damn, no roll call? Why is it that whenever I come, there’s no attendance check, but when I skip, there always is? I’m so unlucky,” a male student in front whispered frustratedly.
“Next time you come, send me a message, and I’ll skip,” another male student replied.
“…”
Ruan Yu found it amusing, but as she started to smile, she caught Teng Yi in her peripheral vision and noticed he was watching her while resting his chin on his hand. Despite the crowded classroom, his eyes seemed to see only her.
The ambiguous scene from last night flashed through Ruan Yu’s mind. She rubbed her sweaty palms and leaned closer to Teng Yi.
“What do you want?” she asked in a low voice.
Teng Yi leaned to her ear: “I want to sleep for a while first. We’ll talk after class.” With that, he lay down beside her.
He was truly exhausted. After staying up all night, he had classes all morning. He had planned to rest at noon, but Han Zuo showed up and engaged him in that draining battle. Now, he just wanted to sleep, to sleep peacefully beside her.
Ruan Yu rubbed her ear, where Teng Yi’s breath seemed to still linger, causing a ticklish sensation. She had left so promptly this morning, yet he still managed to catch up with her. She smiled wryly, feeling like Sun Wukong before him – no matter how she tried to escape, whether to heaven or earth, through mountains or seas, she could never escape his palm.
The textbook lay on the desk, but Ruan Yu couldn’t focus on the professor’s lecture at all. She too laid her head down, quietly watching the person beside her, her gaze tracing his eyebrows, his straight nose, and his thin lips over and over again.
Sinking deeper.
They say things should stop after the third time, but she couldn’t stop herself from falling deeper.
Teng Yi had truly fallen asleep, but his position wasn’t comfortable. He shifted occasionally, making Ruan Yu feel uncomfortable just watching him. After some thought, she took out all her books, stacked them together, and tried to push them under his head as a pillow. However, just as she reached out, he happened to turn over, and her hand suddenly became trapped under his head.
–_–
Teng Yi’s cheek was warm against the back of Ruan Yu’s hand. She didn’t dare move.
Ten minutes later, her hand went numb. She wanted to pull it out but feared waking Teng Yi. Just as she was wondering what to do, Professor Dai suddenly walked toward the back of the classroom.
“That student! Were you out thieving last night?” Ruan Yu looked up to see Professor Dai’s gaze fixed squarely on Teng Yi. Following her words, everyone in the classroom turned to look back.
Oh no.
Ruan Yu quickly pulled her hand out and gave Teng Yi a push. Teng Yi was confused, and by the time he groggily sat up, Professor Dai had already reached his side.
Some students in the front rows recognized Teng Yi and began whispering. Amidst the rustling sounds, Teng Yi gradually became alert.
“Student, I’m asking you, were you out thieving last night?”
“Yes, the professor already knows.”
Professor Dai hadn’t expected such a smooth response, so she continued, “What did you steal that made you so tired?”
“A heart.”
The classroom erupted in laughter. Ruan Yu’s face turned bright red amid the laughter. Last night, stealing a heart. She unconsciously identified with those words.
Professor Dai leaned on the desk in front of Teng Yi, studied him for a few seconds, and suddenly recognized him. “Oh? Aren’t you that…” Professor Dai gestured at her face, “The one with the mask at the school anniversary, right?”
“Thank you for remembering me, Professor.”
“Aren’t you a third-year student? Why are you in my class?”
“Everyone says your lectures are especially good, so I came to audit.”
“Well, judging by how deeply you were sleeping earlier, I must have disappointed you.”
Teng Yi scratched his head embarrassedly, “I’m sorry, Professor. Do you think it’s too late for me to leave now?”
“Never mind, never mind, since you’re already here, just stay.” Professor Dai waved dismissively and turned back toward the podium, saying as she walked, “But you can’t audit for free. Take a photo with me after class – my son is a big fan of yours.”
Everyone laughed again. Professor Dai continued with her lecture, showing no signs of anger throughout. The secret to staying young probably lies in having a good attitude and being able to resolve even the most awkward situations with emotional intelligence.
Ruan Yu breathed a sigh of relief. After all that commotion, Teng Yi had lost his sleepiness and sat properly in his seat, enduring the stares from the students in the front rows. Ruan Yu suffered along with him. She wanted to pretend she didn’t know him, but in the last row, they were the only two people there. Anyone with eyes could see that Teng Yi had come for her.
Jian Xiangxiang sent ten surprised emoji stickers in their dormitory group chat and tagged Ruan Yu. “What’s going on, Ruan Ruan? Did you come with Teng Yi?”
Ruan Yu replied with a “helpless shrug” emoji. Honestly, she didn’t know what was happening either. She only knew that if people’s gazes were arrows, she would have been turned into a sieve by now.
The second half of class was pure torture for Ruan Yu, with every minute passing excruciatingly slowly. When the bell rang, Professor Dai waved to Teng Yi from the podium, gesturing for him to come over for a photo. Everyone laughed again.
Ruan Yu took the opportunity to quickly pack up her books. Just as she was ready to slip away, Teng Yi gently grabbed her hand under the desk.
“Wait for me on the rooftop,” he said.
–_–
After speaking, Teng Yi strode toward the podium. Some female classmates, emboldened by Professor Dai’s example, also stayed behind to ask for photos. As soon as Teng Yi approached, he was quickly surrounded.
Ruan Yu didn’t linger. She quickly left through the door and turned into the stairwell.
The rooftop was empty, with only large patches of sunlight spread across the ground. Ruan Yu remembered her first encounter with Teng Yi was right here. “Red Carp, Green Carp, and Donkey” – that was the tongue twister she had been reciting then. Time flew; it had already been more than two months.
Who could have imagined that after that brief encounter, they would have so many subsequent interactions, and she would even… fall for him?
Ruan Yu leaned against the railing, watching students pour out of the building after class, chatting and laughing. Her feelings were complicated. She had thought that by avoiding last night’s situation, she had dodged a catastrophe, but now it seemed the disaster was just beginning. What should she do next?
Confront it? Admit it? Or continue avoiding it?
Regardless of which choice she made, the result would be the same. She could never be with him.
Footsteps sounded behind her. Ruan Yu turned to see Teng Yi jogging toward her. The sunlight was dazzling, and so was he.
“The girls in your class are very enthusiastic,” he said, stopping before her with a bright smile, looking spirited.
His smile and vigor inexplicably irritated Ruan Yu.
“Do you still get happy about such enthusiasm?”
“What?”
“I mean, someone as popular as you must be used to being chased by girls, why are you so happy about it?”
Teng Yi noticed the sourness in Ruan Yu’s tone and raised an eyebrow.
“Of course, that’s not what makes me happy.”
“Then what makes you happy?”
“You.”
The answer was short and clear.
Ruan Yu froze, unable to read the emotion in his eyes for a moment.
After silently staring at each other for a few seconds, Ruan Yu lowered her head first.
“What did you want to see me about?” she changed the subject.
“Why did you leave quietly this morning?”
“Is that all you wanted to ask?”
“There’s more.”
“What else?”
“Why won’t you let me be good to you?”
The wind on the rooftop blew wildly, dispersing the warmth of the sunlight.
Ruan Yu tightened her jacket and sighed with great resignation.
“Teng Yi, have you heard the story of the fisherman catching fish?”
He shook his head: “Tell me.”
“There was a fisherman whose net was very small, only as big as a table. He took this net out to sea to catch fish, but after a whole day, he hadn’t caught a single fish,” she began telling the story, her voice soft. “A neighbor told the fisherman, ‘Your net is too small, that’s why you can’t catch fish. Next time, weave a bigger net before going out to sea.’ The fisherman listened to his neighbor and stayed home to weave a net. A week later, he finally made a net as big as his neighbor’s. The fisherman took his big net out to sea, and that day, he caught many fish. The fisherman was very happy and thought, ‘So the key to catching fish is the net. If I make an even bigger net, I’ll surely catch more fish.’ So the fisherman stopped going to sea and spent every day weaving his net. Another week passed, and he had expanded his original net several times over. After finishing the giant net, the fisherman took it out to catch fish. It took great effort just to cast the giant net into the sea. He thought he would surely catch a boat full of fish, but when he tried to pull it in, the net was too heavy. It was so heavy it capsized his small boat, and he almost lost his life. The fisherman finally understood that greed never leads to good results.”
(Story sourced from the internet.)
–_–
As Ruan Yu finished speaking, her voice became choked, and her eyes quietly reddened.
“Before you, I’m just like that fisherman. I gradually wove my net bigger, thinking I could hold more of your kindness, but actually, your kindness isn’t something I should possess. The more greedy I am, the more tragic the ending might be.”
Ruan Yu’s tears fell.
So, she wanted to cut her losses while she still had a chance to escape this abyss.
Teng Yi squinted, looking at her in confusion.
“Ruan Yu, I’ve always thought my intelligence was decent, but why does it seem insufficient when I’m with you?” He raised his hand to wipe her tears. “Don’t cry first, I still don’t understand. Why can’t I be good to you?”
Ruan Yu forcefully pushed his hand away.
“Don’t you have a girlfriend?!”
Teng Yi had a sudden revelation: “Oh… so I have a girlfriend.”
This was truly the first time he’d heard this news.
“May I ask who arranged this girlfriend for me? Was it you?” He leaned close to Ruan Yu, meeting her gaze, asking with complete seriousness.
Ruan Yu was stunned, and it took her a while to sniffle and regain her composure.
“What do you mean?”
“I should be asking you that. What do you mean?”
“You don’t have a girlfriend?” Ruan Yu was bewildered.
“If I had a girlfriend, would I be agonizing over how to pursue you?”
“You want to pursue me?” She became even more confused.
“Yes, I want to pursue you,” his tone carried the gentleness of an entire autumn. “So, will you accept, little fish?”
Ruan Yu was at a loss.
This development was opposite to what she had imagined.
Teng Yi liked her?
When did this happen?
Teng Yi saw her confusion and couldn’t help but hold his forehead.
He thought he had been obvious enough.
From leaving her with his brother to telling her about his troubled past to take her to watch the competition – everything he had done was to let her understand him, his family, and his beloved street dance, and thereby enter his world.
At the Red Eagle Street Dance Competition, when he faced unfairness and was questioned about corruption, the reason he was so angry and sad was that he feared his beloved street dance would leave her with such an unsavory first impression.
What he truly cared about had always been her!
“I… I need to process this.”
“No need to process anymore.” Teng Yi reached out and pulled Ruan Yu into his embrace. “Little fish, I’m the real fisherman. I’m the one greedily weaving the net, trying to make it big enough and wide enough so you can never swim away.”
A lifetime, huh?
Ruan Yu rested in his embrace, listening to his strong heartbeat echoing beside her ear. The whole world suddenly brightened. It turned out everything had been her needless worry; all her concerns didn’t exist.
After embracing them for a moment, Teng Yi released her.
“Have you decided?”
“About what?”
“About filling my girlfriend ‘vacancy.'”
Ruan Yu smiled, pressing her lips together.
“Looks like that’s a yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because now you can demonstrate another idiom.”
“What?”
“‘Joy written all over your face.'”
“You’re terrible.”
Teng Yi pulled her back into his embrace: “If you don’t say no, I’ll take it as a yes.”
She did accept, of course, she accepted.