AL Chapter9

Since Zhou Yan said he was coming, Liang Ruixi couldn’t very well refuse, but he couldn’t shake off a feeling of nervousness.

 

Just then, his phone vibrated twice more, and a group chat named “326 Gossip Squad” popped up.

 

Wei Ran: “Brothers, someone just sent me a post. The breakup between Zhou Yan and Xiao Zhi might not be so simple!”

 

This guy had just created a small group chat, pulling in everyone from their original dorm room 326 except for Zhou Yan. Because Liang Ruixi had frequented their dorm room so often back then, practically making him an unofficial member of room 326, he hadn’t been excluded either.

 

After saying that opening line, Wei Ran shared a post in the group chat: “Let’s Talk About That Jinwai Couple Who Were Like the Romeo and Juliet of Our Generation!”

 

The very beginning of the post was the author’s exclamation, “I saw Xiao Zhi and Xu Xinzheng’s wedding photos being shared on social media. Never thought they’d end up together after all.”

 

The post was from the Jinwai alumni forum. The author wrote a lengthy essay of three thousand words, first describing Xu Xinzheng as handsome and generous, a campus heartthrob who had captivated many girls but was only infatuated with Xiao Zhi. After pursuing her for a while, he won her heart.

 

Young people in love rarely inquire about each other’s family backgrounds, and their first love was carried out secretly, hidden from parents and teachers. It wasn’t until their second year of high school that Xu Xinzheng’s businessman father was implicated in a high-ranking official’s bribery case. The bribery amount exceeded one hundred million yuan, and the case involved a wide range of bribe-givers. Although Father Xu was only one of them, the amount he was involved in was substantial.

 

Coincidentally, Xiao Zhi’s father was the chief prosecutor in Father Xu’s case. During the trial, Father Xiao, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, advised the judge to handle Father Xu and his associates severely as a warning to others. Subsequently, Father Xu and others were all fined and sentenced to heavy prison terms for bribery.

 

Secrets couldn’t be kept. The students at Jinwai quickly learned about this, and it became a hot topic of discussion. Those who enjoyed gossip not only labeled Xu Xinzheng’s past generosity as tainted but also placed Xiao Zhi on the opposite side of the conflict.

 

The news soon reached Xiao Zhi’s father’s ears. Father Xiao, as if facing a formidable enemy, immediately met with the teachers from their school for a discussion and gave the two sixteen-year-olds a serious reprimand, forcefully demanding that they break up.

 

Under immense pressure, Xiao Zhi dared not approach Xu Xinzheng again. Xu Xinzheng, after learning the truth, was completely disheartened and gave up on himself, engaging in fights and all sorts of bad behavior thereafter.

 

In a place like Jinwai, academic performance and moral conduct were always top priorities strictly enforced by the school. Xu Xinzheng stopped attending classes and doing homework for a month, his grades plummeted, and coupled with his causing trouble both on and off campus, in just one semester, complaints about him filled the desks of the head teacher and the principal.

 

By the end of his second year of high school, he was expelled from Jinwai due to various punishments and failing grades.

 

Such expulsions were extremely rare at Jinwai. It was said that Xu Xinzheng was later sent by his mother to study in the UK, and Xiao Zhi was also strictly controlled by her family, making it impossible for them to have any further contact.

 

However, gossip and rumors were passed down from one graduating class to the next, making Xu Xinzheng increasingly notorious, and his relationship with Xiao Zhi became even more well-known.

 

Who would have thought that after so many years, everyone would actually see the protagonists of the story reunite?

 

Among the commenters, some scolded Xiao Zhi for being love-struck, while others felt they were true love. Of course, there were also those who mentioned Xiao Zhi’s ex-boyfriend, Zhou Yan.

 

……

 

“This is too unexpected. Could it be that they never actually broke up?”

 

“That’s unlikely. I heard that after Xiao Zhi got into F University, she got together with Zhou Yan.”

 

“Who is Zhou Yan?”

 

“Is it Senior Zhou from the Class of ’08?”

 

“Yes, that’s him. He was once the student council representative and the leader of the honor guard at Jinwai.”

 

“Oh, I remember! He was also a heartthrob ah!”

 

“I heard that Senior Zhou’s mother is a senior judge at the Nanshi Intermediate People’s Court. Their families should know each other.”

 

“Then Zhou Yan is too pitiful. After cherishing Xiao Zhi for so many years, he still ended up being abandoned and alone. He’s practically a tragic second male lead…”

 

“Oh my god, that sounds so tragic, it could be made into a TV series!”

 

……

 

Wei Ran sent a shocked-face emoji in the group chat. “How could this be? Then what was our class monitor? A cannon fodder?”

 

Lu Jingtong was their class’s Communist Youth League secretary back in their law department Class 2. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, he passed the entrance exam for China University of Political Science and Law’s master’s program and was now in Yancheng.

 

Lu Jingtong said, “Looks like he got cheated on? [Decay emoji]”

 

Wei Ran: “Ai, I didn’t expect Junior Sister Xiao to be this kind of person. That’s too much. If she had someone else in her heart, why did she string our Zhou Yan along?”

 

Lu Jingtong: “But didn’t Zhou Yan say they broke up peacefully?”

 

Wei Ran: “Zhou Yan is such a nice guy, how could he make a girl look bad? He was just saving face for both sides in public.”

 

He then directly addressed Liang Ruixi: You’re so close to Zhou Yan, do you know what happened?”

 

Liang Ruixi replied, bewildered, “I don’t know…”

 

He was hearing about the events in the post for the first time, and his feelings were quite complicated.

 

If what Wei Ran guessed was true, then Zhou Yan was even more pitiful than everyone was discussing!

 

He vaguely recalled Zhou Yan’s sad expression that night in the hospital when he mentioned breaking up with Xiao Zhi, and a wave of sympathy surged within him.

 

Wei Ran: “@Liang Ruixi Go ask him!”

 

When he went to Zhou Yan’s place last weekend, Liang Ruixi hadn’t exactly avoided probing, but Zhou Yan hadn’t revealed anything. He felt a bit helpless about it too.

 

In reality, being friends doesn’t mean gossiping a few times when the other person is down, nor does knowing secrets that others don’t mean you have a good relationship. Since Zhou Yan didn’t want to talk about it, Liang Ruixi didn’t want to deliberately dig for information either.

 

Right now, Zhou Yan saying he was coming to find him was already a sign that he was willing to be closer to him. As a friend, all Liang Ruixi could do was be there for him when he needed it, talk, chat, and nothing more.

 

“Why are you still looking at your phone? It’s already 8:10pm!” Jiang Cheng reminded him.

 

Having lost track of time while engrossed in the gossip, Liang Ruixi quickly put down his phone. “Oh, right, that classmate of mine will be coming over later. Save him a good seat.”

 

“Which classmate?” Jiang Cheng asked, puzzled.

 

“Zhou Yan, the one who came to see me in the hospital last week.”

 

Jiang Cheng suddenly understood. “Oh, it’s him. You can just say his name directly in the future, instead of ‘this classmate’ and ‘that classmate.’ Who isn’t your classmate?”

 

Liang Ruixi didn’t forget to remind him, “He hasn’t been in a great mood lately. You heard it last week too — his girlfriend of many years is getting married. Don’t make him anything like ‘Bitter Taste of Lost Love’ or ‘Waterloo Bridge.’ Give him something cheerful.”

 

“Then what should I mix? ‘Tonight I Won’t Go Home’?”

 

“…Maybe not. Blue looks depressing too.”

 

“I’ll just give him the drink menu and let him choose himself. Is there anything on there I’m not good at?”

 

“Alright.” Liang Ruixi hurried onto the stage amidst the customers’ whistles.

 

At eight thirty in the evening, Zhou Yan drove out of the underground parking garage of the Shiyang Building and noticed it was drizzling outside.

 

The dense rain soon covered the windshield with a layer of mist. Zhou Yan adjusted the windshield wiper to the lowest frequency and followed the navigation towards the location Liang Ruixi had sent him.

 

The city center was still a bit congested at this hour, and it took him half an hour to arrive.

 

Parking was difficult nearby, so Zhou Yan drove around for a long time looking for a spot. By the time he parked and walked over, it was almost ten o’clock.

 

In the darkness, the five slender, rounded characters of “Expecting Possibilities” emitted a warm glow, looking like a cluster of fireworks that had just burst and was about to fade away through the rain.

 

The name, with its deeper meaning understood only by law students, appeared quite romantic in this setting.

 

A familiar melody drifted out from within, stirring a faint chord in Zhou Yan’s heart. His damp hand rested on the wooden door with the “Open” sign hanging on it. He pushed it open with force, like pushing open a long-locked prison of the heart.

 

And within that prison, locked away for two years and sixty-four days, were the emotions and longings he hadn’t dared to revisit.

 

“…Will you suddenly appear at the coffee shop on the street corner? I’ll greet you with a smile and a wave…”

 

The song reached his ears first. Zhou Yan saw Liang Ruixi on the stage. Liang Ruixi was also looking at him, as if he had been waiting for a long time. Just a second ago, his expression had been anxious and uneasy, but now his eyes had smoothed out, and he smiled, relaxed and radiant.

 

Zhou Yan looked around. Jiang Cheng quickly came over to greet him personally. “Rui Ge said you were coming at eight o’clock. He’s been singing love songs, waiting for you all night…”

 

Zhou Yan cleared his throat softly. “Is that so?”

 

“Yeah, usually he stops singing by ten o’clock at the latest. This is probably the last song,” Jiang Cheng said, leading him to a seat. He then handed him the drink menu. “See what you’d like to drink. We have food too.”

 

“I drove, so I can’t drink alcohol. Just a glass of water for me.” Zhou Yan said.

 

“How can that be?” Jiang Cheng gestured for Zhou Yan to turn the page. “There are non-alcoholic cocktails in the back. Usually, it’s mostly the young ladies who order them. Take a look and pick one.”

 

Zhou Yan glanced at the menu and saw one called “Grain Rain Season,” which fit the weather. He said, “I’ll have this one.”

 

“Alright!” Jiang Cheng took the menu and went off to get it.

 

The song was already coming to an end. When Liang Ruixi sang “Long Time No See,” he looked at Zhou Yan with a smile, as if he were truly saying “Long Time No See” to him.

 

A warmth stirred in Zhou Yan’s heart, enveloping his whole being.

 

As the song softened, the two girls in front were still regretting that “the fun for tonight was over.” But they waited for a while and didn’t see Liang Ruixi come down. Instead, they saw him grip the microphone, clear his throat softly, and lower his eyes. “It was supposed to be over, but my old friend just came. He missed the full performance, so I’d like to sing one more song for him.”

 

Immediately, supportive applause erupted from below. Many people looked around, curious to see which “VIP” had earned them an extra song.

 

When the music started, everyone’s attention returned to the stage. Liang Ruixi lifted his gaze, his long eyelashes looking like two small fans under the spotlights, his starry eyes fixed directly on Zhou Yan, sending a spark.

 

The author has something to say: 

[Little Interlude]

Zhou Yan: It was like pushing open a long-locked prison of the heart.

Liang Ruixi: Woohoo~Finally released from prison! (≧▽≦)/

————

Jiang Cheng: Rui Ge sang love songs, waiting for you all night.

Liang Ruixi: I didn’t! Don’t talk nonsense!