TBE Chapter 5

Zhou Yanqing liked Song Yu, this was something several of his college roommates all knew, and the dorm boss Peng Bingbing even spent a lot of money to get a Song Yu signed poster to give to Zhou Yanqing as a birthday gift. But he usually did not have any crazy chasing-star behavior, he only would repeatedly watch Song Yu’s past film and television works in the dormitory.

Therefore, Jiang Cheng was very puzzled about Zhou Yanqing applying for a job assistant in Song Yu’s studio. He pressed Zhou Yanqing down on the stool, with a determined expression of ‘if you don’t make it clear, I won’t let you go’.

Zhou Yanqing smiled helplessly, this scene had also appeared in the previous life. At that time, when Zhou Yanqing saw the recruitment information of Song Yu Studio online, he was very excited, so he discussed this matter with Jiang Cheng. At that time their positions were the same, they would not joke about their own future for the sake of a favorite actor.

But now times were different, Zhou Yanqing could not use the truth to explain the reason he wanted to do this, so he had no choice but to tell a lie and earnestly list his reasons for wanting to apply for this position. Nothing more than wanting to use the connection with Song Yu to be able to stay on set for a long time, to feel the atmosphere of film and television shooting and stimulate writing inspiration and so on.

Jiang Cheng was finally persuaded. In the end he was worried about Zhou Yanqing’s future, but he also respected the other’s own choice.

After washing up, Zhou Yanqing grabbed a small piece of bread to fill his stomach and hurried out of school.

He first went to the bank ATM to withdraw money. Looking at the available balance of 4482.12 displayed on the screen, Zhou Yanqing sighed and took out 4,400 yuan, and then ejected the card.

After hesitating a bit, he took another card out of his wallet and inserted it into the ATM. In this card, excluding interest, the balance was exactly 75,000 yuan. The money in this card was the student aid donation Zhou Yanqing had received starting from second year of high school from a kind-hearted person. In high school, every year he would receive a transfer of 10,000 yuan, and after entering university it became 25,000. This money was his tuition, every year one month before school started it would be transferred into his bank card. This year, senior year of university had already started for more than a month, and he still had not received the tuition for this school year.

After entering university, Zhou Yanqing started to earn money through part-time jobs, he had scholarships, and also applied for student loans, so he no longer used the money in this card to pay tuition.

He checked the transaction of this card. After entering university, apart from today there was only one withdrawal record. In the second semester of sophomore year, he withdrew 20,000 yuan from this card, because at that time his grandfather had fallen seriously ill and needed 20,000 yuan in emergency. That 20,000 yuan couldn’t save his grandfather’s life, and Zhou Yanqing later through part-time jobs saved up and put that 20,000 yuan back in.

For several years, this money was not his treasury, but his belief that supported him to walk alone with faltering steps.

Gathering his thoughts, Zhou Yanqing withdrew 10,000 yuan. In the previous life, this money had not been touched until he was hit by a car and died; now for the sake of emergency, he had no choice but to take out some. He already had a plan in his heart, once he earned money he would deposit it back the first thing.

After withdrawing the money, Zhou Yanqing immediately went to buy a relatively high-end smartphone. He could no longer use that second-hand phone that lagged until it made people lose their temper. Then he went to the mall to buy a suit of relatively moderate price, and finally went to the barbershop to get a haircut. Zhou Yanqing planned to use the remaining money to buy a laptop computer, which he would need in the future.

After finishing all this it was already noon. Zhou Yanqing looked left and right at himself in the huge shop window in the mall, and was quite satisfied with his own image, only then did he walk out of the mall.

Although it was already October, the summer in the south had not yet ended. In order to maintain the refreshing pleasantness that he had carefully put together on himself, Zhou Yanqing rarely luxuriously chose to take a taxi.

The office location of Song Yu Studio was on the 23rd floor of the Twin Towers in the city center. Zhou Yanqing arrived half an hour early. He gently pushed open the glass door, and right upon entering was a spacious reception hall, with cool air-conditioning wind blowing in his face. The receptionist who had been sitting upright with only her head showing immediately stood up and bowed to greet: “Hello, who are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?”

The voice was soft and pleasant, it was exactly the young woman who had called Zhou Yanqing in the morning to inform him to come for an interview.

Zhou Yanqing handed over a handwritten paper resume, saying that he was here for the interview.

The woman showed a little surprised expression and introduced herself: “Hello, my name is Monica.”

Monica arranged for Zhou Yanqing to sit on the sofa in the reception hall, told him to wait a while, and also poured him a glass of water.

Zhou Yanqing politely thanked her.

Monica went back to her work station. First she immediately notified her direct superior that the applicant had arrived, then opened QQ to contact her close girlfriend.[footnote]girlfriend as in girl-space-friend.[/footnote]

“Ah ah ah ah ah! Our company has a very refreshing handsome xiao gege[footnote]小哥哥 (xiǎo gē ge ; little older brother): slang for addressing or describing a young attractive male, often used playfully or with admiration[/footnote] coming to interview, I pray that he can pass the interview!”

On the other side of QQ, her close girlfriend indifferently expressed that there must be pictures as proof. Monica, from behind the desk, carefully raised her phone, only letting the camera peek out, quickly snapped a photo of Zhou Yanqing’s side profile and sent it over, and then the two of them started ying ying ying[footnote]嘤嘤嘤 (yīng yīng yīng ; whimpering/whining sound): internet slang used playfully to express acting cute, whining, or fangirling. Idk if I should translate literally or just use fangirling/squealing or crying, but I figured I will use ying ying ying first[/footnote] together on QQ.

Zhou Yanqing did not notice these movements, sat with his back straight very upright, but after a long time he felt a little bored, so he picked up the fashion magazine on the table and flipped through it casually.

Until the sound of footsteps, from far to near, interrupted him.

Zhou Yanqing turned his head, and two tall and upright men walked toward him face to face. The man walking in front had jet-black and shiny hair, exquisite features, and although he was wearing the simplest white shirt and black trousers, he exuded a runway aura.

It was Song Yu.

Zhou Yanqing widened his eyes and stared blankly at Song Yu, until Song Yu brushed past him, lifting up a breeze carrying a fragrance.

This fragrance was light and alluring, passing through five years of time—no, it should be seven years—and carried Zhou Yanqing back to that summer wrapped in cicada cries.

 

In early September, the sun was scorching hot, and the summer was in full swing.

School had only just been in session for a week, and though it was supposed to be a Saturday rest day, Qingyang High School did not have a holiday that day.[footnote]Basically there are weeks where they have school on Sat in China[/footnote] The entire school’s students were gathered on the playground. They were holding an important activity. Around the edges there were several cameramen and staff recording the whole process, and each class’s homeroom teacher was actively maintaining order.

Before the event started, the students stood in crooked formations, chattering and complaining about the scorching heat and the fierce sunlight as the cicadas’ chirping came and went one after another.

The formation of Grade 2 Class 3 was near the greenery by the playground. Zhou Yanqing stood at the end of the formation. Taking advantage of the homeroom teacher patrolling the front, he quickly bent down and flipped over the greenery, running toward the classroom.

Last week, Zhou Yanqing had agreed with the boss of that small restaurant on Guanghe Road to wash dishes for him on these two days of weekends this week, and he would get a salary of 150 yuan. But on Friday the teacher suddenly announced that there was going to be a large-scale event in the school, and even specifically mentioned Zhou Yanqing.

Zhou Yanqing thought it was some kind of commendation event, so he came rushing full of fire, only to hear from classmates what it was all about. It was simply a waste of his precious time; it would be better to skip class and go work.

With a bang, the back door of the classroom opened with a sound. Zhou Yanqing had not yet stepped inside when he saw someone was lying at his desk. He backed up to the doorway and looked up at the sign. Grade 2 Class 3; it was indeed his classroom, no mistake. Could it be that someone else also skipped class like him?

He tiptoed to his desk, bent down to take a look, and was instantly stunned.

This person’s face was buried in his arm, and though only a little side profile could be seen, Zhou Yanqing was certain he didn’t know him, and judging by the figure, he was definitely not a high school student.

Zhou Yanqing was anxious to get his schoolbag, but this person was sleeping soundly in his seat. Helplessly pursing his lips, he sat in the seat in front, deciding to wait quietly for five minutes. If after five minutes this person still didn’t wake up, he would wake him.

The summer wind poured in through the wide-open window, and a faint fragrance drifted into Zhou Yanqing’s nose, lingering without dispersing. Zhou Yanqing suspiciously tugged at his own T-shirt collar, took two sniffs, and almost gagged; it was a burst of sweat stench.

Letting go of the collar, he sniffed hard again and finally realized the fragrance seemed to come from the young man in front who was occupying his desk. Maybe it was that this fragrance could bewitch people, maybe it was wanting to confirm his suspicion, Zhou Yanqing couldn’t help but lean closer to that head of black, smooth hair and sniff hard.

Before he could savor what kind of fragrance was so pleasant, with a ‘bang’ Zhou Yanqing suddenly covered his chin as he said ‘ouch’.

The timing of the man waking up on the desk was very coincidental. As soon as he lifted his head, he hit Zhou Yanqing’s sharp chin.

“Sorry, did I hit you?”

Before Zhou Yanqing could flare up, the other party had already spoken to apologize, the clear voice carrying a touch of lazy nasal sound.

Zhou Yanqing covered his chin, eyes brimming with tears of pain. In the end, this could be considered his own fault. He rubbed it, making sure it wasn’t dislocated, then felt relieved. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and finally saw clearly the man in front of him, and his breath instantly stopped.

It stood to reason that a man’s definition of a person’s beauty and ugliness should be aimed at the opposite sex, and rarely would a normal male say to another man that they were good looking. But when Zhou Yanqing faced the young men occupying his seat, there was only one word in his head——good-looking.

His eyes were deep black, lips slightly pursed, wearing an innocent expression as if his peaceful dream had been disturbed. Suddenly, he smiled, his brows curved like the bright waning moon in the night sky.

Isn’t this what is meant by making people feel broad-minded and joyful?[footnote]心广神怡 (xīn guǎng shén yí ; broad heart, pleasant spirit): idiom meaning extremely relaxed and delighted[/footnote]

Seeing Zhou Yanqing not speaking and his eyes were still a little red, the young man felt some guilt, reaching out as if to check the other’s chin.

Zhou Yanqing snapped back to his senses, awkwardly dodged, and questioned: “Who are you? What are you doing in our class?”

The young man froze for a moment, then smiled and asked back: “You are in this class?”

“Otherwise? You’re even sitting in my seat.”

The young man raised his eyebrows: “You are called Zhou Yanqing? It seems that your grade in science is not very good.”

Zhou Yanqing suddenly remembered that the test papers of last semester’s final exam were just handed out yesterday. He said in shame and anger: “You peeked at my paper!”

The young man shrugged, and with an innocent expression, he explained: “You just spread it out on the desk, I was the one who helped you put it into the drawer.”

Zhou Yanqing was speechless, pouted, and said with annoyance: “Then get up, I want to pack my things. While no one’s here, hurry and leave. If you’re found trespassing on campus, be careful you’ll be caught by security.”

The young man was amused, but didn’t move aside, and instead asked him: “Why don’t you go to the playground to participate in the event?”