CH 54

Ye Zhou and Shang Jin, who had been inseparable before, acted separately for less than a week before not only the students in the financial class noticed that something was wrong, but the students who had classes at the same time as their classes and those from the same dormitory also felt something was wrong.

Soon, a new post titled “Black Test Week is Coming Again…” floated on the BBS.

LZ: I, the landlord, don’t want to say anything, just want to be quiet!

1L: As someone in the same dorm building as Shang Ye, they haven’t touched the Shang Ye number for a long time…

2L: As someone on the same dorm floor as Shang Ye, Shang Jin’s strawberry was taken away…

3L: As someone in the same dorm as Shang Ye, Shang Jin is no longer staying in the dorm…

4L: As someone from the same school as Shang Ye, eighty percent I’ll fail this end of term…

5L: Nothing to say, I’m hurrying off to cram!

However, when the students around them realized this, most of the school courses were already over.

When Shang Jin was out of class, they were almost unable to see his shadow.

This made the people in the financial class feel a burst of sadness. Even if they wanted to create opportunities for them, they also couldn’t create it!

In this way, everyday a group of people saw Ye Zhou and had the appearance of wanting to say something but hesitating, making Ye Zhou vexed to the extreme. He simply got up early at the first light, and after eating, he burrowed himself in the library and only came back to the dormitory when the library closed.

It was the weekend again. The strawberry flowers on the windowsill continued to wither one after another, the small, blue-green strawberries of different sizes hanging around the flower pot. Shang Youyou counted the small fruits and licked her lips. “Big Brother, can they be eaten?”

Shang Jin slid his finger on the cell phone screen and answered, “Not yet.”

“When can we eat it?”

“You can once it’s red.” A lot of people in the friends circle were howling that Shang Jin had torn apart the partnership on the eve of the exam week. Once the exam week arrived, what were they going to do.

Shang Jin scoffed and set the phone aside, watching the strawberries on the windowsill with Shang Youyou.

“Big Brother, I want to go sleep.”

Shang Jin took Shang Youyou upstairs and sat down at Shang Youyou’s little bedside, waiting for her to fall asleep.

Qin Fei had been in the hospital for a week and he hadn’t heard any news of her giving birth. Shang Jin touched Shang Youyou’s hair. The little girl obviously wanted her mother, but was too embarrassed to say it in front of him.

Shang Jin thought of taking Shang Youyou to see Qin Fei tomorrow.

However, the next day before Shang Jin called, his father called him.

“You aunt gave birth last night. In a while, bring Youyou over to see your little brother.”

Hanging up the phone, Shang Jin saw Shang Youyou carefully pushed open his door. At home when there was only Aunt Zhang, Shang Youyou and him, Shang Jin slept with the door just ajar, so that Shang Youyou would be able to open the door when she wanted to find him.

Shang Jin put down the phone and said softly, “Come here.”

Shang Youyou ran to his bed on her little legs and used his legs to crawl up the bed. Shang Jin hugged her and for a moment, didn’t know how to tell Shang Youyou.

“Big brother?”

“Youyou, we’ll go to the hospital to see the little brother, okay?”

Shang Youyou’s face that was originally excited fell down. She grabbed the quilt corner and pulled it back and forth, not answering.

“Forget it. If you don’t want to go, then we won’t go.” Now that Qin Fei’s body was weak and everybody’s attention was also on the younger brother, if Shang Youyou went, she’d also be neglected. It was better not to go. Shang Jin called his dad again, and Shang Qingping didn’t say anything. Although this was his third time being a father, he was still very excited.

Shang Jin got out of bed and carried Shang Youyou up. He changed the topic, “Let’s go see whether the strawberry turned red or not.”

Shang Youyou encircled his neck and nodded.

At breakfast, an unexpected phone call came in.

Shang Jin looked at the place where the number came from. T City?

“Hey, classmate Shang Jin, still remember me?”

The voice was a little familiar. Contacted from T City, Shang Jin immediately guessed the other person’s identity, “You are Shang Ming?”

“Good memory.” Shang Ming really felt tired. He didn’t know why his brain pulled out the idea of making this phone call. “Before you had the nerve to tell me that you’d handle everything with Ye Zhou. Handling everything, but still making him come over to my place the next day?”

“He went to T City last Saturday?”

“It’s easy to talk to smart people; I don’t need to explain it.” Shang Ming casually turned the page and said, “Actually, don’t look at Ye Zhou’s good grades, he has a one-track mind. Once he firmly believes in something, life and death can’t change it. Just like originally when he was tangled in the rankings. I told him many times, what’s the use of being entangled? So what if it’s second? He’s still able to go to the same school and same class as the first place. The strength is almost the same, so what’s the use of caring about what false reputation. But he just won’t listen.”

“There’s nothing wrong with caring. At least, there’s a goal.”

“It’s only you, this eternally first place, that can make this kind of statement.” Comparing people to each other really made him angry to death. Shang Ming didn’t continue to nag about the rankings, and spoke his business, “Shang Jin, to be honest, you know in your heart how Ye Zhou is towards you. You’re a smart guy, so it should be easy for you to distinguish between genuine sincerity and false friendship. If he really has a person he likes, I don’t believe that you, who lives with him day and night, won’t be able to sense it.”

“I know, so am I not giving him time now to let him slowly think about it?” At first, when he heard Ye Zhou had someone else he liked, Shang Jin did have some impulse. As Shang Ming said, if Ye Zhou really liked someone, it was impossible for him, who had lived under the same roof with Ye Zhou for more than a year, to not find any clues.

“Then I’m sorry for messing with your leisurely mood.” Shang Ming really hated to death Shang Jin’s inexplicable self-confidence. “Since you’re so sure, then you certainly won’t mind Ye Zhou going on a date to the amusement park with Tang Dongdong on the 20th?”

Shang Jin had a rare choke up.

Shang Ming laughed twice and hung up.

At this moment, Ye Zhou, who was betrayed by his friend, sneezed in the library.

He looked at the date. There were more than ten days from the 20th.

Why did the amusement park have to open on the 20th? Who would go play with the final exam! Why not at the beginning of the month!

Ye Zhou lay on the table, rubbed his eyes and couldn’t help turning the phone on. His finger scrolled through the WeChat contacts. Shang Jin’s portrait was replaced with a strawberry flower. Ye Zhou was a bit jealous of this pot of strawberry, mainly because Shang Jin was too good to this strawberry. Ye Zhou originally gifted the strawberry seedling thinking that Shang Jin would raise it casually. He didn’t expect that he would raise it so meticulously.

After classes ended at school, he hadn’t seen Shang Jin for two days.

Shang Jin didn’t contact him and he also didn’t take the initiative to contact Shang Jin.

Not that he didn’t want to, but he couldn’t.

The current him was simply not qualified to respond to Shang Jin’s unreserved love.

Ye Zhou didn’t want any feeling of impureness between him and Shang Jin, even if this impureness was his so-called love at first sight, even if the object of his love at first sight didn’t occupy much weight in his heart.

In his opinion, only by completely laying it down can he stand before Shang Jin without any guilt or burden to tell Shang Jin his own heart.

But why was it so far from the 20th!!

Ye Zhou grabbed his hair and really wished he had a time travel machine, closing his eyes and opening it, it’d immediately go to the 20th.

The final exam came when the first fruits of the strawberry grew to the size of a yuan coin.

On the first day of exam week, the Shang Ye number that had been surrounded by students was completely deserted, even those who were passing by desperately wished they could be farther away, fearing that if they were closer a bit, they’d be possessed by the mourning god and catch the hardest examination papers.

After seeing Ye Zhou and Shang Jin, they constantly looked out of the corner of their eyes at both of them, probing whether the relationship between the two people had eased.

The result, of course, was great disappointment.

After three days of continuous examination, a rest period was ushered in, and the 20th that Ye Zhou had long hoped for was just in this rest period.

On the opening day of the amusement park, the sun shone brightly, and Ye Zhou wore his baseball cap and sat on the bus to the amusement park with Su Yin.

Ye Zhou’s facial expression was as usual and not particularly excited. Of course, Su Yin had heard about Ye Zhou’s quarrel with Shang Jin. On the one hand, she was itching to know the details. On the other hand, she was afraid of raising it up and making Ye Zhou unhappy. So they talked about Tang Dongdong’s information. “Ye Zhou, Tang Dongdong is afraid of ghosts. I’ll propose we go to the haunted house in a while. Can you hold up?”

“Hold up what?”

“Just…you shouldn’t be afraid of this type of thing, right? If you’re both scared, and…”

Ye Zhou interrupted her and said, “I’m not afraid.”

“That’s good. And, Ye Zhou…” Su Yin suspiciously said, “Why does it feel like you’re a bit unexcited?”

Ye Zhou pointed out, “How can that be? I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.”

Su Yin obviously didn’t believe it. Ye Zhou also didn’t explain to her, turned his head and looked quietly out the window.

At eleven o’clock, the two got off the bus. The amusement park was opened and on top of that, it was the weekend, so the entrance was a sea of people.

Tang Dongdong wore a white cotton T-shirt and was as clean as ever. He smiled and waved toward Su Yin. When he saw Ye Zhou next to her, his smile stagnated.

“Hello, my name is Ye Zhou. We’ve met briefly before.” Ye Zhou magnanimously let Tang Dongdong size him up, looking straight at him until Tang Dongdong took the lead and shifted away his line of sight.

Su Yin pulled Tang Dongdong and said, “Didn’t I say before that I was going to bring a friend?”

Tang Dongdong looked at Ye Zhou and reluctantly said hello.

Su Yin fell a step behind Tang Dongdong, leaned toward Ye Zhou and whispered, “He’s a bit slow to warm up and he’s a bit indifferent towards people he’s not familiar with. Once familiar, it’s fine.”

Ye Zhou said indifferently, “It doesn’t matter.”

For the current him, whether Tang Dongdong had the appearance of his fancy was already unimportant.

Many people lined up for the thrilling and exciting rides, while Su Yin, despite Tang Dongdong’s protest, directly took him to the least-crowded haunted house.

“No way, no way!” Tang Dongdong’s entire body exuded refusal, but Su Yin remained unmoved, and continue to use psychological methods to provoke him.

“A grown-up man who’s afraid of ghost, laughing to death! Do you want me, this weak woman, to go in? Won’t your conscience sting?”

When this remark came out, the man who’d originally dithered in front of the haunted house quietly lined up in file.

Ye Zhou pulled his mouth. Which weak woman could be so strong? He walked over and said, “Forget it. Since he doesn’t like it, let’s not play it.”

At that instant, Tang Dongdong looked at Ye Zhou just like he was looking at Buddha.

However in the end, Tang Dongdong was unable to resist Su Yin and he was still forcefully and unyieldingly dragged into the haunted house.

There was also another group of girls who went into the haunted house with them.

Ye Zhou somewhat lamented: now, girls were really more courageous than boys. Those who came in were mostly women.

As the only two men in the team, Ye Zhou and Tang Dongdong were pushed to the front.

Most haunted houses had a feature: they were dark. Here it was the same. Not only was it dark, but there was also a cool wind blowing from time to time. There was also some scary music playing in the passage. Ye Zhou calmly brought out his phone’s light. After not even two steps, his arm was held.

Through the mobile phone’s light, he could see the side of Tang Dongdong’s face. Ye Zhou took back his line of sight and continue to move toward the exit light.

Suddenly, something hit his forehead. Ye Zhou touched his forehead and used his phone to shine overhead. A bloody hand hung in the air. At this moment, the original darkness in the passage was split by lightning, the white light suddenly illuminating the entire room. Suddenly, it extinguished and plunged the room into darkness. This rapid flashing of light and dark was enough for the people in the haunted house to clearly see the interior set. There were many broken hands and feet suspended above their heads and to their side, there was a “corpse” dressed in patient’s clothes. Following the thunderclap, a shriek broke the silence. Like a signal, the whole haunted house echoed with an unbroken succession of girls’ screams.

Ye Zhou wasn’t scared by the props over his head, but he jumped in fright from the girls’ screams.

Afterwards, Ye Zhou’s ears were ringing with girls’ screams the entire way. At the exit, Ye Zhou’s head had grown big.

After coming out, everyone had the feeling of getting a new lease on life after a calamity.

Su Yin took a deep breath and said, “Cool!”

Ye Zhou curiously said, “You went into the haunted house just to scream?”

“Yeah, occasionally I want to vent.”

Tang Dongdong with a deathly pale face was still clutching Ye Zhou’s arm.

Ye Zhou looked at Su Yin and asked, “Is he okay?”

Su Yin hated iron for not becoming steel and glared at him. How could this person not know the way like this. Such a good chance, but he unexpected didn’t show off.

“I’m going to go buy some water.” Saying this, Ye Zhou wanted to hand Tang Dongdong to Su Yin. Su Yin sighed and said, “I’ll go buy it.”

Ye Zhou escorted Tang Dongdong to sit on a public bench. Calming down for a while, Tang Dongdong finally relaxed. Face revealing worship, he said, “You’re actually not afraid at all!”

“Because it’s all fake.”

“I know it’s fake, but I’m still afraid.” Tang Dongdong smiled sheepishly. “Doesn’t it feel weak?”

“No, everyone has something they fear.” Ye Zhou pointed to a little dog passing by. “You look at that boy. He’s clearly very tall, but when the little dog passes him, he’s all tensed up.”

Tang Dongdong blinked and smiled. “You’re the first person to tell me that.”

This smile was the same as the one on his cell phone. It carried the cuteness of a little animal, but it was just cute.

Tang Dongdong seemed to just be afraid of the haunted house and didn’t have any misgivings playing on the other exciting rides. Playing once through, he felt it was not enough fun.

Tang Dongdong excitedly said, “Ye Zhou, let’s play again.”

Su Yin almost vomited after she finished the rollercoaster ride. She leaned on the back of the bench and calmed her rapid heartbeat. “You go. I can’t stand it!”

Ye Zhou didn’t feel at ease leaving Su Yin alone and said, “Wait until she’s rested, then we’ll go again.”

Su Yin desperately pushed him and said, “I’m alright. You guys go.”

Ye Zhou said, “What are you putting up a strong front for? We’re not in a hurry right now.”

Tang Dongdong echoed, “Yes, you just honestly stay put. I’ll go up ahead and buy something to drink.”

After Tang Dongdong left, Su Yin patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Not bad, his impression of you is very good.”

Ye Zhou teased, “There’s nothing I can do. My charm is irresistible.”

This was the first day the amusement park was opened, and Ye Zhou and them spent most of the time in line. The closing time was at 5:30, and at 4 o’clock, Su Yin looked at the Ferris wheel and as the head of the team, proposed, “Let’s go ride the Ferris wheel and take a break.”

“Yeah yeah.” Tang Dongdong pounded his legs and and said, “This day is really tiring enough.”

Ye Zhou followed their line of sight and saw the giant Ferris wheel slowing turning in the air. “I won’t ride it.”

Su Yin was astonished. “Why, this is the Ferris wheel!” In romance, the Ferris wheel definitely played a prominent role!

“Right, so there’s no need.” Ye Zhou touched the phone in his pocket and said, “I’ll come back next time.”

Tang Dongdong snickered. “Could it be that Ye Zhou, you already have someone you like?”

Ye Zhou smiled without denying it.

“I understand, I understand!” Tang Dongdong hauled the Su Yin who still wanted to gossip and said, “But today is such a good chance, so why didn’t you bring her?”

“Haven’t caught yet.”

Tang Dongdong patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Fight on, brother!”

“Thanks, I will.” At this moment, Ye Zhou finally had a weight off his mind.