Fleeting Midsummer

Military Training (1)

Amidst the laughter and playful teasings, my summer vacation passed. Although the entire summer vacation had passed,  but I had actually been unable to think of our pet names.

After summer vacation was over, it was actually time for military enlistment.

On the final day before military enlistment, I rushed to the dorms. I had just entered when I was immediately surrounded by the three flowers.

Julie and the neighborhood committee auntie had obviously drank from the same cup, “Do you know who ‘the most familiar stranger’ is? It appears that the person who looks the most unassuming is actually the most passionate on the inside. Everyone is clearly reminiscing on their memories this past year, at that time you were shoving Fang Yuke here and there, someone even cautioned us from  fighting against and stealing from Ru Ting; I wonder who that person is? Who was it that grasped a cup of instant noodles with a wretched face, while gossiping about others?”

I put on a fake smile with, “Hehe, things like feelings can’t be measured, it surges forth unexpectedly.”

Wang Jie added on, “Never thought that you would have schemed right under our very eyes. Now that you have a man, you don’t have any sense of morality? You didn’t even give us a single call this entire summer vacation.”

Ah Tao continued, “Furthermore, the Wen Tao with the same given and family name as me gave a call to our dorm, looking for you. I didn’t expect that you would have such strong networking skills, we didn’t even know that you have connections with that famous Wen Tao. No loyalty, no loyalty. We even swore in the past to share all handsome men, and beat all wretched jerks.”

It was only then that I realised that it had almost been an entire month since Wen Tao sent me a message. But this wasn’t strange since we wouldn’t talk for a long time whenever he was busy. I didn’t know whether or not he had heard about Fang Yuke and I.

Julie glanced at me, “You better give us a full account tonight. Starting from Wen Tao all the way to Fang Yuke, don’t you dare miss a single detail. If you lie, prepare for the punishment of hot chili water.”

All three of them were gossip mongers, even if there was really no situation, one had to exaggerate the details. It was like the three of them had five pairs of eyes. Such an explosive piece of news had actually been withheld by me, no wonder they acted as if they had to deal with a big offender.

Under the combined pressure of the three, I began to recall the memories of the past.

As my spit flew from recounting the emotions that I had these past few months, the three  of them actually ignored the key points and immediately focused on the problem of Wen Tao. Julie asked incredulously, “Did you grow peach trees in your past life[1]? You managed to catch all these handsome guys. Isn’t Wen Tao rumoured to be an unattainable prince? How could he have fallen for you? Is it that your self confidence has soared after getting together with Fang Yuke?”

At this moment, the phone started to ring. Wang Jie picked up the phone and without saying a word, she held the receiver, winked and me and said lightly, “It’s Wen Tao.”

I picked up the phone and three pairs of ears appeared beside the phone.

“Hello -” I was a little bit nervous.

“You’ve returned? I’ve been waiting for you call, how come you didn’t call me?”

The three  mouths beside me all sucked in a breath as the three pairs of eyes dilated.

I stammered, “Because I- I-”

On the other side, Wen Tao laughed lightly, “Why are you hesitating, it’s not like you. Look at how I immediately gave you a call the moment I finished doing my things but you didn’t even turn on your handphone.”

I thought about the time where Fang Yuke gave Ru Ting a hug and how he had proclaimed her elimination in front of me, and suddenly understood that it was done in order to set my heart at rest. At that time, he had done so many courageous and brave things. However, at this time, I was still having some intimate relationship with others, feeding some desires.

I gathered up some courage, “Wen Tao, Fang Yuke and I are dating. I like him, and he likes me. I hope you understand. If you’re willing, we can still be good friends.”

The people beside me sucked in a breath. Julie made a show of beating on her chest, as if it were her own son that was being rejected.

Wen Tao went very quiet, he didn’t make a sound.

“Hello, are you there?” I quickly asked.

“Little Springboard, with others, you always sugarcoat your words, but why is it that only towards me that your words are so direct? I had initially wanted to pretend that I didn’t know about it and even wanted to send you off before you enlisted.”

“Sorry……” I answered timidly.

“You don’t have to apologise, don’t they say that a man remains unmarried while a woman marries home? Ru Ting has already told me about you two. She doesn’t plan on giving up on Fang Yuke, and neither do I. Without trying, why should I give up? The moment I give up, it’s going to be that way for a lifetime…… I don’t want to regret it in the future.”

I was a little bit worried, “If I don’t let you give up, I’m letting you stand at the side and watch. You have a whole garden of budding roses beside you just waiting for you. Some flowers have to endure being broken before they can be set straight, or else they will forever remain budless. For what reason would you want to put in all your effort to be with a withered flower like me? Furthermore, after a few years when you talk to other people about me, you might even end up spitting blood……”

“Springboard, you could be a withered flower to others, but to me, you are the lotus on the top of the mountain, the rare lingzhi in Kun Lun. I knew long ago that Fang Yuke liked you, and at that time didn’t you also like somebody else, couldn’t let go of somebody else? In the end didn’t you still get together with Fang Yuke? Why is it that when it comes to me, you announced that I’m eliminated? Romeo’s first girlfriend was not Juliet, but they still had an incomparable love. I may not be your first love, I may not be your first boyfriend, but I want to be your Romeo.”

TLN: Lingzhi in Kun Lun is just a comparison that Wen Tao uses~ obviously very rare and very special

A famous person in the news industry would always have a glib tongue. In this kind of touching situation, he was actually be able to speak with such conviction. He aroused so much sympathy and pulled at my heartstrings. So much so that I had been touched for a moment.

“Wen Tao, I read a story today when I was on the train. A little monk who had just entered the temple said to the Abbot, ‘I cannot let go of some things, I can’t let go of some people.’ The Abbot replied, ‘There is nothing that you cannot let go.’ He said, ‘But in reality, when I just entered Buddhism, there were still things I had not yet let go.’ The Abbot let him hold on to a cup that was filled to the brim with hot water. The water accidentally spilled out. The little monk who had been burnt immediately opened his hand. The Abbot said, ‘There is nothing in this world that you cannot let go of. When it hurts, you will immediately let it go.’ Doesn’t this story mean that I have to be cold to you before I can make you let go of me completely? You know I’m someone who speaks straightforwardly. When it comes to hurting people, there’s no need to beat around the bush but to immediately stab straight into their weak spot.”

“Hehe, Springboard, when telling a story to someone who works with the news, shouldn’t you first consider the consequences? When I listen to this story, it only fills me with more resolve. Are you letting me maliciously wait until Fang Yuke totally hurts and wounds you before I step in to reap what I have not sown?”

“He wouldn’t,” I said angrily as I raised my voice.

“Look at how you deny it so vehemently. Actually, your heart is incomparably weak. It’s just bravado. Do you really understand him? In my point of view, Fang Yuke is someone who is stingy in expressing his emotions. He’s stingy to the point where the other party will start to doubt his feelings. His desire to dominate is also strong, this is also incompatible for someone like you who desires your own freedom. In time to come, you guys will definitely have some friction.”

“When did you set up a booth to read people’s fortunes?”

“I’m a professional in the news industry, with a second degree in psychology. Although I haven’t graduated, in any case, I’ve met many people. Fang Yuke’s name has always been paired with Ru Ting’s. I’ve also heard it in many circles, it’s easy to get in touch with and I pretty much understand xx. Just like how I immediately realized it when you liked Xiao Xi and understood by how you responded to me just now, your emotions at this moment are just like a paper tiger who is pretending to be strong.”

“I hate it when you become so caustic and overbearing.”

“I know, but I don’t want to be secretly caustic. I’m only saying it as it is. One needs to win with luster and lose with grace. Zhou Lin Lin, you’re someone who has no patience. Sorry, I should say it in a more positive way, you’re someone who is direct and straight to the point. For instance, how you like Xiao Xi, let go of Xiao Xi; just like how you like Fang Yuke, I believe that you’re someone who cuts with one swift motion in order to avoid any troublesome situations. If I say that Ru Ting insisted on getting in between you two, would you not back out in order to maintain the peace of the world?”

Someone who understood people more than I did was too scary. I didn’t know how much of his words were true and how much of it were lies; an ending that was dripping with blood, compared to how Fang Yuke stood in the kitchen gutting the fish, the speed at which he scraped the fish clean of scales, this was much more cruel. Buddha, GuanYin, Jesus and Mary, thank you for letting me experience such a light hearted chicken soup class on the first day of school.

“Wen Tao, can’t you offer blessings for our relationship like a gentleman? In any case I’ve lived till the age of 20 and bloomed an inherently deficient flower that might wither away any day. You ruin it, wearing a pair of horse boots, with taut muscles, you cruelly step and crush the flowers and even spit a dense and smelly bit of phlegm. You make the relationship between and Fang Yuke look so pitiful……”

“The most pitiful one is me. I’ve stepped on it and spit on it, but I still want to have that one flower. Me, Wen Tao. It’s not my first time dating but I’m still acting so stupid, if others find out about it I would definitely become a laughing stock.”

I didn’t know what else I could say. I could only find a reason to hang up, “The phone card has no more money, I have to hang up.”

“Springboard, how come you don’t even know how to lie? I’m the one who called you, what does it have to do with your phone card?”

“Then the phone line has been cut off, how about that?” After saying this, I immediately hung up.

I turned around and saw the three ladies clutching at their hearts as if it had been smashed into a million pieces.

Julie said agitatedly, “You guys should go act in a drama. You said that you don’t normally open flowers, but the moment you open one, it ends up being twin lotus flower on a single stalk, and even a pair. What should we do? Could you sell it to me at wholesale price?”

Wang Jie, who was usually calm, also began to gasp, “How could it be that the moment you make your move, you hook two people? Aren’t you making an enemy of the entire girl student body? Be careful or else nobody will give you any revision materials during exam season.”

Gah- it appears as if the consequences were really serious.

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[1] The Chinese often refer to people who have many suitors as having many peaches.