TCOR CH43

Chapter 43: Changed Your Mind?

I searched the Internet overnight for a dating checklist, and from the many options, I selected 15 items to create an exclusive “final exam” list for Shen Wunian and me.

The first day, we went to a cat cafe.

Perhaps most of these dating checklists are still intended for heterosexual couples, because nine out of ten of them mention “cat cafes.

Since I wasn’t sure if Shen Wunian liked real kittens, I chose a cat cafe where you can watch movies, so even if you’re not interested in cats, you can spend the afternoon watching movies on the weekend.

I arrived early that day, prepared with snacks, kittens, and an extra-long movie to watch all afternoon. I was holding a cat and looking at the drink menu when Shen Wunian was ushered in by a staff member.

Maybe customers like Shen Wunian are really not common in cat cafes. Even though the staff was reserved, they still couldn’t hide their curiosity. They kept looking at me as we talked.

“Would a latte be okay?” I asked Shen Wunian, turning my head.

“Sure,” he said, and as he spoke, two or three kittens had already surrounded him, some pawing his legs, some standing up and curiously patting his tie, and others rubbing against his suit.

He was like a human-shaped wood lily, and as soon as he sat down on the sofa, he attracted the attention of all the kittens in the room.

After the salesman left, the projector began to play the opening credits of the movie, and the room went dark. On the three-seater sofa, I sat on the far left, and Shen Wunian sat on the far right, as if deliberately trying to distance himself from me.

I nudged him a little with the popcorn in my basket and asked if he wanted some. He looked at it and asked, “Do I have the right to refuse?”

I already knew what he was going to say, so I twirled the popcorn between my fingers, smiled nonchalantly, and said, “You can refuse.

“No, thank you,” he said without hesitation.

It seemed that the scene of sharing a bucket of popcorn with him at the movie theater earlier could not be repeated. I sighed with regret and moved to the side.

Since it was a war movie based on a world-famous novel, I had a hunch that Shen Wunian had read the original, even if he hadn’t seen the movie, and I kept asking him questions about the movie. At first, he answered my questions one by one, but they were all very short. Later, I guess he got tired of answering my questions, and when the plot reached a key point, he would answer my questions on his own without me having to ask.

The kittens came and went, and in the end there were only two left in the compartment. One was curled up asleep on Shen Wunian’s lap, and the other slept on the back of the sofa behind us.

When the movie ended and the lights were turned on, Shen Wunian’s dark suit was covered with cat hair, and there was even some on his hair. The amount of hair was so dense that it even made him look slightly furry.

“I should have worn lighter clothes,” he muttered regretfully as he used the lint remover on the table to remove the cat hair from his pants.

I rolled the cat hair off him, and I felt like I was covered in cat hair, too. It was fluffy and soft and tickled my chest.

I couldn’t resist and leaned down to kiss his cheek.

He stopped slightly, looked over and asked, “Can’t I refuse?”

I lowered my eyes and tore off the tape from the lint remover. My heart felt a little less fluffy, but my mouth said clearly, “No.

When I got home that day, I asked him on the phone, “Have you changed your mind?”

“No,” he replied.

The next day we played tennis.

Since I had classes during the day and no time for a date, I scheduled my meeting with Shen Wunian for that evening.

According to my plan, I would apply for a new dormitory on Monday, rush through the process myself, and get it done in one day. If I was fast, I could move into the new dormitory on Tuesday. However, during the photography club activity in the afternoon, Xie Yunze heard that I was moving back to school and immediately said that he was looking for a roommate to share the rent with, and asked if I would consider renting a room.

The house he is renting is on the commercial street across from the school. It is a commercial/residential building with two rooms. He lives in the south-facing suite, and there is a small bedroom on the north side.

“Brother, if you want to rent it, I’ll charge you less. This house was originally rented to him by his parents, and he has the whole suite to himself. If he hadn’t been in a relationship recently and was a little short of money, he wouldn’t be a sub-landlord.

Student housing is cheap, but personal space is limited and you have to get to know your new roommates. Getting along with them is also a question mark. Sharing a room with Xie Yunze is a bit more expensive, but the advantages are just as obvious – spacious, comfortable, and the roommates get along well.

After seeing the place, I was still hesitant. Peng Dai gave me a nudge on the shoulder and whispered, “Little Ai, just rent it. Just pay a little and keep an eye on Little Xie for me. You’re family, I trust you.”

I couldn’t resist her repeated persuasion, and the scales in my heart quickly tipped. That day, I signed a lease with Xie Yunze and became his new roommate.

Without hesitation, I went back to the hotel, grabbed my luggage, and moved into the new house. When I arrived at the tennis court where I had an appointment with Shen Wunian, I was already panting.

The main reason for choosing tennis was that I knew that Shen Wunian had played tennis and that the tennis court was the one he always went to. The only surprise was that I had underestimated the difficulty of tennis.

As a beginner, it was already difficult to quickly master the technique of serving, let alone returning the ball hit by the opponent. I did nothing but run back and forth and pick up balls all night. I was exhausted after playing for only an hour, my legs were shaking and I was sweating profusely while kneeling on the floor.

“Do you still want to play?” Shen Wunian threw the tennis ball to the ground and jumped up to catch it. He didn’t even break out in a sweat, looking carefree.

I gritted my teeth and struggled to stand up: “Play.”

But after only one ball, I fell to the floor with weak legs, and my knees rubbed against the floor, causing burning pain. Even though it only grazed my skin and didn’t bleed much, I was in no condition to continue.

“I… I want to take a break.” I held onto the tennis racket, and my breath made my throat taste like rust after it was filled with blood.

Shen Wunian seemed to have been waiting for this for a long time. Upon hearing this, he immediately raised his hand and signaled to the coach at the side of the court: “Jane, come over and practice with me.

I limped off the court and passed the energetic, muscular man.

Sitting on the bench at the side of the court, I unscrewed the small opening of the thermos cup to refill my water. Watching the two people on the court playing vigorously, I was envious and a little jealous.

Indeed, this kind of sport is only interesting when played with someone of equal strength. Shen Wunian was only playing with me, so he must be quite frustrated.

At the end of the day, Shen Wunian and I parted ways at the entrance to the gym. On the subway, just like the day before, I sent him a message: “Have you changed your mind?”

He didn’t reply until I got off the train.

“No.”

On the third day, I got on a random bus.

The online guide says to just get on a random bus and ride it from start to finish to see the city. But I was afraid of making a mistake, so I still chose carefully and ended up on a long bus route that went north-south through the city.

From the terminal, I sat in the back row. I took out my camera and from time to time I would hold it up to the window to take a picture, and if I saw something interesting, I would show it to Shen Wunian next to me.

“That teddy bear in front of this store is so cute…”

“Does that cloud look like a cactus?”

“Wow, an old man walking five dogs!”

He was like a critical judge, mostly just taking a quick look and responding with an “hmm”, very occasionally taking a longer look and giving a “not bad” comment.

The first few stops were fine when there were few people, but toward the end, as more and more people boarded, including many elderly people and children, Shen Wunian and I got up to offer our seats.

The crowded carriage was noisy and filled with all kinds of good and bad smells. I held on to the handrail by the door, and Shen Wunian stood behind me, so close that I could feel the temperature of his chest through my clothes.

Suddenly, there was a sharp stop and I couldn’t hold on. My body was thrown forward uncontrollably by inertia, and I was about to crash into someone. Just in time, a large hand reached out from behind and grabbed me firmly.

My heart still pounding, I swallowed hard and looked back, whispering thanks.

Shen Wunian let go of the hand at my waist and kept his eyes on the window: “Stand firm.”

That day’s appointment ended, and as usual, I asked the same question I had two days before, and Shen Wunian’s answer was the same as before.

The fourth day, an art exhibition.

As a first-tier international city, Jiang City has many exhibitions: art exhibitions, photography exhibitions, and more. There’s always something new to see and something to satisfy everyone’s interests.

That afternoon, I had no classes, so I bought tickets and asked Shen Wunian to go with me.

When I bought the ticket, I saw that the introduction said “Poverty Art Exhibition,” and I thought it was an exhibition showing how the poor live their daily lives. I thought I was familiar with it, but when I arrived at the venue, I realized that “poverty art” is an art form that originated in Italy.

Most of the artworks in the exhibition are made from recycled materials and everyday waste – cardboard boxes covered in tape, green glass wine bottles, old clothes, and rotting wood.

“I thought art was mostly noble and elegant, and no matter what the form, there would be a noble expression.” Staring at the small pile of old clothes in the corner, I said, “Like Xu’s exhibition and Yu Xiaoshan’s exhibition.

I don’t know if it’s because it’s a weekday or because this exhibition is too unpopular, but not many people came to see the exhibition. There were only six or seven people in the big exhibition hall, including Shen Wunian and me, so it was hard to break even.

For most people, there’s really no need to go out and see a pile of old clothes and a few broken cardboard boxes when they can see the same things at home.

“The core of poverty art is anti-commercial and anti-situation. It is more about inspiring the public to think about the meaning of art and the possibilities of artistic creation,” Shen Wunian explained briefly as he flipped through the brochure in his hands. “Poverty artists generally believe that art should not be limited to expression, that anyone can become an artist, and that no material should be taken lightly. The embodiment of value is not innate, it can also be bestowed later in life.”

“What an inspiring point of view.” I squinted and looked at the pile of clothes again, with both appreciation and criticism.

Born inconspicuous, but determined to shine. The clothes all work so hard, how can I not work hard? I’ll go back and review the micro and macro classics again this semester…

“But this exhibition is a complete fraud, most of the exhibits are copies of the works of the poor art pioneer Jannis Kounellis.” Shen Wunian looked at the pile of old clothes titled “Untitled”, his expression was smiling, but you could really feel his disgust, “It’s worthless, just a pile of trash.

That day, Shen Wunian’s answer did not change.

The fifth day, a romantic dinner.

I chose the best Western restaurant I could afford. The environment was acceptable, the food was mediocre, but it might not be the usual standard Shen Wunian was used to. He only ordered one bowl of noodles, and he hadn’t even finished half of it.

A restaurant that can’t feed its customers well is not a good restaurant. I stopped using my knife and fork and apologetically suggested that we go to another restaurant.

“The next place will be just as bad, so forget it,” he said, taking a sip of water and hitting the nail on the head.

What a venomous tongue.

I ate the rest of the steak with no interest and called the waiter to pay the bill.

After leaving the restaurant, Shen Wunian and I went our separate ways: he went to the parking lot to get the car, while I went to the subway station alone. On my way to the first floor, I suddenly saw the shop where I had ordered a small cake for Shen Wunian’s birthday.

In the shop window, there were not only birthday cakes, but also some exquisitely cute-looking cupcakes for sale. I suddenly had an idea and asked the waiter to bring me a cupcake with strawberries on top. Then I sprinted to the exit of the parking lot.

As I ran, I called Shen Wunian and asked him to wait for me outside the basement.

My heart was pounding. When I arrived, Shen Wunian’s black SUV was already there.

I panted in embarrassment and couldn’t speak as I pushed the cake bag through the lowered window.

Shen Wunian took the bag and held it in his hands for a long time, looking at it.

I was afraid he wouldn’t want it, so I said quickly, “You…if you’re hungry, you can eat it…if you’re not hungry…you can give it to Philia even if you’re not hungry…”

“Give it to Philia?” He looked over.

I thought most girls like to eat desserts, so I said, “She…she should like it…”

“I know,” he cut me off and rolled up the car window again, walking away in a cloud of dust.

He still didn’t change his mind that day.

On the sixth day, we went to the beach to watch the sunrise.

It takes about an hour and a half to drive from downtown Jiangmen to the beach. At this time of year, the sun rises around 5:00 a.m., so if we wanted to see the sunrise, Shen Wunian and I would have to leave at 3:00 a.m.

There are no buses or subways at that time, so Shen Wunian had to pick me up. When I got into the car, I was dazed, and despite my best efforts to stay awake, I quickly dozed off.

But when we reached the beach, as soon as the car stopped, I woke up on my own without having to be told.

The car was parked on the seawall, and from the car I could see the coastline in the distance. But when we arrived, except for the sound of the waves, it was still dark.

The car stereo played a melodious English song. I took some snacks out of my backpack to share with Shen Wunian, but when I turned around, he had already reclined his seat, put his arms around his shoulders, and closed his eyes to take a nap.

I carefully took off my jacket and covered him with it.

It was just after five o’clock, and as promised, a golden fringe appeared in the sky. I turned around to wake Shen Wunian, but found that he was fast asleep.

Forget it, he didn’t want to come anyway.

The sun rose slowly with a fiery aura. With a smile on my face, I leaned down in the morning light and kissed the corner of Shen Wunian’s lips.

That day Shen Wunian’s answer remained unchanged.

On the seventh day we went camping to look at the stars.

On Saturdays, we could arrange activities that required an overnight stay. A senior member of the photography club was an experienced camper, so I asked him to lend me some camping equipment. I planned to go with Shen Wunian to the abandoned factory where I had taken the photos of the rebirth.

Although it is dilapidated and looks like a post-apocalyptic landscape, it is close to the city and has little light pollution, so it is very suitable for stargazing.

In May, it is not cold to sit outside at night, but there are many stray dogs around the factory, so Shen Wunian and I built a campfire to keep them away.

The dry wood crackled from time to time. I sat by the fire, a cup of hot tea in my hands, and asked Shen Wunian if he had ever seen the Milky Way.

“The Milky Way?” He sat on a picnic blanket spread out on the floor with his hands behind his back, looking up at the stars above. After a moment’s thought, he said, “I’ve seen it a few times.

They say there are a few more stars here than in the city, but it’s really just “a few more,” from a few scattered stars to a dozen or so. But for the outskirts of the city, this visibility is already the limit, and it’s not good to expect more.

“I would love to go and photograph the Milky Way. Let’s go together next time.”

Shen Wunian pulled his eyes away at these words, looked at me, and his voice was cold: “I won’t change my mind. Aren’t you going to give up?”

The firelight reflected off his glass lenses, obscuring his gaze and making it impossible to see his expression. My fingertips tightened involuntarily and I pinched the smooth surface of the mug in my palm, smiling and saying, “It’s only been a week.

In fact, I was prepared for him to reject me completely.

I fought for it, did my best, and left with no regrets. Fifteen days later, of course, it would be best if I could be converted, but if I couldn’t… I would just consider it a fifteen-day relationship, and the result would be more or less the same.

It was late at night, and I was about to go to sleep in the tent. I asked Shen Wunian if he would come in with me.

He broke off a dead branch, threw it into the fire, and said he would sleep outside to avoid suspicion.

“Okay, as you wish,” I said, and lay down in my sleeping bag without zipping up the tent. I lay on my side and could see Shen Wunian outside with my eyes open.

Once he decides to draw a line in the sand, he is ruthless and hard to deal with. Which one is the real him? Or is neither of them the real him?

I sighed, turned over and slowly closed my eyes. I was about to fall asleep when I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to ask my daily question. Confused, I opened my eyes again and said, “Shen Wunian, have you changed your mind?”

Shen Wunian was probably speechless that I would still ask this question in the middle of the night, and it took him a while to say, “No”.

“I knew it…good night.”

In the distance, I could hear the sound of wind or insects that sounded very much like his laughter.