UI CH 19

After being called to the office to fill out two questionnaires, Shen Ran walked down the stairs. Just as he was about to leave the staff building, he heard someone calling him.

The voice was so familiar that his body reacted instinctively, and he turned to look before fully realizing it.

Li Ting was wearing a light white dress, standing at the corner like a delicate lily.

Since their last conversation on WeChat, Shen Ran had not had any contact with her.

Standing still, Shen Ran looked at Li Ting and asked,
“What’s up?”

Li Ting pressed her lips together, and after a moment, she said,
“I’m leaving. Can we sit down and talk?”

Stirring the ice in his cup, Shen Ran stared blankly at an old man selling malt candy at the street corner. His mind remained in a state of emptiness.

Li Ting had asked him to meet at a café near the school. When he ordered, she walked away to take a phone call and only returned more than ten minutes later.

“Sorry,” she said, sitting down across from him quickly.
“It was Professor Guo. He needed to confirm some information, so the call took a while.”

Professor Guo was Li Ting’s mentor. Shen Ran had met him before—an older teacher who loved to chat endlessly.

Taking a sip of his iced Americano, Shen Ran said,
“It’s fine. What did you want to talk about?”

Looking at the latte in front of her, which Shen Ran had ordered with no ice and extra sugar, Li Ting took a sip and put it down, gently shaking her head.

“Actually, I just wanted to apologize to you. There are some things I should explain before leaving.”

She did owe Shen Ran an explanation. Even though time had passed and Shen Ran had tried not to think about it, it was still hard to truly let go.

Leaning back in his chair, Shen Ran looked at her and said, “Then go ahead.”

Li Ting pressed her lips together, looking as if she was organizing her thoughts. Shen Ran observed her lightly made-up face. Maybe his mindset had changed, but now, after so long without seeing her, he didn’t feel any particular stirrings.

“I know that what I did can’t be forgiven, but I…”
Li Ting’s expression showed a hint of nervousness.
“Before I started with you, I had really thought it through. I genuinely wanted to be with you.”

“So you’ve liked girls before?” Shen Ran asked bluntly.

Li Ting’s face turned red, and her fingers, resting on the table, curled up tightly. Shen Ran waited patiently until she released them and looked back at him.

“Yes, I dated a girl in high school. Later, she got into a university in the north, and we broke up a year later.”

“I knew that kind of relationship wouldn’t end well, and I was afraid my family would be disappointed in me. So after we broke up, I always wanted to date boys, to get away from my past self.”

“Before meeting you, I had met another guy. He was also very nice to me, but I didn’t feel anything for him.”

Shen Ran listened quietly. When she reached this part, he suddenly asked,
“So you’re saying you did feel something for me at first?”

Li Ting lowered her gaze to the coffee cup in front of her. She did not deny it but furrowed her brows, trying to suppress the emotions weighing her down. “At the time, I really thought we could develop smoothly.”

“Then what happened later?”

“During the summer break, she came back. I don’t know how she found out I was dating you, but she came to pester me…”

“It was my fault for not controlling myself. This whole thing is on me. I feel really sorry for dragging you into it.”

Unknowingly, Li Ting’s voice had become choked with sobs. After explaining, she took a big gulp of iced coffee. It was clear she was trying to control her emotions, but when she set the cup down, her eyes were still red.

In the past, even if her eyes weren’t red—if they just blinked more because of the wind—Shen Ran would have felt concern. But now, looking at her guilt-ridden and pained expression, he felt no urge to comfort her.

Once someone detaches themselves from a relationship, they begin to look at everything rationally. Even if Li Ting had treated him well during their relationship, he still couldn’t forgive such betrayal.

He pulled out a tissue and handed it to Li Ting, then took another tissue to wipe the condensation from his coffee cup. When he lifted the cup to drink, he noticed a boy at a nearby table holding a phone. The angle seemed like it might be aimed at them, but when Shen Ran looked over, the boy’s expression was so natural that he showed no signs of secretly taking pictures.

Glancing at the boy, Shen Ran checked the time on his phone, stood up, and said,
“I understand what you said. Let’s leave it at that. I need to get back to the basketball club for a meeting.”

“Wait.” Li Ting also stood up. “I’m leaving next week. You still have some things at my place. Should I bring them to where you live or to your workplace?”

Only when Li Ting mentioned it did Shen Ran remember the time when a sudden downpour had soaked him on the way to her house. He had borrowed her dad’s clothes, leaving his wet clothes behind and forgetting to take them back.

“Just throw them away. It’s only a set of clothes.”

“There’s also a USB drive and a few books,”
Li Ting reminded him.

Not wanting his colleagues to see Li Ting again at the shop, Shen Ran said,
“I’m not staying at the rental place anymore. Just let me know when you’re free, and I’ll come by to pick them up.”

“Okay, I’ll contact you on WeChat.”

He raised his hand as a reply and left the café, striding toward the school. While crossing the pedestrian bridge, he heard someone calling him from behind. Turning around, he saw Zheng Mingjin pushing a solid black mountain bike up the slope.

When he got closer, Zheng Mingjin asked,
“Why aren’t you biking today?”

His bike was still in the shed at his old rental place, and he hadn’t had time to get it these past few days. So he replied,
“I was a bit tired after coming back from the game and didn’t feel like riding.”

Walking side by side, they chatted briefly about the upcoming basketball friendship match. When Zheng Mingjin learned that Shen Ran hadn’t had dinner yet, he said,
“No one’s cooking at my place tonight. How about we eat together after your meeting?”

Shen Ran shrugged. “Okay.”

When they entered the basketball gym, Coach Wang was already there. As one of the main players, Shen Ran had missed several training sessions recently, so he couldn’t avoid getting a scolding. After changing clothes and finishing practice, Coach Wang held a meeting, dragging things out until late before finally letting them go.

The two of them took a shower in the locker room, and by the time they came out, they were both starving. They had no energy to admire the starry sky above. They went to a nearby satay noodle shop. The noodles had just been served, and they had only taken a few bites when Zheng Mingjin, who had been on his phone the whole time, suddenly exclaimed.

Shen Ran was in the middle of eating a piece of fried tofu soaked in satay broth. Zheng Mingjin’s shout startled him so much that he bit his lip, tasting blood.

Covering his lower lip with a tissue, Shen Ran complained,
“What are you yelling about? Stop playing with your phone while eating.”

“No, look,” Zheng Mingjin showed him the phone screen.
“Li got secretly photographed again. This time, it’s with you. When was this picture taken?”

Shen Ran glanced at the screen. He and Li Cheng were sitting across from each other, the background and their outfits clearly showing it was the coffee shop in the evening. He remembered the guy holding a phone aimed at them—turns out he was really taking secret photos. If he’d known, he would’ve confronted him right then.

“Before I ran into you this evening.”
Shen Ran picked up his chopsticks and continued eating his tofu.

“Why did you meet her again?” Zheng Mingjin asked curiously.
“Everyone in the group is saying you two might be getting back together.”

Shen Ran swallowed the hot tofu. He had grown numb to these baseless rumors and calmly replied,
“We ran into each other at the teaching building. She’s leaving soon and wanted to clear things up, so we found a place to sit and talk.”

“I knew you wouldn’t take her back,”
Zheng Mingjin let out a sigh of relief and then cursed,
“These idiots are at it again, making up stories from pictures.”

Shen Ran put down his chopsticks, took Zheng Mingjin’s phone, and started reading.

Zheng Mingjin had opened their department’s group chat. There were no teachers in the group, so people talked about anything. Last time, someone had brought up Li being secretly photographed.

The more Shen Ran read through the chat, the worse his expression became. Zheng Mingjin tried to take the phone back twice but failed. When Shen Ran finished reading, he let out a sneer,
“What an eye-opener. Why don’t these people apply to journalism school and major in sensationalism?”

“They’re just full of it. Weren’t they always jealous that you managed to date Li Ting?”
Zheng Mingjin finally found a chance to get his phone back. He ordered two boiled eggs for Shen Ran and said,
“Come on, eat up. Don’t bother with those fools.”

Shen Ran picked up a bite of noodles, brought it to his mouth, and then stopped. Earlier, there had been a few anonymous people in the chat leading the conversation, saying particularly nasty things. They called him a ‘backup’ who couldn’t say no when Li cried, and some even speculated that he agreed to get back together just to take revenge on Li Ting.

Thinking of those vile, made-up stories, Shen Ran felt a tight knot in his stomach. The delicious-smelling satay noodles in front of him suddenly lost their appeal. Seeing this, Zheng Mingjin sighed,
“My bad. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Even if you didn’t, I would’ve found out,”
Shen Ran glanced at his own phone. Although he had muted unimportant group chats, he couldn’t avoid seeing this in other groups.

Zheng Mingjin reached out and patted his shoulder.
“Forget it. Don’t overthink it. Things will get better once the semester starts. When Li is gone, they won’t have anything to latch onto.”

Shen Ran understood this logically, but he couldn’t grasp why these people harbored such deep malice. If they were jealous of him because they liked Li, then why could they so ruthlessly pour salt on her wounds? How could such people even claim to care about her?

He didn’t touch his chopsticks for a long while, prompting Zheng Mingjin to suggest,
“How about I treat you to some drinks tonight? Let’s hit a bar and take your mind off things.”

The two of them hadn’t sat down to drink together in a long time. Shen Ran was too frustrated to go back home, so they went to Zhongshan Road and entered a quiet bar they used to frequent.

They sat in their usual spot. Zheng Mingjin ordered a dozen beers and three snacks. Shen Ran downed three bottles in a row, and when he reached for the fourth, Zheng Mingjin stopped him, telling him to slow down or he’d get drunk too fast.

On the dimly lit small stage, a girl with a bun was singing a love song. Her soft voice was like spring rain gently falling to the ground. Shen Ran watched her for a while. Noticing this, Zheng Mingjin leaned over and asked,
“Want to go over and offer her a drink?”

Shen Ran looked away. The girl was indeed pretty, but she lacked a memorable quality. She wasn’t like Li, whose every expression could tug at the heartstrings, nor did she have Zhao Jiyu’s strikingly handsome features and the slightly bold and domineering look in his eyes.

When Zhao Jiyu’s face flashed through his mind, Shen Ran felt a bit speechless. Why was he thinking about Zhao Jiyu for no reason? Then, thoughts of the gossip in the group chat came back to him. He wondered if Zhao Jiyu had seen those messages too, but Zhao Jiyu likely didn’t have the free time to pay attention to such rumors.

Lost in his thoughts, Shen Ran continued listening to the girl sing. During this time, two guys holding drinks went up to chat with her, but she gently turned them down with a smile.

Not long after, Zheng Mingjin got a call. Covering the phone, he told Shen Ran it was Yang Xin and that he needed to step out to take it.

Yang Xin was Zheng Mingjin’s girlfriend of over two years. She was currently studying at a university in Guangzhou, and they had been maintaining a long-distance relationship.

Shen Ran nodded, watching him leave before continuing to drink and listen to the girl sing. She wasn’t particularly stunning at first glance, but the longer he watched, the more comfortable she seemed—especially the way she became lost in her singing. He even felt, perhaps mistakenly, that she had met his gaze several times.

After finishing a plate of pistachios, Shen Ran wanted to open another bottle of beer but found his right hand a bit weak. Five empty bottles already sat on the table. He leaned back against the sofa chair to rest. During this time, his phone vibrated—it was a WeChat message from Zhao Jiyu.

[Off work?]

He replied with a single word: [Read.]

A second message came quickly: [Home?]

[No, out drinking with a friend.]

[Where are you drinking?]

[Around Zhongshan Road.]

[What a coincidence, I’m nearby too. Which bar are you at?]

Shen Ran had come out with Zheng Mingjin tonight, and Zheng Mingjin still didn’t know that he and Zhao Jiyu knew each other. After thinking for a moment, Shen Ran decided not to invite Zhao Jiyu.

[There are other friends here tonight. Maybe next time.]

The screen displayed “The other party is typing…” Shen Ran stared at this line, but soon the prompt disappeared without any new message.

Thinking Zhao Jiyu wouldn’t reply, Shen Ran continued drinking and eating grilled squid. After a while, Zheng Mingjin hurried back in, looking at him with an apologetic expression.

“What’s up?” Shen Ran asked.

Zheng Mingjin said,
“Yang Xin is back.”

“When?”

“Right now.”

“Right now?”

Shen Ran was surprised. Previously, Yang Xin had mentioned that she might not come back this summer due to some issues. Last month, Zheng Mingjin even went to Guangzhou to stay with her for more than ten days.

“Yeah, she said she wanted to surprise me. Her train will arrive in an hour.”

Zheng Mingjin looked a bit helpless. Although it was a happy event, the situation felt awkward, making it hard for him to be fully excited. Shen Ran understood his hesitation and patted him on the shoulder, taking the initiative to say,
“You should hurry to the station and pick her up. Don’t let her wait.”

“But I promised to drink with you tonight, and you’re not in a good mood.”

“We can drink anytime, right? Besides, you’ve already treated me. Go on, I’ll drink by myself, and I’ll head home to sleep in a bit.”

Shen Ran waved him off without giving him a chance to argue. Zheng Mingjin didn’t feel right about leaving his girlfriend waiting at the train station, so he told Shen Ran not to drink too much and to store the remaining drinks if he couldn’t finish them. Shen Ran agreed readily, but as soon as Zheng Mingjin left, the smile on his face gradually faded.

Leaning back into the sofa chair again, Shen Ran stared at the girl singing on stage, but his mind started to drift. By the time he reached his seventh bottle, the girl had finished and gone to rest. He picked up his phone to check his messages.

There were only some trivial new messages on WeChat. He opened his Moments feed and scrolled down a bit before stopping.

About ten minutes earlier, Zhao Jiyu had posted a photo. It was a shot from below, capturing a dimly lit street lamp at night. A moth, trailing a wisp of light, flew through the glow of the lamp.

Zhao Jiyu hadn’t added any caption, but he did include his location—it was just a street away.

Shen Ran stared at the faint light behind the moth for a moment. He opened his chat with Zhao Jiyu and typed: [Are you alone again tonight?]

A few minutes later, Zhao Jiyu replied: [Yeah.]

Seeing this unremarkable response, Shen Ran sent another message: [My friend just left. Do you want to come over?]