Fleeting Midsummer

Ru Ting’s Birthday Party (5)

Out of all my 20 years, this was the first time that someone confessed his love to me. It was okay for the other party to be willful or to be insincere, but I was still a dainty and delicate girl whose face blushed for a moment. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a passerby with a curious and envious expression. It was almost as if my whole life had been satisfied. I contentedly said to him: “If you can call me by my full name, we don’t need to talk about love. We can even go straight to marriage.”

At this time, Wen Tao resumed his pestering state of a hoodlum: “A name is nothing more than a representation. If worst comes to worst, I’ll begin to get acquainted with you right now. You may accept my special interview. First question: What is your hobby? I think you said you like to read in your forum post.”

I could not allow this dear friend to continue on the path of mistakes for too long. Just because I was a manipulator, didn’t mean that I would welcome their attitude. At the moment, Wen Tao seemed like he had come across some interesting prey in the bar, and prepared to pursue a one night stand. Despite the fact that I could not understand what my body, appearance, and tomboy disposition could have possibly enticed his passion, this could only mean that he really did have some potential of being gay. I avoided his question: “I am not learned at any of the four arts [1]. I even tire of laundry and cooking. Basically, I am a useless person.”

Wen Tao laughed: “Whoever I fancy doesn’t have to be accomplished at the four arts. I will take care of these.”

Sure enough, he had drank too much wine. I decided to ferociously feed him a dose of some medicine: “I have C’s in all my classes, and on my chest, there is a pair of A’s [2]. You better think over it carefully.” Speaking honestly, ever since I had slimmed down this year, they had grown from little clay buns to almost razing the ground, so much so that I even worried if they would begin to grow downwards.

Wen Tao produced a clear and bright laugh, as his chrysanthemum stud earring glistened in the light: “ I still do mind a bit about this. Thus, you better think of a way to resolve the issue, otherwise I can only try to put up with it myself.”

You assh*le, you’re really cruel! I was racking my brains to think of a retort when Fang Yu Ke suddenly fiercely grabbed my hand and headed outside the living room, leaving behind a Ru Ting who appeared completely at a loss and Wen Tao, whose eyes flashed a trace of meaning.

There was a courtyard with a garden outside the living room. It was really cold as the Southern part of China was experiencing endless spring raina at this moment, while the Western part was extremely bleak, as if it had been completely encapsulated in ice. Julie said that the Spring season in the Western part of China was short and irregular and that it would always quickly disappear to be replaced with Summer.

It was on this freezing night that my hand was firmly held in the palm of Fang Yu Ke’s warm hand.

I felt a little bit strange, “Fang Yu Ke, don’t you think that the position we’re in right now is a little ambiguous?”

Fang Yu Ke reprimanded me loudly, “Has your mind only just became excessively sensitive now? You didn’t think that you were in an ambiguous situation just now?”

Fang Yu Ke was really raising a fuss over nothing. How could he not have seen that I was staunchly fighting for justice by refusing to answer all his questions? I had put in so much thought to refuse his enticements, yet he said that I was in an ambiguous situation. I threw off his hand, “Don’t think that just because my mother told you to take care of me that you can control me. If my mother knew that a hot guy confessed to me today, she might even forget herself in happiness. Since we have such a good relationship, I still thought you wanted to congratulate me for finally casting off the status of being single.”

Fang Yu Ke sat on the swing in the garden. Under the moonlight, his eyes revealed a kind of indistinct moodiness.

He looked at me with his thick eyelashes that, under the moonlight, appeared to be coated with a layer of honey, “How good is our relationship?”

This sentence was clearly said to make himself an outsider. How could this jerk get caught up in this kind of an endless and unquantifiable situation? I could only say, “You gifted me a pair of pants, shoes and whatnot. Of course our relationship is good.”

Fang Yu Ke laughed bitterly, “Just this is enough to prove that we have a good relationship?”

“Of course, until now, nobody has ever gifted me anything. Furthermore, you have already seen me in a bikini, which I don’t care about. I’ve also almost seen through you completely. So our relationship is of the highest level.” In order to prove our close relationship, I used the most mushy forms of evidence.

Fang Yu Ke finally laughed from the bottom of his heart. After laughing, he said softly, “Linlin, if there was a day that someone told you that we should date or something like that, would you act the same as just now?”

I shook my head, “I don’t know. I feel like I should have my encounter with love but I don’t want to love just for the sake of it. I haven’t reached such a tragic state yet. Looking at Wen Tao doesn’t even make my heart jump one beat while looking at Xiao Xi is completely different. Ah, finding someone who loves you back is a very difficult thing. Especially towards someone like me who has neither unique points nor strengths……”

Fang Yu Ke interrupted me, “You’re really good, don’t always compare yourself to others. From the beginning, liking someone has been an illogical thing. It has nothing to do with unique points or strengths. Besides, your uniqueness cannot be concealed even if you wanted to.” This was the first time that Fang Yu Ke had ever praised me. He must have definitely forgotten the way in which he berated me the first time we ever met. It was a pity that I still remembered.

However, I believe that my eyes at this moment reflected some greed, “what unique points, what unique points, tell me quickly. My biggest unique point is that I have no unique points. When my primary school teachers have to write the end of year evaluations for me, they really have to rack their brains but are lazy in the end and always copy whatever the previous teacher has written for me. Finally, at the end of 6 years my evaluations are all astonishingly similar……”

Fang Yu Ke laughed, “You see, you are always able to come up with things that are not good, that’s your unique point. Didn’t you always use to say such bold and visionary words that people would be enchanted by you upon meeting you, and that flowers would bloom as they encountered you? It is better for you to delude yourself into thinking you are a fresh flower.”

I pouted, “Saying it myself and being praised by others are two different things. I’m someone who is very aware that if I was a fresh flower, all the bulls in this world would no longer dare to shit.” Ah, the degree of which I was putting myself down would waver between the degree of which I acted extremely arrogant.

Fang Yu Ke raised his head and looked at the full moon in the sky and said something quite incomprehensible, “It would have been good if we had a Full moon last year when we were playing with fireworks. Don’t they say that the Full moon is able to understand my heart? It would definitely be able to understand how earnest I was when I spoke those few sentences towards the sky.” (flower arranging: those who have forgotten this, like Lin Lin, read chapter 20)

I suddenly could not recall what he said when he yelled at me just now I could only say impromptu, “I’ll give it to you for being a really outstanding student, you’ve never even heard of the famous part that comes after this. Seeing a full moon on the last day of Chinese New year is really wishful thinking.”

Fang Yu Ke’s black pupils were so dense and deep. He sighed softly and said, “Really?” It was getting even more melancholic when Ru Ting, wearing flimsy and thin clothing appeared at the garden. Close on her heels was the one who had more money than sense, my Wen Tao.

Ru Ting anxiously asked Fang Yu Ke, “what’s up with you two?”

I pretended to shake my head lightly, “Nothing, nothing.” Actually, I wanted to say that he was on his period. The male lead of today dragged me out here; I washed myself in the Yellow River and I would never be able to wash myself clean. Luckily, Wen Tao had already made me jump into the Yellow River so this small thing wasn’t too big a deal.

Wen Tao looked as if he was enjoying the bathe in the yellow river, “Springboard, how about a glass of good grape wine in a cup of phosphorescent jade amidst flowers in the moonlight, let’s relax. Why don’t we enjoy a cup?” I felt that all the goosebumps on my body were standing up. Was it that those who came into contact with Wen Tao did not care about how fashionable his clothes were. Others could smell a sour smell. A good scenario had been destroyed because he had spit out such a sour sentence. If he had said, “the color of the sky is not bad today, let us roast some chicken wings.” I would have been deeply touched.

I replied him with one sentence “Big sister is not someone who draws tattoos on the TianQiao bridge [3], I can’t believe you would say this kind of disgusting things.”

Wen Tao smiled,” I promise you, in the future when I’m in front of Springboard, I will definitely speak carefully and tread cautiously so that she will slowly fall in love with me. I swear in front of the moon.”

People would normally start brimming with tears, when they heard this kind of an oath. I wasn’t a commoner so of course I would definitely be moved somewhat. Especially since it was such a hazy night, the trees softly dancing. The situation now was such that all impurities were being filtered out, leaving behind only the bright contemplates of the heart.

It was just a pity that Wen Tao’s earring was reflecting too much of the moonlight, causing me to face him to make things clear, “Big brother Wen Tao, we have only known each other for a day. I don’t have an ounce of deep feelings for you. Yesterday you couldn’t wait to ride all over my head and were incomparably haughty. Now you’ve suddenly changed 180 degrees, who wouldn’t know that there’s a problem. Even if I’ve never eat pork, I’ve seen a pig run. You shouldn’t bully an inexperienced small girl [4] like me, ah. Whatever ambitions you have, just say it candidly.”

Wen Tao smiled, “Little Springboard, how could you be so self-unaware? What’s the point of using such weird logic when you’re chasing someone that you like? Liking means liking. Just now when you were behaving all silly in front of someone that you liked, why didn’t you work your brain to think of the reason why you like him? If I really wanted to say what I was pursuing, then I’m pursuing you.”

I wasn’t sure if it was because he specialised in studying how to reason that he had such a glib tongue. Wasn’t it because he already knew how to speak so eloquently that he was able to be such a strong willed person.

When Wen Tao saw that I wasn’t saying anything, he continued on, ”The night is ending soon. Ru Ting, you should deal with the remaining guests together with Fang Yu Ke and rest early. Springboard and I will go head back first.”

I squinted at him. With what eyes did you use to see that I wanted to go back? This night, I had only eaten some biscuits and hadn’t gone back…….”

Fang Yu Ke said to me, “I’ll send you home.”

Ru Ting pulled on Fang Yu Ke’s shirt sleeve, intentionally indicating to him about our presence with her eyes, meaning that she didn’t want him to be a lightbulb and ruin the lover’s rendezvous between me and Wen Tao. However, I knew Ru Ting’s real underlying meaning was that she didn’t want me to steal her lover where Fang Yu Ke would throw her aside to send me home.

I said immediately, “I don’t need you to send me. It’s okay for just me and Wen Tao to go. Look at how he’s all dressed up in an American style, no matter what he’s still a gentleman. I should sacrifice myself to let him show off a bit.”

Wen Tao arrogantly smiled sinisterly, in contrast with Fang Yu Ke’s exceptionally gloomy expression.

When we were on the rented car, Wen Tao unrestrainedly asked, “Springboard, have you ever felt like Fang Yu Ke likes you?”

I felt like the job of a newscaster was very burdensome, especially for people who were close to paparazzis like Wen Tao. I raised the car window and asked him, “Can you say some more high quality words? Are you always like this? You really have so much time to waste everyday.”

Wen Tao smiled, “I just like to waste time in front of someone who has really piqued my interested. Before this, I rarely participate in this kind of parties, I’m afraid of social interactions.”

“You’re afraid of social interactions? Today, you interacted until I wanted to cry. You were really not virtuous upon meeting people.” I lamented.

Wen Tao said, “You really don’t feel that anything is off about Fang Yu Ke?”

I couldn’t be bothered with him.

Wen Tao started to talk to himself, “People really only see what they want to see. It’s fine if Ru Ting pretends not to see it, but you also cannot see it. In the past, when I heard Ru Ting talk about how outstanding and great Fang Yu Ke was, I was filled with expectations. I never thought that this kind of guy didn’t have a single ounce of courage.”

I suspiciously turned my head towards Wen Tao who was a Cassiopeian. “Could it be……. You like Fang Yu Ke?” And right now I’m the female lead who is stuck in the middle of your BL (Boys Love), and I can’t even escape the wool that you’re trying to pull over my eyes? This time I would forever be stuck in the position of the second female lead.

Wen Tao let out a sigh, “Little Springboard, it is with much difficulty that you are finally using your brain, can you please use it for things that are actually realistic?”

I pouted, “It’s because you are abnormal, ah. Fang Yu Ku suddenly wants me to explain how deep our relationship is with each other and you suddenly bombarded my brain with this information. From the beginning, my brain is not good to use.”

Wen Tao exploited the opportunity to say, “Feelings don’t bombard the brain, they bombard the heart. If your heart is in disarray, no matter how hard your brain tries, it can’t fight it.”

[1] Literally, the four arts from the ancient times are playing the zither, playing Go (chess), writing calligraphy and painting. It can also refer to the accomplishments of a well-educated person.

[2] Small boobs- A cup

[3] Tian Qiao bridge – a old centre of folk culture

[4] XMM- literally Xiao Mei Mei, little sister. A term that dismisses someone as just a child with a particular set of immature characteristics.