Fleeting Midsummer

Cliche Misunderstandings Always Happen Coincidentally (2)

Ru Ting sat down and asked about my grades and my plans for the next semester. Before she stepped into the official questioning, she did ample warming up.

I didn’t have any other ability, besides the ability to do things half-heartedly that I was very confident at. Thus, I cheerfully chatted about my circumstances at school that were still just as grim. Next semester, my circumstances remained unknown, until in the end I got farther and farther away to domestic suffering and foreign chaos of war which I recited all the way through, until finally, I made Ru Ting super impatient. Thus, she could only toss out her main topic: “Lin Lin, Yu Ke and you seem a little strange today…….”

I sat upright and still: “Where was it weird? I’m still the me from yesterday. He’s still the him from yesterday.”

Ru Ting observed my face: “You guys have laughed for a whole morning. You love laughing so that’s only natural, but knowing Yu Ke for these ten years, all the total amount of times he laughed in his whole life can’t compare to the count from today.”

“Really?” Being described like this by my love rival, my mood was a little complicated. I wanted to tell Ru Ting the truth, but perhaps it wouldn’t be too vicious if I said it. At the same time, if I kept it from her, in the future when she learned of it, I was afraid she would commit suicide by biting off her tongue due to our conversation today.

I carefully asked Ru Ting: “You have such deep feelings towards Yu Ke. What if he falls in love with someone else? It isn’t good to throw your whole self into liking someone. It’s great to leave a path of retreat for yourself.”

Ru Ting shook her head helplessly: “I never thought of what I would do in a future life without him. Because I won’t let these kinds of things happen. I’ve gotten to used to laughing for him, crying for him, and wasting time for him, and squandering my youth for him. As long as no girl has appeared beside him, I have hope. Right now, besides him being more familiar with you, I haven’t seen him getting close to other girls.”

An expert was worthy of being called an expert. With a few sentences, she had probed out my relationship with Fang Yu Ke. She also told me that if I were to be with Fang Yu Ke, she would seize him back regardless of anything else.

Speaking of, I also did not know how to grasp the weight of my words: “Many people compare feelings to sand. The more you pinch it tightly, the more washes away faster. When your first foot leads, your trailing foot must place itself down. Like fate, you should cherish this. If fate leaves, you should forget him.”

Ru Ting laughed: “Did you use this method to forget Xiao Xi bro? If so, then I must congratulate you. Unfortunately, I cannot do so. This lifetime, I only want to love once.”

I was a little worried. When she knew about the truth, it wasn’t a question of suicide, but rather a question of pushing against my neck with a cleaver.

Love was meant to be sincerely treasured. The price of a life was even higher. I immediately advised Ru Ting: “Ru Ting, if your eyes are obscured by a single leaf, then you will be unable to see the great patches of flowers on Mount Tai. When you get to the next Fang Yu Ke, there will be a pile of Zhang Yu Ke-s and Li Yu Ke-s as you advance dauntlessly wave after wave. The red earth continues for ten thousand fathoms. In case it falls to the ground, it will be precisely three feet of loess. Why must you hang yourself on a tree? Nevertheless, you should take advantage of your youth and experience more things. Maybe after you meet other people, you will find that Fang Yu Ke only a grain of sand in your life.”

Ru Ting turned around to face me. Suddenly, her eyes brightened: “Are you with Yu Ke just so you can forget Xiao Xi bro?”

Her question was such a huge leap, that I almost couldn’t bear it. This sentence included two pieces of information. First, she knew Fang Yu Ke and I were together. Second, she used my words to rebut myself, making me unable to rebut her.

Sure enough, someone who had been by Yu Ke’s side for so many years was a person full of a poisonous mouth. Zhang Wu Ji’s mother spoke well. One must not believe pretty girls. After acting so long, they suddenly know everything. After all, I had not met great gales and waves, so I was a little panicky. It could be compared to stealing someone else’s things and getting frisked at the scene: “Who told you I’m with him now?”

Ru Ting clung to her question: “Are you with him to forget Xiao Xi bro? If you think these methods will work, I really want to try the feeling of finding a body double.”

This phrase “body double” was extremely offensive. I opened my mouth but I did not speak. Originally, I wanted to shake my head out of instinct, but my mouth said: “Then just take it as I think that way. In any case, you can try letting go.”

Ru Ting’s eyes rose above mine, as she rushed at my back and said: “I even thought it was a grand romance. Isn’t it just striking all your wishes in order?”

I followed her eyes and turned. I saw Fang Yu Ke holding a snack bag in front of me. Below his thick and black eyebrows were a pair of flaming, murderous-looking eyes.

Ru Ting leisurely walked towards him like a victorious queen: “I found her, only because I want to hear her views on love. Don’t overthink it. I’m not the type to stab you behind your back, and I wouldn’t find her to stake everything for you. It’s just that at noon you told me that ‘a couple is each other’s sunshine’##. It seems that the story behind this is even more marvelous.”

I stayed where I was. This was too theatrical. Before, I had thought that the misunderstandings created were all a scenario that a bunch of spinsters had fantasized about, but I didn’t think that something with such a low probability would occur in reality. Moreover, the person implicated was me. I thought: What is called no back-stabbing? I’ve already become a hedgehog from all your knives.

The drama I imagined had one person dragging the other person’s hand crying out to the heavens as one person said: “Listen to my explanation”. Then, the other person would wait for the other person to put her hands over his ears and say “I won’t hear it, I won’t hear it”. Then, I would close his lips with mine, and kiss him silently, even while the sky spun, and the earth went around. In teh end, a shattered mirror would be put back together.

Unfortunately, in this scene, I was the male lead, and the other person was the female lead. Right now, there were still some discrepancies in these matters that had developed.

Oh God, my love has only sprouted for a day. Please don’t submerge it with a flood.

Fang Yu Ke walked over, fixing his attention on my eyes. Calmly and directly, he asked: “Why are you together with me?”

I watched the long lashes on his eyes, seeing his black and clear eyes as well as foolish me, in those dark eyes: “Because I like you.”

Fang Yu Ke bent the corner of his mouth, pleased. He lightly touched my head as if I was a little Pekingese dog who was very obedient: “This is obedient. Next time, don’t speak rubbish.”

My rock in midair finally hit the ground.

Ru Ting collapsed, especially seeing that her beloved person had gotten together with someone else. With some hysteria she said: “Yu Ke, what good is she? She obviously loves someone else. Do you still want to struggle so much?”

Fang Yu Ke lightly drew Ru Ting towards him as he calmly said: “You understand logic. Why must you be the one to struggle persistently for me? If I met you earlier, I would definitely have liked you. She does have many weak points, and she cannot compare to you in any way, but I could tolerate all these weak points just now. I’ll struggle with her then.”

Ru Ting’s head leaned on Fang Yu Ke’s shoulder, as she sobbed: “I am not resigned to this. I have obviously defended you for 12 years. How come I still didn’t protect you in the end?”

Fang Yu Ke patted Ru Ting: “I understand. Simple thoughts of keeping watch can lead to despair. However, you must see if fate wants to help you. I can be anyone for you, but we will forever not be lovers.”

Ru Ting didn’t stop shaking her head, with a tear-stained face of a beauty. A beautiful woman was a beautiful woman. Even when she cried, she had charm and grace. If she hadn’t been lying on Fang Yu Ke’s shoulder, I would have went over to comfort her.

Ru Ting turned to look at me: “As long as any cracks form, I will return. Lin Lin, don’t be too proud.”

I mumbled to myself: “You aren’t a housefly who can watch for the narrow slits.”

Ru Ting’s eyes opened wide with fury. I pretended I didn’t see it. I looked everywhere but her. My heart was still feeling secretly delighted at having rooted out my rival in love so speedy and efficiently.

At night, Ru Ting departed the travel group ahead of schedule and returned to Beijing. I impatiently looked at Fang Yu Ke who came back from the airport, but then I impatiently watched him indifferently pass by my eyes. Finally, I impatiently watched him calmly eat while talking to other people. This rascal had obviously acted magnanimously in front of Ru Ting, in a loving manner, but how come the next moment, he changed his attitude? Furthermore, not even half a day had passed ever since I had confessed but how come I lost my initiative and power!!

The second night, I couldn’t sleep again.

In the last few days of travelling, I didn’t even see Fang Yu Ke’s eyes get moist once. Fang Yu Ke acted like the next day he was going to go on an entreprenuership, as a strong interest towards economics in our hometown developed. He didn’t stop asking questions, taking notes and cleaning up. I wanted to suddenly tell him what happened on that night, even if my own life degraded. Influencing someone else’s youth was still beautiful for the future.

In my heart I also felt pretty wronged. You said I was treated so unjustly, but you never honorably handed me my status, before throwing me into the Cold Palace. You didn’t even give me a second chance. Fang Yu Ke, you pretty face! You look like a leather bag that attracts the opposite sex. I didn’t even say anything. Ten years is not too late for a nobleman to take revenge. Just wait until this old woman grasps some definite evidence. If I don’t exterminate you, my last name isn’t Zhou!

When I thought about this, my heart became a bit more comfortable. My footsteps also became more lofty. Home, my heart’s natural harbor. I have come……