Chapter 2

To calculate it, Bei Er Duo and Tang Li has known each other seen their senior high school until know. Although they studied at different places for four years during university, but they keeps contact with each other. Every year Bei Er Duo came back, first of all, she would look for her only friend, Tang Li. The moment she met her, she felt that she was home.

Even Bei Er Duo’s Mama said: “This lifetime to be able to meet someone who wouldn’t be jealous when you are succeed, and would be by your side during the difficult time. It is the rare chance, you need to treasure it.”

Bei Er Duo always answers: “Of course I would treasure it. I always regard her as my baby.”

Bei Er Duo’s mother’s words are rational and full of reason. Everyone has a bright and beautiful time, when Bei Er Duo was grade twelve student, even she was small size, she was thin, her body was well-distributed. Her skin was flawless and her smile looked so beautiful. That time every time she passed by the hall, countless men would looked at her, even the women couldn’t help but to pay attention to her.

Those were Bei Er Du’s beautiful youthfulness, the moment she could bluff off.  During that time, there were also countless women saw her as “imaginary enemy”. Tang Li always stays on her side.

A good thing doesn’t last forever. After the graduation, Bei Er Duo entered the famous university in N city for human resources management major. She was depressed that time, didn’t know whether it was because she was unable to adapt with it or because she noticed that it doesn’t suit herself. Her mood and appearance started to dim altogether. Among the beauty women in N City, Bei Er Duo transformed to the ordinary look woman with standard achievement. After she finished her internship during her third year, she recognized clearly the reality that she didn’t like this major. She started to seek for a way out. Luckily, she has a wide range of interests and hobbies. She isn’t a conservative person, she dares to take risks. With Tang Li’s support and financial aid, she started her own business. On the street of N City university, she established her business in the small shop. She opened a little hotpot shop, but it just remained for a year and half.

Since the start to till the end, with hardships during it, because of her parent’s opposition, Bei Er Duo encountered various of troubles and setbacks, but she didn’t dare to look for them to complain. Her solely place to pour her complain is Tang Li, Tang Li accompanied her to pass that suffering days.

The time she returned from N City, Tang Li personally picked her up from the train station. In her embrace, she carried a brown paper bag with chicken wing inside. She laughed happily toward her.

“It’s better to return to hometown. You are familiar with all the places, even your friend is here.” Tang Li passed the chicken wing to her hands, and welcomed her back.

That time Bei Er Duo just nodded her head solemnly, her eyes and heart was feeling warm because of her words.

This lifetime to have that kind of friend, is a blessing.

Everyone said the blessing was hard to come by, so it should be treasure.

Just like before, even when Tang Li suggested an irrational request, she also unable to refuse her.

Bei Er Duo tossed and turned restlessly in the bed for the night, the next day in the morning she called Tang Li.

“That, how do you want me to cooperate?”

Tang Li was startled, and very quickly she said: “You agree?”

“When I agree alone it is also useless, it should be agreed by both sides.” Bei Er Duo remembered about the unreasonable Ye Shu Wei.

“Chief Yu would personally talk to him, he definitely would agree.

Bei Er Duo waved her hands to disperse the air, and said: “Then you give me his phone number.”

“You don’t have his phone number? Didn’t you exchange number before?”

“No.”

“I will hang up first, then immediately send it to you. Don’t be so nervous and worry. It just an act. It just a piece of cake.” Tang Li said: “Now I want to go downstairs to buy coffee. Later on would have another meeting. There is a lot of things to do. After I’m done, I would tell you what should you do.”

Tang Li hung up the phone, and quickly sent the number to Bei Er Duo.

Bei Er Duo saved his number, and initiatively sent him a message: “Is it Ye Shu Wei? I’m Bei Er Duo, it is my number.”

Ye Shu Wei didn’t reply. Regarding this, Bei Er Duo had expected it, so she didn’t very surprised.

His kind, with one glance, you could know he is not friendly, he definitely wouldn’t care about stranger number.

At night, Tang Li called her. She chatted with Bei Er Duo fro a long time. She taught her what to do, what should and shouldn’t she said. Bei Er Duo was listening to it until she felt somewhat tired. She was about to narrow her eyes, and went to the mental journey. Tang Li just raised her voice, and said with a good mood: “Right, Chief Yu had personally looked for Ye Shu Wei for help, of course he was not to happy about it. Yet he stated “whatever.” His sole request is to make this not troublesome, so he hand the matter to your control.”

“A?” Bei Er Duo was quivering, and her sleepiness was gone immediately: “What do you mean?”

“It means that you need to be active. He is the one who be passive. You control everything, he just be responsible to cooperate.”

“Why do I feel something wrong with it, it seem that I lose something instead of being paid.”

“It’s not really like that. The important thing is he is busy, he needs to the experiment. He also need to teach as substitute for absent teacher, there is still a lot of matters he needs to handle.” Tang Li explained, “He is the full-time worker, he doesn’t have a free time like you. So sorry to trouble you to be more understanding and forgiving a bit. You need to take initiative to help him with worries and difficulties. As for monetary reward, I had mentioned it to Chief Yu. He said that as long you do it well, it would be no problem.”

“Okay.”

Although she was a bit gloomy, yet just saw it as a job, to do things in a strictly business like.

“Then it’s a deal, okay!”

Just before the bedtime, Bei Er Duo closed the book. She heard a message ringtone, she turned her head to take it to take a look. It was Ye Shu Wei’s name on the screen. 

She got the honor to be responded by him, the time she opened it.

“O.”

“….”

It just a fifteen minutes late reply.

*

The early morning on Saturday, Chen Lu Park.

The appointment was at seven o’clock. Bei Er Duo came ten minutes early, she didn’t expect him to come more earlier.

It was not too crowded at the park. Ye Shu Wei is a tall person, so from faraway Bei Er Duo could see him.

He wore a whole grey sport suit, he sat down on the bench by the garden side. His sitting posture is really straight. His head was lowered, looked like he was playing game.

Bei Er Duo came toward his front, and coughed.

He didn’t raise his head.

“Ye Shu Wei.”

He was the same like the first time she saw him, he just raised his head lazily. His gaze was looking at her like he was looking at some potted-plant.

“I didn’t expect you to come earlier than me.” Bei Er Duo smiled, and with extreme friendly she said again: “Your office is on the opposite side right? The atmosphere is really good, when you are tired, you can come here to relax.”

Ye Shu Wei stood up, Bei Er Duo raised her neck high to look at him.

“Where do you plan to take the photo?” He asked directly.

Bei Er Duo lowered her head, and swept a glance around. It was a late spring and beginning of summer, the weather it was good, but this old age public park… seemed to be unsuitable to take a photo.

“There is like lotus pond over there, let’s go there.” Bei Er Duo finally noticed some gleaming reflection of waves in sunlight on the pond, her eyes were brighten.

Arriving there, she just noticed the pond was deserted, the water inside the pond was yellow-brown. It was full of leaves and trashes because it wasn’t midsummer, so the lotus hadn’t blossomed yet. It just a lonely leaf there.

It made people to be feel disappointed.

“It seems that it is not a good scenery.” Bei Er Duo turned her body, and asked for Ye Shu Wei’s opinion, “What do you think?”

Ye Shu Wei was lowering his head and looked at his phone, without any sentiment he said: “Your selection of place is really boring.”

Bei Er Duo was tongue-tied, she thought it was because to accommodate you. If I chose the Mountain Yun Cha with perfect view, that far place would you willing to go? I especially chose the place near by your workplace, how could you be the unthankful one.

She opened the sling on her bag, and looked at Ye Shu Wei speechlessly. Just in time the sunlight was basking on them. His tall figure was spread on the ground, it was a clear cut. It may work with great care by editing.

“If not let’s take a photo of our shadow!”

Bei Er Duo suddenly thought about it, “The kind of photo of leaning against each other.”

Ye Shu Wei didn’t feel anything: “Are you certain?”

Bei Er Duo nodded, and very quickly opened her bag. She put it on the ground. She took out her camera and sat next to him.

“Can you lean against me a bit more?” She adjusted the angle.

Ye Shu Wei didn’t move.

Bei Er Duo was helpless, just forced to take initiative to lean over him until the frame to show they were intimate distance. She pressed the button.

“Okay, done.”

Bei Er Duo sighed, and smiled. She passed the camera to Ye Shu Wei: “Look at it. It is quite good right?”

Ye Shu Wei glanced at it for a while, then asked back: “Will there be a boring couple take a photo of their shadow under the light?”

“Why cannot? There is a lot in the internet, couldn’t it be you never see one?”

“No.” Ye Shu Wei answered straight-forwardly, and asked the main point again, “Now is it mission accomplish?”

Originally Bei Er Duo wanted to take several other photos with him, but she was helpless because his cooperation level was really low. He was not in happy mood and always complained, he also questioned her plan. She thought about it, and picked her bag: “Just like that, it’s okay.”

Ye Shu Wei turned his body.

“Wait.” Bei Er Duo changed her idea, she extended her hand to catch his sleeve.

Ye Shu Wei stopped, lowered his head and looked that both pair of snowy white skin hands, like it was a germs.

“Sorry.” Bei Er Duo released her clutch. Her face was full of very sincere smile: “I suddenly remembered near by there is a famous small snack bar. Inside they prepared a delicious steamed dumpling and beef noodles. Let’s go together.”

He was just looking at her calmly, she gradually added her words: “I will treat you.”

She mentioned this first it was because she was angry. Second, since she needs to cooperate with him, for ensure the cooperation goes smoothly and not repeatedly looked at his cold face. She needs to win him over. She thought today they went out early, supposedly he didn’t eat any breakfast, he should be hungry.

“No need, I have eaten.” Ye Shu Wei said.

He said then went forward.

Bei Er Duo followed him, started to pour out words in steady flow: “You have eaten? What time did you eat? What did you eat? Don’t you feel hungry now? If not let’s eat a bit of foods to get more energy. The stuffed dumplings in that restaurant are very good. In a week, they just opened for four days. If you miss today, you just could eat it next week on Tuesday, are you certain you don’t want to try?”

 

Ye Shu Wei’s steps are so big because of his long legs, Bei Er Duo couldn’t follow him, she simply ran. Once again without fear, she pulled his sleeves.

Ye Shu Wei stopped, and the time he looked at her. His gaze was really cold.

Bei Er Duo was successfully felt the so what “heavy pressure, but this time she also didn’t loosen her grip. She said with seriousness: “Ye Shu Wei, since Chief Yu let you to cooperate well with me, then today you should listen to me. Now I’m hungry I couldn’t walk anymore. As a gentleman, you should accompany me to have breakfast.”

She took the opportunity of the late response to draw back her hands, Bei Er Duo then pointed at the street on the opposite: “Just that one, we just need to pass the road. Let’s go hurry up.”

She said it, then with high spirit she walked toward the restaurant. In her heart, she silently gambled a round, will he be a gentleman?

It just only, she just walked a few steps, her ear didn’t hear any kind of movement besides her steps. She sighed, and prepared to stop to turn her head to see. She suddenly heard a manly step sound.

She was so happy, it looked like he was not as hard as she imagine to get along.

Very quickly, Ye Shu Wei walked beside her. With low voice and clarity, he said: “Don’t you forget, you said before your treat.”

“Em? Em….Em…”

The mood feeling gradually died away, just replaced but another kind of deep confusion, this man is really an elite with annual salary more than twenty thousand Yuan like Tang Li said? Why it is quite different?

“The very very delicious” stuffed dumpling restaurant.

Bei Er Duo lined up to buy two portions of breakfast, the time she returned to the table, just in time Ye Shu Wei’s phone rang. He looked at the screen, and stood up to answer it outside.

Bei Er Duo kept calm, she just took her chopsticks and slightly broke the skin of the dumpling, and waited for the soup inside the dumpling to be cold.

“Is it Bei Er Duo?”

A familiar voice asked her, as usual an artificial charming voice included an aggressive tone.

Bei Er Duo didn’t need to turn her head to know who is it.

Enemies on a narrow road, it was a classic word. In the bright day with abundant of breakfast in the just right restaurant, she met the one who made her lose appetite.

Zhang Yi Lu is Bei Er Duo’s mortal enemy. 

Bei Er Duo and Zhang Yi Lu, studied together in junior high school and entered a senior high school. In total, they be in ill-fated relationship for six years.

Their contradicting relations climaxed during the senior high school. Those three years, is the most impressive era for Bei Er Duo, Zhang Yi Lu couldn’t control her envy. Again and again she started a rumor about Bei Er DUo’s personal matter. She desperately hated her. When she heard to how male students talked to Bei Er Duo’s fame, she would comment badly. Once she had been caught by Bei Er Duo, they got into a fight on the spot. They both clutched each other hair. Finally their parents were called to the school. They both pretended to be sorry and forgive each other.

“No wonder the moment I entered the door, I felt something wrong. My right eyelid kept on blinking nonstop. It turns out that you are her.” Zhang Yi Lu said, “These years of not meeting, I still could easily recognize your figure, really a strange thing.”

“Hehe..” Bei Er Duo was lazy to mind her.

“To mention it, these years also I heard quite a lot of fragment thing about you. Your parents are divorced. You opened the hotpot shop then closed it up. Finally, you couldn’t stay there together, just forced to dejectedly be back here.” Zhang Yi Lu’s red lips said it one by one. She didn’t give a person a breathing chance: “For real I didn’t expect you will be so reckless. Just could say your luck just finished being used during the senior high school. Even your appearance. Just to speak for real, the time I entered, I feel quite horror, how could your face be so rounded now.”

“Even I am round, I am not like you who changed beyond recognition.”

Zhang Yi Lu didn’t be angry, she just smiled. “I admit it, I underwent plastic surgery. But my doctor said that I am the rare one. Most people would not get the effect as me, this also need a good foundation.”

Bei Er Duo examined Zhang Yi Lu’s face, indeed it is too beautiful. The appropriate size of face, clear outline, it is so delicate and exquisite. It seemed to be unable to find the deficiency, it is very natural, there was no scar.

She was clearly different from her old appearance which was black and skinny.

“You are jealous then me right?” Zhang Yi Lu slightly bent her body, and exposed her good figure. Her eyes were full of mischievous, “Oh right, Bei Er Duo. Don’t you think that I show off in front of you because all round I am more than you. The you now really couldn’t provoke any kind of desire to defeat you again. For you just have a puzzle feeling, how could I be so crazy before, that I regard you as the competitor. I wasted my time to compete with you, really young and inexperienced….”

“Give a way, give a way.” 

Zhang Yi Lu was cut off by that voice, she raised her head and faced the handsome Ye Shu Wei.

It is him? He, who is a high class, how could he be here?”

Ye Shu Wei sat down at ease, and asked Bei Er Duo: “Who is she?”

Bei Er Duo shrugged her shoulder: “I just knew her from many years ago.”

“O.” He just replied, and express his disinterest.

Zhang Yi Lu put on her mask quickly, her trembling hand took out her name cards case. She opened and passed it to Ye Shu Wei. With self-possession, she said: “I am Zhang Yi Lu. If you have ever listened to broadcast in the radio, during the 8 to 10 o’clock I am the host. It is really coincidence, our broadcasting company is nearby.”

Ye Shu Wei ignored her, his long finger held the chopsticks and picked the stuff dumpling. Very skillfully he placed it on Bei Er Duo’s plate.

Bei Er Duo was slightly surprised.

“Don’t you always carve for the food here?” Ye Shu Wei looked at Bei Er Duo’s face: “It’s hard to come here, eat more.”

Zhang Yi Lu smiled: “Excuse me, what is your relationship with Bei Er Duo?”

Ye Shu Wei pushed the small plate for vinegar to Bei Er Duo’s side: “You say it.”

Bei Er Duo received the signal, because she got his silent consent. She introduced him easily: “He is my boyfriend, Ye Shu Wei, 27 years old. He works at the research of  prevention for animals’ diseases.”

“Boyfriend? I never heard of it, is it long time.” Zhang Yi Lu’s heart was sunk into the bottom. She restrained her mood.

“We just be in relationship recently, it just for a half year. Because he is the humble one, so I don’t say it to anyone.” Bei Er Duo said.

“Really?” Zhang Yi Lu smiled lightly, her eyes kept on watching Bei Er Duo.

“Of course, this is for enjoying the world with just two of us.”

Zhang Yi Lu was silent, she just watched Ye Shu Wei on the side, then completely saw how he silently approved her words.

“Moreover, his temper is more sealed, find it hard to socialize. I don’t want to force him to enter my friendship circle.” Bei Er Duo smiled to Ye Shu Wei: “Right?”

Ye Shu Wei didn’t say anything, just picked another dumpling to her plate, signaled her to eat more.

“Don’t give it all to me, what will you do if you are hungry later on? I look this recent you are quite skinny. You should eat more. Look now my belly is rounder than before.” Bei Er Duo turned him down politely: “Honey, I really couldn’t be fatter anymore.”

“Your belly fill out? How could all along I don’t notice it?” Ye Shu Wei raised his eyes, and answered it easily: “Look for a time fore me to check it for a while.”

Zhang Yi Lu’s heart was cold, she indeed couldn’t really listen to their words anymore. She said “I will take my leave first”, then left hurriedly.

Waiting until the annoying person went away, Bei Er Duo drew back her gaze. Suddenly she noticed that Ye Shu Wei stretched his chopsticks forward then picked the two dumplings on her plate back.

It indicated the performance was over, the dumplings should be returned to him.

He not only took back his original two dumpling, he just picked a dumpling for her plate.

“Your appetite is quite good.” Bei Er Duo was a bit crushed.

“Don’t you complain of my recent thin body?” Ye Shu Wei dipped the dumpling inside the vinegar sauce, and slowly bit it down.

“….”