Chapter 6

 

The time Bei Er Duo on the way back home, she got a call from her mother, Madame Xu Zhen Fen.

“What are you doing?” Her tone always not really patient.

“Nothing, I just go for a stroll. Now I am on my way home.”

“Recently do you get any job? You wouldn’t just satisfied of taking people’s photo?”

“Taking photo for people is also a job to earn money. It’s also a job that I like. I am quite happy with it.”

“Don’t you always be foolish and ignorant. You should listen to me. Go to Wang He Chuan’s company to work. He would help you to look for a position.”

“Ma, I’ve said for you. I would look for work for myself. I guarantee I could feed and clothe myself.” Bei Er Duo sighed: “I don’t want to act in a fit of pique with you. Wang He Chuan’s company isn’t specialized in furniture? I’m not really interested in this kind of company.”

“You could slowly nurture your interest a. If you have spare time, you should call Wang He Chuan to chat. Call him on the weekend, and consult with him for a while. He would be very patiently guide you.”

“It’s not good, I’m not close to him.”

Xu Zhen Fen laughed on the phone: “If you have time to eat with him alone, then you would be familiar with each other.”

Bei Er Duo knew Xu Zhen Fen’s intention, she took the fancy of Wang He Chuan. Although Wang He Chuan’s academic record is not high, but he is expert in communication, he really could behave himself. In his young age, he could build a good connections. He is third in line in his generation to be in this business. Although not really extravagant, but he is quite wealthy. Moreover, his appearance is quite magnificent. His white fair skin was so smooth, especially his words always so sweet. He is the ideal type of the Xu Zhen Fen’s son-in-law.

“What is the point of unfamiliar man and a woman go out for dinner.” Bei Er Duo felt it was very uncomfortable.”

“Couldn’t a man and woman hang out together to have a dinner? How could your thinking look the same as a grandma? No wonder you never be in the relationship at your age, it would be too embarrassing to say it out.” Xu Zhen Fen scolded her, “Truthfully, Wang He Chuan is already one in a hundred. He praised you the last time he met you. It just you who treat him negatively that there is no progress in your relationship with him. If it is another woman, she definitely would seize the opportunity to be with him!”

Bei Er Duo moved the phone away for her ear, and waited until Xu Zhen Fen finished her sentences. She moved it close again: “Ma, Wang He Chuan is quite good. I am quite admire her ability to make connection. This point I would learn it from him, but as for the affection. He already ever been in relationship with several women. I always couldn’t have instant attraction with some experienced man.

Xu Zhen Fen laughed coldly: “He is a twenty six years old man, you want him to be as pure as white paper? How could you have a childish way of thinking, no wonder you don’t have a boyfriend.”

“My father is just twenty six years old when he encountered his first love, which is you. He had never be in relationship before.”

Her papa is her idol.

“What era are we in now, couldn’t you make that kind of comparison? The world now, who never be in relationship several times before marriage. The idea is same like you buy a thing, you should undergo the selection process, okay?”

Bei Er Duo listened to Xu Zhen Fen’s chatter for a period of time, finally she looked to an excuse to finish the call.

After a while, she received a message from Wang He Chuan.

“Xiao Er Duo, this period of time, we never contacted each other. If you need any help, you could contact me anytime.”

Bei Er Duo was in speechless in mode for a moment. In her heart it was only those who close to her that would call her “Xiao Er Duo, it was very obvious that she was not close with Wang He Chuan.

“In the temporary I have no problem, thank you.” She responded.

Afterwards, Wang He Chuan sent her another two messages, but she didn’t look at it.

The time she arrived home, she opened her Wei Bo and posted the photo. It was very quick, there was a comment popped out.

The username is “Shang Xin Huan Jue Qing (A broken-hearted change to heartless)”: “Why do you need to mistreat the single man who are eating instant noodle.”

The username called “Ran Shao de Tui Mao (Enthusiastic hairy leg)”: “I guess you couldn’t lean on his shoulder, haha.”

The other one “Li Xue Do Zhen Me Niu Le Wei He Han Mei Mei Hai Shi Bu Ai Ta”: “You regard your boyfriend chest as foam pillow?”

The other one “Liu Lao Lao Liu Yan Gei Liu Nai Nai”: “The details is Ye Shu Wei’s ring finger is longer than his forefinger, his eyelashes are longer than her girlfriend’s…..”

The username called “Mian Mao Ku shi E Sha Ren Di Mei de Fa Ming”: “After a long day, finally we could see you showing off your husband. Indeed it is not a waste to pay attention to you. But speak truthfully, now your Wei Bo looks like to be full of rival in love.”

Bei Er Duo browsed one by one, and accidentally she looked at one.

“By details, I feel that Ye Shu Wei’s temper is very cold. He seems to not talking with anyone. His eyes except looking at you, he seems to be not want to look other people. He even not in the mood to look at the camera. Does he also someone who is hard to be close to in the real life? When do you be together with him, do you need to accommodate him?”

Bei Er Duo thought about it and responded: “He is slower. The first time he was on set, he was not too comfortable with it. Yet in private with his close one, he is very friendly.”

It just her way to put a good word for Ye Shu Wei. She already surveyed him and noticed, that no matter in front of either it is Zhang Yi Lu, Huo Xiao Tong, or his workmates. He would protect her dignity, just like before when she accidentally felt asleep. He would cover her with the blanket. 

The time she responded immediately everyone noticed it.

“You re too arrogant, his close one is you right?”

“Close one is it his wife?”

“Close one, hehe, we are all strangers.”

……

Bei Er Duo’s face is so hot, when she was about to log out, she received a “@“ by someone. She opened, it was a news three years ago.

It was an issue for L city science and technology award. One of the award is for Ye Shu Wei. During the speech, everyone was thanking or making a modest remark or feeling excited, or calm, but he just said: “I don’t have any thought.”

Bei Er Duo laughed silently, indeed it was his style. Yet didn’t it feel to be overly arrogant for outsiders? It seems to be a perfectly justify to get an award, of course, she knew they just commonly expressed words, but he didn’t say anything.

Doing something that he like, what does he need to be thankful about?

Bei Er Duo opened the comments section of the old news, there was someone who wrote: “It is our school-lord in L university. He is okay with no eating, sleeping, or chasing girls. But for him, he couldn’t miss a day for being in laboratory. During the start of the year, he taught a class of dissection, a lot of junior female students registered. But it was a pity, he just taught a class.  After the class, a lot of junior females quequed up for giving him lunch. They simply regarded him as the one good- for- nothing. He just accepted a packet of sesame nori.”

Someone also wrote: “He always likes that. He never could say any normal words. There was a girl who gave him a love letter. He just asked her to go to the school front gate to send the leaflet. She said that it was a private thing for him, he just simply said “I don’t know you, I wouldn’t accept your thing. He made that girl to feel helpless and just bashfully said that it was a love letter. He just replied that “Please just give it out in front of the school gate.”

Thinking about that scene of Ye Shu Wei, Bei Er Duo was unable to hold her laugh.

 

The first scene.

The groom, with his blue-green traditional Han Chinese suit, sat down calmly on the front table of the old school classroom. He was clear and bright. He held a writing brush and gradually wrote a few words. The time he raised his head, a woman with a traditional Han Chinese stood in front of him, smiling so brightly at him.

The second scene.

The groom was holding a brush and about to draw a flower. The woman helped him to rub the ink stick against the ink stone. She did it and smiled to the man.

It was all the photo of a classic Chinese story.

Altogether there were eight photos, and the photoshoot went well. They all felt very interested, and happy.

“To bring up, I think I have some predestined relationship with this place. The time I was three years old, grandpa took me here to look at the maple, he taught me how to read poetry.” The man said, “The time I was five years old, grandpa died because of illness. My mom took me here to see the maple tree. She told me, this is grandpa’s most favorite tree. That time I was very confused, I felt this place is quite boring. I just shouted to leave. My Ma brought me home after I cried for a round. We never discussed about this place again, probably we are afraid of circumstances that evoke mixed feelings.

To mention it, the woman clutched the man’s hand, and then the man smiled warmly to her and didn’t say anything.

Bei Er Duo also didn’t ask further, because it was raining in these two days. She knew some conditions of this couple. For instance, the man’s mother is already passed away early because of illness, she said that it was inherited liver disease. After two years, his father married again. His step mother was very harsh to him, everyday she was begrudge to give him even a slice of meat for eat. When his step-mother and father had another kid, his condition was getting even more worse. All the best things were given to his step-brother. His step-mother controlled the financial issues of the household. She even didn’t give him chance to take extra lesson outside school. He really studied so hard to enter the famous university, and moved from that little county.

He and the woman are the college mate, she has a completely different background from the man. She born at the typical family. Her father is a linguist, and her mother is a famous lawyer. Since little, she is raised as a girl from a wealthy family. Her parents has a great expectation of her. Naturally, they hoped that she would marry an appropriate match with wealthy family. At first, her parent didn’t want to accept the man because of his background. Yet under her persuasion and persistence, finally they accepted. Of course, she didn’t mention that the man perhaps have some liver disease risk as his mama and grandma.”

“We already did the premarital physical checkup, all the index is normal. So I’m not worry.” The woman said happily to Bei Er Duo, “I already said to him that after we get married, we both would take care of our health, eat healthily, every week we would do some sports. That way we believe there would be no trouble in the future.”

For the marriage, man’s parents didn’t give any money. It just all from the man’s saving and the family of the woman.

“My Pa and Ma said, if I marry him, they wouldn’t give too much many. I also don’t care, in any way we already worked for five years. Our saving could give us a simple wedding. Our honeymoon would be pushed away. Now we want to solve the problem of buying a house. We couldn’t stay in the rented house,” The woman said, “Even though life would be a bit difficult, but be together with him, I feel very happy. My Ma always sighs in despair and told me that I will regret when she heard me. But I always feel my choice is the most proper. We are still young. There will always money, but the genuine person that belong to you. Maybe you will meet him once and not again. So I don’t think I’m wrong.”

The woman said it then laughed. She asked whether Bei Er Duo had a boyfriend of not, when Bei Er Duo about to said no, in her mind, appeared an image of Ye Shu Wei. She confirmed with herself for a while and said: “No.”

“It seemed before that you feel a bit hesitate.” The woman sensed.

“I just suddenly remember someone. But he is not my boyfriend.”

“So is it someone who do you like?”

“Not really.”

“Then how could suddenly remember him? There is a quiz in the internet. If you consciously remember a man’s name, you blurt it out, it definitely is the one that you like. This is the function of the subconscious mind,” she continued, “I feel that you like him. It just you don’t very clear about it.

That night was the last night they stayed on that county. It was a light rain, the man took the woman to go home and eat. Bei Er Duo stayed at the hotel and read some books. The more she read it, the more bored she was. She took an umbrella and strolled around.

The night in the county was very desolate. Most of the shops were closed. Bei Er Duo found a simple dessert shop. She got inside and ordered a milk tea and black tea cake.

The time she ate the cake, her phone rang to indicate there were two incoming messages.

She saw it, it was a message from Wang He Chuan. He asked whether she is home or not. He was near her home, he wanted to take her to eat seafood porridge, then strolled around. She just chose to ignore him. The other one….. was from Ye SHu Wei. She opened it hurriedly.

Finally with one look, it was very clear, Ye Shu Wei sent it to the wrong person. He just broadcasted to notify the department that they would have a meeting tomorrow at two o’clock.

She was a bit speechless, and sent a reply: “You sent it wrong.”

Then she erased it, then changed it to: “I am at the county. Here there is very delicious pumpkin pie. Do you want me to bring home one for you?’

After a while, Ye Shu Wei responded: “You are alone in the county?”

“I help someone to take a pre-wed photo. Because it is raining, so I stay here for two days. I would be back tomorrow. Do you want the pumpkin pie.”

“No need, I don’t like to eat sweet things.”

“Then nori sesame?”

“Where does that thing come from?”

Bei Er Duo mocked, indeed he really loved that food, that he used his junior.

“If you really like it, then I would think of a way to bring it.” She teased him.

“No need, there are many in the supermarkets here.”

“But the sesame here is very especially aromatic. They could do a very nice nori sesame seed. I would bring a pack for you. Next time we meet, I will give it to you.”

“Then thank you.”

He didn’t reject anymore, Bei Er Duo felt a bit sense of achievement.

“Don’t you be too modest. It just a small thing.” She thought about something that added: “Oh right, here is raining, the weather outside is very cool and refreshing.”

“You are outside?”

“I am outside, at the little dessert shop.”

“It is not early anymore, why are you still outside?”

“I will sit for a while, then go home.”

“It’s already too late, now immediately go home.”

What did he mean? Was he ordering or caring? Bei Er Duo drank her milk tea, and looked at the time. It was not even nine o’clock. Wang He Chuan sent another message to call her out for midnight snack. He is very persistent.

She stood up and let the waiter to pack the cake, and she brought it home with the milk tea.

Their next meeting was earlier than expected.

The day that Bei Er Duo went back to H city, she just answered a call from Ye Shu Wei.

When she listened to the phone, it wasn’t Ye Shu Wei’s voice, it was He Yang.

“Let me explain it for awhile. Before Ye Shu Wei went outside, I just secretly took his phone and called you. Today is my birthday, I want to treat everyone to have dinner and do some entertainment activity. They could bring relatives. Ye Shu Wei is embarrassed to invite you to come, so I just help him….”

He said that, the phone was already snatched away.

“Before it wasn’t me, it was He Yang.” Ye Shu Wei’s explained.

“O, I hear him. Today he wants to treat everyone for his birthday?”

“Em.”

They both stayed silent. When Bei Er Duo planned to say, “Happy birthday, I have some problems so I couldn’t join”. Ye Shu Wei asked: “Do you want to come?”

“Would you mind?” Bei Er Duo asked.

“You think about it. It would be at six o’clock, at Xin Yuan restaurant.” He continued: “If you want to come, remember to call me first.”

“Okay.”

Ye Shu Wei hung up, then his workmate mocked him continuously: “Who before said that he doesn’t want his girlfriend to come out and be freeloader? Who is calling and when he heard her voice, he changes his intention? Ye Shu Wei really didn’t expect you to change to be unreasonable after dating.

Ye Shu Wei ignored them, and sat down calmly. He inputted the data on the computer.

“Your ear….”

His long finger finally paused, he raised his head.

“What happened to your ears? Why is it so red? Do anyone scold you?” A man extended his hand to touch his ear.

“Is it really red? I will look at the mirror.

Ye Shu Wei just realized that they talked about other thing, it wasn’t focus on certain name. He continued to work on his duty. Tried to skip his response before.