Give Me Heartthrobs 7

Chapter 7: Taking Care

Wen Yu smiled nonchalantly. “It doesn’t matter.”

Ye Qizhen didn’t know what else to say to Wen Yu. When sharing an umbrella with someone, she was always accustomed to being the one with the wet shoulder. But now, it was exactly the opposite. She looked at Wen Yu, her mood subtle. Wen Yu was wearing a thin linen shirt today, and one side was already soaked by the rain, clinging to her slender arm.

Even though Wen Yu said it didn’t matter, Ye Qizhen insisted on pushing the umbrella back toward Wen Yu. She felt bad about it and would rather be the one getting wet.

Wen Yu saw this and, having no way to deal with her, continued walking forward.

The rain pattered down. The two walked at a moderate pace, not saying much along the way. The walk from the library to the East Garden dormitories took about five or six minutes, not too far.

Occasionally, Ye Qizhen felt a tickle on her face; it was the wind blowing Wen Yu’s hair across her cheek, carrying a faint, pleasant scent. She never dreamed she and Wen Yu would have such a harmonious moment, their bodies pressed close under one umbrella, sharing the wind and rain while walking in the same direction.

By the time they reached the East Garden dormitories, the rain had lessened to fine threads, and the wind had scattered the dark clouds. There were even signs of the sky clearing up.

“We’re here.”

East Garden Building 9. Wen Yu glanced at the building number and said to Ye Qizhen, “I’m leaving.”

“Mn, thank you.” Ye Qizhen thanked her politely.

Wen Yu stood in place and looked at Ye Qizhen a couple more times. Seeing that the other party seemed to have nothing else to say, she casually brushed back her hair, smiled, and said in a flat tone, “Go back and take a shower.”

Every gesture was beautiful. Ye Qizhen finally understood why so many people disliked her, yet so many people still wanted to pursue her.

“Mn,” Ye Qizhen responded.

Wen Yu turned around and walked into the drizzle with her umbrella. Soon, her tall, beautiful figure disappeared around the corner.

Ye Qizhen climbed to the third floor, feeling somewhat absent-minded, still thinking about Wen Yu walking her back to the dorm. Was her gratitude just now too perfunctory? Actually, she had considered inviting Wen Yu to sit in the dorm for a while, or maybe have dinner together… but for some reason, she couldn’t say it. If it were anyone else, she definitely would have asked.

Wen Yu didn’t dislike her, just as she didn’t dislike Wen Yu. Ye Qizhen was sure of this now. Even though outsiders rumored their relationship to be a “one or the other, never both” situation.

Thinking about it, even if they had liked the same boy, they didn’t necessarily have to be incompatible love rivals, right? Not to mention she didn’t even like that boy; it was just a misunderstanding. Ye Qizhen stood in front of the mirror, puffing out her cheeks and blowing at her wet bangs. Suddenly, she felt it was necessary to clarify this misunderstanding with Wen Yu…

Ye Qizhen scratched her head. Shower first.

The water heater in the dorm was old and always took a while to produce hot water. Once the water temperature was adjusted, Ye Qizhen stood under the showerhead, squinting and tilting her head back, letting the hot water pour down from her head. She couldn’t stand feeling sticky, and she especially hated the smell of sweat. Sweating so much every day during military training had been sheer torture for her.

A thin layer of steam filled the bathroom. Ye Qizhen was slow in the shower and liked to let her mind wander. As she washed, she unconsciously thought of Wen Yu.

Wen Yu usually looked arrogant and indifferent, giving people a sense of distance even when she smiled. In high school, everyone said Wen Yu’s personality was inversely proportional to her looks—terrible. But after the subtle contact today, Ye Qizhen felt that Wen Yu wasn’t as she appeared on the surface, and certainly not like what people said.

What kind of person is Wen Yu? Ye Qizhen couldn’t help but recall the look of disdain on Wen Yu’s face when she was being insulted in the studio. The impression was too deep.

After dawdling for a long time, Ye Qizhen walked out of the bathroom toweling her hair, feeling thoroughly refreshed after the hot shower. After drying her hair, she sat lazily at her desk and picked up her phone to check messages.

As soon as she opened WeChat, Ye Qizhen saw the landscape photos Tang Tang had sent her, along with tourist photos from her boyfriend’s perspective. It seemed they were having fun. Scrolling down, Tang Xiao was enthusiastically posting in a group chat, message after message.

The people in the group were discussing the holiday dinner.

—— I know a place on Yanjiang Road that tastes amazing.

…

—— Type 1 if you can come.

—— I’ll take a count so I can make a reservation.

…

This group was created by Tang Xiao on a whim a few days ago. It was a fellow townsman alumni group, mostly consisting of freshmen from the Class of ’18, all from Beilin. Tang Xiao said he created this group to make it convenient for fellow townsmen to gather and make friends. Ye Qizhen wasn’t surprised; Tang Xiao had been a social butterfly since childhood, popular and fond of organizing these things.

Ye Qizhen remembered something and opened the group member list, scrolling from top to bottom. She didn’t see any account that looked like Wen Yu’s WeChat. It made sense; Wen Yu didn’t look like someone who would participate in this kind of activity.

Tang Xiao should have Wen Yu’s WeChat ID, right?

Ye Qizhen lay on the table like a soft kitten, conflicted. Finally, she decided: If I run into Wen Yu again, I’ll explain it face-to-face when the time is right.

**

The next day, it rained in Nancheng. The studio was empty, and the ticking sound of rain made the room seem even quieter.

Wen Yu sat alone in front of the easel, looking down and mixing colors on her palette. A watercolor painting was already more than half finished. She didn’t have many recreational activities; she either spent time in the studio or stayed in the library. She liked quiet places without messy noises.

When focused on something, Wen Yu would be completely absorbed, so she didn’t pay much attention to the footsteps behind her until a few knocks sounded on the door. Only then did she lazily turn her head.

A boy stood at the door of the studio. She glanced at him, said nothing, and continued with her work.

Tang Xiao had heard from others in the department that Wen Yu spent most of her free time in the studio. It was true; he had wandered around the studio several times and seen Wen Yu.

“Wen Yu.” Tang Xiao walked forward, feeling a bit nervous.

Wen Yu turned her head again, looking at the stranger in front of her with a faint smile.

Tang Xiao’s heart beat slightly faster, but then—

Wen Yu asked, “Do we know each other?”

Tang Xiao: “…”

Seriously? Tang Xiao began to doubt his life. Is my face that generic? We’re classmates, and I even sang for you during military training. Not even an impression?

“I’m Tang Xiao, we’re classmates.” Tang Xiao braced himself and helplessly introduced himself again.

Wen Yu didn’t pay much attention to the people around her and rarely remembered faces or names. After listening to the introduction, she didn’t react much.

“We met in the cafeteria on the first day of school,” Tang Xiao started the conversation.

Wen Yu already found the person beside her too noisy. She had seen plenty of such attempts to pick her up and wasn’t interested.

“I’m Ye Qizhen’s friend. You and she are classmates, right?” Tang Xiao tried hard to find various connections, attempting to build some relationship with Wen Yu.

Reminded by Tang Xiao, Wen Yu remembered that there was indeed a boy with Ye Qizhen that day. She nodded. “I remember now.”

“Right? I’ve heard her talk about you too. We can be considered half-acquaintances.”

“She talked about me?” Wen Yu was curious. “What did she say?”

Tang Xiao fiercely admired his own social skills in his heart. Complimenting girls was his forte, and he didn’t hesitate. “She said you’re good-looking.”

“Really?” Wen Yu tilted her head.

“Yeah, she said it more than once.” Seeing Wen Yu willing to talk to him, Tang Xiao smiled confidently and answered fluently, telling lies as if they were truth.

This guy probably doesn’t know about the ‘fate’ between me and Ye Qizhen, Wen Yu thought, the corners of her mouth lifting in a smile. She couldn’t help but recall Ye Qizhen’s awkward and cold appearance every time they met… It would be a miracle if she complimented me.

Tang Xiao struck while the iron was hot. “Wen Yu, you’re from Beilin too, right? We have a fellow townsman dinner the night after tomorrow. Are you free to come join the fun? Ye Qizhen is going too.”

Wen Yu thought for a moment, said nothing else, and agreed: “Okay.”

“Then let’s add each other on WeChat, it’s convenient for contact. I’ll pull you into the townsman group.” Tang Xiao took out his phone. He admitted that a large part of the reason he put effort into organizing the townsman association was to use it as an excuse to get Wen Yu’s WeChat ID. It was said that boys in the department who directly asked Wen Yu for her contact info were rejected flatly.

Wen Yu also picked up her phone, opened her QR code, and handed it over.

After adding each other as friends, Tang Xiao smiled and said, “I won’t disturb you anymore. Contact me on WeChat.”

“Mn.” Wen Yu lowered her head. While approving the friend request, her fingertips tapped lightly, casually enabling the Moments permission settings: Don’t let him see mine, don’t show me his.

**

There were about a dozen people attending the townsman dinner.

Ye Qizhen wasn’t particularly fond of bustling crowds, but occasionally attending gatherings to meet new friends was quite nice. Staying alone for too long could be stifling.

Around six o’clock, Ye Qizhen gathered with the main group at the school gate. However, as departure time approached, Tang Xiao was nowhere to be seen. Not long after, Ye Qizhen received a call from Tang Xiao saying he was delayed by something and would come over by himself later.

“Can you be a bit more reliable as the organizer? You said to meet at the West Gate at six.” Ye Qizhen couldn’t help but complain.

“Something came up unexpectedly, didn’t it? I sent you the address and reservation text. You guys go first, I’ll be there soon.” Tang Xiao was calculating his own little plan: let the others go first, and he would go over with Wen Yu alone later. He didn’t tell Ye Qizhen this; if he did, she would definitely laugh at him.

Ye Qizhen: “Fine, come over early.”

The dinner location was also chosen by Tang Xiao. It was in the famous Yanjiang Road area of Nancheng, a restaurant with strong local characteristics and high popularity in the city. It was located right next to the river pier, offering a beautiful night view. Tang Xiao had a knack for food, drink, and entertainment; he usually wouldn’t make a mistake.

As the evening lights came on, the river view from the private room on the second floor was exquisite.

The group sat around a large round table. Not everyone had arrived yet; besides Tang Xiao saying he would come alone, a few others were also coming separately. Although it was everyone’s first time meeting, they had chatted in the group beforehand. Being from the same school and hometown naturally brought a layer of intimacy. It was slightly reserved and awkward at first, but as they chatted, everyone loosened up.

The private room was filled with chatting and laughter, very lively.

Just as Ye Qizhen sat down, a fair-skinned boy sat to her left and struck up a conversation. “Hello, I’m Xu Kaiming, Communications Department.”

“Ye Qizhen, Journalism Department.” Ye Qizhen smiled politely and generously.

“We’re in the same college. Want to add each other on WeChat?”

“Mn, okay.” Ye Qizhen thought she might audit classes in the Communications Department later, so having an acquaintance would be good. Just as she was chatting, the private room suddenly became inexplicably quieter. Not knowing why, she looked up.

Many people, like Ye Qizhen, turned to look at the door.

Seeing Wen Yu at the door, Ye Qizhen instantly understood why Tang Xiao had been so actively and enthusiastically organizing this dinner. She was just surprised that Wen Yu would participate in this kind of group activity.

Wen Yu stood there, calm regardless of how many people stared at her. Her gaze swept across the large round table and naturally landed on a familiar face.

“Classmate, are you here for the townsman gathering?” someone nearby asked.

“Mn.” Wen Yu smiled.

“Sit anywhere.”

Ye Qizhen sat quietly, watching as Wen Yu seemed to be coming in her direction… Wen Yu was dressed just like her today, wearing a loose white T-shirt and hot pants, very casual and relaxed. Slightly awkwardly, she noticed a boy nearby sneaking glances at Wen Yu’s legs.

There was an empty seat to Ye Qizhen’s right. A chubby boy also walked over, preparing to take the seat. Seeing Wen Yu approaching as well, he chuckled and said, “Ladies first, ladies first.”

And moved aside.

Wen Yu looked at Ye Qizhen. She didn’t sit down immediately but asked her first, “Do you mind if I sit here?”

“I don’t mind.” Ye Qizhen pursed her lips in a smile. She could feel that she and Wen Yu were slowly drawing a line away from their “love rival” relationship.

The food was about to be served, and there was still no sign of Tang Xiao. Ye Qizhen was just about to call Tang Xiao when he called her first. It was too noisy at the dinner table and the signal was bad, so she couldn’t hear what Tang Xiao was saying clearly. She got up and walked to the window.

“What did you just say?” Ye Qizhen asked again.

“I’m not coming tonight.”

Ye Qizhen, mindful of their friendship, kindly reminded him: “Wen Yu is here too.”

Tang Xiao: “I know. I was the one who invited her.”

“You’re not coming even with such a good opportunity?” Ye Qizhen was puzzled. With Tang Xiao’s personality, he should be wishing he could take a rocket over.

“I want to, too! One of my buddies broke a bone playing basketball, and I’m accompanying him to the hospital.” Tang Xiao regretted it deeply. It was like his mouth was cursed; saying something came up made something actually come up. But he couldn’t help it; he was loyal and couldn’t leave his brother behind.

Ye Qizhen heard Tang Xiao’s helplessness and comforted him, “It’s okay, try harder next time.”

“Help me take care of Wen Yu,” Tang Xiao added.

“She’s a grown adult, how do I need to take care of her?”

“Watch her so she doesn’t drink too much alcohol, and not too much cold stuff either. If you guys play too late, walk her back to the dorm…” Tang Xiao listed instructions one by one.

Listening to this, Ye Qizhen interrupted the person on the other end and dropped a sudden remark: “Do you want me to feed her rice too?”