[1] Not a typo. Usually, to be calm and at ease, in Chinese, it is 淡定. Gu Man used a pun with 蛋腚 which is a h.o.m.onym. 蛋 (eggs or oval shaped) 腚 ( b.u.t.t). So Wei Wei’s on the hot seat but still calm.
[2] 于(yu)半(ban)珊(shan) is a h.o.m.onym in Chinese of愚(yu)搬(ban)山(shan), which is a shorten form of the idom愚公搬山 (Yu Gong (foolish man)moving the mountain). Yu Gong’s nickname in the game, mentioned previously, perverted the idiom into Yu Gong climbing the mountain. The Hou in 丘永侯 (Qui Yong Hou) is a n.o.bility rank (marquis, earl). The Hou is Hou Zi Jiu is monkey/ape. These two, along with Xiao Nai (Yi Xiao Nai He) and Bei Wei Wei (Lu Wei Wei Wei) were very lazy in creating their online names.
[3] Yu Gong doesn’t really mean it looks terrible, the idiom he used meant shocking, but in a negative way rather than a positive. He’s just very bad at idiom usage.
[4] Blitzkrieg: the name for the strategy used by the German Air Force to bomb cities. It was notable for the speed and damage it caused to opponents.
Chapter Twenty Five Blitzkrieg
After a long while, the whispers finally started in the surroundings. Wei Wei heard hints of her and Xiao Nai’s name repeatedly being discussed. Slowly, there were more stares frequently tossed towards them.
After another bit, the voices stared to get louder. More people were staring, and there were eyes that boldly looked.
In everybody’s uneasiness, Wei Wei was at eg-se [1]
She started to copy Da Shen, calmly watching the race. Taking a look, she let out a sound of surprise.
The score on the court was almost even!
Xiao Nai seemed to understand what she was shocked at. He explained unworriedly: “Don’t worry, after they stop looking at the bleachers, the gap will open again.”
Because of the noise, he came very close to her to talk. His body tilted onto its side like they were whispering secrets. In this position, if Wei Wei slightly raised her eyes, she would see his thick eyelashes.
Contact, was a very soul-shaking experience.
Wei Wei lowered her eyes, looking at her hair which had fallen on his wrist. “En” she replied. In reality, she hadn’t registered what he had said. She only knew that the surroundings had fallen silent again… …
At the end of the third quarter, Er Xi seemed to have woken up from a dream and yelled: “We’re only leading by two points now!”
Wei Wei heard her voice and realized she hadn’t introduced Xiao Nai and her friends. Xiao Nai had been focusing on the match before, so it hadn’t been a good time. Right now he still was focusing on the court. Wei Wei wanted to catch his attention, but didn’t know what to call him.
Calling shixiong was weird … …
Calling Nai He was even weird, it wasn’t in the game … …
Calling Xiao Nai … … ugh … … was a bit embarra.s.sing … … how could Da Sheniso naturally call her Wei Wei >o
Thankfully, Xiao Nai quickly his gaze away from the court and released Wei Wei from her painful thoughts.
Wei Wei hurriedly said: “Um, these are my friends and dormmates.” She motioned for Xiao Nai to look at the three beside her who had just recovered the ability to speak and introduced each of them: “Xiao Ling, Er Xi, Si Si.”
Xiao Nai’s gaze swept across their faces and smiled slightly: “Nice to meet you all.”
As a result … …
The three souls that had just returned were once again blown out of their body.
Wei Wei felt much better.
There were some who were superior to others. In comparison, her own behaviour was very good.
The fourth quarter started and just like Xiao Nai had said, the score gap widened again. The CompSci team seemed to have locked down victory. Close to the end, Xiao Nai suddenly said: “Yu Gong and Hou Zi Jiu are down there, you want to go say hi?”
Wei Wei paused and asked: “Is it number 10 and number 11?”
The two she mentioned were the ones that had gone up first to Xiao Nai when he entered from outside.
Xiao Nai nodded.
“Where’s Mo Zha Ta?”
“He didn’t come.”
Wei Wei thought for a bit: “Do they know I’m Lu Wei Wei Wei?”
“No.”
Then how did you know?
Wei Wei stared at him, the effects of the shocks she had gone through today dissipating. In her heart, the suspicions were piling up but there were too many people around to ask at the moment.
Wei Wei didn’t have any hesitations and said: “I’ll come.”
The whistle announced the end of the game. The CompSci team won with eighteen points above the Engineering team. Wei Wei told her friends “I’ll go back with you guys later,” and walked down the stairs with Xiao Nai.
Behind them, Si Si stared at the snack bag in her hands, “It was Xiao Nai that brought our snacks?!”
Xiao Ling didn’t have the spare brainpower to think about snacks. She slapped Er Xi’s hand: “This world is becoming unreal, Er Xi.”
Er Xi didn’t say a word in reply. Looking at the pair walking towards the court, she slowly murmured to herself: “Our Wei Wei is clearly very compatible with Xiao Nai, who said they weren’t compatible? The people on the forums obviously don’t have any intelligence.”
Wei Wei and Xiao Nai walked down under the stares of everybody around. When they reached the entrance to the court, the anxious Hou Zi Jiu and Yu Gong were already waiting there.
“Haha, laosan, you finally … …”
A tall and healthy looking male with a square face patted Xiao Nai’s shoulders, a look of being moved to the point of speechlessness.
Another, with a narrower face but who was even taller, had the exact same expression: “The eternal bachelor has started his prison term.”
“Eternal bachelor” triggered Wei Wei into remembering meeting them in the game for the very first time. The two strange people in front became so familiar and friendly.
Xiao Nai didn’t answer their teasing and made introductions to WeiWei: “Number 10 is Yu Ban Shan, the other is Qui Yong Hou.” [2]
He didn’t say their respective ident.i.ties in the game because it was easy to realize from their real names. Before he could introduce Wei Wei, she took a step ahead of him, came forward and very politely said: “Nice to meet you,shixiong. I’m Wei Wei”
Yu Gong –– Yu Ban Shan paused, and recovered by chuckling. While saying “Me too, me too”, he thought, of course I know you are Bei Wei Wei. The beauty of our faculty. Didn’t think you would get together with laosan. A CompSci genius taking a CompSci faculty beauty seemed very natural. But on these two, it felt like a ghastly sight. (Please don’t mind Yu Gong’s idiom-using skills [3])
And this beauty seemed so friendly. Meeting for the first time and giving them permission to call “Wei Wei.”
Hou Zi Jiu also laughed, thinking the same as Yu Gong.
Wei Wei knew from their expression that they hadn’t realized. So she looked embarra.s.sed as she added: “That is, Yu Gong, Hou Zi Jiu, I meant, I’m Lu Wei Wei Wei.”
Hearing “Yu Gong”, the two went into shock. When “Lu Wei Wei Wei” came out, Hou Zi Jiu had an expression like he was struck by lightning, his mouth loud and noiseless. Yu Gong had an even more cla.s.sical expression –– the basketball in his hand dropped to the floor.
… …
Wei Wei felt fulfilled for the second time today.
She felt that she finally understood Da Shen a tiny bit. Seeing people in shock was too satisfying, haha.
But Wei Wei’s satisfaction didn’t last for very long. Xiao Nai’s teammates all came crowding around. Wei Wei’s meeting with internet friends quickly started becoming meetings with friends and relatives… …
As long as Wei Wei wasn’t facing Xiao Nai, she could deal pretty well with anything. But with these seniors all coming together and teasing, Wei Wei’s abilities weren’t enough at all. Xiao Nai seemed to be happy observing from the side with a small smile. It was only when they wanted invited her to dinner that he helped her refuse.
Wei Wei thought of her old solution. If she couldn’t beat them, then escape. SO she looked at her friends who were waiting by the exit and said: “My friends are waiting, I need to go.”
After finishing, she started to flee, but Xiao Nai didn’t let her escape successfully, quickly grabbing her wrist.
“When do you go to self-study?”
“… … seven thirty”
Reflexively, all of Wei Wei’s attention gathered on her hand which was being held firmly … …
Xiao Nai laughed and gently released her wrist: “Okay, I’ll wait for you tomorrow at your building. Wei Wei, remember to reserve a seat.”
Wei Wei triumphantly escaped from the stadium. On the road home, she was still caught up in what had happened during the day, and didn’t talk. After walking for a time, she felt that something wasn’t right. Why weren’t Er Xi and the others talking?
Looking over at Er Xi and the others, they were also silent with strange expressions on their faces. Wei Wei felt danger. This wouldn’t work. The more they suppressed, the worse the inevitable explosion would be.
Wei Wei coughed: “If you have something to ask, then ask.”
The moment the words landed, Er Xi immediately came up and started shaking her: “You were dating Xiao Nai for that long and didn’t tell us!”
Wie Wei’s voice was disrupted by Er Xi’s shaking: “I’m innocent … … this thing …. … I just found out … …”
Er Xi shouted: “You think we are idiots! Just the way you guys were today, without half a year’s worth of adultery n.o.body would believe it.
Wei Wei could cry. Half a year? Half an hour was more like it! Finally ridding herself of Er Xi’s grasp, Wei Wei said in one breath.
“Irequesttenminutesofnon-interruptednarrationtime.”
Er Xi, Si Si and Xiao Ling stared at each other and waved their hand: “Confess!”
Xiao Ling asked: “What stage are you at, have you kissed, when was the first time you kissed?”
“… …”
Wei Wei ignored her. She cleared her throat and said: “It is like this. A few months ago, on some day, the skies were clear with no clouds in sight. The moon was bright and the stars were shining, I went to the washroom … …”
The three simultaneously yelled: “The important part!”
The important part was after she came out of the washroom. No patience at all. She had to say something to waste time while organizing her thoughts. She was still in shock herself … …
Huh, what could she say to turn their flames of anger into sympathy?
Wei Wei started to slowly gather her memories and narrate. She was one of those personality types very suited for science and not at all for the arts. Under her narration, Xiao Nai and her story became meeting in the game, marrying, and then meeting. Some of the finer points she didn’t say. It wasn’t that she wanted to hide something, but the parts she didn’t understand herself, she couldn’t explain. Such as how Xiao Nai knew who she was in real life and the words that Xiao Nai had said to her … … she was too embarra.s.sed >o
But this kind of simplified version was enough to satisfy Er Xi and the others.
After clarifying some of the finer details, Er Xi: “… … So you have only met for two hours?”
Wei Wei solemnly nodded. Now you know she was innocent.
Si Si: “So, your first meeting with Xiao Nai, he already got you to settle down?”
Wei Wei silently stared at the stars. She really didn’t want to answer yes, but it was the truth, and it couldn’t be covered up.
“… … It seems like it.” Looking at the distain on her friends’ faces, Wei Wei furtively said, “If there will be another time, I will try to wait until tomorrow … …”
Si Si looked pityingly at her: “Don’t think next time. There won’t be ever be a next time.”
“I said you were cyberdating.” Xiao Ling was congratulating herself on her foresight, “but the other is actually Xiao Nai … …”
Now thinking back, she still didn’t believe it.
Si Si recalled: “Right, Wei Wei, what video was it, you hadn’t shown it to us.”
“I’ll show you when we get back.” Wei Wei smoothly answered. She suddenly remembered, her feet pausing, video video … …
She forgot to mention the video!
Wei Wei jiong.
On this side, Wei Wei was mortified by her memory. On the other side, Er Xi used a reverent tone to conclude: “Xiao Da Shen is too scary. Even when pursuing somebody, it’s the legendary Blitzkrieg!”[4]