[1] 阿姨: could be used for an older female relative or as a general respectable term for any female person who is older and usually of the same age as one’s parents.
[2] 川芎 (chuan xiong) is Szhechwan lovage while天麻 (tian ma) is a type of orchid root found in Asia. Both herbs are used in Chinese Traditional medicine and Sichuan (Szechwan) cuisine.
[3] 粉色:pink. Pink rumors imply they are of a romantic nature.
Chapter Twenty Two It’s Him
The exam had finished and more people gathered by the gates. Almost everyone that pa.s.sed by the strikingly attractive pair would involuntarily slow down and take a few more looks. But Wei Wei didn’t notice them, because when Xiao Nai spoke, she already was transported into outer s.p.a.ce.
I was waiting for you … …
I was waiting for you … …
I was waiting for you … …
… …
This voice … …
This voice … …
This voice … …
Wei Wei stared at the person in front in bewilderment. In his eyes, there was the reflection from the sun. It made him seem less real and warmer. His aura still calm and patient.
Wei Wei moved her lips and soundlessly spoke. She took a deep breath and controlled the whirlwind in her hear. Opened her mouth, and with 150% disbelief, she said: “,,, ,,, Nai He?”
The person opposite stared at her, and replied with no hesitation: “It’s me.”
In a moment, Wei Wei only had one thought in her head ––Lucky, luckily she hadn’t brought that pair of crystal high heels. Otherwise she probably would have broken them by now due to the shock.
Nai He Xiao Nai Nai He Xiao Nai Nai He Xiao Nai … … the two names turned over and over in her head, but she just couldn’t merge them together. How could Nai He be Xiao Nai? How, how … … even though Nai He seemed also very shen, but she had never thought he was this shen.
Also, how did he recognize her?
Too many shocks, too many questions. Wei Wei wasn’t able to ask any of them, and felt that even the person in front of her seemed more illusion than real. The card in her hand was being grasped so tightly it tore. What she wanted to do the most was rush to a phone booth and call that number, to see if Xiao Nai’s cellphone would ring … …
And this time, she finally detected the inquisitive gazes coming from around them.
Xiao Nai didn’t care for the stares of the bystanders. He raised his wrist to look at the time, “You handed your exam in early?”
Wei Wei hesitantly nodded once.
“Almost let you wait again.”
Eh?
Wei Wei didn’t understand what he was mentioning while looking into his eyes which were focused on her. Half a beat later, she realized he was referring to missing the finals.
He was really Nai He … …
Wei Wei started to lose focus and shook her head: “No … …”
But she didn’t know what she was saying “no” to … ….
Xiao Nai stared deeply at her, a hint of laughter floating at his lips. He said, “Let’s go eat first.”
He started to walk inside the campus, Wei Wei following after. No matter what, anything was better than standing there for people to look at. But after a few steps, she couldn’t prevent herself from looking back at the Eastern Doors.
Later … … would another Nai He appear over there?
Even though the truth was already very evident, Xiao Nai was Nai He, but but, it still didn’t feel real… …
When she turned her head, her steps slowed. When she turned back, Xiao Nai had stopped to wait for her. Wei Wei embarra.s.sedly hastened to catch up. Xiao Nai waited for her to come closer and asked very seriously: “Wei Wei, do you eat fish?”
Okay, Wei Wei was defeated by Xiao Nai’s very natural “Wei Wei”.
Based on this question, Wei Wei a.s.sumed that Xiao Nai would take her to one of the fish restaurants on campus. But the reality was, Xiao Nai led her through a complicated series of twists and turns to the nearby residential district for university workers where there was an old shop.
Just sitting down, a ayi[1] with a face full of smiles place down a large bowl of fish soup onto their table . Xiao Nai made a few gestures and that ayi left with her eyes crinkled in a smile.
Wei Wei stared in awe at the gigantic bowl of fish head soup.
Xiao Nai gracefully took the soup spoon to serve the soup, “Jiang ayi can’t talk, but her cooking is very good. My parents aren’t very good at cooking. From when I was very little, if I didn’t eat at the cafeteria, I ate here.
Oh, Da Shen’s childhood? Wei Wei recovered from her paralysis due to the need for gossip. Xiao Nai glanced at her shining eyes and smiled in his heart. He asked: “Do you want to eat anything else?”
Wei Wei shook her head. It would already be very difficult to finish such a large bowl of soup. With her nose, she detected the smell of herbs. Wei Wei asked: “There’s medicine in the soup?”
“En.” Xiao Nai expressionlessly said: “After the accident, my father ordered half a month’s worth of fish head soup with chuangxiong and tianma to help me recover my brains. [2]”
“… …”
Why did she want to laugh? Especially when looking at Da Shen’s expression or the lack of … …
Wei Wei found that she was not a good person >o< and="" tried="" to="" repress="" the="" urge.="" she="" tried="" very="" hard="" to="" change="" the="" topic:="" “professor="" xiao?="" i="" took="" his="" cla.s.s="">
Xiao Nai raised his eyes to look at her. Holding his expressionless face, he asked: “Did you fall asleep?”
“… …”
Wei Wei jiong. Da Shen, even though Professor Xiao’s cla.s.s was, uh, a little bit dry, but he is your father. Do you have to be so blunt?
“… … Actually Professor Xiao talked a bit about their digs, it was pretty exciting.” Wei Wei half-heartedly tried to defend Professor Xiao against his son.
Xiao Nai pa.s.sed soup to her: “I also went to a few cla.s.ses.”
The implication was that you didn’t have to try covering up for him.
Wei Wei therefore silently lowered her head to drink soup. Professor Xiao, I did all of my duty as a student. It’s just that your son, Xiao Nai is too … … but coming back to it, Da Shen taking his father’s cla.s.s, was it also because Professor Xiao’s cla.s.ses were grade boosters … …
Wei Wei didn’t detect it herself. In between the words, she had already relaxed a lot.
Chewing on a fish bone, Wei Wei discovered that Xiao Nai had served her the entire fish head … … Da Shen wouldn’t be throwing it for her to eat because he was tired of eating it … ….
The idea flashed through her head, but Nai He and Xiao Nai’s golden and shining double Da Shen ident.i.ty forced Wei Wei to kill the thought as it sprouted.
Da Shen squared wouldn’t do something as underhanded as that. Never, never, never would do it!
Wasting food was a sin, so Wei Wei started to work on the fish head. Jiang ayicarried over a few small plates of vegetables and a very full bowl of rice for Wei Wei. Wei Wei had fish in her mouth and couldn’t speak, so she copied Xiao Nai and stiffly gestured a “thank you” sign.
Jiang ayi cheerfully returned a gesture that Wei Wei didn’t understand. Wei Wei turned her head and saw that on the opposite side of the table, Xiao Nai was staring at her. His brows were relaxed and his stare was burning.
Wei Wei uncertainly lowered her hand and felt that doing what she had done was dim-witted. And her heart who had been absent jumped out again and beat furiously two times to announce its return.
… …
Wei Wei continued to eat her fish head silently, thinking about whether she should speak. Surrept.i.tiously, she raised her eyes to look at the person opposite. He was drinking soup, his deportment practiced and pleasing to the eye, not making any sound. Whenever he was silent, his inherent dignity and imposing nature shown through even in the middle of this old little restaurant. His presence emanated a clarity and grandeur that was unforgettable.
The Xiao Nai right now, wasn’t very similar to the Nai He on the internet. It seemed the distance grew larger … … but her heart was beating gleefully in her chest.
Probably better not to speak. She had heard that Xiao Nai’s parents both were from educated and prestigious families. There might be some kind of rule for not speaking while having a meal … … and in her present state, she probably will say something wrong. She should preserve strength for the future. En,en, that’s right. Safety first, she should just eat fish … …
Eat fish eat fish … …
As a result, the meal became silent. But this kind of silence was different than the silence when they had been walking earlier. It seemed that even the air itself was in a strange mood.
It was a familiar ringtone that broke up this kind of silence
When it started, Wei Wei thought it sounded familiar and realized that it was the flutes from the video when the bandit was starting her kidnapping.
Then she watched Xiao Nai take out his phone.
Wei Wei ogled the white phone in his hands. What, Da Shen’s ringtone was this?
Did, did Da Shen really cherish the days of being kidnapped … …
Wei Wei fl.u.s.teredly thought as Xiao Nai took the call. A unconstrained voice instantly was transferred over the phone, the voice loud enough that even Wei Wei could hear.
“Laosan, where are you? Today’s the farewell match.”
Nai He turned to look at the clock on the wall: “Isn’t it at seven? It’s still early.”
“Come early to warm up. You don’t have anything else today, come over, everybody is waiting for you.”
“I do have something.”
“Ah? What thing? Didn’t we finish our work already? What are you doing now?”
Xiao Nai very calmly said; “On a date.”
On the other side of the phone there was only silence. Wei Wei held her chopsticks and felt, felt … … she didn’t feel anything … …
After a while it seemed that the person on the other side had changed, the voice was a bit shrill and yelled louder than the previous one: “Laosan, you are on a date? Bring her over, bring her over, bring her over.”
Xiao Nai sedately said: “I’ll ask her if she want to.”
He looked towards Wei Wei: “Our facutly’s basketball teams farewell match for the graduates, want to watch?”
Having her soul already been thrown out of her body by the word “date”, Wei Wei unconsciously nodded. Xiao Nai smoothly said to the other side: “After a while, I’ll bring her over.”
Not waiting to hear a response, he quickly hung up.
And then … … then … … of course it was continue eating … … calmly … … eating … …
Paying.
A soulless Wei Wei thought, how cheap, this much for only about fifty and it tasted so good. Why hadn’t she heard about this store before?
Coming out of the shop, Xiao Nai told Wei Wei to wait for him here while he went home to grab his bike.
The soulless Wei Wei thought, eh, Da Shen lived near here?
From afar, Xiao Nai rode his bike over.
The soulless Wei Wei thought, Da Shen didn’t just look handsome riding a white horse, he was handsome even on a bike~~~
Xiao Nai stopped on one foot and said: “Get on.”
The soulless Wei Wei though, Oh, Da Shen wanted her to get on together?
Together?!
Those two words pulled Wei Wei’s soul instantly back into her body.
Looked at the bike, looked at at Da Shen. Wei Wei started stammering; “This, this, I … …”
Xiao Nai frowned slightly.
Wei Wei focused, “… … I’m riding with you?”
“En, you are going to walk that far away?”
The basketball stadium was a very terrifyingly far distance to walk, but, but, what’s more frightening is me riding with you!
Wei Wei was displeased!
With shixiong your big big celebrity and add on her small small amount of infamy, after riding along in campus, there instantly will be pink rumours appearing![3] Even though they apparently, probably, seem to be moving a bit into the pink territory but here, at this point, right now, they were whiter than sheep … …
“This, this isn’t very fitting, is it. Other people will misunderstand if they see.” Wei Wei tried to tactfully refuse, her ears started to turn red.
“Misunderstand?”
Did he still not understand? Wei Wei was reduced to forcing herself to explain clearly, “Misunderstanding that we are, uh, that type of relationship … …”
Xiao Nai silently stared at her and didn’t speak. Wei Wei started to get nervous … … she didn’t say anything wrong, did she?
Just as she started to get even more nervous, finally, Xiao Nai slowly spoke: “When were we not that type of relationship?”