Chapter 11.3: The First Snow
The exam for the research inst.i.tute was arranged at the end of the month. An Ning had handed in the thesis for four subjects and experimental reports. In contrast, the remaining three written examinations were relatively easy.
The first exam was Old Chang’s quantum statistics. Like before, five minutes before the ringing of the bell, she entered the exam hall. Mao Mao who showed up early to tamper with the table, whistled at her. Their two student numbers differ by a digit only, so the seating arrangements are basically nearby. With regards to this, Mao Mao was floating on cloud nine at one time. After sitting down, An Ning heard Qiang Wei who was seated three seats from them, turned round, smiled obscenely at the person behind her and said: “Hey, brother, afterwards we try to help each other as much as possible so that both of us can pa.s.s ah.” Unfortunately, the invigilator was walking on their side. He frowned and glanced at Qiang Wei. Then he turned round and looked at the male student’s confused face and waited for his reply. That male student’s facial expression can be said to be cla.s.sical. In summary, he looked stressed out and in pain. “I ——” He was about to clarify but Qiang Wei was already giving the invigilator a brilliant smile: “Teacher, I am just helping you to test him, so what I’ve just said is not real.”
An Ning saw that male student already looked in disarray. “Phew.” Fortunately, she was not in their dormitory. (Qiang Wei was not in their dormitory)
Zhao Yang who was sitting in the corner shook her head, “Fortunately, she is not in our dormitory.”
“……”
On that day, after finishing the exam and coming out of the hall, Mao Mao wanted to treat Meow Meow a great meal.
An Ning said: “Aren’t you short of money lately? I better treat you to a meal instead. Mao Mao, I don’t need to take the exam for the next subject, so don’t you want to study and so on?”
Mao Mao dismissed it with a shrug, “What to study ah? When the boat gets to the pier-head, it will go straight with the current! (a Chinese proverb meaning everything will be all right)” She was thinking: After the exam is over, have to learn miniature carving (carve the answers to cheat).
Qiang Wei ran up to keep pace with the group. “Girls, what activity to do next?”
An Ning asked: “Where is Zhao Yang?”
Qiang Wei: “She went to the library. That girl is crazy.”
Mao Mao said: “As for activity, eat, sleep and have an erotic dream.”
Qiang Wei looked at her with contempt. “Can’t you suggest something more meaningful (It is p.r.o.nounced jian shu xing in Mandarin – 建树性)?”
An Ning was hungry and asked the two people who were bickering what to eat for dinner. They were unanimous in their reply, anything.
Mao Mao continued to say: “As for tree ( It is p.r.o.nounced shu in Mandarin – 树. She is playing on the word ‘shu’), I’ve made up my mind! I want a hanging death from a tree.”
Qiang Wei sneered, “Whereas I intend to hang myself from every trees.”
An Ning said: “Let’s eat noodle.” (Imagine them hanging from the trees and the noodles hanging from their mouths :P)
“……” People within a radius of two meters.
After finished eating dinner, they returned to the dormitory to discover that there was no hot water supply to the bathrooms in the whole building. An Ning had intended to take a bath. When they were eating noodles just now, Mao Mao saw a teacher (he was the object of Mao Mao’s infatuation) came in and dropped the chicken drumstick into the bowl and splashed the soup on An Ning. Even the hair has it. Too greasy so very difficult to bear.
Mao Mao’s hair was short so it was not affected. She only has to take off her jacket. Qiang Wei looked at Mao Mao who was wearing only a flesh-colored knitted cotton underwear and walking around the dormitory, “You look like a frog with the skin peeled off.”
An Ning had no choice but to take a change of clothes, “In that case, I’ll go to the bathroom outside to bathe.”
Qiang Wei stopped her, “Meow Meow, it is better for you to go to brother- in- law’s place to bathe.”
“Ah?”
Zhao Yang who has just come in and heard the keyword, “Brother-in-law? I just ran into him in front of the library. He walked past me with a girl.”
Everyone turned solemn. A while later, Qiang Wei cried out: “Oh no, Meow Meow has a rival in love. The legendary ‘third party’ has made her appearance.”
Mao Mao said in an expectant tone, “I wander if the third party will come to challenge Meow Meow? I am really envious ah because my life long dream is to be called a vixen at least once.”
Zhao Yang: “Meow Meow is the real Ms. Xu ah.”
An Ning lacked the strength to argue with them so she waved from behind: “I am going out now.”
When she walked downstairs, she saw Xu Mo Ting pulling open the car door and getting out of it. Although she was aware that he is in the university, she was a bit astonished to see him right away.
“…… Hi.”
He approached her, “I am just about to call you. Are you going out?”
An Ning did not know what to say, so she only said ‘yes’.
Xu Mo Ting looked at her up and down for a moment. Then he spoke in a very ordinary and natural tone: “Go to my place to bathe la.”
“……”
An Ning was invited to go and take a bath.
She ended up in his car.
“That, I want to borrow the bathroom only ——”
“Don’t tell me you still want to do other things?”
“……”
What An Ning meant: Just borrow the bathroom, then she’ll go back to the university herself. She does not want to cause any inconvenience to him because he is very busy ah.
What leader Xu meant: After bathing, if she wants to do other things, he will accede to her wish.
An Ning turned her head to look at the streetscape. Xu Mo Ting raised his eyebrows, glanced at her with a smile in his heart and said: “The whole university’s hot water supply is disrupted today, including the male dormitory.”
“Really?” An Ning felt that whenever there was a general a.s.sembly at the university, the leaders will flaunt X University as very awesome on the stage but how come even a trifling matter like immediate supply of hot water also cannot be accomplished?
“Do you want to move to my place to live with me?” Leader Xu always gave suggestion at the most appropriate moment.
An Ning was shocked and treated it as him teasing her. Thus unconsciously she started to feel relaxed, “Cohabitation is the kind of thing that I will not do.” She was really very traditional?
“Like this ——” Xu Mo Ting was really thinking seriously about this for a while, “Then how about legal cohabitation?”
Leader Xu, can you occasionally let me stay calm for a little longer? An Ning was thinking, when other people are dating, the boyfriends always sweet talk the girlfriends and are tender and considerate. When it was her turn why they became ‘cold words and sarcastic comments’? Holding on to her clothing bag, she asked softly: “Xu Mo Ting, you actually also come from Mars, right?”
“……” Mo Ting sighed.
The moment she entered leader Xu’s apartment, she walked to the bathroom immediately. The handsome homeowner behind did not forget to remind her: “The new towel is in the cupboard under the vanity unit.”
“Okay.” It is untrue to say that she was not shy. This was the first time she was using a guy’s private bathroom alone. Moreover this guy was her own boyfriend, so she felt a little awkward.
An Ning shut the door and looked in the mirror. Her face was a little red, but not very obvious. She washed her face with cold water. When she was filling the bathtub with hot water, she studied the personal care items on top of the table. His shampoo and shower gel smell very light. The light lemon smell was very familiar …… the water was a bit hot.
Finally An Ning dressed neatly and looking refreshing and clean came out of the bathroom. She saw Xu Mo Ting sitting on the sofa and watching television in the living room. This was the first time seeing him wearing gla.s.ses because she did not know he is a bit short-sighted.
Xu Mo Ting heard some sound, turned his head, took off his gla.s.ses, stood up and said: “Come here, I will blow dry your hair.”
She was just about to say calmly, “I’ve finished bathing and want to go back but you do not need to send me. I’ll get a taxi myself.” In the end, his one sentence sent her back to square one again.
The television was broadcasting the news. The noise from the hair dryer covered the voice of the newsreader. An Ning sat on a single person sofa, whereas Xu Mo Ting leaned on the armrest, to blow dry her long hair.
With every pa.s.sing minute, she felt more and more shy. He ran his fingers through her hair, making her felt —— have to take the initiative to start a conversation: “Well …… if you take part in the city’s top ten youth selection, you’ll definitely win hands down.”
Xu Mo Ting answered yes in a perfunctory manner and said: “Do you want to stay here tonight?”
“Huh?” She turned around impetuously and happened to come into contact with his heroic face. Under the light, their attractiveness increased threefold.
“One of your friends called me and said there is not even cold water in the dormitory. They are going to stay a night in the hotel.” It can be considered an explanation.
Thus the person who did not bring out the keys has to think of a solution herself? “Can I ask them, why did they call you?” An Ning looked at her mobile phone and there was no record of any message or missed call. She felt depressed, as it was obvious that they are closer to him.
Xu Mo Ting answered: “They made me take you in.”
“……”
If An Ning was not carried away by some kind of intense emotions to become muddle-headed, resulting in a decline in her ability to think above the average line, she would at least be able to think that she can also go to stay in a hotel. In other words, she did not have to end up with the only option of ‘sharing a bed.’
Unfortunately, her brain was not functioning at that time.
When Xu Mo Ting came out from the shower at eleven o’clock that night, he was wearing a set of dark gray pajamas. In this age, with the physique to look stylish even draped in a piece of cloth, let alone a stylish dark gray pajamas, An Ning admitted her thought was in chaos. What should she do next? Facing this type of well-built, handsome and tricky …… boyfriend, she really has to share a bed for a night? After racking her brain, she ultimately chose to compromise, “You sleep on the bed and I sleep on the sofa.”
He looked askance at her, “I only have one quilt here.”
“Oh, then you can have the quilt. You sleep on the sofa and I sleep on the bed.” Anyhow, there was still the bed sheet.
Mo Ting frowned, “Do you think I’ll sleep on the sofa?” Did you think a person of n.o.ble rank like him will put up with sleeping on the sofa?
“……”
At this moment, Xu Mo Ting lowered his head, smiled and said: “An Ning, I believe you can control yourself.”
“……”
Leader Xu did not say anything anymore and went to bed. Of course, he very graciously let her have half of the bed. Seeing her calm demeanor, An Ning grumbled that she was really petty. Merely sleeping on the same bed, nothing will happen. After convincing herself, she swiftly went around to the other side and got into bed. Xu Mo Ting has already reached out to switch off the light, leaving only a light orange wall lamp at the headboard on. An Ning slept with her back to him and was clutching the quilt. There was a familiar fresh and clean smell in the air. She subconsciously pulled down the quilt a little because she felt a bit hot but she did not know if he had switched on the heater. An Ning moved towards the side of the bed and watched attentively at the darkness in front.
With every pa.s.sing minute, she still cannot sleep but it was already quite late and she still has to take an exam tomorrow. With such high spirit of excitement, it will affect her exam unfavorably. She tossed and turned, sleepless in bed. She was exceptionally clear-headed until she can hear the ticking of the alarm clock on his desk, very slow and very distant.
“If you cannot sleep, I don’t mind keeping you company to pa.s.s the time.” His deep and low voice came through the darkness. An Ning was taken aback and nearly fell off the bed, “I’m about to fall asleep.”
Xu Mo Ting said slowly: “If you move over again, you will be able to directly sleep on the floor.”
“……” An Ning turned over and faced the ceiling. She also moved in a little.
He sighed, “Your tossing and turning are making me also unable to sleep.” His tone of voice seemed a little dissatisfied. This was the first time she heard Xu Mo Ting complained so childishly. An Ning pursed up her lips and wanted to laugh but she was in his apartment so she has to behave humbly. After waiting for a while, it was oddly quiet beside her. She could not help but turned to look at him. Under the dim light, that pair of black bottomless eyes were also calmly looking at her at this moment. In a flash, he has already leaned over and buried his breathing at her neck. Then he said softly: “An Ning, I cannot sleep.”
His lips very lightly touched her ear and dropped an affectionate kiss.