Chapter 8 Duan Yu

  At eighteen years old, Murong Fu left home for the first time from Suzhou to Bianjing to study, and his first stop was the home of a distant relative, Madame Wang.

  At that time, Murong Fu's sportswear was not a famous brand, his hair was messy, and it seemed like he hadn't washed or combed it for a long time. He casually put his luggage in the living room, only nodding at Wang Furen who sat motionless on the sofa as a greeting.

  Mrs. Wang was not very satisfied with this distant relative, and Murong Fu was not even raised in the city. The village where he was born, Cangshan Village, was the old home of Mrs. Wang's ancestors, and his relationship with her was nothing more than that. This kind of relative was usually referred to by Mrs. Wang with a hint of a smile as "from the old family".

  So she just sat there, too lazy to move, waving her hand for Murong Fu to find a chair and sit down. Madame Wang had already thought of an excuse, saying that it's not easy to study from the countryside all the way to Bian Da, don't be tempted by the big city, young people should focus on studying, and they will have a good future and so on. Then Madame Wang could hand over the envelope with 0,000 yuan in it to this little brat from the countryside, and then send him packing, not bothering her again with his dusty sports shoes that would leave footprints all over her 500-yuan-per-square-foot teak floor.

  Who knew Murong Fu just silently looked at Wang Furen for a moment, slightly moved his lips and said: "I won't sit anymore, I'll go take a look at my aunt, then I'll report."

  "It's so far from Bian Da, how did you get here?" Wang Furen was taken aback by Murong Fu's icy and unruly tone, but the female manager took care of her own face and hadn't lost her temper yet.

  "Let's go out and take a look at taking the bus, I have a map."

  "The bus station is twenty minutes away from here, and it's not even available at night," said Mrs. Wang, frowning, "You sit down, I'll call the company driver to take you there."

  "It's okay." Murong Fu had a faint but stubborn smile on his lips. "I'm carsick."

  Mrs. Wang was extremely displeased in her heart, but she didn't notice the expression in her daughter's eyes sitting beside her. At that moment, Wang Yuyan saw the third important man in her life - Murong Fu. Her first impression of this strange distant cousin was Murong Fu's eyes hidden under his long hair. His sparse and disheveled hair hung down over his forehead, but the dust and sweat on his hair couldn't hide Murong Fu's very wild eyes, and that sharp gaze suddenly made Wang Yuyan's heart feel a chill run down her spine and then heat up again.

  Compared to Huang Yaoshi and Duan Zhengchun, who are typical representatives of the strong and masculine type, Murong Fu is still too impulsive. Huang Yaoshi's character has reached a state where he remains calm in the face of adversity, as seen when he confronted Wanyan Honglie at the Biology Department meeting, his expression unchanged yet still intimidating. In contrast, Murong Fu can only hide his anger behind his hair. Nevertheless, Wang Yuyan saw in him the first boy who could stand up to her mother, Wang Furen - tall, silent, with a powerful aura emanating from his stance. Most importantly, at that moment, Murong Fu's eyes seemed to hold a hint of evil intent, reminiscent of Bai Ruide in Wang Yuyan's dreams.

  Even if Qiao Feng, who is incompatible with Murong Fu, were present, he would probably only be able to exclaim that it's really damn cool.

  But no one understood Murong Fu's mood at that time.

  This proud basketball player felt the gaze around him as soon as he stepped onto the land of Bianjing, just like Guo Jing was stopped at the gate of Bian Da because of his old Mongolian robe, and Murong Fu was searched thoroughly by the train station security due to his rustic hairstyle and clothing. At that time, Murong Fu pointed to the people around him and asked why only he was being checked, the security guard replied impatiently that random checks were only for outsiders, did you understand?

  Murong Fu threw the train ticket to the ground fiercely after exiting the train station, and then he was caught by an old lady wearing a red armband, who said "This is our great Song Dynasty's capital city, how dare you litter?"

  Even on the bus going to Wang Yuyan's house, Murong Fu was still laughed at by the conductor several times because his Mandarin was not that standard.

  Walking under the gloomy sky, Murong Fu understood on his first day in Bianjing that there was something deep within this city that refused to accept him. It wasn't until he saw the elegant Lady Wang and heard her first words "Take off your shoes, take them off before coming in" that the anger simmering at the bottom of his heart finally rose up quietly.

  Murong Fu didn't care about admitting he was sensitive, he absolutely wasn't as thick-skinned as Guo Jing. He was Murong Fu and not anyone else, if he didn't want to forgive others for their condescending attitude towards this outsider, then he definitely wouldn't force himself to pretend to be magnanimous.

  As he closed the door behind him, Murong Fu told himself that he would never again set foot in Wang Yuyan's home. In fact, Murong Fu was a man of his word.

  A long time later, Wang Yuyan asked Murong Fu if he had found the bus that day. Murong Fu spat out a mouthful of smoke at the window of the Three Teachings and said no, I knew there were no more buses by then, I walked all the way to Bian Da.

  At that time, Murong Fu didn't even turn his head to look at Wang Yuyan, his back leaning against the windowsill, and the pose of accumulating strength and waiting for release made Wang Yuyan feel the power of this proud basketball player again. A gust of night wind suddenly made her dizzy, feeling that it was worth taking the exam for this person, and it was a kind of happiness.

  Night.

  The music ended, Wang Yuyan and Duan Yu walked on the quiet street. It was very late and they couldn't find a taxi, and the bus to Bianjing only had one more night shift in an hour. Wang Yuyan said let's walk, I have something to tell you. Duan Yu nodded, but didn't know what to say.

  Wang Yuyan walked on the left side, supporting herself with her small white bag, while Duan Yu walked a meter away from her on the right side. Wang Yuyan lowered her head, her long hair covering her expression, and Duan Yu seemed to be waiting for his own death sentence, this prisoner who had been imprisoned for four months was waiting for the final blow or his "Heavenly Life".

  But all along, Wang Yuyan didn't say a word. Who knows how many streetlights were left behind? The car lights drew five-colored shadows on the road, and after countless shadows disappeared, Duan Yu only felt that he and Wang Yuyan had been walking all along, the only reality in these illusory light shadows.

  It went on and on, seemingly without end.

  At some point, Duan Yu felt his tense mood completely calm down. It was as if he had become numb from the tension, or as if the unceasing autumn wind had cooled his chest. Duan Yu just wanted to keep walking like this. The concept of time momentarily came to a standstill here; apart from Wang Yuyan, Duan Yu no longer felt any movement around him. It was as if the two people were simply walking in a romantic city movie from a bygone era, with the projector stuck on a certain frame from that night.

  "Haha......" Duan Yu suddenly burst out laughing, because he felt that he indeed was a bit like the idiot Leng Qiu said.

  Wang Yuyan looked up and saw that childlike transparent smile, she also smiled and said: "Let's go have some tea."

  "Actually..." Wang Yuyan said, "We're not very familiar with each other either..."

  Innumerable red cards sprinkled with gold powder and strings of golden threads hung down from the top, Wang Yuyan was sipping a cup of pearl milk tea, facing Duan Yu who was drinking green tea, finally lifted her head.

  Duan Yu found it hard to believe that he could calm down at this moment, although it wasn't a good omen, but it was something he had already thought of. So he nodded: "I know."

  "Sorry."

  "Nothing's wrong..." Duan Yu felt a sudden chill on his body, so he smiled.

  "I..."

  "I'll say it." Suddenly, Huā Chī's courage grew, with a gambler's reckless abandon, yet he didn't feel the slightest tension. Each person's heart isn't something that can be easily seen through; Líng Fēng thought Duan Yu was coming to this appointment with excitement and enthusiasm, but in fact, Duan Yu had already prepared some words to end this inexplicable love affair.

  "I saw you during the summer vacation," Duan Yu said, "It was raining that day, and I was originally planning to go out to eat baozi... Linghu Chong, oh, he's a brother in our dormitory, still sleeping..."

  Wang Yuyan didn't dare to look into Duan Yu's eyes, she pulled down the red cards to read the words inside. It seemed that people who had sat in this position before had left some messages for future generations, wishing them happiness, good luck, or hoping they would cherish time... Wang Yuyan could imagine the smiles on the corners of the mouths of those who wrote the cards, when people felt happy, they wouldn't be stingy with blessings for others...

  "Lately I've been thinking and thinking," Duan Yu said softly, "my mind is all muddled. So... it's all the same anyway."

  Wang Yuyan felt a moment of weakness, she had never heard anyone slowly telling her a confession, as if the female lead in a romance novel was herself, but she was powerless to change that disgusting ending.

  "I don't know..." Wang Yuyan handed a card to Duan Yu.

  Duan Yu looked at it, and a bitter smile flashed across the face that was younger than his actual age. The card reader said: "Don't worry about losing things, because what you ultimately have will meet you, even if it's not what you're waiting for."

  Duan Yu said: "It can be met but cannot be sought, I knew it long ago, but..."

  "Just... forget it..." Wang Yuyan was about to force a brilliant smile to brighten Duan Yu's dim eyes when the wild glint in her own eyes, and the temptation of another life finally overcame her weakness.

  "Really?" Duan Yu stood up and said, "I'll go to the restroom."