Chapter 28

It was the fifth day into their cold war. Both of the protagonists, particularly Baobei, remained calm and unaffected. It was only when someone had touched a raw nerve of hers that blood would be shed; even the people around her were watching in fear.

What was wrong with Lecturer Jiang this time? Back then when he was pursuing Baobei, he had acted quickly and got attached in a flash. Yet this time, five days had already passed, but he still didn’t do anything. In the eyes of the females, Lecturer Jiang was definitely in the wrong this time. Also, no matter whose fault it was, wasn't it only right for a man to spend some effort placating the woman? How could he neglect her after successfully pursuing her? The female comrades were somewhat unforgiving of that.

It would be another fortnight before the Labour Day holiday began. There would be a three day break, including the weekend. However, the leadership was always exceptionally enthusiastic about holidays. They decided to arrange a school sports festival that was five days long with the Labour Day holidays. Hence, their holidays were extended to a total of eight days of break. Baobei had originally decided to return home, and since she was still in a cold war, she booked an early ticket back to S City in a fit of anger.

She had awoken very early today. There were two crows perched on their balcony. In her shock, Shi Xiaoxi had used a mop to chase them away. After that, she continued to talk and hop around on the balcony as though she was possessed. For someone who attended classes in the morning and could still make such a din, honestly speaking, there could only be trouble headed her way. They’d better get someone to change the Fengshui of their room.

Baobei had never truly believed in the supernatural, but sometimes, things developed in such a way that you could only believe it.

Since there were no classes in the afternoon, Baobei whiled her time away on computer games, Jia Hui was on the phone with Ke Xiaoliang, and Shi Xiaoxi had taken off her clothes and was preparing to crawl into bed to make up for a sleep debt. Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside. Fang Jie scurried in like the wind, threw her bag down, laid down on her table and started bawling.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” The little ladies quickly dropped everything and crowded around her. Fang Jie simply sobbed, but refused to say anything. Among the four in the dorm, three were attached, and only Shi Xiaoxi remained a wandering soul without an owner. Hence, the few of them understood that there was only one reason that could make Fang Jie cry her heart out.

Jiahui immediately called Jia Jian’s dorm; the call was answered by Jia Jian’s roommate, who said that Jia Jian hadn’t returned. Jiahui tried to pry some information out of him. That roommate was silent for a moment, before sharing everything, and even reminded Jiahui not to sell him out. The two roommates had met a few times before, and naturally shared a friendly relationship.

After the call, Jiahui walked back into the dorm, her expression gloomy.

“What’s wrong? Was Jia Jian two-timing?” Shi Xiaoxi shouted.

Hearing the din from Shi Xiaoxi, Fang Jie’s sobs worsened.

There! There was no need for Jiahui to reply any further.

“What actually happened?” Baobei asked with a frown.

“He got together with their dean’s daughter. Apparently, there were a few vacancies for people to join the faculty after graduation, so he got a place.” Jiahui clutched her phone tightly.

“Check where that kid is right now.” Baobei said.

“What are you doing to do?”

“I’m not going to do anything.”

The sisters didn’t try to persuade Fang Jie from crying. They let her pour everything out. After crying for more than two hours, Fang Jie started to quieten down. It was only then that the other three girls prepared tea, water and a hot towel and gathered around her.

“He said he wanted a break-up! He said that he wouldn’t have a future if he continued to be with me!”

“What rubbish is that, about not having a future! That’s just a low blow! He is just trying to make use of his relationship to work a few years less. Why are you crying for a man like that!” Baobei dragged a stool over. Jiahui and Shi Xiaoxi followed suit; it seemed as though a ranting session was unavoidable.

“But we’ve been together for so long, naturally I still feel for him.” Fang Jie cried.

“I have also used the toilet bowl in my house for so many years, I also feel for it.” Shi Xiaoxi said. “Let’s just ignore this type of person.”

“It’s good that you guys have split.  For the longest time, I couldn't already stand him. He’s a man, but he’s so nosy, gossipy and stingy. If you really ended up with him, you’d probably have to suffer for the rest of your life.” Jiahui added. “In future, when we are living our blissful lives, let’s be grateful that he gave up on you.”

Jiahui was now making dry, wracking sobs, but having cried for so long, and with the company she had, her mood slowly calmed.

“This life is just full of tiring deeds. So many people barge into your life, only to teach you a lesson, then turn around to leave. If everyone was going to be this hurtful, how long can one live?” It was one of the rare moments where Shi Xiaoxi managed something mildly philosophical.

“Take it easy. I’ll introduce you to some gems in time to come!” Baobei said.

“I wouldn’t dare to touch those within your grasp.” Fang Xi wheezed.

“What? Why not? They are also humans. Their only imperfection is their narcissism.”

“It’s precisely because they are narcissistic that they will be picky and have high standards.” Jiahui concluded.

“Aren’t we in the midst of denouncing that bastard Jia Jian? We are getting off-topic.” Baobei redirected the discussion, and saw that Fang Jie was about to cry again.

“What’s the big deal about a boyfriend? In my opinion, us women should find a few more men. Think about it; a fiancé, boyfriend, lover, and a male confidant are playing mahjong together. The woman had spilled some water, because she had tripped over something, and her leg was cut by the glass. The fiancé would rush to carry the woman to the sofa, the boyfriend would run out to get a first-aid kit, the lover would comfort the woman and curse the obstacle, and the male confidant would quietly clean up the mess, then pour another glass of water and sit somewhere near. Their hearts would be in pain … oh … this image … my heart …” Shi Xiaoxi clutched her heart and started daydreaming.

“I will share this with Senior Liang.” The corner of Baobei’s mouth twitched.

“Pffft!”

Anyone who had just broken up but was crying, making a scene, then sitting down and demeaning her ex like Fang Jie was probably already fine. Fang Jie was mature. She already had some suspicions in her mind, and understood that the break-up was imminent. It was just that she hadn’t expected it to come so soon, so she wasn’t prepared, and some lingering feelings remained.

At this point, Fang Jie was really itching for a cigarette. She heaved a deep sigh. “Damn, I’m just the person he spends being happy and orgasmic for, but not the bride he wants to marry.”

One of the eight Duhkhas is not being able to let go. Not being able to let go of a relationship that no longer has any sparks, not being able to let go of pride or applause. That’s just an inability to give up what should be given up without any regrets, and to hold on to what should be cherished instead.

It’s similar to how we all know that any phone numbers that we are familiar with might become an empty number one day. Any painful memories might fade someday; any beautiful dream has to face up to reality someday. No matter how much you love a person, there’ll be the day where they leave; no matter how heartbreaking a plot is, there will be a finale some day.

We are all moving forward. Once we bypassed something, we’d have missed it. We only need to remember, life is never smooth-sailing. However, if we continue to walk towards the light, the shadow will always be hiding behind us. It would be glaring, but it's the right direction.

In life, there’s always a type of pain that’s unbearable. Wounds that are inflicted upon the palms would become history after the wound heals. Wounds that are inflicted on the heart, no matter how light the wound is, will always remain as a scar. There are some people who are destined not to be together in this lifetime. Even though it’s regrettable, it’s a destiny that they have to carry. Hence, why don’t one treat those happy moments of the past as though they were chinaware? When the chinaware drops beside us, the fragments will still retain those beautiful moments in our memories.

Put it in another way, there’s no need to treat this person as “human” anymore. Forget this person, but remember the feelings then. No matter how painful it is, when you recall it years later, it will still be a precious memory of one’s youth.

Regardless of how magnanimous one is, one should still thank the people who accompanied you previously. A companion might not necessarily follow you to the end. During part of the journey, this companion might bring you laughter; that’s already sufficient. A partner of the past would slowly disappear. The least painful way out is to listen calmly to the arrangements of fate. What can’t be kept, let it go; if it returns, just be grateful for it.

Life is like a train that is travelling towards the end of life. There are many stops along the way, and no one will be able to accompany you for the entire journey. You’ll see people here and there, If you are lucky, there’ll be someone who’ll accompany you for part of the journey. When this person needs to alight, no matter how unwilling, you should just be thankful, then wave your goodbye, because you’ll never know if there could be someone else who could travel a longer journey with you at the next stop.

No hard feelings whatsoever.

There was Lecturer Jiang’s class that evening. Usually, the children in Room 409 would be the happiest and looked forward to this night. It was the same today, with the exception of Baobei. Fang Jie originally didn’t want to attend, but Shi Xiaoxi and Jiahui didn’t want to leave her alone in the dorm, so they determinedly dragged her out. In Shi Xiaoxi’s words, “Hurry up, take a look at the unparalleled Adonis! Our Lecturer Jiang is so perfect, it will make “Bastard Jia” look like dog sh*t! Agreeing to the break-up will be the rightest thing that you have ever done in your life now!”

The other three members had arrived, but Baobei was missing.

When Lecturer Jiang’s couldn’t see his little girlfriend’s figure in class, his expression darkened. The item that Jiang Moxiu had been waiting for had just arrived in his hands yesterday, and he wanted to settle the issue tonight, but the protagonist was missing. He wanted to give Baobei the last few days to cool down, but he didn’t know that the last thing a girl required was cooling down time.

He clenched his teeth.

What a rebellious act!

In the evening, when she found the whereabouts of Jia Jian and the Dean’s daughter, Baobei grabbed her bag and went to look for them. In actual fact, Baobei didn’t feel anything with regard to Jia Jian, or his act of relying on a woman. However, he had imposed on Baobei’s territory; this child was like a cat - she was territorial and extremely protective over everything on it.

She hailed a cab and arrived at the entrance of the restaurant, where she met with Xia Tian.

“Where is it?”

“In my pocket.”

“Exchange the goods for the money at the same time.”

“Are you re-watching Young and Dangerous?” Xia Tian sniggered. There would always be a few days each month where this child would act and talk like a gangster.

The corners of her lips twitched and she put her hand out. “Hurry up.”

Xia Tian took out a wad of cash and handed it over to Baobei. Miss Xia had finished spending her cash. Although she had cards, the school’s ATM was quite a distance away, hence ever since she started attending this school, she had always instructed Xia Tian to run the errand for her. Today was no exception.

She pulled out a piece of Grandpa Mao, then checked the watermark under the restaurant’s light.

“Are you scared that people would mistakenly print the Chairman as the Premier?” Xia Tian was tickled when he saw Baobei pull out the money. This habit of her was adopted from their mother. Mother Xia would do the exact same thing when she received money. Even though it was a materialistic move that didn’t suit their noble reputation, it was especially realistic.

Baobei ignored him and shoved the money into her purse. This wad was new cash. Xia Tian had long helped her arrange the money properly, even ensuring that the corners weren’t creased. Otherwise, with this child’s shortcomings, she would likely squat down by the side of the street and arrange the money.

“Oh, I’m going to play mahjong with Brother Five. Do you want to join us?” Xia Tian pointed at the car that he parked by the road.

“Mahjong? If it’s to play pairs with mahjong, I can consider it.” She replied seriously.

Xia Tian only managed a “tsk”, before he grabbed his keys and left.

Baobei straightened her outfit, then pushed the door of the restaurant open.

She had a clear target. When she entered, she could hear Jia Jian’s exaggerated laughter. He was speaking to the female, and his hands were gesturing wildly, as though he was upset.

“Why is it none of my business? A third party like you should be denounced by everyone. Apart from that small celebrity with the surname Huang, I’ve never met such a high profile third party. I really want to bash my size 37 shoes into your size 42 face!"; “I can’t be bothered with your matters; Fang Jie wanted me to pass a message, listen carefully”; “I’m sorry that we aren’t fated. I’m wrong to have dumped you, but please have some hope in life. The mountains will always be there, and the waters will continue to flow. Next time, when you see me, you better turn and walk away.”; “What’s an ugly person doing with a fringe? Please conduct yourself properly.”

The above is typically the Xia family’s style. She felt good after lashing out, and without caring whether she had managed to deliver a blow to the opponent, she retreated.

She had originally intended to return to school after this. However, she met Mo Liu and Mo Xiaomi on the way out, as well as Xiaomi’s good friend Li Xiao. In the spur of the moment, she actually forgot about returning to class.

After having a meal with Mo Liu, she then followed Mo Liu to send Xiaomi home, before going to visit her sister. Xia Xu was pregnant with her second child. Baobei had been having mixed feelings for the past few days, hence when she saw her sister, she refused to leave her place.

She would never know how Lecturer Jiang felt when he conducted the two lessons, and the emotions that overtook him as he waited for her at the entrance of her dorm for the entire night.

This misunderstanding snowballed.

In this generation, couples would accidentally stray from true love. It’s not the times that strayed from love, but that many people hadn’t thought of using their heart with determination to warm another heart; it’s not that love wasn’t forever, but fickleness and a volatile heart would always cause true love to slip away.