Yu Yingying wasn’t used to having someone wait for her, so she set the time on her phone and headed downstairs from the dorm ten minutes early. Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped down the dorm steps and casually turned her head, she saw Jiang He standing in the shadows of a tree, one hand in his pocket, looking at her with a carefree smile. She froze for a moment.
The thin night, the dim streetlights. Jiang He strode out of the shadows, and with a simple wave toward her, she was surprised to feel a flutter of excitement in her chest. Habits are a powerful thing. Although she had lost two years of memory and felt very unfamiliar with him, after spending a few days together, even a short separation seemed to slowly stir some emotions. Previously she hadn’t thought much of it, but at this reunion, she realized she didn’t seem to be so resistant to Jiang He—or to the idea of having a boyfriend.
Shaking her head to adjust her emotions, Yu Yingying quickened her pace and walked up to Jiang He, embarrassed to ask, “Have you been waiting long?”
“Not long.”
“Mm…” Yu Yingying, looking for something to say, added, “Did your errands go smoothly this time?”
Jiang He glanced at her and smiled brightly: “Not bad. I just rushed back to spend the holiday with you. As soon as things were done, I hurried back—so the trip was a bit tiring.”
Yu Yingying paused: “What?” May Day had passed, and Mid-Autumn Festival was still far off.
“Don’t you know? You girls care about these things, right?” Jiang He pulled out a small, delicate blue velvet gift box and tossed it toward her. “Bought it casually while waiting at the airport. Here, wear it and play with it.”
Yu Yingying instinctively reached out to take it. Opening it, she saw a beautifully crafted women’s wristwatch. She didn’t know the brand or the price, but it looked expensive. Given their current uncertain relationship, was it appropriate to accept something so pricey? She was about to refuse when Jiang He’s casual voice sounded above her head: “This is an early holiday gift for you. If you refuse… hehe…” The “hehe” was filled with a threatening undertone.
Yu Yingying looked up at him. She didn’t know if her brain was short-circuiting or if it was the influence of Yu Qing, who loved domineering romance novels, but for a moment, a bizarre thought flashed through her mind: “Tomorrow, I won’t be able to get out of bed.” Help!
She asked Jiang He, “What holiday is it? I… I haven’t prepared a gift for you.”
Jiang He’s expression was playful as he raised an eyebrow and smiled at her: “520.”
“Eh?” Yu Yingying took a step back in fright, her almond-shaped eyes wide, clearly startled and unsure why he suddenly said such a bold thing. As she stepped backward, Jiang He’s smile froze.
“Why are you dodging? Am I a virus?” Jiang He’s eyes blazed. “I rushed back as soon as I got off the plane, and you treat me like this?!”
“Oh…” Yu Yingying realized. Although she was absorbed in studying, she had once heard Yu Qing, who had a boyfriend, talk about it… 520, a “holiday” couples would go to great lengths to celebrate. She hadn’t thought it applied to her and hadn’t taken it seriously. Never expected Jiang He would care.
Seeing Jiang He’s sulky expression, she thought about how to remedy the situation.
“No words?” Jiang He crossed his arms, looking displeased. “Yu Yingying, are you daring now?! I only mentioned 520, and even if I said ‘I love you’ directly, would you really be this scared? Is it really so frightening to be liked by me?”
“….” Yu Yingying thought for a moment and quietly reminded him, “What you just said contradicts itself.”
“How is it contradictory?”
“You first said I’m daring, then said I’m scared of you. So which is it—am I daring or timid?”
“…Is that the point? Are you doing reading comprehension on me?” Jiang He wasn’t dumb. He wasn’t going to let her dodge the question and frowned, determined to get a straight answer. “Enough, don’t change the topic! Just tell me—will you spend May 20th with me or not?”
Yu Yingying, still wanting the boost Jiang He gave her learning efficiency, nodded: “Together.”
Jiang He glanced at her sideways, adding: “And no spending the whole day in the library—I want a proper date!”
“Uh…”
“You won’t say no, right?” Jiang He’s eyes were dangerous.
Yu Yingying bit her earlobe, hesitating: “I…”
“You what?” Jiang He’s expression fell, trying to act indifferent but clearly hurt. “I’m not trying to delay your studies, but I rushed back excitedly just to spend 520 with you, trying to repair our relationship over these two months. You’re not going to deny me even this chance, are you?”
“Okay.”
“What?” Yu Yingying smiled: “I said okay.”
Finally satisfied, Jiang He couldn’t help laughing. After laughing, he suddenly felt like he’d undervalued himself and immediately put on a stern face: “You better remember this! If you stand me up tomorrow, you’re dead!”
“…Okay.”
But then she remembered something: “Tomorrow I have tutoring from 3 to 5 p.m. Can you wait for me? If not…” I’ll ask for leave.
Jiang He gritted his teeth: “Okay.”
Yu Yingying suppressed a laugh. After all of Jiang He’s teasing, she went upstairs with the watch in hand.
Back in the dorm, the delicate blue velvet box immediately caught Yu Qing and Jian Mei’s attention.
“Wow, what’s that?”
“Did your domineering guy send this to you?”
The two of them peered inside. Jian Mei opened the box, eyes lighting up: “Oh my, isn’t this a Chopard HAPPY SPORT series women’s watch? The official price is over a hundred thousand! Your guy really spent big on you!”
Yu Yingying’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t believe it: “Over a hundred thousand?”
Forgive her—she was just a poor student. A price of over a hundred thousand was beyond her imagination. There was no way she could accept this watch without feeling uneasy.