Yu Yingying’s phone was broken. For convenience, Yu Qing helped her rent a smartphone. She had Jiang He’s number—one call was enough to see what contact name he had saved for her.
Jiang He’s phone lit up. The ringtone was the system default, so lacking in personality that it somehow became distinctive. She looked at the caller name on the screen. The curiosity in her eyes instantly turned into shock, and then she blinked, her whole person going blank in speechless disbelief.
“Girl”?!!
She felt like a free fish that had swum from the blue ocean straight into a wok of hot oil—greasy, suffocating, and being roasted over a flame.
Absolutely incredible.
Jiang He didn’t hear the ringtone and had no idea he’d been “exposed.” He washed his hands and came out of the bathroom, only to see Yu Yingying sitting on the hospital bed like a sculpture. Deigning to ask, he said, “Are you crazy or stupid? Did you really smash your brain?”
Yu Yingying put on a polite smile. “It’s… greasy.”
“Huh?” Jiang He raised an eyebrow.
“…I kind of want to throw up.”
Jiang He: “……”
What the hell—eat too much at lunch?
Too lazy to bother with Yu Yingying anymore, he scooped up his phone from the bedside table, didn’t even look at it, stuffed it into his pocket, and strode out.
In his book, not taking the chance to kick her while she was down already counted as “benevolence and righteousness.”
Watching Jiang He leave, Yu Yingying bit her lip, sinking into confusion.
Was this person really her secret boyfriend?
What on earth had she experienced during college—was her taste really that heavy? She actually liked “girl” literature?
The thought made Yu Yingying shudder, an involuntary chill running through her.
…
The weather was getting hotter and hotter.
This afternoon, Jiang He had taken a taxi to the hospital. He hadn’t driven, nor had he ridden his heavy motorcycle. He was simply too exhausted after staying up late for several days. If it weren’t for the counselor asking him that morning to look after Yu Yingying, he wouldn’t have broken free from the spell of his bed to come to this godforsaken hospital.
Being dragged up like his soul was being summoned after only a few minutes of sleep—no matter how good one’s temper was, it would turn into a dog’s temper.
And all this crap was because of Yu Yingying!
And she even had the nerve to get mad at him!
With one hand in his pocket, Jiang He walked to the hospital entrance, irritably ruffling his hair. He took out his phone, ready to call a cab and go home to catch up on sleep.
But the moment he unlocked it, he suddenly noticed a missed call.
He tapped into the call log. The caller was “Girl.” Ring time: three seconds. Time: five minutes ago…
With a bit of deduction, Jiang He froze.
Very good.
Damn well very good!
Recalling his earlier conversation with Yu Yingying, he almost instantly understood what she’d meant by “greasy” and “want to throw up.”
So she thought he was oily, huh?
And earlier she’d even said he was weak!
“I’m going to explode!”
“I! Am! Going! To! Explode!”
Jiang He’s face darkened as he spat out each word through clenched teeth.
His fiery peach-blossom eyes scanned around, searching for something to vent on. He couldn’t kick the trash can—that would be damaging public property. He couldn’t hit passersby—that would be provoking trouble.
What else was there?
He dialed Jiang Chengyu. “Come out. Play ball with me!”
As a spoiled rich kid, Jiang Chengyu had been bored out of his mind and had, for once, obediently gone to class because Jiang He had afternoon plans. He hid his chubby body behind a small textbook and lowered his voice in confusion. “Huh?”
“What ‘huh’? If you’re not at the basketball court in three minutes, I won’t play basketball—I’ll play you!”
Jiang Chengyu: “……Brother Jiang, don’t be like this, okay? Why don’t you tell me what injustice you’ve suffered—your brother will help you vent.”
Jiang He hung up directly.
Did he have no shame?
Going around telling people he’d been dissed by Yu Yingying—was he insane?
In the classroom, Jiang Chengyu stared at his phone, completely baffled. What was going on?
Soon, the sound effect of a game starting came through his earphones. He immediately shifted his attention and diligently entered the game to toil away and feed kills.
Standing on the street, Jiang He stared coldly at his phone. Then he suddenly curled his lips into a sneer, edited a text message, and sent it.
One second later, Yu Yingying in the hospital room received a message.
【Girl, take good care of yourself.】
Yu Yingying: “……?”
May weather changed faster than anything. Colder than blasting air-conditioning was the human heart. Her expression slowly cracked as she rubbed the goosebumps rising on her skin.
Jiang He smiled smugly, put away his phone, and hid his merits and fame.
Heh heh.
Fight with him?
He’d write a program when he got back—send [Dear Girl] messages every day, timed and quantified, nonstop “girl” literature!
Didn’t she want to throw up? Then she could throw up to her heart’s content!
…
Two days later, Yu Yingying was discharged.
In the discharge notes, the attending physician told her not to rush back to class. She should rest in bed in the dorm for one to two weeks. Apply medicine to her abrasions and contusions on time, and return for follow-up if she felt unwell.
Earlier, Yu Qing and Jian Mei had brought her clothes and toiletries. Today, they came to pick her up as well.
Yu Qing looked around and asked Yu Yingying, “Your cocky guy isn’t coming to pick you up?”
Jian Mei asked too, “You two haven’t been in touch these past couple of days?”
Yu Yingying still felt lingering fear.
She hadn’t seen Jiang He these two days, but the “girl” literature had been sent like clockwork, three meals a day.
She didn’t want to talk about such heavy-flavor topics, so she shifted her girlfriends’ attention. “Which room number is our dorm?”
“233. Super interesting number, right?”
“What time do lights go out at night?”
“Ten o’clock, but seniors can stay up all night.”
“Have you bought sunscreen?”
“……”
Once Yu Qing and Jian Mei got into an animated discussion about lipstick shades, Yu Yingying pursed her lips and smiled, falling quiet.
Back in the dorm, under Yu Qing’s guidance, Yu Yingying sat down in her chair and looked around at her own little space, feeling a strange mix of unfamiliarity and familiarity.
The arrangement of items on the desk—everywhere bore her habits. Opening the textbooks and notebooks, the neat, delicate handwriting was also hers.
Looking up, a white mosquito net simply enclosed a private sleeping space. On the left side of the headboard hung a string of handmade blue bellflowers, elegant and pretty.
The flower language of blue bellflowers was eternal bonds and gentle love. When she was little, her grandmother loved using them to make flower crowns for her.
Thinking of that kind old woman, Yu Yingying’s eyes curved softly.
Seeing the smile on her face, Yu Qing suddenly hesitated and said, “Yingying, I just remembered—actually, you did change over the past two years. You became calmer and smiled less and less.”
“Honestly, I used to worry about you.”
“But these past couple of days, you look much happier. You smile a lot more too.”