Chapter Fourteen: Like-minded People

Huang Yanyan said, "Chu Zhen and I are like two parallel lines. We seem to be two people with no connection, but we are simultaneously experiencing the same drama - a chance encounter."

Yes, Chu Zhen and I always seem to run into each other without our knowledge. If it's because City A is too small, then the chances of us meeting are far too high. I even suspected at one point that all of these encounters were orchestrated by Chu Zhen. However, Chu Zhen later told me that he had never actually followed me. He also found it incredible. After our third encounter, he became certain that there was an invisible force drawing us together.

The courses in the first year of graduate school are quite specialized. In December, there was an internship research project, and I chose "Discovering and Researching Contemporary Social Issues".

"Lin Dang, your topic needs to be done in cooperation with the local TV station. Do you know the program team 'Before Dawn'?" After the topic selection was completed, the mentor called me aside.

"I know, I've watched a few episodes. They all depict people working before sunrise, like sanitation workers, milkmen, and newspaper deliverymen. It's pretty good; it lets people understand their working hours and environment." Actually, Chu Zhen isn't a great person, but his shows are quite good.

"Good to know. This time, you'll be working on this topic with the program team. Here's the person in charge's business card; contact him." Seeing the business card the nun handed me, I wanted to pull my outstretched hand back. It really is a case of "what goes around comes around." Remembering his carefree departure during summer vacation, now I'm actually going to work with him on a topic again. No, there must be something wrong with how I'm doing this. I closed my eyes, opened them—Chu Zhen's name was so prominent.

"Give up the struggle, you're destined to die by my hand!" The image of Chu Zhen shouting at me flashed before my eyes.

Back at my place, I was completely exhausted. All I could think about on the way back was how to contact Chu Zhen. My mind was a complete mess. It had been two months since we last met, and I still remembered how rude I had been the last time we saw each other. Ugh, what a mess of parallel lines! We were practically intersecting lines!

"Anyway, I think you have feelings for Chu Zhen, you just won't admit it. So this topic is good for both of you, it might even help you develop!" Huang Yanyan started analyzing like a master again.

"Mind your own business. Chen Weiqi isn't some ordinary person either. Catching up with him won't be as simple as just putting in more effort."

"Lin Dang, do you think Chen Weiqi might have a crush on you?"

I really couldn't handle this sudden problem.

Where does this saying come from?

"You're the only girl, no, the only female, who has ever made Chen Weiqi smile."

"What female or male? Do you treat me like livestock? I'm annoyed enough, so don't make things worse for me."

"So what do you think of Chen Weiqi? I remember you sent me a message the moment you saw him, you were so excited, like a woman in the throes of first love!"

"If it weren't for Chu Zhen, I might have taken a liking to Chen Weiqi. But they're cousins, they share the same blood, and neither of them are good people. You know me, I don't have any ambitions. I just want to live an ordinary life, find someone like-minded, and grow old together."

"Have you noticed that you and Chu Zhen share the same ideals?"

"How come you can drag Chu Zhen into everything? We've only met a few times, and besides, do we even keep in touch regularly?"

"That's true. Sigh, they're all sexually frigid at heart. Why is it that we two beautiful young women aren't liked by these two grown men?"

"Alright, there are plenty of men who like you. They're probably wondering why none of them catch your eye, little girl." Huang Yanyan's family background, along with her looks and personality, could indeed charm many. However, she always dealt with each admirer with the principle of "quick, accurate, and ruthless." Indeed, now karma has come back to bite her, and the people she admires are treating her in the same way.

Yes, after agonizing over it all afternoon, I still couldn't bring myself to call him. Mainly, I felt that resolving the situation over the phone was impossible; since it was on behalf of the school, I could go directly to the TV station to find him. But at 10 PM, just as I was about to turn off my phone and go to sleep, Chu Zhen sent me a WeChat message.

"Are you a student sent by the school?" The probing question made me laugh, and I just wanted to say, "Is he a reinforcement sent by the monkeys?"

"Yes, my topic requires collaboration with your department."

"Meet me at the skewers' door in two hours."

I really wanted to curse, not because I was disturbed from sleeping, but because I had just finished removing my makeup and washing up, and had just crawled into my warm bed when I was ruthlessly pulled out. My cosmetics, although not from top brands, were not cheap either. I was internally complaining, but I still had no choice but to crawl out of bed.

"Where are you going again?" In the living room, Yan Yan was still writing a proposal. A junior customer service representative, she insisted on getting involved in the company's projects.

"Night Wanderer, don't wait for me to come back tonight. Lock the door from the inside; the devil has already appeared!"

"Wow, did you go out with Chu Zhen? I knew it, he must have feelings for her, and as for her, she must be interested too."

"Enough of this, I have to go. You should get some rest." Looking at the time, it was almost midnight. I couldn't be late this time.