When Ye Linchen saw Gu Jingran's number displayed on the pager, he couldn't help but feel a little excited, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
She quickly ran to the public phone at the convenience store downstairs, picked up the receiver, and dialed Gu Jingran's number.
The phone rang a few times before being answered, and Gu Jingran's deep and familiar voice came through the receiver.
"Hello?"
"Brother Gu, it's me, Ye Linchen."
"Xiao Chen, are you free right now?" Gu Jingran asked directly.
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Ye Linchen asked curiously.
Gu Jingran explained, "I just got back from a business trip to Hong Kong and I'm heading to Shanghai early tomorrow morning. I was thinking that you'd be going on a trip after your exams, and I didn't know when we'd see each other again, so I thought I'd meet you tonight and give you the gift."
"A gift?" Ye Linchen raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I brought you some fun little trinkets from Hong Kong; I'm sure you'll like them."
Ye Linchen was very curious about what gift he had brought, so she said, "I'm downstairs right now, about to go buy dinner. It's perfect that you're here now."
"Why haven't you eaten yet? I'm eating out right now, how about I pack some food for you? What would you like to eat?" Gu Jingran asked with concern.
"No need, no need. I'm not eating alone. My roommates are here with me, studying together at my house. I can go buy it myself," Ye Linchen quickly refused.
Gu Jingran smiled and said, "Then I need to buy it even more. It'll be a good opportunity to leave a good impression on your roommate!"
Hearing him say that, Ye Linchen felt inexplicably embarrassed, but subconsciously didn't want to refuse.
She then stopped insisting.
"Then I'll trouble you. Just buy three portions, we're not picky eaters."
“Okay.” Gu Jingran replied with a smile, “Wait for me at the entrance of the dormitory area, I’ll be right there.”
After hanging up the phone, Ye Linchen felt even more excited.
She touched her slightly flushed cheeks, tidied her messy hair at her temples, and walked towards the entrance of the dormitory area.
About ten minutes later, a familiar black sedan slowly drove up and stopped by the roadside.
Ye Linchen recognized it as Gu Jingran's car and quickly went to greet it.
Gu Jingran got out of the car, carrying a plastic bag in his hand.
Gu Jingran was dressed exceptionally formally today, presumably because he had a social engagement that evening.
He wore a well-tailored silver-gray suit with a black wool coat over it, which made him look tall, broad-shouldered, and long-legged.
The dim streetlights shone on him, giving him a mature and composed air, yet also a sense of aloofness that made him seem unapproachable.
The white plastic bag in his hand softened the sense of distance and added a touch of warmth to the scene.
Gu Jingran strode up to Ye Linchen and asked with a smile, "Have you been waiting long? Are you cold?"
Ye Linchen touched his slightly flushed face and shook his head.
"It's not cold, this cold wind is actually quite comfortable. It clears my head instantly."
After she finished speaking, she looked Gu Jingran up and down and joked with him.
"I rarely see you dressed like this. You have the air of a big boss. I should call you President Gu now."
Gu Jingran glanced at his suit, then at Ye Linchen, and smiled gently.
"Why haven't you had dinner yet? What's your roommate doing at your house?"
His question did not offend Ye Linchen. Instead, he naturally recounted the conflict with Zhou Xiaoyan and the matter of having his roommate move into his rented apartment.
Finally, he couldn't resist showing off: "I did very well on this exam, I think I'll get a scholarship."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingran smiled and praised, "Not bad, not bad, that's amazing!"
After praising him, he handed the plastic bag to Ye Linchen: "Here, hurry up and eat, it's still warm."
Ye Linchen took the plastic bag and felt its weight. When he opened it, he found three exquisite lunch boxes inside, filled with rice, two meat dishes, and one vegetable dish.
Gu Jingran pointed to one of the lunch boxes and said, "This is Kung Pao Shrimp Balls, a new dish at this restaurant. It tastes very good. Let them try it too."
Looking at the restaurant logo on the lunchbox, Ye Linchen recognized it as a very famous restaurant in the city, where the dishes were very expensive.
She remembered that there had been online discussions about this restaurant before, saying that one of their dishes cost one or two hundred yuan, which was simply outrageous!
She looked at the dishes inside, wrinkled her nose, calculated the price, and couldn't help but say, "These dishes must cost several hundred yuan, right? That's too expensive, Mr. Gu. How can I let you spend so much money!"
Gu Jingran usually saw Ye Linchen as aloof and calm, with a maturity beyond her years. But now, seeing her wrinkling her nose and looking distressed about the money, he found her incredibly cute.
I couldn't resist reaching out to pat her head.
But considering their relationship, she felt the gesture was inappropriate, so she turned her hand halfway through, touched her hair, and said with a smile, "I brought you a gift, wait a moment."
Gu Jingran walked back to the car, took out an exquisite box from the back seat, and handed it to Ye Linchen.
"This is a gift for you."
"You mean those fun little gadgets?"
"Yes, let's see if you like it?"
Ye Linchen took the box, opened it, and saw that it was a beautifully packaged box of chocolates.
The chocolates came in a tin box and were accompanied by a teddy bear dressed in a uniform.
The teddy bear is beautifully made; it's fluffy and adorable.
It's prettier than any Ye Linchen has ever seen in a store.
"What an adorable little bear!"
Ye Linchen exclaimed in surprise, carefully took the teddy bear out of the box, and examined it in his hands.
The more I look at it, the cuter it seems; I simply can't put it down.
"Do you like it?" Gu Jingran asked with a smile.
"I like it, thank you."
Ye Linchen nodded repeatedly, a bright smile spreading across his face.
"I'm glad you like it." Gu Jingran smiled with satisfaction.
Holding the chocolate and teddy bear, Ye Linchen felt a warm glow inside. He looked up and asked, "Brother Gu, what time is your flight? When are you coming back?"
Gu Jingran glanced at his watch and said, "My flight is tomorrow morning, and I need to go back to pack my luggage. I won't be back until next year, by which time your trip will be almost over. We'll meet again then, and I'll hear about your experiences."
"next year?"
Ye Linchen was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening.
It's already the end of December, the last month of 1994. In a few days, we'll be turning into the new year, and the next exam will be in 1995.
"It really is next year." She quickly said, "Then I wish you a Happy New Year in advance, and may the new year bring you success at work, abundant wealth, and all your wishes come true. See you tomorrow... next year!"
Gu Jingran replied with a smile, "Okay, okay, see you next year!"
He added, "Take care of yourself, don't stay up so late for dinner anymore. Studying is important, but your health is even more important..."
Ye Linchen nodded: "I remember."
"Okay. I'm leaving then."
Gu Jingran waved to Ye Linchen and turned back to his car.
Ye Linchen stood by the roadside, watching Gu Jingran's car slowly drive away until it disappeared into the night before turning around and carrying the groceries home.
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