Chapter 109 N - Hasty
Chu Beiling paused for a moment, then a smile spread from his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes: "Of course you're mine." He shook his index finger with a smile, his tone firm and domineering: "That's beyond question."
Xing Yu smiled and reached out to pinch his chin: "Keep it up, keep it up."
Chu Beiling thought to himself, "They're just waiting for me to say that, aren't they?"
Xing Yu took a handful of peanuts from the kitchen counter and stuffed them into his hand: "Eat some, so you don't get too drunk before you've even had a drink."
Chu Beiling: "..."
I'm so angry! ...
The two bickered for a few moments, then started getting physical again, acting up and fooling around in the kitchen for a long time before finally eating their first meal of the day around 2 p.m.
After finishing their meal, they didn't plan to spend this rare moment of leisure at home. Instead, they decided to take advantage of their free time and go out for a stroll.
Temperatures have plummeted below zero these past few days. Although today is sunny and cloudless after a brief winter rain last night, a biting chill still permeates the air, and the perceived temperature is not high.
Over her brown trench coat, Chu Beiling also took a light gray scarf from Xing Yu and loosely wrapped it around her neck.
When he went out, Xing Yu wore a navy blue long coat and a dark gray scarf around his neck.
Chu Beiling smiled and thought to herself, "What a coincidence, we're wearing matching outfits."
—I want to go out and wander around, to be a hot commodity, and to show off to everyone.
As he went downstairs, he caught a glimpse of his forgotten car parked next to Xing Yu's suit-clad thugs.
Chu Beiling raised an eyebrow, grabbed his collar, and pulled him close: "So thoughtful." He gave him a quick kiss on the lips as a reward.
Xing Yu grabbed Grandpa Chu, who had taken a half-step back, pulled him into his arms, and gave him a long, deep kiss.
Xing Yu only released Chu Beiling reluctantly when Chu Beiling subconsciously clenched the fabric of his coat at his waist, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against Chu Beiling's moist lower lip.
His eyes held a smile, and his voice was hoarse with satisfaction: "You're welcome, it's my pleasure."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xing Yu turned around and walked straight to the driver's seat. The well-tailored coat accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, making him look exactly like a 'suit-wearing thug'.
"Wait a minute." Chu Beiling's voice came from behind, his breathing much more steady.
Xing Yu stopped and looked back.
“Suit-wearing thug.” Chu Beiling took a breath before continuing, “I want to drive your suit-wearing thug.”
Xing Yu's hand, which was about to open the car door, paused in mid-air. After half a second, he raised his hand and tossed the car key over. The metal key drew an arc in the air and was caught steadily by Chu Beiling.
The two switched places. Chu Beiling got into the driver's seat and skillfully adjusted the seat and rearview mirror. He turned to the side, leaned closer to the passenger seat, and poked Xing Yu's cheek: "What were you expecting just now?"
Xing Yu lifted his eyelids slightly: "You think I'm more attractive than your car?"
Chu Beiling started the car, the engine emitting a deep and pleasant roar. He chuckled and deliberately dragged out his words, "Of course... any car."
Xing Yu glanced at him and asked, "Do you still want to get out?"
Chu Beiling took a break between gears and ruffled his hair. "Tsk, turning the tables on him, your head is full of dirty jokes."
Xing Yu removed his mischievous hands, leaned back leisurely in the leather seat, and glanced at him with a detached air: "Fine, you're so high and mighty, you think you're so great, you'll sleep on the sofa tonight."
"?" What is this? This is like shooting yourself in the foot; you've gone too far.
Chu Beiling bit her lip and forced herself to reply, "It's okay, your sofa is quite wide, it should be able to fit me in."
Xing Yu smiled and said, "Yes, it is quite wide."
"..." If he weren't driving and safety wasn't the top priority, Chu Beiling would definitely pounce on Xing Yu and bite him ten or eight times.
It's the weekend, and the weather is nice, so they weren't the only ones out enjoying the sun. All they could see was traffic, and the irritable RS7 could only move slowly along with the congested flow of cars.
As they walked and stopped, and with less bickering and arguing, they naturally started talking about the animated project "Sword Song Beyond the Clouds," and the conversation gradually shifted to Chu Beiling.
He briefly recounted his experiences over the years.
However, he didn't go into too much detail. He only said that after he changed his major from painting, he didn't have his college entrance exam scores or graduation certificate from China. If he wanted to apply to universities in Singapore, he would have to start all over again and retake the exams. He applied to NUS with SAT/ACT + AP, and it took him a year and a half to get accepted.
Chu Beiling thought applying to schools was the hardest part, but when she actually started attending classes, she realized that the language environment she wasn't used to was the most difficult.
NUS is taught entirely in English. Since English is not his native language, even if he were to be fluent in English in China, he wouldn't have the right language environment. At the beginning of the professor's lectures, he couldn't keep up at all. He needed to record the entire class and then translate it word by word afterward.
He experienced this situation of understanding but not fully comprehending, and his language system failing when switching between Chinese and English. It wasn't until three months later that he gradually got used to it and was able to switch languages freely and keep up with the Professor's lectures.
Chu Beiling spoke lightly, but Xing Yu knew how much he had sacrificed, how many times he had broken himself up and rebuilt himself, and how much he had restructured himself to get to where he was today.
—As excellent as ever, shining brightly.
Xing Yu couldn't think about it too much; his heart would ache terribly if he did.
Chu Beiling remained so calm and collected. He didn't know whether to praise Chu Fanfan for being so capable or to bluntly expose her.
You don't have to be so strong. You can cry, you can be sad, and you can even complain about me, instead of always pretending that nothing's wrong.
"How's life at the art academy?" Chu Beiling asked with a lot of curiosity.
Xing Yu suppressed his surging emotions, glanced at him, and still spoke the truth: "The artistic atmosphere is not an illusion, and being 'eccentric' is also the norm. Any individuality will be respected at the art academy."
Teachers will give you a vague concept, and the rest is up to your imagination. The greater the freedom, the greater the pressure. You are forced to constantly think, explore, and break out of your comfort zone. The criticism can be very sharp. You need to have a strong heart, learn to take the blows, and also defend yourself. Staying up late is commonplace, and deadlines are the primary source of productivity.
They can perform practical tasks such as welding, sawing, and plastering, and they can also discuss artistic concepts.
Personal aesthetics, thinking, expression, and lifestyle will all be reshaped. We will need to observe the world more keenly, express ourselves more boldly, even clumsily, and embrace individual differences with greater tolerance.
Chu Beiling glanced at him briefly, feeling a mix of envy and regret: "That sounds very interesting."
"Yeah, it's very interesting. Crazy behavior is the norm, even crazier than at Xigao High School. We'd gnaw off the plaster from the walls and then patch them up again. At the Academy of Fine Arts, these were considered milder cases of madness," Xing Yu said.
Chu Beiling: "How crazy?"
Xing Yu laughed and said, "Any behavior is considered normal at the Academy of Fine Arts. Even if someone is streaking or running, people will only be stunned for a moment and then subconsciously think, 'Is he doing some kind of performance art or graduation project?' rather than calling the police immediately."
Chu Beiling imagined the scene and couldn't help but burst out laughing. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her laughter was filled with emotion: "It feels normal. It's something an art student who's drawn to the point of madness would do."
Xing Yu looked at his profile and continued, his tone relatively relaxed: "By the way, there's a famous saying that's widely circulated in the Academy of Fine Arts. You'll definitely find it interesting."
Chu Beiling turned her head to meet his gaze: "What?" He then looked at the road conditions.
Xing Yu: "We do not discriminate against heterosexuals."
Chu Beiling was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Really?"
Xing Yu: "Braised."
Chu Beiling chuckled softly, neither confirming nor denying.
Whether steamed or braised, the Academy of Fine Arts' strong inclusiveness is real, just like when they were at Xigao and Linting Island. They respected the individuality of all the students and hoped that they could respect their inner selves, explore freely, and develop freely towards the sun without violating laws, morals, or school rules.
Of course, drawing abstract art is absolutely out of the question.
He had always regretted not going to the art academy. Now, hearing Xing Yu say this, he could glimpse Xing Yu's state of mind when he was at the art academy, that art palace he longed for and knew was very inclusive.
Chu Beiling felt a little regretful that he hadn't been able to go back then, but he also genuinely found it interesting.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly. They had no destination, just followed the vehicles in front of them, like a leaf drifting in the wind, and unknowingly drifted back to the entrance of the gate.
The familiar old street, apart from the many more vehicles in the surrounding parking areas and the new shops and brand-new LED signs, seems to have had time paused here, leaving little trace.
Everything here, even the air, seems to be striving to maintain its unique tranquility and peace, almost exactly as I remember.
The old community was poorly managed, and outside vehicles could be let in after their license plates were scanned. Chu Beiling circled around the old apartment building, found an empty spot, and parked the car.
The two got out of the car together. Chu Beiling stood downstairs at the apartment building, her gaze sweeping over the familiar balcony: "I wonder if our neighbors are still around."
Xing Yu only knew that people had been coming and going in Zhanongkou over the years, and most of the old residents had moved to more prosperous areas. He didn't know what their current situation was, and he hadn't been back for a long time.
Chu Beiling raised her chin: "Let's go up and take a look."
As you go up, the apartment building is still the same one from back then, but all the residents have replaced their doors with brand new, more upscale security doors and combination locks.
The house where he and Xing Yu used to live still had the same house number, but the dark gray new door and the shoe cabinet placed at the entrance were completely different from what he remembered. Except for the house where Grandma Chen lived back then, which still had the same door, everything else had changed.
Returning today was unplanned. Xing Yu didn't bring the key to Grandma Chen's house, so they couldn't get in and could only stand empty in the stairwell.
The family of three living on the fourth floor across the street has replaced their empty living room, which used to be filled with play mats and children's toys, with a coffee table and a brown piano next to the sofa.
The little girl who used to play "Eagle Catches Chicks" with her parents has grown into a graceful young woman, and now she is playing the piano, the sound of which can be heard.
The soundproofing in old communities has never been very good. You can hear every little noise from upstairs or downstairs. You can hear the sizzling of a wok while cooking downstairs, or a child being scolded for their homework. It's like a live broadcast.
At that moment, a couple on an unknown floor suddenly started arguing, their voices echoing in the hallway. The little girl who was playing the piano across the hall stopped abruptly, and after only a few seconds, changed to playing "The Fleeting Years".
The emotional, slightly melancholic melody, accompanied by the sounds of arguing, actually has a certain charm.
Chu Beiling couldn't help but laugh out loud: "This girl is quite interesting."
Xing Yu smiled, his gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar front door before turning to Chu Beiling: "You have a sharp ear. You found the right background music right away and were able to play it on cue. Looks like you've been preparing for this day for a long time."
Chu Beiling took out her phone, turned on the recording function, and pointed it at Xing Yu: "Brother Yu, since they've sent us such a song, let's join in the fun."
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