-5- It turns out
While waiting for a meal at Pinhai Pavilion that afternoon, Zhao Jinghuan told Ji Anya about her brave attempt at Waikiki and the subsequent offer. Just a few days earlier, Ji Anya had told Zhao Jinghuan to move beyond her comfort zone as a food delivery driver and find a job related to her field of study. However, regarding this 2,500 yuan monthly salary, Ji Anya's advice was, "Run! Don't look back." Zhao Jinghuan had the same idea, except she had just come across a blogger on Xiaohongshu who was promoting trendy toy IPs. On that blogger's non-major company popularity list, "Mr. Beard" took first place with over 1,800 views, while Lu Kai's company, Waikiki Studio's original IP, "Little Freckles," was a distant fifth. Zhao Jinghuan's resolve to "not get into the same boat with a scumbag ex-boyfriend" suddenly wavered, and a new idea struck her. Perhaps, through her own efforts, Little Freckles could surpass Mr. Beard and take the top spot on the list. Of course, whether she topped the list wasn't important; what mattered was surpassing it. She imagined a scene where her ex-boyfriend, gnashing his teeth at the freckles on the list, could step forward and prove she was the driving force behind them, delivering the fatal blow. Zhao Jinghuan couldn't help but think that jealousy and curiosity were indeed two of the most powerful qualities that drive human endeavor. Jealousy fueled her drive to work harder and surpass her ex-boyfriend, while curiosity—she wondered when she could surpass him, a lot more. She had a compelling reason to accept the new offer. After all, the job of a delivery driver wouldn't allow her to avenge her ex-boyfriend, even though the 2,500 yuan monthly salary was a bit of a burden. But... after all, she could still run deliveries after work. The thought of this actually gave Zhao Jinghuan a small thrill. It was like she was a superhero with a dual identity. At night, she would don her battle suit and transform into a Meituan delivery driver, slaying hunger. By day, her identity was even more noble: a super-slacker working hard to avenge her ex-boyfriend. So she hinted to Ji Anya that she might take the job. Ji Anya's reaction was somewhat unexpected. "Is that Lu Kai really that good-looking?" Zhao Jinghuan was stunned. She was too embarrassed to reveal her "dark" motive for revenge against her ex-boyfriend, but she flatly denied Ji Anya's insinuation. "Don't talk nonsense. I just like this job." Ji Anya found a loophole in her words. "You said you really like this job. You didn't deny that he's good-looking."
While waiting for dinner at Pinhai Pavilion in the afternoon, Zhao Jinghuan told Ji Anya about his brave journey to Waikiki and how he got an offer.
A few days ago, Ji Anya had said that Zhao Jinghuan should not stay in the comfort zone of being a food delivery driver and should find a job related to her major. However, regarding this offer of 2,500 yuan per month, Ji Anya's advice was:
"Run quickly and don't look back."
Zhao Jinghuan had the same idea, but she had just seen a blogger on Xiaohongshu who introduced trendy toy IPs. On that blogger's non-big company popularity list, "Mr. Beard" took first place with a popularity of over 1,800, while Lu Kai's company, Waikiki Studio's independent IP "Little Freckles", ranked fifth.
Zhao Jinghuan's decision of "not stepping into the same river with her scumbag ex-boyfriend" suddenly wavered, and she had a new idea.
Maybe she can rely on her own efforts to let Freckles surpass Mr. Beard and become the number one on this list. Of course, whether she is the first or not is not important, what is important is to surpass.
She imagined this scene: when her ex-boyfriend was gritting his teeth at the freckles on the list, she could stand up and tell him that she was the mastermind behind the freckles and give him a fatal blow.
Zhao Jinghuan couldn't help but think that jealousy and curiosity are indeed two excellent qualities that motivate human beings to strive for success.
Jealousy gave her the urge to work hard and surpass her ex-boyfriend, and curiosity - she was very curious about when she could surpass her ex-boyfriend, and surpass him by a lot.
She had a reason to accept the new offer. After all, being a delivery driver wouldn't help her get back at her ex-boyfriend, even though the 2,500 yuan monthly salary was a bit of a burden. But... she could still run some deliveries after work.
The thought of this made Zhao Jinghuan even feel a little excited. It was as if she were a superhero with a dual identity. When night fell, she would put on her battle suit and transform into a Meituan rider who punished hunger. During the day, her identity was even more majestic and noble:
She is a super office worker who works hard to get revenge on her ex-boyfriend.
So she hinted to Ji Anya that she might take the job.
Ji Anya's reaction was somewhat unexpected:
"Is that Lu Kai really that good-looking?"
Zhao Jinghuan was stunned for a moment. She was too embarrassed to reveal her "dark" motive for revenge against her ex-boyfriend, but she also flatly denied Ji Anya's suggestion.
"Don't talk nonsense, I just like this job."
Ji Anya found a loophole in her words: "You said you really like this job. You didn't deny that he is good-looking."
At this point, Zhao Jinghuan's order finally arrived. She picked up the paper bag that had been stapled to it, and without even saying goodbye, she turned and ran. It was unclear whether it was because she felt guilty or because her order was about to expire. Ji Anya called out from behind, "You better be careful! He and that Sister Zhou, they might be a couple."
Zhao Jinghuan stopped and looked back in a daze.
Ji Anya added:
"Think about it, who would bring a powder keg to work, ready to blow up anyone they catch? Her displeasure with everyone is just like how she's mad at her boyfriend."
"Uh, not... me." Zhao Jinghuan's brain short-circuited a little, and she replied randomly, "Oh, my last name is Zou."
…………
Zhao Jinghuan firmly believed that she did not have any strange thoughts about Lu Kai.
She was indeed surprised by the coincidence-filled reunion, but only because the memorable backflip she had done years ago had given her a chance to change her life and get revenge on her ex-boyfriend. She lamented the "cunning" nature of fate.
But she didn't have any strange thoughts about Lu Kai.
No.
At 10 o'clock that evening, Zhao Jinghuan returned to her rental house after delivering her last order. Her desire for the job outweighed her hatred for the 2,500 yuan salary, so she sat in front of the computer and sent her ID number to Lu Kai.
…
At ten o'clock in the evening, Lu Kai lay dead in bed. He always went to bed early on nights when he was waiting for news. It wasn't because he thought it would bring him any good luck, but he simply felt that waiting was the most tiring thing in the world.
He vaguely felt that Zhao Jinghuan looked familiar, and even remembered his short and unrequited love during college.
But Zhao Jinghuan said that she was studying in a junior college, so... she was not herself.
Lu Kai sighed deeply. He always felt like a character in a literary work. The fleeting moment of his youth became a throbbing pain that he could never calm down throughout his life.
He suspected that Hemingway, Mendeleev, or Tagore must have created such a character, but unfortunately, he didn't read books, so he couldn't make a suitable analogy.
But he believed that those great writers would agree with his opinion - the second greatest pain in the world is falling in love with someone but not even knowing her name.
The biggest pain is having no money.
It was the eve of his senior year graduation, at the college graduation ceremony. Lu Kai and his classmates lined up in their bachelor's gowns, waiting to go on stage for the tassel-cutting ceremony.
The lengthy ceremony made him drowsy until he happened to look up and saw a girl in ceremonial attire standing behind the dean.
The stage lights shone from top to bottom, nakedly and without any pretense. The top light, known as the death angle, did not make her look ordinary at all.
She wasn't the only girl on the stage wearing a formal dress, but in Lu Kai's eyes, this tall, youthful girl was different from all the other girls on the stage:
She is prettier than all of them.
At that time, Lu Kai in the audience pushed his roommate next to him - his best friend Zhou Lecheng, who later started a business with Lu Kai under the nickname "Evening Breeze".
Lu Kai said to Zhou Lecheng, "Look at the girl behind the dean. She is so beautiful."
Zhou Lecheng squinted his eyes and looked at it: "He is quite thin."
"Her eyes shine brighter than the stage lights."
"Unless she's Optimus Prime and has two truck high beams on her nose."
Lu Kai said: "Lecheng, I like that girl. I have to make her remember me."
At that moment, Lu Kai's mind should have been flashing through countless classic romance movie clips, ready for him to choose from. However, just like he didn't read much, he also didn't watch many dramas. Lu Kai's limited knowledge of romance dramas came almost entirely from a video clip titled "The 100 Greatest Love Moments in Film History" that he came across on his phone.
He tried his best to think about the remaining fragments in his memory, including Leonardo drowning, Superman catching a girl who fell from a building, Spiderman hanging upside down and kissing his girlfriend, a little girl secretly smelling the scent of the boy in the front seat, and a woman opening the window and seeing the British uncle who played the stuttering king standing in a golden rapeseed field.
These plots are either not allowed by the scene or lack of super powers. In short, they are impossible to realize.
The students in front of Lu Kai went on stage one after another, but Lu Kai still couldn't figure out how to leave a deep enough impression on her.
In the following years, he heard a theory that the seemingly useless skills you learn in the early stages of your life will eventually provide you with unexpected help at some point in your life.
Lu Kai didn't understand this at the time, but when he walked onto the stage filled with anxiety, when he and she (and the dean whom Lu Kai automatically ignored) were embraced by the same beam of light on the stage, Lu Kai suddenly remembered the seemingly useless skill he had secretly learned when he was a child playing around with his gym friends behind the building.
He once thought that the only use of this skill was that when the end of the world came and apes became the rulers of the earth, he could use this skill to compete for the Monkey King.
He never thought that this was the day he had been waiting for.
Yes, he knew the answer - what is there that can make a girl remember you quickly and have a good impression of you?
Nothing better than a perfect backflip.
…………
The phone next to the pillow suddenly rang, interrupting his memories at the most appropriate time - when Lu Kai jumped up with his knees lowered several years ago.
It was Zhao Jinghuan who sent her ID card photo and a message.
"What time do you go to work tomorrow?"
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