panda
night.
Yu Fan was on stage, and Zhu Shiyi once again shared a table with Lin Changren, sitting in the audience.
Just like last time, they didn't talk much, each doing their own thing, only exchanging a few words occasionally.
No need for awkward small talk, Zhu Shiyi was happy to relax and posted a ukulele performance on her WeChat Moments during the prime time of 9 pm.
Within minutes, it received a large number of likes and comments from classmates and friends.
Pan Yue was among them.
This time, however, he made no comment.
Zhu Shiyi was itching to try it.
Why not comment? If she doesn't comment, how can she start a conversation?
After thinking for a moment, Zhu Shiyi posted a comment on his WeChat Moments.
Thank you everyone for your support! In the new year, one compliment will get me a direct admission to graduate school, two compliments will add ten years to my life, and three compliments will make me live like a god.
Isn't that a pretty obvious hint?
Ten minutes later, classmates from all walks of life offered their praise.
Zhu Shiyi sent his blessings one by one: 【Happy New Year!】
Pan Yue still didn't reply.
Undeterred, Zhu Shiyi posted again: 【Love you all! Wishing you all great wealth!】
Get rich! Aren't you tempted yet?
Two minutes later, Pan Yue commented.
Pan Yue: [It sounds nice.]
Pan Yue: [Thumbs up]
Zhu Shiyi beamed: [Thank you, boss! I wish you great fortune!]
Happy New Year!
Pan Yue: [Yes, happy times back then.]
Zhu Shiyi: ?
She then realized she had made a typo; she had typed "Happy New Year" as "Happy Past Year".
Zhu Shiyi reposted: 【Yes, Happy New Year too.】
Pan Yue did not reply.
Zhu Shiyi felt itchy all over.
We've already talked, what's a couple more words?
She carefully considered the topic, mustered her courage, and sent Pan Yue a private message: "Does this count as one or two compliments?"
Pan Yue: [Two lines.]
Hey, you replied instantly again this time.
Zhu Shiyi silently complained, "Two sentences, ten years longer lifespan, indeed very much in line with his old man persona."
Zhu Shiyi: [A thumbs-up doesn't count; think of something else.]
Pan Yue: [...]
You sound like you sing very well.
Zhu Shiyi: [Looks like you sing well?]
Pan Yue: [Hmm.]
Zhu Shiyi blurted out a line of words.
The words lay in the input field, and just as her fingertip was about to click send, she suddenly chickened out.
That's way too obvious!
She instinctively wanted to delete it, but then remembered Vicky's earnest advice.
A relationship guru said that when you text a man, you have to be obvious.
Zhu Shiyi gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and clicked send, ready to die.
......
"Xiao Pan," a woman's voice suddenly came from behind, "Why are you outside? It's so cold outside."
"Second Aunt," Pan Yue said calmly, turning off his phone screen, "I'm replying to a work message."
"Oh dear, you're still so busy," Lü Xia said earnestly. "Work is important, of course, but you still need to pay attention to your own life's most important thing. The girl your second aunt found for you this time is excellent! She's good in every way—looks, family background, education..."
Lu Xia meticulously listed the other person's merits on her fingers, but Pan Yue let it go in one ear and out the other, occasionally humming in response.
Lu Xia kept talking, and Pan Yue frowned almost imperceptibly. He couldn't help but look down and secretly take out his phone.
He hadn't even seen what Zhu Shiyi had posted yet.
"Anyway!" Lü Xia grabbed Pan Yue's hand and said, "When you get back to the dinner table, you need to chat with them more and not be so cold, okay?"
Pan Yue pursed his lips: "Second Aunt."
He took a breath: "I'm telling you the truth because I consider you my closest elder. Forgive my bluntness, but I'm too busy with work right now to think about these things, nor do I want to."
“That’s what you young people all say,” Lü Xia waved her hand, “No matter how busy you are with work, you still have personal time, right? Do you work 24 hours a day and don’t you have any life of your own?”
Lü Xia was clearly used to this kind of rhetoric.
Pan Yue pondered for a moment and changed his words: "I know my second aunt cares about me. The lady you introduced to me is very outstanding, but matters of the heart cannot be forced. I really don't like her."
“Oh dear—feelings can be cultivated,” Lü Xia said without hesitation, pushing Pan Yue into the private room. “Let’s have a good chat, just to give Second Aunt some face.”
Pan Yue had no choice but to sit back in the private room.
Both sets of parents were having a lively conversation.
"Oh, I liked your daughter the moment I saw her!"
"Your son is the same, so handsome! He's so young and already runs his own company, how outstanding!"
Pan Yue remained silent, looking at his mother Yue Chunlan, whose enthusiasm was impossible to conceal.
He looked down and turned on his phone.
Zhu Shiyi: [Shouldn't it be about singing well and looking beautiful?]
Pan Yue's ears turned red, and as if possessed, he clicked on the other person's profile picture, entered the bachelor's friend circle, and opened that video again.
He didn't turn on the sound; all he could see was the girl's crescent-shaped eyes.
But her voice seemed to be right next to my ear.
Pan Yue unconsciously curved his lips into a smile.
Returning to the chat interface, he typed on the keyboard, but couldn't type more than a few words for a long time.
She's beautiful.
It's quite beautiful.
His fingertips traced the screen, but he couldn't send the message.
Zhu Shiyi suddenly sent a message: 【I was just kidding.】
"Oh, Wanwan, you young people should chat more!" The mother of the woman she was set up with winked at her daughter.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Yue Chunlan slapped Pan Yue hard under the table.
Pan Yue: ......
He casually replied, "Eating."
I put down my phone and looked up.
He Tingwan smiled shyly, turned her head to look at him, and asked in a gentle voice, "I heard that Mr. Pan works in Jinrong. What do you do for a living?"
Pan Yue: "Start a company."
He Tingwan was taken aback.
Yue Chunlan's face darkened. What nonsense is this?
She turned her head and smiled again, "What industry does he work in again? What kind of tourism brand?"
Yue Chunlan secretly tugged at Pan Yue's hand.
Pan Yue: "...campsite brand."
"Yes, yes." Yue Chunlan chuckled dryly.
"A campground brand?" He Tingwan seemed very interested. "This is the first time I've heard of it. What exactly do they do?"
"Eating, drinking, and having fun," Pan Yue said without changing his expression.
He Tingwan: ?
Yue Chunlan's eyes widened suddenly: "Uh... he means, arranging for customers to eat, drink, and have fun."
Yue Chunlan glanced at her, giving her a warning.
Pan Yue pretended to be nonchalant: "Um, I'm sorry, Ms. He. I didn't finish."
"It's nothing, it's nothing," He Tingwan waved her hand. "What are your hobbies?"
"Take a break," Pan Yue blurted out.
He was telling the truth.
"It's strange, it's strange. He's busy with work and really doesn't have any hobbies. He's quite boring," Yue Chunlan quickly explained. She had already given up hope and only hoped that Pan Yue would stop talking. "What about Wanwan? What hobbies does Wanwan have?"
He Tingwan smiled politely: "I usually like to sing and read books."
"How wonderful!" Yue Chunlan praised, "You are so beautiful and can sing. You are so likable."
She's pretty and can sing...
Zhu Shiyi.
Pan Yue's heart softened on one side.
She is indeed likable.
A wise child is better than his mother.
The eldest son's eyes sparkled with romantic feelings, which even his serious face couldn't hide.
Does this mean he likes the girl?
She's very shy when it comes to relationships, and this expression pretty much confirms it.
Yue Chunlan was overjoyed and secretly patted Pan Yue's leg: "Right, Pan Yue? Wanwan is so outstanding and talented."
“Hmm,” Pan Yue replied perfunctorily. Zhu Shiyi was indeed very talented. “Excuse me, I have a work call, I’ll be going out for a bit.”
"Take the call later..." Yue Chunlan advised.
"It's alright, it's alright," He Tingwan smiled. "Work is important."
Pan Yue nodded: "Thank you." He turned and left.
Pan Yue took in the fresh, cool air, calmed himself down, and took out his phone.
Zhu Shiyi sent another message: "Understood. I'm eating at home, and my parents won't let me look at my phone."
Pan Yue: [No. I'm outside; there are other people with me.]
One minute later.
Zhu Shiyi: [Are you... on a blind date?]
Pan Yue paused.
Immediately afterwards.
Zhu Shiyi: [Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your call. I won't bother you anymore!]
Pan Yue replied instinctively: 【Don't bother me.】
【I don’t want to go on blind dates, mainly because my second aunt previously…】 Pan Yue immediately deleted this string of words.
He scratched his head and frowned.
It's strange and rambling to say so much.
He typed on the keyboard, unsure of what to say.
Zhu Shiyi sent another message: "[You were on your phone during your blind date, wasn't that a bit inappropriate?]"
Pan Yue deleted the nonsense he had typed and retyped: "I made an excuse to leave; I wasn't at the dinner table."
Zhu Shiyi: [Oh.]
She sent an emoji.
This time it wasn't a panda head, but a real giant panda.
The panda huddled behind a tree, peeking out its head to observe curiously. It looked dazed, soft, and very cuddly.
The corners of her mouth defied gravity and floated upwards, while her fingertips curled up unconsciously.
He rubbed his knuckles together, and thinking of her WeChat Moments again, Pan Yue asked: "You can also play the ukulele?"
Zhu Shiyi: [I didn't know before, but I do now.]
Pan Yue: [When did you learn that?]
Zhu Shiyi: [Just in the next couple of days. If I can play the guitar, I can play the ukulele too.]
Pan Yue: [Very good.]
He felt a strong urge. He opened WeChat, went into his photo album, and played the video again—the one he had watched at least ten times.
“Mr. Pan,” He Tingwan’s voice sounded from behind, “Do you also have work on New Year’s Day?”
Pan Yue put away his phone, turned around, and politely replied, "Yes."
“It must be tough,” He Tingwan said with a smile. “Where are Mr. Pan’s campsites located? I also work in Jinrong. If I have the chance, I’d like to visit them.”
Pan Yue remained silent.
“I’m sorry,” he took a deep breath, “Ms. He, you are a very good person and deserve someone better. I believe you can also see that I am a very boring person and not suitable to be a partner.”
He Tingwan's smile froze.
"Sorry, actually..." She pointed to Pan Yue's phone, "I just accidentally saw your phone. You... have a girl you like?"
"No..." Pan Yue subconsciously denied it, then paused. After thinking for a moment, he changed his words, "Well. So, I'm sorry, I don't want to waste your time. It's not fair to either of us if we keep going like this."
He Tingwan pursed her lips and smiled politely, "It's alright, I understand. That girl is very pretty."
Pan Yue's pupils softened slightly: "Thank you."
That's definitely true.
He Tingwan breathed a sigh of relief, shook her head and shrugged: "I can tell you really like her."
She politely replied, "Then I can only wish you a long and happy marriage."
Pan Yue smiled slightly.
“Ms. He,” he said, facing He Tingwan directly and bowing slightly, “you are very good. It was my fault. My brand is called MEETING. You are welcome to visit sometime.”
......
Zhu Shiyi: [Why don't you just praise me one more time, make it three lines, and I'll become a living immortal, able to live for thousands more years.]
Pan Yue did not reply.
In the chat box, she was at the bottom again.
Zhu Shiyi pouted.
Has Pan Yue gone back to blind dates again?
This is the third time she's been conflicted tonight.
The first time, I worried he would find it ambiguous; the second time, I worried I would disturb his blind date.
But she gritted her teeth, ignored everything, and sent the message.
Pan Yue's tone was not bad either.
It'll be fine!
It's not the first time he hasn't replied to messages, so what's the big deal?
So what if he went on a blind date? He made excuses to avoid it; it's obvious he was forced into it!
Zhu Shiyi comforted himself.
But there was still a lingering resentment.
Five minutes later.
Pan Yue: [There's no need to live that long.]
Zhu Shiyi, unconvinced and unintentionally a little impulsive, replied: "It'll come in handy."
The message from the other party was also delivered: "But I can add one more compliment."
Zhu Shiyi was taken aback.
Pan Yue: [Let me borrow your words. They sound good, and they look good too.]
A thumb is attached to the outside.
Zhu Shiyi chuckled: "You're a master tailor; you use two sentences to make three. You're truly a top-notch tailor."
Another ten minutes or so passed.
Pan Yue: [Thank you.]
Pan Yue: [I'll be driving later, feel free to leave me a message.]
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