78 I have a boyfriend
In junior high, Liu Yuwei fell in love with tennis thanks to her obsession with the TV series "The Prince of Tennis." Of course, it wasn't limited to just watching others swing their rackets in front of the TV, since even third-tier cities back then lacked real tennis courts. Lately, she's felt like she and Jin Lang are locked in a long match. His proactive "break" in Berlin and the several meetings since returning to Beijing have completely disrupted her rhythm. Since then, their relationship has been like a high-flying ball, constantly advancing through a cycle of probing and responding. They are both rivals who need to find each other's limits in a tug-of-war, and teammates who can support each other in crucial moments. Now, it's match point, and the crucial shot seems to be on the line. Liu Yuwei, shifting roles, sits on a high chair, overlooking the battle between herself and her inner self. When the linesman raises his arm and shouts "OUT," she realizes what she's been waiting for. Winning or losing, who's in control, no longer seems so important. Leaving the restaurant, Liu Yuwei typed a line on her phone. "Dad, I have a boyfriend. No more blind dates for me." 】 Half a minute later, the phone rang, and Liu Wenjun seemed a little anxious. "Xiao Yu, Xiao Chen is good, but there's no need to be so hasty, you just met once!" Liu Yuwei was amused by her father's imagination. "Dad, the boyfriend I'm talking about is not Teacher Chen." "Then it's... Jin Lang?" "Yeah!" Liu Yuwei responded straightforwardly, paused, and subconsciously asked back, "How did you know?" "I feel like it shouldn't be exposed..." She muttered softly. "Photos, I saw a photo of you two." Liu Yuwei suddenly remembered the photo on the photo wall that was deliberately replaced by Jin Lang. "Then why didn't you ask me at the time..." "If you don't say it yourself, it means you haven't thought about it yet." A smiling voice came from the receiver. "Relationships are your own business. Tell us when you want to and it's your decision." "But Xiaoyu, Dad still says the same thing: no matter who you're with, don't force yourself." "Okay, I got it." After hanging up the phone, the summer breeze lifted her skirt. Liu Yuwei looked up to see clouds still swirling across the horizon. Even in the dim light, she could still see them drifting freely in the wind. At that moment, she suddenly felt as if the sandbags that had been tied to her ankles for so long and the hinges that had been entangled in her heart had been removed simultaneously. The car lights in the distance merged into a flowing river of light. She walked slowly along the sidewalk, her steps so light that they seemed to float. Somehow, she remembered a line from her favorite character in "The Prince of Tennis" - "...
In junior high school, Liu Yuwei fell in love with tennis because of her obsession with "The Prince of Tennis." Of course, it was limited to sitting in front of the TV and watching others swing their rackets. After all, in those days, there were not even real tennis courts in third-tier cities.
Lately, she's been feeling like she and Jin Lang are in a long race. His proactive "break" in Berlin, and the several meetings since returning to Beijing, have completely disrupted her rhythm. Since then, their relationship has been like a high-speed ball, constantly advancing through a cycle of probing and responding.
They are both opponents who need to find out each other's bottom line in the tug of war, and teammates who can support each other at critical moments.
Now, at match point, a crucial shot seemed to be on the line. Liu Yuwei shifted positions and sat on a high chair, looking down at the battle between herself and her inner self. When the line judge raised his arm and shouted "OUT," she realized what she had been hoping for.
It seems that it no longer matters who wins or loses, or who is in control.
Walking out of the restaurant, Liu Yuwei typed a line of words on his mobile phone.
[Dad, I have a boyfriend now. You don't need to introduce me to blind dates anymore.]
Half a minute later, the phone rang and Liu Wenjun seemed a little anxious.
"Xiao Yu, Xiao Chen is nice, but there's no need to rush. You've only just met once!"
Liu Yuwei was amused by his father's imagination.
"Dad, the boyfriend I'm talking about is not Teacher Chen."
"Is that... Jin Lang?"
"Yeah!" Liu Yuwei responded straightforwardly, then paused and subconsciously asked, "How did you know?"
“I feel like I haven’t been exposed…”
She muttered softly.
"Photos, I saw photos of you two."
Liu Yuwei suddenly remembered the photo on the photo wall that was deliberately replaced by Jin Lang.
"Then why didn't you ask me then..."
"If you don't say it yourself, it means you haven't thought about it yet." A smiling voice came from the receiver.
"Your feelings are your own business. It's up to you to tell us when to do so."
"But Xiaoyu, Dad still says the same thing, no matter who you are with, don't let yourself be wronged."
"Yeah, I remember."
After hanging up the phone, the summer evening breeze lifted the hem of her skirt. Liu Yuwei looked up and saw that the sky was still filled with white clouds. Even in the dim light, she could still see them drifting freely in the wind. At that moment, she suddenly felt that the sandbag that had been tied to her ankle for so long and the hinge that had been entangled in her heart for so many days had been removed at the same time.
The car lights in the distance merged into a flowing river of light. She walked slowly along the sidewalk, her steps so light that they seemed to float. Somehow she remembered a line from her favorite character in "The Prince of Tennis" - "Go for it with all your might!"
As for the outcome of that "tennis match"? Perhaps there was no outcome at all.
Because the right person can always give each other new surprises with the next swing.
…
Jin Lang had been busy preparing for the film recently. Even though he was only a co-producer, there was still a lot he needed to learn. Although the team was efficient, spending an entire afternoon in a closed space, looking at dense numbers, inevitably left him feeling confused.
As the most important participant in this project, Shen Cheng was extremely busy. However, this did not prevent him from teasing Jin Lang every time he saw him, calling him a "love intern who never got a permanent job." Who could blame him for always being the last to know his good friend's "secret"?
I accidentally ran into Liu Yuwei having dinner with a strange man, so I had to take the opportunity to give him a good provocation. When I called him, I didn't expect Jin Lang to be quite calm - it was just a meal, maybe just a meeting with a client, no big deal.
Jin Lang initially dismissed Shen Cheng's words, but then he got stuck in traffic on his way home and happened to stop at the entrance of a university. He suddenly remembered that day when he was having dinner with Liu Wenjun, he had mentioned a young professor at Peking University. The meaning behind his words was quite obvious. He casually searched for the Western restaurant Shen Cheng mentioned, and surprisingly, it was near Peking University.
The traffic was moving slowly, and he rolled down the window, letting in a bit of heat from the evening breeze. Not far away, a young couple walked hand in hand. Looking at their sweet backs, Jin Lang decided to find a chance to talk to Liu Yuwei, or at least ask her what she really thought.
When I returned to Liu Yuwei's house, as soon as I opened the door, I heard soft humming coming from the living room. She was sitting cross-legged on the carpet combing Crookshanks' hair.
Hearing the noise, she didn't stand up, but just raised her head and smiled and said, "You're back?"
Jin Lang looked at Liu Yuwei's completely open expression, and suddenly he felt uncomfortable. The inexplicable irritation that he had just suppressed, like a spark blown by the wind, ignited in his heart again, even more intense than before.
"There's a package at the door, I brought it in for you!"
He muttered, then turned and went into the bathroom. The sound of the water in the sink rushing, the cold water splashing on his face, finally calmed him down a bit. Looking at himself in the mirror, he suddenly felt a little funny.
"Crookshanks, here come your cat bars and treats!"
The kitten seemed to understand what was said and followed Liu Yuwei closely.
Jin Lang was wiping his hands with a towel when he suddenly heard a sharp scream from outside.
He threw away his towel and rushed back to the living room, completely disregarding any emotion. Liu Yuwei slumped on the floor of the entrance hall, his face pale. Crookshanks, on the other hand, leaned over to the half-open cardboard box, sniffing curiously with the tip of his nose.
“Are there any cockroaches?”
He walked a few steps to Liu Yuwei and helped her up. Seeing that she was still staring at the box, he also shifted his gaze over. In just a moment, Jin Lang quickly covered her eyes and half-supported and half-pushed her to a corner of the sofa far away from here.
Jin Lang gently hugged the woman in front of him and patted her back soothingly.
"It's okay, I'm here!"
His voice was gentle, and after he finished speaking, he took out two disinfectant wipes from the coffee table and wiped Liu Yuwei's fingers one by one.
"Just take your time here and I'll take care of it, okay?"
Seeing the determination in Jin Lang's eyes, the fear in her heart dissipated a lot. She nodded, her voice still trembling, "Okay."
Jin Lang went to the kitchen to find a pair of disposable gloves. He first checked the delivery slip on the outside of the carton. The recipient was Ms. Liu, and the address and phone number matched. The sender was Li San, and the address was located at a delivery locker in a certain residential complex, without even a specific unit number, clearly an intentional attempt to conceal information.
When he opened the cardboard box and the contents were completely exposed before his eyes, even he couldn't help but frown - a dead yellow chick was lying in the middle of the bright red raffia, its beak and eyes tightly wrapped with black tape, and its two wings were tilted at strange angles, obviously having been broken and then forcibly connected with staples, with the silver nail tips still exposed.
“Call the police!”
A voice came from behind. Liu Yuwei had walked behind Jin Lang without knowing when. The voice was steady, and it was obvious that he had recovered from the sudden fright.
While waiting for the police to arrive, Jin Lang asked her if she had any recent conflicts with anyone. Liu Yuwei's first thought was Chen Mingli, whom she had just angrily confronted. But the short time she had on her way home was clearly not enough to prepare such a "generous gift." Furthermore, Chen Mingli was a teacher after all, and his scholarly arrogance was unlikely to lead to such a despicable act.
Another person flashed through Liu Yuwei's mind, but it was unfounded. It was one thing to have suspicion in one's heart, but it was another to identify the suspect to the police.
She looked at Jin Lang and finally shook her head.
The police arrived quickly. When they saw Jin Lang, the younger man repeatedly asked twice who was the target of the intimidation. Then he took out his camera and took pictures of the cardboard box according to the procedure. He also asked Liu Yuwei routine questions such as the time of receipt and recent social interactions.
After they left, the living room returned to silence, though the oppressive atmosphere lingered. Jin Lang was silent for a moment, then suggested that Liu Yuwei move to Palm Bay until the police reached a conclusion. Fearing she wouldn't agree, he added that he'd been very busy lately and worried he wouldn't be able to take care of her. Furthermore, since filming began on "The Past of the Dust Lamp," he'd been away for months, and Hedwig needed someone to take care of her.
He put forward all the excuses and reasons he could think of, but Liu Yuwei suddenly stood up from the sofa. Jin Lang hurriedly grabbed her arm and said, "Xiaoyu, if you really don't want to go, let's find someone to install a camera or video doorbell tomorrow, okay?"
She raised the corners of her lips slightly. "I'll pack some clothes and put the cat in the balcony storage cabinet. I hope Hedwig and Crookshanks can coexist peacefully!"
Two hours later, Jin Lang stood at the door of the cloakroom, looking at the wardrobe that was originally dominated by black, gray and navy blue, which now had some light yellow and soft purple. He felt that no matter what Liu Yuwei thought, the reality was that you are in me and I am in you.
After Jin Lang finished washing up and returned to the bedroom, Liu Yuwei was leaning against the soft cushion at the head of the bed, holding a thick book in his hand. It was the "Three Thousand Years of Jerusalem" that he had placed on the bedside.
She walked to the bed and sat down, her eyes vague, obviously not immersed in the rise and fall of the Temple Mount.
He tapped the spine of the book. "Do you know why I put this book next to my bed?"
Liu Yuwei's thoughts returned to her mind. Looking at Jin Lang's gentle smile, she asked, "Because reading makes you sleepy?"
"No, one day I dreamt that my house was burglarized at night. I wanted to find a weapon to defend myself, but the paperback books I had were only useful as a fan. When I woke up, I went to the bookshelf and picked out the thickest and heaviest book."
Hearing this, her pupils dilated slightly, a smile appeared on her face, and her shoulders trembled. Jin Lang took advantage of the situation and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his arms.
"It's okay, I'm here."
This was the second time he had said this tonight.
Liu Yuwei rubbed against his arms, and suddenly remembered something, and spoke in a deep voice.
"You were so calm just now, have you received something similar before?"
"It was a long time ago, but I didn't recover as quickly as you did when I first received the dead rat."
Jin Lang's fingertips passed through her hair and combed it slowly, "You are already great!"
"Tell me about your past..."
"Where should I start?" Jin Lang asked himself, "How about starting with the talent show?"
"good."
"When I signed up for the talent show, I had already participated in some singing competition auditions. With those top five finishes in the North China region, I could earn a much higher hourly wage at the bar, and I might even have repeat customers coming back specifically for it."
"Then the bar owner told me about a very popular online competition and told me to give it a try. It wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't win."
His voice was low and seemed to have a hypnotic effect, and the person in his arms soon became motionless.
In the darkness, two cats chattered softly in the living room. This night might have been frightening, but the peace and tranquility of this moment was more real than any promise.
…
Liu Yuwei officially moved into Jin Lang's home. The two cats got along better than expected. Specifically, while Hedwig would bask in the sun on the balcony climbing frame, Crookshanks would curl up on the living room sofa cushions and nap. They kept a safe distance from each other, ignoring each other, which saved them a lot of trouble.
The day Tang Mei confirmed Yang Bin had received the divorce petition, she and her son moved out of the house that had trapped her for years. She had once believed it was her "home," that Yang Bin was the one she could truly rely on after their parents' death. She treated him like driftwood, believing she could reach shore by grabbing it. But she had no idea that the rotten wood would drag her down to the depths of the sea.
After experiencing these absurdities, Tang Mei finally realized that the only person a woman can rely on is herself. Life is never smooth sailing, but as long as you dare to move forward, you will always encounter your own light.
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