Chapter 39
He He clung to Chen Jingbai's shoulder, pouting, and mischievously kissed him from his chin to his lips, then rubbed his cheek from left to right.
She kissed him everywhere, smearing the lip balm she had applied before leaving the house all over Chen Jingbai's lower face.
In the blink of an eye, a thin, yet undeniably glossy layer appeared on the areas of Chen Jingbai's face where she had kissed him.
He He chuckled, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
Chen Jingbai steadied her, "Don't be silly, there are people around, it's a public place, it'll be troublesome if someone sees us."
While He He was making a scene, he kept an eye on people out of the corner of his eye. The corner He He pulled him to was quite secluded, and it was full of reference books. Unless you're a professional, people wouldn't come over easily.
That's why he tolerated He He's behavior.
He He looked back and said, "There's not a soul in sight, don't worry."
Chen Jingbai stared at He He with deep eyes, his voice tinged with danger, "Is it a good kiss?"
He He tilted her head slightly, chin raised, "So sweet."
The positions have reversed; He He, who had originally cornered Chen Jingbai in front of the bookshelf, is now being pressed down in front of the bookshelf by Chen Jingbai.
He completely shielded He He with his back and arms, so even if someone came over, they would only think that there was a young man in this corner, bending over and looking down as he carefully selected the books he wanted.
The bookstore was already dimly lit due to the wooden bookshelves and books blocking out the sunlight. Now, with He He hidden under Chen Jingbai, she couldn't see any light at all.
She could only keep her eyes closed, forced to endure the excessive plundering. Occasionally, she couldn't bear it and opened her eyes, but her vision was blocked, and the dark corner made her think that night had fallen.
He He's waist was tightly bound, and the part of her left side that could be seen was also blocked by Chen Jingbai's arm, which was propped up on the bookshelf.
As early as when she was weak and unable to stand, Chen Jingbai moved his hand to He He's waist to support her. Now, that supporting hand has become a shackle she cannot escape.
After kissing many times, Chen Jingbai had long ago figured out the maximum limit He He could tolerate.
Feeling He He's breathing becoming increasingly erratic, he released her mouth, moved his lips to her ear, gave her a light kiss, and then pressed against her earlobe, asking, "Was it nice?"
He He's face felt as if it were being burned by fire. Her eyes were still closed, her eyelashes trembled uncontrollably, and she hadn't recovered yet. Her lips were bright red, and her pearly teeth remained in the arc of being pried open.
Chen Jingbai wasn't in a hurry. After she calmed down, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Was it a good kiss?"
He He lifted her foot and stepped on the tip of Chen Jingbai's shoe. Her fair face was flushed, and she said fiercely, "Not nice to kiss! Not nice to kiss at all?"
Chen Jingbai chuckled softly, "Is it really that hard to kiss?"
His lips left He He's ear and moved to within inches of hers.
"Sweet kiss, so sweet kiss!" He He said, tilting her head back, afraid that Chen Jingbai would do it again. Her lips were sore and her tongue was also throbbing. She couldn't let it happen again.
She nearly hit the bookshelf as she leaned back, but Chen Jingbai quickly placed his hand under the back of her head to prevent her from getting a big bump.
She leaned back suddenly and with a bit too much force, and Chen Jingbai couldn't help but hiss softly.
He He immediately moved the back of her head away from Chen Jingbai's hand to avoid pressing down on him further, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Chen Jingbai smiled and said, "It's nothing."
He gently wiped He He's full lips with his fingertip. "If you like, you can continue to do this to me next time."
He He pushed Chen Jingbai. The air was so stuffy that she could hardly breathe. "I'm not doing this again. I'm going to pick out some books. Get out of my way."
Chen Jingbai: "I'll go with you. What books do you want to read?"
He He: "Of course it's good novels! You said that Chinese literature majors can read a lot of novels, is that true? If I find out you're lying when school starts, I'll definitely chase after you and give you a good scolding."
Chen Jingbai followed behind He He and said, "I'm not lying to you. Didn't I tell you before that my uncle is a Chinese literature professor at the National Taiwan Normal University? But aside from that, remember to come visit me more often when you have free time."
Rongda University and Shida University are very close, separated only by a street. When he recommended that Hehe put Shida University as her first choice, he also had his own selfish reasons. He wanted Hehe to be closer to him.
It's true that the Chinese literature major has access to many novels. His uncle taught Chinese literature at the National Taiwan Normal University before he was sent to the countryside, and everything he knows comes from his uncle, so it can't be fake.
Back when relations with the Soviet Union were good, my uncle said that the Chinese department even had a society for appreciating Soviet literature, and there were all sorts of foreign novels to read, and the selection of books was even greater than what was available on the market.
But things changed later. More than a decade ago, university professors were the most vulnerable to criticism and struggle sessions. The Chinese Department of National Taiwan Normal University was the first to be targeted. The ancient literature and foreign books they had studied were all banned.
My uncle's family was sent to the countryside not only because of my grandparents' relationship, but also because my uncle was a professor of Chinese literature, and he was criticized and denounced for trying to preserve those classic works.
Fortunately, the situation has improved in the last two years. Universities have resumed enrollment and classes. Last year, with the rectification of past wrongs, my uncle's family also returned and went back to their original positions.
He He waved her hand, "Fine, fine."
Chen Jingbai leaned closer and said, "My uncle is a very nice person. I'll ask him to take good care of you."
"I don't need it." Having said that, He He then asked, "What does your uncle teach? Will he teach me?"
Chen Jingbai: "I think so. He teaches ancient literature history. I've talked to you about it before."
He He: "If you have connections, you might as well use them. You should put in a good word for me later."
Chen Jingbai knew He He was like this; he had mentioned her to his uncle yesterday when they were having dinner at home.
“I’ve already said that, but you have to attend classes properly and not miss any.” He was worried that He He would become lazy after getting into university, just like when she was doing farm work in Qianjin Brigade, working only sporadically.
He wasn't by her side, and he couldn't help her.
If you miss classes or have a bad attitude, you could very well be expelled.
He He said confidently, "I know! Am I the kind of person who would skip class?!"
Chen Jingbai: "Yes, I know you love learning."
He He found a new novel. She hadn't read it before; it was a newly published novel since the opening up of literature last year. It was selling like hotcakes in the city this year, but in Qianjin Brigade, a remote mountain village, these novels hadn't reached there yet.
Although the Forward Brigade is located in a remote mountain village, its remoteness has its advantages. Some banned novels can still circulate underground there because the regulations are not so strict, whereas they cannot be published in big cities like the provincial capital.
Only in the last two years have some of the older works started to circulate again.
He He was excited when she got the book. It was a very thin book, a collection of short stories. She looked at it for a while, then took a few more copies and paid for them at the bookstore.
When the shop assistant saw the book in her hand, he praised her for her good luck. This novel was snapped up as soon as it was published this year. The shop had just received a new copy from the publisher this morning, and by the afternoon, only one copy was left.
He He was even more surprised; she had such good luck. Chen Jingbai, who was standing next to her, praised her, "You have good taste, you're amazing."
He He: "Of course, I have a discerning eye."
Give He He a ladder, and she can climb up.
Her tendency to wag her tail as much as it did amused the bookstore clerk and Chen Jingbai.
After Chen Jingbai accompanied He He to buy the books, they returned to their seats.
Cheng Surin, who wasn't paying much attention to her book, immediately noticed the two people who had just returned.
His gaze swept back and forth between He He and Chen Jingbai. Something was wrong. What were they doing? They took so long to choose a book. "Why did you take so long?"
He He pointed to the book Chen Jingbai was holding for her, "Choosing and buying books, what are you thinking? Your eyes look so strange."
Cheng Surin's teasing gaze fell on Chen Jingbai, "Really?"
Chen Jingbai remained calm and nodded.
Cheng Surin scratched his head and stopped asking questions.
All afternoon, the four of them quietly read their own books. As evening approached, Cheng Surin suggested that they go to a state-run restaurant for a meal and a chat. The bookstore was quiet and not a good place to talk, so they didn't exchange more than a few words all afternoon.
Cheng Surin's suggestion was unanimously agreed upon. He He had already told her when she came out that she probably wouldn't be back for dinner that night.
Her aunt and grandmother slipped money into her hand, telling her to have fun with her friends and that Cheng Sulin would take her back afterwards. The state-run restaurant was a bit far from the bookstore, so taking the bus would be more convenient. After waiting for a while, the No. 2 bus that went to the state-run restaurant finally arrived, and the four of them got on the bus.
He He sat with Chen Jingyi; she preferred the window seat. Behind them were Chen Jingbai and Cheng Sulin.
Rongcheng is beautiful at night, with warm yellow streetlights, gray arcade buildings lining both sides of the road, and long, winding arched corridors, with delicate carvings on every brick and tile.
He He turned to Chen Jingbai and asked, "Will you build such a beautiful building in the future?"
Chen Jingbai glanced at the buildings outside the car window, then turned back to look at He He. Her eyes held a clear expectation. "I will study hard, and you can inspect and see if I am satisfied later."
He wanted to design his and He He's home himself.
He He didn't think too deeply about it, "Then I'll wait and see."
Hearing their conversation, Cheng Surin patted Chen Jingbai on the shoulder. "You're good at choosing a major. I see that many places in the provincial capital are building new buildings now. The newspapers say that with the reform and opening up, high-rise buildings are springing up everywhere. The newspapers are always reporting on how tall a building has been built, as if they're competing to see who can build the tallest."
"What we lack most right now is architects, and I think Jingbai will definitely be the first among us to develop this field."
Chen Jingbai: "Thank you for your kind words." He also wanted to become successful as soon as possible.
Chen Jingyi smiled and said, "Xiao Bai has loved tinkering with these buildings since he was a child. Whenever he has time, he hides in his room and uses various tools to build some strange and wonderful buildings."
He He turned her whole body to the back row, her eyes lit up, and looked at Chen Jingbai. "So amazing, then we won't be able to see the buildings you built everywhere on the streets in the future, right?"
With so many high expectations placed on him, Chen Jingbai worried that He He would be disappointed if he didn't reach that level of skill in the future, so he quickly vented his frustration, saying, "I haven't even enrolled yet, and you all have such high hopes. What if no one wants the drawings I made? Wouldn't that disappoint you?"
He He said nonchalantly, "It's okay, I like you no matter what."
Of course Chen Jingbai will succeed. His life trajectory won't change because of his humility or lack of confidence. He's a future big shot, and it looks like he'll be a big shot in the construction industry.
Hearing Cheng Surin say this, it seemed that Chen Jingbai could easily make a fortune, and He He was extremely glad that she had latched onto the big boss's coattails.
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