Level 1
"Ah?" Jian Jianan's first reaction was that something was wrong.
Why was Shan Jiqing so reluctant when I asked him to stay over to rest tonight, but when I extended the weekly invitation, Shan Jiqing agreed to stay without hesitation?
She instinctively felt that something was wrong.
But soon, Jian Jianan immediately forgot all the abnormalities due to the sweet words of his friends.
"Nannan, what do you want to eat tomorrow? Shall I go to the nearest vegetable market to buy some vegetables?"
"Great, great. I have a lot of food in my mind, but I'll eat whatever you cook. I'm not picky. It would be great if you could make some local delicacies. After all, when in Rome, do as the Romans do!"
Jian Jiannan, who claimed to be a non-picky eater, immediately started ordering dishes. "Well, if they had blanched choy sum, that would be even better. I'd also like some seafood, but I wonder how local New York restaurants cook fish?"
Shan Jiqing nodded in agreement after hearing all of this, saying he'd taken it all to heart. "Okay, okay, okay, since you want to eat some, let's go buy some more fish tomorrow."
Jian Jianan went to bed happily, and his dreams were all about the big meal that Shan Jiqing was going to prepare for him tomorrow!
Shan Jiqing and Jian Jianan spent seven wonderful days together. They lived in the same house but slept in two different rooms.
Logically speaking, Jian Jianan, an adult woman, should be a little cautious when staying in the same room with an adult man. Even if she is not cautious, she will still feel some discomfort.
But what was very strange was that Jian Jianan didn't think there was a problem at all. She didn't know if it was because Shan Jiqing's temperament was too harmless or because the two had known each other for so long, but she just didn't think there was any problem at all.
Shan Jiqing gets up early every morning. He first runs a few laps downstairs to exercise his body. After getting familiar with the environment, he comes back with breakfast.
Jian Jianan usually wakes up to eat breakfast prepared by Shan Jiqing every day. Most of the time it is coffee and a sandwich, but occasionally when he is in a good mood, he will cook it himself. At this time, Jian Jianan can eat a medium-rare soft-boiled egg and his own fried dough sticks and soy milk.
Shan Jiqing did keep his promise to Su Qinxuan and the others, "I will take care of Nannan. When she returns, I promise that she won't lose even a centimeter of weight because of the bad food."
Not to mention losing weight, under Shan Jiqing's skillful hands, Jian Jianan even felt that his weight was increasing.
Seven days was enough time for the two of them to get to know the environment around their respective universities. They were ready and everything was in place, now they were just waiting for school to start.
Seven days later, Jian Jianan stood at the door of the apartment and reluctantly bid farewell to Shan Jiqing.
"Xiaoqing! School starts tomorrow. Go home and have a good rest today. You'll definitely need to use your brain a lot later on, so don't overwork yourself."
Jian Jianan's taste buds have been spoiled by Shan Jiqing's cooking these days. She couldn't believe how hard it would be to eat after school starts without Shan Jiqing's company, especially the delicious dishes he cooked.
Shan Jiqing, carrying his luggage with his suit jacket hanging in his arm, said goodbye to Jian Jianan who was standing on the steps.
He said gently, "I know. I'm already such a grown-up, how can I not take care of myself? But you, your sleep and daytime routine has been so reversed during the time I've been at home. When I'm gone and there's no one to supervise you, I can't imagine how lawless you will be!"
Shan Jiqing stretched out his finger and lightly tapped Jian Jianan's head: "If you continue like this, I can't promise that I won't tell your uncle and aunt. If I come over this weekend and see that you haven't changed this bad habit and you still have two dark circles under your eyes, I promise you, I will definitely complain to your uncle and aunt."
Jian Jianan curled his lips and complained in his heart that he was a little nagging. Why did he like to complain so much? Besides, they were my parents, not your parents!
But thinking of the delicious dishes he had cooked in the past few days, Jian Jianan didn't say it out loud. He nodded very sensibly and agreed immediately.
"Alright, alright, don't worry! Things were a little unusual a few days ago, and I was a little worried when I first arrived here, so I couldn't sleep. Now everything is back on track, and I will definitely study hard from now on. You don't have to worry about my schedule at all."
Shan Jiqing didn't believe it. He had seen Jian Jianan staying up until six in the morning, and then getting up to eat breakfast in high spirits. He didn't know how Jian Jianan could be like a perpetual motion machine and never need to rest. Wouldn't she feel tired?
Shan Jiqing was still trying to scare her: "Just keep it in mind, otherwise, when I find out, I will definitely correct it!"
"Let's go. My taxi is here. I'll call you after I get back to the dormitory and pack up." No matter how reluctant he was, Shan Jiqing saw that the taxi he called had arrived, so he could only say goodbye to Jian Jianan. Arriving here was a real farewell.
Looking back on those seven days, everything seemed like a dream.
Shan Jiqing couldn't imagine how he could have deserved to be in the same room with Jian Jianan.
Even in the beautiful dreams he had before, he didn't even dare to think about such a scene.
He and Jian Jianan spent seven days decorating an empty apartment into a cozy and livable one. They pushed a shopping cart around the mall, buying furniture one by one and filling up the spacious house bit by bit.
When Jian Jianan stood on tiptoe to reach out for her favorite snacks, Shan Jiqing was looking at her back. They were both in a trance for a moment. Why did this scene look so much like a newlywed couple shopping together in a mall?
It was even more similar when Jian Jianan turned around and called his name softly, "Shan Jiqing, what are you looking at?"
Shan Jiqing got into a taxi. He sat in the back seat and watched Jian Jianan's apartment getting farther and farther away from him, then suddenly chuckled.
It's okay. The beautiful dreams he had never had before are now coming true bit by bit. He always has a premonition that the moment when Jian Jianan will come to his senses is not far away.
After Jian Jianan said goodbye to Shan Jiqing, he stood on the high steps and watched his car going farther and farther away. Once it turned the corner, he could no longer see it.
She sighed and walked back to her apartment listlessly. The moment she opened the door, she touched her empty stomach and seemed to still smell the strange fragrance left by breakfast.
Really, Shan Jiqing hadn’t even left yet, but Jian Jianan already felt a little hungry.
Oh, this is really worrying. Even if Shan Jiqing wants to come, he has to wait until the weekend. I won’t be able to taste his cooking for five whole days!
Jian Jianan welcomed the first day of school with thoughts of his friends' craftsmanship.
Soon, she couldn't even care about this thought, because Jian Jianan found that she, who thought she was fully prepared for this study abroad, actually failed at the first hurdle - language!
How is it possible! Jian Jianan didn't believe it at all.
Even if she doesn't plan to study abroad, she has been practicing English since she was a child in China, and her oral and grammar have been tested and verified, so there is absolutely no problem with her.
But seeing is believing, and thousands of theories cannot compare to personal practice. Jian Jianan stepped into the university classroom with full confidence, and then suffered the biggest Waterloo in the first class.
"Hello everyone, I am Professor Luhmann of your course..."
Jian Jianan widened her eyes and waited attentively for the teacher to start teaching. Then she found that except for the first sentence of the self-introduction, she could not understand any of the rest of the class content!
The teacher speaks too fast! The teacher speaks too fast!
“@#$%&…”
ah?
Ah?
Ahhhh?
During the break in the class, the teacher asked them to look at the cases in the book. Jian Jianan understood what he said, but before he had even looked for five minutes, the teacher on the stage started talking like a machine gun spitting bullets.
“&*%$#…”
I don’t understand again!
After the class, Jian Jianan was completely confused. Not only did he not want to learn any knowledge, he didn't even understand the words!
During the one-hour class, Jian Jianan only understood the final closing remarks, apart from the teacher's self-introduction and greetings. Then, he said "see you" in a daze, and the whole class ended like that.
At the end of the first class, Jian Jianan stood in the campus of New York University. The blond-haired and blue-eyed students were lying on the school lawn and playing, but she had no intention of resting at all. She was in a hurry to go to the classroom for the next class!
As she hurried over, she comforted herself, "Xiao Jian, it's okay. This morning's situation was very special. Maybe the teacher has a heavy accent, so I couldn't understand. You'll be able to understand in the next class."
However, in the next class, Jian Jianan still listened to the teacher's explanation as if he was listening to a foreign language.
“*$%&#…”
As she listened, her eyes became red with envy.
After a day and all the classes were over, Jian Jianan came to a conclusion with a sad heart. She found that she really couldn't understand what the teacher was saying in class.
One reason is that they speak too fast. Unlike in English classes in China where the teacher deliberately slows down the speaking speed, the teacher speaks very slowly and clearly in class, and every word is in very standard American and English.
But when he actually started the class, Jian Jianan discovered that no real native English speakers spoke like that. They all spoke very fast. Not only did they speak fast, but many times each teacher would bring their own accent.
This is normal. There are dozens of states in the continental United States, and the teachers come from different places, so naturally they have different accents.
Because of the accent, even if the teachers slowed down their lectures, Jian Jianan still couldn't understand.
“How could this happen!!!”
She almost wanted to scream to the sky. Jian Jianan was walking on the way back to her apartment. Her apartment was quite close to the main campus of New York University. This was also a factor that her parents had specially considered before buying that apartment for her.
Jian Jianan walked back to the apartment with heavy steps. As soon as she entered her home, she slowly slid down the door and sat on the ground for a long time, unwilling to move.
Jian Jianan never imagined that obstacles would suddenly appear on the road she had anticipated. She had thought that there might be many difficulties in studying abroad, but she didn't know that the first hurdle would be the language barrier!
You have to know that when she was in China, she learned English and hired a foreign coach to teach her spoken English. She prepared so well that she thought everything would be fine.
Jian Jianan was already well prepared to come to the new university and learn new knowledge, but she found on the first day that, let alone learning new knowledge, she couldn't even understand a single thing the teacher said in class!
Jian Jianan finished the salad and sandwich he bought with no taste in his mouth, and then called his parents to report what he saw and heard on his first day of school.
"Everything is fine, of course it's fine. Everything went well on the first day of school. I didn't encounter any problems. It was a perfect first day!"
"Of course there will be some things that I'm not used to, but Mom and Dad, you have to believe that your daughter has plenty of ways to get through it. This little difficulty can still be overcome."
Jian Jianan's energetic voice came back from the other end of the phone. After hearing their daughter's narration, both parents felt relieved.
However, after hanging up the phone, Jian Jianan covered his face and slumped on the sofa.
Her head was still buzzing, the aftereffect of hearing so much talk in class today.
Even when she was sleeping, her brain was replaying what she had heard during the day, and she couldn't fall asleep.
This won’t do, absolutely not.
Jian Jianan thought about it and decided to find a way to overcome the language barrier as soon as he got up the next day.
However, the language barrier is not something that can be overcome easily. Even if you are determined to overcome it, it is not a problem that can be solved in a day or two.
The next day, Jian Jianan still couldn't understand the questions in class.
"It's so hard, so hard, really so hard. I can't understand anything they're saying in class. The teacher rambles on for a long time, then looks expectantly at the students below and tells us to have a free discussion. But I don't even understand what he's talking about, so what can we discuss?"
During lunch, a friend who I had just met for a few days was complaining to Jian Jianan.
Another friend nodded in agreement, "Yeah, yeah, that's right! I don't understand what they're saying either! Plus, my teacher was so welcoming and hospitable. He told me I was an international exchange student and that he needed to pay more attention to my studies, wanting me to feel the warmth of a big family in a foreign country. He also told me to tell him if I had any questions. But how could I tell him? Should I tell him I didn't understand a word?"
Jian Jianan nodded, agreeing particularly. "That's right, I have a teacher in one of my classes who is just as hospitable and enthusiastic. He probably wants to fulfill his duty as a teacher and feels that he should take special care of me as an international student. Every time he asks a question, he ignores the students who raise their hands to answer. He even turns a blind eye to the students who raise their hands high, and then turns his head to stare at me, looking at me expectantly, as if waiting for my answer. But I don't even know the specific meaning of the question he just asked, so how can I answer it? Every time I lower my head and turn a blind eye, feeling really guilty! It's like I've mistrusted his enthusiasm."
Jian Jianan was very empathetic. "One of my classes was taught by an Indian-American professor. When he lectured, he'd always bring out his accent from his hometown in a hurry. I couldn't hear him clearly, and every time I finished class, I'd pack my bag in a daze. And I wasn't alone. I paid special attention to the students around me and found that they couldn't hear clearly either. They were often chattering and trying to ask each other questions. As soon as I saw them whispering, I knew they couldn't understand at all!"
An older man said with deep emotion, "Yes, yes, I experienced everything you just said when I first arrived here. It really resonates with me. Who would have thought that all the English classes I spent so much money and effort on back home would be completely useless here? At most, I can only utter a few words when ordering in a restaurant!"
Jian Jianan humbly asked the elder brother for advice: "Brother Huang, I see you've been here for over a year now, and you speak English quite fluently, and you have no problem communicating in daily life. Do you have any tips?"
The people who are having dinner with Jian Jianan now are also people who came from China for exchange studies. As for why she can meet so many people, they all met in a Chinese mutual aid association in Chinatown. It is said that every Chinese who comes to the United States to study or live can seek help here. Even if you don’t need help, you can get first-hand information by joining this big family. It is very convenient.
Of course, Jian Jianan and Shan Jiqing had no reason to refuse.
Since China began its reform and opening-up policy in 1978, it has opened up channels for students to study abroad with the United States. Since then, exchanges between the two countries have increased, and more Chinese students have gone to study in the United States.
This older brother's situation is a bit special. He was one of the first people to come to the United States in 1978 when the country just opened the channel for studying abroad. He was no longer a college student at the time, but he still got this place as an outstanding activist.
This guy worked in a management bureau before going abroad, but if you ask him which management bureau he worked for, he won't reveal more.
Jian Jianan only knew that this elder brother was not successful when he was in the Administration. He once said that if he had to stay there for the rest of his life, he would die of depression. Therefore, he signed up on the first day when the news of studying abroad was announced, and he passed the selection and was sent here.
As one of the first people to study abroad, the life experience of this elder brother is very helpful to Jian Jianan. Fortunately, this elder brother is warm and generous, and often organizes gatherings for newcomers to the United States every year to provide them with help.
This year was no exception. On the second day of school, the older brother invited several new students from New York University and nearby communities to have dinner together in the school cafeteria. It was a small gathering, and they could ask the older brother any questions they had.
After hearing Jian Jianan's question, the others also wanted to know the answer, and looked at the big brother with curiosity and thirst for knowledge.
The elder brother thought for a moment and said, "If you want to improve your spoken English, there are many ways to do it. It all depends on whether you are willing to humble yourself and study hard."
Jian Jianan quickly made a decision and assured himself that he had the perseverance and determination. "Brother Huang, don't worry. Studying abroad is something we've dreamed of, and so many people are looking forward to it. As long as there's a way, we'll definitely work hard to learn. You came here earlier, have been here longer, have more experience, and know more than us. The method you're talking about will definitely be very useful and will be of great help to us. Just tell us!"
Huang then slowly spoke, "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but when I first came to the United States, I couldn't even say hello or order food! My accent was really weird back then, and I'd get laughed at almost anyone I spoke to. For the first month, I was completely frustrated and dejected, even feeling hopeless. I wondered what the point of going abroad was, and I might as well just continue enjoying life back home."
"Later, my mother in China called me and told me she had broken her bone again and had spent all her pension money on hospital treatment. I thought, this is not going to work. My family member is sick and I don't even have the money to treat him. So I dare not continue to be lazy. If I can't speak well, I will practice. If I can't talk to people, I will speak."
Jian Jianan listened slowly one by one and concluded that Brother Huang's method of practicing oral English mainly relied on three words: speak.
Although "speak out" is only three words, you should not underestimate these three words.
These three words contain face and courage, but not everyone has them, and not everyone has the courage to put them into practice.
But who was Jian Jianan? She had been helping her parents set up stalls since she was little. When her parents, both in their forties, were reluctant to shout out their wares out of shame, she would pull her brother along and start shouting. The word "face" was the last thing on her mind.
"After learning from my mistakes, I decided to practice speaking. The most important thing about speaking is practicing with other people. Pay attention to the people you come into contact with in your daily life—cashiers, teachers, teaching assistants, classmates—it doesn't matter. As long as you're not afraid of being laughed at or looked at strangely, and speak boldly, I guarantee you'll have excellent spoken English within three months."
"Of course, I can't guarantee that your spoken English will be error-free after three months of practice, but at least you should have no problem communicating in daily life."
Jian Jianan was most concerned about one point: "Can you understand what the teacher says in class?"
The older man took a bite of his salad, his face full of memories. "In six months, I guarantee you'll be able to tell the difference between Southern and Northern accents. Understanding the lectures will be a piece of cake."
Jian Jianan felt relieved, and she was ready to continue practicing according to this method.
Five days passed in a flash. Jian Jianan was so busy that he felt dizzy and had no time to think about what day it was.
When Jian Jianan woke up in the morning that day, he twitched his nose and smelled the breakfast coming from the kitchen at home.
She hadn't even woken up yet. In her half-asleep state, she was still thinking incredulously, "Did someone make me breakfast? I've never heard of snail girls in America."
As a result, when Jian Jianan went to the kitchen, he found that it was Shan Jiqing who came.
Shan Jiqing not only came. He also made breakfast for Jian Jianan the first thing he did when he arrived at her house. Hearing the sound of Jian Jianan dragging her slippers closer, Shan Jiqing turned around and smiled brightly.
"Nannan, are you awake? Go rinse your mouth. Wait five minutes and my toast will be ready."
It turns out that it’s not the snail girl, but the snail boy!
Faced with such considerate service, Jian Jianan could only abruptly squeeze out an "Ah?" from his throat.
"Why...why are you here?" Jian Jianan was still in a daze. She didn't understand why Shan Jiqing came to her house so early in the morning.
Shan Jiqing thought Jian Jianan was very cute when he saw her dazed look. Even the ahoge that couldn't be suppressed after a whole night's sleep and stood up on her head was very cute.
"Didn't you invite me here? I told you last week that I'd come over every weekend if I was free. After all, you're the only person I know in America, and I don't know where to find family warmth in a foreign country. You know how easy it is to get lonely alone. You wouldn't... not welcome me, would you?"
Jian Jianan shook his head repeatedly and denied: "No, no, no, that's not what I meant."
"Welcome, welcome, of course you're welcome. And I can't thank you enough for coming here to help me improve my meals. But I'm worried you'll be tired. It'll take quite a while to get from your school to my place. Will you be tired from such a long journey?"
Shan Jiqing shook his head and said gently, "I'm not tired, no, how could I be tired? It's just a few subway stops and then a bus ride. It's really close. Besides, being able to be your guest is like undergoing psychological healing. This kind of psychological warmth is something that outsiders can't buy even if they spend a lot of money."
Shan Jiqing is still so good at talking. Jian Jianan was immediately coaxed into a tizzy by his few words. After washing up, they sat down together to eat the breakfast he had carefully prepared.
The two chatted together, talking about recent events. When Shan Jiqing heard that Jian Jianan wanted to improve his spoken English, at least to have no obstacles in daily communication, he nodded repeatedly.
"That's right. This is very important. We can't be complacent and become cowards when we find that we can't understand what others are saying. I also want to practice speaking with you, Nannan."
Jian Jianan sympathized and said, "That's right. I don't ask for beautiful or profound speech, I just want to understand what the teacher is saying. I spent a week listening to classes and experienced every accent, linking method, and personal habits of over 50 states in the United States. Not only American English, but also Indian English and Japanese English. I really can't understand it!"
Shan Jiqing was amused when he heard Jian Jianan ask him, "How is it? Xiaoqing, have you had any difficulties in class this week? Besides speaking."
Shan Jiqing thought for a moment, shook his head, and said sincerely, "Not much. In fact, even if I don't understand the content in class, I can roughly sort it out by following the ideas in the experiment. But you don't use this method in business school. You need to look at case studies and various analyses. The teacher's lecture content and explanations are very important to you. Let's find a way to make sure you can understand the content."
The two of them came up with an idea: use weekends and other free time to wander around indoors, chatting up people wherever they went. Jian Jianan immediately decided to take action today, as he thought it was better to do it today.
Jian Jianan and Shan Jiqing packed themselves up, each holding a cup of coffee, and went out to explore the city.
The weather is so nice today, it’s perfect for a walk in the park!
The two of them first took the bus and asked passers-by which bus could go to Central Park. When they got off the bus, Jian Jianan and Shan Jiqing unfolded the map and were surprised to find that they were lost.
"Forget it, forget it. I can't understand the map anyway. We can just grab a random passerby and ask for directions. If one person doesn't want to, we can ask the next person."
I don't know what hit Shan Jiqing's funny bone, but he suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahahaha! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! What does it mean to 'catch' a passerby?"
Jian Jianan was furious and said, "Oh, you're so annoying! Why are you trying to imitate me? As long as you understand, that's all!"
The two of them asked for directions all the way and finally arrived at their destination, New York's Central Park.
"I've discovered that when I asked people questions and listened to their answers, I could understand them myself, and they also understood my questions, which means there's nothing wrong with what I said. I also understood their answers, which shows that at a normal speaking speed, communication is fine."
Jian Jianan frowned and was seriously summarizing the reasons.
Shan Jiqing offered his opinion, "That's right. Have you considered another point? When you ask for directions, while there's some communication, it's short-term. You both don't say many words, usually just a dozen or so. But teachers often lecture at length, often extending a single point for twenty minutes. That's where your difficulty lies: you can't understand the dense, rapid flow of speech."
"Yes, that's right."
Jian Jianan was very distressed. She originally wanted to follow the advice given by Brother Huang and talk to others more often to practice her ability to speak boldly. At the same time, she could also practice her listening skills. At least next week in class, she should understand what the teacher was talking about.
However, she only now discovered where her shortcomings lay, and she definitely wouldn't be able to figure it out in the next two days.
Just when Jian Jianan was frowning, he didn't notice that Shan Jiqing reached into the inner pocket of his coat and then produced two paper tickets like a magic trick.
Jian Jianan looked surprised: "What is this? Is there a performance?"
Shan Jiqing nodded with a smile: "Yes, there is a big theater near Central Park. I saw in the newspaper a few days ago that there will be a performance of Macbeth in the theater tonight. I wonder if I have invited the beautiful lady in front of me to watch it?"
Before Jian Jianan could decide whether to agree or not, Shan Jiqing quickly added, "Plays written entirely in English are very helpful for improving your listening skills. The actors are all professionally trained, and they speak clearly and quickly. Although we can't completely simulate your classroom environment, we can practice from easy to difficult. Once you can understand the entire play, I believe you won't be afraid of class anymore."
Shan Jiqing's hands, which were holding the two drama tickets, were slightly sweaty. In his sight, Jian Jianan was facing against the light, and Shan Jiqing could not make out the expression on her face at all, nor did he know whether she agreed or not in the end.
Just as Shan Jiqing's heartbeat was pounding, Jian Jianan reached out and gently grabbed one of the drama tickets, nodding with a smile: "Okay, I promise you, let's go to the drama together tonight."
Shan Jiqing beamed. "After watching the play, we can have dinner at a nearby bar. Don't worry, the bar I found is definitely a serious one, with no outlandish performances. Besides, every Saturday night, guests who spend money on alcohol can watch a talk show for free."
Jian Jianan immediately understood Shan Jiqing's good intentions. What could be better than a talk show to improve listening skills?
Drama actors speak clearly and take the audience's ears into consideration to the greatest extent possible, but stand-up comedians will not speak to you slowly, word by word. They often speak very quickly, throwing out one joke after another.
Jian Jianan also felt that going to Tianyi to perform a talk show would help him better adapt to the fast-paced classroom environment.
"You are so thoughtful!" Jian Jianan said with emotion. Apart from the word thoughtful, she didn't know how to describe the ambitious Shan Jiqing. She felt that she was so lucky to be able to study abroad with Shan Jiqing and to have him by her side!
Shan Jiqing was extremely humble in front of Jian Jianan, not even slightly complacent. "No, no, actually, sometimes I don't understand what the teacher is saying. I consulted the seniors who came to the school for further studies a few years ago. They told me a method that I think both of us really need."
Shan Jiqing and Jian Jianan spent a very pleasant evening.
When watching the opera, Jian Jianan originally thought that he would continue to listen to the performer's pronunciation and language word by word as he did at the beginning, to judge how much he had mastered the sentence. However, as the performance got better and better, Jian Jianan found that he had completely forgotten his initial thoughts and was completely immersed in the performance.
After watching the opera, Shan Jiqing dragged her to a small bar nearby. Just as Shan Jiqing had said before, there were no unusual performances in this bar, which was completely different from the lively situation next door.
There was a jazz band playing inside. Shan Jiqing ordered a meal for two for Jian Jianan and himself, and then they waited for the talk show together.
It has to be said that stand-up comedy performers are more contagious. After listening to the entire talk show, Jian Jianan found that compared with the opera just now, although he did not understand most of the words, when the performers laughed, he would laugh along and his mood became much happier.
After a full day of dating, the two of them agreed to take the subway back to the apartment building.
While waiting for the subway, Shan Jiqing suddenly leaned over to Jian Jianan's ear and asked her, "How is it? After a day's journey tonight, are you feeling any better?"
Jian Jianan then looked at him strangely and asked in surprise, "So you arranged so much tonight just to make me feel better?"
Shan Jiqing didn't answer her question directly, but evaded the question: "Coming from China and suddenly arriving in an unfamiliar environment, you're bound to feel a little uncomfortable at first, but don't be afraid. We can overcome any difficulties together. Brother Huang's words are very helpful. I also think that being exposed to the same environment more often will help you integrate into it more quickly. There's an opera and a talk show tonight, just enjoy it!"
Jian Jianan nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, I am very happy to see it!"
Shan Jiqing chuckled and wiped his nose with his hand, as if a little embarrassed. "Just be happy. We can watch it again next week. I heard from my classmates that there will be another opera performance next week. I think it's the famous 'Don Giovanni'?"
Jian Jianan didn't answer. She stared at Shangjinxin blankly, not knowing what she was thinking. September in New York was the transition period to autumn. Jian Jianan and Shan Jiqing were both wearing windbreakers with short sleeves.
The difference is that Jian Jianan is wearing a long beige trench coat, while Shan Jiqing is wearing a short black trench coat. But even though the colors are different, the two people, one tall and one short, standing together look very harmonious to anyone who sees them.
"What's wrong?" Shan Jiqing noticed Jian Jianan's long gaze and turned his head slightly to ask her.
Jian Jianan lowered his head, kicked the can in front of him, and whispered, "It's okay, I just suddenly wanted to see you."
Shan Jiqing nodded and said seriously, "Don't be so shy. If you want to look, just look up. I'm not like some money-grubber who charges money for just one look at me!"
Jian Jianan burst out laughing, and she immediately remembered the source of Shan Jiqing's words.
As Su Qinxuan and Jian Yangbie's business grew, they often attracted many people to visit during the Lunar New Year. One year, when a family came to visit, their son kept staring at Jian Jianan's face with a gaze that was not at all kind. Jian Jianan subconsciously became annoyed and raised his head to ask, "Do you like it? If you do, don't look at it, or I'll charge you!"
"So what happened to you just now?" Shan Jiqing was still a little worried about Jian Jianan's daze just now.
"I just figured something out. Don't worry."
Jian Jianan looked up and smiled. That’s right, she just figured out some things.
"Then I'll go back first?"
The two of them walked downstairs of the apartment building. Shan Jiqing was still thinking of using the same trick again. He said the above words after he sent her to the door, and then waited for Jian Jianan to ask him to stay.
Unexpectedly, Jian Jianan nodded seriously: "Okay, then go back to the dormitory, I won't keep you here."
ah?
Ahhhh?
What's going on?
This is completely different from what Shan Jiqing expected!
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