Chapter 38: Riding a Bicycle "I won't like her."...
"2018.11.8 Sunny"
Summer night, evening breeze, moon, the boy I love wears the scarf I knitted.
Everything is the best.
——Excerpt from Tao Shuran’s Diary
*
Tao Shuran's cheeks flushed red from being teased.
She tried to cover it up by tugging at the collar of her sweatshirt, but it was obviously in vain.
Liang Yuanjing propped up his legs and sat directly on the armrest next to her seat.
His height of nearly 1.9 meters was obviously a bit cramped.
Tao Shuran was startled and quickly stood up to offer him her seat, but he pushed it down lazily.
Liang Yuanjing stood beside her with his arms folded, like a guard, giving her instructions.
"You come up with this."
He raised his chin slightly, looking very relaxed.
"He still has a pair of 2s."
In the past, Tao Shuran had never known that someone could be so good at playing cards that he could calculate all the remaining cards of the opponent.
Zhao Zhengnian held a large number of cards in his hand, and all four roads in front, behind, left and right were blocked.
He was not convinced: "How can we play this game, Liang Yuanjing, you are being a little mean."
Liang Yuanjing tutted, looked over slowly, and spoke in a casual tone.
"If you're not convinced, find one yourself."
"Provocation, huh?"
Zhao Zhengnian threw down the cards and actually picked someone up from the sofa.
Fang Qingyi, who was halfway through playing Snake, was carried over by the waist. She stood there in a daze, and Zhao Zhengnian took her to a seat and sat her down.
He said in a condescending tone, "Come on, help me look at the cards too."
Fang Qingyi looked at him with a smile: "Zhao Zhengnian, do you want to die?"
Zhao Zhengnian: "Five hundred yuan."
Fang Qingyi: "Glad to help."
After five minutes, the field was in chaos.
Zhao Zhengnian couldn't help but point at her cards and complain, "Fang Qingyi, how can you be so stupid? You can't even remember a single card they've dealt."
"Didn't you just tell me that all the jokers were dealt? Why is she still holding two?"
"Really? I don't remember."
Fang Qingyi frowned and muttered, "Oh, I just can't remember, what can I do?"
Her temper flared up and she said, "If you think I'm stupid, don't play with me."
Finally, in the internal conflict between the two of them, Tao Shuran won a game with great difficulty.
Tearing off the note stuck on his forehead, Tao Shuran stared at Liang Yuanjing with shining eyes.
She said, “I won.”
Liang Yuanjing sneered: "You really want to know?"
Tao Shuran hesitated and said, "If you are willing to tell me?"
"If it's you, it doesn't matter if you know."
Liang Yuanjing raised his head and placed his hands on the armrest of the sofa. He sank into the soft cloud-like sofa. His vision lost focus and he stared blankly at the white ceiling.
The dim light shone down, and the whole person felt indescribably depressed.
Tao Shuran sat quietly on the carpet under the sofa, hugging her knees.
In the past few years, she has seen Liang Yuanjing in many ways. She has seen him full of vigor and energy, brave and persistent. But today is the first time she has seen him so cold and decadent.
The room's open fire fireplace produced crackling white noise, and from the adjacent suite came the noisy sounds of everyone singing along.
Only here, quietly, Tao Shuran is ready to be a quiet listener, and also eager to enter his heart.
"During the summer vacation after my senior year of high school, I went to see my dad."
In such a quiet atmosphere, Liang Yuanjing spoke.
"My father and mother have been separated for many years. I always thought that it was a normal process for two people to go from loving each other to not loving each other. Later I found out that it was not the case. They never loved me at all."
"I was born just to complete a mission. The family finally has an heir, so my dad just patted his butt and flew to the United States to live a free life. We met at the airport a while ago. He was holding a woman's hand and holding a little boy in his arms."
Liang Yuanjing's narration was extremely calm, and every word was pronounced perfectly. However, the calmer he was, the more Tao Shuran could see the emotional waves hidden beneath the surface of the lake.
Her heart skipped a beat and she couldn't help but move closer to him.
Liang Yuanjing blinked slowly, feeling the moisture in his dry eyes. He thought that he would never forget the scene that evening in his life.
Liang Shian stood outside the airport holding his young son, a friendly smile on his face. The little boy hugged his neighbor and pointed at the plane in the sky and said crisply:
"Dad, I want to fly a plane when I grow up."
"Oh, what's the point of flying a plane? The training is tiring and dangerous. Our baby should grow up obediently and inherit daddy's company in the future."
Liang Yuanjing had never heard Liang Shian speak to him in such a gentle tone.
That day, he stood there silently. The sun set in the west, and the afterglow of the sunset overlapped into an invisible night sky.
Liang Shian's phone call finally came. He spoke as fast as ever, in authentic and fluent English without any pause, as if talking to him for one more second would be a waste of time.
"I heard from your mom that you came to America? Is it the afternoon flight? Why haven't I seen you yet?"
Liang Yuanjing said silently: "I haven't arrived yet."
"Oh, then don't come."
Liang Shian hung up the phone in a hurry: "There is a time difference here, it would be troublesome for you to come."
In all these years of memories, Liang Yuanjing always remembers a moment he and Liang Shian spent together a long time ago.
He remembered that his tall and straight father raised his arms and lifted the little boy above his head.
At that time, he was amazed at the vastness of the sky and determined to become a pilot and travel through the universe.
Liang Shian's loud voice answered in his ear——
"You will always be Daddy's pride."
Liang Yuanjing sat up, picked up some ice cubes and threw them into the glass, then tilted his head back and drank a sip of the wine.
The corners of his eyes were a little red, and his expression was indifferent. He looked at her with a bit of self-mockery and asked, "What now?"
"Whose pride am I?"
"mine."
Liang Yuanjing answered without hesitation, paused his hand holding the wine glass, raised his eyes, and slowly cast his gaze on her face.
Tao Shuran's heart skipped a beat when he suddenly noticed her gaze.
In the dark and unclear view, she took a deep breath, her whole body tormented by the emotion of wanting him to see her but also being afraid of him seeing her.
I shouldn't have answered so quickly just now, but this was indeed what Tao Shuran was thinking most.
She looked at him seriously and said, "Liang Yuanjing, I have always taken you as my goal."
"So in a way, you're my pride."
Liang Yuanjing didn't expect her to say such a thing.
She had the impression of being very reserved and not one to speak so bluntly. Of course, because of this, the look in her round, almond-shaped eyes when she looked at him seemed particularly sincere and moving.
He smiled, stroking the wall of the glass with his fingertips, then suddenly stood up and threw the lighter in his pocket into her arms.
"I'll leave it to you for safekeeping."
Tao Shuran blinked, then realized the meaning of this sentence.
He actually wanted to quit smoking just because of a few words from her?
When did she become so important in Liang Yuanjing's eyes?
Liang Yuanjing picked up the key on the table with a nonchalant tone.
"It's getting late. I'll take you home."
Tao Shuran said "Oh" obediently, carrying her bag and walking slowly behind him.
"I've been drinking, can I ride this to take you there?"
On the side of the road, Liang Yuanjing pointed to a row of blue shared bicycles next to them and asked her. Tao Shuran was stunned for a moment and nodded.
He took out his cell phone, scanned a car, glanced up at her bag, and reached out to carry it.
He said casually, "What's in your bag? It's so bulging."
Tao Shuran almost forgot that there was a gift for Liang Yuanjing in her bag.
She quickly took it out of her bag, but when it came to actually giving the gift, she suddenly started to get nervous.
Liang Yuanjing had just adjusted the height of his seat, and he stretched out his long legs lazily on the ground. Seeing her hiding something, he deliberately turned his head and looked back.
He smiled and said, "Where's the hidden treasure?"
Tao Shuran handed it over in one go: "This is for you."
"A birthday present?"
He seemed a little surprised. He took it and passed his bony fingers through the beautiful bow tie. The moment the ribbon was pulled open, Tao Shuran seemed to feel her own warm and beating heart being completely exposed in front of him.
Bang bang.
Her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
Liang Yuanjing held the burgundy cashmere scarf in his hand and smiled as he fiddled with the decorative pendant underneath.
He jokingly said, "Hey, is this a kitten's paw print?"
The place where his fingertips pointed was exactly the crooked R she had embroidered. Hearing his teasing tone, Tao Shuran blushed again and again.
Still, I couldn’t help but retort: “It’s letters!”
Liang Yuanjing chuckled and said, "Oh, I thought it was the footprints of a kitten."
“This is the only letter left when I bought it.”
"Well, thank you." Liang Yuanjing put the scarf around his neck. "I like this gift very much."
Tao Shuran's heart was filled with a huge sense of joy.
The person she loved put on the scarf she had knitted herself. She looked at Liang Yuanjing with squinted eyes. In the silent night, the young man was riding his bicycle on the wide road, and his whole body was full of the breath of freedom.
He is a young man who truly shines.
Liang Yuanjing was right. During the time she was with him, her standards for choosing a partner had indeed been raised to a very high level.
Because there has appeared in her life a young man who would rather ride a shared bicycle to take her home because he drank too much.
The moon is bright tonight, and her face is gently caressed by the bright light.
*
After returning to the dormitory, Fang Qingyi quickly called her.
"that's all?"
She was disappointed: "Don't you have any other progress?"
Tao Shuran shook his head, afraid that the military advisor would be too disappointed, and spoke tentatively.
"Does riding together count?"
Fang Qingyi admitted defeat: "You two are so pure in love."
What can we do?
Tao Shuran held the book in her hands and felt that getting Liang Yuanjing to like her was more difficult than getting a perfect score in the final exam.
After November, the countdown to finals week begins.
Tao Shuran suddenly felt short of time, and whenever he had free time without classes, he would stay in the library to study.
She heard that Liang Yuanjing's training frequency had also increased, and she hadn't run into him at school for a long time.
After finishing the last basic archaeology class in the afternoon, Tao Shuran followed Lin Tingzhou back to her apartment near the school to get tools.
The incident started from a calligraphy and painting mounting class some time ago. The tools she bought were not suitable and she always made mistakes in practice.
Lin Tingzhou remembered that he had a set of old tools at home and asked her to take them back after class.
Tao Shuran was flattered and kept declining.
Unexpectedly, Lin Tingzhou looked at her and said, "I have been paying attention to your grades."
"To be honest, I've been cultivating you as a good seedling in my heart."
This is my second time visiting Lin Tingzhou’s home, and it’s no different from before.
There were a few more pairs of white sneakers at the entrance, familiar styles. Tao Shuran couldn't help but linger his gaze for two more seconds.
Lin Tingzhou brought a stack of paper and a horseshoe knife and gave her the simplest task - scraping the paper.
As the name suggests, it is to use a horseshoe knife to remove excess materials such as straw sticks, coal, etc. on the paper. In the actual operation, you must pay attention to the strength and not scratch the paper.
This job actually involves practicing basic skills, which requires not only carefulness but also steady hands.
Tao Shuran certainly wanted this opportunity to have some private lessons.
She calmed down, held the knife and began to scrape methodically.
He didn't notice anyone opening the door.
Liang Yuanjing changed his shoes and walked into the house. When he turned a corner, he found a small person lying on the coffee table in the living room.
He stared at her for a few seconds, but didn't disturb her. He walked over slowly and sat down cross-legged beside her.
The loose hair fell down and blocked his view. Tao Shuran freed his hands to fix it several times, but the disobedient hair was always pressed down and fell off again.
Liang Yuanjing reached out and held her hair, his movements very naturally.
Tao Shuran stood there in a daze. The knife he was holding became blunt and scratched a dent on the rough paper.
Lin Tingzhou, who had just changed his clothes, was also shocked.
In my memory, Liang Yuanjing was cold and distant. He was too lazy to even give a good face to girls of the same age, let alone condescend to do such a thing as taking care of others.
Lin Tingzhou coughed and said, "Liang Yuanjing, come in for a moment."
…
In the study on the second floor, Liang Yuanjing sat lazily, his eyes casually fixed on a lifelike airplane model on the display cabinet.
Lin Tingzhou asked him directly: "I heard from my classmates at school that you are recently dating Tao Shuran from my class?"
"Didn't you say you wouldn't date before graduating from college? Now tell me what you mean."
Liang Yuanjing leaned his hands on the cabinet and spoke in a lazy tone.
"Dating is real, love is fake."
He roughly told Lin Tingzhou about the matter, probably just to report it. After all, Tao Shuran was also taking classes under her, so he was considered half a student.
Liang Yuanjing chuckled softly, his tone generous.
"She really likes cultural relic restoration. Please take good care of her."
"I treat her as my sister."
Lin Tingzhou glared at them: "Only young people like you can come up with such a ridiculous idea and pretend to be a couple."
"Liang Yuanjing, I think you're going to fail."
"How is that possible?"
Liang Yuanjing's eyebrows were raised, and the youthful vigor that could not be concealed was about to overflow.
"In two years, I'll be going to Aviation University for closed-door training. You'll have to look up if you want to see me again then. Otherwise, how about I sign an autograph for you in advance?"
Lin Tingzhou was amused by his mischievous look. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes showed the traces of time. In a trance, she seemed to see her lover slowly walking towards her.
At that time, she was his loyal fan. She tore off the first page of the notebook and shyly asked him for his autograph.
He didn't sign at that time, and she was a little confused and sad. Later on the day of their wedding, he said that her first signature should be left on the certificate with the big red seal.
The love of youth is indeed the most beautiful and moving memory.
Thinking of this, Lin Tingzhou's gaze fell back on Liang Yuanjing's face.
Asked softly: "You really don't like her at all?"
…
In the living room, Tao Shuran had already cleaned up all the papers.
Recalling the cold voice of Lin Tingzhou when he came out just now, Tao Shuran's heart was pounding, feeling nervous and uneasy.
The news of her relationship with Liang Yuanjing could not be concealed.
This master, who is known for his seriousness in the restoration industry, is said to have very strict family education and family traditions. I wonder if he will scold Liang Yuanjing after knowing this news.
After all, Liang Yuanjing said that there is no plan for love in his life plan.
But they fall in love just to eliminate the risks of love.
Liang Yuanjing's rebellious personality probably made him too lazy to explain.
Thinking of this, Tao Shuran could no longer sit still. She took a deep breath and walked bravely to the second floor, ready to take the initiative to confess to Lin Tingzhou.
But when I stepped onto the last staircase to the second floor, I could clearly hear the sound of conversation coming from the room.
Subconsciously, Tao Shuran turned around and was about to leave.
But Liang Yuanjing's voice froze her in place.
In the room, Lin Tingzhou questioned, "So how do you feel about her now?"
Tao Shuran heard Liang Yuanjing's voice very clearly. His emotions were like the innocent heart of a young boy, without any disguise, frank and clear, with love and hate clearly distinguished.
This also makes Tao Shuran's secret love even more bitter.
On this cold winter night, he finally gave an answer to the love he had felt when cicadas were chirping in summer.
Liang Yuanjing said in a calm tone: "I won't like her."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Liang Yuanjing, you won’t be able to stay this arrogant for many days!
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