Chapter 27

◎Happy Christmas Eve◎

This year was a warm winter, with no snow, and even in the coldest days, there was no need to wear a down jacket.

This year, it became popular among college students to celebrate Western festivals. The standard procedure was to go to a cheap and not authentic Western restaurant for a meal, eat a sizzling steak with borscht, go shopping in the underground mall after eating and drinking, buy some scarves, dolls, and mobile phone chains with a festive atmosphere, queue up to take a photo, and happily stick it on the back of the flip phone.

Zhu Yao was crazy and insisted on spending Christmas Eve with Du Ningyang and Xu Zhaolin. They didn't go to the same university, and it can be said that they went their separate ways to some extent.

But the distance was not far, and it could be reached by three bus transfers.

Huaicheng is crossed by the Huai River and is divided into two areas, the south and the north of the city. Before the cross-river subway was built, the south and the north of the city had never interacted with each other.

Du Ningyang is studying at Huaicheng Academy of Fine Arts, which is located south of the Huaijiang River. She was admitted to the oil painting major. Zhu Yao and Xu Zhaolin are studying in two unknown colleges in the university town north of the Huaijiang River, one studying animation and the other studying landscape design.

Sketching in Xicun is like the climax of a warm and reunion. Since the bus returned, after dropping off one student after another at one platform after another, the prelude to separation has gradually opened. Starting from the prelude of leaving without saying goodbye, Huaili’s classmates left the studio one after another after completing their portfolios and applications, or joined language classes, or went abroad;

peers and repeaters who were not successful in cultural courses have joined in one after another, and some people could not bear the pressure and dropped out of school. As

expected, Shu Lixiang and Pei Pei broke up at the end of the same year. How sweet it was in the summer, how ugly it was in the winter.

From this point of view, the trio is still solid and stable. They were together from beginning to end, being college scum together, studying late at night together, and entering the college entrance examination together. It was just that when they finally chose their volunteers, they still couldn't stay together as they wished.

Du Ningyang performed exceptionally well, and passed the admission line of Huaimei University, but she could only choose the majors that others chose. She originally wanted to write a good comprehensive school in the university town as her first choice, but Zhu Yao and Xu Zhaolin tried their best to dissuade her and asked her to write Huaimei first. They supported her to try, saying that at worst they could ride a motorcycle to visit her later.

But these two unreliable people seemed to have made a promise to the ghost. Only three months after the start of the university, they decided to have dinner at the western restaurant in Huaibei Shopping Mall on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve fell on Friday, and dinner fell on the weekend. Du Ningyang planned to skip an afternoon class and go to the bus stop in advance.

She dressed very beautifully, combing all the hair on her forehead to the back, revealing a full and delicate forehead and widow's peak. She wore a popular off-white waisted down jacket, and narrow-leg jeans tucked into brown high boots, looking slender and energetic in the bloated winter.

As soon as she left the classroom, she ran into Jin Zhenqi, who was leaning against the window in the corridor reading a book with his backpack on his back. He looked up sharply when he heard footsteps, and his eyes behind the lenses sparkled with a hint of pride, as if he had foreseen the future.

"It's agreed that I will go to Beijing Business School with you," he put a beautiful little paper box in her hand, and inside the box was a bright red apple.

"Thanks, no, no," Du Ningyang stuffed the apple into his small messenger bag and walked forward quickly, "No one will care about you if you go there, it's pitiful for you to eat alone."

"There are many people during the festival, and the buses are crowded. I'm worried about you going alone..." Jin Zhenqi insisted on following Du Ningyang, "I have friends there too, don't worry about me having no one to play with, oh - classmate Du, can I understand that you care about me and can't bear to let me spend the festival alone?"

This man is too imaginative and playful, Du Ningyang has no way to deal with him, nodded, "Then let's go, don't blame me for not telling you in advance if you are squeezed into pieces."

Jin Zhenqi is Du Ningyang's senior in the same department, and has been pursuing Du Ningyang for more than a month. In the exaggerated male-female ratio of the Academy of Fine Arts, he is a rare and precious high-quality boy. He is not very tall, about 1.75 meters, a head taller than her, but he has a good proportion and looks tall; he wears a pair of metal-rimmed glasses, looks gentle, and has a warm smile. He has been a good student since he was a child, and he is not rebellious at all.

Zhu Yao and Xu Zhaolin instigated Du Ningyang to agree as soon as possible, otherwise he would be intercepted by others and would miss the chance.

"If we don't talk now, we won't be able to talk later."

"If you don't want to talk, introduce someone to me."

"If he talks to someone else, I guarantee you will cry."

Du Ningyang tapped on the phone keyboard and said, "I know, I know, shut up."

However, she always felt that she was not good enough for Jin Zhenqi. Although he was considerate and patient, he was just a little short of it. But she didn't dislike him. If he officially confessed to her, she would agree to him.

"You are so cruel. You really don't plan to take me to meet your good friends?" Jin Zhenqi tested Du Ningyang, "Since I'm going with you... You must know that I want to spend Christmas Eve with you, just to be with you, how about giving me a chance?"

Du Ningyang glanced at Jin Zhenqi, "I didn't tell them in advance, you will scare them if you go."

Who is scaring who?

"Okay, I got it," Jin Zhenqi was a little frustrated, but he comforted himself, "There will be opportunities in the future."

The two of them got on the campus shuttle bus. The cold wind was blowing. Jin Zhenqi took off the earmuffs on his head and put them on Du Ningyang's ears.

Du Ningyang grinned at him, which made Jin Zhenqi very happy. He wrapped her delicate hands through his gloves to warm her hands.

Soon they didn't have to keep warm like this. The bus was packed with students crossing the river. It was so hot that people were gasping for breath. They didn't need to hold the handrails. They stood vertically with their hands to make sharp turns and big bumps, and nothing would happen.

Across several people's heads, Jin Zhenqi said to Du Ningyang: "You must be very good friends. If you are not friends who have risked their lives, you can't squeeze through like this."

Du Ningyang shouted at the top of his voice, "Yes!"

Jin Zhenqi didn't hear clearly, and said "Ah?" again.

Du Ningyang said again: "I'll introduce you to them next time."

This time he heard clearly and replied happily, "Okay! Then I'll introduce you to my friends too!"

Although Jin Zhenqi hadn't officially confessed yet, Du Ningyang thought that the two of them were probably settled. No one had ever accompanied her like this before, and she was squeezed like a grandson on a happy Friday night for college students.

Huaibei Shopping Mall is an old-fashioned shopping mall. The gate is definitely not the same as it is now. It is small and short. A thick quilt is hung on the glass door to keep out the cold. A Christmas tree was erected at the door, which was hung with foam cubes wrapped in wrapping paper, and some artificial snow was sprayed on the ground.

Du Ningyang and Jin Zhenqi followed the address given by Zhu Yao, took the narrow escalator to the fifth floor, saw the five big words "Meijing Western Restaurant", and walked in.

Jin Zhenqi stood outside, "Ningning, when will you finish eating? I'll pick you up."

She acquiesced to this overly intimate name and teased him, "I'll call you when I'm almost done eating, okay?"

"Okay, I'm nearby and can come quickly. Just call me ten minutes in advance," Jin Zhenqi thought, why hasn't she invited me to eat together yet. On

Christmas Eve, all the restaurants, regardless of whether they were high-end or low-end, foreign or not, were packed with people. If you didn't get a seat, you couldn't even get a breath of fresh air. Since Du Ningyang allowed Jin Zhenqi to follow him, he didn't plan to let him go back hungry. He just wanted to tease him and find it fun to see his embarrassing look.

Zhu Yao and Xu Zhaolin also clamored to meet this flower-guarding messenger, who Du Ningyang said was good in every way but was always a little lacking.

Du Ningyang wanted to see how long Jin Zhenqi could keep his composure, "Oh? Is your friend here? What are you eating tonight?"

Jin Zhenqi was almost at his wit's end. He was texting his friends on the bus. Some of them were either on dates or lying in the dormitory. At this critical moment when there were so many people around, it would be embarrassing to go out of the dormitory.

"Just eat over there," the boy was so proud. "Eat something casually, and find a place with fewer family members."

Du Ningyang took a step forward and pulled his sleeve. "I'm just kidding. Let's eat together. I'll treat you."

Jin Zhenqi was a little stunned. Before he could react, Du Ningyang pulled his sleeve and walked inside, teasing him as he walked. "By the way, this restaurant is a bit expensive. You don't eat much, do you?"

Jin Zhenqi quickly said, "Not much, not much. I don't eat much. Oh, that's not right - how can a girl treat on Christmas Eve? How about this: I'll treat you, and you treat me back tomorrow. We'll go to the back street to eat wontons!"

"Let's go Dutch. It's expensive for anyone to treat." College students are always short of money at the end of the month. Du Ningyang looked at Jin Zhenqi and he didn't think he looked particularly wealthy. "Let's talk about the wontons tomorrow afternoon. I'll be late when I get home today. I won't set the alarm tomorrow morning and just sleep until I wake up naturally."

Zhu Yao and Xu Zhaolin sat in their seats in a ghostly manner, waving at them. They looked like those entertainment news reporters, gossiping to the extreme. Du Ningyang pulled Jin Zhenqi's sleeve and sat down. As soon as he sat down, he started to talk a lot, meaning that he would kill them if they asked her out at this time next time.

Xu Zhaolin hung the napkin on the collar of his sweater elegantly, "I know, you have to date in the future."

Du Ningyang was drinking lemonade and choked and coughed violently. Her nose and tears flowed out together, but it didn't stop her from retorting, "Fuck, you know what I mean."

She meant that the bus was too crowded.

Jin Zhenqi was laughing at the side.

Zhu Yao handed them the menu, "Look at what you two want to eat. I'll have the sirloin steak set meal, and Xu Zhaolin will have the fillet steak set meal. The set meal comes with a drink, orange juice or borscht, and a snack. I suggest that each of us choose a different snack to share."

"I'll have the black pepper chicken steak, no set meal, I'll have your snacks," Du Ningyang chose the cheapest main course, not hiding his greedy nature, "I've spent too much on living expenses this month, and I estimate that I'll only have two hundred left after today. I have to hold on until after New Year's Day, - a full ten days."

Xu Zhaolin and Zhu Yao gave Du Ningyang the middle finger.

Jin Zhenqi had obviously never seen Du Ningyang so unscrupulous. He felt as if he had been accepted and became an insider of this close-knit circle. He felt a sense of pride in his heart. What identity did he come to attend... Du Ningyang's new friend, or boyfriend? Is it time for him to show off?

"How about I order a set meal and some snacks, and we can all eat together," Jin Zhenqi tilted his head towards Du Ningyang, "What do you want to eat?"

"Then order some French baked snails and try it," Du Ningyang pointed to the menu. The picture showed a small porcelain bowl with nine small holes on it, and there was a snail in each hole. This dish was not expensive, and it was within the acceptable range for students at the end of the month. It gave Jin Zhenqi face without causing too much pain to his wallet.

"Okay," Jin Zhenqi, as if he had received some kind of amnesty, beckoned the waiter to come over to take the order.

Zhu Yao and Xu Zhaolin posted in the QQ group: [Du Ningyang is good at controlling men, I admire you.]

Du Ningyang put his phone under the table and replied calmly: [Get lost.]

It was a pleasant meal, mainly because the three of them chatted about this and that, and Jin Zhenqi occasionally said a few words. He was a year older than them and loved to share his study and exam experiences. When they parted, the road was crowded. Zhu Yao and Xu Zhaolin thought about walking back, so they first sent Du Ningyang and Jin Zhenqi to the bus station.

Zhu Yao smiled, "Senior Jin, I'll leave it to you on the way back."

Xu Zhaolin pretended to be coquettish and followed Zhu Yao's words, "Senior Jin, I'll leave it to you in the future."

Du Ningyang stood diagonally behind Jin Zhenqi and glared at them. Jin Zhenqi understood what he meant. Now he probably got the approval of her best friend, and agreed, "Okay!"

On the way back to school, Jin Zhenqi helped Du Ningyang grab a seat in the back row of the bus. He still squeezed and stood, while she sat in the small seat, buried her head in the mobile phone message.

Zhu Yao: [Although it seems that his personality is a bit boring, it's already very good. ]

Xu Zhaolin: [I think he is very suitable for marriage, very honest. ]

Zhu Yao: [Can you talk? That's called being down-to-earth and reliable. 】

Du Ningyang: [……]

This is a long bus route that runs through the north and south, with many stops, sudden stops and brakes, and the bus is swaying. She leaned her head on the window and fell asleep drowsily. When she woke up, her head was resting on Jin Zhenqi's shoulder. He maintained a weird and stiff high and low shoulder posture, just to make her feel comfortable.

She just celebrated her 19th birthday last month and made a wish for herself to have an unforgettable love. Now this boy seems to be not bad.

Jin Zhenqi saw Du Ningyang open his eyes, and his tone was calm and gentle, "The next stop is here."

And Du Ningyang said to Jin Zhenqi: "Merry Christmas Eve."