Chapter 3: Inescapable Prison of Life and Death
There are many coincidences in the world, all of which are expected by the world, but there are some coincidences that I don't want to touch. For example, when I want to meet you, you also want to meet me, but I am for you, but you are for others. I always feel that the longer people get along with each other, the less they like each other, because people like new things.
Although Ding Chuchu is devoted to martial arts novels, she is definitely not brainwashed by them. As she herself said, "I just envy their chivalry and their carefree and happy life."
Ding Chuchu is definitely a beauty who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Her beautiful eyes can make many boys fall at her feet. Although she told me that she has never been in a relationship, or even liked anyone.
She said that no man in real life is as good as a minion in a book.
I curled my lips and said disapprovingly: "Lin Xiaolun is very good."
Apart from our different views on men, Ding Chuchu and I are in agreement in other aspects, such as makeup.
Ding Chuchu said that women must wear makeup when going out, and it must be a well-groomed nude makeup. The foundation cannot be too white, it must be a natural color close to the color of your skin, the eyebrows and eyelashes must not be messy, and the lip color and eye shadow cannot be too abrupt. Everything should be natural and clean.
She said that women wear makeup partly because they love beauty and partly because they want to be confident.
There are few people in the world who can be stunningly beautiful without makeup. We are ordinary people, so we should use ordinary methods to beautify ourselves.
While Ding Chuchu was talking about these "life truths", she threw away the bright eyeshadow I bought and put on delicate nude makeup for me.
Compared with my mother's nonsense about how you can't be stunningly beautiful without makeup, I prefer Ding Chuchu's straightforward proposal.
Ding Chuchu bent down, leaned close to my ear, and whispered, "This is just the beginning, but what I said is only part of it. The man who can accept you without makeup is the man you deserve to love, do you understand?"
I understand. Lin Xiaolun has seen me without makeup for 18 years.
Ding Chuchu stood up, leaned on my desk very elegantly, and asked, "Tell me, which young master is it?"
I looked at myself in the mirror, who was gradually becoming more beautiful, and said, "I am just in the preparation stage, still searching for prey."
Ding Chuchu raised her head slightly, her face solemn, and slowly said: "I have seen so many boys, and it seems that only your friend suits my taste."
"Which friend?" I asked nervously.
Ding Chuchu's eyes were like deep pools as she spoke word by word: "Lin—Xiao—Lun."
It felt like a gust of cold wind blew past my back, and then I burst into laughter and sighed, "As his childhood sweetheart, I kindly remind you that Lin Xiaolun doesn't like your type."
"Just wait and see." Ding Chuchu stroked my shoulders with her fingers, sat back in her seat, and spoke with a provocative tone.
I was shocked. Indeed, Ding Chuchu's knowledge, temperament, appearance, and personality are far better than mine. The only thing that makes me better than her is that I knew Lin Xiaolun 18 years earlier than she did. But don't people like new things? Could Lin Xiaolun be one of them?
The thought of this gives me a headache.
I turned my head away, like a little animal that had been wronged, and asked pitifully, "Chu Chu, is what you said true or false?"
"I'm not kidding." Ding Chuchu tied her hair neatly, then stood up, put on her high heels, picked up her bag and went out.
All kidding aside, does that mean I need to speed up?
I didn't expect that even though Lin Xiaolun and I have had a relationship for 18 years, I am still so worried about him.
I quickly changed my clothes and walked out while calling Lin Xiaolun.
"Hello?"
Without waiting for Lin Xiaolun to finish, I started talking like a machine gun: "Lin Xiaolun, where are you now? I'm waiting for you at the Dao Café on Weijin Road, on the second floor, table 8, by the window."
After saying that, I hung up the phone. If Lin Xiaolun called again, I would refuse to answer.
We arrived at Shangdao Café without any obstructions, and I ordered a cup of Blue Mountain for Lin Xiaolun.
20 minutes later, Lin Xiaolun arrived as scheduled. He looked a little nervous, and when he found me, he asked hurriedly, "Lele, what's wrong ?"
I smiled and pointed to the seat opposite: "Sit down."
Lin Xiaolun sat down and took a light sniff. From his expression, one could tell that he smelled the flavor of Blue Mountain coffee. He only drank Blue Mountain coffee.
"What's wrong?" Lin Xiaolun picked up the coffee and took a sip. Because he was hot from traveling, he undid one button of his white shirt, revealing his sexy collarbone.
I said, "Nothing, I just wanted to ask you out for coffee."
Lin Xiaolun stopped drinking coffee, put down the coffee cup, and said helplessly: "Qin Le, do you think you have a lot of time in college and can squander it at will?"
"I didn't spend money recklessly." I explained, "Maintaining a good relationship with you is also what I need to do in college."
Lin Xiaolun leaned back in his chair and said nothing.
I asked expectantly, "Lin Xiaolun, didn't you notice that I'm different today?" As I said that, I moved my face closer, leaning left, then right.
Lin Xiaolun stretched out his hand and pushed my face away, then stood up and said, "I have something else to do, so I'm leaving now."
"Lin Xiaolun." I stood up and stopped him. "What do you want?"
"Study, clubs, all kinds of things." Lin Xiaolun answered expressionlessly.
I pulled my hand back and raised my eyebrows slightly: "I'll go with you."
"What?" Lin Xiaolun looked at me in disbelief.
"Yeah." I nodded, "Just like before."
Lin Xiaolun took a breath of cold air, turned around and left: "Please forgive me."
"Wait for me!" I hurriedly took out money from my wallet and put it on the table, then caught up with Lin Xiaolun.
However, when I saw Lin Xiaolun's back, my heart suddenly ached.
As long as I can remember, I have been watching that white figure, following him as I watch him. Even though I am now in college, I am still the same as before. But not only can I not catch up with him, I am getting further and further away from him.
Suddenly, Lin Xiaolun slowed down. I patted my face and continued to follow him. When I was only a few steps away from catching up with him, Lin Xiaolun started to move forward at a steady speed again.
My eyes became wet and a sense of joy welled up from the bottom of my heart.
Although Lin Xiaolun did not quite agree with me following him, he did not explicitly refuse.
Lin Xiaolun and I were in the same department, with similar majors, so when we had large classes, we usually attended the same classroom. Whenever this happened, I would find Lin Xiaolun accurately in the crowded classroom, and naturally sit next to him.
Normally, Lin Xiaolun would ignore me.
"Lin Xiaolun, can you lend me a pen?" Ding Chuchu's voice suddenly came from behind.
Lin Xiaolun lent a pen to Ding Chuchu. Ding Chuchu smiled and said softly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Lin Xiaolun smiled back.
I glared at Ding Chuchu fiercely, hid my pen, and said softly to Lin Xiaolun, "Lin Xiaolun, I want to borrow a pen too."
"Aren't you bored?" Lin Xiaolun poured a bucket of cold water on me.
Ding Chuchu behind him was laughing so hard that her whole body was shaking.
I curled my lips, rolled my eyes at Ding Chuchu, and comforted myself in my heart: the old, the weak, the sick and the disabled are usually treated preferentially by Lin Xiaolun, so there is nothing to mind.
After class, I went to the bathroom.
I was washing my hands when I suddenly heard a few girls gossiping outside the door, and it was about me.
"How can girls nowadays be so ignorant of themselves? They don't even look in the mirror, but they cling to Lin Xiaolun. They are really like a toad wanting to eat swan meat!"
"Is it your business? He's thick-skinned."
"That's right. I heard that she cooked for Lin Xiaolun last time, but he didn't want to eat it at all and threw it into the trash can. She was still crying there. She really deserved it."
I gently pushed the door open and faced the three girls who had just spoken with a bright smile.
When the three girls saw me, they were stunned.
"Are you three just bored? Didn't your teacher teach you not to speak ill of others behind their backs?" I smiled, but there was murderous intent in my heart.
Girls love to spread gossip and watch good shows. The girls who came to the bathroom seemed to have forgotten what they were doing there, and they gathered in a circle to watch the fun, and some took pictures with their mobile phones.
Perhaps out of consideration for her reputation, one of the girls shouted, "You dare to do it, but you're afraid of being criticized? Look at yourself, you have average qualifications, how can you be worthy of Lin Xiaolun?"
I smiled and said, "It's been 18 years. I've known Lin Xiaolun since he was barefoot and wearing open-crotch pants. We've never been apart from kindergarten to college, and we're inseparable. He always gave me the love letters he received before, and if I was bullied or got into trouble, it was Lin Xiaolun who helped me deal with it. He is gentle and polite, and has excellent grades. I've won awards for piano and karate, and I won the second prize for national children's painting when I was in elementary school. We've even slept together. Tell me, if I'm not worthy of Lin Xiaolun, who is? Do you think you are worthy?"
My words left the three girls speechless.
I have never been as confident as I am now. I feel that all the light is shining on me, even though the environment seems a little inappropriate.
Suddenly, applause was heard from outside the crowd. Ding Chuchu, with her unique height advantage, stood on the periphery and clapped with a sly smile on her face.
I walked through the crowd and dragged her out of the bathroom. Along the way, Ding Chuchu couldn't stop laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" I asked puzzled.
Ding Chuchu laughed so hard that she couldn't breathe: "You finally admitted that the person you like is Lin Xiaolun?"
I was stunned and suddenly felt like I was being plotted against.
Ding Chuchu looked as if she understood me: "I don't blame you for hiding it from me. After all, we haven't known each other for very long. But are you really not going to tell me what happened between you and Lin Xiaolun? I see that you've been very tired and helpless because of him lately."
I looked at Ding Chuchu, and there was sincerity in her eyes.
I banged my head against the wall in frustration. "I have a headache too. I don't know how I offended him. During the summer vacation, I went to the United States with my parents. I had a fever and was a little confused on the day I left. I left without telling Lin Xiaolun. We didn't contact each other for more than a month in the United States. After I came back, Lin Xiaolun became like this."
"That's enough." Ding Chuchu stopped me from knocking my head against the wall with her hand, put her arm around my shoulders, and pulled me along as she said, "In this case, you should ask the person involved, Lin Xiaolun, directly, or ask your parents. I suggest you ask Lin Xiaolun directly, so you can get the answer faster."
I nodded in agreement. Now that I had reached the end of my rope, I would accept any advice others gave me, even if it was a bad idea.
"Oh, by the way." Ding Chuchu suddenly stopped and gave me a sly smile, "You will be famous tomorrow."
When Ding Chuchu said this, I didn't understand what it meant.
The next morning, I was awakened by a series of life-threatening phone calls . He angrily asked me to meet him at Mingxianglou.
It was not until we were in the private room Lin Xiaolun put a laptop in front of me, on which was playing a video of the scene in the bathroom yesterday, that I realized what was going on.
After watching it, I nodded with satisfaction: "It's a good shot. I look photogenic."
"What's good about that?" Lin Xiaolun poked my head with his hand and said angrily, "No matter where I go now, I am stared at by several pairs of eyes. Even when I stay in the dormitory, many boys come to ask me how I slept with a little girl at such an ignorant age."
"Crack, crack—" I choked on the tea and started coughing.
Lin Xiaolun stood by and watched.
"Why didn't I choke you to death?" Lin Xiaolun glared at me and complained.
"Can you bear to do that?" I finally recovered and took out a tissue to wipe my mouth.
"What do you think we should do about this matter?" Lin Xiaolun sat down, looking extremely worried.
I ate some sunflower seeds while casually saying, "What do you mean? That's it. I'm just stating the facts."
"Is it true that I won awards for piano and karate, and won the second prize in the National Children's Painting Competition?" Lin Xiaolun exposed my lie . "Qin Le, you are much more shameless than when you were a child."
"So what? It's a fact that I slept with you. If you feel that this affects your life, I can explain it to you, but... you have to agree to one condition of mine." I looked like a complete gangster, crossing my legs with a calculating look on my face.
"What conditions?"
I said, "Be my slave for a month and obey my orders unconditionally."
"Dream on!" As soon as I finished speaking, Lin Xiaolun rejected me.
I pretended to think and muttered, "I think I know the password of your Baidu account. If I accidentally post something on our school's forum, it won't be a good idea."
"One month, from today to the 12th of next month." Lin Xiaolun closed the notebook and lowered his head like a defeated rooster.
I was immediately impressed by my own intelligence and talent, and for a moment I became a little carried away.
After parting with Lin Xiaolun, I reported the battle situation to Ding Chuchu: "Military Advisor, according to what you said, I have already put forward conditions to the enemy, and the enemy has compromised."
"Very good. Now we just wait and see and call the other party at any time." Ding Chuchu's unclear voice came from the other end of the phone. This guy must be applying facial mask again.
After hanging up the phone, I suddenly felt the world was so vast.
To be honest, Lin Xiaolun seems to have had a hard time since he became my "slave".
When Ding Chuchu and I were sitting under the shade of a tree drinking milk tea, if he dozed off with his book in his hands, I would beat him up; when we were cycling around the city together, he was responsible for getting drinks, mineral water and other things, and he had to listen to me and stay two meters away from me; when I didn't want to take notes in class, he had to copy them neatly for me.
After a few days, he even dozed off while eating.
Guo Lu gently touched Lin Xiaolun's shoulder, and Lin Xiaolun woke up immediately. He said with a bitter face: "Ancestor, what are you going to do now?"
I put down my bowl and chopsticks and said generously, "Don't do anything. Go back and have a rest after dinner. I will grant you three days off."
"Forget it." Lin Xiaolun took the initiative to give up his three-day vacation.
Ding Chuchu picked up the plate and motioned Guo Lu to sit on the other side. After Guo Lu followed Ding Chuchu and left, I asked worriedly, "If you can't hold on, just say it. Why are you holding on?"
Lin Xiaolun rubbed his temples, looked at me tiredly, and said, "Only in this way can I find a reason to get along with you like before. Qin Le, do you really not remember what you said to me before?"
"What are you talking about?" I was a little confused. "Since I came back from the United States, you have been indifferent to me. I feel confused. I thought you misunderstood that I would not come to Tianjin University to study, so I have been upset. I didn't tell you because I wanted to give you a surprise. I didn't expect you to be so stingy and ruined the surprise."
"Surprise?" Lin Xiaolun stared at me in confusion.
"yes."
Lin Xiaolun touched his nose and said, "Lele, even if you wanted to give me a surprise, you don't have to say so many things that sound so true, right? Do you know that I was sad for the entire summer vacation?"
I lowered my head in embarrassment: "I didn't say anything, you are the one who is angry."
"But you clearly..." Lin Xiaolun wanted to say something, but stopped.
I looked up and asked, "Mingming, what happened?"
There was a gleam of doubt in Lin Xiaolun's eyes and his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something.
"Lin Xiaolun?" I stretched out my hand and waved it in front of him. "Are you daydreaming?"
Lin Xiaolun looked at me, as if trying to find the answer from my face. I wiped my face and said a little unnaturally: "What are you looking at?"
"I suspect you have lost your memory."
"You're the one who lost your memory." Although he was not giving in, I was still a little worried. "Lin Xiaolun, go to bed first. I don't want you to be my slave anymore. But...but can you please stop ignoring me? Otherwise, I'll be sad for the whole semester."
Because I had been ordering him around these days, Lin Xiaolun's complexion looked a little abnormal, and he looked a little haggard when he smiled.
Lin Xiaolun nodded and stood up with the help of the dining table. I quickly called Guo Lu and asked him to take Lin Xiaolun back to the dormitory.
Ding Chuchu came closer to me and asked, "Is it okay?"
"It's almost done." Looking at Lin Xiaolun's receding back, I pretended to be calm and suppressed the joy .
My goal in life is very simple. As long as Lin Xiaolun is willing to pay attention to me, I will have the motivation to do anything.
Life is full of accidents and troubles, you must be ready to solve them at any time. No sooner had I solved one problem than another came up.
When I was stopped by a tall boy I didn’t know for the third time, I finally lost my temper and yelled at the boy with a bright smile: “What on earth are you doing? I still have class to go to!”
The boy quickly gestured to me not to get angry, then he held his chin with his fists and said, "Qin Le, I'm Gao Hu from Class 3. You know what I admire about you. You looked so handsome in that video on the Internet."
"There are too many people who admire me, go line up!" I said unhappily and prepared to leave.
But when I went left , he went left; when I went right, he went right; when I tried to go downwards, he squatted down to stop me.
I glared at Gao Hu fiercely. He chuckled and said in a simple and honest way, "Can I have your phone number?"
I nodded and reached for my phone.
Gao Hu quickly handed me the phone. I pressed a few numbers, handed it to him, and then walked away.
Gao Hu stared at his phone blankly for a while, then caught up with him and asked, "Le Le, is your house the police station?"
"Don't call me Lele!" I looked at the burly, dark-skinned Gao Hu with disgust. Holding back my anger, I tried to explain calmly, "My parents are both police officers. You can find me by calling this number."
"Can you just give me your cell phone number? By the way, I joined the 'Red Association' specially for you." Gao Hu said proudly.
I said with a fake smile: "Then I thank you on behalf of Guo Lu's 18 generations of ancestors."
"You're welcome!" Gao Hu smiled coolly.
I think he is so stupid that he can't even understand the meaning of other people's words.
My eyes rolled, a plan came to my mind, and I said, "Can you do me a favor?"
Gao Hu nodded like a chicken pecking at rice and said, "I'm very happy to do so. Go ahead."
"Please buy me a bowl of hot and sour noodles and send it to the counselor's office in 602." I gave a random address.
Unexpectedly, Gao Hu agreed immediately and happily ran to buy hot and sour noodles.
I was speechless and said apologetically to Gao Hu who was running away : "I'm sorry."
I suddenly felt a little sympathy for Lin Xiaolun. My skills in clinging to people are no worse than Gao Hu's, but Lin Xiaolun actually put up with me for more than ten years. No one would believe that it wasn't true love.
But at least I can keep quiet for a while, while Gao Hu doesn't know how to keep quiet at all.