RCJM Chapter 3

Chapter 3

On the afternoon before school started, there was a freshman assembly in the university.

In the large lecture hall, there were two rows of girls sitting at the front, while the back was filled with boys.

The assembly hadn’t started yet, and whispering could be heard throughout the hall.

Du Ruo listened attentively to the conversations around her. They were all newcomers exchanging a few words.

“Which major are you in?”

“Which province are you from?”

“How many girls are in your class?”

She paid special attention to the girl’s attire, which was not much different from that in high school, with short hair and ponytails; blouses and T-shirts; jeans and pants.

Nobody deliberately dressed up; they had a more studious vibe.

The top female students in science and engineering didn’t seem to care much about their appearances, at least they didn’t show much concern when they first entered school.

In Jing Ming’s eyes, they would seem unsophisticated.

She could easily imagine Jing Ming’s face – appearing expressionless, but the corner of his lips would be imperceptibly curved, thinking she were a ridiculous clown; with a hint of mockery in his eyes, easily making people feel inadequate and worthless.

She was somewhat afraid of him, or perhaps it was – hate.

Hated his unreasonable and blatant dislike towards her.

Du Ruo looked at the girls around her, and then at herself. Wearing a clean white T-shirt and jeans, sitting among her classmates, she didn’t appear out of the ordinary. 

She breathed a sigh of relief, then casually glanced around. The boys' faces were youthful and immature, and their clothes equally lacked sophistication like a high school student’s. Everyone was the same, just ordinary students, nothing fancy.

But the next second, her eyes were involuntarily drawn towards someone. It was simply because that person was too eye-catching.

Jing Ming came in from the back door of the hall.

He was tall and had fair skin. He was also wearing a white shirt, but the white of his clothes were several degrees whiter than that of others in the room.

Only then did Du Ruo realise that everyone’s white clothing was divided into grey, cream, beige, a yellowish white, a worn-out white and countless other whites.

As soon as she turned her head, the girls around her unconsciously followed suit, gradually forming a flock effect like geese, with the whole room echoing with the sound of girls turning their heads one after another.

Apart from Jing Ming’s exquisite appearance, there was an indescribable carefree but mysterious charm in his every gesture and movement. Jing Ming had a casual yet arrogant demeanour, without the slightest restraint and apprehension of a freshman.

With one hand playing with his phone and the other in his pocket, he stepped down the steps from the back door. He paused briefly, and took a moment to send a text message. His expression was not very good, his brows were frowning, and he silently mouthed “f*cking hell”. After sending the message, he raised his eyes in annoyance and noticed that the entire room of students were quietly looking at him.

He gave a condescending look, like he was looking at a bunch of muddy potatoes. His dark eyes swiftly scanned the classroom and found his three dormitory mates. They had saved him a seat. He put his phone back in his pocket and walked down the steps unhappily.

Du Ruo immediately turned around,

The empty seat was right behind her!

Her repulsion of Jing Ming was even deeper than she had imagined.

Coming to Beijing for studies, she originally carried joy and hope. However, on her first night in Beijing, Jing Ming dealt her a heavy blow. He saw her as a poor relative who came from the countryside to freeload. In his scornful eyes, she was not even worthy of being called a poor relative, but more like a beggar.

The sense of superiority she had from being accepted into a prestigious institution in her hometown vanished completely, because Jing Ming, this “spoiled rich kid”, was studying at the same school, and he was even a “special admission”.

Isn’t that a more advanced pathway?

Compared to him, her years of hard work and perseverance were like a joke. Maybe that’s how he saw her, otherwise he wouldn’t act so arrogant and mockingly in front of her.

A shadow flashed behind her and descended.

The folding chair was opened, and Jing Ming sat down.

“Why are you here so late?”

“Isn’t the meeting at five o’clock? I’m not late.” Jing Ming’s voice was laid-back and reasonable.

“That’s true.” His roommate didn’t think much of it, and laughed, “It’s 4:59 and 30 seconds, truly not late.”

“Sitting in the classroom is so boring. Once school starts, are you not afraid that I won’t have time to save you a seat?”

He was chatting casually behind her, and she felt uncomfortable all over and couldn’t breathe well.

At this moment, the classroom suddenly quietened down as several male teachers entered the classroom one after another. They were all dressed in typical engineering men’s clothes, wearing Polo shirts and pants.

Their looks were as low-key and easy-going as their clothes, even a little shy, and they didn’t take the initiative to make eye contact with the students.

There were a few of them who were slightly chubby, and revealed a somewhat naive posture when walking, appearing very approachable.

The students stared at them with bright eyes, like little chicks waiting for the mother hens to return to the nest, wondering which one belonged to them.

The teachers sat down in the empty seats in the first row, and the backs of their heads were inspected by a bunch of students.

He Huan Huan nudged Du Ruo’s arm and whispered: “Guess who is your class teacher?”

Du Ruo shook her head: “How would I know?”

He Huan Huan snickered: “I don’t know either.”

Du Ruo found an exceptionally young male teacher sitting at the end of the first row, who looked like a student. He had a handsome side profile, looking at the podium thoughtfully.

Qiu Yu Chen whispered: “That teacher is too young. I don’t want him as my teacher.”

Du Ruo was surprised: “Why?”

Qiu Yu Chen: “The older ones are more experienced. Following this teacher, I’m afraid I won’t learn much.”

Du Ruo nodded with a look of understanding: “I don’t want him either.”

After she finished speaking, she noticed Jing Ming from the corner of her eye. Although he didn’t look at her, she was startled and immediately straightened her face.

She made up her mind not to turn her head, not even ten degrees.

The welcome ceremony is presided over by the vice dean.

First, the dean delivered a speech, introducing the school, its history, current status and future development direction. The dean also shared some encouraging words, reminding the students not to forget their goals, to study hard, to innovate, to exercise, to plan their four years of university wisely, growing in all aspects, and contribute to the country.

The freshmen had just experienced their first step since passing the college entrance examination, each of them carried unlimited expectations for the future, and were filled with ambition inspired by these words. The young faces radiated with brilliance.

Jing Ming didn’t pay attention to the speech at all. He kept playing with his phone under the table. Gradually, he became irritated, and finally blocked a certain profile on WeChat. Still not satisfied, he opened up his contacts and blocked “Min En Zhu”.

He held the phone in his fingers and raised his eyes.

After the dean’s speech, next up was the student representative, Li Qing He, a sophomore senior. It was the young man sitting at the end of the first row who was mistaken by Du Ruo and the others as a teacher.

“So its senior brother.”

Compared to the freshmen in the audience, Li Qing He had shed his youthful awkwardness and exuded a mature aura befitting an upperclassmen. He spoke and smiled with ease, sharing his insights and experiences of studying with the younger students in a relaxed and composed manner.

There were bursts of laughter from time to time.

However, in Jing Ming’s opinion, he didn’t find Li Qing He’s speech the least bit funny. He felt he was just putting on airs of being experienced, fooling the freshmen like they were elementary kids.

He lost interest in listening, and with lowered eyes, he looked at his phone. That person had already been blocked, and there were no new messages on his phone. 

He raised his eyelids in displeasure, and inadvertently glanced at the girl in front of him. Why… does she… look so familiar? His gaze had swept past, but stopped and moved back one seat.

Oh, isn’t that, Du Ruo Chun, right?

Coincidentally, she appeared right under his nose again.

When sending Du Ruo to school that day, Jing Ming didn’t look at her the whole time. His impression of her was still of the time he picked her up at the train station – dirty hair, yellowish skin, cheap clothes, malnourished figure, and a sweaty body odour mixed with the smell of the train carriage.

This time, her hair was washed clean, short, fluffy and soft. Perhaps due to lack of nutrition, it had a brownish yellow colour.

“Yellow-haired girl,” this nickname, he thought, suited her, and couldn’t help laughing.

On the side facing him, her short hair was pinned just behind her ears, slightly curled. The straight ends of her hair revealed her slender neck. The classroom’s fluorescent lights unintentionally highlighted her complexion, making her appear whiter. It really gave a beautifying effect.

She wore a crisp T-shirt, looking completely different from the sloppy girl at the station that day.

Jing Ming didn’t show much interest. He glanced up and down and noticed a spot on her T-shirt where the thread had come loose, exposing a small patch of skin about the size of a fingernail. He smirked again, curling his lips.

Isn’t the ugly duckling still an ugly duckling after cleaning its feathers?

He couldn’t be bothered to think about it more, so he withdrew his gaze.

On the podium, the senior was still sharing his experiences. Ah, there’s nothing more dull and boring in this world than attending an assembly.

He picked up his phone but couldn’t really play games either.

Half a moment later, he suddenly thought of something. Slowly recalling it, his eyebrows furrowed, and he quickly typed a text message and sent it.

In front of him, Du Ruo’s phone made a “ding” sound. The sound was not loud, but enough to attract attention.

Not to mention, the surrounding classmates, even the teachers turned around to look.

On the podium, Li Qing He paused for a second, then continued.

Du Ruo blushed with shame, hurriedly silenced her phone, and saw that it was a text message from Jing Ming:

“Where did the money for your clothes go? Embezzled?”

Du Ruo was puzzled, but had no intention of responding. Just as she was about to put her phone away, the screen lit up again with a message: “Your clothes are torn.”

Shocked, she turned to look at him in panic.

Jing Ming stared blankly at the podium, not looking at her, appearing an outsider to her dilemma.

Afraid of attracting attention, she hurriedly turned her head back, cheeks flushing. She inexplicably felt like everyone was looking at her, their gazes piercing countless holes through her.

Her palms were sweaty, and she quickly sent a message asking: “Where?”

But, the other party no longer had the kindness to reply to her.

After Li Qing He finished his speech, there was a round of applause. Then it was the freshman representative’s turn to speak.

Du Ruo carefully turned her head to check her shoulders on both sides. No problem. Then she looked at her sides.

There was a loose thread on the right side of her T-shirt, about one centimetre long, not noticeable when she was still. But with slight movement, it would create a small circle.

If someone accidentally saw it, she would feel embarrassed and awkward, but it wouldn’t make her feel ashamed or inferior.

But unfortunately, this “poor and pitiful little hole” was seen by Jing Ming. Du Ruo immediately felt that it would be better if one of them died.

Translated by evienRose

_______________________

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

RCJM Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Jing family lived in a high-end villa area. Inside the residential compound, there were flowing streams and luscious trees that provided ample shade.

The car drove through the light and shadows of the magnolia street lamps, and stopped in front of a white three-story European-style building. Both upstairs and downstairs were lit with lights like a sparkling jewellery box.

Jing Ming turned off the car.

Du Ruo opened the door with the seatbelt on. She unbuckled her belt, and got out of the car.

A man who looked to be in his thirties walked out from inside the house and asked: “Do you have any luggage?”

Du Ruo didn’t recognise him, and wasn’t sure how to greet him. Jing Ming walked towards them and said “Uncle Chen, there’s a suitcase in the trunk. Bring it inside.”

“Mm, okay.”

Uncle Chen smiled at Du Ruo, and she returned a smile. He walked to the back of the car and she followed. Du Ruo then apologetically said: “The box is a bit heavy. Let me help you.”

“No need, no need.”

“It really is quite heavy.” Du Ruo insisted with embarrassment and helped him carry the box.

Jing Ming glanced back, already a few metres away. Too lazy to care, he entered the house first.

After Du Ruo entered the house, she then realised that it truly was like a jewellery box.

In the living room, were crystal chandeliers that shone brilliantly, both dreamlike and enchanting. The curtains hung from the high-ceiling like a waterfall. When looking outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see a garden that seemed to never end. The living room was even bigger than a classroom, furnished with a long European-style sofa, a blue wooden coffee table, and a curved staircase carved with intricate spiral detail.

There were even several tall trees placed inside the house.

Everything was beautiful and felt distant.

But the welcoming smiles of the Jing couple – Jing Yuan Shan and Ming Yi – were warm and familiar.

“Why was the train so delayed?” Mother Ming Yi, asked with a smile.

“I’m not sure. It seems to be to make way for the high-speed train.” Du Ruo said, stealing a glance at Jing Ming. The young man was lying on the sofa, texting, his long legs resting on the armrest, with no posture at all, like a cloth.

“Ruo Chun, you’ve grown taller haven’t you?” Father Jing Yuan Shan commented, “Since the last time I saw you last year, you seem to have grown taller.”

“But you’re still so thin,” continued Ming Yi. “You need to eat more and gain some weight.”

The Jing couple were too enthusiastic, leaving Du Ruo no room to speak, so she sat quietly on the sofa with legs together.

“You haven’t eaten right? Are you hungry? Aunt Chen made a table full of dishes, but we didn’t expect the train to be so delayed. We’ll heat it up for you.”

“I… I ate instant noodles on the train.” Du Ruo felt somewhat apologetic, and couldn’t help but glance at Jing Ming again. He was still slouched on the sofa, texting without a hint of guilt or embarrassment.

“That’s fine too. If you get hungry later, you can come have a late-night snack.” Ming Yi said.

Jing Yuan Shan sighed: “Ruo Chun is very sensible, and has worked hard to get accepted into such a good university.”

Jing Ming was playing with his phone, seemingly oblivious to what was said.

Du Ruo noticed that the Jing couple’s attention was completely focused on her. Fearing that Jing Ming may feel belittled, Du Ruo said slowly, “Jing Ming is also in the same school as me. He is also very impressive.”

Nevertheless, Jing Ming didn’t react as if their conversation had nothing to do with him.

Jing Yuan Shan also appeared visibly dissatisfied, furrowing his brows and said: “That little rascal, forcing him to study is like trying to force a cow to drink water! I have hired so many tutors for him, all of them famous teachers. Despite all this, I still have to specially hire someone to monitor him during classes, cause he would slip away and people would be chasing after him all over the city! Fortunately, he managed to enter by satisfying a special admission quota. This troublesome little rascal can't be compared with you. Your conditions were so difficult, yet you can still diligently study and learn.”

Du Ruo felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, smiled awkwardly, and dared not look at Jing Ming. The sound of his fingers typing beside her ears did not stop for a moment.

Jing Yuan Shan hadn’t finished scolding and turned his head to look at Jing Ming. He exclaimed: “Have you no backbone? Where are your manners when sitting!”

Jing Ming put his legs down, sat up, and leaned into the sofa.

“You should learn more from Ruo Chun in the future!”

Jing Ming laughed out loud: “Don’t keep calling her Ruo Chun, Ruo Chun, she’s changed her name. It’s Du Ruo now. The Du Ruo from the poem ‘Cai Fangzhou Xi Du Ruo”, very artistic.” [1]

Du Ruo’s cheeks grew hot. She lowered her head and slightly clenched her fingers.

The Jing couple were startled for a moment, but quickly responded: “Changing is good too. This name sounds nice.”

“Xiao Ruo.” Ming Yi spoke aloud and lightly chuckled. [2]

Then said, “You must be tired from the train ride. How about going upstairs and resting early?

Du Ruo hurriedly stood up and said: “Uncle, Aunty, I brought some local specialties for you.”

She opened the suitcase and took out a large smoked ham and a pile of air-dried sausages, saying: “My mother made all these, she’s very skilled.”

Ming Yi smiled: “That’s great, I was just craving ham a few days ago, and here you are, bringing the specialty here.”

Aunt Chen stored the food away in the kitchen.

Jing Yuan Shan said: “These things are very heavy. You worked hard, Xiao Ruo. It must have been tough to carry it all the way here.”

Du Ruo smiled: “It was okay.”

Jing Ming while lounging on the sofa, playing with his phone, lazily glanced in her direction and snorted: “Your clothes were cramped with smoked ham and sausages the whole way. You still willing to wear them?”

With a disgusted expression, he stood up, stuffed his phone into his pocket and prepared to leave.

Ming Yi said: “That’s right. Jing Ming, go to school with Du Ruo tomorrow. After registering, take her to buy a few sets of clothes.”

Jing Ming immediately became somewhat irritated, with a face that said “Why is it me again?” He had something to say, but upon seeing his father’s expression, he couldn’t be bothered to argue back and went upstairs with a straight face.

Du Ruo slept in the guest room that night, but wasn’t quite accustomed to it. Sure enough, her clothes smelled like smoked ham. The smell made her stomach growl, afterall, she had only eaten a bowl of instant noodles.

She didn’t go downstairs for a midnight snack either, afraid it would cause trouble.

In the middle of the night, she heard Jing Ming go downstairs to find something to eat, but she did not follow.

The next day, Du Ruo received an iPhone 6s from the Jing family, a phone that was no longer being used, having been replaced. It looked almost brand new, with no significant damages, and came with a new local SIM card.

Jing Ming drove the car to the opposite side of the school gate, stopped, and realised a serious problem. He drove a red sports car today, which was very attention-grabbing.

That wasn’t a problem.

But Du Ruo was also sitting inside the car. So what did this mean?

Du Ruo, being quite sensitive, guessed his concerns and said: “How about we say our parents are friends?”

Jing Ming turned his head and looked at her. Under his sunglasses, his handsome face showed no expression: “Really?”

Du Ruo: “.......”

“It’s okay to say we’re distant relatives.”

The corner of his mouth twitched: “I have relatives far and wide, but none are like you…”

Before he finished speaking, she consciously nodded: “En, not as poor as me.”

He did not feel guilty at all, rather was annoyed. He took out a card from his pocket and handed it to her: “My mum said your living expenses are in the card, and the password is your birthday. I’ve transferred the money for buying clothes to your card.” After a brief pause, he turned to look at her and jokingly said, “You don’t need me to accompany you, right?”

She shook her head: “No need.” She was ready to push the door open and leave.

“Stop!”

She turned around and spoke softly: “Is there anything else?”

“When we meet at school, pretend you don’t know me.” His tone was almost commanding, “Do you hear me?”

Du Ruo slightly opened the door with her fingers and nodded: “I hear you.”

She took her luggage and got out of the car.

Jing Ming’s red sports car sped away.

“You think I want to know you?” Du Ruo muttered in resistance, although futile.

She didn’t let him affect her mood. She looked across the street at the wide school gate and took a death breath. Carrying her luggage, she went up the overpass bridge. Coincidentally, she saw his red sports car make a U-turn on the road, pass under the bridge, and drive into campus, attracting the attention of many people.

After walking across the bridge and walking into campus, her heart started to feel excited once again.

A long wide path lined with trees, lightly shaded with streams of sunlight passing through. Exactly the way a university should look like.

A red banner was drawn across the treetops – “Welcome New Students”

As she continued to walk in, there were waves of clubs recruiting members. Seniors were laughing and chatting, and distributing promotional flyers to new students.

Du Ruo collected a pile of flyers, and headed towards the dormitory first.

In an engineering university, there are few female students. In science and engineering majors, there are even fewer female students.

In the dormitory, there were three different majors across the four female students.

Du Ruo was studying Control Systems Engineering, her two Beijing roommates, Qiu Yu Chen and Xia Nan, were studying Information Engineering, and her other roommate from Chongqing, He Huan Huan, majored in Mechanical Automation.

The four of them were very excited when they first arrived, and immediately got along.

Qiu Yu Chen was very amazing, both generous and lively. She had already explored the dorms, and after a while, had even figured out the situation in the rooms next door. Now having returned to their dormitory, she reported to her sisters (roommates):

“The dormitories on the west belong to the Faculty of Arts. There are many girls, and they all belong to the same class; the dormitories on the east have two that major in Mechanical Automation and two in Mechatronic Engineering.”

After she finished her announcement, she grinned at Du Ruo, “Congratulations, you are the only girl in your class.”

Du Ruo didn’t react but asked: “Why?”

“Silly girl.” He Huan Huan even spit out in dialect, and said with a laugh, “The dormitory is arranged according to the major, and there is no one in the next dormitory with the same major as you, so aren’t you the only girl?”

“……ah?” Du Ruo was surprised and had an awkward expression on her face.

Xia Nan trimmed her eyebrows in the vanity mirror, and said slowly: “Being the only girl is not that bad. All the boys in class will spoil you.”

Du Ruo was still disappointed and said: “I still want a girl to keep me company.” She longed for Huan Huan, “If only Huan Huan had the same major as me. If I had known, I would’ve applied for Mechanical Automation.”

He Huan Huan hugged her: “Don’t worry, don’t worry. We will be together after class.”

Xia Nan looked left and right at the shape of her eyebrows in the mirror, and said: “The class schedule is different.” She turned the mirror and looked at Du Ruo in the mirror, “Look, you don’t know it yet, but it’s actually a blessing.”

“Who knows if it’s a blessing or not?” Qiu Yu Chen sat on a chair, put a pair of long legs on a desk, and said, “I walked around the school today, but I didn’t see many handsome seniors. Where are they hiding? Not even willing to come out and meet their junior sister on reporting day.”

He Huan Huan said: “I didn’t see many handsome guys among the freshmen either. They were all quite average.”

Du Ruo inexplicably thought of Jing Ming, but did not speak.

The next second, Qiu Yu Chen suddenly moved her legs, turned around and lay on the back of the chair, and said: “There is one!”

He Huan Huan pointed at her, and said in unison: “The one driving the red Ferrari” “– –Fuck, he was so fucking arrogant.” Qiu Yu Chen said the second half of the sentence.

Du Ruo sat silently on the spot.

Oh, everyone saw it, huh.

Xia Nan: “Who was it?”

 

“I don’t know, but probably some second-generation rich kid,” joked Qiu Yu Chen. “The most annoying kind. He knows he’s talented and rich, but he really is handsome.”

Xia Nan was not interested. Afterall, she hadn’t seen the person in real life, so there was nothing to discuss.

But that evening, when the four of them went to the cafeteria to have dinner, Du Ruo saw Jing Ming.

At that time, the four of them sat around a table. Each ordered different dishes and shared with each other. At the table next to them, some girls whispered to each other: “Hey, isn’t he that person?”

“The one driving that red Ferrari.”

“Hey, where do you think he parked his car?”

“Who knows.”

“Our school indeed hides many talented individuals.”

Du Ruo looked up and saw Jing Ming with several male students from their dormitory walking over holding food trays. Jing Ming saw her, but his gaze quickly averted, as if he didn’t recognise her at all.

She lowered her head and continued eating.

The group of boys passed by Du Ruo’s table, with Jing Ming following behind.

Xia Nan called out: “Hey, Jing Ming!”

The boy stopped, and Du Ruo kept her head down, catching a glimpse of the hem of his white shirt next to her cheek. He had changed his shirt today, with a black embroidered cloud pattern running down from the upper right side.

His voice sounded lazy as it fell from above her head: “Oh, you got accepted?”

“Go die.” Xia Nan chuckled and scolded, her tone familiar, “What about you? You’re here so early? I thought you’d wait until the last day.”

“It was boring at home.” He showed no interest in staying, “I’m leaving.”

The shadow casted over Du Ruo’s head moved away, and her shoulders relaxed as if a weight had been lifted.

He Huan Huan saw Jing Ming walking away and said: “That’s the person Yu Chen and I saw. Xia Nan, you know him?”

“He was my classmate in high school, in the same class. He was the school grass [3] back then. I remember in our freshman year, even the senior girls would come to our classroom to see him,” Xia Nan explained.

Qiu Yu Chen raised an eyebrow and picked up a green bean from Du Ruo’s plate: “Then why didn’t you pursue him? The opportunity was right in front of you.”

Xia Nan picked up an eggplant from Qiu Yu Chen’s plate and replied: “What pursuit? He’s already with our school’s beauty.”

Translated by evienRose

_______________________

[1] these are the Chinese characters for the poem if you were curious: '采芳洲兮杜若'

[2] 'Xiao Ruo' means Little Ruo, and is really just an endearing nickname or can be used in a teasing way, referring to Du Ruo

[3] 'school grass' is used to describe a male student who is considered exceptionally attractive and popular among his peers, similar to the concept of a "heartthrob" or "campus prince." It is often used to refer to someone who is considered good-looking and admired by many at their school or university.

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

RCJM Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Translated by evienRose

Hii, this is my first project so I hope you enjoy this story. If there are any mistakes feel free to comment them and I will fix it as soon as I can. If there are any words or phrases you don't understand, let me know too and I will add a footnote :)

I will try be consistent with the updates, at least one chapter a week on Monday's (GMT +10) but please be patient haha...

Enjoy!

Du Ruo had sat on a hard seat for 33 hours. When she got off the train, her legs were swollen like steamed buns. When she walked a few steps, her feet tingled.

West Beijing Railway Station was crowded with people, comparable to the bustling scene of herding thousands of ducks back at her grandmother’s countryside home.

She was thin and delicate, like a bean sprout falling into a heap of ducks, carried along and swept up by the sea of people, dragged off the platform, and rushed to the station hall.

The cell phone in her pocket started vibrating and ringing. When Du Ruo took out her phone, someone next to her looked back and was surprised how someone in this day and age was still using a Nokia. 

Du Ruo whispered: “Hello?”

“Where are you?” On the other end of the phone, the boy’s voice was a little impatient.

“I just got off the train.”

“I asked where are you!”

She looked around for signs: “The Hall. North Square Hall.”

“North 3rd District parking lot, Area A 0209.” The call ended as soon as he finished speaking. It was as if he went through a lot of trouble in making this call.

Du Ruo had met Jing Ming before.

Four years ago, the Jing couple went to the Southwest border to show their compassion to poor students of the area, and their son, Jing Ming, was brought along.

The fourteen year old boy was tall and slender, white and clean. Du Ruo and the other children looked foolish in comparison, dark and thin, and dared not approach him.

The good looking teenager seemed like an angel but only cared about playing with his iPad in the car. When finally pulled out of the car by his mother, he furrowed his brows, eyes full of disgust as he looked at his surroundings like it were garbage.

The original plan was to have a light meal at Du Ruo’s house, but Jing Ming refused, not even wanting to touch a glass of water, so the Jing couple gave up and left soon after.

When Jing Ming got into the car, a reporter from the TV station gave Du Ruo a bouquet of flowers and asked her to send it over. The boy sat in the car with a warning look in his eyes and she lost the courage to come forward. He then slammed the car door shut.

Du Ruo asked around for directions as she dragged her big heavy suitcase, and finally found the North 3rd District parking lot. Parked in Area A 0209 was a white car shaped like a tank.

Jing Ming looked slender, wearing a white shirt and jeans leaning on the hood of his car playing games. He was wearing sunglasses, with earphones plugged in as he chewed gum from time to time.

“Sh*t”

“Idiot”

“Don’t you know how to play!”

Du Ruo was sweating all over. With sweaty palms, she tightly gripped the handle of her suitcase and walked towards him.

Jing Ming shook his phone quickly with both hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone approaching. His face turned slighted. Covered by sunglasses, his eyes could not be seen clearly, and his expression felt cold.

He didn’t react at all until she reached him, then his brows twitched a little.

Behind his dark lens, the young man had wary eyes and gave her a glance up and down.

Her hair was damp with sweat, her shirt was wrinkled, her complexion was pale and she was embarrassed. He stared at her like she was an ugly duckling, lost and unwanted.

He finally remembered what he was here for. His game showed signs of decline. Frustrated, he said: “Not playing anymore, I’m leaving.”

He unplugged his earphones and stuffed them into his jeans pocket.

“Du Ruo Chun?”

Du Ruo replied softly: “I’ve changed my name.”

“Oh?” He lifted his eyebrows.

“Du Ruo.”

He raised the corner of his lips and thought, huh, Du Ruo?

Doesn’t it still look like Du Ruo? Well, whatever.

From his pocket, he took out the car keys and pressed it. The trunk popped open. He pointed with his chin and motioned for her to put the suitcase in.

Du Ruo didn’t say a word, walked to the back of the car with her head down and tried to pick up her suitcase, but couldn’t lift it. Forehead full of sweat, she flushed.

Jing Ming glanced at her, his eyebrows were deeply wrinkled and twisted into a frown. It was obvious he didn’t want to help.

He finally couldn’t bear watching any longer. He went over and snatched the luggage from her hand to throw into the boot. Unexpectedly, the luggage was so heavy he almost dropped it on his foot.

Jing Ming flushed and threw the luggage into the trunk, but couldn’t help clenching his teeth and cursing: “F*ck! It’s so heavy.”

Du Ruo explained in a low voice: “I packed some gifts for uncle and aunty.” [1]

Jing Ming responded with a burst of anger: “What gifts? Stones from your hometown?”

“......”

She stopped talking.

He stepped towards her and slammed the trunk shut. For a moment, his tall figure blocked the lights of the parking lot. But, from this distance he could smell the train fumes on her body and his nose wrinkled again in disgust.

Du Ruo didn’t realise and said flatteringly: “You… You’ve grown so tall.”

Jing Ming secretly mocked her clumsy flattery, and disdainfully said: “Have we met?”

“We have. Four years ago, aunty and uncle took you to our house.” [1]

“Don’t remember.” And said, “Don’t act like we’re close.”

Du Ruo shut up.

While driving out of the parking lot, the alarm in the car kept beeping. Jing Ming couldn’t stand it anymore and said: “Fasten your seat belt.”

“Hm?”

“Fasten your seat belt!”

She hurriedly pulled out the belt next to the seat and buckled it. She found that this man had an unusually bad temper and an extraordinary dislike for her. She didn’t understand what she’d done to instigate such treatment. The cramped sadness and embarrassment she felt was the same as when the reporters from the TV stations and newspaper agencies gathered at her home to bombard her with interviews, forcing her to give a speech of gratitude for being admitted into a prestigious college.

Fortunately, this being her first time coming to the capital, her excitement quickly grew, and her attention shifted to the scenery outside the window.

Summer had not yet passed, hence the cottonwood and sycamore trees on both sides of the road were flourishing. Under the blue sky, there were many high-rise buildings and overpass shuttles. As the car drove past the concrete buildings, wind blew through the window, feeling both hot and dry.

After reporting into school tomorrow, her new life in this city will begin. 

In the best capital, the best university.

She was so filled with joy, it was hard to suppress her excitement.

Before that, she needed to visit her uncle and aunt in the Jing family. Her father passed away early, and her family was poor. Had it not been for the Jing family’s financial support, she would’ve dropped out of school to make a living in a small business in her village.

Although she felt embarrassed repeatedly expressing her gratitude in front of the camera during the interviews last month, she sincerely treasured their act of kindness in her heart.

The two people did not speak along the way.

Half an hour later, the car stopped in a residential area where there were old red-brick houses with tiled roofs. Nearby, was a row of small restaurants serving dishes like Guilin rice noodles, braised chicken with rice, Chongqing spicy noodles, and so on.

Du Ruo got out of the car and was lamenting on how the Jing family’s living conditions seemed ordinary, yet they were still willing to support her. Jing Ming locked the car door and walked towards a building on the side of the road.

She quickly followed and reminded him: “My luggage is still in the car.”

Without looking back, he continued walking and said: “Unnecessary.”

Du Ruo followed Jing Ming up the stairs, only to realise it was actually an internet cafe.

Jing Ming found a computer, put on headphones and started playing games.

He stared at the screen with bright eyes, his slender fingers flying rapidly across the keyboard, making the keys clack loudly. From time to time, he uttered a few profanities.

On the screen, characters were killing each other with chaotic bursts of light.

Du Ruo didn’t understand what was happening and had no interest, so she could only sit and wait.

After winning a round, he was in a good mood. He laughed and joked with his companions on the other end, then turned to see Du Ruo sitting next to him in a daze.

Without saying a word, he reached over and turned on her computer.

It was then that Du Ruo noticed the long, pale golden dragon-shaped pattern on the sleeves of his white shirt. The pattern winded from shoulder to cuff, intricate and magnificent, yet subtle and dim, only noticeable upon closer inspection. She also noticed a small square silver-grey embossing on the inner side of his shirt cuff, which was faint but added a finishing touch. Each button was made of cypress wood and intricately carved, revealing hidden beauty in the smallest details.

The fabric of the shirt had great texture, and it fit him extremely well. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary white shirt, but upon closer inspection, there were exquisite details everywhere. It was a rare and quality item.

She lowered her head and hid the stray thread on the sleeve of her shirt.

Jing Ming continued playing his game.

Du Ruo had nothing to do on the computer. After a day of running around, she was tired. She let out a few yawns and unintentionally fell asleep, lying on the table.

Jing Ming glanced at her halfway through the game. She was quietly sleeping with a soft expression. Her eyelashes, like small brushes, hung down, dark and long.

On her screen was the official website of her school.

He withdrew his gaze with no expression.

In the virtual world, there was a fierce battle. Outside, the sun was setting, and the sky was dim.

Du Ruo had slept for an unknown period of time when someone nudged her shoulder.

She woke up in surprise and opened her eyes. Jing Ming took off his headphones, and she asked: “Is the game over?”

He handed her a hundred yuan and ordered: “Go and buy me a bowl of instant noodles.” 

After speaking, he wore his headphones again.

Du Ruo glanced at the computer screen and saw that it was seven o’clock in the evening. She said nothing, stood up with the money and left.

Outside the window, the sky was already dark. Inside the internet cafe, were youths in rows wearing headphones, sitting in front of computers engaged in intense battles.

When Du Ruo got to the front desk, several girls were waiting in line so she joined the queue. While waiting, she inadvertently glanced at the mirror beside her and got startled.

In the mirror, she had greasy and messy hair, her cheeks looked pale and worn out, her body looked thin and weak, and she was wearing an overly loose white shirt and jeans. Despite being washed clean, its outdated style and cheap quality could not be hidden.

Du Ruo understood what that lingering emotion she couldn’t shake off since meeting Jing Ming was – – inferiority.

They were both wearing white shirts, both wearing jeans, but they were not the same. One was refined, while the other was ugly. They were clearly from different worlds.

He was so beautiful and handsome, he was shining. While she…

She recalled the way he frowned again and again along the way, and immediately felt ashamed of herself, wanting to disappear.

……

Du Ruo made two bowls of noodles and carried them back. She gave Jing Ming his bowl, placing ninety-five yuan under it.

Jing Ming picked up the noodles and started eating. He casually glanced at the remaining money and asked: “Only five yuan for two bowls of noodles?”

“This one's mine, so I paid for it myself.”

Jing Ming paused for a moment, and half a moment later, he curved his lips and smiled strangely. Without saying anything, he continued playing the game.

Du Ruo’s face instantly became flushed. She understood the meaning behind his smile.

Her money wasn’t really hers, but his family’s.

Jing Ming’s phone began to ring and kept ringing, but he ignored it and continued playing his game.

After he played enough, he went to the front desk to pay, walked out of the internet cafe, and went down the stairs. His phone rang again, and he answered it with an impatient tone: “I’ve picked her up….. What time is it? The train was delayed. What can I do about it?..... Alright, I’ll be back soon.”

He turned around and looked at Du Ruo, and said: “When we get home, you know how to answer?”

Du Ruo nodded repeatedly: “I know. My train was delayed.”

_______________________

[1] referring to Jing Ming's mum and dad

Next Chapter

Hello

 

Welcome~

Hey, I've started my first project recently just for fun, and partly to improve my Chinese. I'm still studying in university so updates may not be the most consistent, but I will try to post at least once a week for my first project. Umm, I'm just going to take it one chapter at a time so wish me luck. I have very little understanding of Chinese idioms and such, so that will be a struggle, but you live and you learn :)

On another note, this blog might look a bit sketchy cause I'm still learning how Blogger works LMAO so if the links don't work or there's a really odd placed picture/text or whatever, just bare with it for a bit >-<

Hope you enjoy my translations...