Chapter 69

There weren't many people passing by, but they all noticed a beautiful and touching girl who seemed to be crying. Some slowed their steps, and some even stopped to observe. Yang Jingxing took out a tissue to help Tao Meng wipe her tears, threatening, "Stop crying, if you cry again, I'll hug you... so many people are watching!"

Tao Meng lifted her face a bit, letting Yang Jingxing wipe her tears more thoroughly. She glanced at him a couple of times, closed her eyes, and squeezed out the remaining tears in her eyes. Then she pursed her lips, practiced a smile, and turned around, but no one was looking anymore.

"You lied to me!" Tao Meng caught him on the spot, feeling wronged.

Yang Jingxing hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry."

Tao Meng was reasonable, "If you don't want to deal with me, just ignore me, you go!"

"I won't go!" Yang Jingxing looked around, "Let's go sit over there."

The two sat down on the bench in the small flower bed. Tao Meng sat with proper posture, not looking around. Yang Jingxing, mindful of public decency, didn't throw the tissue he used to wipe Tao Meng's tears, but put it back in his pocket, and asked, "Are you cold?"

Tao Meng shook her head.

Yang Jingxing asked again, "Have all our problems been solved?"

Tao Meng still shook her head, "No!"

"What else is there?"

"You need to explain... were you angry at the time?" Tao Meng looked into Yang Jingxing's eyes to prevent him from lying.

Yang Jingxing was in a difficult position, "A little."

Tao Meng continued, "If it wasn't for the money, would you never come to me again?"

Yang Jingxing said, "If it wasn't for the money, I would find other reasons, like asking about your party, or if 'Wind and Rain Together' is finished. I've been working overtime these days, just to finish it sooner."

Tao Meng pouted, "No, you have to be meticulous, not perfunctory!"

Yang Jingxing said, "It's not necessary now, I promise to be meticulous."

After a brief silence, Tao Meng said, "This time, I think we both have responsibility... but yours is greater."

Yang Jingxing agreed, "Yeah, I take 90%, yours is negligible."

Tao Meng explained, "Because at the time, I was so angry that I didn't mean to say it. But you did it on purpose, you said annoying things first, making me angry, and then you didn't comfort me... for so many days! Don't you think you were wrong?"

Yang Jingxing regretted, "I was wrong, I was wrong."

Tao Meng lifted her chin slightly, "What will you do in the future?"

Yang Jingxing said, "In the future, I'll try not to say annoying things and try not to make you angry."

Tao Meng said, "That's not the point, and it's hard to avoid. If I get angry, or you get angry..."

Yang Jingxing said, "I'll definitely comfort you well."

Tao Meng pushed further, "If I don't listen, I'll leave!"

Yang Jingxing said, "I'll try to stop you."

"How will you stop me?"

Yang Jingxing was at a loss, "I haven't thought about it, it's a matter of quick thinking."

Tao Meng nodded slightly, "Alright, I'll forgive you this time."

Yang Jingxing smiled happily, "Thank you."

Tao Meng asked again, "Why did you wait until today to come? Were you waiting for me to call you?"

Yang Jingxing said, "There's a possibility."

Tao Meng warned sternly, "That's not possible, I won't be a weakling in our relationship!"

Yang Jingxing acknowledged, "I won't have that fantasy anymore."

Tao Meng added, "But you also saw, I recognized my shortcomings, which shows I'm not unreasonable... it's all because of you, so much time has been wasted!"

Yang Jingxing couldn't lift his head from the criticism.

Tao Meng continued, "Do you know why I brought two girls today?"

Yang Jingxing asked, "Do you want me to introduce two boys to you next time?"

Tao Meng exhaled, "No! If I had brought two boys today, and we were very close, often talking about professional terms you couldn't understand, what would you think?"

Yang Jingxing was hurt, "You haven't forgiven me, using hypothetical situations to punish me!"

Tao Meng smiled, then became serious, "It means you would be unhappy, right? But every time I go to your school, I almost see Yu Xinting and Qi Qinnuo... this is the root of the problem. If we don't find the root cause, all this talk is just treating the symptoms, not the disease."

Yang Jingxing said, "Alright, next time you go, I'll make them avoid you."

Tao Meng said, "It's not about avoiding or not. I'm not completely against you having female friends, and I'm not particularly bothered by you talking about my underwear... but when I think about it, it makes me feel like you also look at them and joke with them, which is disgusting..."

Yang Jingxing argued, "That's not so serious, do you not look at handsome guys more than once?"

Tao Meng was flustered, "That's just a glance, and I forget it right away. Besides, there aren't many handsome guys at our school, and I wouldn't compare you with others, no matter what they're like!"

Yang Jingxing said, "I wouldn't either!"

Tao Meng said, "But I have that feeling. When you talk about music, I feel like an outsider, unable to join in or take the lead... it makes me feel like you're with them, not with me!"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "That's a serious issue!"

Tao Meng was dissatisfied, "You're saying the opposite again! Don't think I'm making a big deal out of nothing, I'm just telling you how I feel. You should do the same, if you're unhappy, let me know! Honesty is the most important thing between friends."

Yang Jingxing said, "I'm happy now."

Tao Meng said, "I'm okay too."

Yang Jingxing said, "Then it's all good, we're both relaxed."

Tao Meng took a deep breath, but then remembered, "You don't think I'm asking too much of you, do you?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I'd be scared if you didn't have any demands."

Tao Meng asked, "If I talk too much, will you get annoyed?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Are you going to ask if I'm annoyed by asking if I'm annoyed by asking if I'm annoyed... it's endless. I'll answer you once, I'm not annoyed!"

Tao Meng laughed, "You're annoying!"

Yang Jingxing took out his wallet, "Let me make you happy."

This time, Tao Meng took her share, and was really happy, "So much! I want this envelope!"

It seemed all the problems were solved. Tao Meng became concerned, "What have you been doing these days?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Waiting for the money, what about you?"

Tao Meng was dissatisfied, "Be more specific, besides classes, what else did you do?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Practiced the piano, the trumpet, and wrote some music."

Tao Meng still wanted more details, "What did you do on Sunday after you came back?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Practiced."

"Did you practice well?"

"Not really."

Tao Meng asked, "Did you talk about our argument with anyone else?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Of course not, it wasn't really an argument."

"What was it then?"

"Adjusting."

Tao Meng laughed, "I don't need that, it's all your problem."

Yang Jingxing had classes in the afternoon and had to rush back to school. Tao Meng saw him off at the school gate, reminding him, "Drive carefully."

Yang Jingxing said, "I'm not agitated anymore."

Tao Meng added, "Thank you for coming to find me."

Yang Jingxing said, "You made me agitated again!"

Tao Meng chuckled, "I hope there won't be a next time, it was really uncomfortable."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "If there is, I'll do better."

"Text me when you get there."

"You go back."

"Alright, I'll go."

...

On Saturday morning, Yang Jingxing still picked up Yu Xinting. At noon, he brought the clothes he washed for her and An Xin. Yu Xinting sniffed them and said, "They smell so good... none of them are wrong." She and An Xin's clothes were separated, each having about four or five pieces.

Yu Xinting praised, "An Xin said you are very meticulous, last time you even cleaned the hot pot oil from her pants."

Yang Jingxing complained, "I even bought a brush, it was exhausting!"

Yu Xinting laughed, "Have you ever washed your own clothes before?"

Yang Jingxing said, "It's not that hard."

Yu Xinting asked, "Is Tao Meng not coming today?"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "She has something to do."

Yu Xinting said, "Many girls have seen her, they all say she is beautiful and has a good temperament."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Little girl, do you know what temperament is?"

Yu Xinting said, "It's a feeling, you just know she's different from others."

Yang Jingxing said, "Everyone is different."

Yu Xinting said, "Qi Qinnuo is the same."

Yang Jingxing saw through it, "Both of them, you can't escape either."

Yu Xinting shook her head, "No, I feel very ordinary."

Yang Jingxing said, "In this era where everyone thinks they are special, you actually feel ordinary, clever!"

Yu Xinting laughed in surrender, "That's just the way it is!" She only dared to take out her frustration on the clothes, using both hands.

After arriving at the school, Yu Xinting went to the dorm to put away the clothes. Yang Jingxing ordered the dishes and waited for her and An Xin. In the afternoon, Yang Jingxing went to Room 402. On the third floor, he was intercepted by Qi Qinnuo, who asked him to be a commentator to see how the performance of 'Sun in the Rain' by Room 306 was.

The guzheng and pipa replaced the plucked strings in the original version, the flute replaced the brass, and worked with the erhu. There were many changes in the chord progressions, and the overall feeling of the piece was no longer grand and stirring, but instead became gentle and melodious, even the tempo was slowed down a bit.

It was still very good, each had its own charm. Although Yang Jingxing said he preferred the version by Room 306, Qi Qinnuo insisted on him giving some feedback. Getting feedback from the composer was also a form of recognition.

Yang Jingxing focused on the sanxian, turning it from a minor role to a supporting one. Wang Rui protested, saying it was because He Peiyuan was beautiful that she got this treatment.

Yang Jingxing had recently been studying the sanxian and sighed, the girls in Room 306 were not simple at all. Someone said it takes a thousand days to learn the pipa and a hundred days to learn the guzheng, but the sanxian takes a lifetime to master, and there was some truth to it. He Peiyuan's figure and face could make her a model, and it was rare for her to master the sanxian to this level, she deserved recognition.

Qi Qinnuo asked, "We'll use this for the semester performance, do you have any objections?"

Yang Jingxing said, "It's an honor."

Liu Siman was helpless, "We've been guarding Room 306 for two years, but we've been compromised."

Wang Rui asked Yang Jingxing, "Do you want a cartoon image of yourself on the blackboard?" She pointed to the collective cartoon image of Room 306 on the blackboard.

Qi Qinnuo said, "This needs a vote."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Then I'll abstain."

After Yang Jingxing left, Wang Rui started preparing the paint and brush, looking at the blackboard and thinking, "Who wants to be paired with him?"

Liu Siman said, "You keep this good thing for yourself."

He Peiyuan laughed, "Next time that woman comes, you'll be in trouble."

Cai Feixuan asked, "Is she really his girlfriend?"

Wang Rui said, "Even if she's not, do you have any ideas?"

Cai Feixuan shook her head, "I can't handle a guy like him, he's too high up."

Qi Qinnuo refused, "I'm not as good as you."

Cai Feixuan said, "You should try."

Qi Qinnuo threatened, "I'll play you!"

"Come on, who's afraid of who!" Cai Feixuan puffed out her chest.

Qi Qinnuo mocked, "Your little buns, want to compete with my soy milk?"

The girls laughed. Shao Fangjie said, "Isn't there a freshman girl who wants to pursue him? How's it going?"

Cai Feixuan was surprised, "You know about this!?"

"Puyin is so big, if you fart at the school gate, I can smell it in the North Building."

Chai Litian also gossiped, "That girl is from Hong Kong, she might be a bit confused."

Wang Rui cursed, "She's just being promiscuous, if Yang Jingxing is so tasteless, we'll pretend we don't know him!"

Qi Qinnuo reassured, "Don't worry, you have a much better chance."

Wang Rui was dismissive, "You check him out first."

Liu Siman exposed, "You're just letting her clear the way for you."

Shao Fangjie pulled a general order, "Yu Xinting has already taken the lead..."

Qi