Chapter 77

After arriving at the cinema, Tao Meng walked around but didn't find any movies worth watching. In the end, she decided to watch a 3D film, but not a story film. It was something called "Deep Sea World," a documentary about marine life.

She put on her glasses, entered the screening room, and found her seat. Tao Meng also wiped her glasses with a tissue, and she didn't let Yang Jingxing off the hook either. Behind them were two young women with two three- or four-year-old children, who were quite noisy. Tao Meng found it a bit annoying.

After the movie started, she found the 3D effect to be quite good, not a scam. The narration was in English with Chinese subtitles, and Tao Meng commented that some parts of the translation were a bit off.

The 3D underwater world was beautiful. Tao Meng leaned closer to Yang Jingxing and whispered, "What do you think?"

Yang Jingxing said it was good.

A large shark appeared on the screen, slowly swimming along. Suddenly, it turned and charged towards the audience, opening its massive mouth. Tao Meng was so scared that she leaned back, and the two children behind them screamed. The little boy even started crying.

Yang Jingxing tilted his head and asked Tao Meng, "Why are you so brave?"

Tao Meng denied it in a low voice, "I wasn't scared!"

Yang Jingxing said, "What a pity for such a good scene."

The film was short, only an hour long, and there were no more scary scenes after that. After they came out, Tao Meng was still interested and wanted to watch another one. After some deliberation, they finally chose a domestic film about the lives of the underprivileged. It was well-made and watchable, but not particularly memorable.

By the time they left the cinema, it was already past five o'clock. Yang Jingxing drove Tao Meng home. On the way, Tao Meng said, "Tomorrow, you still pick me up at eight... you arrange the activities."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Do you want to go shopping?"

Tao Meng was dissatisfied, "I said you arrange it!"

Yang Jingxing was pleasantly surprised, "So you'll do whatever I say?"

Tao Meng said, "Not necessarily, it depends on your performance."

When they arrived, Yang Jingxing gave Tao Meng ten thousand yuan. Tao Meng didn't count it and put it in her bag, then said, "I'll go now, drive carefully."

Yang Jingxing looked at Tao Meng thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of how to annoy you a bit."

Tao Meng pouted slightly and huffed.

Yang Jingxing was satisfied, "Alright, you can go now."

After dinner, Yang Jingxing returned to school and went to Room 402, where Yu Xinting and Qi Qingnuo were. The two were playing with an electric guitar and a drum set, just fooling around. Although Qi Qingnuo didn't play the drums herself, she listened a lot and could give Yu Xinting some suggestions. After so many days, Yu Xinting had at least learned some basic rhythms and could play them勉强地.

Qi Qingnuo complained to Yang Jingxing, "I asked her to play 'Wind and Rain,' but she refused."

Yu Xinting had a reason, "I can't!"

Qi Qingnuo said, "That's true, such a masterpiece was written in silence, what a surprise!"

Yang Jingxing said, "I'll write for you too."

Qi Qingnuo said, "No need to trouble you, you're so busy."

Yu Xinting asked, "Have you eaten... I brought apples."

Qi Qingnuo said, "I want one too."

Yang Jingxing split an apple in half and gave it to Qi Qingnu.

Qi Qingnuo said, "My dad said the person you introduced is good, very diligent. She will start singing on Monday night."

So the three of them agreed to go and support her.

After playing for a while, Qi Qingnuo switched to the electric guitar. By eight o'clock, she was ready to go help at the bar, and Yang Jingxing didn't see her off.

On Sunday morning, Yang Jingxing delivered the clothes for Yu Xinting and An Xin to the school at 7:30. Seeing Yang Jingxing's outfit, Yu Xinting said, "Here's an apple for you."

Yang Jingxing munched on the apple while driving to pick up Tao Meng.

Tao Meng was dressed beautifully, her orange-red coat standing out in the cold morning air. After getting in the car, she took a good look at Yang Jingxing, somewhat satisfied, and said, "Drive."

Yang Jingxing drove relatively fast, going straight. Tao Meng didn't understand and asked, "Where are we going?"

"Shangpu," Yang Jingxing replied.

"Ah!" Tao Meng was surprised and frowned.

Yang Jingxing asked, "Are you going back after graduation?"

Tao Meng said, "Not yet."

Yang Jingxing said, "Neither am I."

Tao Meng said, "Whatever."

On the way, the two of them reminisced about their high school days. Things that didn't seem significant back then now seemed quite amusing. Even the constant rivalry between Yang Jingxing and Shao Lei, which Tao Meng found worth remembering.

Tao Meng said, "Before you came, he was the tallest in the junior high school, with a similar appearance, and he loved dressing up. On the first day of high school, during the self-introduction, there were only a few people I hadn't seen before."

Yang Jingxing said, "I remember that day too. You were wearing a white shirt and a red skirt, so long... I thought I might see a sailor uniform."

Tao Meng couldn't remember, "Was I? What shoes did I wear?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Sneakers, also white."

Tao Meng tried to recall, "Definitely not."

Yang Jingxing said, "Of course, you don't remember as well as I do."

Tao Meng asked, "What did Jiang Qing wear?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Sure enough, you consider Jiang Qing a rival."

Tao Meng was angry, "Do I need to! You only remember the pretty ones, so I asked about her first!"

Yang Jingxing laughed again, making Tao Meng turn her head and ignore him for a while.

After reaching the outskirts without any houses, Tao Meng looked out the window and said, "When I came to school, it was usually my grandmother who dropped me off. Sometimes I actually wanted to take the bus... sigh, now I don't have much contact with Cao Linglan, just a few words on the alumni list."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Yeah, I'm grateful."

Tao Meng was annoyed, "That's not what I meant. Are you still in touch with Tan Dong?"

Yang Jingxing said, "No."

Tao Meng sighed, "We don't have many friends."

Yang Jingxing said, "I'm content."

Tao Meng laughed, "Of course, you have so many!"

Yang Jingxing corrected, "I'm content now."

At the school, the security guard strictly required registration and didn't allow them to drive in. Yang Jingxing and Tao Meng walked through the campus, where there weren't many students, but there were definitely some who recognized Tao Meng and gave them a second look.

They walked to a bench near the playground, and Yang Jingxing said, "Let's sit for a while."

Tao Meng hesitated, remembering the time she cried, but she still sat down and noticed, "It's been repainted."

Yang Jingxing smiled, "You look refreshed too."

Tao Meng looked around, "Actually, not much has changed, but it feels different."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Do you hate me less now?"

Tao Meng corrected, "I never said I hated you, you made yourself hateful."

After sitting for a while, Yang Jingxing said, "Come, I'll show you something."

"What?"

"You'll see."

Tao Meng got up reluctantly, "What haven't I seen?"

Yang Jingxing was worried, "I'm not sure if it's still there."

He led Tao Meng to the building where they used to live. Yang Jingxing looked up at the second floor and pointed to Tao Meng, "There, on that pillar outside, can you see it?"

Tao Meng looked up for a long time and shook her head, "What? I don't see anything."

Yang Jingxing said, "There are two characters, look closely."

Tao Meng looked carefully and saw, on the part of the pillar that extended beyond the balcony, two characters about the size of a ping-pong ball written in purple: "Tao Meng."

Back then, Yang Jingxing and Tan Dong lived in the dorm room behind that pillar. To write the characters on the outside of the pillar, they must have leaned out of the balcony quite a bit, which was quite dangerous.

Seeing Tao Meng looking up for a long time, Yang Jingxing asked, "Do you see it?"

Tao Meng nodded with her head still up, then felt uncomfortable and lowered her head, still looking forward.

Yang Jingxing reminded her, "Don't be moved, I wrote all the girls' names in the class, I brought you here to see this, luckily I didn't forget the place."

Tao Meng turned to look at Yang Jingxing, her eyes welling up, and couldn't speak, "You're annoying."

Yang Jingxing took a few steps, "There's one here too."

Tao Meng quickly looked up. Really! On the left pillar, there was "Jiang Qing," written larger and surrounded by a heart.

Tao Meng was furious and walked away quickly. Yang Jingxing chased after her, "Don't be angry... don't cry, please, let me explain... there are still many fans of yours in the school, don't ruin your image."

Tao Meng walked and shed a few tears, fumbling for her phone, "I want to go home, I'll call, I'll get a car to pick me up..."

Yang Jingxing explained, "Jiang Qing was written by Tan Dong, not me, you were the one I wrote."

Tao Meng stopped after a few steps, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and looked at Yang Jingxing, "Really?"

Yang Jingxing said, "His handwriting is so ugly!"

Tao Meng thought for a moment, "Yours isn't much better!" She glanced at the pillar, but it was too far away.

Yang Jingxing said, "Mine is much better."

Tao Meng turned to face the direction. Yang Jingxing invited, "Let's take a closer look."

Tao Meng hesitated, following Yang Jingxing's steps, but lagging behind.

At the base of the pillar, Tao Meng glared at Yang Jingxing for a moment before slowly looking up. The handwriting of the two names was indeed different. Although it was different from the style in the homework book, she could recognize that "Tao Meng" was indeed written by Yang Jingxing. Jiang Qing's name was a mess, a jumble of lines.

After looking for a while, Tao Meng scolded, "You guys are so disgusting! Someone will definitely see it."

Yang Jingxing wasn't worried, "Who would be so bored."

"Exactly, you guys!" Tao Meng glared at Yang Jingxing again, "When did you write it?"

Yang Jingxing said, "After the exams, that night he was drunk and insisted on leaving a memory, writing the name of the girl he liked the most. I had to write your name."

Tao Meng looked up again, slightly opening her mouth to breathe, and asked, "Who wrote first, you or him?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Me."

"Did you see each other's?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Of course."

Tao Meng couldn't stand it, "How can you be so disgusting... he even drew a heart!"

Yang Jingxing said, "I wanted to draw one too, but the pen fell."

Tao Meng was angry, "Why didn't you pick it up? Did you only have one pen?"

Yang Jingxing chuckled, "Do you feel like you lost to Jiang Qing? If you like, I can draw a big one, anywhere."

Tao Meng was dismissive, "No way... I don't want you to draw!"

Yang Jingxing handed a tissue to Tao Meng, "Don't cry so easily in the future, it's a waste... I thought it was funny."

Tao Meng was aggrieved, "It's your fault, I was a bit moved... you didn't explain earlier."

Yang Jingxing conceded, "Okay, it's my fault."

Tao Meng was pleased, "You have to compensate me, compensate me!"

Yang Jingxing said, "Let's go, I'll take you out to play."

Tao Meng asked, "What kind of play?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I never took any girls out to play in high school, today I'll make up for it."

Tao Meng questioned, "Are you compensating for yourself or for me!"

Yang Jingxing said, "You never went out to play either, I'm compensating for you."

After a few steps, Tao Meng turned back, "Someone will definitely find it and erase it."

Yang Jingxing wasn't worried, "I won't forget your name."

After getting back in the car, Tao Meng started gossiping, "I knew Tan Dong liked Jiang Qing, I saw it long ago."

Yang Jingxing praised, "You really care about your classmates."

Tao Meng looked down on him, "How can you be so boring!"

Yang Jingxing asked, "Didn't you and Cao Linglan ever get bored?"

Tao Meng said, "Never... but sometimes she went to the neighboring dorm to talk with them."

Yang Jingxing understood, "That's true, you two don't have much in common."

Tao Meng corrected, "I don't like talking about such boring things!"

Yang Jingxing agreed, "Of course, so many people like you."

Tao Meng didn't believe it, "How do I not know?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I'm one of them, and there are definitely more."

Tao Meng thought for a moment and asked, "Who will you write after graduation?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "By then, I'll be mature and won't do such things."

Tao Meng quickly asked, "What about junior high school...?"

Yang Jingxing said, "In junior high, I didn't know how to appreciate, and I didn't do it."

Tao Meng laughed and asked, "What are we doing in the afternoon? I'm a bit hungry, let's go to the molecular restaurant, there are still many things we haven't tried. I think the steak you ordered last time was pretty good."

Yang Jingxing agreed, "Sure, I'll treat you with my manuscript fee."

Tao Meng calculated, "That's enough for ten meals... I'll call to make a reservation, just in case it's crowded."

After returning to the city, at Tao Meng's request, they first went to wash the car and do a car check-up before heading to the restaurant, arriving exactly at noon.

Tao Meng took off her coat, and her inner clothes and pants were also very nice. After a trip to the restroom, her face looked even better. After ordering for a long time, they knew they had to wait for a while. Tao Meng said she practiced "Wind and Rain" after going home yesterday, "Without the trumpet, I felt strange, but my grandmother said it sounded good... will Yu Xinting and the others think I played badly?"

Yang Jingxing said, "They won't comment, and they won't compare you to their economic trade knowledge."

Tao Meng said, "We haven't started our professional courses yet, but I've studied a bit on my own... have you played with them?"

Yang Jingxing said, "No."

"Why not?"

Yang Jingxing smiled slyly, "To preserve your good impression."

Tao Meng was angry, "Then never play with anyone else!"

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