Chapter 89

Holding his phone, Bian Xuedao ran out of the door.

Yang Hao shouted after him, "It's going to rain, where are you going? Take an umbrella!" But Bian Xuedao didn't have time to answer.

From the 9th floor to the 1st floor, as he stepped out of the dormitory building, large raindrops began to fall from the sky.

Putting his phone in his pocket and covering it with his hand, Bian Xuedao ran towards the Red Building in the rain.

There were few students running in the rain like him; most found places to take shelter because of the heavy rain. Bian Xuedao guessed that the thunder must have scared Shan RAO, and he had to get back as soon as possible.

When Shan RAO opened the door, she saw Bian Xuedao drenched from head to toe. She went to the bathroom, took out a towel, and personally wiped the rain from his hair and face.

"Give it to me, I can do it myself," Bian Xuedao said, reaching for the towel in Shan RAO's hand.

Shan RAO didn't give it to him until she had dried all the rain-soaked skin that was exposed, then she turned and let him in.

Bian Xuedao changed into a new set of clothes in the bedroom. When he came out, Shan RAO was hugging a large dog pillow, sitting on the sofa watching him.

Bian Xuedao said, "The thunder was really loud just now, it scared you, didn't it?"

Shan RAO nodded.

Bian Xuedao said, "Will you chase me away next time?"

Shan RAO shook her head.

The rain outside grew heavier, pattering against the windows like countless whips lashing the earth. Shan RAO leaned on Bian Xuedao's shoulder, and the two of them sat listening to the rain, neither speaking.

Actually, after thinking for a while when she got home, Shan RAO had figured it out.

There was no way Bian Xuedao and Liao Liao could have anything going on. Not only did Bian Xuedao not have the time, but their personalities didn't match at all. Liao Liao was very proud, and Bian Xuedao was even prouder, though he usually hid it well, it didn't escape Shan RAO's eyes. These two people wouldn't have any substantial development until one of them submitted.

What truly made Shan RAO feel sad was that she would graduate a year earlier than Bian Xuedao. She really didn't want to leave him, and she regretted not seizing the opportunity to get closer to him during the first half year after they met.

The rain in June comes and goes quickly.

When the rain stopped and the wind ceased, the sun shone again. The path, washed by the rain, reflected the sunlight in spots. It happened to be the end of the second class in the afternoon, and the campus suddenly became crowded. Shan RAO pulled Bian Xuedao to go for a walk.

The air downstairs was filled with the unique smell after the rain. Bian Xuedao asked Shan RAO if she wanted to rent a bicycle, but she shook her head and tightly held his arm, wandering aimlessly around the campus.

Since it was dinner time, the campus radio station played Xiao Gang's "Twilight." Shan RAO said the song was really good and never got old. Bian Xuedao nodded and said it was a good song, and Luo Wen had a song with the same name that was even more enjoyable.

"Really?" As she spoke, Shan RAO's thoughts seemed to have merged with the song, mechanically responding to Bian Xuedao.

Bian Xuedao felt that Shan RAO was a bit different today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different. He thought it might be her period, and wondered if he should secretly mark it on the calendar.

After eating in the cafeteria, Shan RAO went back to her dormitory. Influenced by Shan RAO's mood, Bian Xuedao didn't want to go home to an empty room either, so he went back to his dormitory.

When Kong Weize came back in the evening, everyone in room 909 was together. Such a complete gathering was rare recently, as either Bian Xuedao or Yu Jin was often missing.

When Kong Weize entered, everyone saw several black marks on his white shirt and asked, "Do you need to climb chimneys to deliver meals?"

Kong Weize said, "Nonsense! On my way back, someone was burning paper at the intersection, and a gust of wind blew the ashes all over me."

Yu Jin said, "Not bad, if you think about it, it's like picking up money."

Kong Weize rolled his eyes and said, "Nonsense, why don't you go pick some flowers?"

Tong Chao asked, "Do foreigners not burn paper money when they worship? What do the dead use there?"

Yang Hao closed his book and said, "I often worry about them too."

Lying in bed, Bian Xuedao listened and thought the guys in the dorm were really too damn cheerful.

Everyone was in high spirits that night, and Yu Jin continued to play the role of the topic starter: "Did you guys check the news today? A security guard at an English school married a foreign teacher, and she's quite good-looking! I only read the summary and saw the photo, who read the news, tell us the details."

Li Yu said, "I read it. Their story is quite romantic. At the beginning, they couldn't communicate, so they drew pictures on paper: a mouth to chat, a street to go shopping, and a bowl to eat together."

Yu Jin said in a strange voice, "Did they draw a bed?"

Li Yu said, "Get lost! It's a good thing, don't talk nonsense."

Yu Jin said, "Really, when I have money, I'll find a foreign girl too."

Chen Jian asked him, "Don't you have Zhou Ling? What are you thinking about?"

Yu Jin said, "Who says dating means you have to get married?"

Ai Feng said, "You're living together and still say you won't get married? That's just being a scoundrel!"

Yu Jin conceded, "I just want a challenge. Think about it, walking around with a beautiful foreign girl, how cool would that be!"

Chen Jian continued to discourage him, "Kid, set realistic goals. Aim for something you can reach, not the moon."

Yu Jin said, "Why is it like reaching for the moon?"

Li Yu chimed in, "European and American women generally aren't interested in Asian men. If you really have money, maybe a black girl would be interested, do you like that?"

Yu Jin said, "Don't worry about the color, I just mean the environment and mindset are different, how do you pursue them?"

Chen Jian said, "Actually, it's simple. Watch more foreign romance movies and learn how foreign men pursue girls. Absorb the experience. Women, whether Chinese or foreign, are the same once they fall in love."

Yu Jin slapped the bed, "Right, it's still the second... uh... the second brother who is smart and experienced!"

There were two exams on Monday, and the rest were spaced out over the next few days, taking a full week. Two subjects were left unexamined.

Bian Xuedao felt like he was about to be roasted.

On Sunday, he calculated that out of the five subjects he had already taken, three were basically fine, and two were on the borderline, depending on the teacher's mood.

When he got home, Shan RAO opened the door for him.

Since the rainy day when Shan RAO was melancholic for the afternoon and evening, she had set up a study base at Bian Xuedao's place, occupying the east bedroom that had been unused. She didn't spend the night at his place, but she came in early every morning before Bian Xuedao woke up, bought breakfast, and left for her dormitory half an hour before the lights went out.

Although Shan RAO didn't stay overnight, she took naps there. Therefore, some of her clothes and toiletries were kept there, and the house, though unchanged in layout, exuded a sense of having a female presence.

Although Shan RAO had sincerely bought two cookbooks, after half a month of struggling, the 5-pound lighter Bian Xuedao finally told her, "From now on, I'll cook when I'm home, and you can order takeout when I'm not. I just had Li Yu compile a list of nearby restaurants with their specialties. Order whatever you want, and I'll pay at the end of the month. Really, sis, I'm serious."

The last two exams were scheduled for five days later. Bian Xuedao decided not to study the next day, to relax his mind, and to check out the housing and prices around the main stations of Metro Lines 1 and 2. If he found a suitable place, he would buy it after the exams.

In the morning, when he left, Bian Xuedao told Shan RAO he was "going to meet a friend."

Shan RAO, now a homebody, liked to stay at home, tending to flowers and fish, and doing civil service exam practice questions. She hummed and let Bian Xuedao leave.

An hour after Bian Xuedao left, Dong Xue stood at the entrance of his building and called Li Yu, asking if Bian Xuedao had moved. Li Yu said "no," and Dong Xue hung up.

Dong Xue held a bag of fruit, intended to bribe the elderly couple who were the landlords. She went upstairs and found the door she remembered, and knocked lightly.

Li Yu put down the phone, stunned for a few seconds, and quickly called Bian Xuedao. The noise around Bian Xuedao on the phone made it clear he wasn't home. Li Yu succinctly told him, "Dong Xue is at your place."