Returning - Chapter 199
Chapter 199: Stirrings (II)
What should one do when they like someone? Tang Xi didn't know.
She had looked up tutorials online. Though they all said a woman's pursuit of a man is only separated by a thin veil, she truly didn't have the courage to run straight to Zhuang Ye and confess. In this regard, she and Yu Jin were exactly alike—both had a surplus of theoretical knowledge but zero practical experience.
The two sisters, separated by a screen, studied the situation for an entire evening, and could only reach a conclusion: Zhuang Ye's attitude towards her was not that of an ordinary classmate. In his heart, he probably liked her too, or at the very least harbored some fondness for her. So, the simplest method was to patiently wait for Zhuang Ye to make the first move.
[But our deductions might not necessarily be accurate. He might not be single either. What if he already has a girlfriend but just likes flirting with people?]
Tang Xi, who had been fantasizing about Zhuang Ye taking the initiative to confess, couldn't help but freeze upon seeing this message from Yu Jin. Was he that kind of person? Her intuition told her, definitely not.
But clinging to this worry, she impulsively, in a rush of blood to the head, sent Zhuang Ye a WeChat message: [Hey, just wondering, do you have a girlfriend?]
The instant the message was sent, she regretted it. She shouldn't have been so direct. But back then, WeChat didn't have the recall message function. She could only smack herself in frustration a few times, then hastily find an excuse for herself: [A friend of mine says she's taken a liking to you, asked me to check for her.]
Almost at the same moment, Zhuang Ye's message arrived too: [I've never dated anyone.]
That single, short sentence instantly made her lips curl up uncontrollably. Yet soon, another message from him arrived: [Your friend?]
Tang Xi: [Yeah, since you're single, can I give her your WeChat? Let her add you, you two can chat yourselves.]
Such a reply was both a cover for her own guilty conscience and carried a hint of probing intent. While staring at the screen, waiting for a message, she felt her heart rise into her throat, terrified he might reply with a simple "Sure."
A few seconds later, his message came: [Sorry, I'm not really used to adding strangers as friends.]
Her fingers typed out "No problem," but the corners of Tang Xi's mouth once again curved high. Happily, she took a screenshot and sent it to Yu Jin. The two sisters meticulously studied Zhuang Ye's words, character by character, line by line, all over again. Finally, Yu Jin concluded: [Just wait, you definitely have a chance.]
That night, Tang Xi received the first "Goodnight" from Zhuang Ye. It was also the first time she had ever exchanged those two words with the opposite sex.
From that day on, Zhuang Ye's interactions with her increased. He would send her WeChat messages from time to time, all talking about matters related to the club, studies, and campus life—not a hint of flirtation. But she thoroughly enjoyed the process of chatting with him.
From that day on, every night before sleep, they would bid each other goodnight. This habit persisted right up until the day they broke up.
Because neither of them actively suggested meeting up, and the club didn't organize any activities that weekend, they only saw each other again a week later—at that elective course Zhuang Ye hadn't even signed up for.
That class didn't feature any movie screening. The teacher lectured very earnestly, but Tang Xi's mind was somewhat elsewhere, constantly guessing whether Zhuang Ye would confess to her. She was both expectant and nervous.
One moment she believed the ambiguity between them was real, that he definitely felt differently about her. The next moment she was secretly doubting if she was just too narcissistic.
After class, they walked back side-by-side as usual, chatting along the way about the content the teacher had just covered, about the movies the teacher mentioned. Yet, precisely not a single word of a flirtatious nature was spoken.
Reaching the bottom of her dormitory building, she felt a bit disappointed, but kept comforting herself: They hadn't known each other long, weren't that close yet. If he confessed to her this quickly, that would be too frivolous, too unsteady. That wouldn't be good.
Armed with this reasoning, she calmly smiled as she bid him farewell. But then he looked as if he had something else to say: "Well, about that..."
Her heart immediately leaped into her throat again. Though her heartbeat continuously accelerated, she still feigned composure: "What is it?"
He paused, chuckled softly, and shook his head: "Nothing, just wanted to ask if you're going to the activity this weekend?"
The club had organized a seaside barbecue for the weekend. Tang Xi was afraid of getting sunburned and hadn't decided whether to go. Now that he asked, she nodded: "Mm."
He smiled, saying, "I'm planning to go too."
The weather had already started turning cooler by then, but the UV rays in Donghai were strong, and sunny days were still intensely scorching. The day before they left, Zhuang Ye even specifically reminded her to take sun protection measures. Looking at those simple words, Tang Xi felt an indescribable sweetness bubbling in her heart.
She still remembered that day; Zhuang Ye was dressed particularly handsomely. Under the sunlight, his entire being seemed to glow.
The club had chartered a bus to take them there. After boarding, Zhuang Ye naturally sat down beside her, sparking a round of teasing from everyone.
Embarrassed, Tang Xi blushed, yet couldn't help smiling radiantly in her heart.
Once the bus started moving, Zhuang Ye nudged her elbow and handed a bag to her. She looked down—inside were a sun umbrella and sunscreen.
She was a little surprised: "I already have some."
"I asked my sister, this one works well." He appeared casual. "She doesn't use it, I grabbed it from her on a whim. If you don't use it, it'll just go to waste."
She carefully accepted it: "Then... thank you."
After getting off the bus, she couldn't wait to send Yu Jin a message: [He gave me sunscreen and a sun umbrella! What do you think this means?!]
Yu Jin: [AHHHHHH Really? Really?!]
Yu Jin: [He's chasing you, you dummy!]
Was it like that? Watching the tall figure helping set up the barbecue grill in the distance, Tang Xi couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
That day, Zhuang Ye seemed to have suddenly changed. He was more outgoing than usual, particularly warm towards others. That slight sense of distance he'd had before seemed to vanish in an instant. He quickly blended in, laughing and joking with everyone. This led the others to tease him endlessly, saying his romantic success was the reason he was so overjoyed.
The main grillers were the guys. The girls just chatted off to the side, waiting to eat. When Zhuang Ye handed Tang Xi a skewer of lamb, the group once again started teasing them without restraint, bringing up the topic of their matching couple names.
Zhuang Ye went back to laugh and roughhouse with the group of guys for a long while, then came back holding a skewer of vegetables, offering it to her. He asked, "Tang Xi, classmate, they all say you and I have a couple's name. Might I ask, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
His manner, exactly the same as when he'd been jesting with those people moments ago, seemed light, breezy, and entirely unserious. For a moment, Tang Xi couldn't tell whether it was a joke or not. Yet her cheeks still heated up uncontrollably. She could only turn her head to look out at the ocean: "My mother chose my name. That question should be directed to her."
Hearing his low, soft laughter, she grew a little embarrassed and annoyed: "Was I wrong?"
"Right, very right. In that case..." He cleared his throat. "Tang Xi, classmate, so as not to waste this perfectly matched name of ours, how about we try dating?"
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