"Thanks for these past few days!"
"You're welcome."
Zeng Keqin was about to pick up the barbecue grill when someone beat her to it, followed by the pots, bowls, and basins...
Sharp-eyed Wang Chunyue saw this and deliberately raised her voice. "I never expected Senior Jiang is not only handsome but also helpful!"
Zeng Keqin looked at her empty hands and pursed her lips.
The group returned to the dorm. As soon as they put down their bags, the door was closed.
Liu Ying and Fang Yu leaned against the door panel, arms crossed, with expressions that said, 'Confess honestly.'
"Spill it."
"About what?"
Zeng Keqin played dumb.
"Yesterday evening, on the mountain, you and Jiang Shiyu."
Wang Chunyue came out of the bathroom and ran over with a gossipy face. "What happened?"
Fang Yu put her hands on her hips. "We all saw it. You were standing so close, you almost kissed."
Zeng Keqin frowned. "We were just chatting."
"Do you need to stand that close to chat?"
Wang Chunyue finally understood. "No wonder, Jiang Shiyu just helped you carry things. I said there was something off between you..." She cupped her chin and stepped closer. "Spill the truth, when did you get together?"
Seeing them getting more and more absurd, Zeng Keqin simply confessed in one breath. "There's really nothing between us. He's my first male friend."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he and I are just friends, not the kind of relationship you're imagining."
Liu Ying: "Impossible. You really have no feelings for him?"
Zeng Keqin lowered her lashes, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes. She recalled the look they shared in the firelight, his bright yet deep dark eyes.
Her heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat.
She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "No, I just think he's very loyal to his friends. I admire that trait in him, so I wanted to become friends with him."
This sentence seemed directed at them, but also at herself.
Fang Yu pressed on: "So you're saying you only see him as a male friend?"
Zeng Keqin nodded.
"And does he agree?"
"He agreed."
Wang Chunyue clicked her tongue. "Maybe he doesn't want to be just friends, but you forced him into it."
Zeng Keqin insisted, "He's very willing."
Wang Chunyue, Liu Ying, and Fang Yu exchanged glances and then said in unison, "Indeed, heaven is fair after all."
You can't have both intelligence and emotional intelligence.
In the boys' dormitory, Jiang Shiyu had been holding his phone in the same position for over ten minutes.
Fatty said, "Brother Jiang, you're going to stare a hole through your phone. Are you texting Junior Zeng?"
In Jiang Shiyu's mind, the image of her with cream on her face flashed—her round almond eyes, like a startled fawn. The corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted.
"Need me to give you some advice?"
"Shut up."
He pressed the send button.
Zeng Keqin watched her roommates chatting and laughing. Her phone vibrated—a WeChat message.
Jiang Shiyu: [Good luck with the interview.]
Zeng Keqin stared at the line of text, stunned. 'Speak of the devil.'
She pursed her lips and replied: [Okay.]
*
Soon, the day of the interview arrived.
Zeng Keqin tied her hair in a medium ponytail, put on a white blouse and jeans, and headed out.
She took the subway, transferred to a bus, and then rode a shared bike for a while. In total, it took an hour and a half to finally reach her destination.
Looking at the old office building before her, she felt mixed emotions.
A month and a half ago, she had been standing in the most bustling office building in Jiangchuan. It would be a lie to say she didn't feel a sense of letdown.
Zeng Keqin took a deep breath, pulled herself together, and walked in.
The elevator was an old model, its mirror covered with small ads. Through the gaps, she caught a glimpse of her own nervous expression.