Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
On Santal Street…
It was a street along the river at the center of Shire City, just several hundred meters away from the prosperous business center.
Since the landscape there was beautiful, the place attracted many visitors.
After the day’s classes, Baili Qingfeng took a taxi to that place. He stopped at No. 101 on the street.
It was a six-storeyed building with a yard. It had many plates on the gate and guards on watch. It was not open for tourists.
Baili Qingfeng glanced at it and soon found a dessert shop nearby.
He ordered a beverage and sat down inside.
He sat there for…
Two hours.
During this time, the waiter had asked Baili Qingfeng several times if he wanted anything else, only to be declined each time.
The sky grew dark…
“Ding Ling!”
The doorbell rang.
Some men and women walked in.
Baili Qingfeng looked at them and his eyes focused on two girls.
The two girls wore long dresses of the same style but in different colors. Young and beautiful, they created a charming picture.
The dessert shop was not big. When he saw the two girls, they also saw him.
One of the girls immediately exclaimed in delight, “Brother Qingfeng, you’re also here.”
“Qin Lanshan.”
Baili Qingfeng greeted her and looked at Gu Lingying. “Are you shopping?”
“Yes.”
Qin Lanshan approached him. “Brother Qingfeng, you never visited us in our school. Also, Sister Yun said that you never went to her store again, either. We can’t forget your musical performance.”
“I’ve been busy lately, but if you go to the store often, I’ll drop by when I have time.”
“How about Saturday afternoon? We need to go shopping on Sunday. Saturday morning or afternoon would be the best.”
“It’s fine by me if you are okay with it.” Baili Qingfeng nodded.
“Great,” Qin Lanshan said joyfully and turned to Gu Lingying. “What do you think, Ying.”
Gu Lingying nodded with a smile. “Not a problem at all.”
Then, her eyes fell on Baili Qingfeng. “Have you created any masterpieces recently, Brother Qingfeng?”
“I have indeed created an ensemble.”
“Wow, really?” Qin Lanshan’s beautiful eyes immediately glittered. “It’s a shame that Ying did not bring her flute, or we could have certainly enjoyed it.”
“It’s alright. Today’s Thursday, and Saturday is only two days away. Will we see you then, Brother Qingfeng?” Gu Lingying looked hopeful too.
“Of course.” Baili Qingfeng nodded. “I can’t wait to enjoy Sister Gu’s flute performance.”
“Brother Qingfeng is great at guqin. Even today, the sound of his guqin echoes in my head.” Gu Lingying said with a smile.
Watching the two of them talk, a rather handsome and well-mannered man who came with the girls asked with a smile, “Lingying, Lanshan, you haven’t introduced us yet.”
“This is Baili Qingfeng, a sophomore of Shire University.” Qin Lanshan volunteered and told Baili Qingfeng, “Brother Qingfeng, this is Su Wei, a junior in our college. Those two are my roommate Nicole and her boyfriend Gu De.”
“Nice to meet you.” Baili Qingfeng greeted them courteously.
“Nice to meet you, Brother Qingfeng.” Su Wei nodded with a vague smile. “You’ve been sitting here for a while? Are you waiting for a female friend here?”
Baili Qingfeng looked at Su Wei. “I’m tired. Just taking a rest here.”
“Is that so? Resting in a dessert shop, your taste is unique, Brother Qingfeng. I thought only girls come to dessert shops alone,” Su Wei said, continuing the smile.
Baili Qingfeng said nothing.
His attitude made the smile on Su Wei’s face go rigid.
“Baili Qingfeng.” At this moment, Gu De, Nicole’s boyfriend, remembered something and said, “Baili Qingfeng, since you’re from Shire University, you must know Gu Le, don’t you?”
“Yes. He was one of my roommates.”
“Alright,” Gu De said and looked at Baili Qingfeng. “Hehe…”
He said nothing.
Su Wei sensed something from his tone. He immediately asked, “Why, Gu De, do you know each other?”
“It’s nothing. Gu Le is my cousin, who told me certain things that Brother Baili Qingfeng did.”
Gu De said to Nicole, Qin Lanshan and Gu Lingying. “What dessert do you want? It’s on me. Let’s keep shopping.”
“What things?”
Su Wei smiled again. “What did Brother Qingfeng do?”
“Let’s not talk about it,” Gu De said casually and looked at Baili Qingfeng indifferently.
“Tell us. I’m rather curious, too,” Nicole added.
“If you insist. You should know the incident in Shire University a couple of months ago, right? Many students went to the Aurora Embassy to protest, and my cousin was among them. He invited Brother Baili Qingfeng to go with him, only to be refused. Also, when the conflict broke out at noon, my cousin and Baili Qingfeng were at the spot. My cousin could’ve helped them if he hadn’t been stopped by Baili Qingfeng…” Gu De said.
Although he introduced the two events from a relatively objective stance with no slander, it was easy to tell that…
The tag of coward had been stuck to Baili Qingfeng.
“The incident at Shire University was big. Although the school did not publicly support the students’ protest, the temporary holiday was the best approval. I also went to the embassy to contribute. We all belong to Shea, and all of us should do our part during such times. It’s a pity that Councilman York had already taken care of everything when I arrived,” Su Wei said in surprise.
Baili Qingfeng looked at Su Wei and then at Qin Lanshan who frowned. He was going to say something, when a car drove out of the yard numbered 101.
Because the window was open, Baili Qingfeng saw Eddy, the leader of the maintenance team, in the car.
“Excuse me. There’s something I need to do.”
Baili Qingfeng said and left the dessert shop. Soon, he came to the taxi he hired.
The taxi was activated and soon appeared.
“There are quite a few buses leading to Shire University. It’s certainly not a bargain to take a bus. It seems that this Brother Qingfeng is from a rich family. No wonder he did not take part in the protest. However, the people from the real renowned families know what to do and what not to.” Watching Baili Qingfeng leave in a hurry, Su Wei observed with a smile.
Then, he turned to Gu Lingying. “Alright. Let’s order something. Lingying and Lanshan, what do you want?”
“I’m tired. I don’t want to go shopping anymore. Let’s go back, Ying,” Qin Lanshan said.
Gu Lingying nodded at where Baili Qingfeng left. “It’s almost night. We should go back to school. Let’s go.”
They said to Nicole. “We’ll go back now. Let’s hang around some other time.”
Then, they nodded at Gu De and Su Wei courteously and left.
“Lingying, Lanshan, are you leaving already? I have already made a reservation at a restaurant…”
Su Wei was about to say something else, only to be interrupted by Nicole. “Stop calling them.”
Then, she shouted at the two of them who had already walked out of the dessert shop. “Wait! Let’s go back together.”
When she was about to get out of the door, she slightly paused and squinted at Su Wei. “Lingying and Lanshan are young but not stupid. Do you think they do not realize that you were demeaning Qingfeng? What you did was absolutely useless and only proved your pettiness.”
Then, she quickly followed them.
Watching them leave in a hurry, Su Wei immediately looked awful.