Drifting on a String - Chapter 31
Chapter 31
If a person wakes up harboring a secret and isn't frowning, that "secret" can probably be directly defined as "happiness."
But Chen Piaopiao was very careful about "getting" things. She wasn't good at squandering; she had to use everything sparingly, and that included sweetness.
The little fox who wouldn't spit out the rabbit skin treated her first love with her academic spirit.
When she woke up in the morning, she sent Tao Jin a "Good morning." After waiting for her to reply with "Morning," she went to wash up.
Looking at herself from left to right in the mirror, she felt her complexion had improved a lot. She applied a layer of tone-up cream and put on the denim skirt from the day of the club recruitment fair. It was still early. Qi Mian saw her fiddling with her hair and enthusiastically helped her with a side braid, which she fluffed up next to her face. Then, the two of them went to the cafeteria for breakfast.
She didn't run into Tao Jin in the elevator, didn't see her in the cafeteria, and didn't see her on the way to the academic building.
A major course lecture was harder to endure than usual. She picked at the dead skin on her thumb, glancing at her phone from time to time.
According to the class schedule, Tao Jin had a class during the second period, also in this building. She should be heading out now. Wouldn't she say something? Really, what to eat for breakfast could be a topic of conversation, right?
If Tao Jin wanted it to be.
Chen Piaopiao suddenly realized that a campus romance was completely different from those two days of living together. Once they started their separate academic lives, they needed excuses and topics to chat. This was especially true for Chen Piaopiao, who was in her first relationship and had no idea how large a proportion love should occupy in her daily life.
This was difficult.
For the second major class, they had to change classrooms. Chen Piaopiao followed her classmates upstairs. Hearing the sparse footsteps from downstairs, she leaned against the railing and looked down. She didn't recognize anyone, but judging by the textbooks they were holding, they were probably Tao Jin's classmates. They stopped on the second floor and headed for a classroom to the right.
The professor's voice was as hypnotic as ever. She could faintly hear the music leaking from her deskmate's headphones. Under the desk, Chen Piaopiao sent Tao Jin a WeChat message: "Are you in class now?"
"I am." Tao Jin replied quickly.
Her fluttering heart settled back down. Chen Piaopiao typed: "I'm so bored."
"Focus on class," Tao Jin said.
"You're not focusing either. You replied to me so fast."
"Mm."
A few seconds later, Tao Jin sent another message, quoting the four words "Focus on class," and said: "So I'm saying that to myself, too."
Chen Piaopiao heard the sound of her own heartbeat. It was like a frog stretching its legs for the first time and hopping, with a single leap, right into spring.
She rested her head on the desk, her forehead gently touching the edge. "I miss you a lot. I don't want to listen to the lecture."
She held her phone in her hand, propping it up with her index finger, rubbing the side edges.
Thirty seconds later, she received Tao Jin's reply: "I'm going out to the restroom. Are you going?"
Of course she was going. Chen Piaopiao suppressed a smile, put her phone away, and ducked down to sneak out of the classroom.
She had always wanted to be a bad student like this, skipping class for someone she liked, but she never had the chance. The thought that the person leading her to skip class was Tao Jin made her heart flutter, even if it was just for a minute.
She ran to the corridor and leaned over the railing, looking down. Tao Jin walked over from the other end, also leaning on the railing and looking up at her.
"Hey!" Chen Piaopiao called out softly.
"Hm?" Tao Jin tilted her head with a smile, her eyes sparkling.
They didn't get closer, nor did they hug. There were security cameras in the academic building, and Chen Piaopiao was afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself.
"What are you wearing? A skirt or pants?" Chen Piaopiao craned her neck, trying to see, keeping her voice very low.
"A skirt." Tao Jin turned to the side to show her, smiling sweetly. She thought the way Chen Piaopiao was peeking over the railing with her head sticking out was absolutely adorable.
After taking a look, Chen Piaopiao was satisfied. She blinked and said softly, "It looks really nice."
Time was almost up. Tao Jin pointed toward the classroom. Chen Piaopiao nodded obediently and turned to go back.
At noon, Chen Piaopiao had wanted to ask Tao Jin to lunch, but she figured Tao Jin might be eating with her roommates, so she didn't send a message. While waiting in line and playing on her phone, she suddenly felt a poke on her shoulder. She turned around. Tao Jin's hand hadn't yet retracted as she stood there, poised and graceful. "Hello."
The two words were drawn out a little, different from her usual greeting.
"Hello," Chen Piaopiao said as well.
Qi Mian looked at her, then at Tao Jin. "Senior, you're here for lunch too?"
"Yes." Tao Jin smiled, glanced at the adjacent service window to check the day's dishes, and added, "You guys go ahead and line up. I'm going to check out that window over there."
"Okay, okay," Qi Mian said hastily. She watched Tao Jin leave before nudging Chen Piaopiao. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Chen Piaopiao looked down at her phone and said softly, "I did. I said hello."
Qi Mian leaned on her shoulder and lectured her in an earnest whisper, "You call that talking? This won't do. I'll get my food to go and eat in the dorm. You take your tray and go find her to eat together, understand?"
She casually fixed Chen Piaopiao's braid. "You can do it."
A jolt went through Chen Piaopiao's chest, and she smiled. "Okay."
With Qi Mian's encouraging gaze upon her, Chen Piaopiao got her food. As instructed, she carried her tray and looked in the direction Tao Jin had gone. There were too many people, and her eyes blurred from searching. When she finally found her, she hesitated.
Tao Jin was with her three roommates, sitting at a six-person table, chatting as they ate.
Chen Piaopiao stood to the side, sucking in her cheeks, thinking maybe she should just find another seat.
Before she could move, she saw Tao Jin look up at her.
Xiao Ma followed her gaze and grinned like Garfield. Without even putting down her chopsticks, she waved. "Come, come, come, come, come, Piaopiao, come, come, come, come, come, over here, eat here!"
Lao Hai and Tizi also turned around, smiling as they held the backs of their chairs. "Come on, there's a spot here."
Xiao Ma stood up, moved her tray to the opposite side, and gestured for Chen Piaopiao to come over. "You sit there, sit there."
Chen Piaopiao sat down next to Tao Jin. The familiar scent of cedarwood inexplicably made her ears turn a little red. She lowered her head to arrange her bowl and chopsticks, barely glancing at Tao Jin, and only greeted Xiao Ma and the others. "Hi, seniors. What a coincidence."
Xiao Ma glanced at Tao Jin, who also lowered her head and took a bite of vegetables without saying a word.
"Aren't you going to say hi to her?" Tizi chuckled.
...
Chen Piaopiao hesitated. Tao Jin put down her chopsticks, looked at the dishes on her plate, and asked softly with great familiarity, "They have your favorite Cola Chicken Wings today. You didn't get any?"
Even without looking up, Chen Piaopiao knew that the expression on Hippocampus's face must be priceless.
And Tao Jin's gaze, along with the reactions of the other three, told her that dorm room 1105 probably knew.
Chen Piaopiao's heart felt soft and secure, and the area behind her ears grew even hotter, as if she were a newlywed being introduced to the family. She lowered her head. "No, they were all gone by the time I got there."
So cute. Tao Jin smiled and blinked, unable to resist teasing her. "She has some, and she hasn't eaten them yet. Do you want them?"
Her gaze shifted toward Tizi.
Tizi frantically covered her food. "No, wait, this, huh?"
"You're not willing?" Tao Jin tilted her head, her eyes gentle. "A first-year junior."
Shouldn't you take care of her?
Heh. Tizi was so annoyed she laughed. She understood now. Tao Jin was getting revenge on her for saying she was heartless for pursuing a first-year.
"That's not it." Tizi appealed to Xiao Ma for help. Holding a grudge like this, was that right?
Unexpectedly, Xiao Ma pursed her lips and said, "Just give them to her. She's a first-year junior. The kid just wants some chicken wings."
Tao Jin lowered her head, holding her chopsticks in her mouth, and smiled.
Chen Piaopiao didn't know what was going on, but she found the atmosphere fun and couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile. Tizi shot Tao Jin a glare and pushed her tray over. "Piaopiao, do you want them? I really haven't touched them."
"No, it's okay. I was just kidding," Tao Jin said gently, shaking her head. She picked up a piece of her own pork rib and placed it in Chen Piaopiao's bowl. "This is really good too. Try it."
Aiyo. We're getting a full dose of relationship goals, Xiao Ma thought, rolling her eyes.
Tizi rolled her eyes twice.
Chen Piaopiao picked it up and chewed slowly. Tao Jin's words held a subtle stance, as if she could make decisions for Chen Piaopiao, and as if she and Tao Jin were on one side, while her more familiar roommates were on the other.
This sense of boundary made her very comfortable. Her hand under the table reached out and rested softly on Tao Jin's thigh.
The next second, her hand was grasped by Tao Jin's. Their fingers intertwined tightly, soft and tingly, the bases of their fingers tangling together.
Chen Piaopiao sighed inwardly. She couldn't hold back anymore. She lowered her head, took out her phone, and sent Tao Jin a message.
"Can we have a Plan B? Tonight."
Aiya, young love
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