Don't be So Proud

Chapter 9.5 — Do Not Use Your Pride to Hurt Her (5)

It was four, five in the morning. Lin Yu Tang and Ye Su Ying were no longer in the room. Brawny and Monkey woke up in turn, and groggily picking up the microphones, they continued with their singing. At this hour, not only was there no one fighting for the microphone with them, they could also do as they pleased and sing the songs they liked.

Brawny and Monkey were two different types of people, but the dream they each carried in their hearts was the same—they both wanted to find their own beloved girl to sing Marry Me Today with. From first year through to the end of third year university, that dream had never changed, and this was especially so now when they saw Leader and Beautiful Maiden Shen asleep in each other’s arms on the sofa on the other side.

In the end, Brawny selected this song and said to Monkey, “How about we practice it together first?”

No matter what, Monkey was still a proud, reserved, second-generation rich kid. He asked, “Who’s going to sing the girl’s parts?”

Brawny: “You?”

Monkey shook his head. “Then I’m not going to sing.”

The two used a finger-guessing game to decide the question of who would sing the female parts, and after using this fair method to settle the issue, they finally began sweetly singing Marry Me Today. One song was not enough, and they continued on to sing and other classic duet songs.

Outside the KTV, dawn was only just glimmering with the first, dim rays of the early morning sun.

Lin Yu Tang accompanied Ye Su Ying a part of her way back. Ye Su Ying was physically very fit, and even after an all-nighter, her steps were swift as she strode outside. After walking a part of the way, she would not let Lin Yu Tang continue accompanying her anymore, telling him, “Don’t escort me. Even if I run into some bad person, it’s that person who’s going to be on the losing end.”

Lin Yu Tang’s lips pressed together in a smile. Standing at the edge of the road, he flagged down a taxi for Ye Su Ying.

Ye Su Ying patted Lin Yu Tang on the shoulder. “Tang, do you mind if I give you a suggestion?”

Lin Yu Tang turned around. “Go ahead.”

Ye Su Ying paused a moment before opening her mouth to say, “I actually noticed this problem about you back during first year’s military training. Back then, we weren’t that well acquainted so I haven’t pointed it out to you all this time. Now, I’m not going to be too polite anymore… I feel like your personality is actually pretty aloof and cool, but yet sometimes, you’re really nice to girls. This causes us girls to really easily misunderstand, and it’s especially easy for us to start thinking in other directions.”

Lin Yu Tang truly felt surprised at this, but he also seemed to understand slightly. “I’m nice to girls?”

Seeing Lin Yu Tang’s skeptical expression, Ye Su Ying gave him an example. “Let’s talk about military training in first year. Every time you got up to get some water to drink, there would always be a girl behind you asking you to help her pour some water, right?”

Lin Yu Tang was unwilling to accept such a reason and did not speak, indirectly displaying his defiance and rejection of this.

Ye Su Qing gave another example. “Later, one girl got heatstroke. How many days had you even known her, yet you bought medicine and brought it over to her? Afterward, when I went to the girls’ dorm to see how she was doing, the girls were right in the middle of discussing whether you liked her or not.”

Holy crap! Lin Yu Tang even more so was vomiting blood at this. “That was He Zhi Zhou who told me to bring it over! I…”

The facts were already as they were. Even if Lin Yu Tang shouted more “holy craps,” it still would be no use. Ye Su Ying spread her palms, and her look was one of a person who understood. “That’s right. At the time, I had called He Zhi Zhou. So why didn’t he help? See how He Zhi Zhou knows how to clearly dissociate himself from any of those issues regarding ambiguous relationships between a guy and a girl?”

Lin Yu Tang: “……” He was completely speechless already.

Lin Yu Tang felt choked with anger. Back in first year university, when they were just starting military training, not only was he not acquainted with any of the girls in their year, he was not even acquainted with the three other people in his own dorm. In his entire dorm room, there were two crazies and one person who was just cold and indifferent. There had been no water to drink in that dorm room of four males, so that afternoon, he had gone out to buy water. Along the way, he got a phone call from He Zhi Zhou. What had He Zhi Zhou said in the phone? “Lin Yu Tang, when you’re over at the west campus buying water, while you’re at it, head over to the school infirmary to buy some medication. There’s a girl in our year who’s got a pretty bad case of heatstroke. When you’re done buying it, just bring it directly over to her. Don’t delay. I’m just passing on the message from Military Instructor Ye…”

I’m just passing on the message!

Ha ha. After finding out the truth three years later, Lin Yu Tang only wanted to let out a “ha ha.”

Inside the KTV room, Brawny and Monkey were on the sofa on the left, absorbed in singing their love song duets. On the right was a very peaceful, quiet picture. He Zhi Zhou was leaning back against the sofa, holding Shen Xi in his arms. One was snuggled in a comfortable embrace, deep in sleep; the other was in a half-asleep, half-awake state, holding his own body upright and trying as best as he could to allow the one encircled in his arms to sleep a bit more comfortably.

He Zhi Zhou’s entire body was numb. He basically had not slept for nearly the whole night, and when he finally felt that he could close his eyes and doze for a bit, Brawny and Monkey had started up their singing again, subjecting him to a full dose of torment. In between, when he was bored, he would lower his head and help Shen Xi scratch away the crusties that had formed in the corner of her eyes from her tears.

He felt that he was fast becoming a nutjob himself. He was actually scratching away his girlfriend’s eye crusties for her, and moreover, this made his heart feel all soft and tender.

And also, he was hoping that when Shen Xi woke up, she would forget those words she had said the previous night.

Shen Xi had fallen asleep last night with matters weighing on her heart. How could she forget about the huge issue of whether she and He Zhi Zhou were suitable for each other or not? What was even worse was, she had had a nightmare where an evil demon was trying to dig out her eyeballs, but luckily her eyeballs were strong and that demon had not succeeded with his wicked ways…

Such a scary dream! As Shen Xi blearily awoke, she saw He Zhi Zhou’s hand reaching toward her eye. Still feeling lingering trepidation, her voice was unsteady as she asked with a dolefully pitiful look, “He Zhi Zhou, are you trying to dig out my eyeballs? …”

“Wha?” The eye-crust-picking He Zhi Zhou could not keep up with Shen Xi’s thought process. Thinking about the importance of sweet words of love, he soothed, “How could I bear to do that to a pair of such big, pretty eyes?”

Sob sob sob… Shen Xi immediately shut her eyes. Following her own thought process, she wailed, “Evil demons all only dig out the pretty and big eyes. Who would want to dig out the small ones?”

There was no way He Zhi Zhou could continue this dialogue. Rising to his feet, he poured a cup of warm water from the coffee table and handed it to Shen Xi. His innately cool aura caused his gentle expression to grow chilly again. “You still haven’t sobered up from last night’s booze? Drink a cup of water and wake yourself up for me.”

Shen Xi did not take the water that He Zhi Zhou was handing to her. Instead, with dignity, she gave a “hmph.”

Feeling self-conscious from guilt, He Zhi Zhou drank the water himself. “What’s the ‘hmph’ for?”

Shen Xi rolled her head, stretching her neck. “I don’t like a boyfriend who’s always giving me an angry face.”

Setting down the cup of water, He Zhi Zhou sighed. Since Shen Xi had not said aloud to him that one statement of not being suitable for each other, there was leeway to turn things around in every complaint and criticism that she gave. He looked at Shen Xi. “I accept your criticism. This issue will not arise again.”

Huh? … So easy to talk to and willing to budge?! Then how was she going to state that sentence about them not being suitable for each other? Shen Xi was planning on carrying on with what she wanted to say, but He Zhi Zhou had already turned around and was speaking directly to Brawny. “Zhou Chen, bring up a song for me.”

Brawny set down his microphone. “Sure, which song?”

“The one that you and Monkey were singing just now.” He Zhi Zhou did not even know what the song name was, so he recited the lyrics. “Hand in hand, let’s create a beautiful life together…” [Note: He Zhi Zhou got the approximate idea but the lyrics weren’t quite right. Lyrics for Marry Me Today ]

Brawny understood and immediately brought Marry Me Today back to the front of the song queue. He Zhi Zhou handed a microphone to Shen Xi. “Still have energy to sing? We’ll sing first and then we can talk.”

“……”

She took the microphone from him. Initially, she had actually not been very willing to sing with him, but when the music sounded out, she immediately sat up cross-legged on the sofa and began to sing with He Zhi Zhou this song… that was the most played background song at weddings.

“… Hand in hand, come with me, give your life over to me…”

This was He Zhi Zhou’s first time singing Marry Me Today, and he had even only just learned the melody from Brawny and Monkey’s singing. Therefore, in that same spot in the song where Monkey had sung off key, he copied Monkey and also sang it off key.

“Right this moment I suddenly see you… Marry me today…” After off-key singing this line, He Zhi Zhou turned his gaze onto Shen Xi, the expression in his eyes serious and solemn.

Shen Xi blinked, her cheeks burning up furiously. She had never thought that, even though He Zhi Zhou’s singing was badly off key, her heart would still flutter and stir. How did this happen? Ten minutes ago, she was still pondering over that big question of whether she and He Zhi Zhou were suitable for one another. And now, right this moment, her heart felt as if it was bursting with joy and she wanted to marry him…

When Shen Xi and He Zhi Zhou finished their love song duet, Monkey and Brawny were hugging and comforting each other. At seven in the morning, they all went to have breakfast at KFC.

Midway, Shen Xi received two text messages. The first one:

Xi Xi, after you fell asleep last night, He Zhi Zhou and I had a talk. In all honesty, He Zhi Zhou is so cold and arrogant and is a little hard to get along with. Let’s not even talk about the fact that no girls could even get close to him; over these last few years in university, even other guys have found it hard to do. He has his own flaws, and he also has a lot of good things about him that you like. I believe that you genuinely like him, but I hope that these feelings bring you happiness and joy, not sadness and a broken heart. Also, what I did last night was inappropriate. I’m apologizing to you about it. And also, about Ling Chao Xi, even though it’s in the past already, I’m still sorry.

And the other one:

Lastly, if this relationship makes you unhappy, don’t put yourself through any grief. You still have me.

Both text messages were sent from “Tang Tang Who Came From the Stars.” This was the nickname that Lin Yu Tang was listed under in her mobile phone. Tang Tang who came from the stars. Her childhood friend who came from the stars.

……

Slipping her phone back into her bag, she went back to her ham breakfast sandwich. He Zhi Zhou looked at her. She turned her eyes onto her ham sandwich. Thinking that He Zhi Zhou wanted to eat it, she looked back and him and told him, “It doesn’t taste good.”

He Zhi Zhou did not speak. In the end, she still handed it to him. For a long while, He Zhi Zhou tried to contain himself, and finally, he managed to get out the two words, “thank you.”

Before they returned to their schools, Shen Xi in passing took He Zhi Zhou, Monkey, and Brawny to go buy their performance outfits. She was very clear on where these sorts of outfits that were used in shows could be bought. It was not far from here to the sixth floor of the Trade Centre.

In high spirits, Shen Xi led them to the Trade Centre’s sixth floor. The overall feeling was like she was walking her dogs. Arriving at the shop that she frequented, the owner brought out several male stage costumes for them. “These ones are most suited for jazz dance.”

Shen Xi picked up a vest and held it up against He Zhi Zhou, asking him, “Do you like it?”

He Zhi Zhou did not provide a direct statement of his opinion. “What do you think?”

Shen Xi: “You do like it?”

He Zhi Zhou: “I don’t.”

Hmph, hmph! He just had to make her ask him twice! Shen Xi handed the vest back to the shop owner, then also asked Brawny and Monkey for their opinions. They both only had one request: “It needs to be sharp and handsome enough!”

Thinking and thinking, Shen Xi asked the shop owner, “Boss, do you have sequins suits?” She wanted them to be so hot and handsome they were shining!

Sequins suits? Yeah! After each imagining this for a moment, Brawny and Monkey gave one another a high five—they liked sequins!

Monkey and Brawny were both immersed in the world of their imaginations, where they were dressed in sequins suits and stepping up to the pinnacle of their life. Only He Zhi Zhou was getting a headache from those glittering sequins. They were worse than that vest just now.

Tugging on He Zhi Zhou’s hand, Shen Xi offered her guarantee to him. “I’m your girlfriend. I wouldn’t pull one over on you.”

He Zhi Zhou inhaled a deep breath. “Whatever you want.”

Brawny liked red and Monkey liked blue, and so before long, the two had selected their colours. Shen Xi picked up a yellow one and asked He Zhi Zhou, “Want to wear this rich-tyrant-gold one?”

He Zhi Zhou gave a cold, haughty shake of his head. His gaze falling on that pile of stuff that looked like scales made of plastic, he finally loathingly chose a black suit.

Fine. She had not thought that even on stage, he needed to wear such a poser’s type of pompous colour. Shen Xi also selected two hats for Monkey and Brawny as well as the mask of a king for He Zhi Zhou. When they were paying at the end, the total came to 495 yuan.

He Zhi Zhou paid for everything. After the shop owner gave him his change of five yuan, he took it and offhandedly stuffed it into Shen Xi’s hands.

Five yuan… Shen Xi lifted her gaze to He Zhi Zhou. As he returned her look, He Zhi Zhou’s dark eyes unnaturally flicked away briefly. Then, as if he was deliberately trying to coax a smile from her, he told her, “For you to buy candy to eat.”

Five measly yuan! You couldn’t buy a car or a house with that! Yet, here He Zhi Zhou was talking with the airs like he was being her sugardaddy. Wordlessly, Shen Xi put the money into her pocket. Shen Jian Guo had borne so many hardships to raise her like a wealthy princess, but in the end, his raising ended up getting all of five yuan?

Shen Xi bowed her head. After doing some self-reflection, she comforted herself, she must be a girl who did not place importance on material possessions! That’s why she was still feeling oh-so-sweet over this five yuan.

When everything was done, they all, in a jubilant atmosphere, went back. Shen Xi could not wait to see what He Zhi Zhou looked like in a sequins suit. He Zhi Zhou would not agree to her request, though, so Shen Xi had no choice but to snug her head over and give him a peck on his cheek. “Now is it okay?”

“… I’ll send you a picture later.” He Zhi Zhou gave in. Then, without a backwards glance, he strode away.

That afternoon, when Shen Xi was in the dance room, she received a photo sent from He Zhi Zhou. It was his first selfie taken in the bathroom. After secretly letting Dou Dou have a look, Dou Dou begged, “Send me a copy, send me a copy!”

Shen Xi’s brows lifted. “What do you want to do with my boyfriend’s picture?’

“What can I do, eh?!” Dou Dou swung Shen Xi’s arm. “If you can’t eat the swan’s meat, you can at least look at the swan.”

Fine. Shen Xi sent the photo of her “swan” to Dou Dou and then solemnly instructed, “You’re only allowed to take two looks at it every day. I’m scared that if you take more than three, you’ll fall in love with him…”

Dou Dou’s head bobbed up and down incessantly in agreement. Raising her hand, she swore her guarantee that she would only take two looks a day.

Shen Xi and Dou Dou were sitting together, laughing and joking around. On the other side were Chen Han and Xia Wei Ye. All of a sudden, Chen Han, who was in the corner, picked up a button and asked aloud, “Why would there be a man’s button here?”

A man’s button!!!

The sound of He Zhi Zhou’s shirt button falling to the floor that night immediately flashed across Shen Xi’s mind. She turned her gaze in the direction of Chen Han, and looking very proper and genuine, she stood and said, “Chen Yan, here, give the button to me. I’ll take it to the TA.”

It was just a button. Seriously? Chen Han disbelievingly handed the button to Shen Xi as Xia Wei Ye gave a “hmph” and scoffed, “Such an exhibitionist.”

Shen Xi lifted her chin. Yeah, she was an exhibitionist. Fine. In a bit, she would go put on a little “exhibition” with He Zhi Zhou then.

Since He Zhi Zhou had given a photo to her, Shen Xi also took a picture and sent it to He Zhi Zhou. Her dance clothing was formfitting and the neckline was very low, so she accidentally ended up including a bit more of that beautiful “scenery” in front of her chest in the photograph.

When Shen Xi sent the photo over, He Zhi Zhou happened to be online in the library. His eyes scanned that photo. In it, Shen Xi was smiling warmly. He set the photo as his mobile phone’s screensaver.

And then, out of a man’s nature, he glanced once more at that beautiful curve. But… she had padded her bra with foam again?

He Zhi Zhou was caught between whether to find this funny or annoying. As he held the mouse in his hand, a thought popped into his head. Turning his palm upward, his fingers curved in slightly until they formed a bowl shape—it would seem, they were about this size?

He Zhi Zhou kneaded his forehead. He had lost all mood to do any work!