Chapter 74 The Campus Beauty Arrives

Chapter 74 The Campus Beauty Arrives

On Friday evening, they had arranged to meet at a restaurant in the Kangyue District.

This area was closer to the filming location where Sheng Yan and the others were working. Sheng Yan had taken a half-day leave.

Ning Song heard that Li You was in Lower Harbor, so he went to find him. When he arrived at the Mahjong Hall, he saw Li You with a bucket, washing his face by the roadside. He seemed even darker than before, wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts, with white sandals. He lathered up his hands with soap, scrubbed his face vigorously a few times, then rinsed it off with water from the bucket.

After washing his face, he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, but when he saw Ning Song, he took the cigarette out of his mouth.

He really was rough and very much a typical guy, making Ning Song feel embarrassed for ever suspecting that Li You might have liked him too.

"Brother You."

Li You nodded, his gaze lingering on Ning Song's face for a moment.

Although Qiao Qiao had often mentioned in the group chat how good-looking Ning Song had become, seeing is believing. Upon actually seeing him, Li You felt as if he was rooted to the spot.

Ning Song stood there with a clear, cool demeanor, smiling in a way that was hard to look away from. Despite wearing the most ordinary short-sleeved shirt and jeans, he seemed to exude an air of sophistication.

It had been almost two months since Li You last saw him. The hot summer days had stretched on, and his life hadn't changed much. Not going to school for so long made him feel far removed from youth.

With Ning Song's arrival, his eighteenth year came back to him.

Li You originally planned to go like this, but at the last minute, he changed his mind and decided to change clothes.

His clothes were sweaty and smelly; he couldn't ride a motorcycle with Ning Song like this.

This was the first time Ning Song had come to his house.

It was an old building, even more dilapidated than their own place. Many of the surrounding houses had "Demolition" written on them, yet people still lived there. The streets were narrow and damp, like a steamer in the summer.

"This area was supposed to be demolished years ago, but nothing happened," Li You said.

He didn't live here permanently anymore. He had an apartment in the New Bay Area, which was much better. Because he spent most of the summer in Lower Harbor, he temporarily moved back here.

When they got home, Li You immediately turned on the air conditioner and said, "Sit down for a bit. There's something to drink in the fridge. I'll take a quick shower."

The house wasn't large, just two rooms and a living room, probably only about forty or fifty square meters. The living room was small and a bit messy. Ning Song sat on the sofa for two minutes, then couldn't stand it any longer and started tidying up the coffee table.

When Li You came out after his shower, he saw Ning Song standing on the balcony.

All the important furniture had been moved out, leaving the house nearly empty. The old house had poor lighting and a slightly decaying atmosphere. Ning Song stood in the white light of the balcony, looking like a painting, a bit out of place in this setting.

This was the only time Ning Song would visit his home before it disappeared.

He changed into clean clothes and, when he came out, took a towel to wipe down his motorcycle before letting Ning Song sit on it.

Ning Song smelled the fragrance of his shower gel and asked, "You use the same brand as we do at home."

Li You didn't say anything.

He really liked the scent of this shower gel.

When they reached the door, they happened to run into Sheng Yan, who was wearing a baseball cap and standing by the entrance, talking on the phone, but his eyes were fixed on them.

Li You drove the motorcycle past him, and Ning Song called out with a smile, "Brother Yan."

Sheng Yan was a bit dazed, his heart pounding in the sweltering August heat.

In fact, these past one or two months had been particularly busy, but the busier he got, the more he thought about Ning Song. This might be an extremely pivotal period in his life, with many things happening that he wanted to share with him—the experience of recording the show, the feeling of becoming popular. They were so compatible; they could talk for days and nights.

But during these two months, apart from occasional chats in the group, they hadn't talked privately at all, let alone met.

Now, seeing Ning Song suddenly, he felt a wave of bittersweet emotion wash over him.

Li You found a spot to park, and Ning Song got off the motorcycle, walking towards him first: "Why are you standing outside instead of going in?"

Sheng Yan finally came back to his senses and said, "I don't know which room it is. I'm calling Qingyuan."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Qingyuan ran out from inside: "What a coincidence, you're all here."

"Brother Yuan."

Li Qingyuan smiled at Ning Song, slightly stunned for a moment, then said, "Come in, it's really hot today."

Everyone went in together. Li Qingyuan looked back at Sheng Yan, who was wearing a blue baseball cap with the brim pulled low, his eyes fixed on the back of Ning Song's head.

He paused for half a step and patted his shoulder.

He understood.

This Ning Song has become too good-looking!

He felt like he was Sheng Yan's nemesis. Ever since Sheng Yan's confession failed, Ning Song seemed to get better-looking every day!

If you were just a little less radiant, Sheng Yan could move on!

Moreover, Ning Song's vitality seemed to have returned, making him look even more spirited and dynamic than before, though he spoke less than when they first met. Back then, he was a bit like Qiao Qiao—very lively and talkative. Now, he seemed a bit more composed, but his energy was incredible. Sitting next to Qiao Qiao, sometimes he would listen to others with a smile, or twist open a Coke on the table to hand to Qiao Qiao. Sometimes he would slightly lower his head to send a message, and when Qiao Qiao leaned over to look, he would tilt his head with a slight smile and turn away. His looks were beautiful, and he remained slender, but his every gesture exuded a unique charm, relaxed and different from the immature sprout he once was.

Very captivating.

Li Qingyuan even felt that compared to him, Sheng Yan seemed a bit dull.

Because whenever Sheng Yan encountered Ning Song, he immediately dimmed.

It seemed he wouldn't be able to move on anytime soon.

"I heard that Pu Yu took a leave of absence and will probably continue his studies in Xiadong Province," he said to Sheng Yan when they went out for a smoke.

Sheng Yan looked at him with a cigarette in his mouth.

"I think if you really like him, you should take the opportunity to poach him," Li Qingyuan said. "Being third for love isn't shameful!"

Li Qingyuan was mostly joking, but Sheng Yan actually considered it for a moment.

If he could really poach him, he would be very willing to do so.

He watched Ning Song through the glass, sitting in a chair and sending messages.

Then Ning Song suddenly stood up and went downstairs.

Sheng Yan looked down and saw Ning Song run out.

Then he saw Pu Yu.

"..." Li Qingyuan cursed.

Ning Song didn't expect Pu Yu to come.

Because Pu Yu had previously said he might not be able to make it due to school!

He had just sent him photos of their gathering.

"How did you get here! When did you arrive in Dongshang?"

Pu Yu smiled at him and said, "Just arrived. Have you finished eating?"

"Almost. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet. I came to say hello to everyone and then I have to leave. I'm accompanying the old man to a dinner party."

If not for the people coming and going at the entrance, Ning Song would have hugged him: "Everyone is here."

He led Pu Yu inside. Before they entered the private room, he saw Sheng Yan and Li Qingyuan standing on the second-floor balcony.

Li Qingyuan, holding a cigarette, smiled and said, "Pu Yu, long time no see."

"Long time no see." Pu Yu looked at Sheng Yan, nodded at him, and went into the private room.

From outside the private room, they could hear Qiao Qiao and Fan Duoduo exclaiming, "Brother Yu!"

"How did you get here!"

Li Qingyuan put out his cigarette and said to Sheng Yan, "They're too close; you probably can't poach him."

Sheng Yan silently extinguished his cigarette.

The term "clingy" seemed to apply even from hundreds of kilometers away. Young Master Pu was determined to stick around.

It was a pity that Sheng Yan had felt sorry for him during the summer.

Li You sat in the private room watching Pu Yu. After nearly two months, the young master had become much thinner and more mature.

He had come all this way just to say hello. How many of the people present were close enough to him?

After saying hello, Pu Yu prepared to leave. Qiao Qiao volunteered, "Aning, why don't you see him off?"

Ning Song smiled at him and then said to Pu Yu, "Let's go."

As they left the private room, Li Qingyuan was surprised and asked, "Leaving already?"

Pu Yu nodded. Ning Song said, "He has something else to do. We'll have to meet another time."

Because Sheng Yan and Li Qingyuan were standing on the balcony, Ning Song's plan to hug Pu Yu outside was ruined. But he couldn't resist the urge and pulled Pu Yu when they reached the stairs.

As soon as Pu Yu stopped, Ning Song hugged him tightly. Pu Yu leaned against the wall and laughed.

Upstairs and downstairs were noisy, and Sheng Yan was just a few meters away, separated by a wall.

In the past, Ning Song could refuse to be with him for Sheng Yan's sake. Now, Ning Song risked being discovered by Sheng Yan just to hug him.

Pu Yu felt incredibly satisfied, making the long journey worthwhile.

He was still a bit worried, fearing someone might take advantage of their distance. Choosing to appear at this gathering was partly to mark his territory and surprise Ning Song, pleasing him.

Both goals seemed achieved.

Ning Song saw him off to his car, watching him drive away before returning. Sheng Yan and Li Qingyuan had already gone inside.

Sheng Yan didn't want to see them being affectionate downstairs.

Pu Yu accompanied the old man to meet someone, unsure when it would end, but promised to inform Ning Song once it was over. Ning Song was so elated that he became talkative. He was beautiful and had a great personality. Sheng Yan noticed that even Liu Fang looked at him strangely, shyly and lingeringly.

Ning Song raised his glass and said, "Shouldn't we toast together for Brother Yan?"

Qiao Qiao and the others raised their glasses, but Li Qingyuan said, "Toasting together lacks sincerity. Let's do it one by one. And what we say must be unique!"

Ning Song smiled and looked at Sheng Yan. The glasses were already raised, so he said, "I'll go first."

Sheng Yan stood up.

Seeing that Sheng Yan held a can of beer, Ning Song put down his juice and gestured to Qiao Qiao, who understood and handed him a can of beer. Ning Song opened it and raised it.

The action was smooth and somewhat impressive.

Beautiful in appearance, cool in demeanor.

"Even though I've been in the European Federation, I haven't missed a single episode of 'Tomorrow's Idol.'"

Qiao Qiao added, "He even watches the livestreams. Every time it's two or three in the morning over there. We watched together and spammed Brother Yan with lots of rainbow farts in the chat!"

This was something Sheng Yan hadn't known. He smiled slightly, his gaze finally landing on Ning Song's eyes.

Ning Song's eyes were smiling as he said, "I'm not just a rainbow fart; I'm a genuine fan. Brother Yan knows. I became your fan earlier than anyone here."

Sheng Yan felt like crying. He touched Ning Song's hand and said, "I know."

He should have known sooner. If he had known Ning Song was watching the livestreams, he might have performed better or gotten more nervous. But regardless, he hoped Ning Song would be part of these important moments in his life.

"Here, I sincerely wish Brother Yan great success, immense popularity, and to win the championship next week!"

"A few words are enough, don't leave us with nothing to say!" Qiao Qiao hurriedly stopped him.

Both Sheng Yan and Ning Song laughed. This time, Sheng Yan took the initiative to touch Ning Song's beer can again.

Their fingertips touched, causing a slight pain.

Ning Song took a sip but saw Sheng Yan tilting his head back, finishing the entire can of beer. Li Qingyuan quickly said, "There are still many people behind you, take it easy."

Fan Duoduo said, "We can't drink less than Ning Song."

Saying this, he stood up and grabbed a can of beer.

Ning Song finished his own can before sitting down.

He didn't particularly like beer and preferred white liquor. His mouth tasted bitter, so Qiao Qiao quickly handed him some juice.

Then everyone took turns toasting and wishing Sheng Yan well. Ning Song sat in his chair, occasionally tilting his head to listen to Qiao Qiao whispering in his ear, a smile always on his face. Sheng Yan drank cup after cup, eventually finishing all of them.

By the end of the gathering, Sheng Yan was feeling a bit tipsy. But what made him feel drunk wasn't the alcohol, but the lingering thoughts. Li Qingyuan walked beside him and asked, "Are you okay?"

Sheng Yan replied, "I'm fine."

He looked at Ning Song and said, "Xiao Ning."

Ning Song looked over, and Sheng Yan said, "Let's chat?"

Ning Song walked over.

They went to the street corner, where Sheng Yan lit a cigarette.

"You started smoking?" Ning Song asked.

Sheng Yan nodded: "Not much."

He was smoking a thin cigarette, pure white, though the brand was unknown.

Sheng Yan asked, "How have you been lately? We haven't been in touch much."

"It's all good."

"How is Pu Yu? He seemed fine today."

Ning Song paused for a moment but then nodded: "He's also doing well, better than we expected."

Sheng Yan nodded.

"Brother Yan."

"Hmm."

"When I watch your matches, I really feel happy for you."

Sheng Yan smiled, his eyes moistening: "It's a shame you weren't there."

"I'll be there for the final. Brother Yuan gave me tickets."

"Bring Pu Yu along if he's free."

Ning Song nodded and said, "Okay."

"Let him see me dominate; maybe he'll feel a bit pressured."

Ning Song chuckled, thinking that Pu Yu already felt plenty pressured, which was why he came today.

Pu Yu was very jealous and sensitive.

But these things were hard to explain to Sheng Yan.

Li You, standing nearby, saw Sheng Yan take off his baseball cap and run his fingers through his hair.

Truly, they were both handsome, each one outdoing the other.

They parted ways at the restaurant entrance, and Ning Song got into Li You's car.

"No wonder Brother You doesn't drink at all," Fan Duoduo said.

"Isn't it hot?" Fan Duoduo asked.

"This is the best time to ride a motorcycle," Ning Song said.

He got on the motorcycle, holding onto Li You's jacket, and waved, "Let's go."

Sheng Yan watched them drive away, remembering the times when Ning Song sat on the back of his electric scooter.

Spring had long passed, and those nights would never come again.

Ning Song sighed as he sat on the back of Li You's motorcycle.

Li You asked, "What's wrong?"

Ning Song said, "Nothing."

He also recalled the times they had spent on Sheng Yan's little yellow car.

It felt as distant as this hazy night.

There were no more fragrant white elderflowers on the street; the air only carried the scent of the sea, with waves crashing against his heart.

Li You drove very slowly. He had a premonition that when he dropped Ning Song off at home, he might see Pu Yu standing there.

He had never seen it, but he could imagine that sweetness. Ning Song's hand was still gripping his waist, his fair fingers seemingly untouched by the filth of the slums. This made him envious of Pu Yu, who could date such a boy.

Whoever dated such a boy would surely be happy.

Ning Song's head was slightly lowered, almost touching his nape.

Ning Song was sending a message to Pu Yu, saying, "I'm almost home."

After sending the message, that faint sorrow completely dissipated.

Thinking about seeing his lover soon, Ning Song couldn't be happier. He glanced at the sea beside them and said, "Brother You, look, the moon is so big."

Li You turned to look and saw the large, round moon floating on the sea.

It was truly beautiful.

Ning Song hummed a tune from the backseat, feeling the sea breeze on his face. Their joys and sorrows did not align, but seeing Ning Song so happy made the night seem wonderful.

He sped up, thinking it was best to get Ning Song to his loved one quickly.