Although it had only been a month since he’d last seen them, Lin Mu felt as if it had been a century since he’d been with them. He wasn’t concerned about Zhou Mo and kept asking Yiyi.
"Is your roommate easy to get along with?"
"Have you been exhausted this past month? You should eat more good food to replenish your body. From now on, I’ll come see you once a week, and of course, you’re always welcome to come to our school and hang out."
"Your school’s location is great!" The Beijing Film Academy is within the second ring road, unlike theirs, which had moved to Wudaokou.
"What’s so great about it? The school gate is jam-packed every day. Those rumors about luxury cars queuing up at our school’s entrance, I don’t know who made that up, they’re really talking nonsense. With that shabby spot, if you dare to stand there for a while, the security will shoo you away to prevent traffic jams. Tsinghua’s entrance looks more impressive, and just walking there naturally makes you feel a cut above the rest. Damn, I regret it a bit." Thɪs chapter is updated by novęlfire.net
Zhou Mo gave Lin Mu a disdainful look, and even Yiyi couldn’t help but sneer with a bared grin, "What were you doing earlier? Regretting now is too late!"
"Still, don’t undersell yourself. Imagine if you got a hit role someday, you could be a star in the future! Then you’ll have a bright future, and we’ll all have to piggyback off you!"
Yiyi wasn’t joking with this, but for a freshman new to college life, acting was still a process that required practice.
They took Lin Mu around the campus, and once they were tired, they went to the cafeteria. The three ordered four dishes for just over seventy yuan, all on special offer, yet the taste was superb. Their meals were free only on weekdays; there were no such privileges on weekends, so Zhou Mo had paid for the meal.
"Not bad at all, such a bargain, and all solid dishes: sauerkraut fish, spicy hotpot, braised pork, sweet and sour pork loin. These dishes would cost at least two hundred yuan at a restaurant outside. Living here, you guys are really lucky."
As Lin Mu ate, he couldn’t help but envy Zhou Yiyi and Zhou Mo’s life at Tsinghua. Of course, he didn’t complain about the canteen at the Beijing Film Academy; he just said it was average.
"Ah right, there was a high school reunion over the summer, but you couldn’t make it because of your early military training. Fifty percent of our class passed the first-tier college threshold. Our homeroom teacher was there too and cried, saying we were the most impressive class, and, of course, you two were particularly praised for being the only ones from our school who got into Tsinghua, though there was one who got into Beijing University from the liberal arts class. Still, they weren’t as impressive as you two."
Actually, class reunions are probably the most boring and realistic places. But since everyone has just graduated, there’s still some sentiment. Give it five or six years, once everyone’s true abilities come to light, it might just turn into a battleground for fame and gain, so Yiyi might not attend in the future.
As for Zhou Mo, heh, just looking at his unchanged expression, you can tell he probably never bothered to remember all his classmates’ names.
Of course, that might be an overstatement. Good friends don’t need reunions to keep in touch, and those you’re not close with won’t spare you a second glance even if you tried. So, does attending or not attending a reunion really matter?
Lin Mu watched the two across from him. Zhou Mo was still serving her food like in high school, and the four dishes he ordered didn’t even warrant a question to him—they were all her favorites. He hadn’t managed to catch her attention during the three years of high school, nor did Zhou Mo ever give him a chance. Even both sets of parents approved of their match, always telling him he was good for nothing, chasing her for three years without success. He wanted to pursue her, if only he had the chance.
Now they were all in Beijing, but the two of them were at the same university. Even if he were to hop on a rocket, he couldn’t catch up with the bond they formed over days and nights spent together.
So, he decided to place that persistent longing in his heart. If one day Zhou Mo wronged her, perhaps he would have a chance?
That’s Lin Mu for you. Despite his usual frivolity, his thoughts were perhaps the most delicate. He truly cared for her, but had to give up because of the slight differences in how Yiyi treated them both.
For example, whenever they were both present, she only had eyes for Zhou Mo. Even when handing out water, she’d give it to him first, then him.
When she sat on his bike’s rear seat, she’d hold on to his clothes. But sitting behind Zhou Mo, she’d put her arms around his waist.
If that wasn’t enough to completely discourage him, the way she had saved their names in her phone sealed his belief that there might forever be an insurmountable gulf between them.
Zhou Mo=Demanding Debtor, Lin Mu=Brother Lin.
Yes, to her he was just a brother. He was just another Brother Lin from heaven, while she was the little sister who dropped from the sky. Just a brother, nothing more.
Because Zhou Mo always had a poker face and was a man of few words, she came up with a nickname that suited his demeanor very well. Every time he appeared, it was as if he was there to collect a debt. Therefore, "Demanding Debtor" became her affectionate and familiar nickname for him. And him? Was he just a brother?
Lin Mu had considered competing, but how could he match the daily intimacy they shared?
They went to school together, went home together, ate together, and even shared just one bicycle. Did that mean they would eventually take the graduate school entrance examination together, go abroad together, and perhaps even have children together?
The more he thought about it, the more agitated and angry he became. He dared not speak, fearing that if he did, he’d lose even his status as a brother, so he chose to stand guard in silence.
At least in this unremarkable role, he could watch her grow up. Even if he were to truly become her brother one day, it would be fate.
Because solely based on the fact she had once saved his life, his mom had long thought of adopting her as a daughter, yet hesitated because of her son’s feelings, so she never went through with it.
Once they confirmed their relationship, Mom might take action. By then, he might really have no chance at all.
Perhaps this was what was meant by destiny without fate?
Lin Mu ate thoughtfully, while Zhou Mo always kept an eye on him, especially when Yiyi served him food—his grip on the chopsticks turned white knuckles.
He knew he liked her too, but a wife isn’t something brothers could share, so he preferred to pretend not to understand his feelings, though he could make up for it in other ways.
"Are you leaving tomorrow or today? Do you have any plans?"
Lin Mu hurriedly recovered his roguish smile, "What, you don’t welcome me?"
"You’re overthinking it. I was just asking if you had any plans."
Lin Mu shook his head, "Plans? But there seems to be a lot of fun places in Beijing. How about we go out?"
"How about we go to Wangfujing then? It’s getting late to go anywhere else. Let’s eat some snacks in Wangfujing, browse the bookstores, and maybe even find some nice clothes to buy."
Neither of the guys objected to the proposal, because wherever she was, they’d be up for anything. So after lunch, the three of them took the bus and the subway and, after a more than two-hour journey, they arrived at Wangfujing around two or three in the afternoon.