*********************************************** Li Ming was not stupid. Those two did not come back to the dormitory last night and looking at Mai Ding now, Li Ming could see that he was walking awkwardly, and he was smiling as if all the flowers of spring were in bloom. Ironically, Li Ming knew that Mai Ding was 'deflowered' last night.
“So how was An Ziyan in bed?”, Li Ming asked without beating about the bush.
Mai Ding grabbed whatever was in his reach and threw it at Li Ming. “What the heck are you talking about? An Ziyan and I…” At first, he wanted to brush it aside, and lie to Li Ming, but thinking about the guy he had made love with last night just made him smile uncontrollably.
Li Ming took a mirror out and showed it to Mai Ding. “Look here. Your face is telling it all. You don’t have to lie to me. Furthermore, you can relax. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Don’t you find this kind of relationship a little strange?”
“Strange? Which century are you from? So… you did it with An Ziyan already?” He said this while using his body to simulate the 'action' that made Mai Ding blush a little.
Mai Ding wanted to kick him but said proudly, “Not only did we do it, but we are also going out.”
Even though Li Mint felt that An Ziyan does in fact have some feelings for Mai Ding, he did not expect them to be together. “Is he just playing with you?”
“I don’t think so. I hope not.”
“What about his current girlfriend?” Li Ming asked.
“You’re right. What about his current girlfriend?” He was so overwhelmed by the fact that An Ziyan agreed to be together with him that he totally forgot about the fact that this guy was already taken.
“I’m the one asking you, idiot!”
“I don’t know.”
“Aren’t you one of the people involved?” Li Ming rebuked.
“I forgot to ask him. I hope he is not intending to two-time us.” Mai Ding was slowly becoming unhappy.
“Well… to be with An Ziyan is already a miracle. Who cares about him two-timing? When it comes to love, sometimes you just need to turn a blind eye*.” What Li Ming said had some truth to it, but Mai Ding couldn’t intake it. (* - Meaning that he should just pretend that he doesn't know/forget about An Ziyan's girlfriend)
“I am not that kind of person who can turn a blind eye on such issues. I will talk about this with him later.”
“Men hate people like you.” After saying that, Li Ming decided to drop the topic while he was busy packing his clothes.
“What are you doing?” Mai Ding asked.
“I’m packing my stuff. Don’t tell me you have forgotten that tomorrow is the start of our break?”
‘What break are you talking about?’
“My dear Mai Ding, it is our country’s Golden Week*. We are off from school for seven days. Have you really forgotten?” (* - 7-day national holiday in China)
It was then that Mai Ding remembered what his mother had instructed: over the Golden Week holiday, he was supposed to be home. But on his mind, he wanted to spend more time with An Ziyan. There were just so many questions that were left unanswered.
--- It was noon when An Ziyan finally arrived in school. Mai Ding was waiting for him to have his lunch. He wanted to use this opportunity to clarify matters with An Ziyan, but when he saw him, he couldn’t say anything.
“What’re you doing here?”
“I’m waiting for you to have lunch. Isn’t that what couples do? Or are you trying to back out now?”
An Ziyan shrugged. “Whatever.” he said, walking on, leaving Mai Ding behind.
“You better get yourself mentally prepared. Since you have agreed to be with me, you can’t shake me off that easily.” Mai Ding warned.
“Yeah, I can see that.” he said, nonchalantly.
“Can you walk a little slower?” Mai Ding pleaded, not being able to keep up. He was already brisk walking.
“Who ask you to have such short legs?”
“What is this? Your attitude to me hasn’t changed at all.” Mai Ding thought that since they were together now, An Ziyan would treat him a little more tenderly. He was obviously wrong.
“You better also get yourself mentally prepared.” An Ziyan said. “This is all I can offer.”
Mai Ding was furious. “How am I a lucky guy?”, he thought to himself. He’s after all some other girl’s boyfriend.
Over lunch, Mai Ding dumped all the parsley that he didn’t like into An Ziyan’s bowl.
“Can you just fucking throw that away and not dump it in my bowl?”
“But throwing it away is a little wasteful, isn't it? I thought you didn’t mind them.” Mai Ding reluctantly took the vegetable back.
An Ziyan hated the fact that Mai Ding had spoilt his meal. He glared at Mai Ding who, in return, glared back.
“Since we are already together, can you treat me a little differently? You are still obnoxious and the way you treat me seems to suggests that you don’t care about me at all.”
“The fact that you are seated with me is already a new thing.”
“What’s so great about that?”
An Ziyan didn’t want to continue this pointless conversation and continued with his lunch.
Mai Ding will, however, not forgo this opportunity. He continued, “Do you have any plans for the upcoming holiday?”
“No.”
“I’ll be going home and the journey will take about three hours. Will you be sending me off?” Mai Ding persisted.
“We’ll see.”
“What do you have to do?”
“Many things.”
“Is there anything more important than me?”
“Yes. There are many.”
F--
For one whole day, Mai Ding did not really ask what he wanted to ask An Ziyan. Once it was night, Mai Ding realized that if he did not ask An Ziyan, it might be too late. At this point, he was in An Ziyan’s room using the computer. He carried the chair that he was sitting on and placed in front of An Ziyan. “There is something I need to ask you. What is going to happen to your girlfriend?”
“What about her?” An Ziyan knew what was on Mai Ding’s mind but he wanted him to say it directly to him.
“What do you mean ‘what about her’? You agreed to be with me and we need to come to an understanding. We can’t just have this relationship behind her back. You are not a man if you do this to her.”
“You don’t have the right to say that to me.”
“Furthermore, if you are intending to two-time her, I would rather give you up. My love for you is not that cheap.”
“Are you telling the truth?” An Ziyan could see how serious Mai Ding was.
“Yes. I want all the love you can give me.” Mai Ding was feeling a little shy. He was not used to the idea of sharing his innermost feelings with other people.
“Because… You can’t be shared.”
An Ziyan was stunned by his honesty for a while. Then slowly, he took his phone out, dialed his girlfriend who was in the States, and even put it on speaker mode.
Mai Ding was surprised yet secretly pleased by An Ziyan’s reaction. Softly he whispered, “If she asks who’s the third party, please don’t mention by name. What if she flies into a rage and comes back to China? You know, like those villainous women on TV? I’ll be dead! There's nothing scarier than a woman in rage.”
An Ziyan rolled his eyes.
A woman picked up. “Wow. To what do I owe this call from, my hubby? Is it possible that you actually miss me?” The woman’s voice was sweet and tender.
“Stop being disgusting.”
“How am I disgusting, you heartless moron? I’ve been in the States for so long and I can barely count the number of times that you’ve called me.”
Mai Ding felt a little vindicated that An Ziyan treated his girlfriend in an equally cold and heartless way.
“Xiaosi.”, An Ziyan began. “I want to break up with you. Even though saying it is actually pointless, someone wants me to make this clear to you.” It was bluntly said. Mai Ding was trying to tell him not to be so direct when breaking such news.
“Who is this 'someone'?”
Mai Ding was furiously shaking his head, telling An Ziyan not to mention his name.
“A guy named Mai Ding.” Mai Ding didn’t know what hit him. Everything was in a blur.
One would expect to the girl to cry. Instead, Xiaosi laughed, “Haha. An Ziyan, I never expected you to be in this situation. You are actually being controlled by someone, and this someone is actually a guy? Wow.” Her words were caustic. Even the usually cool An Ziyan was feeling irritated to the point that he felt like slamming the phone.
“Shuddup.”
“I’m the victim here and I can’t even say more? Tell your precious Mai Ding to be careful. I could come back to steal you away from him. And before you hang up on me, let me call you 'Hubby' one last time. We have been together for four years after all.”
“Fuck off.”, he said before slamming down the phone.
Mai Ding didn’t expect it to be over so soon. He did not expect An Ziyan to simply break up with his girlfriend. He thought there would be more drama, more tears, more shouting.
“Y-You mean, she has agreed to break up? She herself said that you guys were together for four years. She’s not putting up a fight? And she did not even kick up a fuss when she heard that the other party was a guy. Isn’t she a little too nice about it?”, Mai Ding couldn’t believe how open-minded Xiaosi was.
“If she weren’t nice, how could she be my girlfriend?”, That made sense to Mai Ding. And was he also praising Mai Ding indirectly?
It was later revealed to Mai Ding that Bai Xiaosi and An Ziyan’s families were very close. As a result, the two of them were often forced to be together. Furthermore, both of them hated their parents, and An Ziyan didn’t really hate Bai Xiaosi that much, and because the feeling was somewhat mutual, they decided to be together. Was there love in the relationship? There wasn’t, but after so many years, they became good friends.
Mai Ding’s conclusion was that the two of them took things too casually. And to think this relationship lasted for four years!
But Mai Ding decided to let the past be. He wasn’t the sort of person who would get obsessed with it. Let the past be a good memory. After all, An Ziyan was his now.
***
Early next morning, Mai Ding was packed and was ready to go. He ran over to Ziyan’s room, knocking on the door furiously. After a long while, An Ziyan finally opened the door. Without saying a single word to Mai Ding, An Ziyan went back to sleep.
“My dear classmate, I am about to leave. Won’t you be sending me off?”
“What’s there to send?” An Ziyan replied, sleepily.
“Get up quickly! If you don’t send me off, I won’t go.” His words were futile. He had to literally drag An Ziyan out of the bed, and even though An Ziyan was grumbling, he still obediently put on his clothes, and sent his new guy to the bus stop. When the bus arrived, Mai Ding didn’t care that there were many people at the bs stop. He hugged An Ziyan tightly before rushing up the bus; his cheeks were all red.
When the bus started to move off, Mai Ding remembered something and frantically stuck his head out of the window, shouting, “What’s your mobile number? I don’t have it.”
“Are you trying to fucking kill yourself? Get back in!”. No one could blame An Ziyan for shouting at Mai Ding. It was something dangerous and on this road the traffic could get very busy.
Mai Ding returned to his seat. Looking at his phone, he wondered sadly: What’s the point of having this phone when he couldn’t call the person he truly loves?
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