The Best Of You (English Ver.) - Chapter 20
When the group of young people came down the mountain and back to campus, it was nearly 11 in the morning.
Everybody was tired, after all, yesterday they slept outside and it was definitely not as comfortable as sleeping in the dorm as usual.
After getting off the bus, everyone said goodbye and returned to their respective dorms to sleep.
Cheng Duo grabbed Sun Tiantian’s hand and whispered, “Are you going back to the dorm with us or are you going to date your Shen Nianshen now?”
“To the dorm first.” After a long day and night outside, she felt like having a shower and changed her clothes before going out again.
Sun Tiantian walked up to Shen Nianshen and said, “I’ll go back and get changed first. We’ll meet at the school gate later, okay?”
Shen Nianshen, “OK.”
Sun Tiantian then returned to her dormitory with her roommates.
Xie Yan asked Sun Tiantian teasingly, “Where are you going on a date with Shen Nianshen later?”
Sun Tiantian smiled sweetly and said, “Ah Nian said he would take me around on a bike.”
“Aiyo, you called him Ah Nian already? How sweeet.” Xie Yan laughed, and Sun Tiantian lifted her chin high and a wide smile plastered all over her face.
Back in the dormitory, Sun Tiantian immediately went to the bathroom to wash and showered.
Sun Tiantian used to shower pretty quickly and usually only took 20 minutes. But today she has been showering for almost half an hour and has not come out yet.
Cheng Duo sat in the bedroom eating an apple, looking in the mirror and chuckled, “Girls who are dating, really are different. Even the bath time, they take it so long.”
Xie Yan smiled and said, “It’s nothing. Tiantian will be out in a little while to dry her hair, change her clothes and then do the make-up, it will at least take an hour. Is that right, Miao Miao?”
He Miao curled her lips and smiled, “This is completely normal. I guess when we are dating it would be like this too.”
Just as Xie Yan had said, when Sun Tiantian finished showering, drying her hair, changing clothes, and getting dressed, it really took more than an hour in all.
When she came out of the dormitory, it was almost two o’clock in the afternoon.
Just outside the dormitory, she saw Shen Nianshen standing under an old tree in front of the dorm, waiting for her.
Sun Tiantian’s eyes were sparkling, happily running over to him.
“Why did you come here? Aren’t we promise to meet at the school gate?”
Shen Nianshen replied, “There’s nothing to do there, so I came here to pick you up.”
As he spoke, he took Sun Tiantian’s hand, “Let’s go.”
The two walked hand in hand and headed for the school gate.
It was their first time holding hands while on the campus, Sun Tiantian felt the sweetness that was difficult to describe. Her eyes full of smiles, it was hard to hide.
It was the weekend, and also lunch break time, the campus atmosphere was quiet, only a few people passed by.
Sun Tiantian and Shen Nianshen walked slowly heading out the campus as if they were taking a leisurely stroll.
It was her first time dating Shen Nianshen, Sun Tiantian was slightly embarrassed inexplicably and lowered her head. But her lips continued to curl and smile. She was silent for quite a while.
Shen Nianshen was a little unfamiliar with the silent Sun Tiantian. He asked, “Why don’t you talk?”
Sun Tiantian, “I’m shy.”
Shen Nianshen widened his eyes, “…… hmm? This morning, who took the initiative to kiss me?”
“Shen Nianshen, you are annoying.” Sun Tiantian finally couldn’t help raising her head, looked at Shen Nianshen who was grinning from ear to ear. Sun Tiantian smiled, “You, why are you exposing me?”
Sun Tiantian reached out and hit him on the shoulder. Shen Nianshen caught her hand, a smile appeared at the corner of his lips, “Sun Tiantian.”
“Hmm?”
Shen Nianshen smiled deeply and stroked her head. “Let’s go.”
The two walked up to the school gate holding hands, Shen Nianshen asked her if she wanted to eat.
They hadn’t had lunch yet, thinking about it she said, “How about eating some fried rice?”
Shen Nianshen, “OK.”
In front of the campus, there was a crowded fried rice restaurant. Sun Tiantian often eats there with her roommates.
However, at a time like this, the restaurant was less crowded as lunchtime had passed.
The restaurant owner was a woman, she knew Sun Tiantian, so seeing a handsome man beside Sun Tiantian, she immediately smiled, “Aiyo, Tiantian, is this your boyfriend?”
Sun Tiantian grabbed Shen Nianshen’s hand and answered proudly, “Yes!”
The woman looked at Shen Nianshen, then looked at Sun Tiantian and said with a sweet smile, “You two are look alike.”
“Really?!”
Sun Tiantian looked surprised and gotten more excited.
The woman smiled and nodded, “Yes, you are.”
Sun Tiantian was extraordinarily happy, she lifted her head and took her face closer to Shen Nianshen. Her eyes arched, looking like a little fox demon, she whispered, “Did you hear that? She said that we are look alike. You see, if you are not with me, surely you will miss a sweet girlfriend like me?”
Shen Nianshen couldn’t help smiling and agreed with her, “Yes.”
Sun Tiantian pulled Shen Nianshen inside, she chose a table close to the window.
The two sat facing each other, the restaurant owner brought a note to help them order the food, “Will Tiantian eat beef fried rice today?”
“No.” Sun Tiantian glanced at the menu on the wall and said, “I’ll have an egg-fried rice today.”
The restaurant owner laughed, “Why are you turning to be a vegetarian today?”
Sun Tiantian said, “I’m on a diet. I became fatter recently.”
The restaurant owner shook her head with a smile and joked, “If you are fat, what will happen to a woman like me, we would rather not living anymore.”
She tilted her head and asked Shen Nianshen, “Handsome, what do you want to eat?”
Shen Nianshen, “Same as her.”
“OK, I’ll have them ready.” The restaurant owner went to the kitchen to place the order.
Sun Tiantian propped her cheek with both hands and smiled sweetly at Shen Nianshen.
Shen Nianshen’s eyes were as deep as an ancient well, his gaze was also deep. He stared at Sun Tiantian closely for a long time without a word.
“Shen Nianshen, are you okay?” Sun Tiantian suddenly stood up, walked over to Shen Nianshen’s side, pulled his hand and sat beside Shen Nianshen while resting her cheek on his shoulder.
Shen Nianshen slightly lowered his eyes, looked at her and finally opened his mouth, his voice slightly hoarse, “Sun Tiantian, you are not fat in the least.”
Sun Tiantian widened her sparkling eyes, said solemnly, “Oh yes, I am fat, it’s just where you can’t see it.”
Shen Nianshen stared at her, feeling a slight pain in his throat inexplicably. He couldn’t help to hold Sun Tiantian’s hand, holding it very tightly, as if holding something precious and afraid that he would lose it as soon as he let go.
Sun Tiantian looked at him, her eyes arched and suddenly asked, “Shen Nianshen, when is your birthday?”
Shen Nianshen was stunned, “What?”
“Tell me. I want to remember it.” When she said that, she let go of Shen Nianshen’s hand, took out a small notebook from her bag, then sat back down in front of Shen Nianshen. She then took out a pen and looked at Shen Nianshen, “Come on, tell me.”
Shen Nianshen never celebrated his birthday. For him, his birthday was the beginning of this shameful life, not a day to be celebrated.
If he could ask, he would prefer to never be born.
Sun Tiantian looked at Shen Nianshen, who kept on silent and looked a little lost in thought, not knowing what he was thinking.
She reached out and waved in front of Shen Nianshen, “Ah Nian?”
Shen Nianshen came to his senses, hesitated for a few seconds before replying, “January 27th.”
“Ah, it’ll come soon! About in a month.”
Shen Nianshen nodded, paused and said, “But I don’t really like celebrating birthdays.”
“Why not? It’s a birthday, it has to be celebrated. It’s a beautiful day.”
Sun Tiantian chatted as she carefully wrote down Shen Nianshen’s birthday in her notebook.
Sun Tiantian’s memory was not good, she was worried that she will forget it.
Shen Nianshen looked at her deeply, he wanted to say something but got hesitate, finally, he said nothing.
There were shameful things that he could never say, he hoped that Sun Tiantian would never know in her entire life.
“What about you? When is your birthday?”
Sun Tiantian smiled sweetly and replied, “March the 18th.”
“Gregorian calendar or lunar calendar?”
“Gregorian Calendar.”
Shen Nianshen nodded slightly, said it again in his mind and memorized it.
Two dishes of egg fried rice, it was 12 yuan.
After finished their lunch, Shen Nianshen paid the bill.
When they came out of the restaurant, Sun Tiantian couldn’t help but to discuss it with Shen Nianshen, “Ah Nian, next time we go on a date and eating out, how about pay separately?”
She wanted to be with Shen Nianshen, but she didn’t want to be a burden to him. She has been to his house once, she knew that his family’s condition was not very good.
Shen Nianshen’s body stiffened, after a few seconds, he replied firmly, “No.”
Sun Tiantian, “……”
“Have you ever seen someone dating and paid separately?”
Sun Tiantian, “That is… what if I leave my money with you? Otherwise, I’ll just keep on wasting my money carelessly.”
“You keep it to yourself.” After a moment’s pause, he added, “I have an income, don’t you worry about this.”
Shen Nianshen didn’t want to talk about it anymore, he changed the topic, “Two hundred meters ahead there is a bicycle rental shop, let’s go rent a bicycle.”
Sun Tiantian saw that Shen Nianshen was a little unhappy, she didn’t dare to bring up the matter anymore. She nodded her head and pulled his hand, “Come on.”
When they got to the bicycle rental shop, Shen Nianshen asked her, “Do you want to learn riding a bike?”
Sun Tiantian shook her head and smiled at Shen Nianshen. “I don’t want to learn, you give me a ride.”
Shen Nianshen smiled, “OK.”
They rented a bicycle, pledged their student cards, and pushed the bicycle out.
Shen Nianshen sat at the front, holding the bicycle handlebar in his hands. He was tall and his torso inclined slightly, one foot on the pedal and the other on the ground.
He turned to the side, looked at Sun Tiantian who was still standing at the side, he used his chin to point to the position behind him, “Come up.”
Shen Nianshen sat on the bicycle, he was wearing a white t-shirt inside and a black jacket on the outside. His hair was a little messy because of the wind. His eyes were deep, his nose pointed, his side profile was so handsome.
Sun Tiantian stood beside him, her eyes sparkling, looking straight at him, “Shen Nianshen, you are very handsome, more handsome than any character in the comics.”
Shen Nianshen was embarrassed and seeing Sun Tiantian grinning at him infatuatedly, he felt helpless but also amused. He reached out and pulled her closer, “Get on the bike.”
Today Sun Tiantian was wearing a skirt, she turned her body sideways and sat on the back of the bicycle, her legs hooked up and slightly raised, her hands wrapped around Shen Nianshen’s waist.
Shen Nianshen led her hand to the middle and said, “Hold on tight, don’t fall.”
“Yes, I will!” Sun Tiantian hugged Shen Nianshen’s waist tighter with both hands, her face pressed against Shen Nianshen’s back, “Let’s go.”
Shen Nianshen rode the bicycle while Sun Tiantian sat behind him, riding slowly along Ginkgo Avenue outside the school.
The winter wind blew a little colder on her face. Sun Tiantian hugged Shen Nianshen even tighter, asking him in a soft voice, “Ah Nian, aren’t you cold?”
She felt that Shen Nianshen was dressed a little thin, he sat at the front and was directly faced with the wind.
“I’m fine. Are you feeling cold?” As he said that, he subconsciously touched Sun Tiantian’s hand, her fingers were slightly cold. He frowned and said, “I’ll ride a little more slowly.”
“I’m not cold.”
Sun Tiantian’s face stuck on Shen Nianshen’s back, her hair was messy by the wind, she smelled the faint mint scent from Shen Nianshen’s body, a feeling of happiness filled her heart.
Her voice was soft, unable to hide her joy, “Shen Nianshen, I really like you.”
Shen Nianshen was a little stunned, then the corners of his lips couldn’t help but curled, his eyes filled with happiness that he had never felt before. The pleasure soared up from the bottom of his heart and spread across his eyes.