The Best Of You (English Ver.) - Chapter 46

Shen Nianshen applied for early graduation on the campus. In addition to the second-year courses, he must also take the third-year courses. If he couldn’t finish his classes, he won’t be able to write the thesis.

Sun Tiantian’s classes were lesser than the first year. Every day she would go accompany Shen Nianshen when she had no class. Shen Nianshen listened to his class seriously, and she just sat quietly by his side. Otherwise, she would draw or play on her phone. Basically, she did not interfere with Shen Nianshen.

In the class today, Sun Tiantian sat at the table and was drawing Shen Nianshen.

After drawing for a while, she tilted her head to observe and looked down again to continue her drawing.

In the middle of listening to the class, Shen Nianshen glanced at Sun Tiantian’s drawing paper. He couldn’t help but smile and asked quietly, “Is it for me?”

Sun Tiantian turned her head and smiled, “D’you want it?”

Shen Nianshen nodded, “I do.”

Sun Tiantian chuckled, “Okay, then when it finished, I’ll color it first before I give it to you.”

Shen Nianshen smiled, “Okay.”

–***–

This semester, for Shen Nianshen, almost every day was full of classes. When there were no classes, he would always go to the library.

One week since the lecture started, Sun Tiantian has never had a date with him.

At lunch, she couldn’t help but ask, “Ah Nian, do you… have time tonight?”

Shen Nianshen was stunned, “Why?”

Sun Tiantian pursed her lips and looked at Shen Nianshen, “I was thinking… if you have time tonight, we can walk around the campus, just… just take a walk.”

When she finished speaking, her eyes looked at Shen Nianshen expectantly.

Shen Nianshen’s eyes were deep, staring at Sun Tiantian for a long time without speaking.

Seeing Shen Nianshen not replying, Sun Tiantian stood up and sat down beside him, pulling the young man’s hand, “Ah Nian, I know your study pressure is immense. But you can’t push yourself without rest like this. Just consider yourself accompanying me. Give yourself a little break, okay?”

Shen Nianshen saw Sun Tiantian’s hopeful gaze, suddenly felt guilty in his heart.

His heart felt to be crushed by a boulder he could barely breathe.

He looked at Sun Tiantian and held onto the girl’s hand tightly, “Tiantian, I’m sorry. Recently…” He suddenly felt his throat tightened and was difficult for him to speak. After a while, he continued, “I’ve been quite busy lately. Can you wait until all this is over? After all of this is over, I’ll have the time to properly accompany you.”

Shen Nianshen had said that, Sun Tiantian couldn’t say anything else. She could only nod slowly.

Although Sun Tiantian did not complain much, Shen Nianshen could see her disappointed expression. His heart felt like being stabbed with a sharp knife and the discomfort was hard to describe.

He couldn’t accompany Sun Tiantian well, but selfishly keep the girl by his side.

Getting out of the cafeteria, Shen Nianshen escorted Sun Tiantian back to the dormitory.

The cafeteria was not far from her dormitory, they arrived there in a few minutes.

Sun Tiantian held Shen Nianshen’s hand, slightly reluctant to let go.

Shen Nianshen stared at her for a while, then pulled her into his arms and hugged her gently.

Sun Tiantian buried her head in Shen Nianshen’s chest, somehow, she feels like crying.

Shen Nianshen hugged Sun Tiantian for a long time, feeling so reluctant to let her go.

Eventually, Sun Tiantian lifted her head from Shen Nianshen’s embrace and kissed the young man gently.

She looked at Shen Nianshen’s face and reached out to touch his face gently. Her eyes were puffy from tears, “Ah Nian, you are thinner.”

Shen Nianshen held her hand, put it on his lips, and kissed it, “Don’t worry.”

Don’t worry, but how could she not be worried.

Shen Nianshen held Sun Tiantian’s face, lowered his head, and kissed the girl gently.

There was no movement, the two lips just pressed tightly for a moment. Shen Nianshen raised his head and rubbed his thumb on Sun Tiantian’s lips for a while. He was looking at her as he said, “Go inside.”

Sun Tiantian nodded, “You also go back and rest for a while.”

“I will.”

–***–

Sun Tiantian had a class in the afternoon and couldn’t accompany Shen Nianshen.

When her afternoon class was over, it was already half-past five when she left the lecture hall.

Sun Tiantian called Shen Nianshen, she wanted to have dinner with him.

The phone rang several times before connected.

Sun Tiantian hurriedly said, “Ah Nian, have you finished your class? Where are you? I’ll come to you.”

Shen Nianshen was already outside and preparing to deliver the delivery orders, he said in a low voice, “I am outside now, a bit busy. You go out to eat with your roommate.”

Sun Tiantian was stunned for a moment before replying, “Oh, alright.”

Sun Tiantian hung up the phone slightly disappointed.

Cheng Duo noticed her and asked, “What’s the matter? Shen Nianshen’s not eating with you?”

Sun Tiantian nodded, “He is very busy.”

Cheng Duo couldn’t help furrowing her brows, “What is he busy with? The lectures have started for quite a while. Apart from you accompany him to class every day, he never accompanies you. No matter how busy he is, can’t he spare some time?”

“Ah Nian is really busy.”

Cheng Duo looked at Sun Tiantian, “You keep on defending him. Even if he’s busy, can’t he spare a little time to accompany you?”

“Don’t talk like that about him, you don’t understand.” Sun Tiantian defended Shen Nianshen. Although she didn’t know what Shen Nianshen was busy with, she knew Shen Nianshen would definitely accompany her if he had time. He just didn’t have the time right now.

“Okay, I don’t understand him. Everything your Ah Nian did is definitely right. Come on, let’s go to eat.”

Then, she pulled Sun Tiantian walked off the campus.

Sun Tiantian was stunned and asked, “You didn’t eat with Xu Li?”

“No, I will accompany you.”

Cheng Duo took Sun Tiantian out for a barbecue. While eating, Sun Tiantian kept glancing at her cell phone from time to time.

Cheng Duo saw her did that and couldn’t help but sigh, “What are you looking at?”

Sun Tiantian shook her head, “Nothing.”

“Are you checking if your Ah Nian text you or not?”

Sun Tiantian, “…”

Cheng Duo grilled a piece of beef for Sun Tiantian, she helped her wrapped it in lettuce leaves and handed it to Sun Tiantian, “Valentine’s Day is coming soon. Shen Nianshen should have the time to accompany you, right?”

Sun Tiantian’s eyes wide opened, “Of course!”

She said, “Ah Nian said after everything was over, he would take the time to accompany me.”

While speaking, she remembered something her eyes lit up. She then grabbed Cheng Duo’s wrist, “Duoduo, accompany me to go shopping this weekend. I want to buy Shen Nianshen a Valentine gift.”

Cheng Duo agreed, “I also had to buy a gift for Xu Li.”

–***–

On Saturday, Sun Tiantian and Cheng Duo took a bus to the city center.

Sun Tiantian wanted to buy a pair of shoes for Shen Nianshen. The white sneakers he was wearing now were very old.

She chose in front of the shoe shelves for a long time, in the end, she still chose the white sneakers.

The saleswoman approached with a smile, “Hello, are you buying it for your boyfriend?”

Sun Tiantian nodded and asked, “Is there a size 43?”

“There is.” The saleswoman replied, adding, “This is a couple model, would you like to try the female model?”

Sun Tiantian’s eyes lit up, “This is a couple model? Yes please, let me see the female model. I want to try it on. My shoe size is 37.”

“Okay, please wait a moment.”

Sun Tiantian bought the couple model sneakers for herself and Shen Nianshen. She returned to campus with Cheng Duo happily.

She specifically reminded Cheng Duo not to tell Xu Li that she had bought a gift for Shen Nianshen. Xu Li’s big mouth would definitely leak it to Ah Nian, ruining her surprise.

Cheng Duo smiled mockingly, “Fine, don’t worry, like I don’t know what he’s like.”

–***–

The day before Valentine’s Day, Sun Tiantian accompanied Shen Nianshen to go to his class. Halfway through, she hugged Shen Nianshen’s arm and asked with a smile, “D’you know what day tomorrow is?”

Shen Nianshen was surprised for a moment, “What day?”

Sun Tiantian slanted her lips, “Valentine’s Day, don’t you know it?”

Shen Nianshen was taken aback, he only realized it at this time and said, “I’ve been so busy lately, I’ve forgotten.”

Sun Tiantian smiled, “It’s okay.”

Looking at him, she asked again, “Where are we going tomorrow?”

Shen Nianshen said, “It’ll be full of classes tomorrow, and I still have work to do in the afternoon. Let’s meet at Xingtian Square at six o’clock, then we can go eat together.”

Sun Tiantian grinned and nodded happily, “Alright then, I’ll wait for you there.”

–***–

The day after was Valentine’s Day.

When Cheng Duo returned to the dormitory at noon, she was holding a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates.

As soon as she entered the dormitory, Xie Yan exclaimed, “Oh my! What a huge bouquet of roses!”

Cheng Duo laughed heartily, “It’s not that big, really.”

As she spoke, she placed the roses and chocolates on the table.

Xie Yan smiled and said, “I don’t know Xu Li was quite romantic.”

“What romantic, he almost gave me money and told me to go buy them myself. Why would I take his money.” Just thinking about it, Cheng Duo found it so amusing.

Xie Yan turned her head and asked Sun Tiantian, “Tiantian, what gift did Brother Shen give you today?”

Sun Tiantian stood in front of the mirror while applying her makeup, “Brother Shen’s surprise will be in the evening.”

Cheng Duo walked up to her, “Why? He finally has the time to accompany you today?”

Sun Tiantian smiled, “Of course, we promised to meet at Xingtian Square at six o’clock.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, look at you. Very very happy.” Cheng Duo stared at Sun Tiantian for a while and suddenly realized something, “Gosh, when did you curl your hair?”

Sun Tiantian turned her head, “Did you just realized it? I asked Miao Miao to accompany me to curl my hair this afternoon.”

She tossed her hair as she spoke, “Is it good?”

Cheng Duo had gone on a date so early in the morning, she didn’t know that Sun Tiantian had gone to curl her hair. She nodded and said sincerely, “It is good, so beautiful.”

Sun Tiantian didn’t curl her hair too much. She just made it wavy and put it loosely on her shoulders, looking so natural.

Sun Tiantian was satisfied with her hair styling. After two to three hours of dressing up in the dorm, she put on a short, cream-colored coat. The coat she bought specifically match the couple’s sneakers. At the bottom, she wore light blue jeans.

It took almost an hour by bus from campus to Xingtian Square. Sun Tiantian finished her dressing up and came out at four o’clock bringing her bag and gift for Shen Nianshen.

–***–

For the sake of spending Valentine’s Day with Sun Tiantian later that evening, Shen Nianshen especially changed his working time to the afternoon.

He really needed money right now, not a minute or a second should be wasted.

After classes in the morning, he immediately got on his motorbike to deliver the delivery orders.

He had an appointment to meet Sun Tiantian at six o’clock. In order to make out more delivery orders, he rode the motorbike very fast. When he encountered an old building without an elevator, he would run up seven or eight floors in one breath. When he finally got down, his undershirt was soaking wet already.

When the wind blew outside, the sweat-filled t-shirt clung to his back, it made him uncomfortable.

He continued to deliver orders until five in the afternoon. Before headed to Xingtian Square, he went to the supermarket to buy a box of chocolates for Sun Tiantian. While passing a knick-knacks store, he stopped to buy a cute little doll.

He put the chocolates and the ragdolls in the motorbike trunk, and speeding towards Xingtian Square.

Just when he was about to approach Xingtian Square, he received a call from Liang Qi.

Liang Qi shouted frantically, “Brother, hurry go to the hospital. Grandma fainted again!”

Shen Nianshen’s body stiffened all at once, but the next second he turned around and headed for the hospital.

–***–

Sun Tiantian waited until half-past six at Xingtian Square but did not see Shen Nianshen’s coming.

The sky was almost dark, she took out her cell phone and was ready to call Shen Nianshen.

But before she called, Shen Nianshen had called her already.

She hastily picked it up and asked happily, “Ah Nian, where are you? I’m at the square here already.”

Shen Nianshen’s voice sounded hoarse, he said quickly, “Tiantian, tonight I might not be able to come. You just go back to campus, I’ll call you tonight.”

Sun Tiantian was stunned for a few seconds, then she hurriedly said, “It’s okay, I will wait for you.”

Shen Nianshen, “Listen to me, you go back first.”

Sun Tiantian, “I…”

Shen Nianshen, “I have things to settle here, I can’t talk to you anymore.”

“Ah…”

Sun Tiantian didn’t have time to say a word, the person on the other side had already hung up.

Sun Tiantian looked at her phone and was stunned for a long time.

Her surroundings were full of couples holding hands, all couples had happy smiles on their faces.

Sun Tiantian stared at them for a while, then looked away.

She held the gift for Shen Nianshen in her hand, slowly walking back and forth at the square. When she was bored, she will lower her head. Walking and counting tiles on the floor.

She waited from six-thirty to seven-thirty. Seven-thirty to eight-thirty, nine-thirty, ten-thirty, eleven-thirty…Shen Nianshen still not coming.

The weather in February was still as cold as winter.

There were not many pedestrians on the road. Sun Tiantian hugged her arms and squatted under the dim street lamp in front of the square. Her small body curled up like a ball.

She was cold, hungry, and sad. Her heart felt like choking on something and making her hard to breathe.

She didn’t want to cry, but her tears flowed uncontrollably. She lowered her head, her tears falling down to the ground.

–***–

When Shen Nianshen returned to campus from the hospital, it was 11:40 pm already. He was very exhausted and his head hurt to the point of exploding.

He opened the door and entered the dormitory, but his roommate was still awake.

Xu Li saw Shen Nianshen and immediately sat up from the bed, “Damn it, what are you doing here?”

Shen Nianshen was so tired he didn’t have the strength to speak, he only glanced at him.

Xu Li was a little confused and said, “I just called Cheng Duo, she said Tiantian hasn’t returned to the dormitory yet. I thought you two were staying outside.”

Shen Nianshen was shocked, “What did you say? Tiantian is not back yet?!”

Xu Li, “Yes, you…”

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Nianshen had rushed out of the room.

Shen Nianshen rode the motorbike fast on the highway, his eyes were red like blood.

When he arrived at Xingtian Square, it was already half-past twelve in the morning.

Xingtian Square was still brightly lit, there were still a few lover couples around the square.

Shen Nianshen stood on the side of the road and glanced at Sun Tiantian who was squatting under the street lamp.

Her surroundings were all couples, she was the only one crouching there alone.

Shen Nianshen’s eyes turned red, he looked at Sun Tiantian from a distance. After a long time, he lifted himself up and slapped himself hard on the cheek.

What was he doing?

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