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墨書 Inktalez
After getting off the bus, Hu Ruoyun first took his ID card and checked into a room at the Post and Telecommunications School Guesthouse. The room had a private bathroom and 24-hour hot water, costing only twelve yuan for a night. Hu Ruoyun paid for three days, and since today was just the beginning, he looked forward to spending the weekend with Mao Na.
Once everything was settled, he freshened up in the bathroom, putting on a clean sky-blue short-sleeved shirt and a pair of cream-colored trousers that Mao Na had bought him during the May Day holiday. He slipped on a brand-new pair of Warrior sneakers. Looking in the mirror, he noted that despite being a bit darker, shorter, and less attractive than others, he still looked quite spirited.
As adults, he couldn't let Mao Na down.
Exiting the guesthouse, he approached the entrance of the Post and Telecommunications School. He presented his student ID (which was more useful than his ID card at this moment) to the guard for verification and entered smoothly. Following the instructions in the letter, he asked around for Building 6 and finally arrived outside Mao Na's classroom. Through a glass panel on the door, he could see her sitting in the third row, attentively listening to the lecture.
As Hu Ruoyun was lost in thought, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder. "Student, what are you doing here?"
He looked up to see a middle-aged man with fair skin and an elegant demeanor standing before him. Instantly straightening his posture, he politely replied, "Teacher, I'm Ji Nan's brother. I'm here to see my sister."
The man's expression softened. "I'm the counselor for this class. What's your sister's name? I'll let her know after class; you don’t need to wait here."
Hu Ruoyun borrowed a pen and paper from the teacher and quickly wrote down Mao Na's name along with his room number at the guesthouse before thanking him respectfully and leaving.
Mao Na spent some time watching television in her room but found it rather dull. Eventually, she lay down on her bed and fell asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, she was stirred by someone knocking on the door. Startled awake, she jumped out of bed barefoot and rushed to open it.
Standing outside was indeed Mao Na, but her expression struck Hu Ruoyun as particularly strange—there was happiness, excitement, awkwardness, even embarrassment. Just as he thought about embracing her, he noticed there was a man standing behind her.
This man appeared to be around Mao Na's age but was half a head taller than Hu Ruoyun. He wore a white T-shirt tucked neatly into fitted casual pants. A shiny watch adorned his left wrist; with a square face and thick eyebrows framing big eyes, he bore a striking resemblance to "Little Ma," smiling warmly at Hu Ruoyun from behind Mao Na.
What was going on?
Before Mao Na could speak, the man extended his hand first. "You must be Mao Na's brother? Let me introduce myself; I’m general Qi, your sister's classmate! I just heard from Counselor Xing that you came to visit your sister, so I thought I’d come over to meet you and invite you both out for a meal!"
What kind of situation was this?
Seeing Mao Na’s awkward expression made it clear she wanted to find a hole to hide in. Hu Ruoyun understood immediately—this was clearly an “rival” showing up at his doorstep.
In an instant, turmoil erupted within Hu Ruoyun’s heart: What did this mean for Mao Na? Had she moved on so quickly?
Sadness, grievance, anger, humiliation… all sorts of emotions surged within him like a storm; he felt like punching this pretty boy right in the face!
But he didn’t. He hesitated for just three to five seconds before making a face at Mao Na and inviting her in, saying, “Brother Qi, right? Come on in!”
He recalled something he once told Mao Na: most failures in marriage stem from doubt; no matter how solid a family is, it cannot withstand the blows of suspicion. He chose to trust her!
This left Mao Na even more confused. The “black coal” face had changed colors, and she worried he might suddenly explode. Now, this guy was being all warm and welcoming again, which made her even more uncertain: what was he up to?
Hu Ruoyun let them in and gestured for them to sit at the two chairs by the small tea table. “Just a moment, I’ll wash my face.”
After a short while, she came out of the bathroom, wiping her face with a towel while saying to Mao Na, “Mom knows I came to see you and sent me with lots of delicious food…” She put down the towel and went to open the bag on the bedside table.
Mao Na didn’t know how to respond; she couldn’t very well ask, “Is it your mom or mine?”
It was General Qi who stood up without a care. “Come on, little brother, let’s eat! You two can chat later.”
Things were getting more complicated.
Mao Na’s group had opened two classes this year, with people from almost every county in the province coming over, most of whom had some background.
General Qi was from Ji Nan’s Huangchuan County and was quite a sociable person—talkative and good at navigating social situations. He had been appointed class leader by their counselor and was also a member of the student council’s discipline committee.
Huangchuan and Annan both belonged to Ji Nan, so he and Mao Na could be considered fellow townsfolk. They got to know each other through interactions, and eventually, General Qi developed feelings for Mao Na.
In Mao Na’s dormitory was another girl named Di Rong from Huangchuan who shared a bunk with her. Di Rong said General Qi was quite the flirt, relying on his father being a leader at the Huangchuan County Post and Telecommunications Bureau, his good looks, and his family’s wealth. He often made inappropriate comments to female colleagues and even crossed boundaries physically, which was quite annoying. He was currently entangled in unclear relationships with two girls from another class.
Mao Na suppressed her annoyance and clearly told him she had a boyfriend. But he wouldn’t give up; he kept finding ways to get close to her, boasting about his father’s position at the Huangchuan County Post and Telecommunications Bureau and how things would go for him after graduation. He even promised that if Mao Na transferred her job there, she would be valued and promoted…
Mao Na remained unimpressed; his persistent advances left her feeling frustrated and helpless.
That afternoon after school, the counselor handed Mao Na a note: “Mao Na, your brother has come from home to see you. Here’s his room number at our school’s guesthouse; you should go meet him.”
Unexpectedly, General Qi approached again: “Mao Na, your brother is here? You’ve been avoiding him for meals; today is perfect! I’ll treat you both to dinner…”
Mao Na refused. “No need; you go ahead. We haven’t seen each other in a long time; we need to catch up.”
But he stubbornly persisted: “Come on! You can talk later tonight. It’s dinner time anyway; let’s go! The food at Dong Sheng Li Du nearby is great…”
General Qi truly believed that with his looks and status, he could win her over!
Mao Na felt an urge to shout at him: “That’s not my brother; that’s my future husband!” But her upbringing kept her emotions in check.
Ignoring him completely, she packed her things and headed outside, but General Qi followed her like a stubborn adhesive plaster.
Let him meet her "Black Charcoal," and she felt like dying, but he insisted on following her, ready to win over her younger brother, "Curve to Save the Country"!
Now, seeing Hu Ruoyun's behavior, Mao Na didn't know what to do next.
general Qi stepped in again, saying, "Come on, let's go eat outside first. You two can talk when we get back."
Hu Ruoyun replied, "Brother Qi, I feel bad making you spend money."
As she spoke, she stood up and took Mao Na's hand, leading her out. "Let's eat at your school cafeteria; I want to experience college life."
general Qi was a bit confused: Were the siblings this close?
Since they were heading toward the school, he couldn't insist on going to Dong Sheng Li Du anymore and could only follow closely behind the two of them.
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