Chapter 34.3: I love you, so will you come back? (3.3)

Chapter 34.3: I love you, so will you come back? (3.3)

That night, Miao Yuan and Chen Mo walked shoulder to shoulder all the way back. Miao Yuan felt a little absent-minded during this time; the feeling as if meat pies had fallen from the sky and knocked her senseless. She felt as if she was being treated really well, like she was very precious, and this made her not know what to do. She felt bewildered over the situation until she mustered the courage to ask: “Chen Mo, what exactly do you want to do?”

Miao Yuan’s thoughts swam in all directions, drowning in uncertainty. Paranoid axioms like, ‘some things are too good to be true’, or, ‘unnecessarily good-willed people are hiding ill intentions’, flew past her mind, unsure of why she was thinking such things. Due to the chaotic influx of words plaguing her mentally, Miao Yuan became absent-minded, resulting in no conversation taking place between the two people. Chen Mo had attempted to initiate a conversation numerous times, but never received a response. Finally, he understood the pain of talking to a silent person. When they reached the entrance of the building, Miao Yuan stopped and turned to look at Chen Mo. With a hesitant voice, she said, “Actually, if you’re busy…”

“If I have work and am busy, I’ll call you in advance to let you know.”

Oh…Miao Yuan nodded.

“So, may I please have your phone number?” Chen Mo politely asked.

Miao Yuan went to autopilot and acquiesced to his request. “I’ll contact you later.” Chen Mo took note of the dark, unlit hallways and insisted on escorting Miao Yuan up to her apartment. He had been languishing over this ever since the night he first followed her home. The looming hallways cast a shadow over his heart. He always felt like some dimly lit corner was hiding some weird uncle who would stop innocent little miss Riding Hood. Miao Yuan maintained her shocked and befuddled expression as she nodded stiffly and responded in the affirmative.

Upon closing the door, her roommate caught a glance of a handsome figure and later asked, out of curiosity if he was her boyfriend.

Miao Yuan lowered her head and contemplated for a while before she solemnly shook it. She stood at the window, gazed down, and noticed Chen Mo’s figure stealthily disappear into the night. Miao Yuan then thought about giving Momo a call, and took out her phone.

After Momo—her confidante—heard the last words fall from Miao Yuan’s mouth like a bomb, she sharply inhaled. “Chen Mo, that doggone b*st*rd, has finally seen the light!”

Miao Yuan shyly enquired, “What do you think I should do then?”

“Stick to the plan: be aloof! Don’t act like a cat who’s never had fish, nor attention.” Momo sprawled on her sofa and munched on an apple. Her voice was fresh and crisp like her food. “Isn’t he just walking you to and from work? What does that even count for? Xiao Mi¹ even picks me up to go home.”

Momo lifted her chin and sent Milu a flirtatious glance. Milu became overjoyed and laughed out loud, two dimples forming on his cheeks.

Miao Yuan panicked. “You guys live in the same direction. It’s two different matters! From his workplace to mine, it takes half and hour to drive there. But the walk back to my place is only 10 minutes.”

“No problem. Take it easy. Just let him keep chasing. See what sort of strategies he’ll come up with. Different situations call for different actions. In essence, it can be summed up with being…”

Miao Yuan clenched her teeth and said in unison with Momo, “Aloof!” “Aloof!”

Miao Yuan ended the call, put down her phone and looked up. Okay! I’ll be aloof!

Truthfully, how many ways could a girl be wooed? There was chatting, shopping, movies and a dinner. It was just a way to pass time, but with an extra person, those activities became much more exciting.

Chen Mo waited half the night for news from Miao Yuan. According to Lu Zhen and Yuan Jie, who had brainstormed together over this, Miao Yuan was still holding a grudge. She wanted him to suffer a little. They couldn’t help but sigh and think that women these days sure were childish and petty. They also sighed upon realising how much waiting for an answer put people on the tenterhooks.

Chen Mo thought a lifetime of his accumulated wisdom was about to go extinct from waiting for a response. Apparently, I also have my days where I’m like some old granny, sitting idly as I watch the world the world go by. But after thinking about Lu Zhen, he felt better. In comparison to back then, Lu Zhen should have been proportionally more like a granny than him.

The next night, Chen Mo once again was punctual with his timing, and appeared at the same street corner. Halfway through their stroll, he pretended to offhandedly bring up the topic of the phone number. That snapped Miao Yuan out of the daze she had been in. In a fumble, she fished out her phone from her pocket.

Chen Mo let out an internal sigh. So she just forgot. But…what am I being nervous for? Is this what they mean by keeping track of every little thing?

Chen Mo typed her number into his phone and gave it a ring to confirm it was indeed correct. He remembered how she had once blocked him. A man, once bitten by a snake, fears ropes for a decade. The melody of her ringtone chimed in the air. Miao Yuan was distracted for a few seconds, before thinking of hanging up. Chen Mo offhandedly asked, “What song is that? It sounds nice.”

Miao Yuan smiled. “I forgot.”

“Oh.” The lyrics flashed across his mind: ‘My heart is an ocean; it can be tender or full of strength…’

Indeed, it was a pretty song. It was tender yet full of strength.

Chen Mo watched Miao Yuan’s small, delicate figure and felt the same vibe from her as he did from the singer. She could be tender, yet full of strength.

Proofreader: We actually have roughly 13 chapters to go until we reach the end of this novel. But…we don’t have a translate-checker on the team. So, if you’re interested in applying, please do!

1. Xiao Mi is Momo’s affectionate name for Mi Lu