章 4: GONE WITH THE WIND
Chen Linyun watched while the girl's silhouette slowly disappeared along the dark corridors.
He was rooted in the ground.
He wanted to follow her, but he did not.
Afterwards he ran like crazy.
She was gone.
'She said she will treat me to a meal as thanks.'
'How can that be, I don't even know her number, or where she lives.'
'Ahhhh! I'm so stupid.'
He started pulling his hair out of vexation. He was not saying anything but internally several exchanges between himself had already occurred. He was scolding himself, cursing himself, calling himself stupid.
He could not believe that he forgot the most basic thing.
He forgot to ask her contact details.
As if convincing himself, he straightened out, and gasped proudly, "I could find her and I will."
Contrary to his turmoil before, he returned to his usual calm.
The very next day, a Saturday, his roommates had returned from their camping. He had three other roommates: Si Yazu, Mo Wenbin, and Zhou Xin. They found him in front of his laptop as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Si Yazu invited them to a new restaurant downtown. It was having a special promo for a hotpot that night. Their other classmates were going too.
"Hey Chen Linyun let's join our classmates, we are having a hot pot tonight."
"You go ahead. I'll stay here." Was the response Si Yazu received.
Zhou Xin attempted to convince him, "Come on Chen Linyun have a break! You can continue what you are doing later."
"I'm fine. I'm in a middle of something I cannot leave yet."
After two failed attempts, they left them be.
"What are you doing?" Mo Wenbin, who was left in the room, asked him.
"Nothing. Don't mind me."
"Xue. Jinxu. You're into her?" Mo Wenbin asked. He saw it on the screen.
For the first time Chen Linyun's eyes left the screen of his laptop and stared at Mo Wenbin with a bewildered expression. "You know Xue Jinxu?"
Mo Wenbin shrugged. "Yeah. She's popular you know. She's every guy's dream. Don't tell me you're into her too.
Mo Wenbin was met with his silence. Chen Linyun turned his head again, returning to his laptop. He was dead serious with his research. It was the most important task right now. Even more important than his assignments in Finance. He was trying to locate her. He did not have time for Mo Wenbin's nonsensical blabbering.
"Xue Jinxu that girl. Do you know there's something strange about her. The girl in my class who's her friend was crying because she left so suddenly…"
That did it. Chen Linyun's attention was captured by Mo Wenbin's blabbering. Chen Linyun grabbed Mo Wenbin's shoulder then shaked him. "What did you say, she left?"
"Y-Yeah.. What's that got to do with you? Do you know her?" Mo Wenbin was utterly surprised. This Chen Linyun, his roommate wasn't easily excited by anything. He did not seem the type to be bothered by any girl. Many girls already attempted to confess with him but he did not even take a glance. They even thought that he bends the other way [1]. Sometimes, his exterior looks a little bit weak for a guy.
"N-no.. What else do you know about Xue Jinxu?"
"Well, I've heard the girls in my class talking. She left the university. Personal reasons. She went back home to Beijing. She's a sophomore from the Arts Department."
'So.. she's majoring in Art in Rutherford University. Why did she leave? Could it be because of the other night? Indeed it was so sudden.' Chen Linyun was now deep in his own thoughts. He released his grip on Mo Wenbin's shoulder.
Chen Linyun is taking up Business Management under the Finance Department of their school. But aside from this, he also has adept background in computer programming and other IT stuff. It conveniently includes hacking.
Upon knowing this very important piece of news, he readily hacked into the School of Arts. It did not take him long to retrieve basic information about her. He was even able to grab her identification photo. He secretly saved it in his laptop.
However, that's the extent of his thorough research. He reached a dead end. It was frustrating. He was dumbstruck.
'It was too late now. She's gone.'
Even if he goes to Beijing to follow her, the odds of bumping into her was slim, close to none.
For some reason her details from the School of Arts records were lacking. There weren't any contact details left. Not even an address. And the record stated that she transferred schools. It only means that she's not coming back.
'Huh…It's over for me. It's over before it can even start.'
His expression was grim.
It was the first time that he met a girl which piqued his interest. Unfortunately, it turned out this way.
How could he have not known that she's popular? Mo Wenbin said she was. They were even at the same sophomore year. How come he had not met her before? Or had he, but he did not see because he was not looking?
'I'm a dunce.'
But as the Chinese proverb went, "A man who cannot tolerate misfortunes can never accomplish great things." It is one of the principles that he instilled in himself. And so he considered this as only a bump in the road. They will definitely meet again. If not by fate, he will do something about it for sure. Their future ahead is still long. He has more chances in the future.
"We will surely meet again." He was so confident that he gave out a terrifying aura that reached Mo Wenbin who was lying across his bunkbed.
He thought that Chen Linyun had really lost it. He's becoming crazier by the second.
Although Chen Linyun is not sociable, Mo Wenbin and him had been acquainted since their elementary years. Chen Linyun considers Mo Wenbin one of the very few people that he trusts. Their personalities were contrasting but it's quite interesting that they hit it off, striking a balance. Not even once did they fight. They were true brothers.
That's why Mo Wenbin thinks that Chen Linyun had really lost it.
His behavior at present was out of the ordinary. He just shrugged it off like any other unusual thing which he thinks will come to pass.
[1] liking towards the opposite gender
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