I don't even know why Huiying is here. Is she also one of the many people placed in my life to spy on me?
Ag, at this point, I don't even care.
"Hey, are you ok? I kind of heard your phone call conversation with your mom. Are you really going to give back everything they have given you? How will you live?"
"Are you worried about me or the money? Also, if you heard the conversation, then how can I be ok? Please just give me some space for today, let me think."
"How did you even know I was here?"
"Well, you left me at the apartment, so I was looking for you to return the keys, I went to your class and Jili told me you were here."
"OK, thanks. I will call you later. That's if I have a phone later."
"OK, but can I just say one more thing? To answer your question, I am worried about you, not the money. I do have my own money. I can help you out if you need me to. Also, you know the best way to get our parents off our backs is to excel at what we do. Just try for the next 6 months to do your best. Ok?"
"OK, I heard you now go back to class."
She leaned in and kissed my cheek.
Huiying is really a good friend, she has very strict parents as well. So I know she understands. I guess it is true that "birds of the same feather flock together." I have tried so many times to view her as a potential partner, but I can not. We have been friends since we were in diapers, and because of that, she is like a sister to me.
She seems more excited about the idea of us being together than I expected her to be. That's what makes it difficult to turn her advances down.
I really had no desire to go back to class, but I had something to prove to my parents, so off I go.
I got to Professor Chen's class early because I did not go meet with my friends. I was not in the mood to tell them what happened earlier.
A confused looking boy I had never seen before poked his head into the class.
"Oh, hi. I did not realize there was someone already here. I am a new student here, I just transferred because my parents moved to Beijing. Sorry, my name is Xiao Zhan."
"Hi, I am Wang Yibo. Nice to meet you."
I put my head back down on my hands.
"Sorry to bother you. I am looking for Professor Chen's class. Do you know where I can find it?"
"This is her class, but it won't start for another 20 min."
"OK, thank you, I will just wait because there is really nothing else for me to do."
He started walking straight towards me. With a whole class full of empty seats, why is he coming to sit next to me? And indeed, as I guessed, he pulled out the chair right next to me and set down.
"Here"
He handed me something in a box.
"What's this?"
"You look like your headache is giving you a hard time. Take these, they will help you. I struggle with terrible headaches, so I know what a person struggling with one looks like."
"I don't need them, I will just sleep it off."
I was not trying to be rude, I really wanted to sleep.
"This will also help your nap be more restful."
"The way you are forcing me to take these, I will start suspecting that you are trying to poison me."
He quickly took back the box.
"Suit yourself try focusing on statistics for one and half hours with a headache."
He stood up, ready to leave.
"OK, if it's gonna get you to leave me alone, I will take it."
"You don't have to take the pills for me to leave you alone. You can just tell me you want to be alone, and I would just leave."
I ignored everything he said and took two pills and pit them in my mouth.
"I don't have water."
"Here, I just bought this."
He handed me a bottle of water and walked away and sat right at the front.
What a weird guy, but something about him is a breath of fresh air.
"The class is about to start, so I suggest you wake up."
"Which party of I want to be alone did you mi....? Oh, it's you."
Is break time over already.
"Of course it's me. Who did you think it was. I am the only friend who would risk being expelled because of you. You know the kind of scolding I got from Professor Yizhou after you left?"
Jili was going on and on. I was thankful the headache pills worked so fast, because I would have knocked him out.
That guy was right. I do feel rested. Speak ok that guy. Where is he?
I looked around and spotted him in the front. He was sitting by himself because naturally, no one in their right mind would sit right in the front.
The lecture started, and Professor Chen took a moment to introduce the new student. Apparently, he was a top achiever at the university he came from.
Interesting, I feel like I just found someone I want to complete with.
After class, he stayed behind to talk to the professor. I stood right outside the door because I was curious about what he wanted to ask.
"Professor, do you know any affordable apartments around here. It's a bit of a distance for me to travel in from home because I have extra evening classes that end every late."
"Oh, dear, I wouldn't even know where to start. There are students who have put up posters asking for roommates to split the rent, next to the cafeteria. Check there. You have more success there than asking me."
"OK, thank you, Professor Yizhou."
"Yibo, why are you standing there spying on the new kid?"
"Can you just shut up and go away?"
Jili can be a pain in the butt when he wants to be.
Zhan was about to walk out, and this idiot is still here.
"Agree with whatever you hear me say. And stop acting like an idiot."
"Oh, hey Zhan, thanks for the pills they worked very well."
"You are welcome. I see you don't want to be alone anymore since you are talking to me."
I could see Jili frowning in confusion.
"Oh, that, I was just in pain, and I was sleepy. I did not mean to be rude. I heard you ask the professor about a place to stay."
"Yeah, why?"
His demeanor has changed from earlier. I guess the way I was acting earlier put him off.
"Well, my apartment has lots of room and its very close. You can always come stay with me, and we can split the rent?"
Jili looked proper confused now.
"Where do you stay, can I come see the place first. I don't like places in busy areas because of my headaches."
"We can go now if you are not too busy."
"Sure, I have some time before the bus leaves for me to go home."
"Jili, didn't you say you were going to the library to work on Professor Yizhou's assignment?"
I was trying to get Jili to go away. I did not want him to follow us.
"Oh... yeah....assignment, let me go then. See you tomorrow."
He spoke like a programmed machine. Even an idiot would have known something is off.
"I am parked this way."
"Did you not say your apartment is close by? Why would we need a car?"
"Right, I drove here this morning because I was running late. We can walk. Let's go."
We walked in silence for most of the way. He did not ask or say anything, and I did not know what to say, so I also chose silence.
"It's that building over there." I said, pointing at the direction of my apartment.
"It looks really fancy. Wow. How long have you stayed here?"
"About 3,5 years. I graduate in less than 6 months. Well, that's if 'professor money hungry' lets me."
"What did you say, I did not catch the last bits?"
"I have one subject that I am struggling with, so if my grades don't change, I might not be able to graduate."
"Which one?"
"Um, it's ancient arts."
"Oh, I can help you with that. Only if you don't mind. You seem to not appreciate it when people intrude in your business. So if you want, I can help."
"I will think about it. We are here."
I unlocked the door, and fortunately, Huiying had packed and cleaned before she left, but she sprayed her perfume everywhere all around my apartment. It smelt like her. I know she did it on purpose.
"Wow, it's very spacious and clean. Are you sure you don't have a roommate already? A girlfriend, perhaps? Her perfume is very strong. It will be a problem because this smell can easily trigger my headaches
"I am very sure, it's the helper. She probably just left. I will tell her not to use it anymore."
"OK, just so you know before we decide to stay together, there is something I want you to know. So you can decide if you still want to stay with me or not"
"What is it, you got so serious all of a sudden."
"I am gay."
My mouth snapped open.