She was inside her room when she noticed the footsteps of someone coming towards her apartment. She was not quick to take cognizance of who the person was, but she was certain it was a guy.
Just as the person was about to knock at the door, Fang stepped out of the room, and behold, it was He Jinyong.
"To what do I hold this visit?" she asked immediately when she saw him.
"I was in the neighborhood, so I thought coming to say hi to you before I leave wouldn't be a bad idea," he replied with a smile on his face.
With dissatisfaction in her face, she replied, "Ooh, that's so thoughtful of you. If I may ask, who have you come to visit in the neighborhood?
"A friend of mine who just packed for this place He asked me to come and see his new residence. I was really surprised to learn that he is now your neighbor.
Wang Fang was not satisfied with the explanation Jinyong had just given her, plus the fact that she was not aware she had a new neighbor. She quickly thought to herself that Jinyong had told a lie to cover up his real intentions of coming to see her.
"Really? There is a new tenant in this neighborhood, and I never knew about it. This is funny, though, and I guess it's a result of my busy schedule. She blamed herself aloud, as if she believed what Jin had told her.
"Enough of this pretense of trying to act like you believe what I just told you. You and I know that you are having some doubts inside of you.
"I've been standing in your doorway for the past 5 minutes; aren't you going to usher me into your house?"
"I'm sorry, pardon my bad manners. Please come in."
"I have a lot of work to do here. You just don't know how to treat a potential visitor. I will tutor you on that, but you have to pay a fee for that. Jinyong teased her as they went inside.
"Which visitor? Is it the one who didn't get me informed before coming? Or is there another visitor here that I am not seeing? She teased him and smiled at him shyly.
"Fang, you are funny; you know it. Not just funny, but sometimes you can be so weird and unbelievable."
"Imagine who is talking; I don't want to batter words with you. Anyway, what do I offer you? Before you start tutoring me on how to welcome you,
"Don't worry about that; I will soon be taking my leave. So tell me, how have you been since the last time we met?
"I've been doing pretty good. Are you sure you don't want anything? Even a glass of water?"
"You just said I didn't inform you before coming, so I would have something when next I come to see you; by then I would have you informed before coming," he said. As soon as he noticed that her countenance had changed, he smiled at her.
Jinyong had come to see his friend in the Fang neighborhood. He was shocked immediately when he discovered that his friend was Fang's neighbor. Although he was cool with it, that would pave the way for his plans to be realized with ease.
Jinyong was so fond of Fang that the thought of her always made him have a short night's rest.
He had strategized on so many ways of getting her.
Sometimes it kind of seems to him like the night is too long, as he anticipates seeing Fang the next day.
He was beginning to act like a teenager who had just fallen in love for the very first time in his life.
Fang, on the other hand, who is known as someone who easily falls in love, already abhors feelings for Jinyong. She was only scared of making it obvious to him. She believes that Jinyong could take her for granted or feel like she is too cheap, just as Li Wei sees her, even though she stresses him a little.
She was trying so hard not to make Jinyong think less of her. So she just decided to act weird instead.
"Are you always this serious most of the time?"
Jinyong asked when he noticed that she was no longer smiling or talking to him.
"How do you mean?'
"Your face frowns, and you are not saying anything to me either."
"Ooh, that! That's because you didn't inform me before coming. What do you think? Need I remind you that we had a funny interaction when you just stepped in? Isn't that true?"
"I don't know what to say; I beg to take my leave now since I was not asked to come before I did, and I don't feel welcome either."
Jinyong stood up and walked out of Fang's apartment. He assured her that he would come visit her some other time, but his next visit would be made known to her before he visited her.
Fang waved him by after seeing him off to her doorstep. Was she trying to be strict and, in the process, doing it more than necessary?
"Have I done the wrong thing by talking to him in that manner? Was I too harsh on him? But I believe I have not said anything that would hurt him either. She said to herself in soliloquy:
Wang Fang jumped on her bed after Jinyong had left; she was a bit relieved and comfortable now. All the time Jinyong was with her, she wasn't herself. She was shy, but she had done well by not making it obvious to Jin for the second time.
He Jinyong was already tagged as shy on their last outing, hence the pretense of not being shy. She had acted jovial and outspoken in front of Jinyong this time around, but she was not a good actress as she could not keep up with it for more than 20 minutes. She had failed to play the role well; she started well but could not end well.
At one point, she was mute with a frowning face, which gave out the real Wang Fang.