Ye Xuan called Dai Qiang, saying she wanted to have a serious talk with him.
"Alright!" Dai Qiang said, "I'm at 'Flavor Garden' having lunch. Wait for me at the square in front of the school, I'll be there soon!"
Ye Xuan couldn't wait. Instead of going to the square, she went directly to "Flavor Garden". Since it was in the afternoon, there were few people in the restaurant. Ye Xuan immediately spotted Dai Qiang and Meng Ya eating in a corner, their laughter occasionally reaching her ears.
"Why did you come here?" Dai Qiang asked in surprise. "Didn't we agree to meet at the square in front of the school?"
Ye Xuan didn't speak. She glanced at the table, and the empty wine bottle caught her eye immediately. Dai Qiang also noticed Ye Xuan's expression. He discreetly put away the cigarettes on the table, but everything had already been seen by Ye Xuan.
"Why did you drink so much again? Have you forgotten that you have a stomach problem?" Ye Xuan said angrily. "And didn't you say you had quit smoking? Why are you still smoking?"
Dai Qiang sat there motionless, allowing Ye Xuan to reprimand him.
"Why aren't you stopping him?" Ye Xuan then turned her gaze to Meng Ya. "Why aren't you advising him when he's doing this?"
"I didn't know he had a stomach problem!" Meng Ya whispered.
"You didn't know he had a stomach problem? Then what do you know?" Ye Xuan showed no mercy towards Meng Ya. "Smoking and drinking excessively are harmful to health. Why aren't you advising him?"
Meng Ya was frightened by Ye Xuan's momentum and didn't know what to say for a moment. Tears flowed down her face. Dai Qiang, sitting beside her, couldn't help it anymore. In his view, Ye Xuan's actions were challenging his authority and insulting him.
"Enough!" Dai Qiang shouted, pulling Meng Ya behind him. "This is all my own choice, it has nothing to do with her! What right do you have to treat her like this? At most, you're my friend, my partner. You can only give advice, you have no right to reprimand anyone here!"
Dai Qiang took Meng Ya away, leaving Ye Xuan alone in the restaurant. Ye Xuan closed her eyes, tears uncontrollable, falling from her cheeks. She didn't know what she had done wrong. Her well-intentioned care was kicked back by others, shattered to pieces. Was this the result she wanted? Was this the purpose of her visit this time?
While Ye Xuan was crying in "Flavor Garden", someone gently tapped her shoulder. It was Yang Ke.
"Let's go!" Yang Ke said. "Let's go out for a walk!"
Ye Xuan was completely lost. She let Yang Ke lead her forward, her feet weak, devoid of all strength due to excessive sadness. The two figures moved through the bustling crowd, nothing outstanding about them, but they were still noticed by Tong Tong, who happened to pass by.
Tong Tong's heart tightened. She had never seen Yang Ke and Ye Xuan so intimate before. Tong Tong wanted to catch up, but she didn't have the courage. Yet she was unwilling to leave, so she followed the two from a distance.
Yang Ke and Ye Xuan entered a room, while Tong Tong stood hesitantly at the door, torn between knocking and waiting.
"What should I do? What should I do?" Tong Tong kept knocking her head. "Will they... No, they won't... Absolutely not!"
"What's wrong this time? Is it because of the past?" Yang Ke asked gently.
Ye Xuan didn't say anything, dumbly staring at the glass of water on the table.
"Ye Xuan, have you ever thought that your actions might have consequences?"
Ye Xuan was startled, Yang Ke's words caught her attention, and she raised her head to stare at him intently.
"Love isn't a battle, and pressing forward step by step may not necessarily lead to victory in the end. Sometimes taking a step back might be better, it's what they call 'retreating is advancing'! And..." Yang Ke hesitated for a moment but eventually spoke up, "And, you should really think about whether you should love and how to love."
Ye Xuan listened quietly, not saying a word.
While Tong Tong was still hesitating at the door, the door opened, and Yang Ke and Ye Xuan walked out. Seeing that she couldn't avoid them, Tong Tong plucked up her courage and approached them.
"Ye Xuan, are you okay?" Tong Tong lied, "I heard you were in trouble, so I came to check on you!"
"Tong Tong, you came just in time. Can you take Ye Xuan back?" Yang Ke asked.
Tong Tong had originally planned to ask them in detail about their conversation in the living room, but she couldn't refuse and had to agree. Back in the dormitory, Ye Xuan lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep, leaving Tong Tong alone to wander around the room out of sheer boredom.
The summer night was hot and stuffy, without a breeze. The air seemed congested, making it impossible to move, and the distant stars seemed lower than usual due to their brilliance, making it hard to breathe. Tong Tong leaned against the balcony alone. Without wind, the wind chimes fell silent. Tong Tong sighed and gently moved the wind chimes a few times. Perhaps due to her mood, the sound seemed heavy.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Until the day summer vacation began, Ye Xuan still hadn't seen Dai Qiang again. She vaguely felt that she and Dai Qiang had completely separated, with no chance of reconciliation. But she still had Tong Tong in her life, and Yang Ke, this consolation, also entered her life, bringing her joy and hope.
Yang Ke and Tong Tong escorted Ye Xuan to the train station, bidding her farewell at the entrance.
"Yang Ke, thank you for taking care of me during this time!" Ye Xuan said gratefully, "And Tong Tong too!"
"No need for thanks!" Yang Ke said, "We're all friends, no need to be polite!"
"That's right!" Tong Tong said mischievously, "Yang Ke is my friend, and therefore your friend too!"
"You two should go back now. Don't accompany me into the station, otherwise, I'll burst into tears at the moment of parting. If that happens, my whole summer will be ruined!" Ye Xuan joked, but it was all sincere.
"Okay!" Yang Ke nodded. "When you're in trouble, send me an email. I'll be there for you, beautiful Miss Qiancao!"
Ye Xuan nodded gratefully. "Then I'll trouble you again."
"Wouldn't ask for anything else!" Yang Ke said. "Let the trouble come even stronger!"
"What about me?" Tong Tong said enviously. "I have troubles too. I also need someone to take care of me!"
"You are a big trouble yourself!" Yang Ke and Ye Xuan said in unison.
"Goodbye!" The three waved goodbye.
Ye Xuan walked into the waiting hall, surrounded by a crowd of people. The feeling of loneliness and loneliness swept over her like a tide, making her breathless. These blurry figures seemed like an ocean, engulfing Ye Xuan in an instant, making her struggle helplessly in the waves.
Suddenly, two figures entered Ye Xuan's sight, they were Dai Qiang and Meng Ya. Ye Xuan couldn't understand—why did their figures stand out so prominently among so many people, making it impossible for her to escape? The intimate actions of the two entered Ye Xuan's eyes one by one, breaking into her heart, disturbing all her thoughts.
Ye Xuan tore up the train ticket fiercely, dragged her luggage out of the train station. The vast square was filled with swaying figures, making Ye Xuan dizzy.