A Slight Smile is Very Charming (微微一笑很倾城) : Part 22

Part 22: It’s him

The exam has already ended and the number of people by the school gates gradually increases. Pretty much everyone who walks past these two remarkably good-looking man and woman will subconsciously slow down and take a few looks. However, Wei Wei doesn’t notice any of these glances, because the second Xiao Nai spoke, she had already crossed into outer space.

 

I was waiting for you…

I was waiting for you…

I was waiting for you…

……

This voice…

This voice…

This voice…

 

Wei Wei looks at the person in front her, confused. In his eyes is the reflection of the sunset making it all seem a bit surreal and gentle. His tranquil posture and patience…

Wei Wei moves her lips, but no sound comes out. She takes a deep breath, controls the chaos inside of her, and in complete disbelief, she says, “…NaiHe?”

The person in front of her gazes at her and indisputably answers, “It’s me.”

In that split second, Wei Wei’s mind only has one thought — So fortunate. So fortunate she didn’t buy that stiletto sandal. Otherwise, she will have, definitely, already broken its heel in her shock.

NaiHe, Xiao Nai, NaiHe, Xiao Nai, NaiHe, Xiao Nai…these two names continuously circle around in her mind, but she is just unable to match them together. How can NaiHe be Xiao Nai? How can it be, how can it be…Even though she feels that NaiHe is very Great Master-like, she never thought that he would be that great…

Moreover, how did he recognize her?

Too much astonishment, too many questions. But Wei Wei isn’t able to ask a single one of those questions. She even starts to think that the person in front of her isn’t real. The small slip of paper in her hand is about to break into pieces from her pinching it. Right now, the thing that she wants to do the most is rush to a telephone booth and dial that cell phone number; see if Xiao Nai’s cell phone will start ringing…

At this time, she also, finally, becomes aware of the increasingly obvious glances surrounding them.

Yet Xiao Nai turns a blind eye to those spectators watching. He lifts his wrist and looks at the time, “You turned in your exam early?”

Wei Wei slowly nodded.

Xiao Nai says, “I nearly made you wait again.”

Eh?

Wei Wei doesn’t really understand, so she looks at his smiling face. Only after a while does she understand that he means when he missed the finals. Wei Wei feels a bit embarrassed, shakes her head and says, “You didn’t…”

But she doesn’t even know what she is saying “you didn’t” about…

The smile deepens in Xiao Nai’s eyes and he says, “Let’s go eat first.”

 

He starts to walk into the school. Wei Wei hesitates a bit before following. Anyway, it is better than standing here for people to look at. But after walking a few steps, Wei Wei can’t help but turn and look at the East entrance.

In a moment…will another NaiHe appear there?

Even though things are already very clear, that Xiao Nai is NaiHe, but, but, it just feels very unreal…

Turning to look back like this, her steps slows down. By the time she turns back, Xiao Nai has already stopped walking and is waiting in front for her. Embarrassed, Wei Wei quickly walks forward. Xiao Nai waits for her to get closer and says very seriously,

“Wei Wei, do you eat fish?”

 

Alright, Wei Wei is startled by the natural way Xiao Nai says “Wei Wei.”

With such a question, Wei Wei basically believes that Xiao Nai will be taking her to some fish restaurant in the school. However, what actually happens is: Xiao Nai takes her through a bunch of turns and paths to arrive at an old-fashioned small restaurant in the nearby residential area for professors.

Then, after sitting down for just a bit, an auntie (not related) with a smiling face places a huge basin of fish soup onto their table. Xiao Nai made a few hand signs and the auntie walks away beaming.

Wei Wei stares blankly at the gigantic basin of fish soup in front of her.

Xiao Nai calmly picks up the ladle to serve the soup, “Auntie Jiang can’t speak, but her dishes are very delicious. My parents don’t cook often, so since I was young, I’ve always eaten either at the school cafeteria or here.”

Eeee, Great Master’s childhood? Wei Wei’s heart that has already become numb from shaking starts to recover a bit for this gossip. Catching a glimpse of her shining eyes, Xiao Nai laughs on the inside and asks, “What else do you want to eat?”

Wei Wei shakes her head — it’s already going to be hard to finish off such a big basin of soup. Her nose picks up a whiff of medicine. Wei Wei asks, “Is there Chinese medicine in the soup?”

“Uh-huh,” Xiao Nai expressionlessly says, “When I was in the car accident last time, my father ordered half a month of fish stewed with chuanxion rhizome (type of Chinese herb) here to supplement my brain.”

“……”

Why does she suddenly feel like laughing? Especially after seeing the Great Master’s expression…

Wei Wei feels that she really isn’t being too sincere >o<. She uses all of her strength to hold it in and tries hard to find another topic, “Professor Xiao? I’ve taken Professor Xiao’s class as an elective.”

Xiao Nai raises his eyes and glances at her, and expressionlessly continues to ask, “Did you fall asleep?”

“……”

Wei Wei feels awkward. Classmate Great Master, even though Professor Xiao’s is indeed, eh, a little too academic, he is still your father. You don’t need to be this direct, do you?

“…actually when Professor Xiao spoke about their archeology experiences, it’s quite interesting.” Without much persuasiveness, Wei Wei attempts to redeem some respect for Professor Xiao.

Xiao Nai hands soup to her, “I’ve also chosen his class before. I went to two lectures.”

This is implying that you don’t need to force yourself to praise him.

Thus, Wei Wei lowers her head and drinks the soup — Professor Xiao, I’ve tried my best as your student. Your son, NaiHe, just really doesn’t leave any respect for you…but then again, could the Great Master have chosen his father’s class because Professor Xiao’s class is the easiest to get good grades…

 

Wei Wei also didn’t realize that after a few exchanges, she has already relaxed quite a bit.

Wei Wei jabs at the fish bones and finds that Xiao Nai has actually given her the entire fish head…It can’t be that the Great Master has gotten sick of eating this so threw it for her to eat…

This kind of thought flashes in her mind, but the sparkling golden Great Master’s duality of NaiHe and Xiao Nai immediately makes Wei Wei strangle this kind of thought just as it starts sprouting.

How can the two Great Masters do such a sinister thing? He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t, he definitely wouldn’t!

It’s immoral to waste food, so Wei Wei puts in her best effort and starts eating the fish head. Auntie Jiang carries out a few more smaller dishes and places a completely full bowl of rice in front of Wei Wei. Wei Wei’s mouth is full of fish and can’t speak, so copying Xiao Nai, she stiffly signs a thank you.

Beaming, Auntie Jiang signs back something that Wei Wei can’t understand and leaves. When Wei Wei turns her head, she sees the Xiao Nai across from her staring at her with his handsome face and luminous eyes.

Wei Wei cautiously places her hand down and suddenly feels that what she did was extremely stupid >o<. However, her steady heartbeat gets in on the action and starts jumping. Thunderously, it pounds for a while in her chest, aggressively declaring its reply.

……

Wei Wei eats the fish head in silence, thinking about whether she should speak. She stealthily raises her head and glances at the person across from her. He is also drinking his soup — such elegant and pleasing to the eye posture — calmly without making any noise. When he becomes quiet, his appearance becomes one of inherent pride. Even though he is surrounded by this type of old-fashioned small restaurant, his refinement still makes people forget themselves when they see him.

The current Xiao Nai, is now different from the online NaiHe, as if there is now more distance…yet her heart continues racing as before inside.

She had better just let it pass. Xiao Nai’s parents are said to have come from prestigious literary family backgrounds, maybe they have a rule about not speaking during meal time…furthermore, in her current situation, she might say too much and say something wrong. She had better conserve her strength for the future. Hehe, that’s right, safety first — she will continue eating fish…

Eat fish, eat fish…

As a result, the dinner table becomes silent for a period of time. But the current silence is different from the silence on the road earlier, it’s as if the air is filled with a peculiar mood.

 

It is a familiar ringtone that breaks the silence.

As soon as the ringtone starts, Wei Wei feels that it sounds familiar and immediately realizes — it’s actually the bamboo flute segment from the beginning of the female thief kidnapping groom video.

Can it be, can it be that the Great Master really cherishes the memory of the days when he was kidnapped…

Wei Wei thinks about these thoughts in embarrassment. Xiao Nai has already picked up the phone. A rough male voice immediately comes out from the other end; the voice is so loud that Wei Wei can even vaguely hear it.

“Third brother, where are you? Are you still coming to the farewell game today?”

Xiao Nai turns to look at the clock on the wall, “Isn’t it at seven? It’s still early.”

“Come early to warm up. Weren’t you not busy today? Come over, everyone is waiting for you.”

“I’m busy.”

“Oh? With what? Hasn’t the work for this phase been completed? What are you doing now?”

Xiao Nai says, as if it’s nothing special, “On a date.”

The other end of the phone is silent. Holding onto her chopsticks, Wei Wei feels, feels…she has no feelings right now…

Awhile after, the person changes on the other end of the phone — his voice is sharp — and yells louder than the guy before him, “Third brother, you are on a date? Bring her here, bring her here, bring her here.”

Xiao Nai says completely calmly, “Let me ask her if she is willing to.”

He looks over at Wei Wei, “Do you want to go see our department’s seniors basketball farewell game?”

The Wei Wei, who has been so shocked by the words “on a date” that her soul has flown to the sky, unconsciously nodded. The still calm Xiao Nai says to those on the other end, “I’ll bring her over later.”

Without listening to the response from the other end, he hangs up after speaking.

And then…and then…of course he continues eating…eating…with poise…

 

Pay the bill.

Wei Wei, whose soul has flown to the sky, thinks — that it’s so cheap; so many dishes for just a little over fifty. And it was delicious. How come she’s never heard of this restaurant before?

After walking out of the restaurant, Xiao Nai says for her to wait for him there — he’ll go home and get his bike.

Wei Wei, whose soul has flown to the sky, thinks — ah, Great Master’s home is nearby?

In the distance, Xiao Nai is riding his bicycle over.

Wei Wei, whose soul has flown to the sky, thinks — turns out not only does the Great Master look handsome riding on a white horse, he’s even handsome riding a bike ~~~

Xiao Nai stops the bike with a foot and says, “Get on.”

Wei Wei, whose soul has flown to the sky, thinks — Eee, Great Master wants her to ride together?

 

Ride together?!!

These two words slaps Wei Wei back into reality immediately. In a flash, all her souls returns to her body.

She looks at the bike, looks at Great Master, then, the beautiful Wei Wei stutters, “This, this, I…”

Xiao Nai frowns slightly.

Wei Wei composes herself, “…You’ll take me?”

“Uh huh, would you walk such a long distance?”

Walking the long distance to the basketball court is, of course, frightening. But, but, what’s more frightening is if you take me!!!

Wei Wei grieves in indignation!

This older schoolmate, with your great reputation plus her small reputation, doesn’t riding on a bike like this cause romance rumors to spread immediately! Although they apparently, vaguely, seems to be suspiciously taking a step towards the romance side, right now, at this moment, they are more innocent than the most innocent of lambs….

“This, this isn’t too appropriate, right? Other people will misunderstand when they see us.” Wei Wei tries hard to gracefully turn it down. Her ears are already starting to become a bit pink.

“Misunderstand?”

Can it be that he doesn’t understand? Wei Wei is forced to summon up her courage to say it directly, “Misunderstand that we are eh, in that kind of relationship…”

Xiao Nai calmly gazes at her without speaking for quite a while. Indescribably, Wei Wei starts feeling nervous…Did she say something wrong?

Just as she starts feeling more and more nervous, Xiao Nai finally, slowly speaks, “When were we not in that kind of relationship?”