Chapter 76: Sleepless Night
"Sister Ying, why did you hit him?" Yang Ming pretended that he didn't know anything and asked curiously.
"I..." Zhao Ying didn't really know how to explain it to Yang Ming unless she wanted to say that Jin Gang stalked her? She felt embarrassed to even talk about that, let alone tell Yang Ming. Therefore, she changed the subject. "Let's not talk about this first. Oh yeah, Yang Ming, why did you invite me to such a luxurious place for a meal? Did you hit the jackpot or something? A meal here costs a few thousand yuan!"
"Don't we have someone paying for us already?" Yang Ming laughed deceitfully. He thought that Zhao Ying would be able to figure it out eventually, so he might as well admit it himself. Actually, even when they were ordering the dishes, Yang Ming wasn't very confident with the situation. He was betting - betting on Zhao Ying, a pure lady who would absolutely lose her temper and take him away! This way Jin Gang, that idiot, would be left to pay the bill!
Of course, Yang Ming had a backup plan. If he didn't achieve the effect that he intended, he could have called Wang Zhitao! This guy always wants to buy me a meal. I shall give him this opportunity then! Yang Ming believed that a pretentious guy like Wang Zhitao wouldn't really eat his own words. This kind of person, if you don't use him now what are you waiting for? They would eventually go against each other.
"Were you talking about Jin Gang?" Zhao Ying was surprised. "Oh yeah! He's still in the tavern! Yang Ming, do you think we should go back to pay the bill? We don't even know whether Jin Gang brought that much cash with him. We are all colleagues so it's not so good to just leave him there, right?"
"Go back? Please, Sister Ying, I only have about two hundred yuan with me. Do you have the cash to pay the bill?" Yang Ming rolled his eyes. Zhao Ying was just kind. It had already come to this point and she still was thinking about paying Jin Gang!
"Ah? Then you said you were buying us a meal... " Zhao Ying looked at Yang Ming with a silly expression, then she thought about the relevant words he said earlier. "This means, you never intended to pay the bill yourself?!"
"Smart!" Yang Ming nodded his head. "Sister Ying, you are just too kind and don't know how to reject others. Jin Gang obviously didn't have any good intentions toward you. If he was like me, such a handsome man with great character, I would be totally fine to let you marry him. However, that guy is definitely a fighter among dumba**es - an extraordinary idiot!"
"What are you saying? You are not my relative. What right do you have to marry me away?" Zhao Ying looked at Yang Ming and smiled while blushing. "Jin Gang shouldn't be that bad. He is just a person who's a bit impulsive."
"Impulsive? That guy is really bad! For example, remember the last time we met those two robbers? After I thought about it in detail, I think they could be actors that Jin Gang found!" Yang Ming knew this all along but he couldn't say it directly, therefore, he could only say that he figured it out himself.
"You also realized that!" Zhao Ying was pretty shocked. She had already thought of this on that night!
"Heh, take a look at it. You, yourself, already knew this person wasn't a good character. He didn't even have the capability yet he wanted to play some 'hero rescuing the damsel in distress' plot! " Yang Ming smiled proudly after finishing his sentence. "I am the actual hero rescuing the damsel in distress! Isn't that right, Sister Ying?"
"En?" Zhao Ying's face turned red. "Stop it!"
When a girl asks a guy to "Stop it", it commonly has two different meanings!
The first meaning is that the girl really hated this guy. The second meaning is that it could be flirting between couples. Even though they weren't a couple, their relationship must be more than friends! [1]
A key factor to differentiate the two meanings would be that in one situation, the girl's face would appear to be pretty angry and disgusted. In the second situation, her face would be pretty reddish.
Zhao Ying was obviously the girl in the second situation.
Yang Ming couldn't help but feel some attraction when he saw Zhao Ying flirting with him. Yang Ming was different from those boring people like Wang Zhitao and Jin Gang. He was from the group of people who took action; he did whatever he wanted to do!
Yang Ming's heart rate increased as he looked at this undeniably beautiful girl. Noticing how there was no one else around them, he couldn't stand it and he held Zhao Ying's soft hand. He looked straight into her eyes and said, "Ying Ying, you are really beautiful..."
Zhao Ying had already realized that Yang Ming wasn't behaving like usual. The whole couple-like atmosphere made her heart race. Ignoring her age and identity, the man in front of her would definitely melt her heart. That sense of safety that she got from him was definitely from her heart!
However, Zhao Ying was slightly older. Listening to how Yang Ming was saying "Ying Ying" and looking at Yang Ming's deep expression through his eyes, she knew that things were going to go wrong!
No matter which angle you viewed it from - the two of them, one was a teacher and the other was her student. Zhao Ying wasn't able to accept that! She knew that the two of them shouldn't continue this way, as it would be bad for the both of them!
"Hehe, Yang Ming, still joking with Sister Ying!" Zhao Ying suddenly laughed. "Why are you showing no respect for your elders!"
After hearing Zhao Ying's words, Yang Ming was slightly confused. Then he shook his head awkwardly and said, "Haha, yeah..."
Was Zhao Ying really just thinking of their relationship as brother and sister or teacher and student? Yang Ming was disappointed. He couldn't help but laugh at himself, Do you think this is a web novel? You want to chase after a teacher. Don't you know your capability?
For Zhao Ying, she was able to understand Yang Ming's disappointed expression. Yang Ming didn't feel good, but neither did she. When Zhao Ying said the phrase "no respect for your elders", she felt like her heart was a glass bottle that had fallen from a great height - it shattered into pieces. Did I really fall in love with the guy in front of me? Zhao Ying couldn't believe it herself. However, she firmly remembered that shattered feeling in her heart.
With that scene just now, Zhao Ying's and Yang Ming's mood had turned around. They stopped a taxi. Once Yang Ming sent Zhao Ying back home, he returned home himself.
Initially, Zhao Ying wanted to ask Yang Ming how he knew about "Hello Kitty", but she was in no mood now. That saved Yang Ming from explaining, even though he wanted to say that he saw it at Zhao Ying's house unintentionally last time.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
Chapter 77: Brother Sister
When Yang Ming got home, his parents were watching TV in the living room. Seeing Yang Ming's dire expression, Father Yang thought his exam results weren't good. Therefore, Father Yang tried to comfort him immediately. "Big Ming, what's the matter? Why are you looking so down?"
You must know that when Yang Ming finished his previous exams, his expression was neutral even if he got bad results. Now that Yang Ming had such poor expression, it really meant that he put a lot of effort into it! Because only when there was hope would there be disappointment. This really meant he really put so much effort! Therefore, Father Yang was grateful even if Yang Ming didn't get good results.
"I'm fine." Yang Ming shook his head. Yang Ming couldn't discuss with his parents about Zhao Ying!
"Big Ming, is it because of the results? It's fine if you didn't get good results, as long as you have tried your best!" Even Mother Yang noticed something wrong with Yang Ming.
"Dad, mom, I'm really fine!" As he spoke, Yang Ming took out the school report from his bag and passed it to them. "The results are out. You can look for yourself. I'm really feeling bad; maybe I'm getting a cold. I'm going to sleep; don't disturb me!"
After that, Yang Ming rushed back to his room. He closed the door, then he threw his bag away and laid down! Yang Ming knew that this probably was his last chance to meet with Zhao Ying alone! Starting tomorrow, their relationship wouldn't be the same as before!
Father Yang took the report and he habitually looked for Yang Ming's name from the bottom of the page. He was puzzled after he scanned through more than half the page, but he didn't see Yang Ming's name. "Did his name just slip out?"
"Let me see!" Mother Yang grabbed the report. "Ah?!" Mother Yang unimaginably pointed at the report and shouted.
"What's wrong? Why are you shouting?" Father Yang was confused.
"Big Ming... He... first place!" Mother Yang was shocked and pointed at the report.
Father Yang asked curiously, "What first place? First from the last again? Wait, it's not right! I just saw the last name; it wasn't Big Ming!"
Mother Yang stared at Father Yang and said, "What first from the last? Big Ming just got first place in his class! 9th place for Grade 12!"
Father Yang brought his head closer. "Really? Let me see!"
"Stay away from me! Your beard is poking me!" Mother Yang was reluctant, but she still moved the report toward Father Yang.
"It's true! The total mark is 703! Oh my gosh, is this really Big Ming?" Father Yang looked at the name in first place and asked.
"What? Now you can't even recognize your son's name?" Mother Yang seemed unwilling. "What's the matter? Yang Ming's results were good when he was in junior high!"
Father Yang asked, "But the incident happened after that. Are you saying that Big Ming has pulled himself together?"
"It's possible. Do you still remember Big Ming and his classmate, Chen Mengyan? The fact that Yang Ming could pull himself together was probably because of her!" guessed Mother Yang. "Don't you know about the phone call from the other day?"
Father Yang said, "En, but we shall not interfere this time. Besides, Yang Ming is a university student already after the National Higher Education Entrance Examination. At that time, we have no say in his business already!"
Mother Yang said, "Who would interfere? As for you, you should really change your temperament!"
Father Yang gave a dry laugh. "Haven't I changed a lot already?"
Yang Ming slept that night in a daze. In the morning, he felt much better. However, Yang Ming didn't plan to give up. There were still a lot of chances. Who knew what will happen next?
"Big Ming, it's time to get up. Didn't we agree that we were going to Computer City to buy a computer?" Based on Yang Ming's report yesterday, Father Yang's decision to buy Yang Ming a computer was a lot more firm!
Yang Dahai felt that he could work as a real man at the factory! At his age, the topic among his colleagues was mostly about children. Family Zhang's child won a physics competition; Family Lee's child attended university! Every time they talked about this, Yang Dahai usually didn't interrupt their talk, because he couldn't really mention Yang Ming's results!
"I know, dad. I'm waking up now!" As he spoke, Yang Ming crawled out of bed and his expression was as low as yesterday's.
"Hehe, how is your cold? Do you need medicine?" Father Yang really thought Yang Ming was sick. If not, how could he not be happy with his good results!
"It's all right. I'm just feeling a bit cold." Yang Ming shook his head. He quickly put on some clothes and went to the bathroom.
Today was the weekend. Yang Dahai had already prepared five thousand yuan for Yang Ming to buy a computer.
After breakfast, Yang Dahai and Yang Ming went out. Because they were carrying so much cash, they hailed a taxi.
The taxi driver raised his head and saw Yang Ming. So he said excitedly, "Eh? Brother Yang Ming, it's really you!"
"Brother Kun, this is such a coincidence!" Yang Ming was laughing too because the taxi driver was Sun Kun!
Father Yang asked curiously, "Big Ming, do you two know each other?"
Sun Kun introduced himself, "Hehe, this must be your father? I'm Sun Kun. That day I fetched Yang Ming and his sister. I'm getting along well with him; you can count me as a friend!"
"Sister?" Father Yang popped out his eyes and looked incredibly at Yang Ming.
"Huh?" Yang Ming was surprised. He was embarrassed; he never expected Sun Kun to talk about this. "Hehe, we are just classmates."
"Oh." Father Yang nodded. He naturally associated this with Chen Menyan, so he didn't say anything. He remembered Mother Yang's advice, so he didn't dare put pressure on Yang Ming.
Sun Kun also realized that Yang Ming was just a student, so he smiled uneasily. "Where are you going?"
Yang Ming asked, "Right, Brother Kun. I'm going to buy a computer. Do you know a good place?"
"If you want to buy a computer, you should go to Buynow. The shop is just newly opened and the prices are really fair!" Sun Kun said, "They are more a brand name shop, so the quality is guaranteed. If you are buying a brand computer, you should go to Buynow. If you are assembling your own computer, you should go to Shipyard Computer City. The parts there are cheaper!"
Yang Ming praised him, "Brother Sun, you really know a lot!"
Sun Kun smiled, "Hai! I heard it from my customers!"
"I'm buying a branded computer, so we are going to Buynow!" Yang Ming was computer illiterate. He knew nothing about hardware, so it was impossible for him to assemble the parts. It would be better if he bought a branded computer where he couldn't be cheated and it came with a warranty as well!