Daydreaming about Me

Chapter 32

Lin Yujing wasn’t exactly a well-behaved child; her first experience with alcohol was from stealing it from home.

Lin Yujing remembered very clearly that day—she had topped her grade in the exams, and the principal announced her achievement school-wide. She went back to find Lin Zhi, but Lin Zhi was annoyed by her noise and threw a globe from the desk at her.

Lin Yujing later learned that day was the wedding anniversary of Lin Zhi and Meng Weiguo.

The globe was too heavy and left a bruise on her calf. Lin Yujing cried under the covers by herself, then wiped her tears, grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the cabinet, and ran to Lu Jiahang’s house.

Cheng Yi was there too. Lu Jiahang casually brought three large beer mugs from the kitchen. The three kids locked the door and gathered in his room, opening the bottle of wine Lin Yujing had brought.

Romanée-Conti white wine, worth around 40,000 RMB per bottle, was poured into the beer mugs, and they chugged half of it each in one go.

Cheng Yi passed out first, leaving Lin Yujing and Lu Jiahang.

Lin Yujing rubbed her bruised calf. Her cheeks were red, her eyes moist, and she was still a bit swollen from crying.

Under the effect of alcohol, she felt a tingling in her fingertips, but her mind was frighteningly clear.

Even clearer, deeper, and sharper than usual, like the last slap waking someone pretending to be asleep.

“Lu Jiahang, I don’t want to be Lin Yujing anymore,” Lin Yujing said hoarsely.

The young man’s peach blossom eyes slightly lifted as he glanced at her. After a long pause, he said 淡淡地说:“You can’t decide. If you’re meant to be someone, then that’s who you are.”

They ended up finishing an entire bottle of wine. By the end, Lin Yujing was still sober but her eyes were heavy and she was so tired she just wanted to sleep, yet felt uncomfortable and wanted to cry.

So she always felt that her alcohol tolerance was quite good.

A few cans of lower-alcohol beer shouldn’t be enough to cloud her mind.

So Lin Yujing didn’t know what could explain her excessive excitement tonight.

The room was very quiet, with the dim light from the floor lamp, which was gentle before but now ambiguous.

Lin Yujing supported her head, her upper body resting on the coffee table. Shen Juan leaned in from his chair, looking at her. His voice was low and hoarse, making her want to shrink back instinctively.

They were very close, almost nose-to-nose. Lin Yujing saw the dark depths of Shen Juan’s eyes and a hazy, blurred version of herself.

She tilted her head slightly, pressing her warm cheek with her palm, licked her lips, and asked softly: “Then, can I call you that after I’m drunk?”

Her voice was soft, her lips full and moist, her fox eyes slightly upturned, staring at him unblinkingly.

A naïve, underage vixen had snuck out and was recklessly and obliviously enticing a man.

Shen Juan suddenly straightened up, took a deep breath, and leaned back into his chair.

The movement was a bit abrupt, making the chair bounce when he sat back down.

He rested his wrist on the chair’s edge, gazing at her with a heavy expression.

Lin Yujing smiled and straightened up, tapping the coffee table: “Bring the wine over. I might be able to handle another two or three cans. I won’t drink any more than that.”

She was very precise about her alcohol tolerance.

Shen Juan looked at her, his emotions unclear: “I think you’re not very clear-headed right now.”

She suddenly stood up, looking down at him: “Do you know why?” “Why?” Shen Juan asked.

Lin Yujing walked forward, circling around the coffee table, taking very steady steps: “Because I need—” she hiccuped, “to use the bathroom and sober up a bit.”

Shen Juan: “…”

Shen Juan had never heard a girl say she needed to use the bathroom like that.

He heard the faint sound of the bathroom door closing, sighed, rubbed his eyes with his fingertips, and felt a slight headache.

Shen Juan thought that Lin Yujing was difficult to handle, a depressed girl with a big temper who wrapped herself tightly, speaking lies casually with almost no sincerity.

Moreover, she was very insensitive about certain things. For example, she had never been moved by her deskmate.

Shen Juan had been irritable for several days, his mood continuously dropping, and he completely didn’t want to talk.

Ten minutes later, Lin Yujing came out of the bathroom, her expression normal and very calm.

She turned off the bathroom light, walked to the coffee table, went around it, and sat down on the sofa. She adjusted the cushions behind her, lay down, and made herself comfortable.

Shen Juan: “…”

Lin Yujing closed her eyes, possibly feeling that one cushion was a bit low, so she pulled another one over, propped her head on a corner, and adjusted the cushions to make herself more comfortable.

“Shen, let’s sleep. After a good sleep, tomorrow will be a new beginning, and everything will pass,” Lin Yujing said with her eyes closed.

“…”

Shen Juan really couldn’t tell whether she was awake or not.

He nudged the coffee table with his foot, stood up, and walked to the side of the sofa. “Get up.”

Lin Yujing lay there as if she hadn’t heard him, not moving at all.

“Lin Yujing.” Shen Juan warned.

“…”

Lin Yujing slowly and reluctantly opened her eyes. Her eyes were a bit red, and she looked at him with an inexplicable sense of grievance.

“Are you kicking me out?” she asked softly.

Shen Juan felt a headache coming on: “No, there’s a bedroom inside. Go to bed there. I changed the bed sheets today. If you’re awake, there are disposable toiletries in the bathroom.”

Lin Yujing sluggishly got up. “Aren’t you a guy?”

Shen Juan looked straight at her. “What do you think?”

“You are,” Lin Yujing said as she sat up, “so I can’t just sleep on a guy’s bed, can I?”

Shen Juan raised an eyebrow and leaned back. “Why, does a guy’s bed affect your sword skills?”

Lin Yujing shook her head. “If I sleep on your bed, don’t I have to take responsibility?” “…”

Shen Juan was momentarily stunned and almost didn’t react.

“I still have to wash the sheets for you,” Lin Yujing continued.

Shen Juan: “…” —

Lin Yujing took a shower in the bathroom. Although Shen Juan’s studio was in an old residential area and wasn’t very large, it had everything one needed.

The bedroom had a separate bathroom, which seemed to be exclusively for Shen Juan. The bathroom was quite spacious, with a distinct design of separating wet and dry areas. Large glass panels were embedded in the deep gray walls, allowing an unobstructed view of the sink and toilet outside.

Water droplets on the glass gathered and slowly slid down, leaving blurry water marks. Lin Yujing raised her hand and traced a mark with her finger.

The warm water flowed down, into her eyes, which felt somewhat stinging, and it made her feel more awake.

She was indeed acting recklessly due to the excitement from the alcohol.

She didn’t want to go back. Shen Juan didn’t say anything, just let her stay.

She rambled on, and Shen Juan didn’t get angry, just let her be.

It made her feel like she could be willful around him.

Lin Yujing suddenly thought of two words:

Indulgence.

She was startled by her own thought.

Such a word seemed out of place when describing a school bully like Shen Juan. It didn’t match at all.

Lin Yujing didn’t have a change of clothes, so she put on the same outfit after her shower. Luckily, the soft cotton top was quite comfortable.

Shen Juan’s disposable toiletries were well-stocked, with towels, toothbrushes, etc. Lin Yujing dried her hair partially, and when she came out with a new towel on her head, she saw Shen Juan sitting on the sofa, working on homework.

“…”

Lin Yujing widened her eyes, thinking she might be seeing things.

Hearing the noise, Shen Juan looked up.

Lin Yujing happened to walk over and saw him marking a “C” on the last multiple-choice question, then quickly scanning through the long questions, flipping a page, finishing all the questions in three minutes, making no marks, crossing out a few conditions from the given questions, and closing the paper. He looked up. “Going to bed?”

Lin Yujing came to her senses: “You were doing homework?”

Shen Juan smiled: “Little girl, I don’t just answer questions without studying.”

Lin Yujing looked at him expressionlessly and pointed at herself. “I’m just a year younger than you, not a little girl.”

“Two years,” Shen Juan said.

Lin Yujing was confused: “What?”

“Did you start school at six?” Shen Juan asked. “Ah, yes,” Lin Yujing said.

“Then I’m two years older than you,” Shen Juan said, standing up, rubbing her head. Her hair was still a bit damp, making it softer to the touch. “Go to bed, little girl. Don’t drink so much just because you have a good tolerance.”

He paused and lowered his eyes. “And stop making a fuss after drinking.” —

Lin Yujing ended up sleeping on the sofa. Shen Juan brought her a pillow and blankets and turned on the dimmest floor lamp before going into his room.

He hadn’t slept much over the weekend due to a lot of work and spending the night with Lin Yujing’s antics, resulting in a slight headache.

Shen Juan pulled up his shirt, threw it into the laundry basket, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the shower.

The bathroom was hot and damp, with lingering mist. The glass walls were still covered with wet droplets, and there was a damp footprint beside the sink.

It was almost as if he could visualize the scene that had been there just moments before. He closed his eyes, stood under the shower, braced himself against the wall, and sighed. —

Lin Yujing woke up at 5:30 AM, when everything was quiet, and the sky was just beginning to lighten. Through a narrow window above the shelves, she could see the grayish sky.

She lay flat on the sofa, took her time to wake up, then slowly got up, rubbed her tired eyes, yawned, and got out of bed.

Her toothbrush from yesterday was in the bathroom in Shen Juan’s bedroom. Lin Yujing glanced at the closed bedroom door, decided to give up, and went to the outside bathroom to get a new set of toiletries. After washing up, she headed out.

The old alley was lively in the morning, a scene Lin Yujing had never seen before. Outside was a storefront with various breakfast smells wafting out. Soy milk, fried dough sticks, and golden crispy oil sticks, rice rolls filled with oil sticks, pickles, and salted eggs were all delicious. It was a far cry from the plain rice rolls in the cafeteria.

Lin Yujing bought a bit of everything, eating as she walked back. She hadn’t locked the door when she left, and the house was still quiet when she returned, with the warmth of the night and a faint trace of alcohol lingering.

Lin Yujing placed the breakfast on the table, folded the blanket, and left a note on a piece of white paper before turning and heading out.

She needed to go home to grab a backpack. At this time, Meng Weiguo and Guan Xiangmei probably hadn’t woken up yet.

However, she was caught off guard by running into Fu Mingxiu coming downstairs. Lin Yujing was startled, standing at the door, her mouth slightly open.

Fu Mingxiu was also surprised, standing at the stairway and looking at her. Lin Yujing swung her arms back and forth a couple of times, took a breath, and said, “Good morning, Brother! The air outside is so fresh. Do you usually go for a morning run?”

Fu Mingxiu frowned at her and glanced at her homey outfit, cleared his throat, and said, “I’ll give you a ride.”

Lin Yujing was once again taken aback.

Fu Mingxiu explained seriously, “I’m heading to school anyway. It’s on the way.”

“…”

Lin Yujing now understood that Fu Mingxiu, although he had a strong young master demeanor, was not a bad person and was straightforward despite his words.

He might even be a somewhat impulsive and sweet-natured person, with his thoughts clearly written on his face, unlike his mother.

Lin Yujing had already eaten breakfast, so she just had a boiled egg to tide her over, dragged her small suitcase, and left with Fu Mingxiu.

Before leaving, Guan Xiangmei was still smiling and saying to Meng Weiguo, “Look at these two kids, their relationship is so good.”

When she arrived at school, there were still very few people in the classroom, and the class representatives for various subjects hadn’t arrived yet. Lin Yujing sat in her seat, pulled out her phone, and saw a new message.

She initially thought it was from Shen Juan, but it wasn’t. It was from Cheng Yi.

Autumn came quickly in the capital, and the sports meet there was earlier than here. The sports meet at Cheng Yi’s school had ended, and he sent a photo of their class winning first place overall.

In the photo, he had his arm around Lu Jiacheng’s neck, who looked impatient and raised his hand to cover the lens, but unfortunately, only one finger was visible.

Cheng Yi: [Whale Sister, has your sports meet started yet?] Lin Yujing: [Not yet, this week.]

Cheng Yi, who had just gotten out of bed, quickly replied: [Which days? How many days? I’ll see if I can skip a class to visit you.]

Lin Yujing laughed and replied: [Thursday and Friday, then a long weekend.]

Cheng Yi was originally supposed to come during the National Day holiday but was tied up with a family trip. Restless and eager to escape the constraints of school, he was like a bird yearning for freedom.

Cheng Yi: [That’s perfect then. I’ll come and stay for four days, and check if our class flower’s looks have improved in the past few months.]

Cheng Yi: [By the way, I have to tell you, this semester’s freshman girls are really pretty. Your title as the most beautiful girl in the affiliated school might be in jeopardy.]

Lin Yujing put down her phone and laughed while leaning on the desk. While she was laughing, someone knocked on the table.

She looked up to see Shen Juan. She stood up with her phone in hand to give him space and continued replying to messages without raising her head.

Shen Juan glanced at her twice before sitting down.

Lin Yujing sat back down, her fingers tapping away on her phone while she continued to laugh.

She generally liked to smile, and when she looked at someone with her eyes curved, a shallow dimple appeared on her left cheek, making people want to poke it.

However, usually, this smile lacked depth and content.

When her smile was genuine, it could make people feel unexpectedly soft inside.

Like now.

She was chatting with someone, smiling like a big, bright sunflower.

This wasn’t just soft; it was also quite dazzling.

The bit of joy Shen Juan had felt upon seeing the breakfast on the table had now completely faded. He let his eyelids droop, turned his head, and leaned against the wall.

Lin Yujing was typing away when she suddenly looked up and asked him, “Can students from other schools get in for the Eighth Middle School’s sports meet?”

“It should be fine,” Shen Juan glanced at her and said, “The sports meet isn’t strictly monitored. As long as you’re wearing a school uniform, you can get in.”

Actually, it wasn’t strict; as long as you wore an Eighth Middle School uniform and looked somewhat like a student, the gate was open.

Lin Yujing nodded and suddenly turned around: “Shen Juan, can I borrow a school uniform from you for the sports meet?”

Shen Juan paused: “For what?”

“I have a friend coming,” Lin Yujing explained, “I just want to lend it to them for the gate and then return it to you.”

“A guy?” Shen Juan asked.

Lin Yujing found this question pointless: “Can’t a girl wear my clothes?”

Shen Juan was silent for several seconds, narrowed his eyes, and asked slowly, “You’re borrowing my clothes for another guy?”

Author’s Note:

Shen Juan: “You little love scammer.”