Chapter 74: Goodbye, Yuhan

Christmas 2004 might be the happiest Christmas Li Dong has ever had in this life and the previous one.

For the entire day, Li Dong wore a beaming smile.

In the morning, Li Dong spent time chatting with Qin Yuhan. They didn't discuss love or careers; they only talked about amusing school stories. The laughter between them never ceased.

In the afternoon, Li Dong took Qin Yuhan to Jiangda University.

They wandered through the teaching buildings, dormitories, dining halls, and sports fields…

Everywhere at Jiangda was filled with their joyful laughter. Hand in hand, they strolled through the early winter campus scenery.

Happiness was the theme of the day.

As the sun gradually set and night fell, Li Dong and Qin Yuhan walked along a campus path covered with maple leaves. Qin Yuhan nestled gently against Li Dong, her face filled with happiness.

Li Dong said nothing, just walking slowly, wishing time could freeze right there.

…

During dinner, Meng Qiping arrived with Cheng Nan.

After Li Dong introduced Cheng Nan to Qin Yuhan, the two girls huddled together, whispering.

Li Dong chuckled. Women really were strange creatures; there weren't any secrets worth sharing just after meeting.

But he didn't interfere and instead chatted with Meng Qiping.

Halfway through the meal, Meng Qiping said, "Dong Ge, I've rented a house. At the end of this month, Nan Nan and I will move in."

Li Dong nodded and asked, "Do you need my help?"

Meng Qiping waved his hand, "Not much to do. Nan Nan and I can manage it ourselves."

He then sighed, "Now that you're moving out, it's like 351 is breaking up."

Li Dong didn't respond. Whether it was breaking up or not, there was nothing to be done.

Among the remaining four in the dorm, Yuan Qingfeng and Li Tie Zhang Hao didn't get along well, and Li Tie and Xu Chen weren't on good terms either. It was a mess.

When Li Dong and Meng Qiping were around, they acted as mediators, but now that they were gone, he didn't know how the others would get along.

Since he had already moved out, Li Dong didn't want to dwell on it and changed the topic.

Meng Qiping noticed Li Dong's disinterest and shifted the conversation, "Do you know Huang Shanshan and Chen Fang broke up?"

"Broke up? When did that happen?" Li Dong didn't know this.

Since moving out of the dorm, he had only gone to class on time and otherwise stayed away from the school. He hadn't participated in class activities much, and there were probably people in class who still didn't know his name.

Before Meng Qiping could answer, Cheng Nan, who was chatting with Qin Yuhan, chimed in, "It's been a while. They broke up shortly after the sports meet. It's somewhat related to you."

Li Dong pondered. Could it be because Chen Fang made trouble at the sports meet?

But noticing Qin Yuhan's large eyes glancing at him, Li Dong immediately said with a wry smile, "Cheng Nan, are you trying to set me up?"

Cheng Nan laughed, refusing to admit, "Set you up? I'm just speaking the truth."

Li Dong was speechless. This couple was really troublemakers, always causing problems.

But he knew Qin Yuhan wasn't the suspicious type. She was just teasing him, so he ignored Cheng Nan.

However, Cheng Nan wouldn't let it go and teased Qin Yuhan, "Yuhan, you're so beautiful and a top student from Jingda. How did you end up with Li Dong?"

Qin Yuhan smiled but remained silent, her gaze at Li Dong full of tenderness.

Li Dong rolled his eyes and said grumpily, "What do you mean, 'end up with me'? With my looks, is it strange that someone would like me?"

Both Qin Yuhan and Cheng Nan couldn't help but laugh.

Li Dong then countered, "I haven't asked you yet. How quirky is your taste to like a fatty? You've got quite a heavy taste."

Now it was Cheng Nan and Meng Qiping's turn to be speechless. Meng Qiping, being caught in the crossfire, said with some annoyance, "Why discriminate against fat people? Besides, even if I'm fat, I'm still a handsome fatty. What's wrong with that?"

With that, everyone laughed.

After chatting a bit longer, it was already past nine when they wrapped up.

…

By the time they got home, it was almost ten.

After washing up, Qin Yuhan didn't hesitate and chose to sleep in the same bed as Li Dong.

But Li Dong could swear on the lights that he did nothing that night.

Qin Yuhan had spent the day traveling and exploring the campus, and she was exhausted. She fell asleep quickly. Li Dong just acted as a human pillow the whole night.

When he woke up in the morning, half of his body was numb.

But Li Dong was very happy. Falling asleep with the person he loved was a wonderful experience.

…

The next day, Li Dong planned to take Qin Yuhan shopping.

He hadn't forgotten Meng Qiping's disdainful comment about him not understanding the joy of accompanying a girlfriend shopping.

That comment still troubled Li Dong. Even that fatty knew about romance; could Li Dong really do worse?

But when Li Dong mentioned it, Qin Yuhan responded with surprise, "Why go shopping? I don't need anything. Isn't shopping tiring?"

Li Dong was speechless. This girl wasn't following the script!

Isn't it a woman's nature to love shopping? Must shopping always involve buying things? Doesn't she understand the fun of it?

Before Li Dong could speak again, Qin Yuhan suddenly smiled and said, "Instead of shopping, let's go to the market and buy ingredients."

"Buy ingredients for what?" Li Dong asked, confused.

Qin Yuhan rolled her beautiful eyes, "Of course to cook. I'm going to make a good lunch for you today, so you can taste my homemade meal."

Although Li Dong was worried about Qin Yuhan's cooking, he went along with her and bought ingredients to make the meal.

When it came to lunch, Li Dong braced himself for the worst but found the food surprisingly good. This made him see Qin Yuhan in a new light.

She was truly a capable person who could manage both the kitchen and the dining room.

Moreover, she was a top student from Jingda, and a campus beauty. To have such a girl as his girlfriend made Li Dong feel he was incredibly lucky.

In the afternoon, Qin Yuhan finally agreed to go shopping with Li Dong.

Yes, she was accompanying Li Dong shopping, not the other way around.

Li Dong felt like crying. He hadn't expected that shopping would turn into a journey to fulfill his wish, and it was quite embarrassing.

But no matter how embarrassing, he finally achieved his wish of going shopping with Qin Yuhan.

So Li Dong was still very happy. Accompanying his girlfriend shopping was indeed a delightful experience. By the end of the afternoon, Li Dong didn't feel tired at all.

In the evening, Qin Yuhan snuggled in Li Dong's arms. The two sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the dazzling lights outside.

Li Dong, excited, asked, "Where should we go tomorrow?"

Qin Yuhan hesitated for a moment, her face showing reluctance, "I'm leaving tomorrow."

Li Dong's face froze. The happy dream he had woven for himself was shattered, and he suddenly felt a suffocating pain in his heart.

He wanted to hold her and tell her not to leave!

But he couldn't do that!

Qin Yuhan was a real person with her own dreams and pursuits.

He couldn't be so selfish, and he didn't want Qin Yuhan to become a caged bird. That wouldn't be fair to her.

That night, Li Dong did nothing but hold Qin Yuhan and stared into space all night.

…

The next morning, Li Dong took Qin Yuhan to the airport.

On the way, they didn't speak a word, simply holding each other's hands tightly.

At the moment Qin Yuhan was about to leave, Li Dong suddenly thought of a modern poem:

"Softly I leave, just as I softly came.

I wave my hand gently, bidding farewell to the clouds in the western sky.

…

But I cannot sing, quietly is the sound of parting flute.

Summer insects also fall silent for me, silence is tonight's Cambridge!

Quietly I leave, just as I quietly came.

I wave my sleeve, not taking a single cloud away."

Yuhan, goodbye!

This brief separation is only to ensure a longer companionship. That day is not far off.