He wondered where his exit was. He wondered about Chen Wenwen.
After Nuo Nuo went to another way, Chen Wenwen suddenly said that she would go to the river to have a look. Dandelions were blooming on the grass by the river, and those little brushy flowers were everywhere. Chen Wenwen picked a lot and put them with bluebells together in the paper bag. She sat by the river to talk with Lu Mingfei and took off her shoes to soak feet in the clear water. Chen Wenwen said that we will be separated in university and may only meet in the summer vacation. If we don’t meet for a long time, a lot of good friends are going to slowly forget each other.
Chen Wenwen’s eyes were filled with sadness when she said this, even more so than when she read L’amant when she entered the school.
Lu Mingfei sat beside her to look at her eyes, watching the wind blowing to the paper bag in her arms with dandelion scattered and sprinkled on the water, like little snow piece.
There was a small bird jumping in Lu Mingfei’s heart faintly.
The phone in his arms began to vibrate at this time.
“Lu Mingfei, right?” It was Nuo Nuo’s voice on the phone.
“It’s me.” Said Lu Mingfei.
“Tell you a secret, Professor Guderian is flying to Beijing tomorrow. It depends on you to go or not. You better make your decision today, because we don’t have a lot of places.”
Lu Mingfei was in a hurry. “Can we wait for tomorrow? Tomorrow… “
Tomorrow he will do an earthshaking event, success or not. If Chen Wenwen accepts his confession, he will stay in China; on the contrary, he has to go to the United States to study and left a legend in his high school: a guy was frustrated extremely, but was lucky enough to get the admission letter to the United States university.
“Nope, Professor Guderian has booked a ticket.” Nuo Nuo’s tone was cold.
Lu Mingfei was silent for a long time and scratched his head. “Then I know.”
“What do you mean you know?
“That is to say… So be it.” Said Lu Mingfei.
“That’s why you refuse us? You have tough! Chen Wenwen looks not really beautiful. You see, our Cassel College’s gate is open to everybody only once at most.”
“Just because you look better than Chen Wenwen doesn’t mean I like you… “Said Lu Mingfei depressed.
“Good man! I didn’t think you had that kind of toughness!” Nuo Nuo seems angry. “Ok! Goodbye!”
The phone was hung up. Lu Mingfei looked at the gradually extinguished screen and felt this bet is really big.
At the moment he looked at the city under the night, thinking of tomorrow’s party. When Chen Wenwen let him speak to dozens of literary club students, he would do the most daring thing.
“Only I have absolutely no way back, the freedom to pursue no one can refuse… ” 1) He hummed an ugly song.
This guy had been like that for the rest of his “remarkable” life. He’s always wilting like a dry cucumber, but once he had decided what to do, he will become as fresh as parsley soaked in water.
“I am a man who sometimes goes mad.” This is his catchphrase afterwards.
In the bathroom at studios, Lu Mingfei looked in the mirror to listen to his own pounding heart. He wondered over and over again whether he thought of every step.
The film is about to begin, and the moment of the final is coming.
Flowers, music, loud confession. Three magic weapons of Nuo Nuo’s version.
No problem with flowers. He went to the river in the afternoon to pick a lot of dandelions and tied up in a paper bag. He temporarily gave up the rose, because Chen Wenwen likes dandelion, more suitable than roses.
Music was also settled. Lu Mingfei got a box of real cigarettes from Uncle’s drawer then went downstairs to the tobacco store for two packages of fakes, and then put a fake package back, another fake package was given to the projectionist uncle – this is always Lu Mingfei’s way to make money. The projectionist promised to show a clip of Eve breaking through the sound barrier with Wall-E before the opening scene, and the background music was 120 percent moving.
He had searched confession words from the Internet and collected the most moving statement to make a good draft:
“After three years, it’s probably time for our club to separate and we will rarely be able to get together. After seasons changing, it will not be the same group of people here. It’s a bit sad… As the executive of the literature club, it’s an honour to stand here and make the speech. These speeches should have been given to all the members, but I just want to say to one person… “
At this time the most impatient one “Little Fairy” may jump out and yell, “Lu Mingfei what do you want to say?”
If she does so, Lu Mingfei would say with his fiercest tone, “Shut up! I’m not talking to you! I just want to talk to Chen Wenwen! I’ve liked her for three years! I won’t wait for another three years! I don’t want to be a good person in my whole lifetime!”
This last line was adapted from the movie Infernal Affairs, which made him feel like a man. This tough style might save his face: if Chen Wenwen refuses him he doesn’t need to pretend heartbroken, which is a shame. A man like a little white rabbit is no good because he can only be the female’s best friend!
Lu Mingfei nodded to himself in the mirror with a ferocious look and sharp eyes, which means “Mingfei you are so good”!
“What are you doing?” Zhao Menghua went into the washroom.
“I don’t know why my face started to cramp suddenly, so I twist it to see what’s going on.” Lu Mingfei’s react was fast and he turned to face Zhao Menghua, slanting his mouth eyes to let his facial expression be more exaggerated, “Do I look like Steven Crow?”
“No, it’s more like Arale 2),” Zhao Menghua said, giving him a bag. “Clothes. Go change them when you give the speech. Chen Wenwen said you need to be more proper.”
Inside was a black suit, a white shirt and a narrow black tie, and their size fitted his lean body well. Lu Mingfei had wanted a set, but his aunt did not promise him. Why did Chen Wenwen know he wanted such a suit? The great happiness hit him like a hammer on the head, making him almost dizzy.
He touched his phone in a hurry. Lu Mingfei wanted to make a phone call with Nuo Nuo, said he had played a triumphant song before grabbing his bayonet.
“Sorry, the number you dialled is out of service, please try later… “
Lu Mingfei slowly closed the phone. He thought that maybe Nuo Nuo had gone, gone forever, like fireworks and bubbles.
There is really no way back now. Confession and he must succeed.
Lu Mingfei walked into the hall, and the voice of Su Xiaoqiang was like needles in his ears. “Hahaha! You see a monkey in suits… “
Dozens of members of the literary club who were drinking coke and eating popcorn burst into laughter and Lu Mingfei’s face turned to the colour of eggplant.
“That’s not enough, there is even piggy with suits.” Some people said that.
The literary club’s fattest twin brothers, Xu Yanyan and Xu Miaomiao also came in wearing black suits. The two brothers were as chubby as two basketballs standing side by side.
“And you two will do the speech?” Lu Mingfei looked at the brothers curiously. The three of them were all dressed the same.
“We don’t speak. We are just the foil.” Xu Yanyan said, “Who will refuse to be extras if they get paid?”
Lu Mingfei was at a loss. He looked at the side of Chen Wenwen, she slightly nodded to him, bright and clear.
“You’ll be in that position in a minute to do the speech.” Zhao Menghua said, pointing to a copy paper in front of the screen. “Just stand there and don’t block the screen. We shall have pictures of our club later.”
“Pictures of the literary club?” Lu Mingfei didn’t expect this. What about that movie clip he prepared?
Uncle projectionist’s reliable figure appeared in front of him. When he handed the packet of cigarettes, the uncle looked down at the crowd proudly with a snap. His head rose 45 degrees upward with a strong thumbs-up, “The projection hall is my place! Don’t worry! I will play it for you anyway.” Lu Mingfei decided to trust the uncle.
The lights dimmed, leaving only the white copy paper on the stage. Well, that is his stage, life war, take this girl and he can get all the happiness in his life! Everything’s ready, dandelion, Wall-E, confession, and he’s in a suit, high-spirited and vigorous.
Lu Mingfei strode onto the stage and stood in front of the screen. He took a deep breath then he was ready to shout to the world, Chen Wenwen, I like you!
Nuo Nuo said to put all he has on the bet, Lu Mingfei thinks he has this consciousness.
Suddenly the bright light dazzled his eyes and the projector turned on. The whole hall issued the sound of “Hush”, Lu Mingfei raised his arm to cover his face, said in his heart, “Damn!”
How did he get to the next stage before he had spoken? Uncle projectionist got the time wrong? Lu Mingfei’s eyes adapted to the strong light and suddenly saw Xu Yanyan and Xu Miaomiao standing on his left side like two bowling pins[QA1] .
“What are you doing up here?” Lu Mingfei lowered his voice, said to Xu Yanyan.
“Extras.” Xu Yanyan showed a very innocent expression.
Lu Mingfei looked around and suddenly realized that there was a huge letter “L” on his left side. The projector threw characters on the screen.
The audience was still hushing. Lu Mingfei could not help but run to a few meters away from the screen to see.
It’s a line of words, “Chen Wenwen, Lve, Yu!”
He didn’t understand the two strange words, but he had a hunch that something was wrong.
“Stand back! Stand back!” Xu Yanyan whispered to him, “It’s not a sentence without you.”
“Sentence?” Lu Mingfei went to see the line of words, at the same time the corner of his eye swept to Zhao Menghua, who was holding a large bunch of crimson roses, surrounded by several good brothers and jumped onto the stage.
This time, Lu Mingfei understood. His body got cool down from the fingertips inch by inch to his heart, until the depth of the skull, until those still sore joints because of running too much way for the dandelion. Xu Yanyan and Xu Miaomiao are two “o”. He is the lowercase I, which is perfect. “Chen Wenwen, iLoveYou.”
It’s even the coquettish lowercase I. With the head of Lu Mingfei, he can’t think about such a romantic approach even he runs out of his mind. But Zhao Menghua is more clear than him, and his English is better than Lu Mingfei. Having an English tutor since childhood, shouldn’t coquettish lowercase “I” be a piece of cake for him?
Lu Mingfei was looking at Chen Wenwen, Chen Wenwen was looking at Zhao Menghua. As if there were summer dew in her eyes, flowing down. When she was sitting by the river with Lu Mingfei before, she was so melancholy and silent, but now she doesn’t. Lu Mingfei could see happiness in her eyes. Lu Mingfei felt petrified, and he will become fragments piece by piece. Suddenly he thought of the bundle of dandelions in his bag. He came running all the way, are there only bare sticks inside?
“Go back! Go back! It can’t be a sentence without you!” Someone shouted under the stage.
Lu Mingfei slowly walked back to the screen and stood on the copy paper. He looked down at no one, so the lowercase “I” became quite listless.
“Today is supposed to be our literary club meeting, but I’m taking this opportunity,” Zhao Menghua said loudly. “We are going to be separate, and I don’t want to regret. I want to say to Chen Wenwen…It’s all on the screen… I’ll make my decision! Otherwise, none of us can be together in the future. If I liked a person for three years and no one knows, shouldn’t that be awful?”
“Good! Nice one boss!” Xu Yanyan and Xu Miaomiao clapped their hands, and so did Zhao Menghua’s good brothers.
“Go on stage! Leading girl! Go on stage!” Zhao Menghua had clearly prepared for everything, the audience began to cheer.
A beam of spotlights shined on Chen Wenwen. Chen Wenwen stood up with an extreme white, almost transparent dress like an angel. She shuffled onto the stage, blushing so red like people could squeeze tomato sauce. Zhao’s good brother surrounded her and asked, in the voice of typical young actors in a supporting role, “Yes or no? Zhao Menghua is a good guy!”
Lu Mingfei looked at Chen Wenwen and her lips. He could hear no other sound, and the silence was like death to him. Only one voice could break it.
Chen Wenwen.
“I DO like… you, too.” Chen Wenwen looked at Zhao Menghua and said quietly.
The silence broke, as if thunder had broken through the air, lightning had shot straight into the heart of heaven, while the rain had rustled down.
In noise, Lu Mingfei heart a cry. He looked up and saw the “little princess” covered her face and ran out. After three years of enmity with Su Xiaoqiang, it suddenly occurred to him that they were quite the same, and he wanted to pat Su Xiaoqiang on the shoulder and comfort her. But he is the immovable “I”.
Everyone ran up around Chen Wenwen and Zhao Menghua as if they were guests at a wedding. Lu Mingfei thought that everyone knew that, only Su Xiaoqiang and he were living in the dark. Probably the matter that he likes Chen Wenwen was seen through by everybody, so no one would like to tell him.
“Hey, that’s stupid.” Lu Mingfei said to himself, bitter had been rushed to his nostrils.
The music was loud and the screen showed that Eve breaks the sound barrier and crosses the sky with wall-e. It was a little girl who had to use all her powers to save her little lover, and they ended up cuddling with the music of an old romantic movie. Really touching, it suits well with the current situation: Zhao Menghua put his hand on Chen Wenwen’s shoulder, Chen Wenwen bowed her head on Zhao Menghua.
Uncle projectionist came in from the side door, holding in his mouth the fake cigarette that Lu Mingfei had given him. He snapped his fingers again and looked down 45 degrees to give Lu Mingfei a thumbs-up. It’s like, “Did I get it dude?”
“Uncle, does your brain went something wrong?” Lu Mingfei wanted to shake him by the collar.
But he had no strength now, so he squatted down slowly against the screen. Anyway, no one was paying attention to that “iLoveYou” anymore, and he became a lowercase “e” that no one cares.
“Isn’t that surprising?” Zhao Menghua’s brother said very frankly.
“It’s not surprising, I know you are doing this. I just don’t want to say that because of your shameless friends.” Chen Wenwen said happily and shyly, shaking Zhao Menghua’s hand.
Really, everyone knows that, including Chen Wenwen herself. Lu Mingfei hung his head and walked quietly toward the door of the screening hall. On the screen behind him, Eve was resting beside Wall-E. The music was sweet and touching, Chen Wenwen was still Eve, but he’s not Wall-E, he was nothing.
Oh no, he’s a little man that played an important role in the love between the male and female main characters.
- Chinese song Infinite by Shin.
- Arale: Japanese cartoon, tells about a robot girl’s adventure by Akira Toriyama.
Dragon's Raja 