Chapter 124: Zhao Ruyi Encounters Bai Fengqin

Not in a good state today, only five thousand characters.

——

March 25th, Sunday.

Early in the morning, Ning Weidong slept in, not getting up until nearly eight-thirty.

He washed his face and brushed his teeth, ate a quick bite of fried dough sticks and soy milk, then hurried out on his bicycle.

The weather was nice; the strong winds and snow from the previous two days had likely cleared the dust from the air, making it a rare treat to see blue skies in the Beijing winter.

Ning Weidong rode his bike toward the library.

Because it was Sunday, the streets felt noticeably more crowded than usual.

He had an appointment from yesterday to meet Zhao Ruyi in front of the library.

Ning Weidong had come out a bit late; by the time he arrived, Zhao Ruyi was already there, standing alone on the steps, wearing a long, knee-length white wool coat, a matching wool hat on her head, and a long scarf covering half her face—from a distance, she looked graceful and slender.

Ning Weidong parked his bicycle, walked up the steps, and said with a grin, "Did you miss me last night, being in such a rush to see me?"

Zhao Ruyi raised her hand to check her watch, stiffened her face, and said, "Nine-oh-three. We agreed on nine o'clock; you have no sense of time!"

Ning Weidong replied nonchalantly, "When have I ever claimed to have a great sense of time?"

Zhao Ruyi was stunned; she had assumed that since Ning Weidong was late, he would at least feel a little embarrassed—who knew this guy was just thick-skinned, taking pride in what should be shameful.

Zhao Ruyi took a deep breath and said helplessly, "Fine, it's my fault. I shouldn't have had unrealistic expectations for your thick skin."

Ning Weidong didn't care at all and reached out to grab her hand: "See, you understand perfectly well. Let's go, don't delay my studying."

Zhao Ruyi rolled her eyes dramatically: "The nerve! You're the one who's late, yet I'm the one delaying your study? You're a big Deputy Section Chief, have you no shame?"

Ning Weidong didn't mind, and the two entered the main gate.

Ning Weidong had never been here before, but Zhao Ruyi took the initiative, acting very familiar with the place as she led Ning Weidong to the study area.

Ning Weidong was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected so many people to be studying at the library on a Sunday! They found a table near the edge of the study area.

Ning Weidong placed his schoolbag on the table and looked around.

It must be said, people in this era had an extraordinary thirst for knowledge; those who came here on weekends weren't just studying for exams, many were simply fond of research.

Ning Weidong sat down beside the table; this long table could seat six people. Ning Weidong sat at the edge, with one seat left between them—if it were a stranger, two more people could sit there.

Zhao Ruyi placed Ning Weidong's military-style satchel on the opposite chair and said with a smile, "You study here, I'm going upstairs to borrow two books."

Ning Weidong acknowledged her and opened his Correspondence Education textbook.

He wasn't just putting on a show; it was already the end of March, and the exams were in three months.

This Correspondence Secondary Specialized School diploma was quite important to Ning Weidong, and he could not afford to be careless.

He opened the textbook and began writing and drawing with his fountain pen, but just then, a sudden "Eh?" came from beside him, followed by someone calling out: "Brother Weidong~"

Ning Weidong looked up and saw two people coming from behind him, both with satchels slung across their chests, their faces frozen red; they must have just arrived and were looking for seats.

One of them was Bai Fengqin, who had just recognized Ning Weidong and called out to him.

Ning Weidong was also a bit surprised; he hadn't expected to run into Bai Fengqin here.

But thinking about it, it wasn't strange; Bai Fengqin was about to take the college entrance exam, so coming to the library on a Sunday to study was not unusual.

The person with Bai Fengqin was likely her classmate; they were about the same height, with short hair, looking quite capable.

"It's Fengqin~" Ning Weidong said with a chuckle, "Coming here to study?"

Bai Fengqin said "Mm," her eyes scanning the Correspondence Education textbook in front of Ning Weidong, and she asked in surprise, "Brother Weidong, are you taking a correspondence course?"

Ning Weidong smiled and said, "Yeah~ I have to~ the Manager has requirements."

Bai Fengqin said "Oh," then didn't know what else to say.

She didn't have much contact with Ning Weidong; at first, she couldn't stay at her brother's house and came to rely on her cousin, Bai Fengyu.

Bai Fengyu had wanted to introduce her to Ning Weidong, but Bai Fengqin, as a high school student who was also pretty, had quite a bit of pride and wasn't very happy about it when she learned of Ning Weidong's situation.

In the end, she reluctantly agreed to meet him, but she hadn't expected Ning Weidong to look down on her, which made Bai Fengqin hold a grudge.

Who knew that not long after that, Ning Weidong would suddenly strike it rich, first transferring from the West Gate to the Office Building, becoming someone who sat in an office.

Following that, he became a Security Officer working in place of a cadre, and then transformed into Deputy Section Chief Ning.

This caused quite a stir in Bai Fengqin's heart; if their blind date had worked out back then, wouldn't she be a Section Chief's wife now?

Of course, this thought only popped up when she was studying until midnight and felt exhausted, only to be ruthlessly suppressed by her immediately after.

Bai Fengqin was very smart; she didn't feel disappointed or regretful because of this, as that would be meaningless.

Instead, she somewhat understood why Ning Weidong had rejected her back then; it was very likely that Ning Weidong had planned it all along.

At the time, she thought Ning Weidong was just a gatekeeper, but in Ning Weidong's eyes, she was the one whose conditions weren't a match.

After that, Bai Fengqin and Ning Weidong almost never saw each other; he left early, she returned late, and as neighbors who didn't cross paths, they would occasionally just nod at each other. She hadn't expected to meet him at the library today.

At this moment, the female classmate who came with Bai Fengqin nudged her with her elbow and whispered, "Fengqin, there's a seat here."

As she spoke, she gestured toward the other end of Ning Weidong's table.

Bai Fengqin actually didn't want to interact with Ning Weidong and had intended to just say hello and find another seat.

But since her companion had mentioned it, and they were face-to-face, Ning Weidong must have heard; if she said she wouldn't sit there, it would seem too deliberate.

Bai Fengqin said with a dry smile, "Um, Brother Weidong, is this seat taken?"

Usually, when people came to the library, strangers rarely sat right next to each other; a six-person table usually only had four people.

Now that Ning Weidong was sitting there, there were only items on the opposite side of the table, which were likely holding the seat.

Bai Fengqin hoped even more that Ning Weidong would say it was taken, so she could just find another spot.

Ning Weidong didn't feel awkward at all and said with a chuckle, "No one's there, you two can sit~"

Bai Fengqin had no choice but to sit down with her companion, put down her schoolbag, and take out her study materials.

But just as she had arranged her books, the female classmate sitting opposite her pushed over a notebook, on which was written: Who is this guy, so spirited? Bai Fengqin looked up and rolled her eyes, quickly writing in the notebook: We're from the same courtyard, do you have a crush on him?

The short-haired girl's face turned red, and she stubbornly wrote: Can't I? This girl has taken a fancy to your Brother Weidong, can't bear to let go?

Bai Fengqin glared, pushed the notebook back, said "Boring," and began to bury her head in her work.

The short-haired girl saw this and also opened her textbook.

Don't look at how domineering she was in her note; when it came to the real thing, she immediately wilted.

They were all giants in speech but dwarves in action.

Ning Weidong didn't care about the two extra people nearby; it was a public place anyway, and if it weren't for Bai Fengqin and her friend, others would have sat there too.

He just focused on his own studies.

Bai Fengqin and her friend nearby also quickly entered a state of study; in this era, those who could squeeze onto the track of the college entrance examination were already the cream of the crop.

The vast majority of people had already been eliminated before this point.

Ning Weidong didn't pay attention to the time, and before he knew it, an hour had passed since Zhao Ruyi returned.

With a sound of footsteps, Zhao Ruyi hugged a few books and plopped down into the seat opposite him.

With a "creak," the noise of the chair moving startled Ning Weidong and the two girls next to him, and they looked up.

Zhao Ruyi was smiling; she glanced at Bai Fengqin's side but didn't pay much mind, as seats in the library were for anyone to take, though she was slightly surprised by Bai Fengqin's beauty.

In this era where people didn't really wear makeup, such striking looks were quite rare.

Likewise, Bai Fengqin and her friend also noticed Zhao Ruyi; they had noticed the schoolbag on the seat opposite Ning Weidong earlier, and now that Zhao Ruyi had sat down, she was clearly Ning Weidong's companion.

The two couldn't help but size Zhao Ruyi up carefully.

Zhao Ruyi was very pretty and dressed fashionably, not at all comparable to the two of them, who were just green girls.

Even though Bai Fengqin was truly very pretty, she was overshadowed by Zhao Ruyi.

"Who is this woman? Is she Ning Weidong's partner?" Bai Fengqin thought to herself, a sense of rivalry arising for no reason.

Just a slight glance made her feel inferior.

A young girl's mind is very sensitive, especially Bai Fengqin's; ever since her parents passed away and she didn't get along with her brother and sister-in-law, she had to come to her cousin Bai Fengyu's home. Although Bai Fengyu treated her well and firmly supported her in taking the college entrance exam, Bai Fengqin's heart remained very sensitive and fragile.

In fact, when she first learned of Ning Weidong's situation, deep down, Bai Fengqin had had some expectations.

Ning Weidong's situation was somewhat similar to hers; both had lost their parents and were living with their brother and sister-in-law.

It was just that their fates were different; her brother and sister-in-law were far worse than Ning Weiguo and Wang Yuzhen.

If she could marry Ning Weidong, getting along with such a brother and sister-in-law shouldn't be too difficult.

Unfortunately...

At this moment, seeing Zhao Ruyi, Bai Fengqin looked at her figure, appearance, attire, the watch she wore, and the leather shoes she had on; one look told her she was no ordinary person.

In her class, there were children of Cadres, and they left the exact same impression as Zhao Ruyi.

Bai Fengqin couldn't help but pout; no wonder Ning Weidong didn't want her back then.

Zhao Ruyi didn't know Bai Fengqin, but she sensed that Bai Fengqin's reaction upon seeing her wasn't quite right, so she couldn't help but look at Ning Weidong and ask, "Do you know each other?"

Zhao Ruyi had practiced martial arts since she was a child and had a straightforward personality; she said what she had to say and asked what she had to ask, never keeping things bottled up inside to overthink.

Ning Weidong looked at Bai Fengqin and didn't try to hide anything, answering, "Yeah, just happened to run into her; she's a girl from the same courtyard, named Bai Fengqin."

If it were Bai Fengyu, Ning Weidong might have felt a bit guilty, but with Bai Fengqin, he was completely upright and confident.

Zhao Ruyi realized, sized up Bai Fengqin carefully, reached out across the table, and said, "Hello, Comrade Bai Fengqin, I am Zhao Ruyi, Weidong's colleague."

Bai Fengqin let out an "uh," not yet used to shaking hands with people, and hurriedly put down her pen to stand up and shake hands with Zhao Ruyi: "Hello, this is my classmate; we came here for self-study and happened to run into Brother Weidong."

Zhao Ruyi smiled and nodded at Bai Fengqin's classmate.

Ning Weidong said, "The college entrance exam is coming up soon, don't disturb their review."

Zhao Ruyi was slightly surprised and looked at Bai Fengqin and her friend carefully: "In the third year of high school?"

Mentioning this, Bai Fengqin regained some confidence; she straightened her chest slightly in her seat and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Yes, the exam is in three months."

Zhao Ruyi didn't have many ulterior motives; although she subconsciously felt that Bai Fengqin was a bit too pretty and lived in the same courtyard as Ning Weidong, it was just a fleeting thought.

Her family background and her own outstanding appearance gave her great self-confidence, and she didn't feel that Bai Fengqin would be a threat to her.

Zhao Ruyi praised, "That's great, I wish you success in the exams in advance."

Bai Fengqin said thank you and pursed her lips slightly; the conversation ended, and she lowered her head to read, but her mind was full of Zhao Ruyi's smiling face—the wish for her success had been sincere, without a hint of pretense.

It wasn't that Zhao Ruyi was particularly kind; to put it bluntly, she just didn't care.

Zhao Ruyi withdrew her gaze, turned to whisper a few words to Ning Weidong, and began to flip through the book she had borrowed upstairs earlier.

After Ning Weidong transmigrated, his physical fitness became stronger, and his ability to concentrate exceeded that of an ordinary person.

Compared to himself, before he transmigrated, when he was young, he could only maintain high concentration for an hour.

Once that was exceeded, his work and study efficiency would drop.

Now, there was absolutely no such restriction; it was as if he could keep his concentration as long as he wanted.

Soon, Bai Fengqin suppressed the messy thoughts in her mind, and none of the four people spoke; there was only the sound of pens scratching on paper.

Another two-plus hours passed; it was past twelve o'clock noon.

Ning Weidong stretched, moved his neck, and it made a cracking sound; he had kept one posture for so long that his body had stiffened.

Hearing the movement, Zhao Ruyi opposite him looked up.

She had been reading leisure books, so she didn't feel tired, and asked, "Tired?"

As she spoke, she handed over a thermos: "Drink some water." She then fished a White Rabbit creamy candy out of her pocket and handed it over.

Ning Weidong smiled and said, "Are you coaxing a child? You eat it yourself." As he spoke, he picked up the water cup, took a sip, and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Bai Fengqin and her companion to the side also heard the sound and looked over.

The short-haired girl secretly curled her lip, while Bai Fengqin remained expressionless and continued to lower her head to study.

Zhao Ruyi checked the time and said, "Wait a little longer; we'll leave at two-thirty, lest someone say I delayed his studies."

Ning Weidong had no objections, but Bai Fengqin and her friend stayed for a while longer before packing up their things, saying goodbye, and leaving first.

Once they were gone, Zhao Ruyi got up, came to the seat right next to Ning Weidong, sat down, and whispered, "Hey, tell me the truth, is there something going on between you and that little girl just now?"

Ning Weidong glanced at her, but he didn't hide anything, answering: "There's a Lu Dama in our Dazayuan who loves playing matchmaker the most; she wanted to set us up."

Zhao Ruyi was enlightened, but she wasn't angry; instead, she said with great interest: "Then why didn't it work out? I saw that girl earlier, she was quite pretty, and this was also big..." As she spoke, she puffed out her chest: "Isn't this your favorite type? That shouldn't be right, should it?"

Ning Weidong was speechless: "Are you bored or what?"

Zhao Ruyi curled her lips and nudged him with her shoulder: "Tell me, tell me~"

Ning Weidong was helpless and had to brush her off: "She isn't as big as you~"

Zhao Ruyi was relentless: "How do you know she isn't as big as me? Have you touched them or something?"

"Are you ever going to stop!" Ning Weidong glared at her: "Do you want me to pinch your inner thigh for talking nonsense?"

"Now you're getting impatient~" Zhao Ruyi curled her lips and said: "You're treating at Old Mo later. I originally planned to treat you today, but now this young lady has changed her mind."

By evening, after coming out of Old Mo, Ning Weidong first sent Zhao Ruyi back before riding his bicycle back to the Dazayuan.

Yet, just as he entered the gate, he saw Bai Fengqin, whom he had met at the library during the day, rushing out from the Moon Gate of the side courtyard, nearly colliding with Ning Weidong.

She let out a "ya," startled, and only after focusing her eyes did she recognize Ning Weidong.

Ning Weidong asked in surprise: "What happened to make you so anxious?"

Bai Fengqin looked anxious; seeing Ning Weidong was like grabbing a life-saving straw, and she said with a sobbing tone: "Brother Weidong, my sister... my sister was sent to the hospital, please take me there!"

Ning Weidong was stunned; Bai Fengyu had actually had an accident!

A day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of grace; although he and Bai Fengyu were not husband and wife, they still had the fate of several days together, and now that something had happened, he could not ignore it.

Ning Weidong immediately turned his bicycle around and said: "Fengqin, don't be anxious yet, which hospital? I'll take you."

Although Bai Fengqin had left early in the afternoon to go to her classmate's house, she hadn't returned immediately.

It wasn't until she returned just now that she learned Bai Fengyu had been sent to the hospital, and she panicked instantly.

Ning Weidong pushed his bicycle out and carried Bai Fengqin straight to the hospital.

Bai Fengqin sat sideways on the back, her hands gripping Ning Weidong's coat tightly; he could feel her trembling slightly.

If anything were to happen to Bai Fengyu, Bai Fengqin would have no relatives left to rely on.

Ning Weidong also felt uneasy inside, not knowing the exact situation, and hoped it wasn't serious.

Anxious, Ning Weidong rode faster, arriving at the district hospital in no time; he parked the bicycle after entering and went straight to the emergency room.

"Comrade, excuse me, a Bai Fengyu was sent here this afternoon; where is she now?" Ning Weidong arrived at the emergency room and first looked for the nurse at the service desk.

Bai Fengqin followed behind; she had never experienced such a thing and was completely lost upon arriving at the hospital.

The nurse opened a notebook, looked for a moment, and said expressionlessly: "She was transferred to the orthopedics ward."

Upon hearing it was orthopedics, Ning Weidong breathed a sigh of relief; the worst case in orthopedics would be a fracture.

After asking for the location of the orthopedics inpatient department, the two hurried over.

Arriving at the ward, Lu Dama was keeping watch there.

It must be said that the benefits of the Dazayuan were reflected at times like this; if there was an illness or a disaster, the neighbors could all lend a hand.

Bai Fengqin arrived at the ward and immediately threw herself forward: "Sister~ you... what happened to you? You scared me to death!"

Bai Fengyu's face was deathly pale; she lay on the bed, managed a faint smile, and patted Bai Fengqin's head: "It's nothing, aren't I fine right here~" She then looked at Ning Weidong behind her, and tears couldn't help but well up in her eyes.

In front of Bai Fengqin, she was the older sister and had to be strong, but seeing Ning Weidong, the fear after being injured and the helplessness at the hospital meant she could no longer suppress her emotions.

Lu Dama on the side didn't know what was going on, thinking it was just because Bai Fengqin had arrived and seen a relative.

Seeing her looking so pitiful, Ning Weidong felt very heartbroken, but because there were outsiders present, he couldn't be too intimate; he could only sit to the side and ask Lu Dama: "Dama, what happened here?"

(End of this chapter)