Chapter 28: Seems Like I Got It, Seems Like I Didn't

At 11:30 PM, Yang Jianjun, who usually didn't stay up late, was still keeping watch in front of the television, the constantly changing colorful images casting a kaleidoscopic glow upon the walls.

"Dad."

Perhaps having received the silent signal emitted by Old Yang, Yang Tianxing also came to the living room and sat on the sofa: "Still not asleep this late?"

Yang Jianjun glanced at his son; in his mind remained the image of Yang Tianxing as a mischievous child, yet in the blink of an eye, he was already an 18-year-old young man, and there was even a girl feeding him candied hawthorn.

"Dad, I wanted to say about this afternoon..."

Yang Tianxing intended to explain things properly to Yang Jianjun, because there was really nothing between him and Tan Zhizhi; the two of them were completely innocent.

Unexpectedly, Yang Jianjun waved his hand magnanimously: "No need to explain, I'm not such a feudal person. As long as the girl has good character, you can try getting to know each other."

"It's not that, Dad, Tan Zhizhi and I really have nothing..."

Yang Tianxing insisted on clarifying it.

"The name Tan Zhizhi sounds quite familiar."

Yang Jianjun interrupted again, frowning as he carefully tried to recall the source.

"The daughter of Deputy Bureau Chief Tan of the Public Security Bureau."

Yang Tianxing provided a reminder of Tan Zhizhi's identity.

"So it's Tan Qingwu's girl."

Yang Jianjun suddenly realized, then said with a smile: "Your Uncle Tan was the number one handsome man in the Jinzhou public security system when he was young. No wonder the girl is so pretty, not bad!"

"Dad, Tan Zhizhi and I are just classmates, it's not what you think."

Yang Tianxing finally found an opportunity to state this fact.

Unexpectedly, Yang Jianjun chuckled: "How come young people nowadays are even more timid than we were back then? What era is this, still using the 'classmate' relationship as a cover? Do you really think I don't watch TV dramas?"

Watching Old Yang immersed in his own imagination and unable to extricate himself, Yang Tianxing didn't want to explain anymore; the truth would come out in the end anyway.

"Dad, before you knew that girl's identity just now, were you actually a bit worried?"

Yang Tianxing changed the subject and asked.

"How could that be."

Old Yang flatly denied it: "I've been watching TV the whole time, where would I look worried?"

"Oh."

Yang Tianxing nodded and even accompanied him to watch TV for a while. When he was preparing to return to his bedroom to rest, he patted Old Yang on the back: "Holding the air conditioner remote, can you change the channel on the TV?"

Yang Jianjun looked closely and saw that he was indeed holding the air conditioner remote; no wonder the TV hadn't changed at all no matter how much he pressed it earlier.

"I'm going to sleep now. You're a little old man, don't worry about nonsense all day. If you're really that bored, go have an argument with Mom."

Yang Tianxing waved his hand and said.

Old Yang said he wasn't worried, but he had been guessing the girl's identity in his heart the whole time, and only felt relieved once it was confirmed to be Tan Qingwu's daughter.

Yang Jianjun shook his head, watching his son's retreating back and muttering: "The little brat."

……………

The seven-day National Day holiday was somewhat long; after visiting his maternal grandparents, Yang Tianxing couldn't find anything to do.

In between, he received several calls from Tan Zhizhi inviting Yang Tianxing to chat at a cold drink shop, along with several other high school classmates, but Yang Tianxing had rejected them all with excuses.

Firstly, Yang Tianxing didn't have much in common with them, and secondly, he really didn't want to be constantly misunderstood as having something going on with Tan Zhizhi.

"Ziyang, let's go play billiards tonight." Yang Tianxing called Shao Ziyang and said.

Shao Ziyang agreed immediately. As a shut-in with no social circle, if he wasn't taken out to roam by Yang Tianxing, he could only stay at home and review *My Fair Princess* with his mother.

Yang Tianxing was very familiar with the internet cafes, dance halls, and KTVs in Jinzhou. He took Shao Ziyang to an entertainment venue that had a dance hall on the first floor and a billiards room on the second.

Drinking beer while playing billiards, feeling the "rumbling" vibrations from downstairs, Shao Ziyang's dark face was filled with excitement.

"Little Yang, I didn't expect Jinzhou to have such a fun place."

Shao Ziyang shouted loudly, trying to drown out the deafening music.

Yang Tianxing chewed his gum, smiled, and said nothing, focusing only on aiming at the billiard ball on the table.

Today, Shao Ziyang was clearly not up to his usual standard, constantly stealing glances at the girls coming up from the first floor. They wore T-shirts that exposed their navels and fishnet stockings, wearing heavy makeup; when they passed by, one could smell a mixture of perfume and alcohol.

Yang Tianxing didn't urge him, patiently waiting for Shao Ziyang to withdraw his lingering gaze.

Shao Ziyang was still a bit embarrassed and feigned composure: "It's already October, aren't they afraid of the cold?"

"What do you know? This is called 'beautifully frozen'." Yang Tianxing responded with a smile.

Several girls' eyes lit up when they saw Yang Tianxing. This young man wasn't necessarily handsome, but the smile on his face was both roguish and wicked; getting to know him should be quite interesting.

However, Yang Tianxing didn't have much interest. Sometimes, when he got annoyed by the young ladies around him, he would pat their slender waists: "The little dark brother opposite is still a virgin, go tease him."

Shao Ziyang had originally been quite envious watching Yang Tianxing flirt with these sexy beauties, but when it was his turn, he blushed and didn't know how to respond.

At 9:30 PM, Yang Tianxing and Shao Ziyang left the entertainment venue, though Shao Ziyang didn't really want to leave yet.

Yang Tianxing lit a cigarette and warned: "Girls who go to nightclubs often, no matter how pretty they are, don't take them too seriously. It's fine to have occasional contact..."

"And then?"

Shao Ziyang heard halfway and noticed Yang Tianxing had stopped talking. Following his line of sight, he saw Tan Zhizhi and two female classmates standing quietly by the roadside not far away, looking over.

They must have just finished chatting at the cold drink shop and were preparing to go home; Tan Zhizhi was still holding a cold drink in her hand.

Shao Ziyang immediately turned around and pretended not to see them. Yang Tianxing couldn't pull off such a foolish act of burying his head in the sand, thinking to himself that this was just too damn awkward—who would have thought they'd run into each other so coincidentally.

"Good evening. Did the gathering end so quickly? Tan Zhizhi, this isn't the direction to your home, is it?"

Yang Tianxing tried his best to keep his tone and speed normal, constantly hinting to himself that he had no relationship with Tan Zhizhi, so going to an entertainment venue to play was perfectly reasonable.

It was just that he didn't know why, but he had an indelible sense of guilt in his heart.

"Didn't you say you were going to your grandmother's house tonight?"

Tan Zhizhi spoke, but her voice was colder than the autumn wind at night.

Yang Tianxing didn't know how to answer. He hadn't wanted to attend this afternoon's class gathering, so he had just made up an excuse to brush Tan Zhizhi off, and now the lie had been exposed to her face.

At this moment, Tan Zhizhi's fair face was covered in an emotion called "heartbreak."

"Yang Tianxing, when we were chatting just now, Little Cicada even said she could try to accept you..."

A female classmate could not bear to watch any longer, but as soon as she said two sentences, she was coldly interrupted by Tan Zhizhi.

"It's over."

She placed the drink in her hand on the ground, sniffed, and said, "Let's go."

Her back as she turned was resolute and decisive; the autumn wind blew, and Tan Zhizhi's soft hair looked like lingering black silk under the streetlights.

From far away, the voice of one of the female classmates could still be heard.

"Yang Tianxing, you are not a human being! The cold drink shop released a delicious new fruit drink today, and Little Cicada specifically bought it to take to your house, yet you hid it from her to come to a place like this to mess around!"

"Go to hell, you scumbag."

Yang Tianxing suddenly realized that Tan Zhizhi had been taking this road because she was going to his house to deliver the drink.

"Little Yang, it seems you really did manage to pursue Tan Zhizhi."

Shao Ziyang looked apprehensive: "But now, it seems you've kind of lost her."