Chapter 44: Saying Goodnight to All the Nights

Zhu Chengqin finished the last piece of mustard green chili, and said with a lingering aftertaste: "I haven't eaten snacks from my hometown for many years. Thank you to the classmate who provided this bag of delicacies."

Only then did Yang Tianxing realize that Zhu Chengqin was also from Sichuan-Chongqing.

"Now we will begin class, even though we have already been delayed by 20 minutes."

Zhu Chengqin glanced at Yang Tianxing: "But I think these 20 minutes were very worth it, because actual behavior is more educational than textbook theory. Today we are going to talk about how to improve team cohesion!"

Zhu Chengqin then began the lesson, but this teacher was very interesting; he used what had just happened as a practical example, for instance:

"What are the factors that influence organizational cohesion? Member consistency, status within the group, the core leader's behavioral patterns..."

"Member consistency: just now everyone ate this bag of mustard green chili. While you felt a fiery sensation in your stomachs, didn't you also feel a warmth in your hearts? But if someone didn't eat it just now, they would belong to the excluded group, because their behavior was inconsistent with everyone else's."

"Status within the group: the class monitor and the Youth League branch secretary are responsible for coordinating and organizing all class activities. Everyone trusts their leadership ability, otherwise this bag of mustard green chili would have had quite a bit left over."

"As for the core leader's behavioral patterns, the class monitor's way of directly solving problems is also a fair and just system pursued by high-efficiency teams; it can ensure that the basic rights of everyone in the organization are not harmed."

……………

Yang Tianxing felt embarrassed listening to it. Although if it had been anyone else in the class who encountered this situation, he would have made the same arrangements, he was always partial toward Liu Jiaoyue.

Just as after class, when other students were preparing to return to the dormitory, Yang Tianxing said to Liu Jiaoyue: "Wait here for a moment, I'm going to buy something."

Liu Jiaoyue's mood this morning was like riding a roller coaster.

When classmates disliked the side dish she had made herself, that was grievance.

After Yang Tianxing took the lead in tasting it and called on other classmates to eat it together, it turned into being moved.

Finally, Zhu Chengqin used theory combined with practice to analyze this problem, and she was suddenly enlightened while also feeling bewildered.

That figure was standing more and more firmly in her world.

Before long, Yang Tianxing returned, holding a bottle of floral water in his hand.

"Roll up your sleeves," Yang Tianxing said.

Liu Jiaoyue felt a bit embarrassed. Yang Tianxing frowned and said impatiently: "Hurry up."

"Oh, oh, oh."

Liu Jiaoyue was scared by his sternness and could only slowly roll up her school uniform sleeves.

Yang Tianxing felt her movements were too slow, so he simply took Liu Jiaoyue's hand and pushed up along her wrist, revealing an arm like a tender lotus root.

It was just that there were a few red bumps on it now, which greatly affected its appearance, and Yang Tianxing felt very pained for her.

Liu Jiaoyue struggled, wanting to pull her arm back, but after being glared at by Yang Tianxing, she didn't dare to move, only resisting slightly in words: "C-can I apply it myself?"

Yang Tianxing ignored her completely. He poured the floral water into his palm, lowered his head, and gently pressed it onto those red bumps.

Liu Jiaoyue looked at the top of Yang Tianxing's head. This boy was helping her apply medicine, earnest, careful, and yet overbearing.

"This one is done, the other one," Yang Tianxing said with his head lowered.

Liu Jiaoyue seemed to have gotten used to it; she silently rolled up her other sleeve and offered it to Yang Tianxing for him to take.

"Such a fool."

Yang Tianxing smiled. He didn't know if he was talking about Liu Jiaoyue being busy for two days because of a joke he made, or about her being such a pushover in front of him.

After both arms were fully applied, Yang Tianxing asked again: "Do you have any on your calves?"

Liu Jiaoyue nodded blankly.

"Then take off your pants."

Yang Tianxing held back his laughter and said with a straight face.

Liu Jiaoyue immediately became nervous upon hearing this and pleaded: "I want to apply it myself, is that okay?"

Yang Tianxing kept a stern face and said nothing.

"Please, I beg you." Liu Jiaoyue's peach-blossom eyes were moist again.

Yang Tianxing laughed out loud, only then stopping the teasing: "Take the floral water back with you. Don't scratch with your hands when it itches."

Liu Jiaoyue wiped her tears with the back of her hand and nodded silently.

"Where is Secretary Sun's bottle of mustard green chili?"

Yang Tianxing remembered this matter; he shouldn't accidentally eat his share.

Liu Jiaoyue took a glass jar out of her small cloth bag, which was filled with mustard green chili. Just as Yang Tianxing was about to take it, he didn't expect Liu Jiaoyue to take out another bottle.

"For me?"

Yang Tianxing pointed at himself and asked.

Liu Jiaoyue nodded with a blushing face.

The classroom quieted down, with only the autumn wind blowing "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

After a long while, Yang Tianxing asked: "Do you want to eat lunch together?"

"No, no."

Liu Jiaoyue was still very embarrassed; eating together was probably a bit difficult for her.

Yang Tianxing didn't force it, but when the two were parting ways, Yang Tianxing suddenly asked: "Why do you always keep your head down?"

Liu Jiaoyue fidgeted, not wanting to answer.

"Can't I even know that?" Yang Tianxing raised an eyebrow and asked.

Liu Jiaoyue lowered her head to look at the tips of her gray-white canvas shoes, and said in a small voice with a blushing face: "Grandma said I'm pretty, and doesn't let me look up too much."

Yang Tianxing was suddenly enlightened; this was probably a means for a weak group to protect themselves.

"Being pretty isn't very safe; actually, I have deep experience with that too."

Yang Tianxing nodded in agreement and said.

……………

After returning to the dormitory, Yang Tianxing found that Yi Min had returned to his usual pretentious posture, one moment disliking Qian Jiale's smelly feet, the next accusing Song Fei of smoking in the dormitory, and even complaining about Li Ainan hanging his underwear on the bed, affecting the dormitory's feng shui.

Fu Yiming couldn't help it: "Number Six, you little brat, you're still so energetic even after a breakup."

Yi Min snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "If God closes a window for me, He will surely open a door for me. Now, I don't want to go out through the window; I want to walk through the door."

Qian Jiale caught his meaning: "You've found a new target again?"

"When adults are talking, children shouldn't interrupt. Just focus on your book."

Yi Min didn't want to pay any attention to Qian Jiale at all; he was just a little virgin who only knew how to go online.

Yang Tianxing thought for a moment and decided to close the door Yi Min spoke of for him as well. He called Yi Min to the balcony and handed him a cigarette.

Yi Min refused: "Brother Yang, you know me—a good young man who doesn't smoke, drink, or gamble."

"Take it, you'll find a use for it in a moment."

Yang Tianxing lit a cigarette, took two puffs, and said, "Old."

Yi Min was stunned for a moment; he thought his intentions had been seen through: "Second Brother, do you know what she really looks like? I was fooled by her before. In terms of looks, Deng Yidi would at most be a maid for Liu Jiaoyue. I never expected there would be a beauty of that level by her side..."

Yi Min kept chattering on, taking the opportunity to bash Deng Yidi as well. Yang Tianxing grew annoyed listening to him and interrupted directly: "Liu Jiaoyue is mine."

"You, yours?"

Yi Min opened his mouth wide and stared blankly at Yang Tianxing. Only after confirming this answer did Yi Min let out a long sigh: "Brother Yang, lend me a light."

"See, I told you you'd find a use for it."

Near lights-out time in the evening, the dormitory phone in 312 suddenly rang.

Qian Jiale picked up the phone: "Hello? Hello? Why is no one speaking?"

Yang Tianxing felt a stir in his heart, walked over, and took the receiver: "I am Yang Tianxing."

"Good, good night."

Liu Jiaoyue's cautious voice came through the receiver. She might have had things she wanted to say, but in the end, they all converged into the two words "good night."

Yang Tianxing smiled; the "good night" between people is never the same.

Liu Jiaoyue's good night might have contained the sunlight she saw in the morning, the white clouds she saw at noon, the breeze that brushed past in the evening, and every word she wanted to say.

"Good night, treasure."