Tea of Summer - Chapter 12: Autumn Tale 2.3

Chapter 12

Autumn Tale 2.3

The melodious tune of ‘Zhen Ming Ge’[1] started to play,  Xia Liang’s consciousness woke from its sleep.  She stretched one hand out of the blanket, moved around and turned off the alarm clock without looking.  Then she retracted back into blanket to continue sleeping.

Ten minutes later, the melody of ‘Zhen Ming Ge’ started again.

Xia Liang climbed out of bed and turned off the alarm clock.  With bleary eyes, she scratched her messy hair.

“Do you want to do a commercial voice over in the future?”

“En……of course I do…...”

“Then give me your phone number.”

“……Oh.”

Xia Liang recollected her conversation with Song Qiyan last night.  She buried her head into the pillow again..….

Oh my gosh, she had given Bei Yan Da Da her real world contact information!

They were in the same school and it was very normal to have each other’s contact information.  But it happened too abruptly and she was not ready for it psychologically.

For the whole morning, Xia Liang sat semi-consciously through her Applied Calculus class.  Her brain felt as if it had been glued in place.  Before the class was over, the professor left some time for students to self-study.  She looked at the questions in the exercise, the parameter of Y was, the parameter…...Y…...She suddenly remembered one thing.

Currently, Bei Yan Da Da had her cell phone number.  But he had not called her back……So she did not have his cell number……

Xia Liang scratched her hair.  So only Bei Yan Da Da could initiate contact with her?  But it was impossible that he would call her no matter what.

Probably heaven had heard Xia Liang’s request.  Or maybe her mind could perform telepathy.  Xia Liang’s cell vibrated in her pocket the next second.  She looked around the classroom and noticed that everybody was already relaxed and waiting for the class to be dismissed.  She shamelessly pulled out her cell from pocket.

【Do you have class in the afternoon？I will take you to a place.  Let’s eat lunch together。——206-xxx-xxxx】

Xia Liang blinked her eyes.  She hadn’t responded yet to this strange number and was just about to write it off as someone texting the wrong number.  By then the next text message had already arrived.

【I am Song Qiyan。——206-xxx-xxxx】

She didn’t know how to respond.

While Xia Liang followed the flow of students and walked out of the large classroom, she was still staring at the two newly received messages and was lost in her own thoughts.  She opened the Contact list on her cell and solemnly added his name to her contacts.  She typed the name ‘Song Qiyan.’

She hesitated for some time and before she knew how to reply, her finger accidentally touched the Call icon.

Xia Liang watched the screen display “Calling” helplessly.  She only moved the cell to her ear after she heard the sound faintly coming from the other end.

“How are you, I, I am Xia Liang.”

The other end paused shortly.  The magnetic voice was laced with a light smile. “I know.”

Xia Liang felt quite awkward for a while, then she remembered the messages.  “Uhm……That, Song shixiong, I just saw your messages…...”  Then, then what to say next?  Xia Liang bit her lower lip.  What would be a proper way to ask?

“Where do you want to take me to?”  Wouldn’t it be too straightforward?

Or “Are you sure that you did not send it to wrong person?”  Wouldn’t it be too cold?

Some hissing sound from the other end, the man’s voice was a bit vague.  It seemed that he was eating something.  “Just a minute…...”  Then he hung up the phone.

Xia Liang was puzzled, but felt a great sense of relief.

In the next second, she saw somebody in the crowd before her was waving at her.

Though he was among the large crowd of Americans, he was still very eye-catching.

He wore a simple black T shirt with blue jeans, plus one black hunting cap.  He looked like a sophomore or a junior student.  He looked very young among the westerners, who had more mature appearances.

He waved to her; and his quiet eyes under the cap watched her come closer and closer.

He grinned as she walked closer.  “No class in the afternoon?”

Xia Liang shook her head.

“Then let’s go.”  Song Qiyan turned around and tilted his head to look at her.  “I am taking you to eat good food.”

Ha?

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[1]: The author says this song is from a Chinese movie (it’s a ghost story).  We found a link to what we think is the song:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkJVjCFkzNQ