Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 15

A surprise?

Meng Tang was still pondering when Wei Chuan’s message came through again: [I’ve already told Xu Heqing, we’re going to Yanqing for National Day.]

What?

Meng Tang hurriedly picked up her phone and replied: [Aren’t you guys going home?]

Wei Chuan: [No. I only have three days off, just going out for a couple of days.]

Meng Tang: [But why Yanqing?]

Wei Chuan: [Quit playing dumb. I’ve already lured Xu Heqing there for you, still don’t get it? It’s all for your sake.]

Meng Tang: […]

But who just brings someone straight to their home like that?

Wei Chuan: [?]

Meng Tang: [Are you staying at a hotel?]

Wei Chuan: [Or should we stay at your place?]

Meng Tang: [That’s not what I meant.]

Wei Chuan: [Just kidding. Xu Heqing and I will stay at a hotel. Just do your duty as a host.]

Meng Tang: [Alright, I’ll let Lingyin know.]

Wei Chuan: [Fine. Don’t thank me too much. Goodnight.]

…

Meng Tang shook her head with a wry smile. All for her sake? More like for Xie Lingyin’s, right?

Still, Yanqing was a lesser-known destination, but the scenery was nice.

With each of the four harboring their own ulterior motives, the trip was settled just like that.

The two cities weren’t too far apart, just an hour and a half by high-speed rail. Yanqing was also a city under Z Province.

Two days before heading home, Meng Tang mentioned this to her grandfather.

“It’s rare for you to bring friends back. How many are coming?” the old man asked cheerfully.

“Just one, my roommate,” Meng Tang said. “But there are also two guys coming to Yanqing for fun. I know them, so I thought I’d invite them home for a meal. They’ve helped me out before.”

Meng Yuchun scoffed. “I raised you. Do those two brats have a crush on you?”

“Grandpa!” Meng Tang was shocked.

“Or maybe you like one of them.”

“Grandpa…” Meng Tang flushed, her voice growing much quieter.

The old man snorted. “Well, I’d like to see which one it is. Do they have any dietary restrictions? I’ll have Aunt Fang prepare more dishes.”

“Make some spicy ones, my roommate likes them.”

The old man grunted in agreement, and the call ended there.

Since the trip was only an hour and a half, Meng Tang didn’t see the need for business-class seats. After discussing it with Xie Lingyin, they opted for first-class tickets instead, just a bit more spacious and less crowded.

But since Wei Chuan and Xu Heqing were coming too, she had to ask.

Wei Chuan and Xu Heqing usually traveled business class on high-speed rail, but this time, they followed the girls’ lead and chose first class.

Only when they boarded did they realize they weren’t in the same carriage.

Wei Chuan and Xu Heqing’s seats were in the business-class section.

Just as Meng Tang found her seat and sat down, Wei Chuan sent her a photo.

She opened it, it was a red leather double seat with no armrest in the middle.

Xie Lingyin caught a glimpse and laughed. “So, this is the legendary ‘second-class seat’?”

Meng Tang had never encountered this before and turned to ask Xie Lingyin what she meant.

Xie Lingyin explained, “It’s a first-class seat placed in the business-class carriage. They don’t get the same meal service, the seats can’t be adjusted, there’s no footrest, and you keep sliding down. Plus, they’re placed behind the business-class seats, what else could they be but suckers? Netizens joke that it’s a ‘second-class seat.’ And today, the two young masters got to experience it first.”

Wei Chuan couldn’t stand the awful seating and was about to call a stewardess when Xu Heqing stopped him. “Forget it. It’s only ninety minutes.”

Suppressing his temper, Wei Chuan, tall and broad-shouldered, plopped into the seat, leaning inward with an almost aggrieved expression.

The seat in the middle was sunken, causing the two of them to keep sliding toward the center. Sitting next to a stranger, there was nothing but awkwardness.

Xu Heqing and Wei Chuan were both tall, with Wei Chuan standing at an impressive 190 cm.

Two big guys pressed together, no matter how you looked at it, it was just awkward.

Xu Heqing chuckled and said, “You stay here, I’ll step out for a bit.”

Wei Chuan had finally gotten some rare rest yesterday and had spent half the night gaming with Li Zhuo and Liang Heng. Right now, all he wanted was to catch up on sleep and had no desire to speak.

Meng Tang had just taken out her earphones and was about to put them on when she glanced up and saw Xu Heqing.

Her grip on the earphones tightened instantly.

“Meng Tang,” Xu Heqing smiled gently. “Would you mind switching seats with me? After the National Day break, there’s the intercollegiate sports meet, and the planning is a joint effort between departments. Xie Lingyin is in charge of the main visual design. Since I have approval authority, I rejected her first draft, and she seems a little upset. I’d like to take this chance to talk things over with her.”

Given how he put it, Meng Tang naturally agreed, though she still wanted to check Xie Lingyin’s willingness. Sitting next to someone unfamiliar was always more awkward than not.

Xu Heqing gave a light cough, and Xie Lingyin nodded at Meng Tang.

Only after Meng Tang left did Xie Lingyin turn to Xu Heqing and ask, “Why the seat switch?”

Xu Heqing took her hand. “Stop being upset. Can’t I just miss you?”

Xie Lingyin pulled her hand back, her gaze cool. “Who’s upset? Switch Meng Tang back.”

“Are you really this dense or just pretending?” Xu Heqing pinched the back of her hand.

Xie Lingyin withdrew her hand again. “What do you mean?”

“You really can’t tell that the person Wei Chuan wants to confess to is Meng Tang?” Xu Heqing wore an expression that said, You’re an idiot for not noticing this.

“What?” Xie Lingyin thought he’d lost his mind. “They’ve never even interacted before. How could Wei Chuan possibly like Meng Tang?”

“Who said they haven’t interacted?” Xu Heqing grabbed her hand again. “They had some connection back in freshman year. I don’t know the details, but it definitely happened. If you don’t believe me, go ask Meng Tang.”

“Then why did he ask Meng Tang to carve something for him?”

“Isn’t that even more romantic? It’d be a surprise.”

“…Are you sure?”

These two seemed like polar opposites, Xie Lingyin’s skepticism was justified. But lately, Meng Tang and Wei Chuan had been crossing paths a lot.

“Modeling for the art department, assisting in basketball class, happening to be at the north gate when Meng Tang got hurt…” Xu Heqing listed them off one by one. “Plus, he’s been taking time at night to teach her basketball. He even brings her up all the time in the dorm. When we went to Yanqing, I asked if he was going because of someone, and he straight-up admitted it.”

“He’s been teaching Meng Tang basketball?” Xie Lingyin was genuinely shocked.

Wei Chuan took training seriously, he wouldn’t waste time on something so trivial.

“At night, too. At the abandoned court near Building 5. I overheard some guys from the team talking about it.”

“Then…” Xie Lingyin recalled the lavish meal they’d had before. “That time at dinner, when Wei Chuan asked Meng Tang if she was going to confess, was he hinting at her?”

Xu Heqing laughed. “Hinting? That was practically spelling it out.”

“He really admitted outright that he came for Meng Tang?” Xie Lingyin pressed.

Xu Heqing sighed. “Use that smart head of yours. Whose hometown did we go to? Would he have felt comfortable tagging along alone? He had to drag me along as cover, even using his sister as an excuse.”

“Holy shit.” Xie Lingyin realized she had no rebuttal.

“Baby, no swearing.” Xu Heqing chided lightly. “Such a pretty face, and you ruin it with that mouth.”

“Get lost. We’re practically broken up, who’s your ‘baby’?” Xie Lingyin rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared, a stark contrast to her legendary reputation as the school’s beautiful, delicate, sweet, and adorable belle.

“Tell me again what Wei Chuan said about Meng Tang in the dorm.”

Xie Lingyin bossed Xu Heqing around without the slightest hesitation.

Xu Heqing replied, “He mentioned that Meng Tang prefers mild and sweet flavors when eating, found out she started learning wood carving at five, talked about her award-winning pieces, and even said he’d visit the provincial museum someday to admire them, his admiration flowing like an endless river. Oh, and he specifically searched Meng Tang’s name on your art school’s website…”

Xie Lingyin: “…”

She felt the helplessness of watching a pig trying to dig up her prized cabbage.

The “cabbage,” fresh and dewy, found her seat at 2C and had just sat down when she startled the restless “pig” beside her.

“What are you doing here?” Wei the “Pig” asked in surprise.