Unbridled 25

"Can you genuinely predict fortunes?" Lin Wuyu reclined on the chair, grinning.

"Yeah, I can," Ding Ji chuckled, "but I also observe. What I can perceive is merely the surface. Once I analyze it in my mind, no matter how I calculate or interpret it, it all points in that direction."

Lin Wuyu laughed but didn't reply.

"Summer is the best season for stargazing," Ding Ji said, "there are so many stars to see."

"Do you often look at the stars?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Not always, but who can resist lying down and stargazing with a group of kids?" Ding Ji replied. "Sometimes, when there's no one to play with, I come up here to look… Besides the Big Dipper, what else can you identify?"

"Leo, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius," Lin Wuyu said, "and there's also the Southern Cross…"

"Are you reciting them or recognizing them?" Ding Ji raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"These are all constellations visible during the summer," Lin Wuyu closed his eyes, laughing as he spoke. "To the south, you can spot Antares. There's a line from a poem…"

"Alright, you can see and identify them all…" Ding Ji admitted.

"I've flown drones with people a few times," Lin Wuyu propped up his arm, still keeping his eyes shut. "Spent nights in the mountains, the sky was exceptionally clear, and the stars were all big and bright."

"Did you have to deal with mosquitoes?" Ding Ji asked, "It must have been a feast for them."

"You have the oddest concerns," Lin Wuyu chuckled. "Next time, I'll take you along. You can be our mosquito magnet."

"I've been a mosquito magnet since I was a kid," Ding Ji chuckled. "When I was little, I used to sit with my grandmother downstairs, and they had to place mosquito repellent next to me. I'd be choking from that and getting bitten by mosquitoes at the same time… My grandmother would have to slap me fifty times a night…"

"Well, in that case, maybe you shouldn't go. Staying at home would mean fewer mosquitoes," Lin Wuyu suggested.

"No, I have to leave," Ding Ji said. "My grandparents, you know, they didn't have much education. They believe they can't teach me much, so they take me to see what life has to offer. Every person, what they say, what they do, their actions, their expressions… that's their life. You can learn a lot by observing them for a night."

Lin Wuyu remained silent. This explained why Ding Ji possessed such strong observational skills. However, he didn't have many childhood memories because there wasn't much to remember. Most of the time, he was either reading or daydreaming.

Once Ding Ji's talkative mode was activated, it seemed like there was no turning it off. Later on, Lin Wuyu couldn't quite hear what Ding Ji was saying. It felt like someone was whispering secrets in his ear, vague but comforting.

In the middle of the night, his grandfather's voice was clear, like thunder on a clear day.

"Both of you, go downstairs to sleep!" His grandfather said. "Why are you sleeping on the rooftop? Can you even sleep on these chairs? Your backs will hurt tomorrow!"

"Huh?" Lin Wuyu jolted awake.

When he turned his head, he saw Ding Ji still curled up on the recliner, despite his grandfather shaking him several times without managing to successfully wake him up.

Lin Wuyu rubbed his face and got up to pull Ding Ji up by the arm. "Ding Ji."

"Dang, did I fall asleep?" Ding Ji slowly regained his senses after sitting up.

"Both of you have been sleeping here for over an hour," His grandpa said. "Your grandma will definitely know about this… Hurry back to your room and go to sleep!"

Lin Wuyu felt like he was floating as he followed Ding Ji downstairs.

Another bizarre experience. Falling asleep while watching the stars on the rooftop.

Back in the room, Ding Ji quickly handed him two fresh towels and a new toothbrush. "You go wash up first," he said.

"Oh," Lin Wuyu hesitated for a moment. "I don't have underwear in my luggage. Can you lend me a pair?"

"I'll look for some," Ding Ji scratched his head and opened a drawer.

After rummaging for about a minute, he found an unopened pair of loose, old-fashioned boxer shorts tucked away in the corner of the drawer.

Lin Wuyu only realized that he had put on roomy, loose-fitting, old-fashioned boxer shorts, reminiscent of what older men might wear, after he finished his shower. He stood in the bathroom, dumbfounded for quite some time before reluctantly putting them on.

Upon returning to the room, Ding Ji was engrossed in his phone. He glanced at Lin Wuyu's pants and was initially taken aback before asking, "What are you wearing?"

"Are you asking me?" Lin Wuyu was equally surprised. He tugged at his pants and remarked, "Isn't this what you gave me? I can't even wear regular underwear under these."

"I didn't know," Ding Ji stared wide-eyed, then burst into laughter as he lay on the bed after a few seconds. "This might be my grandpa's, and my grandma probably stashed it in here."

"Are there any other options?" Lin Wuyu asked eagerly. "Even regular briefs would be fine; as long as they're not a skirt."

"No, there aren't any," Ding Ji replied mercilessly. "This was the only one I could find after searching for half an hour. How about… wearing mine?"

They locked eyes for a moment. "Forget it," Ding Ji said nervously.

"What a stickler," Ding Ji laughed while grabbing some clothes to go out. "Then wear the skirt, hang the underwear out on the balcony, and they'll surely be dry by tomorrow."

Ding Ji enjoyed conversing with Lin Wuyu; it flowed effortlessly. They didn't need to strain to find topics, and they avoided awkward silences where conversation didn't flow.

However, today was somewhat regrettable; they had both been drinking, and if Grandpa hadn't yelled at them to come inside, they might have slept until sunrise.

Now back in the room, even taking a shower hadn't fully awakened Ding Ji. He still felt drowsy.

In contrast, Lin Wuyu had already fallen asleep in bed.

And he was sleeping right in the middle without any regard for courtesy.

Probably because the only pillow on the bed was right in the middle.

Ding Ji sighed, pulled a pillow out of the closet, and tossed it onto the bed. Then he tried to shift Lin Wuyu to the side several times, but Lin Wuyu didn't budge.

"You still won't admit you're a pig?" Ding Ji gritted his teeth and gave him another shove. Finally, he managed to roll over to the other side.

Ding Ji reached over and tugged Lin Wuyu's hair, then placed the pillow under his head.

Lin Wuyu remained sound asleep and didn't react to having his hair pulled or the pillow placed beneath his head. He continued sleeping on his side.

"You sleep quite deeply," Ding Ji adjusted the other pillow and lay down.

After turning off the light, sleep quickly overtook them…

Lin Wuyu rolled over, and when he lay flat, his arm extended and struck Ding Ji in the face.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Ding Ji was startled and pushed his arm away.

Lin Wuyu made no further movements.

Throughout the night, Ding Ji continually reflected on his misjudgment of people.

His earlier assessment that Lin Wuyu was a good sleeper was revised over six thousand times during the night.

This guy wasn't merely a deep sleeper; he was more akin to a professional wrestler.

His arms, legs, and hands never remained still. At least seven or eight times throughout the night, he inadvertently kicked Ding Ji. If this were martial arts training, Lin Wuyu would have been the world champion without needing to compete on Mount Hua¹.

"Here's a piece of advice for you," said Ding Ji as he stood by the bed in the morning, looking at Lin Wuyu very seriously.

"Go ahead," Lin Wuyu yawned.

"If you ever share a bed with someone in the future," Ding Ji said, "tie yourself up with a rope first."

"What's wrong?" Lin Wuyu asked, "Did I sleepwalk and attack you?"

"You attacked me even without sleepwalking," Ding Ji said.

"Really?" Lin Wuyu looked somewhat bewildered.

"Yeah!" Ding Ji came over and playfully slapped him several times. "Just like that. I couldn't get a good night's sleep all night thanks to your constant attacks!"

"…Am I that scary?" Lin Wuyu was genuinely surprised.

"You didn't know?" Ding Ji was equally taken aback.

"I didn't," Lin Wuyu admitted.

"Now you do?" Ding Ji asked.

"I do," Lin Wuyu nodded.

"Buy me breakfast," Ding Ji said.

His grandparents had gone for an early morning walk, leaving the house empty. When they woke up, Ding Ji's grandparents hadn't returned yet.

"Normally, my grandma takes care of breakfast," Ding Ji explained. "But when I'm on break, she doesn't bother. She and my grandpa head to the lake to listen to erhu² performances every day and don't return until noon."

"They seem to have a strong relationship," Lin Wuyu observed.

"They have their arguments too," Ding Ji said, "and my grandpa talks back. When he was younger and had more energy, they used to even have fights, but after a few days everything usually went back to normal."

Lin Wuyu found it fascinating when Ding Ji shared family stories like this. They often discussed their families in the dormitory, and he enjoyed listening, but Ding Ji's family tales held a unique charm.

Perhaps it was the kind of authenticity he had never imagined, very straightforward and unadorned, like leaves growing directly from the soil, carrying the scent of the earth and brimming with vitality.

The old residential area offered numerous options for breakfast.

After a night of drinking, both of them were ravenously hungry the next day. Not only Lin Wuyu but even Ding Ji had the appetite of a heavyweight champion. They ordered an assortment of items like steamed buns, dumplings, noodles, and fried pancakes.

"What are your plans for today?" Ding Ji inquired as they ate.

"My classmate messaged me this morning," Lin Wuyu replied, "We're meeting up for lunch, and in the afternoon, we'll go out to have some fun. Then, we're inviting our class advisor to join us for dinner."

"Sounds great," Ding Ji said. "I'm pretty much doing the same thing, celebrating before the exam results are out."

"Can I leave my belongings here for now?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Of course," Ding Ji nodded. "If you have any valuable items in your dorm, like a laptop, and you won't be using them, you can bring them here too. Once the break starts, everyone's gone, and you never know what might happen if they're left in the dorm."

"Thanks," Lin Wuyu expressed his gratitude.

"Don't keep thanking me," Ding Ji sighed, "Is it necessary for just a few boxes?"

"What if I want to come back and stay later?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Then stay," Ding Ji thought for a moment. "You can use my younger aunt's room. I'm afraid if we share a bed, I won't make it to registration day without you beating me to death."

Lin Wuyu laughed for a while. "I really don't know."

"Do you always sleep alone? You don’t stay with your parents…" Ding Ji was saying and then suddenly realized, quickly waving his hand, "Forget it, pretend I didn't ask. I must be half-asleep."

Lin Wuyu was supposed to meet with Xu Tianbo and Chen Mang at 11 o'clock at the school gate. When Lin Wuyu returned to school after finishing breakfast, it was just 10:30, and several of them hadn't left their homes yet.

Lin Wuyu waited at the gate for a couple of minutes before returning to the dorm.

Most of the senior dormitory was already vacated, with a few scattered belongings on the floor, including papers and books. Not much, but it was evident how hurried and chaotic everyone's departure had been, along with an underlying sense of joy.

Lin Wuyu strolled down the corridor, with only the sound of his own footsteps accompanying him.

No matter how quiet it used to be, various sounds could always be heard, even late at night. There would be a few snorers producing comforting sounds, and lights would still be on until late at night.

Now, these sounds and scenes only existed in memories.

Lin Wuyu stretched and let out a sigh.

Their dormitory was also vacant. In an effort to safeguard Lin Wuyu's possessions that he hadn't taken, Chen Mang and the others had arranged tables and chairs outside the cabinet doors.

Lin Wuyu shifted these items and examined the contents within the cabinet. Besides clothing, there was nothing that required protection from theft. He decided to take his laptop to Ding Ji's house; it was a gaming laptop and rather expensive.

After lingering in the dormitory for a while, he heard footsteps approaching the door.

He was somewhat proud of his keen sense of hearing.

He could distinguish the footsteps of several people from their dormitory and Xu Tianbo from the neighbouring room.

"I figured you'd be in the dorm," Xu Tianbo announced as he pushed open the dormitory door.

"Why are you here so early as well?" Lin Wuyu inquired.

"My dad dropped me off," Xu Tianbo explained, "he had some business to attend to."

"I thought we were meeting up tomorrow," Lin Wuyu remarked. "Are these guys coming out without even a full night's sleep?"

"If it were a normal situation, they'd be fast asleep for sure," Xu Tianbo replied. "I can't sleep, though. This break isn't ordinary. It'd be difficult to see these guys again after this, so even if they called me out in the middle of the night, I'd come."

Lin Wuyu smiled. "We'll still keep in touch."

"Are you certain about your major?" Xu Tianbo inquired. "Mechanical engineering?"

"Yes," Lin Wuyu confirmed with a nod. "I'm sure."

"Then we'll cross paths at H University," Xu Tianbo beamed. "I'm not sure how far it is. If it's nearby, we can have a barbecue together."

"Hurry up and eat," Lin Wuyu urged, reflecting for a moment. "Once you have a girlfriend, you'll probably be taking her out for meals."

"It's not certain who will have one first," Xu Tianbo said, then changed his expression, "Fish³."

"Yeah?" Lin Wuyu looked at him.

"Just… be cautious," Xu Tianbo advised. "Don't date just for the sake of dating or because you're feeling lonely or something… you know what I mean, right?"

"Understood," Lin Wuyu nodded.

Their phones both rang simultaneously, and Chen Mang sent a message in the group, stating that he was at the gate.

"Let's get going," Xu Tianbo declared as he stood up. "Time to have some fun."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ding Ji's classmates had no plans for the day; they were leaving tomorrow. Ding Ji's holiday activity for the day involved confronting Old Liu with Liu Jinpeng.

Liu Jinpeng was eager. "How should we confront him? Just tell me!"

"Intimidate him a little," Ding Ji suggested. "We don't want to beat him up too badly. The main goal is to pressure him into repaying the money… Have you prepared the loan agreement you asked him to write?"

"It's at home," Liu Jinpeng replied. "But honestly, even if we sue him, he won't be able to pay it back."

"Then he could go to jail!" Ding Ji said.

"I'm starting my job next month," Liu Jinpeng suddenly disclosed.

"Where will you be working?" Ding Ji was somewhat surprised because Liu Jinpeng had been assisting his uncle with various odd jobs and errands.

"My uncle found me a job. He said it's better to have a stable job," Liu Jinpeng explained. "One of his friends runs a high-end pet shop."

"That suits you," Ding Ji commented. "You like dogs and cats, right?"

"Yes, it's not too demanding," Liu Jinpeng was quite content. "I can walk a bunch of dogs in the morning and evening…"

He hadn't finished speaking when he pointed ahead. "He's over there!"

Ding Ji hadn't even had a chance to see exactly where Old Liu was when he sprinted out, covering more than ten meters before spotting Old Liu sprinting ahead.

In a footrace, Old Liu wasn't a match for Ding Ji, and he couldn't even compare to Liu Jinpeng.

They quickly caught up with him.

"Give the money back! Give the money back! Give the money back!" Liu Jinpeng followed him, pounding his shoulder.

"I'm giving it back! I'm giving the money back!" Old Liu yelled as he ran. "I'm giving the money back!"

"Quit the nonsense! Give it to me!" Liu Jinpeng continued to pound him. "Stop pretending to be helpless"

"What am I pretending to be helpless for?" Old Liu was getting confused from the pounding. Liu Jinpeng had been hitting his shoulder, and as he ran, he covered his head. "I'm doing what you told me to!"

"I told you to give the money back! Money! Money! Money! Money! Money!" Liu Jinpeng roared.

"I didn't say I would return it!" Old Liu squatted down, still covering his head. "You can beat me up, but I won't repay it!"

"You're delusional!" Ding Ji patted his head. "I'll remind you every day until you pay back the money!"

"Got it?" Liu Jinpeng kicked his butt.

"Where's the money?" Ding Ji also squatted down, gazing at Old Liu. "You don't even gamble, and you only smoke 5 yuan cigarettes. So where's the money?"

"That's none of your business," Old Liu mumbled.

"It's none of my business my fuckin’ ass!" Ding Ji jumped up and kicked his butt. "You cheated me out of 28,000 yuan⁴, and you say it's none of my business!"

"Ji," Liu Jinpeng said, "stop checking Weibo⁵."

Ding Ji looked at him.

"He said it's none of your business," Liu Jinpeng said with a straight face.

"Oh, really?" Ding Ji stopped.

"Yes!" Old Liu shouted.

"I don't care," Ding Ji stated. "If you don't reveal where the money is today, I'll turn your head into a pumpkin!"

After Ding Ji and Liu Jinpeng left the police station, they felt a mix of emotions.

Old Liu had a pale expression as if he had endured inhumane torture. Ding Ji didn't even feel like beating him up anymore.

"We may not be able to recover this money," Liu Jinpeng warned him. "You better start scraping together the money now. I'll keep an eye on you, so you can't escape."

Ding Ji's phone rang.

He swiftly retrieved his phone and checked it.

It was a message from Lin Wuyu.

[Lin Wuyu] Little Genius, are you free tomorrow? I have an opportunity for you.

[Ding Ji] Huh?? What do you mean?

[Lin Wuyu] It's time to start collecting the debt.