Chapter 173 - The boy I like

"Mai Yuerui…."

"I like you."

These words rang in Yuerui's ears.

She already knew what he was gonna say. But still, when she heard this directly from his mouth, she got an unfamiliar feeling. Her whole body felt Goosebumps. Her heartbeat started to increase.

A silence persisted for a while.

"Umm... Hello? Mai Yuerui, are you there?" Han Yefang asked.

With a little hesitation, Yefang continued, "Actually recently I have been feeling different about you. But I was not sure about my feelings. I thought it was not right. So, I even tried to stay away from you. That's why I didn't talk with you during our exams. I thought if I don't talk with you this feeling will subside. But it didn't happen. When I again saw you in the mathematics class I was so happy. I don't know how you feel about me. But I really feel happy when I am with you. I really enjoy your company. That's why I took all my courage to confess to you. I have wanted to tell this to you in a good place. But I didn't get any chance. So I decided to tell you this way.

Again a silence continued.

"Hel…" 

Tut… Tut… Tut… the phone was cut.

Yuerui abruptly cut the call.

Her heart was racing unsteadily.

She put her phone aside and drank a mouth full of water.

After drinking so much water, she started panting.

She looked at the phone and buried her face on the pillow out of shyness.

She started to roll over her bed out of excitement.

She again looked at the phone and realized what kind of dumb act she just did.

She was about to call him back when the notification of a reminder came in her display.

When her eyes looked at the reminder her hands started to shake.

"6 months are over!"

That's what was written on the reminder.

Her phone would have slipped from her hands if she didn't catch that in time.

She started to rub her trembling dry lips with her shaky hand.

The bubbly feelings in her heart a few moments ago suddenly turned into depression.

Rings… Rings….

Her phone rang again making her startled.

She looked at her phone and it was her Dad, Mai Minghui.

She sighed in relief.

"Hi, dad." She said.

"How is my daughter doing?" her dad replied.

"Nothing. I was about to go to sleep. You called this late. Is everything okay?" Yuerui asked.

"Everything is fine. It's just that, those foolish sisters of mine. I mean your aunts, they are spreading groundless rumors about your sister." by his tone it seemed that he was not in a good mood.

"What rumor?" she asked.

"They are saying that they saw your sister with a boy."

'O boy...' she thought.

Yuerui's sister, Mai Tianning had been dating Ren Huangzhen for a year now. This is a secret kept between the three siblings without their parents' knowledge.

"Dad, Sis has been working on her master's degree. It's normal for her to talk with boys. It's not like her university allows only girls." Yuerui tried to reason with her dad.

"That's what I am saying. But who can teach this to those morons? Not to mention it's their child who did love marriage in the first place."

Even though Mai Minghui is taking sides with her now, but she knows that he has called her to interrogate her about her sister.

"So tell me, have been contacting with your brother and sister?"

"Yeah, dad."

"So everything alright between you guys? You new generation people never tell us about your private life. Are we that old that we won't understand you?" he tried to become grumpy.

"Dad… Dad… everything is fine. We three are busy with our classes and stuff. But we are still in contact regularly. So can I go to sleep now? I have classes tomorrow."

"So she doesn't have any boyfriend, right?"

"Yes… She is single. You can make her marry with anyone you want."

"I am not saying that." He started to become guilty.

"Good night, dad. Love you."

After that, she cut the phone call.

This simple phone call was enough to remind Yuerui of how her parents are. She is not allowed to have any relationship with any boy. Sometimes she thought if her sister is dating then why not she?

That is the problem. She can't.

She has always been the good little girl of her parents. And she does not want to disappoint them.

When she was thinking about this her eyes fell on the reminder that surfaced on her screen.

"Has he let go of me now?"

"What if he does something to him?" her soul trembled by the thoughts of that.

With heavy hearts, she called Yefang back.

"Hello, it's Yuerui."

"I know."

"Actually.."

"You don't have to say it now. You can take your time.' Yefang said.

"Actually I always thought of you as a friend. Not more than that. So when you told me today now, I was not prepared for it." Yuerui said.

"So…"

"Can we just be friends like before?" she said with hesitation. She knows it's heartless of her to ask him this. She can't love him. But she can't lose him as a friend.

"Ye..ah… we are still friends. I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Let's just forget this happened." He chuckled foolishly.

"Mmm… so…"

"Good night, Mai Yuerui. See you tomorrow in the class." He didn't let Yuerui finish and cut the call.

Tut… Tut….Tut…

"Good night," Yuerui said.

"Who are you saying goodnight, Mai Yuerui?" Yang Zi asked as they returned to their room.

"Umm… No one. Just talking to myself." She lied.

That night Yuerui couldn't sleep. She kept looking at the sky filled with black clouds.

-------------

The day when Yuerui came to her class she saw that Yefang didn't keep seat for her. She didn't say anything. She silently took another seat far away from him.

From then Yefang didn't take any initiative to talk to her. When they crossed paths they would just smile at each other and let it pass.

Deep inside Yuerui knew what she feels. She would come regularly to class; even have a tour in his department just to get a glimpse of him. But still, she never took the courage to take the initiative to talk with him properly.

Ning Tan saw the desire of Yuerui to find excuses to visit Yefang's department and peep at him while hiding behind her.

One day Ning Tan decided to confront her along with Yang Zi.

"Mai Yuerui, today you have to tell me. Do you like Han Yefang?" Ning Tan asked.

"Han Yefang? Who is that?" Yang Zi asked.

"The boy who studied with us in English."

"O.. that guy friend of yours?" yang zi said.

"Yes."

"Yuerui! Do you like someone? Why didn't you tell us? Even Ning Tan knows him." Yang Zi said to Yuerui.

"What rubbish are you saying? It's not what you think." Yuerui tried to escape the situation.

"Then why are you constantly going to his department?" Ning Tan questioned.

"Well…"

"Don't you dare lie to us! Or we will tell your parents everything about you." Yang Zi knew how to threaten her.

"What!" Yuerui got excited.

"Yes, we will." Ning Tan added.

"What will you tell them when there is nothing to tell." Yuerui still stood on her words.

"Okay then, I am calling your Mom. You know how close we are." Ning Tan picked up her phone and pretended to dial the number.

"Hey! What are you doing? Okay, I am telling you. Cut the call." Yuerui got scared.

"Okay." Ning Tan put down her phone.

"Tell us, do you like him?" Ning Tan asked.

"Yes… I like him."

"O my… my… Our little bunny has fallen in love!" Yang Zi screamed in excitement.

"Slow down. Do you want to let everyone know?" Yuerui became scared.

"You have to show him to me. Ning Tan already knows him. But I don't know! That's not fair."

"Okay." I will show him to you tomorrow.

-----

The next day Ning Tan and Yang Zi found themselves in the cafeteria waiting in the line for food.

"Can you tell me, what are we doing here?" Yang Zi asked Yuerui.

"He comes here every day to have his coffee," Yuerui said as she was looking for him at the door.

"Look who knows everything about her crush..." Both Yang Zi and Ning Tan teased her.

"Stop it, guys." She couldn't help blush.

Suddenly Yuerui got a call.

"You two wait here. I will take this call."

Saying that Yuerui left the line.

When she finished the call and turned to the line she saw that Han Yefang has come and was about to pass the line.

She waved at her friends to gesture at them who Yefang was.

But only Yang Zi saw her hands.

She replied her without any sound 'What" 

Yuerui moved her hands to show her the directions. But Yang Zi was still not able to find the guy.

This time Ning Tan would be a great help. But at that moment she was busy quarreling with the warden about the small portion of food.

When Yuerui again looked at him she saw that he was looking at her. Yuerui immediately changed her posture and pretended to look at her phone.

After he passed them and took his seat Yuerui went to them.

"what the hell were you doing?" yang Zi asked.

'What?" Ning Tan asked.

"I was telling you that he was here."

"Who?" both asked.

"Ugh… the boy I like." She was pissed that she said it a little louder.

But her soul left her body when she saw her friends staring behind her with eyes wide open.

She looked behind and saw Han Yefang standing right behind her.