Thirteen Wonders (ShíSānYāo) : Chapter 11 - East Wind, South Wind
Chapter 11: East Wind, South Wind
A new girl transferred into the first-floor art class. As a self-proclaimed beauty radar, Ying Nian naturally heard the news immediately, but she had little interest and didn’t really care.
“That girl, Liang Li, put on eye makeup—it’s really light, but it looks great!”
“The art class girls are so lucky. They can even wear skirts above the knee…”
Sitting on a stone bench in front of the flower bed, Zhou Yao and Ying Nian could still hear gossip about the new transfer student. Ying Nian chuckled, “Looks like she’s pretty famous already.”
Zhou Yao was puzzled. “You don’t like her?” Jiang Jiashu had once mentioned that Ying Nian liked pretty girls. She always had a natural affinity for them.
When asked, Ying Nian shook her head. “She seems weird to me. Her personality is strange, and she’s all shy and reserved—not straightforward at all. I don’t like that.”
Despite Ying Nian’s opinion, the new girl from the art class quickly became popular among her classmates. She was pretty, lively, and got along with everyone, appearing friendly with just about anyone.
Within a few days, Liang Li’s name was known throughout their grade.
Initially, Zhou Yao and her friends had no interaction with Liang Li, but she seemed to have a decent relationship with a guy named Da Xiong from Jiang Jiashu’s group. They had met a few times, and while Da Xiong seemed to like her, he wasn’t exactly pursuing her—he was the easygoing type and had simply made her a close friend.
With that, Liang Li naturally became part of their circle.
The first time they met her was near the school gate when the group was discussing where to go for dinner. As soon as Liang Li arrived, her gaze landed on Zhou Yao, and she was the first person she greeted.
“You’re Zhou Yao, right? I’ve heard about you.”
That was all she said. There was no telling whether her words carried goodwill or something else. Zhou Yao didn’t know how to respond, but since Liang Li was smiling and didn’t seem unfriendly, assuming the worst would make her seem overly defensive and impolite.
So Zhou Yao simply smiled and greeted her back. “I’m Zhou Yao. You’re Liang Li, right?”
Liang Li nodded.
The two exchanged a few words, but she barely acknowledged Ying Nian, who stood beside them. Unhappy about being ignored, Ying Nian coughed and said, “Yaoyao, I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”
Only then did Liang Li seem to notice her. She smiled and said, “You’re Ying Nian, right?” Then she pointed at Jiang Jiashu. “You’re his cousin, right? I heard you two are really close! I’ve always wanted to get to know you!”
Ying Nian looked unimpressed. “Close? Who said we’re close? Everyone knows we’d love nothing more than to strangle each other, drink each other’s blood, and eat each other’s flesh!”
Though she was joking, her tone wasn’t exactly friendly.
Liang Li’s expression shifted immediately, looking a little aggrieved. Da Xiong quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Come on, Liang Li just got here. Jiashu and Niannian, you two are always at each other’s throats—one moment fighting, the next getting along. Even we get confused sometimes. It’s normal!”
Ying Nian and Jiang Jiashu actually had no real issues with each other, but her reaction was clearly a deliberate move to give Liang Li a hard time.
With that, the group headed toward the restaurant. Zhou Yao tugged at Ying Nian. “What was that about?”
“Look at her,” Ying Nian tilted her chin toward the front. “Whether she’s talking to you, to me, or to anyone else, she still keeps sneaking glances at Chen Xuze. Who does she think she’s fooling? I hate people who act one way on the surface and another behind the scenes—so annoying!”
Zhou Yao said, “Maybe you’re just overthinking it?”
Ying Nian pouted seriously. “Are you doubting my eyesight?”
“I’m not, I just—” Zhou Yao hurried to appease her, making Ying Nian burst into laughter. The two started playfully bickering.
Ying Nian added, “Honestly, I don’t understand how Chen Xuze ended up being our school’s official ‘Most Handsome Guy.’ His face never even cracks a smile! If a timid person meets his gaze, they’d probably cry on the spot…” Talking smack about Chen Xuze in front of Zhou Yao felt great, but she still knew when to stop. She switched back to a serious tone. “But anyway, like it or not, he’s currently the number one heartthrob at our school. Every girl who looks at him gets those love-struck, glowing deer eyes—it’s impossible not to notice!”
“It’s their choice if they like him,” Zhou Yao said.
“Of course, I’m not saying they can’t fawn over him. They can run headfirst into him for all I care. If they knock him so hard he sees stars, that’s none of my business.” Ying Nian scoffed before continuing, “But you’ve known Chen Xuze since you were kids. You’re really close to him. Just because you don’t think anything of it doesn’t mean others won’t.”
She waved dismissively. “I don’t care what girls want to do to Chen Xuze, but you’re my person. If anyone messes with you, they’re messing with me!”
She tilted her mouth in a smug grin, bouncing on her heels in a boss-like stance. Sometimes she really didn’t care about appearances. Zhou Yao frowned and swatted her. Only then did Ying Nian finally stand properly like a normal student.
Zhou Yao didn’t bother arguing further. The two of them linked arms and walked ahead.
Up front, Chen Xuze was walking at the back of the group. Almost as if to prove Ying Nian’s point, Liang Li slowed her pace until she was walking right beside him.
They weren’t far away, so Zhou Yao and Ying Nian heard her soft, sweet voice ask, “Do you want a drink? I’m going to buy one from the shop over there.”
Hands in his pockets, eyes fixed straight ahead, Chen Xuze didn’t even spare her a single glance.
For a split second, Ying Nian actually found his deadpan expression a little admirable.
Then, without missing a beat, Chen Xuze walked right past Liang Li and left her behind, tossing out a cold reply:
“No. Don’t bother me.”
Zhou Yao pursed her lips, long used to his general unfriendliness toward most people. Next to her, Ying Nian let out a small ‘hehe’ and stuck her tongue out at Liang Li’s retreating figure in a silent, mocking ‘bleh.’
Maybe to others, Ying Nian could be annoying at times, but she was naturally protective of those she cared about. If someone she liked wanted the stars, she’d figure out a way to blast them down with a cannon.
As for those she clashed with from the start—people she knew early on would never be her friends, those with an unspoken mutual dislike—she never hid the side of her that others found ‘annoying.’ She showed it openly, straightforwardly, and without hesitation.
……
At the restaurant, everyone sat down and began ordering. Since Liang Li was new, it wasn’t her place to handle the ordering. But as the meal began, she casually mentioned, “I’ve eaten here before. A lot of the dishes are really good.”
Da Xiong, wanting to show her support, immediately said, “Then Liang Li, you should do the ordering!” and handed her the menu.
The others weren’t too interested in picking dishes, only reminding her to add something if they had a preference. No one fought her for the task.
Liang Li did have a knack for ordering—balancing meat and vegetables, pairing flavors well, making everything sound delicious. Two guys reminded her about dishes they wanted, and she nodded and smiled, adding them to the list.
Suddenly, Zhou Yao felt like having an egg roll, so she spoke up, “Can you add an egg roll for me? I’d like one.”
Liang Li, holding the menu, glanced at her, pausing for half a second before smiling. “But we already ordered stir-fried eggs with yellow chives, and there are egg drops in the soup. If we order another egg dish, it might be too much.”
She made a reasonable point. Zhou Yao hesitated, swallowing her craving, pressing her lips together in resignation, and was just about to offer a polite smile of understanding when—
Ying Nian suddenly shouted, “Boss!”
The restaurant owner came over. “What’s up?”
"How much is an order of egg rolls?”
“Egg rolls? Eight yuan a plate. You want some?”
With everyone at the table staring at her, Ying Nian didn’t care about their reactions at all. She pointed at the still-empty table and enunciated each word clearly: “I. Want. Ten. Plates. Arrange them in a circle. Bring them out quickly. Thanks.”
The owner froze. “Ten plates?”
“Yep.”
“Ying Nian, isn’t ten plates a bit much…?” Da Xiong hesitated.
Ying Nian tilted her head, propping her chin up with one hand and resting her elbow on the table. “Our Yaoyao wants to eat an egg roll. She wants one, so I’m ordering it. Is there a problem?”
Her voice carried a smile, but there was nothing soft about her attitude. Even Zhou Yao was caught off guard.
Liang Li’s expression stiffened, but she forced a smile. “But we already ordered other egg dishes, so the egg roll—”
“So what?” Ying Nian cut in. “Just because you guys ordered eggs, Yaoyao can’t have what she wants? She only wanted one egg roll. It’s just eight yuan. You wouldn’t let her order it, so I did. Got a problem with that?”
The last three words were a clear challenge.
The atmosphere at the table turned awkward. Liang Li seemed momentarily flustered, her gaze flickering with a hint of grievance as she glanced toward Chen Xuze.
“Then stop talking,” Ying Nian said bluntly, not even waiting for her to finish. She turned back to the owner with a bright smile. “Boss, bring them out quickly, please.”
The owner, still a bit stunned, gave a couple of absentminded “Oh” responses and hurried off to relay the order.
At this point, the situation had already become embarrassing. No one had expected Ying Nian to go at Liang Li so directly. But she wasn’t done yet. Just as Liang Li was about to pass the menu to someone else, Ying Nian crooked her finger at the guy next to her. Instinctively, he handed her the menu.
The waiter stood by, pen poised over the notepad, as Ying Nian started calling out more dishes: “Scallion scrambled eggs, one. Egg pancakes, add one. Oh, stir-fried eggs with green peppers? That sounds good, too—add it. Do you have tea eggs? You do? Great, one order. And let’s throw in a plate of egg fried rice while we’re at it…”
Everyone was dumbfounded. If there was ever a definition of ‘rich and reckless,’ this was it!
After everyone else had finished ordering, she alone added an entire table’s worth of egg dishes. At first, people might’ve had something to say about the egg roll, but by now, no one dared to object.
Ying Nian’s family owned a company, and ever since her brother took over, the business had only grown bigger, bringing in more and more money. Compared to most regular students in their school, she was undeniably wealthy.
She had always been generous, often treating friends to meals. Once, under the excuse of ‘losing a bet’ to Jiang Jiashu, she had even taken them out for a seafood feast. A few thousand yuan in one night, and she hadn’t blinked. Everyone had eaten and enjoyed themselves.
Besides, Ying Nian treated her friends well. It was obvious she was standing up for Zhou Yao. For such a trivial matter, who would pick a fight with her over Liang Li?
And honestly, it was just an eight-yuan egg roll. If Zhou Yao wanted to eat it, why not just let her? A cup of milk tea costs about the same. Liang Li’s unnecessary fussing had made the situation spiral, and now Ying Nian was pissed, making the whole meal uncomfortable for everyone.
In a restaurant like this, a group meal usually cost only seventy or eighty yuan. If pushed to the limit, Ying Nian could easily swipe her card, buy out the entire place, and kick everyone else out—leaving Zhou Yao to eat as many eggs as she wanted in peace. With her personality, it wasn’t impossible.
Ying Nian didn’t care whether others were happy or not. Zhou Yao knew she was doing this for her, but she still whispered, “You ordered too much. We won’t be able to finish it.”
“It’s fine. I’m paying. Whatever we don’t finish, we’ll pack up! As long as you’re happy!” Ying Nian declared loudly, making sure everyone heard.
As they were talking, a glass of water appeared in front of Ying Nian—poured by Chen Xuze!
Ying Nian jolted in shock.
Since sitting down, Chen Xuze had only poured water for Zhou Yao and himself. Who would’ve thought she, Ying Nian, would one day receive such an honor? A monumental occasion for her household!
……
After the meal, the group headed back to school. Ying Nian and Zhou Yao walked ahead, arms linked. Ying Nian had bought a pack of lemon-flavored gum; they each chewed a piece, sharing it happily.
Unlike the others, they strolled under the shadows of the roadside trees, their figures flickering beneath the streetlights.
As they stepped through the school gates, Zhou Yao swung their clasped hands slightly and suddenly said, “A girl as wonderful as you—kind, warm, generous, and full of goodwill toward the world—could only have grown up in an environment filled with love and happiness.”
“Honestly, I really envy you. I never thought before that our paths would ever cross.”
Ying Nian's steps faltered for a moment.
But Zhou Yao didn’t stop. This time, she walked just half a step ahead of Ying Nian, still swinging their hands, her voice soft.
“Thank you for being willing to be friends with someone like me.”
She suddenly stopped, turned around, and gently hugged her. On an unremarkable campus path, the ornamental pond rippled slightly in the evening breeze. For the first time, she voiced something that most people wouldn’t care about—her own preferences, her own feelings:
“—I really, really like you, Ying Nian. I mean it.”
The night wind brushed past, and in Zhou Yao’s eighteenth year, she finally caught the scent of something new.
The author has something to say:
Ying Nian: I’m Zhou Yao’s number one fan—whoever dares to mess with her, I’ll cut them down first!
——
This chapter’s Ying Nian is totally a domineering CEO! Ahhh, I’m falling for her!
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