Chapter 25
Chapter 25
As a college student, Yun Jianyue had spent half her summer vacation working a part-time job, but she still had to return to campus and register on September 1.
She was starting her senior year. After half a semester of classes, she would have to find an internship. Then, next May, she would return to campus to revise her thesis with her advisor and prepare for her defense.
On September 1, the entrance to University A bustled with people. The crowd was full of jubilant freshmen arriving to register, as well as sophomores, juniors, and seniors wearing expressions of utter misery as they returned for another year.
By sheer coincidence, just as Yun Jianyue reached the university gates with her suitcase in tow, she ran into Zhou Benxin getting out of a car.
“Senior!” Zhou Benxin waved and shouted to her from a distance, drawing the attention of quite a few people nearby.
He grabbed his suitcase and raced over to her. Meanwhile, a woman under thirty stepped out of the driver’s seat. She wore a long bohemian dress, and her long hair fell in curls. She had an elegant, intellectual air about her, and her features bore a noticeable resemblance to Zhou Benxin’s.
She followed unhurriedly behind Zhou Benxin until she reached them.
“Hello. I’m Zhou Benxin’s older sister, Zhou Ruyan. This brat told me all about what happened with our grandmother. Thank you for helping us.” Zhou Ruyan held out her hand to Yun Jianyue.
“It was nothing. He’s my junior, after all,” Yun Jianyue replied with a smile.
Zhou Ruyan smiled politely in return. “Since we happened to run into you today, why don’t the two of us treat you to lunch?”
Yun Jianyue did not turn her down. Her aunt had taught her well when it came to social courtesies like this.
Yun Jianyue and Zhou Benxin went to register and drop off their suitcases first. At noon, the three of them headed out for lunch together.
Zhou Ruyan chose a mid-range restaurant where the average meal cost around three to four hundred per person. It was a good choice for treating someone to a meal: neither so extravagant that it seemed excessive, nor so cheap that it suggested a lack of sincerity.
“This brat had no idea what you like, so I chose a Chinese restaurant. I’ve already ordered two dishes. Take a look at the menu and see if there’s anything else you’d like.” Zhou Ruyan handed Yun Jianyue the tablet used for ordering.
Yun Jianyue did not stand on ceremony and added two dishes she liked.
Over lunch, they talked at length about Zhou Benxin’s life at the university. Zhou Ruyan appeared gentle and refined, but whenever she heard about one of Zhou Benxin’s idiotic stunts, she would give him a tight, mirthless smile while pinching him on the waist beneath the table.
Sure enough, no matter what an older sister was usually like, she could never resist getting physical when she found out her little brother had been acting like an idiot.
After lunch, it was time for Zhou Ruyan to drive back to City B.
Before leaving, she made a point of reminding Zhou Benxin about one thing.
“Mom and Dad asked me to remind you that you are absolutely forbidden from going to Chongguang Mountain before you turn twenty-four. Do you understand?”
Zhou Benxin waved her off impatiently. “I know, I know. You’ve all been saying that since I was a kid. How could I possibly forget?”
Seeing his attitude, Zhou Ruyan said nothing more. She exchanged contact information with Yun Jianyue, said goodbye to them both, and drove away.
As Yun Jianyue and Zhou Benxin walked back onto campus, she asked curiously, “Why won’t your family let you go to Chongguang Mountain?”
Chongguang Mountain was a famous tourist attraction in the province. There was a Taoist temple on the mountain that received a constant stream of worshippers. Many tourists came specifically because they had heard that prayers made there were particularly effective.
Every year, Chongguang Mountain attracted countless visitors from outside the province. It was one of the province’s signature attractions.
“No idea. They’ve been saying it ever since I was little. It’s probably just more feudal superstition,” Zhou Benxin said with a shrug, making it clear he thought the whole thing was nonsense.
It was only a tourist attraction. Why couldn’t he go there?
During the National Day holiday, one minor ghost or demon after another started causing trouble, leaving Yun Jianyue working nonstop alongside Si Wuming.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much she needed to do herself, so even amid the bustle, she had a little time to relax.
After what felt like forever, the break finally ended and classes resumed. Yun Jianyue couldn’t wait to return to school.
Only after starting work could she truly appreciate the joys of being a student. School was the happiest place in the world, bar none!
As soon as she returned, someone from the Debate Team called her. They had organized a friendly tournament with several other schools in the city, and the matches would be held in a few days. They hoped Yun Jianyue could participate.
Since she was about to graduate and probably wouldn’t have many more chances to take part in club activities, Yun Jianyue agreed without hesitation.
While she was there, she and the captain also took the opportunity to step down, ushering in a new captain and a new vice captain.
The new captain was a young woman and currently the Debate Team’s star debater. Zhou Benxin became vice captain. He was well liked, and his appointment was exactly what everyone had hoped for.
However, during their discussions of the debate topic, Zhou Benxin had been off his game for the past two days, frequently zoning out.
“Hey, did you write down all the arguments? What about the attacks and rebuttals?”
After catching Zhou Benxin spacing out for the umpteenth time, Yun Jianyue finally lost patience and elbowed him.
The pain jolted Zhou Benxin back to his senses. Without even understanding what was going on, he nodded at random. “Yeah, I got them.”
The new captain stepped in to smooth things over. “All right, let’s leave it at that for now. Tomorrow at one thirty, we’ll meet at the school gate and take taxis over together.”
The host school was a half-hour taxi ride from University A, and their match was scheduled to begin at two thirty, so that would give them plenty of time.
Once everyone else had left, Yun Jianyue stopped Zhou Benxin. “What’s been going on with you these past few days? You look exhausted.”
She checked him over but couldn’t sense any ghostly aura on him. It didn’t seem like he had run into anything strange.
Zhou Benxin shook his head. “I don’t know either. I’ve been dreaming constantly lately. Maybe it’s some kind of nervous exhaustion.”
“Haven’t been sleeping well? Try taking some melatonin tonight.” Seeing that there didn’t seem to be anything more to it, Yun Jianyue stopped questioning him and let him go back to rest.
At one thirty the following afternoon, everyone from the Debate Team gathered punctually at the school gate.
Since there were seven of them, they split up between two taxis.
Four people took the first one, leaving the new captain, Yun Jianyue, and Zhou Benxin to wait for the second.
As the three of them stood by the roadside, Zhou Benxin still looked half asleep and utterly drained.
The new captain asked with concern, “If you’re not feeling well, we can let the alternate take your place. There’s no need to push yourself.”
As if waking from a dream, Zhou Benxin glanced at the new captain. He had just opened his mouth to speak when, for no apparent reason, he stumbled and fell forward.
He had been standing on the sidewalk, but the fall sent him sprawling into the road.
At that exact moment, a speeding car came hurtling toward him!
“Look out!” the new captain screamed, covering her face.
Zhou Benxin’s mind seemed to be mired in a fog. He stared blankly as the speeding car drew closer and closer, without reacting at all.
At the last possible instant, Yun Jianyue grabbed Zhou Benxin by the collar and dragged him a couple of feet toward the sidewalk.
The car tore straight through the spot where Zhou Benxin had just been sitting. It didn’t seem to have hit anyone, and it sped off without even looking back, leaving the new captain badly shaken.
The new captain hurried over and helped Yun Jianyue pull Zhou Benxin to his feet.
“What exactly is going on with you?” Yun Jianyue asked with a frown. If she hadn’t reacted so quickly, Zhou Benxin would already be keeping Lu Changxue company in the afterlife!