The Tale Never Ends Chapter 145 Uncanny Coincidence

Chapter 145 Uncanny Coincidence

Senior? That could only be one of my juniors from university, I realized, although I don't know which.

"Who is this?" I said into the phone, albeit more gently. The caller was still frightened, stammering haltingly, "I-I'm Su Yixuan..."

The last we met, was during the strange incident at the university where everyone from my zither cla.s.s got sick and Old Man Xie came to the rescue by using beefsteak plants to cure everyone. Among the students was a girl called Su Yixuan, the one whom I referred to as my girlfriend in my lie to persuade Old Man Xie for his help. "Ah!" I exclaimed and chuckled, "I remember you. How can I help you?" Sheepishly, Su Yixuan's voice rang again, "Well, we had a reunion meal for all alumni of the zither cla.s.s days. We tried inviting you last time, but your line was out of service when we called you." "Ah..." I muttered. That must have been when we were still in Mongolia.

She continued again. "So during the reunion, we talked about the strange disease which had spread to everyone in the cla.s.s..." I felt a sudden dread looming over me. Surely she's not calling to blame me for telling Old Man Xie that she's my girlfriend is she? Impossible! But what if it's true? My eyes crept to Edelweiss, who was still looking at me with a smile on her face. I shuddered and tried to recompose myself before Edelweiss noticed anything. Feigning nonchalance, I replied, "And?" My remark seemed to caught Su Yixuan off-guard that I almost heard her choked. For a brief beat, there was silence before she managed to go one, "A junior then mentioned that it was you who had found a physician to help save everyone! For the past few years, we didn't know! So, we're wondering if we can invite you and the physician for a meal as a sign of grat.i.tude!"

I paused and thought before I replied, "Urm... I don't think the physician will want to attend. He's a strange person who prefers to keep to himself. I, on the other hand... I'll be there, I guess." I was about to decline to appear at first, but it might be prudent to use the opportunity to explain everything to them to prevent any misunderstandings in the future. There's nothing more troublesome than loose ends. There was a palpable cheerfulness in Su Yixuan's voice as she said, "All right! How about tonight? There's a restaurant called the Fis.h.i.+ng Village Restaurant in town! It's just next to the Majestic Hotel! We'll meet there then!"

The call clicked shut. What an uncanny coincidence! It was the same place where we would be meeting with Zheng Shuang tonight! I was still dazed as my hand lowered slowly. From her voice, I could hear that she was excited about tonight's dinner. They must have planned this beforehand and it was too late for me to decline.

Still feeling strange and surreal, I thought, "Uncanny coincidence indeed! How is it even possible that two dinners could be held at the same time and the same place just like that!" Lin Feng noticed my expression. "What's wrong? Who were you speaking to on the phone?" I shrugged, allowing my arms to fall loosely to the side. "Remember the time when I went back to university to get my graduation certificate?" I asked him and he stopped for a second, thinking. "Ah!" He said at last, "The time when you got Old Man Xie to help you!" I nodded and told everyone about what happened. I told everyone with as much clarity as possible, leaving no avenues of ambiguity, that it was only a ruse to get Old Man Xie to help that time when I told him that Su Yixuan was my girlfriend. There was nothing between us, I stressed gravely, although Edelweiss seemed hardly perturbed, still beaming brightly at me.

"So I'll have to run between both tables tonight it seems... What a ha.s.sle!"

We did not go directly back to Wu Zhong. Instead, we circled around the city, looking for clothes suitable for Chongxi. The clothes that he normally wore were either too shabby or dull, and he would need something more appropriate for the dinner on New Year's Eve. For hours we had scoured, yet we only found him a s.h.i.+rt. The 1.6 meter and 68 kilograms lumpy potato of a Yuan Chongxi could not find himself a pair of pants that suit him. Everyone we saw was either too long or too narrow for him.

Still, we have had fun running around the city the whole day. We arrived at Wu Zhong at five and immediately headed toward the Fis.h.i.+ng Village restaurant. Zheng Shuang's car was already parked outside when we reached. We pushed through the doors and walked abreast but I stopped. My phone was ringing. It was Su Yixuan, telling me that they were already there too, waiting for me in a booked room, and I replied that I too have just reached.

Just when we were climbing up the stairs, Zheng Shuang's voice thundered from one of the VIP room that lined the corridor. "s.h.i.+yan! Sister-in-law!" But his voice came not only from the direction of his room, it also reverberated from my phone which was still connected to my call with Su Yixuan! Just when I was still bewildered, a rumble of noises came from the other end of my call and I saw the heads of a few girls peeking out from the room just opposite Zheng Shuang's...

My legs seemed to weigh heavier suddenly as we finally reached the top. Zheng Shuang was standing at the door of his room, looking blankly at the bunch of female juniors and seniors from university. "Well, it's a stroke of luck it is that I have two meetings on the same day at the same venue! Ah yes, this is Zheng Shuang, a Captain of the Wu Zhong Police Department." Zheng Shuang snapped to a salute with lightning-fast alacrity and greeted the girls. The girls acknowledged politely. Apparently embarra.s.sed by the awkwardness; the stiff and uncomfortable atmosphere seemed to have smothered all warmth and merriness, leaving only an icy chill...

I had Chongxi ushered Zheng Shuang back to his room and I said to the latter, "I'll be back in a while. Those are my ex-cla.s.smates from university." "No problem, Brother. Take your time," Zheng Shuang remarked cordially. Being close, there was no need for pretense between us. He quickly turned to Edelweiss, lifting a flask of baijiu spirit, "Allow me to apologize for the trouble last time we met, Sister! Please have a drink!" He filled her gla.s.s and Edelweiss replied heartily, "I was also at fault myself. You are like a brother to s.h.i.+yan, that makes you my brother too! Forget about everything and just let's have a toast!" She raised her cup and emptied it with one gulp, as expected of one who was formerly Aunt Ulan's second-in-command! Her straightforward demeanor surprised Zheng Shuang. "That's baijiu spirit!" But he quickly realized that Edelweiss was a woman with fort.i.tude and strength! Nevertheless, he was greatly amazed by Edelweiss' ability to empty the large gla.s.s of liquor with just a single gulp!

I smiled to myself with a hint of pride on my face as I turned around and walked out the door of my room and walked to the door opposite. I knocked and walked in and was welcomed with whoops and cheers from the girls as if I was a triumphant conqueror returning from a victorious campaign. Confetti rained down all over me as if it was a festival and the girls were having the time of their lives! Art students indeed! With thrill, excitement and creativity, they'd even spice up the most boring meeting! I giggled and slid into a chair. "Your charms have not lessened even when I was away, sisters!" I exclaimed to the delight of everyone in the room. Su Yixuan filled her gla.s.s and raised it up at me. "A toast to you, Senior! For so long the truth has eluded us. We only knew recently that it was you who had helped save us all. Here's to a belated thank you!" Almost every one of the girls was hospitalized and quarantined that day. They raised their gla.s.ses to me, their eyes s.h.i.+ning with respect and appreciation. I stood up, filling up my gla.s.s with the same amber-brown liquid as everyone's and said, "It's just a small matter, ladies! I should thank you all for organizing such an event for me! Here's to everyone!" Like Edelweiss just now, I threw my head back and emptied the gla.s.s of its contents.

Everyone sat back down. I remained on my feet and filled my gla.s.s again. I raised it once more at Su Yixuan, "Well, words might have reached your ears that I might have said something unseemly to the old physician I called that day. But it was just a lie to get him to help everyone, so I hope that there would be no hard feelings between us! Here's to my apologies!" And I gulped down the gla.s.s full of liquor that burned its way down my throat.

Su Yixuan giggled merrily and raised her cup, "Well, I was informed about it. I understand your need for haste, Senior, and I'd never once blamed you for it! In fact, we have to thank you!" I heaved a relieved sigh. "Well, I do hope that you did not really begrudge me over it, otherwise, I'd be in trouble!"

A girl sitting beside punched me in my arm playfully. I recognized her as Lu Shengnan; a tomboy from my year in university. I was the only male student in my cla.s.s then and she liked dressing up like a boy, hence we became fast friends. But we had lost contact with each other after our graduation. "Wow, s.h.i.+yan, in just a few years, you're looking more and more like a real man! I was not there when everyone got sick. What happened actually? Come on, tell me!"

I chuckled. So began my recounts of what happened that day, "Well, I got a phone call from the office the day before, asking me to come to the university to collect my graduation certificate. When I reached the entrance of the university..."