Chapter 4: We Meet Again

This time, the [Puppy Peeking] sticker seemed to have failed.

Ming Ying didn’t get a reply.

He felt disappointed for a moment, then suddenly took a deep breath.

What are you doing? Bro, don’t forget why you came to New York!

To study. Study.

After some painful self-reflection, Ming Ying quickly typed out a few messages. He tossed his phone aside, opened his laptop, and started reading papers.

Mingo: The scholarship details are in the student handbook.

Mingo: I’m off to study now, logging off. Leave a message if you need anything. Nice meeting you!

Mingo: Have a great day! (＾＾)

Silas received those messages after finishing an online meeting.

He leaned back, raising a hand to tiredly pinch the bridge of his nose. After reading the messages, he paused and then shook his head with a soft laugh.

It seemed Thomas had recruited an interesting student this year.

…

Ming Ying was a natural-born learner.

Within moments, he let go of the restlessness the messages had caused and became fully immersed in the dense foreign-language paper. He didn’t even notice Mark knocking at his door.

The article was about the history of Russian architecture. The author was Russian, and the article was written in Russian.

It might as well have been gibberish.

Ming Ying had to translate as he read, cursing Russians for their ridiculously abstract characters the whole time.

By the time he had haphazardly read (and cursed) his way through it once, two hours had passed.

When Ming Ying opened his phone again, there were unexpectedly several replies.

He squinted. The first one he saw was from XI.

XI: Thx.

Ming Ying: “…”

His slightly fluttering heart instantly became as cool as his Russian translations.

Fine. At least the girl hadn’t left him on read. But this reply was so formal.

So formal that Ming Ying didn’t even know what to say. In the end, he could only reply with a [Smile] emoji.

That conversation was over.

Ming Ying went to check the other messages. It was from his classmate, Alan.

Alan: Pls remember wknd dinner.

Ming Ying chuckled. He had to say, this classmate was really considerate, specifically reminding him.

Mingo: ok, thx.

The weekend arrived quickly. Over the past two days, Ming Ying had been familiarizing himself with the area around the apartment with Mark. It also helped him form a proper understanding of New York’s cost of living. The result of this understanding was that he’d eaten instant garbage food he’d brought from China for two days straight.

Restaurants were too expensive.

And sandwiches were just unbearably disgusting.

Mark couldn’t cook. Ming Ying couldn’t cook either. Two people who couldn’t cook under one roof was a pure disaster.

Don’t ask why they didn’t try to cook. In Mark’s words, at least instant food wasn’t poisonous.

Ming Ying asked him, “Then how did you survive past breaks?”

Mark answered matter-of-factly, “Mooch off friends. Everywhere. Wanna join me?”

Ming Ying raised an eyebrow and smiled. “No need. I’m having a good meal tonight.”

Professor Thomas was treating them tonight.

Mark looked envious. “Ming, I predict you’re about to have a double harvest in love and career.”

Mark’s offhand comments were something Ming Ying had gotten used to.

“Come on, bro…” Ming Ying thought of the messages XI had read but ignored over the past two days. He smiled helplessly. “I think you’re mocking me.”

Strictly speaking, XI wasn’t exactly leaving him on read. She just wasn’t very enthusiastic.

For example, yesterday he asked if she was in New York, and she didn’t reply.

But that evening, when Ming Ying sent his usual goodnight message, she replied.

Just a simple “You too.”

He could tell the other person was just maintaining basic politeness. Ming Ying was even starting to find himself annoying, even though he hadn’t sent many messages.

But then again, the fact that she replied meant she probably didn’t dislike him, right?

Damn, why did his thoughts go to ‘dislike’? If she disliked him, why would she have added him in the first place?

Ming Ying shook his head, got himself ready, and remembered the matter just as he was about to leave. He picked up his phone again and found the profile picture of a school gate.

Then, on the sparse chat page, he typed another message.

Mingo: Good evening, XI. I’m about to head out for dinner with my advisor and classmates. It’s my first time eating out since I got to New York.

Mingo: [Puppy Expectant Sticker]

The chat artistry of Ming Ying, even when expressionlessly typing: friendly interjections could not be omitted, nor could puppy stickers. Yep.

Of course, this artistry was reserved solely for chatting with girls.

Initially, he planned to put his phone away and leave right after sending, but unexpectedly, the other side replied.

XI: Now?

Ming Ying froze mid-step.

This was the first time XI had sent him a question mark.

Before he could react, a second message came.

XI: At this hour, I suggest you take a cab.

Ming Ying stood at the doorway for a moment. He wondered if XI had somehow guessed he was going to take the subway and was concerned for his safety?

In an instant, news reports about NYC subway killings flashed through Ming Ying’s mind. A chill ran down his spine. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but with this reminder, maybe he’d better not risk it.

Right after, Ming Ying sighed with emotion. What a considerate girl.

He had to find a topic to keep the conversation from dying.

Mingo: How did you know I was going to take the subway? [Laughing crying emoji]

Unfortunately, there was no reply this time.

But Ming Ying was already incredibly flattered. Did she… deduce he was a broke student who would take the subway just from that one brief meeting at the airport?

Ming Ying looked down at himself.

White hoodie, wide-leg jeans, black chest sling bag.

He clicked his tongue and turned around. “Mark! What do you think of my look?”

Mark, who was packing up to go out and mooch a meal, heard him and answered honestly, “Like a college student.”

Well, no shit, he WAS a college student.

Ming Ying scoffed and headed out in his full straight-man outfit.

For safety’s sake, Ming Ying heeded the “girl’s” advice and chose to take a cab.

Everything went smoothly, except that the painful bill before getting out made Ming Ying sigh.

However, he still hadn’t considered enough, and he’d underestimated Manhattan’s prosperity. As night approached, the city lights were dazzling, skyscrapers towering around him. He felt like he was standing among countless giants, completely disoriented.

The Uber driver seemed to have dropped him off at the wrong place. Following the GPS on his phone led him in circles. He circled and circled, but Ming Ying simply could not find the address for Aston Restaurant.

“Damn.” Ming Ying was furious and planned to give the driver a one-star rating when he got back.

Just as he was standing on the sidewalk, about to ask some random passerby for directions, a sedan pulled over into the traffic flow not far away, under a streetlamp.

The car body was as black as night. The driver’s side window rolled down, and a slender hand holding a cigarette stretched out. Embers and smoke rings reflected on the car’s surface, flowing out along with a voice from a phone call inside.

“That’s all for the opening arrangements. Also, the invitation for your lecture topic at the Law School has been sent to your email. Please check it.”

“Okay, I understand. Thank you for your work.”

Catherine reminded him, “Mr. Aston, your date with Ms. Rachel is at 8:30 tonight. Shall I arrange a car to pick you up?”

“No need.” Silas tapped off some ash. “I’ll drive myself.”

“Very well. Enjoy your dinner.”

After hanging up, Silas unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed the flowers from the passenger seat with one hand, and prepared to get out.

But just as he turned his face, through the grey-tinted glass, he narrowed his eyes and caught a familiar figure on the sidewalk.

They had actually only met once.

But Ming Ying was tall and had a very distinct presence. Coupled with this outfit on a Manhattan street, just like at the airport, his naivety was conspicuously out of place.

Silas glanced behind him and spotted a subway entrance.

He raised an eyebrow. It seemed he was also a disobedient student.

So Silas put the flowers back on the passenger seat and reached for his phone instead.

“You took the subway tonight?”

The question was direct and to the point.

After sending it, Silas looked up at the person outside.

The young man outside, who had been pacing around while making a call, suddenly stopped as if he’d been paused.

Amidst the flow of pedestrians, he stood in place, head bowed, intensely focusing on typing on his phone.

Because they were fairly close, Silas could even see the youth’s deeply furrowed brow. Anyone who knew what was happening would know he’d received a text. Anyone who didn’t would think someone was giving him an exam through his phone.

The man raised his wrist to glance at his watch and decided to wait in the car for a bit. He patiently folded his arms, lowered his gaze to the screen, and saw it showed “Typing…”

He waited a moment. Nothing. He looked up again at the person outside, still standing there holding his phone.

XI: ?

“Holy shit.”

Seeing the question mark from XI, Ming Ying couldn’t help but exclaim.

Truthfully, Ming Ying hated receiving question marks. Aside from the oppressive feeling they gave off, they easily triggered his rebellious streak. If it were anyone else, he might have just ignored it. But this wasn’t anyone else. This was his first potential love interest in twenty-two years.

Just like that, Ming Ying’s brain automatically shifted into another mode.

A girl this considerate must be worried about him. That’s why she sent a question mark.

He had to reply gently.

And not be too greasy about it.

Buzz.

Silas’s phone vibrated. He narrowed his eyes, pulled his gaze back from the person on the roadside, and looked down to swipe open the screen.

Mingo: No, I took a cab here. I listened to you. Felt like the subway really isn’t that safe after all 🙁

Mingo: Thank you, XI!

Mingo: [Puppy Riding Scooter Sticker]

Silas glanced over the white puppy riding a scooter across his screen, then sent another reply before opening the car door to get out.

At the same time, Ming Ying was about to add another line when XI’s message suddenly popped up.

XI: Taking a cab, is it a bit expensive?

Ming Ying really wanted to reply: Yes, totally. You hit the nail right on my heart. But he couldn’t. A man, no matter what, cannot cry about being broke.

Mingo: It’s okay. Safety first, right? 😀

XI: Mm.

XI: Having this mindset is commendable.

Mingo: haha… But XI, do you know if Google Maps messes up sometimes?

XI: What do you mean?

Mingo: Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that I think I’m lost. 🙂

Mingo: [Puppy Spinning Sticker]