Chapter Eighteen: The End of the Game

  It was also from Wu Jiang's mouth that Situ Xuan first heard the name of that girl.

  Her name is Tan Shaocheng.

  It's hard to imagine that a delicate and timid-looking girl would have such a strong and masculine name, the strong contrast leaves a deep impression, anyway, it's hard for Sītú Jué not to remember.

  Although there was a small accident by the river, Tan Shaochen still washed and cleaned Shu Ke's clothes. After her wound was bandaged, she didn't listen to the senior leader's advice and took a short rest before hobbling on her injured foot to carefully hang the clothes on a tree near the campsite where Shu Ke and others were staying.

  She was not tall enough, and the low-hanging branches were too thin and weak to hold weight. After trying several times, her wet clothes were on the verge of falling off, and she could only grit her teeth and stand on tiptoe to hang them higher. Yao Qiyun, who was closest to her, had intended to maintain a silent attitude, but seeing this scene, he couldn't help but walk over to her side, take the clothes from her without saying a word, and easily spread them out on a sturdy branch.

  Tan Shaocheng was so grateful that he almost bowed to him. Yao Qiyun just waved his hand, but under the other's politeness and humility, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. At this time, Situ Xue, who was playing military chess with Wu Jiang, looked over and saw Tan Shaocheng turn to her, still saying "sorry" in a low voice. However, Situ Xue didn't buy it and gave him a white eye, continuing to play chess with Wu Jiang.

  Tan Shaochen, who couldn't get any understanding, also had a few awkward expressions on his face under the attitude of Situ Xin. Yao Qiyun, who was still friendly to him, wasn't enthusiastic either. After seeing that there was nothing else for her to do, she sat down on one side and quietly packed up the things in her backpack.

  At this time, the little belly who was watching Si Tu and Wu Jiang play chess let out a few loud growls. His thick face suddenly turned red, and he stuttered, "Or... we can put the remaining dishes in the pot and stir-fry them to fill our bellies?"

  Tan Shaocheng only then realized that they hadn't eaten yet, the previous few minor accidents had completely destroyed Si Tu Xuan's enthusiasm for washing his hands and making a soup, and everyone else's meal plans were also put on hold. At this time, other groups had already entered the stage of washing pots and bowls, and Tan Shaocheng's group was no exception.

  "It's all my fault that you haven't eaten yet. How can you go hungry? Let me cook for you, it'll be quick."

  Wu Jiang glanced at her feet, which were still wrapped in gauze. "Don't bother, you're injured now, take a good rest and don't worry about us. If all else fails, I'm here too. After all, my fried rice is unbeatable."

  Situ Xuan burst out laughing, "Your egg fried rice is still charcoal flavored."

  Tan Shaocheng lowered his head to check their remaining wild cooking materials, the rice was cooked and there were some vegetables and a few eggs. He picked up the pot, Xiao Gen and Yao Qiyun both came forward to stop him, saying let me do it myself.

  "Don't argue with me, let me feel a little better. You guys should have eaten something long ago, it's really my fault." Tan Shaochen smiled shyly, "Besides, I hurt my foot, not my hand, and now I'm fine. Don't worry, I can cook quickly."

  She dodged their hands and walked to the simple stove with a pot, Yao Qiyun stopped talking, and Xiao Gen hurriedly followed to help.

  Situ Xuan clapped his hands and laughed, saying "It's really a blessing in disguise."

  Tan Shaocheng seemed to have not heard, busy with herself. Her hands and feet were quick and nimble, obviously she was used to doing these things, lighting the fire, chopping vegetables, and cooking in one go. She looked much more confident when working than when interacting with people, a hint of a relaxed smile appeared on her face which had been somewhat depressed all along. After more than 20 minutes, everyone smelled the aroma of the dishes, two simple dishes and a soup were almost done.

  It seems that to make up for his own mistake of colliding with Siu Yuen, Tam Siu Shing also made a tomato scrambled egg, but the standard compared to Siu Yuen is vastly different, and just by looking at it, it's very appetizing, and the wailing of the little belly grew louder.

  She urged everyone to hurry up and eat while it was hot, Yao Qiyun politely thanked her, even Wu Jiang didn't have the nerve to sniff his nose, then hastily lost to Si Tuyue, excitedly went over to "inspect" Tan Shaicheng's labor achievements.

  Only Situ Xuan was still focused on arranging her chess pieces, Tan Shaocheng's face turned red as he called out to her: "Situ, let's eat."

  Yao Qiyun filled a bowl with rice and dishes, walked over to her side, squatted down, and placed the bowl in front of her.

  "Alright, young lady, have you had enough? You need to eat your fill before you can continue throwing a tantrum."

  Situ Xuan pushed the bowl in his hand to one side with a bad temper, "I see you're full, bon appétit."

  She finished speaking and got up to leave. Wu Jiang, who was eating on the side, saw that Yao Qiyun hadn't moved, so he hastily shoveled a few big mouthfuls of food into his mouth and called out unclearly: "Situ, where are you going? I'll go with you." After speaking, he hurriedly swallowed the things in his mouth and chased after him.

  Yao Qiyun also stood up and looked at Tan Shaochen who was flustered and at a loss.

  "Did I do something wrong again? Sorry, but I didn't mean it." she said.

  Yao Qiyun used chopsticks to pick out the scallions from the bowl, suddenly remembering that Situ Xuan wasn't going to eat anyway, so why was she still habitually removing the things she disliked the most.

  He smiled and said to Tan Shaocity: "She's just like that, I apologize to you on her behalf, don't take it to heart."

  On the other side, Wu Jiang caught up with Sutu Xuan at the edge of the small woods and patted his chest, saying: "I just ate my fill and ran a hundred meters, I got appendicitis and I'll settle accounts with you."

  "Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating. Be careful of indigestion, can't even finish what's in front of you." Si Tu Jue tore off a piece of tree leaf and scolded Wu Jiang: "You ungrateful fellow, your stance is too unstable."

  Wu Jiang smiled and said: "I'm like this: wine and meat pass through the intestines, but righteousness and justice stay in the heart. You're also like that, why bother being hard on yourself? It's not worth it."

  "I'd rather starve to death than eat her food. You all say I'm unreasonable, but I just don't like her, and there's no need for me to owe her a favor. To try to curry favor without being asked is either deceitful or thieving! That dead guy Yao Qiyun is infuriating..."

  "What's wrong, let's go. I saw many birds in the woods when I came here, we'll take a look." Wu Jiang patted Situ Xue's shoulder and took out a piece of chocolate from his pocket, "This is my treasure, brother is good to you?"

  Situ Xuan pretended to vomit, and the two of them went into the woods with great enthusiasm to look for birds. They walked a big circle, but didn't see any rare species that Wu Jiang mentioned. However, there were quite a few sparrows.

  Wu Jiang made a simple slingshot and pretended to shoot birds.

  Situ Xuan stopped him with one hand, "Accumulate some virtue, other people's little birds are in pairs, you'd better be careful of the consequences."

  "I'm not afraid at all, I have a great fortune and a long life, I can live up to 90 years old."

  "I'll punish you by making you live a lonely life until you're a hundred years old."

  "How dare you curse me?" Wu Jiang snarled, baring his teeth. Xie Yu had already slipped away with a smile, disappearing into the distance.

  When the two of them came out of the woods, it was already dusk. The central activity hub had started many interesting activities. Wu Jiang's eyes were sharp and he saw Yao Qiyun standing in front of the riddle column from a distance, and the girl standing next to him was not Tan Shaochen, who else could it be? Yao Qiyun held a piece of paper with a riddle on it in his hand, bowed his head and said something, Tan Shaochen smiled slightly.

  Before Situ Xin could react, Wu Jiang quickly pulled her in the opposite direction.

  "Do you still remember that I said there's something very mysterious to show you?" He said with sparkling eyes as he saw another small circle surrounded by people.

  "Sze-to's eyes narrowed, 'If you're lying to me, you'll be in trouble.'"

  Two people squeezed to the front of the crowd, and it turned out to be a small concert. The senior high school student who came with Si Tu Xuan was holding a guitar and shouting Cui Jian's "Nothing to My Name", although he was off-key, but relying on his energetic performance, he also won applause.

  The boy finished singing, looked around at the surrounding junior brothers and sisters, "Who wants to come up for a duet... Don't be so shy, come on, especially you boys, have some guts..."

  Just as he was shouting, his guitar was taken away from one side.

  "Three Skins, I still remember that you didn't seem very brave when you were a newborn either." The person said lightly and sat down on the high stool in the center of the circle, casually tuning the strings. Without any unnecessary opening remarks, after a simple prelude, he began to sing.

  It's clear that this person has the prestige to subdue that senior student called "San Pi", San Pi doesn't dare to be arrogant anymore, and stands aside quietly as an onlooker.

  She didn't sing very loudly, and seemed a bit careless, the first few sentences were almost drowned out by the audience's noise, but soon, as if infected by her voice, from the circle of people closest to the center, they gradually quieted down, and her low hum became clear.

  The sunset glow is at the horizon, with two or three wisps of white cloud drifting by.

  The evening wind accompanies the quiet twilight, a light boat flutters and sways with a solitary shadow.

  The mountains on both shores are thinly veiled in mist, and the shepherd's flute is playing a farewell tune.

  I stroll along the bank, gazing at this babbling brook

  Can you take me away from my sorrow and go east?

  Bells and drums echo through the cold mountain, wave after wave of quietness is transmitted.

  "Did the Buddha know I was returning?"

  Situ Xin was not proficient in music, and as a child she hated her mother forcing her to play the piano. In middle school, she even self-studied guitar for a period of time, but eventually gave up halfway. However, she had to admit that the person playing the guitar in front of her was one of the best she had ever seen (not counting celebrities on TV). The song was unfamiliar to her, and judging from the melody, it should be an old song, very touching. On this summer island, it was somehow fitting, with a hint of shallow melancholy. The singer's voice also had a subtle emotional tone, which was quite suitable, and unknowingly, it touched people's hearts.

  "Mysterious things, where are they? Don't try to fool me." Although she was attracted by that song, Si Tu Xuan still didn't give up her curiosity and poked Wu Jiang who was standing beside her with bated breath.

  "It's far away in the sky, yet right before our eyes." Wu Jiang said with a smile.

  "What's going on?" Situ Jin was confused for a moment, and after a few seconds, a light bulb went off in his head, and he let out a long "oh..."

  Wu Jiang hastily signaled her to stop.

  "How is it?" he asked in a low voice, and on his usually nonchalant face, there was actually a hint of embarrassment.

  Situ Xuan felt even more astonished, knowing that she had known Wu Jiang for over a decade and considered herself one of the people who understood him best. The reason why her relationship with Wu Jiang was so strong was not only due to their family background and similar tastes but also because of Wu Jiang's personality, which had a carefree and nonchalant attitude. Situ Xuan often said that Wu Jiang had grasped the essence of Taoism's "non-action" and was someone who liked many things but at the same time didn't take anything too seriously. He would be happy when he got something, but wouldn't be sad when he lost it, and there were few things that could make him worry. This temperament complemented Situ Xuan's strong personality perfectly, which is why they had never quarreled since childhood. But what astonished her was that Wu Jiang had secretly placed someone in his heart and even deliberately introduced this person to their friends with great fanfare, something that Situ Xuan had never expected.

  Situ Xuan couldn't help but take a closer look at the girl holding the guitar. The girl wasn't extremely beautiful, but she had clear eyebrows and bright eyes, with a refined and elegant temperament. It was hard to say whether it was because of her slender figure, but she gave off a delicate and pure aura, like a Qinghua porcelain that had been washed clean by water. However, in her every move, there was a hint of aloofness, which made Situ Xuan, who had just finished reading "Dream of the Red Chamber", inexplicably think of the character Miaoyu from the book. He felt that she was someone who would be disgusted by anything "common" and would become "common" herself if she wasn't careful around her.

  "Situ Xuan whispered in Wu Jiang's ear: 'So you like this kind of small literary style, but can you handle someone else's 'taste'?"

  As expected, Wu Jiang immediately returned a word to her: "Vulgar!" He also didn't hide in front of Si Tu Jue, bluntly saying: "I just like this kind of thing, how about it? My taste isn't bad, right?"

  "Too much!" Sito Jin said with a deliberate frown, but soon smiled and took Wu Jiang's arm, "For the sake of our future Dr. Wu, whatever you like is fine."

  She was genuinely delighted for her good friend, even Wu Jiang's mortal heart was moved, and this small island suddenly became like Peach Blossom Island. "Right, what attitude did she have towards you? You haven't said what her name is yet? Is she your classmate? She doesn't look like a freshman?"

  "Situ Xuan, why do you have so many questions? And pay attention to the atmosphere, it's not good if others misunderstand." Wu Jiang smiled and pulled out his hand, but then whispered excitedly in Situ Xuan's ear: "Her name is Qu Xiaowen, of course she's not a newcomer, we're both first-year graduate students. I met her at the library, as for how she feels about me, of course she likes me, but she doesn't show it easily."

  "She's a graduate student, that's not much older than you!" exclaimed Cui Xue, dodging Wu Jiang's hand trying to cover her mouth, "Oh oh, sister-brother love... and she says others haven't expressed their feelings, I guess in her eyes you're just a rookie!"

  Watching Wu Jiang's sulky expression after being seen through, Si Tu Jue laughed and said, "The revolution has not yet succeeded, comrades still need to work hard. If you need my help, don't be polite, or I'll go and talk to her for you?"

  Wu Jiang saw that she was about to rush up and mediate, and felt that something was wrong, so he dragged her away, "Miss, let's go see what else is fun around here."

  After nightfall, the activity group hung several high-power spotlights on the treetops of the island with rented generators, and a raging bonfire was lit in the center of the venue. Although it can't be said that the lights are shining brightly, there is a kind of youthful and passionate atmosphere floating in the air on the small island filled with young people. People who were playing and doing their own thing everywhere returned to the headquarters, crowded together, and the bonfire party officially began.

  Wu Jiang and Situ Ke found a place to sit down, but Xiao Gen had already taken their seats and waved them over. Just as Situ Ke was about to go over, she saw Yao Qiyun and Tan Shaocheng still chatting away and shook her head at Xiao Gen, deciding to find another spot instead. Meanwhile, she also caught sight of Yao Qiyun's hesitant expression and was still angry with him, so she deliberately ignored him.

  The host of the event was again that boy called "San Pi", who turned out to be Wu Jiang's classmate, whose real name is Shao Bo. When Shao Bo signed his name, the character "Bo" was written with a big gap in between, so at first glance it looked like "Shao San Pi", hence everyone directly called him "San Pi". Due to his lively personality, San Pi held some position in many school groups and such lively events wouldn't be without him.

  After Sanpi called on everyone to calm down, he proposed playing a game to warm up first. This game is called "Couple". The rules are that ten boys and ten girls walk together in the designated circle, while another person outside beats the drum. When the drumbeat stops randomly, the players must immediately hold hands with the person closest to them, and the other person must be of the opposite sex, i.e., a successful "couple". If someone is unfortunately left alone, they will be eliminated. The eliminated player must perform an act in public before leaving the stage. As the number of people decreases, the circle becomes smaller.

  Sanpi is indeed the "God of Entertainment", knowing that this noisy and slightly flirtatious game can invigorate the spirits of young boys and girls at this age. As soon as he finished speaking, the whole scene erupted, but since most of the people present were new students who didn't know each other, they all looked quite shy with thin faces, eager to try but also observing from the sidelines, so there was a lot of thunder but little rain, and not many people dared to take the stage.

  Wu Jiang was still laughing, when suddenly Situ Xuan forcefully patted his hand, and only then did he realize that Qu Xiaowen had been dragged into the circle by San Pi, becoming the first participant. Since his senior brother and sister had taken the lead, two brave boys quickly followed suit.

  "Go, squeeze that Sanpi away." Si Tu Xie decisively pushed Wu Jiang forward, and Wu Jiang pulled her out together. She didn't mind, since she came here to have fun anyway.

  Twenty people quickly gathered, and when the drummer announced that they were ready to start, Situ Xuan, who had been paying attention to Qu Xiaowen for Wu Jiang, suddenly discovered that among those twenty people was a figure he knew all too well.

  Yao Qiyun actually participated in this kind of playful activity, it's really unbelievable. When Situ Xuan picked up his own fallen eyeballs, he finally revealed an expression of sudden realization and disdain. It turned out that the one who came with him was also that lingering ghost Tan Shaocheng. It's really hard for her to be so dedicated, even limping on one foot she still wants to go up.

  The game has begun, and the participants are standing in a random position. Everyone is circling around in a not-so-spacious circle, with no one knowing when the drumbeat will stop. In the first round, as soon as the drumbeat fell silent, Situ Xuan was tightly held by a tall and dark-haired boy, while Yao Qiyun took the hand of a round-faced girl. Just then, Situ Xuan wondered where Tan Shaocheng had gone, but when his gaze fell on Wu Jiang, he couldn't help but laugh - it turned out that Wu Jiang was holding onto Tan Shaocheng.

  In this round, a man and a woman in different corners immediately fell alone. The two were very generous, counted together, and jumped a simple waltz for everyone, then went down to the field and became spectators.

  Before the second round began, Situ Xuan did not forget the purpose of this game. She pushed Wu Jiang through the crowded small circle towards Qu Xiaojuan. She watched as Wu Jiang got closer and closer to Qu Xiaojuan amidst the urgent drumbeats, secretly cheering him on.

  This time the drumbeat lasted a long time, and when it stopped, it seemed even more sudden. In the instant of silence around her, Wu Jiang flashed out from between three people, successfully pulling Qu Xiaoyu back, while the tall and sturdy boy who had been following her everywhere accurately stretched out his hand to her once again.

  But just as the boy touched Situ Xin, she felt her body tilt violently to one side, and her arm was pulled in another direction with great force. She almost lost her balance, but then another force helped her regain it. Through the crowded throng of people, she finally saw that the person who had pulled her so hard that her hand ached was none other than Yao Qiyun, who wasn't even close to her. Standing beside him was Tan Shaocheng, looking embarrassed and bewildered as he stood there alone.

  Tan Shaocheng was also at a loss, just a few minutes ago, Yao Qiyun and Situ Xuan were still at odds with each other, looking like they would never get along. Earlier, when she chatted with Yao Qiyun about their childhood experiences in the countryside, they felt quite compatible, and she had even asked Situ Xuan if he was Yao's girlfriend, but he had flatly denied it. How could it be that at this critical moment, Yao Qiyun would abandon her, who was closest to him, and go look for that arrogant princess whom he didn't even acknowledge? Moreover, in this game, Situ Xuan had been avoiding him all along, deliberately standing far away from him.

  The staff maintaining order came over to check on the situation of this round, and when they saw Sī Tù Jué, everyone burst out laughing. It turned out that her method of maintaining balance was having both hands pulled by different people in different directions, with two forces seemingly trying to tear her in half.

  "What's going on here?" The staff also hesitated, the game rule requires that each "pair" can only have two people. So he could only ask the person involved, Situ Xuan: "Who grabbed you first?"

  Situ Xuan gave him a speechless and heaven-questioning expression.

  Fortunately, the tall boy still had a bit of competitive spirit, and although Yao Qiyun was a sudden insertion, he had to admit that he was half a second slower. He let go of his hand, indicating that he had been eliminated. Yao Qiyun's grip on Situ Yue didn't have time to withdraw, and Situ Yue stumbled forward, bumping into the couple standing between him and Yao Qiyun, repeatedly apologizing.

  Apart from that boy, Tan Shaocheng will undoubtedly be eliminated as well.

  The boy quickly recited a poem in front of everyone, winning thunderous applause. When it was Tan Shaicheng's turn, she turned bright red like a tomato, twisting her hands under the gaze of the crowd, and the more nervous she became, the blanker her mind went. Probably from childhood to adulthood, she had never performed in front of so many people, and at first, she came up to participate in the game with great courage, but didn't expect this to be even harder to deal with.

  She hummed and hawed, her head almost buried in her chest, the audience couldn't wait any longer, and they urged her from below. The staff then gave her an idea, saying: "Just sing a song casually."

  Tan Shaocheng took a few deep breaths, mustered up the courage, and began to sing in a mosquito-like voice. Due to her nervousness, she couldn't even remember the lyrics, stuttering and stumbling over her words. It wasn't until after a while that Situ Xuan realized she was singing Teresa Teng's "Small Town Story".

  When she sang to the song's "sing a little, say a little, small town stories are not bad......" At that time, I don't know if it was because of tension or accent, she sang it into "get on one, do one, small town stories are not bad......" Everyone who heard it held back their laughter, only one person laughed uncontrollably.

  That person is Qu Xiaojuan. It seems that for a professional like her, such a performance has enough reason to make her laugh out loud. She loudly called out to the staff and said: "Enough, don't embarrass the little girl anymore, if she continues to sing, Teresa Teng will cry."

  As soon as the words were spoken, a burst of laughter rippled through the crowd. And in this ebb and flow of laughter, Tan Shaochen stood alone and flustered in the center of everyone's gaze. She nervously clutched at her pant legs, suddenly realizing that her shabby clothes might make her look even more like a pitiful monkey, with tears welling up in her eyes and her whole body trembling. Before the tears fell, she hastily glanced back, and through the blur of tears, she saw Yao Qiyun's tightly clasped hands, Si Tu Xuan, Qu Xiaowen's bright smile, and Wu Jiang's slightly apologetic gaze.