Chapter XX
Love couldn't be achieved overnight, nor could it just wait silently. A moment of good feelings might just be an illusion, but a simple wait would only make her perfect and sacred in her imagination. True love is impulsive, but it can still accumulate with the passage of time. It is guarded by a heart of adventure and persistence.
She had been hesitant and uncertain about every relationship. Even if she asked herself if she had to have someone, she couldn't give an answer. He was afraid of hurting and being hurt, bringing pain to others, and not getting happiness for himself.
Living in loneliness, longing to be accepted and recognized by others. The loneliness hidden under laughter is unknown, and the open heart sometimes hesitates whether to close it. A person had come from a journey, pursued, waited, and was lucky enough to always be on the road.
He used to like the belief that the braver he was, the happier he would be. He dared to try, even if it was just to leave no regrets. But now, he had become timid and hesitant. Perhaps everyone would change. No matter what they became, their hearts would still be the same. No matter how great the resistance was, it would not change their footsteps.
A promise can't guarantee anyone, including myself. I don't know when I'll forget or when I'll remember. Let time remember this journey for us.
--Xiao Lin to Bai Bingying
The afternoon sun was bright, but it was not as irritating as the summer sun. It gently shone on his face, arms, and shoes, making him have the urge to gently caress them. The trees, flowers, and plants welcomed the sunlight with a lively expression.
Xiao Lin stood in the sunlight, closing his eyes as he tried to breathe in the scent of the sun. Thinking about going to the bell tower alone with Bai Bingying, Xiao Lin was excited. He tried his best to suppress his excitement and patiently waited for Bai Bingying to come out of the dormitory building.
Bai Bingying was wearing a pair of light-colored high heels, light yellow stockings, and a white dress. A halo of the sun immediately surrounded her. Xiao Lin hurried forward and helped Bai Bingying carry her handbag. Bai Bingying didn't refuse and handed it over to Xiao Lin. She asked Xiao Lin to take out a parasol from his bag. Xiao Lin held the umbrella and the two of them chatted as they walked towards the library.
As soon as he stepped into the library, a cool breeze blew against his face, making him feel its solemnity and solemnity. Xiao Lin put away the umbrella and walked towards the elevator with Bai Bingying. The people coming and going in the library were not noisy. It was so quiet that one could hear the sound of footsteps.
Walking to the elevator door, Xiao Lin pressed the button. After a while, the elevator door opened. Xiao Lin walked behind her and let Bai Bingying enter first. Thinking that the clock tower was on the highest floor, Xiao Lin pressed the button for the eighth floor.
When the elevator reached the eighth floor and was about to stop, Xiao Lin saw Bai Bingying supporting her head with her right hand and closing her eyes. Xiao Lin quickly reached out to support her. When the door opened, the two of them walked out. Bai Bingying explained that every time she took the elevator, she would feel dizzy, probably because of the weightlessness.
The eighth floor was not the highest floor that Xiao Lin had imagined, but he thought that as long as he kept going up, it would definitely be right. In order not to let Bai Bingying know that he had never been here before and didn't know the way, Xiao Lin confidently led her to the opposite staircase.
The stairs were very bright, and the light shone on the pure white walls. There were red paper cuts on the wall, with two dragons and the words " Auspicious Year of the Dragon ". He walked up the stairs. There were two flights of stairs and a locked iron door. The sound of metal colliding and the sound of air pressure could be heard from inside. After walking up a flight of stairs, a small aluminum door appeared in front of them.
Xiao Lin, who was standing in front of the door, was quite dejected. He saw an iron lock on the inside of the door. Looking back at Bai Bingying, who was still two steps away from him, Xiao Lin didn't give up. He decided to try his luck and reached out to fiddle with the iron bolt of the door frame. He was lucky to find that the iron lock was only locked on the door bolt. Xiao Lin secretly thanked the heavens for not letting Bai Bingying come with him for nothing. Xiao Lin pushed open the door and waited for Bai Bingying. The two of them walked in together.
There was a short passage across the door frame, and the bright sunlight shone in from the end. There were two dark red doors that were wide open. The doors were made in an antique style. There was a big round gong on the door, and a door ring on each door. The door ring was embedded in the mouth of a small lion's head. There was a big plaque on the top of the door, engraved with the traditional Chinese characters "Bell Tower". The threshold below the door was a thick horizontal wood, which was nearly two minutes high.
Xiao Lin helped Bai Bingying carefully cross the threshold. What greeted their eyes were green bonsai plants, giving them a unique feeling of the bell tower. The decorations outside the door gave Xiao Lin and the others another pleasant surprise. On the left side of the door, there was a wooden corridor that extended forward. The floor was also paved with wooden planks.
Lampshades of different shapes hung on the long corridor. The exquisite and cute lampshades were retro in style. Xiao Lin imagined how beautiful the lampshades would be under the night sky. There were a few wooden tables beside the corridor, and there were wooden chairs around the tables for people to bathe in the sunset and relax.
Walking along the wooden corridor and turning to the left, the real protagonist appeared in front of him. An ancient bronze bell tied with a red silk belt was hung vertically in the air by an iron chain. The bronze bell was engraved with dense inscriptions.
There was a huge mural on the wall facing the ancient bell. In the painting, five gentlemen and a lady were standing in front of the White Deer Cave Academy in the costumes of the Republic of China. A couplet was carved on both sides of the mural. On the left side, it read," Holding the middle and holding the thousand-year-old white deer's firewood, passing the fire to pass the bell, ringing the ancient rhyme to inspire the spirit." On the right side, it read," Looking far and climbing high, thousands of blue waves, flying fish leaping into the building, bathing in the wind to open the chest." In front of the mural was a thick wooden chopping board. Xiao Lin wiped the wooden stool under the chopping board, let Bai Bingying, who was wearing high heels, sit down, and handed her bag to him.
Xiao Lin walked to the right side of the mural and raised his head to look at the introduction of the bell tower carved on the wall. The clock tower was located on the top floor of the graphic information center building, on the north-south axis of the Yaohu Campus of National Zhongcheng University. The main structure of the clock tower was carried out by the infrastructure department. It was completed on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the school celebration. The bell weighed 2.76 tons, was 2.2 meters high, and had a diameter of 1.6 meters. Alumni of Jiangxi Province and Press Group and Jiangxi Xinhua Circulation Group Co., Ltd. donated 500,000 RMB for the casting of the bell. On August 5, 2010, the factory, Jiangxi Tongqing Metal Crafts Co., Ltd., transported the clock tower and installed it successfully. On October 18th, 2010, the school anniversary office held a blessing ceremony here, and on October 20th, the first song ceremony was held.
The inscription of the bell was written by Liu Shinan. The language was elegant and simple. It briefly introduced the development of the school in the past 70 years and sorted out the academic tradition and context of "inheriting the style of the Song and Ming academies and inheriting the legacy of Zhongzheng University".
The painting was originally an oil painting created by Zhang Guoquan, Cai Ming, Zhang Jianrui, Feng Zhiguo, and others. It was burned into porcelain prints by high temperature to facilitate permanent preservation. The porcelain engraving was 7.2 meters long and 2.7 meters high. It used documentary techniques to reflect the cause of the founding of the National Zhongcheng University and the historical figures of the university. The background was the natural landscape of the White Deer Cave Academy and Xiufeng Temple (Kaixian Temple) at the southern foot of Lushan Mountain, solidifying the historical moment of "White Deer Opening". Below the porcelain engraving was a wooden table and stool with chicken wings. The table was three meters long, 0.1 meters thick, and weighed 0.5 tons.
The couplet of the bell tower was produced by the publicity department through collection and selection. Liu Shinan wrote the couplet of "The Imperial College's Worship" and "The Sound of Jade and Gold", and Fu Xiuyan wrote the couplet of "Looking Far and Ascending". The couplet recited the scenery of the bell tower, reminiscing the achievements of the sages, and revealing the cultural energy contained in the continuous bell with the ancient rhyme of the bell.
The bell tower was a sacred and solemn place that reflected the school's spiritual tradition. It was first managed by the Academic Affairs Office. The school stipulated that the school anniversary bell would ring at a fixed time after the first bell ceremony. It would ring five times a day, nine times each time. The specific time was 8:00, 12:00, 14:00, 18:00, and 22:00. The sound of the bell echoed on the shore of Pengli Lake."Hearing the bell in Yaohu Lake" had become a new scene in Yuzhang.
Bai Bingying rested for a while, then stood up and walked to the arched window of the bell tower. Xiao Lin roughly finished reading the introduction of the bell tower and moved closer to Bai Bingying. Looking down from above, the beautiful scenery of Jing Lake and Zhengda Square could be seen at a glance. The waves of Jing Lake were thin, black swans were playing in the lake, and flocks of ducks were flying across the water. Zhengda Square was covered in greenery. There was a vast grassland, shady trees, a school history pillar standing in the middle, couples walking close to each other, and children flying kites…
Xiao Lin stood behind Bai Bingying and gently closed his eyes, feeling the breeze caressing his face. The wind that blew in her face drifted through her icy white hair, and a mesmerizing fragrance spread across her skin. Xiao Lin's heart beat wildly, and his mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts.
Suddenly, a voice came from nowhere." Xiao Lin, didn't you say you liked her? He wanted to be with her? But why didn't he dare to tell her? Can you be a little braver and not be so cowardly?”Xiao Lin couldn't suppress this voice.
At this moment, it was difficult for him to calm down. If there was a mirror beside him, Xiao Lin would be able to see how complicated the expression on his face was.
Although Xiao Lin's heart was in turmoil, Bai Bingying, who was in front of him, was deeply immersed in the scenery, completely unaware of Xiao Lin's abnormality. There were only the two of them in the clock tower. The silence made Xiao Lin feel suffocated. His heart that was difficult to calm down pounded against his chest. A belief that Xiao Lin had always pursued emerged in his mind." The braver, the happier." Why didn't he follow his heart? Be brave, don't be so timid.
Xiao Lin made up his mind. In an instant, he stretched out his hands and hugged Bai Bingying tightly. Bai Bingying was stunned and struggled. He was not mentally prepared for Xiao Lin's sudden hug. However, due to Xiao Lin's strength, Bai Bingying was unable to break free.
"Bingying, I like you. Are you willing to be with me?”Xiao Lin said with a rapid heartbeat.
At this moment, Bai Bingying quieted down and remained silent for a while. She was hesitating in her heart whether to agree or not. Perhaps she already had the answer, but she was unwilling to admit it too early.
"If I don't agree, are you going to hug me forever, or are you going to push me down?" Bai Bingying asked in a different tone.”
"If you don't agree, I won't let go.”Xiao Lin was stunned as he said this. His face was definitely flushed red now.
"Let go first, okay? You're hurting me." Bai Bingying begged Xiao Lin.
Xiao Lin felt both ashamed and secretly happy. He quickly let go and lowered his head, not daring to look at Bai Bingying. Bai Bingying, who had been released, placed her hands in front of her chest and rubbed her arms gently. She turned around and sat down in front of the mural.
"Go ahead, I'm listening." Bai Bingying raised her head and looked at Xiao Lin sincerely.
Xiao Lin sat across the table from Bai Bingying. Bai Bingying's cheeks were flushed, and Xiao Lin felt that she wasn't that untouchable. On the contrary, it was so real by his side. Xiao Lin adjusted his breathing and tried his best to calm himself down.
"Bingying, meeting you, there are so many coincidences stacked together. I really want to tell you that meeting you is really a coincidence. I'm willing to believe that it's a kind of fate and that it will be the luckiest thing in my university life. I don't know when I started to be deeply infatuated with you. I miss you every day. I want to see you and hear your voice. Did you know? These three days without you were so torturous for me, but I couldn't go to you because I felt sorry for you. I didn't perform well and get a better ranking for our dance.”
Xiao Lin paused for a moment and looked at Bai Bingying. She was smiling as she focused on Xiao Lin. Xiao Lin felt his heartbeat slow down, and his breathing was no longer rapid.
"Today, I was too impulsive and didn't control myself. However, please believe that I can't help myself. I really want to find an opportunity to say what I've been suppressing for a long time. I like you and will always like you. How I wish that one day we would be together, and I would proudly tell all my friends that you are my girlfriend. Maybe I have many bad things, but I'm willing to change for you. As long as it's for your good, I'm willing to do anything. Bingying, please give me a chance.”
"Alright, I'll give you a chance. Come and kneel down as punishment for your impulsiveness.”Bai Bingying pointed at the empty space in front of her and said with a serious expression.
Xiao Lin was stunned for a moment. He didn't understand, but he still walked to Bai Bingying and bent down. Bai Bingying hurriedly pulled him back.
"Are you stupid? I'm just joking with you. Don't you know that there's gold under a man's knees?”Bai Bingying scolded Xiao Lin.
Xiao Lin gently held Bai Bingying's hand. Although it was as soft as when he was practicing dancing, the meaning was different now.
"The ancients did warn that 'there is gold under a man's knees'. That means that men don't kneel down to the heavens or beg others, but they can kneel down to their parents and wives. Parents give us life, and wives continue the lives of the next generation. It's also great.”
"You're making it up, right?" Bai Bingying shook off Xiao Lin's hand and said," Why is it that every time I hold your hand, my palm is full of sweat?"”Bai Bingying took out a piece of tissue from her bag and handed it to Xiao Lin to wipe his hands. Xiao Lin didn't know that his palms would sweat whenever he saw her.
After coming down from the clock tower, Xiao Lin sent Bai Bingying back to the dormitory and dialed Zhao Ruixu's number.
"Hey, Ruixu, where are you? Let's go to Sanqiao for a drink, shall we?”Xiao Lin said.
"I'm in the dormitory. Do you want to call Wenhao, Ah Zeng, and the others?”Zhao Ruixu asked.
"Don't call them yet. Come down. I'm at the entrance of the sixth building near the wind and rain stadium.”Xiao Lin planned to find some time next time to call his brothers and formally treat everyone to a big meal.
Zhao Ruixu was wearing a short t-shirt and quickly walked out of the building. When he saw Xiao Lin, he said,"Tell me first, brother, whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, so that I can be mentally prepared."”
"We'll talk about it later. Let's drink and talk. Did you play basketball this afternoon?"
Xiao Lin first changed the topic and talked about something else. The two of them chatted all the way to the barbecue stall at the entrance of the third bridge. Because the school did not allow barbecue stalls to enter the school to protect the school environment, they could only enter the school gate.
Xiao Lin and the others walked to a barbecue stall and were invited to sit down by a passionate boss. Xiao Lin filled both their glasses with beer and waited for the boss to serve the barbecue.
"Come, Ruixu, let's go first. This bro is happy today.”Xiao Lin gulped it down and continued," I've finally lived up to everyone's expectations. I've successfully wooed Bingying. Ruixu, don't you think it's worth celebrating?"”
"Of course it's worth celebrating. I'm happy for you.”Zhao Ruixu clinked glasses with Xiao Lin and drank it as well. "Xiao Lin, to be honest, Bai Bingying is really not bad. I feel that it's not easy to meet the right person in university. It wasn't like high school, where the circle was small and everyone had a lot of contact. Although high school teachers would strongly oppose it, it was easier to fall in love. However, it was different in university. No one would restrict you. Even most parents and relatives would encourage you. However, it was no longer that simple. Perhaps because there were more choices, there were more factors that were affected.”
"There will always be bread. Wait patiently, and she will appear. Ruixu, for your sake, she came earlier.”Xiao Lin raised his glass and gestured to Zhao Ruixu to drink it all.
Actually, Zhao Ruixu was right. There were many people who passed by in university, but there were not many who could really be friends, let alone dating. It was not easy to be together. Only those who knew how to cherish it were worthy of having it.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。