Chen Ying looked up at Xue Yang’s profile, her thoughts drifting away. She had co with determination, but upon seeing him, she felt at a loss for words.
Xue Yang’s brows furrowed slightly. "Senior Sister Chen, if you have nothing to say, I’m leaving."
Seeing that Xue Yang was about to leave for real, Chen Ying finally started to panic. "Xue Yang, can you help complete the data for Lin Corporation? I didn’t do well this ti, and Teacher Gong gave one day to fix it, but I can’t possibly do it alone in just one day. You’re the only one who can help now."
Chen Ying had always been proud and arrogant; this was the first ti she had ever humbled herself to ask soone for help. If it had been anyone else, she definitely wouldn’t have stooped so low.
Xue Yang was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected her to seek him out for this. Even more surprising was the fact that her data had been rejected.
"Senior Sister Chen, there are thirty of us in this program. Why didn’t you ask soone else for help?"
"Xue Yang, please, just help ."
"Senior Sister Chen, you know I don’t want to cause any misunderstandings."
Chen Ying looked at Xue Yang’s unfeeling, handso face and said with resolve, "Xue Yang, if you help this ti, I promise I will never bother you again."
A part of her hoped he would refuse, but another part was terrified he would. She didn’t want to lose her career, but she didn’t want to lose him, either.
However, Xue Yang simply nodded and said, "Okay. See you at the library at noon."
With that, he turned and left without a backward glance.
Xue Yang was gone, but he had taken the heart of the still-standing Chen Ying with him.
...
Back in the classroom, Cui Hao imdiately started fishing for gossip. "Spill. What did campus belle Chen Ying want with you?"
"Her data didn’t pass. She asked for my help," Xue Yang replied.
Cui Hao looked slightly surprised. "So... you agreed?"
Xue Yang gave a quiet hum of affirmation.
Cui Hao draped his arm over Xue Yang’s shoulder. "Not bad. I never thought you’d agree to help Chen Ying with her data. Be honest, are you thinking about getting back together with her after you join Lin Corporation or sothing?"
In Cui Hao’s mind, a lodramatic blockbuster was already unfolding: the ultimate showdown between Xue Yang’s current girlfriend and his unforgettable first love. Who would erge victorious?
After rambling on for a while, he finally realized that Xue Yang wasn’t listening to a word he was saying.
"Xue Yang, what’s wrong with you? I’m talking to you."
Xue Yang stopped his pen, tilted his head to look at him, and said earnestly, "I’m wondering if I should even go to Lin Corporation after graduation if I get the offer."
Hearing this, Cui Hao stared at him as if he’d seen a ghost. "Xue Yang, have you lost your mind? Do you realize what you’re saying? Countless people dream of joining Lin Corporation, and you’re thinking of giving it up?"
"If other people want to join, then I’m just giving them an opportunity. Isn’t that a good thing?"
"No! Xue Yang, if this is about Chen Ying, it’s completely unnecessary. You could have just not helped her."
Xue Yang didn’t answer Cui Hao’s question, instead asking one of his own. "Cui Hao, have you ever heard the story of the little water droplet?"
"I’m talking about sothing serious, and you’re bringing up a little water droplet? What kind of story could that possibly have!"
Ignoring him, Xue Yang began to speak.
"Once upon a ti, there was a water droplet. It had heard that the ocean was vast and boundless, so it wanted to join it, believing it would then possess endless power. One day, it set off toward the ocean with joyful hops.
"It hopped and hopped, and on its way, it t a small puddle. The puddle asked where it was going, and the droplet replied, ’I’m going to see the ocean.’ The puddle said, ’The ocean is too vast. You’re so small that if you go, you’ll simply disappear.’ The little droplet didn’t believe it.
"It continued hopping and soon t a small stream. The stream asked where it was going. ’I’m going to see the ocean,’ the droplet replied. The stream said, ’The ocean is too vast. You’re so small, so why not rge with ? I can take you to the ocean.’
"The little droplet thought for a mont and said, ’No, I want to go by myself.’ It kept hopping along until it t a large river, which also asked where it was going. ’I’m going to see the ocean,’ the droplet said. Just then, the small stream popped its head out from the river. ’See?’ it said. ’I told you to rge with . Look, now I’ve rged into this river, and I’m drifting toward the ocean without having to do a thing.’ After saying this, the stream vanished, never to be seen again.
"Suddenly, the little droplet realized that if it went to the ocean, it would suffer the sa fate as the stream and ultimately disappear. So, it decided against going and found a place to settle down. Eventually, more and more droplets gathered around it, forming a large pool. Every day, countless animals and plants would co to drink from it."
"..."
The more Cui Hao listened, the more he felt sothing was off. It felt like Xue Yang was placating him like a child. "Xue Yang, what are you trying to say?"
Xue Yang replied, "I’m saying that I want to be that little water droplet, not just another face in the crowd to be absorbed by the ocean."
Xue Yang had thought it through. Getting into Lin Corporation was undoubtedly a great opportunity, but it was also highly restrictive. The company’s scope was so imnse that if he joined, he’d be just like that drop of water rging into the sea. It was just like in the story: as an individual droplet, your impact could be either minuscule or massive. But once you rged into the ocean, you vanished. You were no longer a droplet; you didn’t even have your own na. Therefore, Xue Yang wanted to be that singular droplet, the one that others joined to form a new source of water. He refused to simply drift with the tide and eventually lose himself.
Xue Yang’s words left Cui Hao speechless. After thinking for a long ti, he finally said, "What would Master Miejue think about this? And I’m not just saying this, but she’s been genuinely good to you. At least, I’ve never seen her treat anyone else so well. Besides, how can you be so sure you’ll beco a source of water? What if you just evaporate and disappear completely?"
"How will I know if I don’t try?"
Cui Hao looked at Xue Yang. At that mont, his friend’s image in his mind grew imasurably large, as if he were bathed in a holy light.
His heart started racing.
Finally, Cui Hao cursed aloud, "Fuck! Xue Yang, just stay the hell away from ."
"..."
Xue Yang rolled his eyes at him, then gathered all his materials from the desk and headed for the library.
As he watched Xue Yang’s receding back, Cui Hao felt an overwhelming urge to have a cigarette to calm his nerves. He had to admit that what Xue Yang said was incredibly compelling.
Who doesn’t harbor the desire to beco their own master? Given the choice, anyone would choose that path.
In the end, Cui Hao decided to sneak off for a cigarette to cool down. The university was fairly relaxed about smoking, but he normally exercised restraint.
Today, however, restraint was out of the question.
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