Movies and TV: Neighbor Qiao Yingzi, Crazy Pursuit of Song Qian and Wen Jie

Chapter 14: Yingzi: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll keep my lips sealed!’

“Su Bai, where are we going now?”

Qiao Yingzi quickly caught up to Su Bai and noticed that he was now holding two balloons.

“Did you want to argue with your mom earlier?” Su Bai asked.

“Huaxing and Yanda aren’t really the schools I want to attend. Those are just my mom’s wishes,” Yingzi replied.

“Then what’s the point of saying anything? No matter what you say, it won’t change her mind and might even upset her. How about we go somewhere else and write down what’s really in our hearts?”

With that, Su Bai led Yingzi toward the rooftop of the school building.

Yingzi thought Su Bai had a point, so she followed him.

“Come on! The balloon release is about to start. If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss it,” Su Bai said, pulling two pens from his pocket and handing one to Yingzi along with a balloon.

Yingzi didn’t hesitate. She took the balloon and pen and quickly started writing.

Although Su Bai was no stranger to balloon release ceremonies, having experienced them before his transmigration, he felt compelled to participate in this one—it was all part of the experience.

Instead of writing the name of a university on his balloon, however, Su Bai jotted down a cryptic phrase:

“I may be Su by name, but who wouldn’t want to be Cao Cao? From now on, call me Su the Rogue.”

[“Su the Rogue” (苏贼, Sū Zéi): A humorous self-designation by Su Bai, referencing the historical figure Cao Cao, often seen as a cunning “villain” in Chinese folklore and history.]

“Su Bai, what school did you write down? Can I see?”

Yingzi had already written the name of her dream university and now wanted to see Su Bai’s.

But Su Bai quickly lifted his balloon out of reach.

“I won’t look at yours, so don’t look at mine.”

“I saw it! It says ‘Su Rogue.’ What kind of school is that? I’ve never heard of it,” Yingzi said, trying to puzzle out the strange name.

Her mind raced through her knowledge of universities, but none of them matched the name “Su Rogue.” She briefly considered whether it was some obscure private school, but quickly dismissed the idea—it was too ridiculous a name for any legitimate university.

“Stop overthinking it. Look, the ceremony is starting!” Su Bai said, gesturing toward the field below as a loud countdown began.

“Three, two, one—release!”

The emcee’s voice boomed over the microphone:

“Release your balloons and let your dreams take flight.”

On cue, a swarm of balloons ascended into the sky, carrying the aspirations of the soon-to-be graduates.

Su Bai and Yingzi joined in, releasing their balloons. As Yingzi watched hers soar into the sky, she couldn’t help but jump with excitement.

“Su Bai, thank you so much!”

Before Su Bai could respond, Yingzi leapt into his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck.

“I’m so happy being with you. I don’t even have to listen to my mom’s nagging anymore,” she said, tears of joy in her eyes.

Su Bai instinctively held onto Yingzi’s waist to keep her from slipping.

“As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. Today is meant to be enjoyed,” Su Bai said softly.

“You’re right,” Yingzi replied, her cheeks flushing as she realized the closeness of their embrace and felt Su Bai’s strong chest against her.

The moment was abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice behind them.

“I knew I’d find you two here,” Fang Yifan said, standing in the doorway.

Su Bai and Yingzi instantly let go of each other. Yingzi jumped out of Su Bai’s arms, her face red with embarrassment.

Fang Yifan stood there, stunned by what he had just witnessed.

“I really should’ve brought a camera,” he muttered to himself.

“Fang Yifan, what are you doing here?” Yingzi asked, trying to mask her embarrassment with irritation.

“I saw you two come up here and thought you’d found something fun. I even told Taozi and the others to follow, but they’re slower,” Fang Yifan said.

“By the way, did I just see you two hugging?” he added slyly.

“You must’ve imagined it. There’s no way that happened,” Yingzi shot back.

She was determined to keep Fang Yifan quiet—her strict mother would lose it if she ever found out.

Fang Yifan reluctantly dropped the topic, deciding it wasn’t worth pursuing under Yingzi’s fierce glare.

’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’

After the ceremony, the school hosted brief presentations from various universities, but the events concluded quickly.

The students packed their bags and headed home, relieved that the week was over. The extra day off was meant to ease them into the high-pressure Year Three schedule.

As the group prepared to leave, Fang Yifan turned to Su Bai.

“Su Bai, we’re going to the movies. Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

This time, the group included not only Yingzi, Taozi, and Fang Yifan, but also Geng Geng, who had become friendly with the others.

Despite her initial hesitation, Geng Geng had accepted Fang Yifan’s invitation.

The rooftop incident remained a secret, thanks to Yingzi’s insistence, though she and Su Bai both knew Fang Yifan couldn’t keep quiet forever.

For now, though, their secret was safe.