Chapter 3: The Two Faces of the Bully (4/5)

In the blink of an eye, another week had passed. On a leisurely evening, Mu Ningxiang and Zheng Huiwen came together to the club activity room, and saw Ren Jingting sitting in front of the bookshelf, with Tang Haoyang seated across from her, the two of them chatting with great enthusiasm.

Ren Jingting said, "President, aside from poetry, do you read other kinds of books too?"

"Of course, I read quite a lot of books. The Four Great Classics have long been old news—I read books both domestic and foreign. The most recent one I read is Molière's play *Tartuffe*."

"That sounds pretty niche. Is there anything in it that's especially well-written?"

"'The person whose own conduct is most laughable is always the first to go around speaking ill of others.'"

Ren Jingting nodded approvingly upon hearing this and said, "I hope we never meet people like that."

"Actually, Molière's works aren't really that niche—anyone with even a little research into European and American literature would know him. He lived in the 17th century, was both a writer and an actor, and was even the founder of French ballet comedy. He's one of the greatest comic playwrights in Western literature, with quite a number of works, the famous ones being *Tartuffe*, *Don Juan*, and *The Miser*."

"Oh—" Ren Jingting nodded along as she listened.

"The story is very simple: a swindler, in order to seize a rich merchant's fortune, disguises himself as a holy churchman and worms his way into the merchant's household, scheming to seduce his wife. But in the end the truth comes out, the swindler is thrown into prison, and the merchant's family lives happily ever after. Such a simple story, passed down from the 17th century to today—I think there must be more to it than just the story itself."

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Ren Jingting fell silent, her calm eyes fixed in place, as if lost in thought about something.

Zheng Huiwen walked over to them and picked up where Tang Haoyang left off: "Because even though the story is simple, things like it are happening in real life all the time. The essence of a story is that it's rooted in life but elevated above it. From the 17th century to today, many people love stories that feel close to reality—they compare their own experiences to the characters in the story. It's just that, in reality, the ending isn't always as happy as it is in the book."

"Ah, have you two eaten dinner yet?" Tang Haoyang asked, greeting the two young women, his eyes involuntarily lingering an extra moment on Zheng Huiwen.

"We have, we didn't have evening classes today," Zheng Huiwen answered, then walked up to Ren Jingting and said with a smile, "Hello, I remember your name is Ren Jingting, right?"

"Yes, and you must be—" Ren Jingting studied her for a moment before asking, "You must be Senior Zheng Huiwen, right?"

"Mm," Zheng Huiwen nodded, and lightly nudged Mu Ningxiang beside her, asking, "And do you remember who she is?"

"That's Mu Ningxiang. We've known each other for a while now."

Mu Ningxiang returned her a full, warm smile.

"Really? I hadn't noticed at all—I always thought you were the introverted, quiet type, not one for socializing."

"It's true I'm introverted and quiet, but I'm not a social recluse. If someone's willing to be friends with me, I'm happy about it."

The three girls chatted for a while, and then someone else walked in. The evening sun shone directly into the activity room, and with the light behind him, it was hard to make out his face. But those who knew him well could still recognize him at a glance.

"Ren Jie." Ren Jingting was the first to call out to him, her voice carrying a note of sweetness and delight.

"Mm." Ren Jie responded with a smile too, a different kind of tenderness in his eyes.

Tang Haoyang then greeted him, "You had time to come play today?"

"Yeah, I had a bit of free time today, so I thought I'd stop by and take a look." Ren Jie's gaze fell on Mu Ningxiang's face, and he asked, "You're a freshman, right? What do you think of this club Haoyang started?"

"It's great! The president is really knowledgeable, and the club has prepared lots of interesting things too. Look, like this Li Bai plush doll he sewed himself, and there's a Du Fu doll too. I especially like these two—I even told the president that whenever he has time, he should teach me how to make one, because my favorite is Bai Juyi."

"Is that so? Can you tell me why you like him? I'm a science student, so I really don't understand this stuff much."

"Because Bai Juyi didn't come from a good background—he lost his father early on and lived under others' roofs with his mother. He was self-taught, and at fifteen he went alone to Chang'an to take the imperial exams. Even though he failed again and again, he never got discouraged, and finally passed in his thirties. Later, after becoming an official, he kept getting demoted, but he had such an open-hearted attitude and always faced life optimistically—that's why he also had the nickname 'Le Tian,' meaning 'joyful with heaven's will.' I think a spirit like his deserves admiration—he's a model of a strong mindset from ancient times."

"Mm, mm." Ren Jie nodded as he listened, then said, "That's good—that really is an example worth learning from. Haoyang, you'd better teach her to make the dolls soon."

"Of course I will," Tang Haoyang readily agreed.

"Alright, we should get going—the two of us haven't had dinner yet. Tingting." Ren Jie made a gesture toward Ren Jingting, and she walked over to his side, hooking her arm through his, leaning against him like a small bird nestled close, leaving the three people in front of them momentarily stunned.

"Wait, Ren Jie, you—" Tang Haoyang stared at the two of them, eyes wide.

"Are you two together now?" Zheng Huiwen asked.

"Yeah," Ren Jie admitted openly. "We just got together last week. Do you think we suit each other?"

All three nodded in unspoken agreement.

"Well, we'll get going then. If you're curious about the details, we'll tell you some other day."

"Alright, take care." Tang Haoyang smiled and nodded at them, and then the three watched them leave, until they could no longer be seen. Only then did Zheng Huiwen speak: "I knew it—how could someone like Ren Jie possibly go all four years of college without dating once?"

"It's fine," said Tang Haoyang. "As long as the two of them like each other, that's all that matters. I don't think Ren Jie is the type to toy with someone's feelings."

Tang Haoyang glanced over at Zheng Huiwen without meaning to, and noticed her eyes fixed unmoving on the direction where Ren Jie and the others had just left, her gaze distant, as if lost in thought about something. After a long while, she finally said, "So it's true that there really is such a thing as couples who look alike in this world—did you two notice? Ren Jie and Ren Jingting look so much alike."