Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

After a brief moment of surprise, Yang Che bowed slightly and said, "Uncle and Aunt, Happy New Year. I am Yang Che."

Mr. Gao coughed lightly and said in a serious tone, "Happy New Year to you too."

Mrs. Gao smiled and nodded slightly. She thought the young man was even more handsome than he appeared on television, and he seemed very composed.

"Yuanyuan, this is for you. Wishing you happiness every day."

Gao Yuanyuan pursed her lips, feeling both shy and delighted. If her parents hadn't been there, she probably would have pounced on them.

"You're lying."

"hehe."

Yang Che chuckled foolishly.

Just then, the old lady who was sunbathing on the wooden chair in front called out, "Young man, you have good taste! Junren's daughter is the prettiest in our compound."

Everyone looked over, and Gao's father called out to Sister Liu, saying it was a joke.

Then she coughed lightly: "Ahem, Yuanyuan, you take Yang Che inside first, your mother and I will go buy groceries."

Without waiting for Gao Yuanyuan and Yang Che's reaction, he turned and left.

Mrs. Gao nodded and left with her husband.

He has that old-school intellectual's self-assuredness, but it's not annoying.

Holding flowers in one hand and her boyfriend's hand in the other, Gao Yuanyuan walked briskly toward the building entrance with her head down amidst the laughter of Aunt Liu.

They walked in silence. Once inside, Gao Yuanyuan didn't rush to him. She placed the flowers and gifts down, gave her boyfriend slippers, and then asked, "When did you come back to Beijing?"

Yang Che's lips twitched slightly: "The day before yesterday, Little Fatty flew to Guangzhou this morning. You know, she went to Japan before the New Year..."

Gao Yuanyuan said resentfully, "Then you should tell me too, do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"It's selfish of me because I know that if I contact you but don't see you, I'll worry about you, I'll feel guilty, and I won't be happy when I'm with her."

Gao Yuanyuan pursed her lips, then pouted and hugged him, saying, "I hate you. Why are you saying things like that?"

Yang Che was very pleased with himself.

If you said that to Wang Fei, I'd be ready to vomit.

If you were to tell Little Fatty, she would probably ask in confusion why.

Just as their lips touched, Yang Che's phone rang again.

"Okay, you can answer the phone now. My parents will come back and we'll talk for a bit, then we'll leave."

"Not eating?"

"You answer the phone first."

Yang Che then checked his phone and was surprised to see that it was Hou Keming calling.

Happy Chinese New Year, teacher.

"Hehe, Happy New Year to you too! Have you gone back to Beijing yet?"

Yang Che hesitated for a moment: "We'll leave this afternoon and arrive around evening. What's wrong, teacher?"

"Come to school at 9 a.m. tomorrow, and then we'll go to the Xinqiao Hotel together to discuss your Olympic bid promotional video proposal."

"Huh? This... wasn't it supposed to be Director Zhang?"

"Your source is good. But that doesn't conflict with the fact that your proposal was selected by the school from several submissions. It doesn't mean yours was chosen; there were other universities and organizations involved."

Okay, you're the examiner, you're awesome.

"Oh, I understand."

"That's settled then. Drive carefully on your way back."

"Thank you, teacher. I will be careful."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Che sighed. Why was he so responsible back then? Wouldn't it have been better to just draw the storyboard for "Praying for Rain" properly? He wouldn't have had to use his brain.

Yang Che wasn't unwilling to contribute to the country; he just didn't want to cause trouble.

One logo has somehow offended some art professor from a university or some domestic design expert.

Although he wasn't afraid at all, he really felt disgusted.

But thinking that the promotional video proposal was his own original work, he couldn't help but feel a little proud. Then he realized that when presenting the proposal, he might have to convince a bunch of people involved in sports... and he let out another long sigh.

Only after going through layers of selection are they qualified to contribute to the country.

Gao Yuanyuan noticed something strange when her boyfriend let out two long sighs within three seconds of hanging up the phone. She had never seen him so melancholy before; he was always so calm and composed.

"Honey, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Yang Che smiled and opened her arms wide: "Let my husband hug me."

Gao Yuanyuan pursed her lips, threw herself into his arms, and hugged his waist tightly.

"By the way, why are we leaving after your parents get back?"

"It's just that I feel awkward. My parents aren't very talkative, and besides, we're just dating, not getting married."

"You didn't have to say that last sentence."

"hehe."

The two whispered sweet nothings to each other for a while, and Yang Che, who felt a tightness in his hand, had just unbuttoned the back of his shirt when he heard a knock on the door.

Gao Yuanyuan immediately snapped out of her daze and looked at him reproachfully: "Hurry up and tie it on for me."

Yang Che, who was on the sofa, quickly drank water in an attempt to suppress the heat.

Gao Yuanyuan covered her face with her hands as she opened the door, only to find her brother, Gao Yong.

"Why are you back?"

"Everything's fine at work. Get up, why are you acting so silly? Do you have a fever?"

As Gao Yong spoke, he squeezed through the door past his sister, paused for a moment, and then frowned.

He naturally recognized Yang Che, his sister's boyfriend, and also noticed the tulips on the coffee table.

I realized that my sister's unnatural expression and flushed cheeks meant she didn't have a fever.

"Yang Che, this is my brother, Gao Yong. Brother, this is my boyfriend."

Yang Che smiled and said, "Hello."

Gao Yong looks a lot like his father, both with upright, square faces, around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, with short hair, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and wearing ordinary black down jackets. He looks like a pillar of the nation.

Gao Yong adjusted his glasses: "Hello, Yuanyuan, why didn't you pour some water? Where are your parents?"

"No need to trouble yourself, I'll be leaving in a bit."

"It's almost noon, let's have lunch before we leave."

Yang Che could sense Gao Yong's wariness, see the disappointment in his eyes, and hear the politeness and indifference in his words.

"Next time, Yuanyuan knows. I just got a phone call and need to hurry up and prepare some things for the Olympic Bid Committee."

Gao Yuanyuan blinked. Oh, so the phone call was about the Olympic bid. Her boyfriend is amazing.

As Yang Che had predicted, Gao Yong's wariness subsided considerably, and curiosity returned to his eyes.

"You're also involved in the Olympic bid?"

"For the postgraduate entrance exam, I wrote a storyboard for a film about finding exhibits. The teachers at the Beijing Film Academy thought it was okay, so they revised it and submitted it. They asked me to give a presentation tomorrow."

"Oh, I see. Good luck, and I wish you success."

"Thanks."

Just then, the sound of a key unlocking the door came from inside; it was Mr. and Mrs. Gao returning home.

Then there's the excuse of refusing gifts like "tobacco, alcohol, and tea"... even intellectuals can't escape the common practices.

Facing her parents, Gao Yuanyuan told them she wanted to leave.

As expected, her parents did not show any confusion or anger. Gao's mother said gently, "Have lunch before you leave."

Gao Yong added, "Yang Che is going to the Olympic Bid Committee to make a presentation tomorrow."

Mr. and Mrs. Gao exchanged a surprised glance. Mr. Gao frowned, and after holding back for a moment, he couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you hear on the phone downstairs that it was February 18th?"