Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1191: That Person

The University of Political Science and Law wasn’t the only university in its area. Nearby were several other colleges — a comprehensive university, a music academy, a medical college, and more.

This area was part of a major urban development project from the past decade — simply called University Town.

To save space, the city built a single oversized library shared by all these institutions. Students from nearby universities could borrow books there with their student IDs.

Of course, it was almost always full. Anyone wanting a good seat had to arrive early; otherwise, they’d end up studying outside on the lawn or by the man-made lake.

Chen Mingming came today to return books.

The one in charge of checking them in was a part-time student worker — a girl named Tara, not from the University of Political Science and Law, but from the nearby comprehensive university.

Her name, Tara, meant “plain” or “steppe” in Mongolian.

Her skin, unlike the weathered roughness of those who grew up under harsh northern winds, was delicate like that of a southern girl. Her bright eyes and white teeth suggested she’d been living in the south for quite some time.

She was open and warm by nature.

“You’re here again,” Tara said with a smile as Chen Mingming placed several books on the counter — books not yet due. “So soon this time!”“Yeah.” Chen Mingming nodded lightly without saying much.

He came to the library often. Over time, he’d built a quiet impression of her — perhaps it was that faint air of the grasslands she carried that made her stand out.

“Not borrowing any new ones today?” Tara asked while processing the returned books. Things were slow at the moment, so she took the chance to chat.

“Not this time.” Chen Mingming shook his head. “I probably won’t have many chances to come here again.”

Tara paused mid-motion, a trace of confusion in her eyes. Her lips parted as though she wanted to ask something.

“All done?” Chen Mingming asked quietly.

“Oh… yes, all done.” Tara nodded.

Chen Mingming gave a polite nod in return and turned to leave.

On impulse, Tara suddenly walked out from behind the counter, hurrying to catch up with him.

“Something wrong?” Chen Mingming looked at her in surprise.

“Can I buy you a meal?” Tara smiled faintly, her gaze open and full of earnest warmth.

Chen Mingming thought for a moment, then nodded.

---

Class ended early that day. There was no second class that afternoon. Zhao Le glanced at the time — if he caught the bus now, he could reach the rehabilitation center before the evening rush.

So, after packing his things, he lowered his head and walked quickly out of the building.

Besides picking up his sister Zhao Xiaoqin from the center, Zhao Le planned to stop by the nearby mall — he’d seen a dress he wanted to buy for her birthday.

At the school gate, as Zhao Le took out his bus card, he suddenly felt two hands rest on his shoulders — one on each side.

His expression stiffened.

It was Boss Feng… Dong Shaofeng and his two friends.

“Wh–what do you want?” Zhao Le tensed immediately.

“Zhao Le, got a minute?” Dong Shaofeng walked up in front of him, hands in his pockets, smiling faintly. “We’d like to talk.”

“I don’t have time.” Zhao Le shook his head. “If you’ve got something to say, say it here.”

Dong Shaofeng waved off his two friends’ hands from Zhao Le’s shoulders. “Be polite. Zhao Le’s our classmate.”

The two shrugged and stepped back.

Zhao Le couldn’t quite read Dong Shaofeng’s intentions — but since they were right at the school gate, surrounded by students, he figured they wouldn’t dare cause trouble.

“I want to treat you to a meal,” Dong Shaofeng said seriously. “Zhao Le, please say yes. I want to apologize for what we did before.”

“Apologize?” Zhao Le was stunned, then frowned. “No need. Just… don’t bother me again. We’ll stay out of each other’s way. What happened in the equipment room was an accident — I didn’t mean it. Sorry.”

He only wanted to put things behind him and live peacefully.

He’d keep studying, keep getting good grades, graduate, find a job, and make the small improvements in life stick — let his sister’s smile last longer.

“Zhao Le, I really do want to make it right,” Dong Shaofeng said, hands pressing gently on Zhao Le’s shoulders. “If you won’t come with me, my only choice is to go to your house to apologize.”

Zhao Le frowned even deeper. He didn’t want anyone disturbing his peaceful home — least of all someone like Dong Shaofeng.

Dong Shaofeng sighed. “Here’s the thing — the school already found out about what we did. We got chewed out badly. Even our parents know. My dad told me I had to apologize to you or I’d be in big trouble. Look, I just want to enjoy my college life, not stir up more mess. But my old man insisted — he’s already booked a restaurant and told me to bring you. Otherwise, he’ll make me show up at your place to apologize. Do me a favor, huh?”

He pulled out a wad of cash — at least two or three thousand yuan — and tried to stuff it into Zhao Le’s hand. “Please?”

“I don’t want your money,” Zhao Le said, shaking his head. “Just a meal, right?”

“I knew it — you’re a good guy.” Dong Shaofeng exhaled in relief and smiled. “It’s just one meal. Won’t take long. And after that, I promise we’ll never bother you again.”

“Better keep that promise.” Zhao Le nodded.

He didn’t want to stay entangled with Dong Shaofeng. If this ended it, all the better.

---

…

Xihai Tower was a popular restaurant within the university district. It mainly served Chinese food but also offered lodging — and its dishes had a solid reputation among students.

Tara eagerly found a table by the window and began ordering enthusiastically.

“Uh… did I order too much?”

“It’s fine. Go ahead.” Chen Mingming smiled. “This meal’s on me.”

“No, no — I said I’d treat you.” Tara shook her head and leaned forward with a grin. “Don’t underestimate me. I can afford a meal!”

Chen Mingming nodded and accepted her confidence without argument.

“Why invite me to dinner?” he asked — he liked to understand the meaning behind people’s actions.

“Because I like you.” Tara’s eyes sparkled like stars.

Chen Mingming was caught off guard. They’d met many times at the library, but most of their exchanges were about borrowing or returning books — a few bits of small talk. They didn’t even have each other’s contact info.

He didn’t ask “why.” After a moment’s silence, he said directly, “Next week, I’m emigrating.”

Her eyes widened — surprise, then confusion. She opened her mouth, then laughed softly, looking out the window before back at him. “That’s fine. If you don’t like me, just say it. I won’t be hurt.”

Chen Mingming said nothing, only watched her quietly as she began to fidget under his calm gaze.

“You’re serious?” she finally asked.

“I fly out next Wednesday night. Eight p.m.” Chen Mingming answered plainly.

Tara let out a long breath and leaned back in her chair, falling silent.

When the waiter brought their dishes, Tara didn’t touch a thing. Chen Mingming simply ate quietly on his own.

“You know,” she suddenly muttered in frustration, “you’re never going to get a girlfriend acting like that!”

“You’re not eating? The food won’t taste good once it gets cold.”

“Not eating. I’m not in the mood!” Tara glared. “Trampling on a girl’s feelings like this—you’ll be cursed! Tengri will punish you!”

Chen Mingming said calmly, “This is China. It’s not under the rule of the Eternal Blue Sky.”

Tara shook her head, muttering, “Why did I ever like you?”

Chen Mingming asked curiously, “Why did you like me, anyway?”

Tara shrugged, straightforward as ever. “Honestly, I can’t really say I ‘liked’ you. I just had a bit more interest in you than others, so I wanted to give it a try.”

“Give it a try?”

Tara leaned closer, lowering her voice mysteriously. “What if I told you I’m actually a demon and just wanted to experience what human love feels like—would you believe me?”

Chen Mingming laughed, gracefully picked up a piece of meat with the serving chopsticks, placed it in her bowl, and said slowly, “Do demons fall for guys with no sense of romance?”

Tara replied casually, “Demons like good-looking faces!”

Chen Mingming laughed again. This “demon” really was honest… Though in old tales, demons and handsome scholars were indeed a common pairing.

Tara continued, “Actually, I noticed you the first time you came into the library.”

Chen Mingming was caught off guard.

Tara rested her chin on her hand, staring at him. “When I first saw you, it looked like you were looking for someone. Not that it’s strange—most guys who come into the library are trying to sneak glances at girls. So I didn’t think much of it. But to my surprise, the one you were staring at wasn’t a girl—it was a guy. That got me curious.”

Chen Mingming frowned slightly.

Tara went on, “Well, mostly because of your face. You’ve got a refined look, so I kept an eye on you. After a while, I noticed something—you always looked at men, and always the same man. Later, you even started borrowing the books he had borrowed. Every time he returned something, you’d go and check it out next.”

Chen Mingming stayed silent, glancing out the window.

Outside, a few male students walked by—Zhao Le and Dong Shaofeng among them. He looked for a moment, then turned back to Tara. “And then?”

Tara leaned forward again, her eyes curious. “Come on, be honest with me. Do you like men? I’d honestly feel better hearing that than knowing you’re leaving the country!”

“It’s just… he felt like a very special person,” Chen Mingming said softly. “Looking at him felt like… looking at myself.”

“Like looking at yourself?” Tara blinked.

Chen Mingming shook his head. “It’s hard to explain. The first time I saw him was by the river walkway. He was sitting alone on a bench, quietly looking at the scenery—barely moving. It felt like he could pull you into a world of stillness. Lonely. Black and white. Empty.”

“I kind of get that too,” Tara murmured.

Chen Mingming glanced at her in surprise.

Tara said, “You stared at him so often, I got curious too. So I watched him a few times. At first, he just seemed like a bookworm. But later, I started to feel that same strange vibe you described… Of course, he’s got a refined face too, or I wouldn’t have bothered. But he’s too cold. I don’t like that. His eyes are empty, like there’s nothing inside. Watching him makes you feel… uneasy, like you want to comfort him. But it’s been a long time since I last saw him. He hasn’t come for ages.”

It really had been a long time—since around last year’s National Day holiday, he hadn’t shown up again.

Then Tara suddenly stood up, looking straight at Chen Mingming. “You done eating?”

Chen Mingming gave her a puzzled look and nodded. He hadn’t been very hungry anyway.

Tara suddenly grabbed his hand. “Then let’s go!”

“Go where?”

“To find that guy!” Tara’s eyes sparkled. “You’ve been chasing after him, haven’t you? Then let’s go look for him together!”

“And then what?”

“Nothing. We’ll see once we find him.” Tara pulled him to his feet. “You’ve got nothing else to do before you leave the country, right? Just keep me company!”

Like a wild horse running free across the plains.

Chen Mingming let her pull him along, matching her pace as they left Xihai Tower.

…

The dishes on the table were indeed lavish. At Xihai Tower’s prices, this spread easily cost over a thousand yuan—something Zhao Le could rarely afford.

But he didn’t touch the food. He just frowned. “Where’s your father? Didn’t you say he was coming?”

Dong Shaofeng said casually, “He’s stuck in traffic. Should be here soon. It’s fine—we can start eating first.”

Zhao Le checked the time, then shook his head. “Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Dong Shaofeng gestured to the waiter to bring a glass of cola for Zhao Le, then opened a bottle of beer for himself. “Zhao Le, I know you’re a good student and don’t drink. So here’s a toast—with cola. Take it as me apologizing. Will you give me some face?”

Zhao Le could only take a sip of his cola in front of the three of them.

After that, not much was said. The three others started idly playing with their phones, while Zhao Le grew more impatient with each passing minute. The air in the private room felt heavy and stuffy—hot even.

He started to feel uneasy.

“Zhao Le, are you feeling hot?” Dong Shaofeng suddenly asked.

Zhao Le nodded instinctively.

Dong Shaofeng narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Good.”

Zhao Le froze. A wave of dizziness hit him, his vision blurring… The faces before him—Dong Shaofeng and the others—faded into a swirling haze.

(End of Chapter)