Dragon Raja; Chapter 21: Cassell’s Gate (19)

Dragon Raja

“What do you mean by ‘I understand’?”

“It means… well, I guess it’s just how it is,” Lu Mingfei replied.

“Is that how you reject us? You’re quite ruthless! Chen Wenwen’s looks are just so-so. Think it over; the gates of Cassell College only open once for everyone.”

“You being better looking than Chen Wenwen doesn’t mean I’ll like you…” Lu Mingfei said, feeling dejected.

“Hero! I didn’t expect you to have this much grit!” Nono seemed angry. “Fine! Goodbye!”

The call ended, and Lu Mingfei stared at the gradually dimming screen, realizing that he had placed a huge bet.

At this moment, he gazed at the city under the night sky, thinking about the gathering tomorrow where Chen Wenwen would ask him to give a speech. In front of dozens of classmates from the literature club, he was going to do the boldest thing of his life.

“There’s no way for me to back out; I’m free to pursue without anyone being able to refuse me…” He hummed a song badly.

This guy, in his later remarkable life, would always be like this. On ordinary days, he was as limp as a dried cucumber, but once he decided to do something, he would be as spirited as a celery soaked in water.

“I’m a person who occasionally goes crazy.” This later became the motto of Ricardo M. Lu.

In the restroom of Wanda Cinemas, Lu Mingfei looked at himself in the mirror, listening to his heart pounding, repeatedly wondering if he had thought through every step.

The movie was about to start; the moment of truth was drawing near.

Flowers, music, and a loud confession—Nono’s three great treasures.

The flowers were no problem; he had picked a lot of dandelions by the river that afternoon, bundled them up in a paper bag. He temporarily gave up on roses because Chen Wenwen liked dandelions, which were more stylish than roses.

The music was also taken care of. Lu Mingfei found a box of real Zhonghua cigarettes from his uncle’s drawer, went downstairs to the tobacco shop to exchange it for two packs of fake ones, then put one of the fake packs back and gave the other to the projectionist. This had always been Lu Mingfei’s way of making money. The projectionist promised to play a cut of the scene where Eve breaks through the sound barrier with Wall-E before the opening, accompanied by a very touching score.

He had searched online for confession phrases and compiled the most touching lines, preparing his speech: “Three years have passed; our classmates in the literature club will probably be parting ways soon. After we separate, it will be rare for us to gather again. Every spring, summer, autumn, and winter, as the flowers bloom and wither and the snow falls and melts, it will be a bit sad to think about how we are no longer together… As a member of the literature club, I’m very happy to stand here to give the final speech. Originally, this speech should be for all classmates, but I only want to say to one person…”

At this point, the most impatient “Little angel” might jump out and loudly say, “Lu Mingfei, what are you babbling about?”

If she were to ask, Lu Mingfei would respond in the fiercest tone, “Shut up! I’m not talking to you! I’m just telling Chen Wenwen that I’ve liked her for three years! Not just three years, but three years and three years again! I don’t want to be a good guy my whole life!”

That last line, adapted from “Infernal Affairs,” made him feel like a real man. A tough-guy style was good; otherwise, he might say something pitiful and indirect, and Chen Wenwen might even hand him a good-guy card right then and there, which would be embarrassing. A man as docile as a little rabbit was undesirable; to get to the top would only make him a friend to women!

Lu Mingfei nodded vigorously at himself in the mirror, his expression fierce and eyes sharp, as if saying, “Mingfei, you’re amazing!”

“What are you doing, Lu Mingfei?” Zhao Menghua walked into the restroom.

“Don’t know why, my face suddenly had a cramp, so I’m stretching to see what’s up,” Lu Mingfei quickly replied, turning to face Zhao Menghua, his mouth crooked and eyes askew, exaggerating the expression on his face. “Do I look like Stephen Chow?”

“No, you look more like Alaric,” Zhao Menghua handed him a bag. “Here’s the outfit. Change into it when you give your speech; Chen Wenwen said to be a bit more formal during the speech.”

Inside the bag was a Korean-style black suit with two buttons, a white shirt, and a narrow black tie, all fitting his slim figure perfectly. Lu Mingfei had wanted a suit like this before, but Auntie hadn’t agreed. How did Chen Wenwen know he wanted this outfit? A wave of happiness hit him like a hammer, almost making him dizzy.

He quickly took out his phone, wanting to call Nono and say that even before the moment of truth, he was already ready to celebrate.

“Sorry, the user you’re calling has been suspended. Please try again later…”

Lu Mingfei slowly closed his phone. He thought Nono might have logged off as well, disappearing forever like fireworks and bubbles.

At this point, there was truly no turning back. He had to confess, and it had to succeed.

Lu Mingfei walked into the screening room, and Su Xiaotang’s voice pricked his ears like needles. “Hahaha! Look at the monkey in a suit…”

Dozens of literature club members, each seated with their drinks and popcorn, burst into laughter, and Lu Mingfei’s face turned beet red.

“What’s so funny? There’s a little pig in a suit too,” someone said.

The two chubby twin brothers, Xu Yanyan and Xu Miaomiao, entered wearing black suits as well, standing there like two basketballs side by side.

“Are you two going to give speeches too?” Lu Mingfei asked curiously, observing the brothers, who were dressed identically.

“We’re not giving speeches; we’re just here as decorations,” Xu Yanyan said. “As extras, we might as well get paid for it.”

Lu Mingfei was puzzled and glanced over at Chen Wenwen, who gave him a slight nod, her eyes bright and clear.

“You’ll stand at that spot to give your speech,” Zhao Menghua pointed at a photocopied paper on the screen. “Just stand there, don’t block the screen; the large screen will show photos of the literature club.”

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