Peipei had no idea what she was busy with and hadn't replied for a long time. Qiao Jingjing was so anxious she wished she could reach through WeChat and drag her over.
Peipei: "I think Yu Tu works at a Shanghai aerospace institute."
Aerospace...
He was actually in aerospace?
Qiao Jingjing sat up straight and urgently pressed further: "But didn't he study finance in university?"
Peipei: "How do you remember that so clearly?"
Peipei: "How would I know why he went into aerospace?"
Peipei: "Why are you asking about this?"
Qiao Jingjing threw her phone aside, deciding not to answer her anymore. After a few more minutes, Peipei suddenly sent a screenshot showing a conversation from their high school class group chat.
Ding Chaoqun: @Yu Tu @Yu Tu, I bought the air purifier you recommended from your Moments last time, but it suddenly broke down. The repair hotline isn't connecting. Could you help me ask about it?
Ding Chaoqun: I just got through and they said they can't come to repair it until tomorrow night. This is for my child's room - could you put in a word to get it done sooner? The child already has a cough from a cold.
Li Ming: Yu Tu sells purifiers too?
Ding Chaoqun: It's something their institute developed for civilian use, I think. I figured aerospace technology must be awesome, though I didn't expect this.
Yu Tu: What's wrong with it? @Ding Chaoqun
Ding Chaoqun: It won't start.
Yu Tu: Is your home in Minhang district?
Ding Chaoqun: Yes.
Yu Tu: I'll go check it out for you directly.
Qiao Jingjing read the conversation extremely carefully, then scolded Peipei for randomly sending pictures: "Why are you sending this to me?"
Peipei: "This was from yesterday in the group chat. I just remembered and thought I'd show you. See, he really is in aerospace."
Yeah... he was actually in aerospace...
So he hadn't abandoned his dream after all.
Qiao Jingjing recalled the boy who spoke so knowledgeably on aerospace forums. The teenage Yu Tu suddenly became vividly clear in her mind, gradually overlapping with the Yutu Daoyao from the game.
Qiao Jingjing suddenly felt infinite curiosity - what would he be like now?
If they happened to run into each other in a crowd someday, it would probably be quite interesting. Unfortunately, she couldn't wander around freely as she pleased, so there likely wouldn't be any chance encounters.
Outside the window, the smog hung heavily. Looking out from the high-rise, the city's appearance was unclear. Qiao Jingjing sat in a daze on the sofa before the floor-to-ceiling window for quite a while when, somehow, she suddenly had an inspiration. A idea flashed through her mind like lightning. She grabbed her phone and typed excitedly: "Peipei, show me that purifier advertisement Yu Tu posted!"
Thus, the next evening, when the old five-person team - Yutu Daoyao, So Scared School is About to Start, Shilaimei Bao, Dragon King 2001, and Can Pick Cotton - gathered for a match, Qiao Jingjing began her performance.
First, she coughed twice with deliberate nuance, then complained: "Ugh, the smog in Shanghai is so bad. Do you guys have smog where you are?"
Yu Tu typically didn't speak unless necessary, but Hao Huang was the most cooperative: "Yu Tu and I are in Shanghai too, what a coincidence!"
The other two quickly reported their locations - one in Hangzhou, one in Wuhan - and declared they were all sharing the same smoggy fate.
Qiao Jingjing continued her act: "What brand of air purifier do you use? My family bought a Jade Rabbit Air Purifier, but it broke after just a few days of use."
The Yutu Daoyao character running ahead of her suddenly paused.
A smile lifted the corners of Qiao Jingjing's mouth.Hao Huang exclaimed, "Jade Rabbit Air Purifier? Yu Tu, isn't that something your institute developed?"
Qiao Jingjing gave Hao Huang a mental thumbs-up. His ability to follow the script was first-class—well worth choosing to reveal this during their group gaming session.
Qiao Jingjing's voice was filled with surprise and astonishment, "This purifier is a product from Jade Rabbit God's company? I only bought it because the name matched yours. What a coincidence."
Yu Tu replied, "It's a collaboration between one of our labs and an external partner. Try a different power outlet. One of my classmates also bought one and said it wouldn't start. When I went to check, it turned out to be an issue with his home's socket."
...How dare this classmate steal her move!
Qiao Jingjing pressed on stubbornly, "I've already tried different sockets, but it still doesn't work. I called customer service, and they said they couldn't come until the day after tomorrow. But the elderly at home have a really bad cough, sigh"
Hao Huang chimed in, "The after-sales service from your partner company isn't great, Yu Tu. Why don't you go help Mian Hua take a look?"
A single thumbs-up was no longer enough—Qiao Jingjing decided she'd find an opportunity to gift him a full set of skins!
Yu Tu remained silent.
Qiao Jingjing's voice brimmed with anticipation, "Jade Rabbit God, you know how to fix this too?"
Hao Huang answered for him, "Of course, he's a part-time troubleshooting expert."
Qiao Jingjing pleaded, "Then, Jade Rabbit God, could you please take a look at my purifier?"
Yu Tu said, "Give me your contact information."
So easily? Just as Qiao Jingjing was surprised, Yu Tu continued, "I'll have someone from that lab reach out and arrange to visit your home first."
...She knew it wouldn't be that simple. Back then, even adding him on QQ had been so difficult—how could he possibly just visit a female online friend's home so easily?
Thankfully, she still had her ultimate skill.
"Thank you, but..." Qiao Jingjing sighed, "Actually, this is already the second repair. I feel like even if they come, it probably won't help much."
Dragon King 2001 commented, "So unreliable? What exactly is the problem? I was thinking of buying one too."
Shilaimei Bao added, "Yu Tu, is your team even competent?"
Qiao Jingjing sighed, "Exactly. I bought it because the ad said it used aerospace technology. I never expected..."
As she spoke, Qiao Jingjing silently offered a wave of apologies in her heart. Sorry, great aerospace technology of our motherland—I'll make it up to you later!
Hao Huang asked, "Did the repairman say what the problem was?"
Qiao Jingjing replied, "He seemed pretty stumped too, like he couldn't figure out where the issue was either."
Hao Huang suggested, "Yu Tu, why don't you go take a look?"
Qiao Jingjing didn't say anything more, afraid that overdoing it would backfire. Only after Yu Tu eliminated an enemy Hua Mulan did he speak up, "Do you live with your parents?"
Qiao Jingjing's eyes lit up, and she quickly answered, "Yes!"
"Are they home right now?"
Suppressing her excitement, Qiao Jingjing replied, "Yes!"
After another moment of silence, Yu Tu said, "If it's convenient, I'll come over and take a look."
Qiao Jingjing nearly jumped for joy—success!
Why was she even an actress? She should have been a screenwriter instead.
Keeping her composure, Qiao Jingjing feigned calmness and asked knowingly, "My home is in Pudong—is that too far?" Wouldn't it be too much trouble for you?"
Yu Tu replied, "It's fine. Send me the address."
Once the match ended, everyone logged out of the game.
Zhai Liang rushed into Yu Tu's room, "Yu Tu, aren't you bored? And you had to choose to go when her parents are home."
Yu Tu picked up his jacket and headed out, "Aren't you bored?"On the other side of the city, Qiao Jingjing put down her phone and hurried out of the bedroom. She said to Xiao Zhu, who was waiting in the living room, "Xiao Zhu, quickly unpack the newly bought purifier."
After speaking, she rushed back to the bedroom to do her makeup. Half an hour later, she came out, grabbed Xiao Zhu, and turned her face toward her own: "Does my makeup look too heavy?"
A delicate, top-tier beauty was right in front of her. Though Xiao Zhu saw her every day, she was still momentarily stunned. Qiao Jingjing released her, "It really is too heavy, isn't it?"
Muttering to herself, she went back to the bedroom.
Xiao Zhu: "???"
Fifteen minutes later, Qiao Jingjing emerged again, now with a fresh and adorable new makeup look. She wore a loose, oversized sweater, revealing slender, pale, and straight legs, with her hair tied in a loose ponytail—the very picture of a fresh and lovely young beauty.
"Is this youthful enough?"
If it were anyone else, Xiao Zhu might have said it was shameless, but at this moment, she could only reply dazedly and with genuine admiration: "So youthful, so youthful. So, Jingjing, what are you actually up to?"
It was so late—why the sudden transformation?
Satisfied, Qiao Jingjing clapped her hands and walked toward the purifier: "To sabotage the purifier."
Yu Tu followed the crowd out of the subway station. A gust of night wind blew, and he slowed his pace, suddenly feeling that all of this was a bit unbelievable. He never thought he would one day meet an online friend, but perhaps the wonder of life lies in its unpredictability—just as a few years ago, he firmly believed he would dedicate his life to his passions and ideals, only to ultimately be defeated by reality.
The address Mian Hua had given him wasn’t far from the subway station; he reached it in ten minutes.
The residential complex appeared to have very strict security. At the entrance, a woman in her twenties was already waiting. Clutching her phone, she stared at him with an intensely excited expression from the moment he appeared.
Yu Tu walked over, "Mian Hua?"
The woman immediately pressed her fists to her mouth in an exaggerated, comic-like gesture, staring at him up and down, looking utterly thrilled. After a long moment, she stammered, "N-no, I’m not her. I’m her assistant. She’s waiting for you at home; I’ll take you there."
This voice definitely wasn’t Mian Hua’s. But Mian Hua had said she was a newcomer to the workplace—how could she have an assistant?
Yu Tu was puzzled but still followed her.
Along the way, the girl kept turning her head to "sneak" glances at him. Once, she happened to meet Yu Tu’s gaze and immediately looked embarrassed. "Um, my name is Xiao Zhu. It’s the building at the very end—a bit of a walk."
Yu Tu nodded, "It’s fine."
After a few more minutes of walking.
"We’re almost there." Xiao Zhu quickened her pace with Yu Tu, but suddenly she stopped, staring ahead in surprise and exclaiming, "Jingjing, why did you come down by yourself?"
Jingjing?
Something flashed in Yu Tu’s mind. Instantly, he lifted his gaze and then froze completely.
In the brightly lit lobby not far away stood a slender, tall woman, slightly tilting her head as she looked at a notice board. She was turned sideways to him, wearing a large hat and a mask, with only a pair of deep, bright eyes visible—yet the entire scene was framed like a flawless photograph of light and shadow. Hearing the voice, her long eyelashes fluttered, and she turned her head.
Those lively eyes immediately fell on him, seeming to study him for a few seconds before flashing with a hint of playful mischief."I was afraid someone might think I'm too high-maintenance later, so I came down to greet you."
It was Qiao Jingjing.
They hadn't seen each other since the college entrance exams ten years ago. Or perhaps that wasn't entirely accurate - in truth, he saw her everywhere: across various news media, on screens big and small, even on subway advertisements and bus stop posters. Her presence was ubiquitous.
Looking at the woman smiling brightly at him not far away, Yu Tu couldn't help but feel the same clichéd daze - he had probably encountered something extraordinary.
Qiao Jingjing was also watching Yu Tu, thinking to herself: there's a saying, quite popular these days, how does it go?
Ah, yes -
He returned, still the same youth.
She had been chasing fame and fortune in the bustling mortal world, while this person remained as ever, with clear, untroubled eyes.
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