In the days that followed, the ambiguous dynamic between Song Ze and Tang Tang escalated rapidly, almost tracing the exact path of the original plot, only far more unapologetically. The tense, awkward love-triangle standoffs between the three played out on campus nearly every day, drawing stares from onlookers each time.
As soon as the noon dismissal bell rang, Song Ze packed up his things and hurried straight to Zhou Nian's classroom door.
When he saw Zhou Nian walk out, he naturally took her hand, grinned and said he would rush to the cafeteria to grab her favorite sweet and sour pork tenderloin. The two squeezed through the crowd to get their meals, then picked a window-side seat to sit down. Zhou Nian had just taken a bite of the tenderloin when a timid voice rang out from beside her.
"Brother Song, sorry to bother you. I've walked around in circles looking for a spot, but I ended up all alone. You're the only one I know well here, and there's an empty seat at your table. Would you mind letting me join you for the meal?"
Tang Tang stood by the table holding her tray, her fingers gently pinching the edge of the tray, her eyes slightly reddened, looking flustered and pitiful. Her gaze then fell on Song Ze's hand holding Zhou Nian's, and she added carefully, "This classmate is... could she be Brother Song's girlfriend?"
The moment the question left her mouth, Tang Tang's heart gave a quiet thud, and her fingertips tightened even more. But her eyes, fixed on Song Ze, still held soft, expectant glint, with no intention of backing down at all.
Zhou Nian glanced around the cafeteria. There were several other empty window-side tables, just a little further away. She immediately hardened her expression, put down her spoon and said, "There are plenty of empty seats in the cafeteria. Why do you have to pick this table?"
Tang Tang's face went pale in an instant, her eyes turned even redder, and her hands started trembling slightly. She looked at Song Tang timidly, looking as if she had suffered a huge grievance:
"I... I thought this spot was close to the food serving counter, so I could finish eating quickly and head back to the classroom to study. If I had known you two were a couple, I would never have come to bother you. I guess I'll just leave then..."
As she spoke, she made to turn around with her tray. Song Ze quickly reached out to grab her arm, then turned to Zhou Nian and coaxed her gently, "Nian-Nian, don't be so rigid. It's just sharing a table. Tang Tang just transferred here, she doesn't know anyone and has nowhere to turn, she looks really pitiful. Just let her sit here."
As he spoke, he pulled Tang Tang to the chair beside him, and said to her, "Sit down, it's fine. She's just straightforward, she doesn't mean anything else."
Tang Tang thanked him hurriedly and sat down cautiously. While eating, she snuck glances at Song Ze from time to time. After only a couple of bites, she used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised ribs and put it in Song Ze's bowl, her voice soft and sweet:
"Brother Song, this rib is so tender and stewed perfectly, it's so delicious. You have a taste. You told me before that the stewed food window on the third floor of the cafeteria is great, and this is my first time coming here. It really lives up to the recommendation, thank you so much."
As she said that, she tried to pick up a piece for Zhou too, but halfway her hand drew back. She lowered her head awkwardly, her voice so faint it was barely audible:
"Zhou, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to disturb you two. I just wanted to thank Brother Song, there's no other meaning..."
Zhou Nian stared at the rib in Song Ze's bowl, then looked at Tang Tang's fake, affected act, so angry her fingertips went tight. She fixed her eyes on Song Ze and said, "Song Ze, look at her. She clearly knows we're a couple, yet she still puts food in your bowl. What is that supposed to mean?"
Song Ze quickly picked up his chopsticks, ate the rib, then took Zhou Nian's hand and squeezed it gently, trying to smooth things over: "Nian-Nian, you're overthinking this. Tang Tang is just simply saying thank you. She just transferred here, she doesn't get all these unspoken social rules, don't take it so personally."
"Am I overthinking it?" Zhou Nian shook off his hand. "She's not blind. She can see this is a two-person table, can't she? She can see we're holding hands, can't she? Song Ze, she's doing this on purpose!"
"She's really not, don't let your imagination run wild." Song Ze frowned, his tone still gentle, but with a hint of barely noticeable impatience. He then turned to Tang Tang and said, "Don't take it to heart. Nian-Nian is just a little sensitive, she's not targeting you."
Tang Tang shook her head hurriedly, tears still glistening in her eyes, but she forced a sweet, well-behaved smile: "I know. Zhou just cares about Brother Song so much. If I were in her shoes, I would be upset too. It's all my fault, I shouldn't have offered her food randomly, I didn't think things through."
What she said made it sound as if Zhou Nian was throwing an unreasonable tantrum on purpose, picking on a new transfer student.
Zhou Nian watched the two of them echo each other's words, her chest so tight with frustration she couldn't take another bite. But Song Ze kept coaxing her softly, saying he would take her to buy her favorite strawberry sundae after the meal. Even though she was full of anger, she could only swallow it down. The whole meal tasted like sawdust to her.
This kind of back-and-forth drama played out countless times in just half a month. Every single time, Tang Tang would play the poor, wronged victim, Song Ze would smooth things over and coax Zhou Nian, and Zhou Nian would hold in her frustration.
On the weekend, Song Ze had long promised to go with Zhou Nian to watch the newly released romance movie. They arranged to meet at the cinema entrance. Song Ze had just bought Zhou Nian her favorite milk tea when Tang Tang called. Her voice on the phone was tearful, soft and helpless:
"Brother Song, I went to buy the postgraduate entrance exam review materials at the address you told me before, but I got lost halfway. I'm carrying a huge stack of books, they're so heavy I can barely walk. Can you come pick me up on your way? I really have no other choice..."
Zhou Nian immediately got anxious. She leaned over and heard the whole content of the call, then pulled Song Ze's arm and said, "Song Ze, the movie is about to start. She clearly knows we're on a date, yet she still calls you for help.
Besides, she's doing this on purpose. She's already in college, such a grown person. Can't she take a taxi? Can't she ask passersby for directions? Doesn't she have a mouth?"
Song Ze looked at his phone, a troubled look on his face. He pinched Zhou Nian's cheek and coaxed her softly, "Nian-Nian, be good. A girl wandering outside carrying a huge stack of books, lost, that's so dangerous. I'll go pick her up quickly, I'll be back before you know it, it won't make us miss the movie."
"What do you mean 'on the way'? The place she's at is way out of the way from the cinema!" Zhou Nian was so angry her eyes were red, she refused to give in no matter what.
"It's just a small favor, isn't it normal for classmates to help each other?" Song Ze coaxed her patiently, then made another promise, "After we finish the movie, I'll go to the pedestrian street with you, buy that pearl hair clip you've had your eye on for ages, and treat you to dessert, okay?"
Worn down by Song Ze's constant soft persuasion and one promise after another, Zhou Nian finally nodded, holding back her anger. But her face was dark the whole time, and even the milk tea in her hand tasted bland.
Song Ze had borrowed a car from a friend that day specifically for their date with Zhou Nian. After picking up Tang Tang, Tang Tang saw Zhou Nian in the passenger seat, immediately looked full of guilt, and apologized nonstop:
"Zhou, I'm so sorry, did I ruin your date? I really had no other choice but to call Brother Song for help. I'll just take a taxi home by myself, I won't hold you two up..."
"It's fine, it's on the way." Song Ze waved his hand hurriedly, as he opened the back door for her to sit in. Afraid she would overthink, he added, "The backseat is more spacious, you'll have more room for your stack of books."
Tang Tang mumbled a quiet thank you and climbed meekly into the back seat. Along the whole ride, though, she kept making excuses to ask about the route just to strike up a conversation with Song Ze, chattering nonstop about how hard she'd had to hunt down reference materials, until Song Ze kept turning around again and again to respond to her.
When they reached the movie theater, Tang Tang got out of the car right behind the two of them. Her eyes lit up the second she spotted the movie poster at the entrance, then she pulled on Song Ze's arm with a perfectly practiced little pout, giving it a gentle sway. "Brother Song, I've been dying to watch this movie too. I tried to grab tickets a few days ago but couldn't get any, it's such a shame."
Her gesture was natural and overly familiar, completely ignoring Zhou Nian standing right beside them.
Song Ze glanced at her pitiful, pleading face, then looked over at Zhou Nian whose face had gone dark with frustration. In the end, he steeled himself and went to the ticket counter to buy one more ticket, then turned back to explain to Zhou Nian:
"It's fine, having an extra ticket won't hurt anything. Let her join us, okay? After the movie, I'll spend the whole rest of the day with you, we can wander around as long as you want until you're totally happy."
Zhou Nian looked at the expression on Song Ze's face, and her heart turned half cold. A heavy, helpless feeling welled up in her chest, but she didn't say a word. She just walked silently into the theater.
Throughout the entire film, she watched Song Ze next to her turn his head every few minutes to whisper about the plot with Tang Tang. The two of them chatted and laughed easily, and Tang Tang even held out handfuls of popcorn for Song Ze to take.
She felt like a total, complete third wheel, the outsider who didn't belong at all. Her knuckles went white where she was squeezing her popcorn bucket, and the hurt and anger building up inside her grew heavier and heavier, bit by bit.
