I, Who Can Foresee The Future, Had My Inner Voice Eavesdropped On Ch. 78

From Tonight Until Tomorrow

The next afternoon.

After ten days of military training, the closing parade ceremony marked its complete end.

Having endured this rigorous test, the freshmen could finally breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy a day off to prepare for the official start of classes the following day.

However, Wei Lai couldn’t fully relax his tension.

He still had no clue what Qing Ting’s surprise entailed.

Last night, he chose not to mention Qiong Yue’s text message to Qing Ting.

Instead, they discussed whether to go home during their day off.

According to Qing Ting, since they agreed to visit home once a month, she planned to stay on campus during this break. She already brought all her essentials, so there was no need for a special trip home.

This instantly ruled out several of Wei Lai’s guesses.

In middle school, they returned home every holiday, making it easier to anticipate surprises—whether playful pranks or trying new dishes she had learned to cook. There was always some mental preparation involved.

But now, without going home, what could she possibly plan at school?

It felt like someone had pushed him into a pitch-black room and asked him to describe its contents—a completely blind task.

“Wei Lai, you’re really not going home? You didn’t even become that tanned; don’t worry about your mom recognizing you,” Su Xiao asked curiously while removing his military training uniform in the dormitory.

“We haven’t received our textbooks yet. Won’t you be bored alone at school?” Sun Fei, already dressed and putting on his shoes, suggested, “Why don’t you come to my place instead? It’s nearby, just a four-hour trip.”

“How is that close? Even by high-speed train, it takes four hours each way.” Wang Zi emerged from the bathroom, shirtless, and glanced at Su Xiao, saying, “I’m done, you can go in now.”

“In a moment. Since we’re all leaving, let’s go together – wait for me.” Su Xiao promptly removed his pants, picked up his washbasin, and headed towards the bathroom.

As the one staying behind, Wei Lai had to shower after everyone else. Still wearing his military training uniform, he sat on a chair reading his novel.

“Somebody needs to watch over the dormitory when you guys leave, so nothing gets stolen without us knowing,” Wei Lai genuinely wasn’t sure what to do during the day off tomorrow.

Qing Ting hadn’t mentioned any plans for staying on campus either, leaving Wei Lai uncertain of how to proceed.

“It’s just some clothes; our meal cards need to be scanned upon entering campus anyway, so we should bring them back. With only a few clothes left here, who would bother stealing them?” Wang Zi placed his washbasin down and reached into his wardrobe for a change of clothes. Suddenly remembering something, he swiftly moved closer as if he had teleported.

“Wei Lai, spill the truth – are you going on a date with Qing Ting?!”

“If it’s a date, I won’t leave. I’ll even cover you remotely from afar.”

“No way, get lost! It’s not a date, just hanging out together. There’s no serious commitment yet, so stop stirring things up.” Wei Lai grumpily pushed Wang Zi aside.

This guy was generally nice, but unfortunately, he had a persistent habit of meddling in matters between him and Xiao Ting.

“Alright, alright, you’ve always been like this since middle school. I knew better than to expect much from you.” Disappointed, Wang Zi grabbed his clothes and sat back at his own bed, beginning to dress.

“But seriously, whenever one of you decides to confess, make sure to let me know. Don’t keep me waiting without any payoff; you can’t stop me from watching the pigs run, even if I haven’t tasted pork yet.”

“Shut up, what kind of messed-up analogy is that?”

After teasing Wang Zi, Wei Lai resumed reading his novel when a message notification suddenly popped up on his phone.

(Qing Ting): Just checked – there’s no dinner at the cafeteria today. Let’s eat out instead.

(Wei Lai): I’m not familiar with the area, so you decide where to go.

(Qing Ting): No problem, I’ll treat tonight, and you can cover tomorrow.

(Wei Lai): So, for our outing tomorrow, I’m paying, right? Got it.

(Qing Ting): The fun starts tonight! After dinner, before the dorms close, we’ll explore the nearby places. If they’re enjoyable, we’ll visit again tomorrow. It’s going to be split expenses.

Great, one mystery unresolved, only to add another.

Xiao Ting mentioned the surprise could be tonight, tomorrow, or possibly both days.

To Wei Lai, either seemed plausible, yet neither made complete sense.

If they scouted locations tonight for a surprise tomorrow, then today would serve as a decoy, with the real event unfolding tomorrow.

However, she had already hinted at a surprise long ago, giving him ample time to anticipate it. By involving him in finding suitable spots, wouldn’t it have been more effective if she secretly scouted alone tonight?

If both days turned out to be significant, it would align with Goethe’s theory of coincidences.

She claimed she wanted to surprise him, but instead, these two days might just be about spending leisure time together, which itself could be considered a surprise.

However, this possibility didn’t seem consistent with Qing Ting’s character.

“Hey, Wei Lai, snap out of it.”

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Wei Lai lifted his head and noticed Wang Zi, Su Xiao, and Xiao Ting fully dressed and standing before him.

“Su Xiao, you finished washing up so quickly?”

“I just wiped myself down briefly; I’ll do a proper wash at home. I’m afraid if we delay any longer, we’ll miss the last bus back.”

“You’re right. Let me see you guys off then; staying alone in the dormitory isn’t appealing anyway.”

Glancing at his phone, Wei Lai saw no new messages from Qing Ting. He put away his phone and stood up to escort the three friends out of the dormitory.

At the school gate, most students heading home had changed into their regular clothes, while only a few still wore their military training uniforms.

As he watched Wang Zi and the others board the bus, one girl still in her uniform ran towards him.

“Wow, Wei Lai, meeting you again by chance must be destiny.”

“No, I’m just seeing my roommates off. Aren’t you going home? You’re still wearing your military training uniform.”

“You aren’t dressed differently either.”

Li Mengqin stood charmingly before Wei Lai, her hands clasped together, looking quite adorable. A ponytail peeked out from under her military cap, swaying conspicuously.

Perhaps the ten-day military training had shed some of her scholarly demeanor, making her appear more vibrant.

“I’m about to change now; these military clothes don’t feel relaxing at all. I prefer my own attire.”

Originally not very familiar with each other, Wei Lai exchanged a few brief words with her and turned to head back to his dormitory, waiting for Qing Ting’s departure message.

“Wait!” Li Mengqin hurried after him.

“Tonight, there’s a student council dinner gathering. My cousin invited me along, would you like to join us? There should be seniors you know there.”

The student council members were responsible for leading various classes during military training, so anyone who participated is bound to recognize them.

Li Mengqin gazed expectantly at Wei Lai.

“I do recognize them, but I’m not really close with Senior Dong, so I’ll pass.” Wei Lai shook his head, genuinely not being well-acquainted. Throughout the ten days of training, he hadn’t spoken more than ten lines to Senior Dong.

“How could that be? I heard them discussing you today, saying how strong you are and expressing interest from the Sports Club President.”

“…”

Wei Lai had no idea who the Sports Club President was, but he found Li Mengqin’s persistent invitation quite perplexing. Their interactions were so few that they could be counted on one hand; what made her so determined?

Looking around, there was no sign of Qing Ting either. She was likely still showering in the dormitory, preparing for their dinner plans later.

“To put it simply, I’ve already made evening plans with someone else, so unfortunately, I can’t join you tonight. My apologies,” Wei Lai explained, feeling cornered by Li Mengqin’s persistence yet unwilling to reveal his plans with Qing Ting.

“Oh, I see. In that case, it’s alright. Have a great time tonight.” Li Mengqin clenched her hands tightly for a moment, then suddenly relaxed them as if letting go of something. She turned and ran towards the girls’ dormitory.

“What is she thinking? It’s just bizarre,” Wei Lai muttered under his breath while watching her disappear into the dormitory. He pulled out his phone, checking if Qing Ting had responded further, unable to help his curiosity.

Sometimes, he truly wished he possessed another ability – the power to read people’s thoughts would have been immensely helpful.

*****

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