Chapter 7 - Message Boom and Lucky

Only 1 more day until we go to the beach and I am soooo excited, I could scream so happy I am at the moment.

The day after we went to the cinema, I asked Suri if she could ask Zhan if I could have his cell phone number? I had completely forgotten to ask him myself and I don't think I would have had the courage to do so. Suri wrote to Zhan immediately and he agreed.

I then immediately wrote him a message via a messenger app we both use and he promptly wrote me back. Well, I can't call it writing. It was a thumbs up👍. I thought, that had not gone so well now.

But only a few minutes later, Zhan sent me a picture of the set where he was working. He wrote: "Total chaos here. This time I'm behind the camera."

I asked him what was going on and he wrote me that the agency sent the models to a wrong address and now everyone is trying like crazy to reach the models to give them the right address.

I wrote to Zhan that I was keeping my fingers crossed for him and that unfortunately I had no experience in photographing models yet. "We've been promised over and over again, but until today we haven't had a model here."

Zhan sent a smiley face with a big grin and wrote: "Well, it's good that you know a model. When we' re at the beach, you' re welcome to try out your skills on me. I can then also give you tips."

At that time when the message came, I was sitting in a lecture and giggling to myself. Just the idea of being on the beach with Zhan was great. But being on the beach with Zhan and taking pictures of him? Ahhh so awesome.

Suri stared at me and the professor cleared his throat angrily. I put my phone aside and waited until he looked away again. Then I picked it up again and texted Zhan, "That would be really awesome! Looking forward to it."

From then on we wrote constantly. Almost exclusively about the work as a photographer and model, Zhan thinks with my appearance I could also model. And I was the happiest person in the world when my phone vibrated and Zhan wrote to me.

There was a real message boom between us and I even had to charge my phone battery for the first time, twice in one day. We wrote to each other from morning till night. Zhan sent me many pictures of his work and also of himself. I sent him pictures of me and my study material in return. He could even help me with some things. After all, he had studied it himself.

Somehow that was really great. In the last days, when I woke up in the morning, I always had a new message from Zhan wishing me a good morning and a nice day. And along with that, he would send me pictures of himself sitting in his bed, still quite sleepy. Ahhh, so cute. I could look at those pictures all day.

Suri and I are already talking about nothing else but that tomorrow is finally Friday and our summer vacation starts. Finally relaxing! And finally we're going to the beach.

Yesterday at noon Suri and I were sitting in the university cafeteria enjoying our lunch after Professor Boredom gave us another three hour lecture in monotone voice, when suddenly there was a huge commotion.

Several students suddenly collapsed unconscious. They were totally pale and had discolored tongues. The teachers closed off the cafeteria in case more students were affected and so everyone was in one place. And just in case it was something contagious.

Suri and I really started to panic. All I could think about was wanting to see Zhan and desperately wanting to spend a week with him at the beach. What if Suri and I suddenly got sick too?

We had been locked up for over an hour when two doctors who lecture at the university came into the cafeteria and examined the unconscious students. We had all been anxious. We rather thought that several ambulances would come or the disease control authorities, but there came only these two old doctors who came here from time to time in their retirement and gave lectures.

We were all constantly checking each other's tongues for discoloration, checking our body temperatures, and watching for any other signs of weakness, nausea, or anything else. I kept in constant contact with Zhan and he was also very concerned about Suri and me.

And then, after an hour and fifteen minutes, it turned out that the unconscious people were not unconscious and not sick. They were from the theater group and surprised us with a very special kind of flash mob. I was not very enthusiastic, neither were the other students. Are they actually still perfectly sane?

We were told that all the teachers who were present and also the two doctors were in on it. I would have liked to punch the guy in the face. As soon as that was cleared up, I wrote Zhan what was really behind it and he wrote: "They don't have all together anymore! How can they play with your fear like that? But I'm glad you and Suri are okay and now I don't have to worry about you guys being sick too."

After this shock, Suri and I didn't really have the nerve for the next lecture. But we had to get through it. We had to endure 2 more hours, then we could finally go home.

I had to take the bus because Suri had another appointment at the dentist and couldn't bring me home. It's about time that my dad fixes my bike.

In this heat at the moment it is anything but pleasant to be stuck between four sweating guys in the bus. Why do I always have such bad luck?

I got on the bus, there were even free seats and then older people got on again. Out of politeness, I stand up, give them the seats and have to stand and then more and more people get on the bus until it is so full that you have to hold your head up to be able to breathe at all.

And I had the misfortune again that I was surrounded by guys who smelled as if the last shower was several weeks ago. It could of course also be that only one of them smelled so horrible and the disgusting smell was so intense that it seemed as if all would be stinking.

Since I was taller than these four men, I held my face toward the roof of the bus and still had gasping breath. The stench was just everywhere.

And then when I got home and my mother hugged me in greeting, she wrinkled her nose and yelled at me. "What the hell? Yibo damn it! When was the last time you showered and changed your clothes? You stink worse than the garbage cans standing out there in the sun. Just take a shower and do it thoroughly! And we better burn the clothes before the stench gets to the other stuff."

"Mom, that's just coming..." I tried to explain.

My mom kicked my butt and yelled, "Go on upstairs and take a shower already. You smell worse than a polecat! Thank goodness your Zhan isn't here now, he would have run up and left, you better believe it."

Frustrated, I went upstairs, went into my bathroom and showered for 20 minutes. When I got back out of the shower and picked up my clothes, I noticed the stench as well. I think my mom is right and I should burn them. Luckily, they weren't new clothes. Oh God, I don't even like to think what would have been if Zhan had really been here.

Freshly showered and with clean clothes, I went downstairs to my mom's, ate, and then she quizzed me on what all I had packed for the beach. She decided to check my suitcase again later herself, and make sure I didn't pack my old swim trunks, and also just the new stuff. She also bought me a new pair of pajamas, extra for summer. I usually sleep naked and don't need that at all.

But maybe sleeping naked in the beach house with Zhan is not such a good idea.

In the evening I even talked to Zhan on the phone. He wanted to arrange with me when I will come home from university and he can pick me up. Suri won't be at the university tomorrow because she has a job interview for an internship.

We then somehow got from pickup time to the topic of work, modeling, photography and studying and quickly three hours had passed. It seemed like a few minutes to me.

I was lying on my bed the whole time, talking to Zhan, and overjoyed I couldn't think of anything but the fact that starting as early as 4 pm tomorrow, I'll have my Zhan to myself for a whole week. Ok, Suri and Emma will be there too. But since Suri is fully supporting me, I think Zhan and I will also have a lot of time alone.

Before I finally went to sleep, though, my dad came into my room to talk to me again. "Son, I hope you will be successful in winning Zhan over in the coming week. But, if you do, it didn't mean you have to rush everything. You can take your time with everything. Okay?"

I looked at my father in shock and replied, "Dad, damn it. I haven't even thought about doing what you're thinking about. I'd be fine with just a kiss. Besides, I think you'd better talk to Hai Kuan. After all, he's dating Jiang Cheng and has been for four months. After all, I have to get Zhan to fall in love for me first."

"So as for falling in love, I can tell you, you are such a great young man, you are well-mannered, polite, very talented and very handsome, it won't be a problem. Just be yourself and you will see, Zhan will fall head over heels in love with you. And you're right, I should talk to your brother."

"Do you really think he'll fall in love with me?"

"Well listen, look at you. He can't find anyone better than you my son. Only when, take it slowly. You have all the time in the world."

"Dad, you don't have to be afraid. I'm still unkissed to this day and the last thing on my mind right now is sleeping with Zhan." Not that I haven't imagined it before, but that's none of my dad's business.

"Well then, that's fine. Since we won't see each other again tomorrow before you leave, I wish you now, an unforgettable and beautiful, successful week with your great love. Enjoy the days, relax and don't put any pressure on yourself. Be yourself, because that's how you are best."

I thanked my dad, we hugged and he had tears in his eyes again. He just can't believe that I'm already 20 years old now and maybe soon I'll be with the man of my dreams.