Chapter 63 Extra
This extra is the second half of the extra "A Girl Who Smiles," updated on June 17th. If you haven't read the first half, you can go back and take a look; it's after Chapter 62 of Volume 5.

The following is the main text.

"Yao Yao, stop it."

The buzz-cut boy with a sunny smile ruffled Du Yao's hair and smiled, "It's not like I'm not coming back. Just think of it as me going to provide educational support."

"It would be fine if you were really going to provide educational support! I could even go with you!"

Du Yao really felt like she was about to explode.

She gritted her teeth, glaring at the burly, buzz-cut boy in front of her.

This was her boyfriend.

The two of them had been secretly dating for three years in high school. They had thought that they could finally be together at the same university in the same city after graduating from high school and getting good scores on the college entrance exam.

But...

This bastard!

He had actually signed up as a United Nations peacekeeping volunteer to go to the poorest and most war-torn small country in Africa to provide humanitarian aid!

Inexplicable.

He was simply out of his mind!

"With your great abilities, is Dragon Country no longer able to accommodate you?"

Du Yao said angrily, "If you want to do good deeds and provide aid, do you have to go abroad to Africa? There are plenty of people in poor mountainous areas who need help! What kind of act are you putting on here!"

"Don't say that, Yao Yao."

The buzz-cut boy smiled, "There are people who need help everywhere. Many of my friends are also going to mountainous areas to provide educational support, and my older brother is supporting border cities. Going anywhere to do good deeds should be praised. Why do you have to put a label on kindness?"

"In the past, when our country was in war and poverty, didn't many kind international friends from foreign countries risk their lives to help us?"

"Norman Bethune, Dwarkanath Kotnis, and Paul Emile Joseph Baelz, these famous heroes, which one is not worthy of our respect and emulation?"

"You're a smart girl, Yao Yao. We can't say that when we are in trouble, foreigners can come and help us, but now that we are peaceful and strong, we can't go out and help others, right?"

"We can't be so strict with others and lenient with ourselves."

*Pa!*

Du Yao slapped his hand away from her head. "Is it necessary for you to go? You're only 18 years old! Can you just do what you're supposed to do? Is this something you should be doing at your age?"

*Hahahaha.*

The boy laughed heartily, "Stop it, Yao Yao. Don't worry, when I come back, I'll definitely marry you."

"Marry my ass!"

Du Yao shouted, "Who the hell wants to marry you, you idiot! Do you think I can't find someone better than you? If you dare to go, then I'll apply to go abroad too! I'll go abroad and find a boyfriend who is a thousand times, ten thousand times better than you!"

"You just watch me be lovey-dovey with someone else! Die in Africa!"

*Ai.*

Johns Hopkins University, lecture hall.

Du Yao looked at Tang Xin, who was refreshing the QQ group again, and sighed, "Stop refreshing, big sister. Even if you refresh until the end of time, no one will say anything. Everyone has their own things to do. University life is so exciting, who would spend all day in the high school class group reminiscing about the past?"

As she spoke, Tang Xin clicked on Lin Xian's profile picture again.

Because they were not friends, she could not access his QQ space.

Then, she zoomed in on his profile picture and looked at it. It was still the same anime character; he had not changed it.

"This is too pathetic!!"

Du Yao really couldn't take it anymore. "If you really can't let go of Lin Xian, then be bold and send him a friend request and chat with him! Every day, there's no news in the QQ group, you can't access his QQ space, and every now and then, you look at his profile picture to see if he's changed it to try and guess his mood, big sister! Have some ambition, okay?"

"Oh dear, why are you so worked up?"

Tang Xin smiled slightly and stroked Du Yao's hair. "I'm looking at my QQ group, not yours. Look at how agitated you are."

Du Yao snorted. "I just think you're too useless, embarrassing! Such a small thing, and you can't let it go!"

"Who's as carefree as you, Miss"

Tang Xin said sarcastically, "Have you let go?"

"Of course, I've let go."

Du Yao spread her hands. "Have you seen me think about him?"

"Then why do you send him photos every day?" Tang Xin retorted.

"I'm doing that to make him angry!"

Du Yao chuckled, flicking her seven-colored dreadlocks behind her head. "See this? Dyed hair, dreadlocks, big earrings, a super short skirt, and a small tank top – these are the flashy outfits he hates the most. I change my style every day to take photos for him, so he can see how carefree I am."

"A broken Africa, he thinks he's so capable. Come, come, take a look, I just love to see him get angry."

As she spoke, Du Yao took out her phone, opened the messaging app, leaned over, and showed Tang Xin her chat history with her ex-boyfriend.

"You're chatting quite enthusiastically."

Tang Xin looked at the screen full of chat records, back and forth.

"Not enthusiastically."

Du Yao corrected, "Intensely! Look at him, the way he lectures me every day, saying that I've gone bad, and he's scolding me – what right does he have to scold me?"

*Heh.*

Tang Xin glanced at it a few times, shaking her head with a smile. "You're just being stubborn. You still haven't let go."

"Which eye of yours saw that I haven't let go?"

"If you really let go, you wouldn't be sending him messages every day."

"I'm doing it to make him angry!"

Du Yao slammed the table, "Why can't you understand?"

"Then what?"

Tang Xin blinked, looking at Du Yao. "You're deliberately making him angry what are you expecting?"

"Expecting my ass!"

Du Yao cursed fiercely, put away her phone, and stood up from her seat. "I just want to make him angry! Piss him off!"

"Thank you, Professor Xu Yun!"

Tang Xin held the lab offer in her hands, clasping them together. "Professor Xu Yun is truly the greatest person in the world!"

Du Yao scoffed, looking at this smug little person. "Isn't it just that Professor Xu Yun published the hibernation pod filling fluid, which unexpectedly turned your garbage research results into a hot commodity? Look at how smug you are!"

"Hahaha, that's what I'm saying!"

Tang Xin happily hugged Du Yao. "If it weren't for Professor Xu Yun publishing his results in time, this academic trash of mine would have been kicked out of the lab! Who would have thought that the drug I was researching to treat Alzheimer's disease could unexpectedly overcome the most fatal side effects of hibernation!"

"This is just luck I'm really a koi girl! Yao Yao, do you want to come back to China with me? This laboratory in Donghai is very powerful!"

"Oh my."

Du Yao began to speak sarcastically. "You're starting to show off, aren't you? That's Ji Xinshui's laboratory, you think you can just get in if you want? It's just that you, a blind cat, stumbled upon a dead rat, so Ji Xinshui personally sent you an invitation and offered you a high salary to go to Donghai I have no chance."

"Not necessarily!"

Tang Xin took Du Yao's hand. "Your graduation thesis, didn't our teacher also say that it was very thoughtful and forward-looking? Why don't I take your graduation thesis to Ji Xinshui and let him take a look after I see him? Maybe he'll also sign you with a high salary."

"Forget it."

Du Yao yawned, waved her hand, and said indifferently, "My graduation thesis was just made up. I finished writing it in half a morning. If you really asked me to explain it, I really wouldn't be able to explain it. I can only say that our teacher was blind and actually believed that I could make a name for myself."

"I definitely won't go back to China. I'll just continue to study for a master's degree here. By the way, Xin Xin, when are you going back to China?"

"Around the New Year, I guess."

Tang Xin said, "There are still a lot of procedures to handle here. I've also talked to Mr. Ji Xinshui. I'll go to Donghai after the New Year."

"Ai."

Du Yao sighed softly. "Go, go, one by one, I'm the only one left here."

"Have some ambition, Xin Xin, and don't be a simp, running to find Lin Xian."

Tang Xin chuckled. "Still looking for him! I don't even know where he is or what he's doing now. We've lost contact for many years."

"Oh dear, don't be so lonely. I'm not going back to China for more than a month. Let's go, I'll treat you to a big meal!"

*Thump thump thump!*

That night, while sleeping soundly, Du Yao suddenly scrambled out of bed in a panic, frantically turning on her computer and typing furiously.

The commotion was so loud that it woke Tang Xin up.

She rubbed her eyes.

And sat up in bed.

"Yao Yao, what's wrong?"

Du Yao's face was pale. She didn't say a word. The fluorescent light from the laptop screen shone on her face, as if she were facing a formidable enemy.

"What's wrong?"

Tang Xin realized something was wrong.

She got out of bed, walked behind Du Yao, and widened her eyes to look at the news on the screen:

War broke out in South Sudan, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

The United Nations peacekeeping force was missing and its condition was unknown.

The chaos in South Sudan escalated.

"Yao Yao!"

Tang Xin immediately realized what had happened.

Du Yao's breathing was a little rapid, her breath trembling. She opened her phone

In the messaging app.

She still sent her ex-boyfriend various photos of herself dressed in hip-hop style and clubbing every day.

But...

Over there, there had been no reply for many days in a row.

Tang Xin had heard Du Yao say that her ex-boyfriend used to go missing often, but the longest it would ever be was two or three days. After the communication signal was restored, he would send her a message and continue to scold and lecture her.

But this time, it had been too long.

There had been no news for seven days.

Coupled with the shocking news on the computer screen...

"I, I'll help you contact my dad!"

Tang Xin took out her phone and started calling frantically. "He knows a lot of people, he should have a way."

Du Yao was panicking for a moment, hugging her head. "No, no, it won't happen."

She continued to pick up her phone, send messages to her ex-boyfriend, and make phone calls.

Again and again

Again and again

Again and again

Just like that, she reflexively kept calling.

But there was no response.

Du Yao's forehead was covered in fine sweat, and she was biting her lip, her pupils trembling.

Suddenly!

With a *beep* sound.

The video call was actually connected.

"Yao Yao, you're finally willing to give me a call?"

Tang Xin and Du Yao heard the voice and immediately widened their eyes, rushing over!

They saw

On the other side of the video, a boy with a steel helmet and a dirty face wiped his face, which was covered in black ash, and smiled, "I finally got the children to a safe place. The signal was just restored."

"Go to hell!!!"

Du Yao's hoarse roar almost made Tang Xin's ears ring.

"Why don't you go to hell!!!"

Du Yao's tear ducts instantly collapsed, and tears dripped down, "You big idiot!!!"

*Beep.*

She pressed the hang-up button, and with a set of skillful operations, directly blocked her ex-boyfriend, then sat there angrily.

"Pfft."

Tang Xin couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahahahaha"

She clutched her stomach, laughing until her stomach hurt.

"What are you laughing at!"

Du Yao immediately pounced on her, covering her mouth.

"Hahahahaha"

However, Tang Xin really couldn't hold back and was laughing so hard that she was almost out of breath.

Finally.

She coughed a few times, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and teased, "Oh, some people are saying they've moved on, but they've secretly folded a corner." (meaning they haven't completely moved on)

"Tang Xin! Who are you scolding!"

"I'm not scolding anyone."

Tang Xin spread her hands with a smile. "I'm telling the truth. Didn't you say you let go? Where did you put it?"

"You!"

Du Yao's face flushed, and she quickly tried to save face. "What face do you have to talk about me? Aren't you the same! Seeing Lin Xian say he's going to attend the class reunion, you're here acting all excited!"

"Do you think I don't know that you have a wrinkled, expired Alpenliebe lollipop hidden in the iron box on your bedside table?"

"Isn't that the lollipop that Lin Xian gave you when he wrapped his school uniform around you? You not only didn't eat it, but you've been hiding it for so many years! Secretly, repeatedly looking at it! Have you let go? Have you let go!"

"I didn't say I let go!"

Tang Xin stood up.

"Yao Yao, why are you shooting at a target in the air? Your logic is all messed up."

"Shut up!" Du Yao directly used the silence spell.

Tang Xin, who had been ridiculed for so many years, finally found an opportunity to fight back, how could she let it go so easily?

She cupped her hands into a loudspeaker, put them to her mouth, and imitated Du Yao's heartbroken appearance:

"Big idiot"

"Tang!! Xin!!"

Du Yao pounced again, using her fighting skills.

&&

&&

After a fight.

The two lay on the ground, panting.

After their breathing calmed down, Tang Xin turned her head and looked at Du Yao, who was covering her eyes beside her.

"It's nothing shameful to not let go."

She blinked.

"There's nothing embarrassing about liking someone."

"He abandoned me," Du Yao sighed.

"Then why don't you go find him?"

Tang Xin said softly, "Relationships are a matter for two people. One person always has to take the initiative. If both people are just stubborn and tight-lipped, won't they just end up with nothing for the rest of their lives?"

"Then why should I take the initiative?"

Du Yao turned her head and asked, "Why should I always go find him? Why can't he abandon his ridiculous ideals and come find me?"

"Is it necessary to calculate it so clearly?"

Tang Xin sat up and lifted the chair that had been knocked over. "Love isn't a turn-based game, and it's not a business deal. If you really like someone, why do you have to calculate everything so clearly, like you're keeping score?"

"Just like me and Lin Xian, do I have to demand that Lin Xian must also be thinking about me, looking at my QQ profile picture, and trying to pay attention to everything about me in these past few years to be fair?"

"If everything has to be equal and reciprocal, then this relationship can't even be talked about. Actually, I think there's no need to consider so much, Yao Yao. Because"

She scratched her messy short hair and smiled sweetly. "Because"

"It's already very lucky that someone can break into your life and make you like them for so many years."

"Many people never meet someone they truly like or someone they can't forget for so many years. We're already lucky enough, why should we ask for more?"

Du Yao did not speak.

Silently sat up from the ground, crossed her legs, and rubbed her arms.

"Tch."

She turned her head and snorted. "Actually, you're just a theorist, you just say it nicely."

She turned her head again, looking at Tang Xin provocatively. "Do you dare to tell Lin Xian what's on your mind? Do you dare to confess to Lin Xian? Do you dare to bet?"

"I won't bet with you on that," Tang Xin refused immediately.

"Heh."

Du Yao sneered, "See, you just don't dare."

"I'm not afraid."

Tang Xin shook her head and turned away. "I won't bet on these things with you, because the reason I like Lin Xian is because I simply like him, not because I'm betting with you."

"Similarly, confession is the same."

Her eyes were serious. "If Lin Xian doesn't have a girlfriend, and I really do confess to him one day, it won't be because I'm betting with you, but because I truly like him."

"But, if you simply ask me if I dare."

Tang Xin stood up straight, looking down at Du Yao.

"I dare."

She paused.

She asked back, "Then what about you? Yao Yao, do you dare to go to Africa to find him?"

Actually

Whether this question was asked or not was unnecessary. The answer had already been revealed in Du Yao's tears and heartbreak just now.

It's just.

Tang Xin knew Du Yao too well. She knew that this seemingly strong and frivolous girl actually had a soft heart.

What the other party needed now

Was nothing more than.

A step to cover up her stubbornness.

As long as she was given a step, she would definitely take the opportunity to come down.

Faced with Tang Xin's question.

Du Yao stood up from the floor and looked directly into Tang Xin's eyes.

"What's there to be afraid of?"

She crossed her arms and chuckled.

"If you dare, I dare too!"

United States, Baltimore International Airport.

A plane flying to Dragon Country's Imperial City was about to take off.

At the boarding gate, Du Yao and Tang Xin, who had already taken off her earrings, dyed her hair black, and was wearing ordinary casual clothes, hugged each other.

"You have to contact me every day after you go back."

"Of course."

Tang Xin patted Du Yao's back. "You too, try to apply for the United Nations peacekeeping volunteer position. I hope to hear your good news soon."

"Ai, that's too early."

Du Yao let go of Tang Xin and sighed. "There are many requirements for applying to be a volunteer, not only in terms of cultural knowledge, but also in terms of physical fitness, etc. But"

She smiled and straightened her hair.

"I'll work hard. I told him that I'll apply and go to South Sudan to find him as soon as I get it."

"What about you, I hope to hear your good news soon. When are you planning to get married?"

*Pfft*

Tang Xin was amused and covered her mouth, joking, "How much are you going to give me as a gift! If you give me a lot, I might consider it sooner."

"I'll give you an African coconut."

"Then you better not come!"

"Hehe, even if you don't let me go, I'll still go!"

Du Yao pushed Tang Xin.

"I'm still waiting to be your bridesmaid and grab your bouquet!"

*Ding-dong*

The last announcement urging passengers to board the plane rang.

Tang Xin knew.

She was really leaving.

She would transfer from the Imperial City Airport to Hangzhou City to attend the high school reunion on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and then go to Donghai City to report to Ji Xinshui's research institute.

Donghai.

She had already added the class monitor, Gao Yang, on WeChat and chatted with him.

Lin Xian worked at MX Company in Donghai, and he didn't have a girlfriend. He was single.

Perhaps, the story would begin in Donghai.

"I'm leaving, Yao Yao."

Tang Xin dragged her suitcase, walked to the boarding gate, and waved back to Du Yao, "We must all be happy!"

Du Yao also waved with a smile, "It's up to you, Xin Xin"

"Good luck!"

Late February 2023, Donghai City, high-end French restaurant.

Tang Xin placed her handbag on the seat next to her and looked at Zhou Duanyun, who was sitting across from her with a smile.

"I really didn't expect you to treat me to dinner."

"We're all classmates, let's deepen our relationship." Zhou Duanyun called the waiter and asked them to start serving the appetizers.

"You said you wanted to talk to me about Lin Xian?" Tang Xin looked at Zhou Duanyun.

A few days ago.

She had just had dinner with Zhou Duanyun.

That was with Lin Xian and Gao Yang, a group of four. After it was over, when she got into the taxi, Lin Xian grabbed her, almost pulling her into his arms, which made her heart race and her face turn red.

Then, this afternoon, Zhou Duanyun sent her a message saying that he wanted to ask her to have dinner tonight.

She didn't have much of an impression of Zhou Duanyun, neither good nor bad, but it seemed a little inappropriate to have dinner with just the two of them, so she refused.

But then.

Zhou Duanyun mysteriously said that he had something very important about Lin Xian to talk to her about.

This made her very curious.

After thinking about it.

She finally came to the French restaurant for the appointment.

"I have a plan that can 100% help you win over Lin Xian"

The man across from her looked at her with a smile.

"Are you interested in hearing it?"

Back home in the evening.

She found that Du Yao was actually online!

She quickly called and dialed through.

Du Yao successfully applied for a volunteer position and went to South Sudan, where she met her boyfriend and the two of them were doing peacekeeping volunteer work together.

Although they had been apart for many years, their feelings were still strong and they were very close. Tang Xin was very happy for them.

However, there was constant war there, and they often lost contact.

The two of them hadn't been in touch for 10 days this time, and Tang Xin was very worried.

Soon, the call was connected.

"Yao Yao!"

Tang Xin breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's great, you haven't replied to me for 10 days, I was almost worried to death!"

"Haha, the situation hasn't been stable during this time, and I've been very busy!"

In the video, Du Yao with her dirty face was laughing and her teeth seemed as white as crystal.

"I'm a rescue expert now! But I still often feel powerless, watching one fresh life after another choke to death in the ruins, it's really hard."

"I really didn't know before that the people here were really living a hellish life, which is completely different from the poor mountainous areas I had imagined. People here really starve to death, get bombed to death, and all kinds of unimaginable tragedies happen."

"Ai, let's not talk about this, how's your side going?"

Tang Xin smiled and shook her head.

"A former classmate in our class who has a good relationship with Lin Xian said that he would help me confess! He seems to be an expert in love, and designed a series of plans for me."

"Didn't I tell you last time? Because of Mr. Ji Xinshui's recommendation, I don't know what happened, but I was successfully admitted to the Donghai Symphony Orchestra as a violinist."

"But the VIP tickets for the performance are very difficult to get, they are all non-sale items, given to those big shots I looked for a long time and couldn't find any. But Zhou Duanyun is very capable, he got me a VIP seat ticket and asked me to give this ticket to Lin Xian."

"A good person!"

Du Yao said with a smile.

"This person is good, so enthusiastic to help you."

"Not only that."

Tang Xin continued,

"He also helped me analyze Lin Xian, saying that the best plan is to confess to Lin Xian in a romantic way and at the right time."

"He said that I should prepare a gift for Lin Xian, simple is fine, just to highlight my heart, and then, in order to give Lin Xian a surprise, let me put the gift in his car first, and after the music concert is over, he will drive the car to the door of the auditorium, and then I will take out the gift to give to Lin Xian, the effect is the best!"

Du Yao sincerely hoped that Tang Xin would also be able to get her wish, and asked curiously,

"Then, what gift did you prepare? It's not flowers, right? If it's flowers, forget it, boys should only feel embarrassed when they receive flowers."

"Then what will you give? A razor? A belt? Hmm, it doesn't feel right either, it's okay as a normal gift, but it's weird to give a razor for a confession, right?"

Du Yao guessed for a long time but couldn't guess.

But Tang Xin smiled very confidently.

"Hehe, I'm very confident in this gift!"

"Do you remember, I told you before that Lin Xian didn't remember giving me his school uniform or helping me out of trouble I was too embarrassed to tell him about the lollipop thing. Because because our relationship at the time was just ordinary classmates, people said they didn't remember it, I can't force them to remember, right? It makes me look so anxious."

"But! I think Lin Xian should be able to remember it when he sees the Alpenliebe lollipop from back then! Even if he doesn't remember, it doesn't matter, I can tell him about it!"

"He should remember um um, because that lollipop seems to have been bought with our class monitor's money, and finally given to me, without the class monitor's share, the class monitor chased after him for a long time. So, he should have an impression."

Ah ha ha ha ha

On the other side of the video call, Du Yao was amused.

"Forget it, big sister, is it the wrinkled, expired lollipop that you used to put in the iron box and always secretly look at, secretly peek at?"

"Are you embarrassed to take that thing out to give? In the United States, you would take it out and play with it whenever you had nothing to do, and the coating on the wrapper has been worn off by you, it's too shabby to give this!"

Tang Xin listened.

She smiled mysteriously and shook her index finger.

"Nonono of course I know that the wrinkled lollipop can't be given away, so I made a special gift!"

Saying this.

She bent down and reached from the table

Huh?

That's not right!

Du Yao widened her eyes and saw clearly.

That wasn't a bouquet

Although the outer packaging was indeed colored paper, ribbons, and glitter paper used to package bouquets.

But the position in the middle that should have been a large bouquet of flowers

Was actually filled with colorful Alpenliebe lollipops!

This was a lollipop bouquet! An exquisite bouquet of flowers with lollipops instead of flowers!

"Awesome!"

Du Yao exclaimed.

"Did you make it yourself?"

"Yes!"

Tang Xin smiled.

"I went to the flower shop to buy the outer packaging, and went to the supermarket to buy a bunch of Alpenliebe lollipops, and then glued them one by one at home. Ah, this was a big project! In order to make the lollipop replace the flowers look better, I glued them carefully and also considered a lot in terms of color matching."

"How is it? Isn't it beautiful? And look at the lollipop in the very center"

Tang Xin moved the lollipop bouquet closer to the phone camera so that Du Yao could see it clearly.

"Look, look, all the other Alpenliebe lollipops were bought new, but only the one in the very center is the one he gave me on the playground in the autumn of 2017."

"Although among these lollipops, this lollipop that expired several years ago is the most dilapidated, it is the most meaningful and the one I cherish the most Lin Xian will definitely notice this detail. At that time, he should remember everything."

"Alright."

In the video, Du Yao gave a thumbs up to the camera.

"Then I'll look forward to your good news! I'll be back tomorrow night haha, or if I can't come back, you must tell me the result! I believe you'll definitely be okay, I can't wait to be your bridesmaid!"

"Hehe, don't worry, I'll save a spot for you then I won't disturb your rest Yao Yao, you look pretty tired, get some rest early."

"Um um, bye bye Xin Xin, good luck! Good luck!"

*Beep*

The video call ended.

Tang Xin looked at the lollipop bouquet placed upright on the table, a smile climbed to the corner of her mouth, and she couldn't help but start to imagine the scene of giving this gift to Lin Xian tomorrow.

Would he accept it?

Would he remember?

Would he agree?

"It's okay."

Tang Xin comforted herself and cheered herself on.

"Um um, I always have to try it, so I don't have any regrets."

Saying that.

She looked at the time, it wasn't too late yet.

So she opened WeChat.

Clicked on the top chat window and typed a message.

"Good night, Lin Xian."

"See you tomorrow"

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