The crimson sunset vanished behind the green mountains, its afterglow scattering radiant light through the sparse forest. Unconcerned with the heavy hearts of young people, it always spread its inherent brilliance calmly and serenely.
Chen Luzhou didn’t feel he liked her that much, but she was indeed the first girl he’d had some feelings for in all these years. This feeling was difficult to describe accurately. It was like a slice of watermelon, crisp and cool on a summer’s day, or a slowly simmered broth bubbling in a small pot on a winter’s night. Having it was nice, but not having it seemed fine too. At eighteen or nineteen, it was an age of curiosity about the opposite sex, and of course, the novelty played a part.
Chen Luzhou sent a WeChat message to Zhu Yangqi.
Cr: [I’m taking her to dinner. Sort out your meal.]
Zhu Yangqi replied at lightning speed, sending a voice message within seconds. Chen Luzhou couldn’t be bothered to deal with him and didn’t open it. He put his phone back in his pocket and asked Xu Zhi, who was leaning against the fish tank teasing the fish, “What do you want to eat?”
Xu Zhi, her finger poking at the glass tank, was thinking that selling tropical fish by the roadside could be a small business venture. Hearing his question, she looked up and said, “What about you? Anything you particularly want to eat?”
“Nothing,” Chen Luzhou walked towards the exit. “Old Fu doesn’t make the things I want to eat anyway.”
Xu Zhi followed him, “Tell me what you like, I can ask Uncle Fu if he can provide some.”
“No need,” Chen Luzhou wore an expression of politely declining the offer. “The things I want to eat are all junk food. Old Fu is such a classy person, let’s not lower his standards.”
As they walked outside, seeing the orange-red sunset still hanging brightly on the mountaintop, they instinctively felt it wasn’t quite dinnertime yet. Chen Luzhou unconsciously raised his wrist to check his watch. Sure enough, it was only four o’clock, and the resort’s restaurant probably wasn’t open yet.
Xu Zhi realized this too. The sunset cast her entire face in a deep red, but she still looked clean. The loose strands of hair on her forehead fluttered in the breeze. “Is it a bit early?”
My brain short-circuited, how did yours short-circuit too?
But people are sometimes like this. Initially, there might not have been this intention, and eating wasn’t part of his plan. But once they had agreed to it, if they didn’t end up eating, it would be annoying.
“Are you hungry? If not, let’s go for a drink,” Chen Luzhou nodded towards the bar next door, Little Zhu, where wind chimes tinkled. “The bar next door is open.”
“Okay.”
As soon as they sat down, Chen Luzhou handed the menu to Xu Zhi. While she was ordering, Chen Luzhou leaned back in his chair, bored, and opened Zhu Yangqi’s voice message. He had it converted to text, afraid this idiot might say something stupid.
Zhu Yangqi: [I still underestimated the charm of you, your dog.]
He couldn’t be bothered to reply. He flipped his phone screen down on the table and reached over to turn Xu Zhi’s menu over. “Let’s just have drinks. We’re watching meteors tonight, I’m afraid you won’t see clearly if you drink alcohol.”
Xu Zhi stubbornly turned it back: “My alcohol tolerance is fine, I won’t get drunk.”
“…Suit yourself.”
Drunkard, can’t be bothered with you. Chen Luzhou leaned back in his chair, grabbed a menu from the next table, and after looking for a while, still ordered a glass of lemon water.
Xu Zhi thought he was very disciplined. Indeed, he should be this handsome. He didn’t drink or smoke. The two times he came to the bar, he only drank lemon water. It seemed that lady raised him well. Madam Lin Qiudie also loved drinking lemon water, needing a glass every morning when she woke up.
“I’ll have lemon water too,” Xu Zhi closed the menu.
You copycat. Chen Luzhou grabbed the menu and tossed it aside, then didn’t know where to look. After leisurely surveying the bar, his gaze finally returned to Xu Zhi, only to find her staring at him. His heart felt like it had been carelessly grabbed. He directly responded, “Why are you looking at me? Is there a menu on my face?”
“Do you usually not have any bad habits?” Xu Zhi asked sincerely.
Chen Luzhou answered equally sincerely, “If watching movies doesn’t count, then no. Why do you ask?”
“How long are you planning to live?” Xu Zhi said, “Being so disciplined.”
“Are you mocking me?” Chen Luzhou smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting, his eyes helpless. “Did I ruin your fun by not drinking?”
As he spoke, he made a move to grab the menu that had been tossed aside.
Xu Zhi quickly covered it with her hand. Their fingertips lightly touched for a split second, but she didn’t notice. She said, “No, I’m just curious. Not drinking is good. I just feel like you must be quite happy living like this, or rather, you probably don’t have many worries?”
Chen Luzhou felt something soft and warm on his fingertips. He instinctively looked over and realized it was her hand. He withdrew his hand almost reflexively, and not content with just that, he shoved it back into his pocket and cleared his throat affectedly.
Just talk if you want to talk, why touch my hand? Always taking advantage of me.
“Even kids have worries, how could I not have any? Look at Chen Xingqi, his daily worry is how not to study painting and how to argue with me. I think you’re the one without worries, aren’t you happy playing cards every day?” he said.
“That can’t be helped. My grandmother wants to play, and if I don’t play with her, she’ll spend money to recharge. My dad is the type who loves to show off. Anyway, whenever we want to spend money, he’ll pay. He’s never had any plans,” she said.
Chen Luzhou looked at her, “So you want to make money early?”
Xu Zhi said thoughtfully, “Mm, I was just thinking, maybe I should set up a stall by the roadside to sell fish, like those small tropical fish in the lobby. I think they might sell better than goldfish.”
Chen Luzhou: “…”
The waiter brought over a tray and served them each a glass of lemon water. Chen Luzhou took the lemon slice off the rim of his glass and set it aside. “Any other business plans? Tell me, I’m listening.”
Xu Zhi looked at him vigilantly, her eyes direct and sharp. “Are you trying to steal my ideas?”
Chen Luzhou: “…”
Forget it, Chen Luzhou decided not to create trouble for himself. So he changed the subject, leaning back in his chair nonchalantly, that hand still pretentiously in his pocket. He took a sip of water, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly, then pursed his lips and said, “I heard from Cai Yingying that you did pretty well in the exams. Which university are you planning to go to?”
“I want to stay in this city, at Qing University’s Architecture Department.”
“Studying architecture?”
Chen Luzhou was about to say that although Qing University was a good school, its Architecture Department seemed quite ordinary.
But Xu Zhi pre-empted him, “What’s wrong, girls can’t study architecture?”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “I’m saying Qing University’s Architecture Department is ordinary. Cai Yingying said your scores were very high, aren’t you considering Beijing or Shanghai?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I misunderstood you,” Xu Zhi sighed, feeling she had been too sensitive lately. “It’s mainly because a few relatives have been advising me to consider other majors, saying there are few girls in architecture. I thought you felt the same way.”
“I think girls are more suited to studying architecture than boys.”
Xu Zhi suddenly looked at him with shining eyes. She pushed her glass a little further away as if this would help her hear his words more clearly. She didn’t want to miss his expression either, wanting to know if he thought this way or was just casually comforting her. “Really?”
Chen Luzhou also pushed his glass to the side and looked at her, saying, “Mm, architectural works, apart from structural and spatial logic, are in some ways like other artistic works. The design needs emotional and artistic input. Of course, I’m not saying you girls are more sensitive or artistic, but girls are indeed more delicate in design. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, because I like the landmark design in our city, which I think was done by a female designer.”
The landmark of Qingyi City was a gesture of a mother opening her arms. Every time he passed by that landmark after getting off a plane, he felt very safe. Sometimes when he brought friends from out of town to play, they would say the city seemed quite warm when they saw the landmark.
“Of course,” Chen Luzhou added, “you seem different from most girls. What I said might not apply to you, but I think you’d probably do well at anything.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Xu Zhi sighed.
Chen Luzhou laughed, not denying it. “Of course, it’s a compliment.”
As he said this, the bar lights dimmed. The face that had been clear suddenly became obscured in the darkness, and that “Of course, it’s a compliment” spoken with a smile sounded particularly intimate, like lovers’ whispers in the quiet night.
Chen Luzhou felt it was too much.
Xu Zhi was immersed in her thoughts. She bit the straw and finished the last of her lemon water, then asked him, “What about you? Aren’t you studying art? What do you plan to do in the future? I feel like you have quite a wide range of options.”
“Me?” Chen Luzhou cleared his throat, his eyes clear. “Who told you I’m studying art?”
“Eh,” This caught Xu Zhi by surprise. “You and Zhu Yangqi are so close, I thought you were both art students.”
“I’m not an art student, just a regular candidate.”
“Then did you not do well in the college entrance exam?” Xu Zhi explained, “That’s what I heard your mom say that day outside the door?”
Chen Luzhou didn’t want to explain too much, otherwise it would bring up a whole string of complicated things he wouldn’t know how to tell her. “Mm, there was a little accident. Have you finished drinking? If you’re done, let’s go back and pack up. I’ll get the equipment.”
Xu Zhi dawdled, not moving for a long time. Finally, she said, “Why don’t you go up first, I’ll sit here a bit longer. Don’t forget the medicine.” Her eyes pointed to the herbal balm on the table.
Chen Luzhou saw right through her inexplicably. “You want to sneak some alcohol, don’t you?”
Xu Zhi: “…”
This guy seems to be able to read minds. That’s what Xu Zhi thought.
“I know what major you’re going to study now,” she said suddenly, raising her hand high.
Chen Luzhou leaned back casually, finally taking his hand out of his pocket. It now hung loosely between his open legs, in a posture of attentive listening. “Mm, what am I studying?”
Xu Zhi: “Police? Criminal investigation?”
He laughed, “My dad has always said I’m not suitable to be a police officer.”
“Why?”
“Too handsome, too conspicuous in a crowd. If I were an undercover cop on a mission, I’d be the first to get shot.”
Xu Zhi found that he was very much like her, always able to say the most perfunctory and annoying things with an utterly sincere expression. Even knowing it was a joke, Xu Zhi still pointed out, “You are very narcissistic.”
Chen Luzhou didn’t follow up on her words. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, looking at her calmly, and asked slowly, “Are you happy now? If you’re happy, let’s go. I really can’t accompany you for drinks.”
“Are you allergic to alcohol?” Xu Zhi asked.
“Not really, I just passed out after one drink,” Chen Luzhou sighed, withdrawing his gaze. He picked up the menu and scanned two more pages, quite honestly saying, “When I drink too much, I like to talk to people. When I was in elementary school, I was tricked by Zhu Yangqi’s dad into drinking a glass of white liquor, then I talked to my grandmother all night. The old lady’s shoulder peri arthritis flared up, and she was bedridden for a week.”
…
Cai Yingying laughed so hard she fell back on the bed. “What kind of angel is Chen Luzhou?”
Xu Zhi also found it very funny. While squatting on the ground looking for hiking shoes, she said, “Next time, let’s get him drunk and see what he says all night.”
“Good idea,” Cai Yingying turned over, swinging her toes. “But I’m quite curious, what kind of girl do you think a guy like Chen Luzhou would like? When I first met him, I thought he was just an arrogant guy, probably very difficult to get along with. To be honest, I was a bit prejudiced against him at first. I thought he was the type who’s just handsome and keeps a distance from girls. But now I’m increasingly feeling that he’s probably the kind who grew up pampered by his parents, probably hasn’t been beaten down by society yet, clean and optimistic, just a bit sharp-tongued sometimes.”
“That’s high praise, Cai Yingying,” Xu Zhi said without turning her head. “See? Isn’t coming out for a walk making you feel better? Isn’t Chen Luzhou much more interesting than Zhai Xiao?”
Cai Yingying said, “No way, I still find Zhai Xiao interesting. My goal in life right now is to make Zhai Xiao regret, to let him know how stupid he is! But, it’s strange, the four of us, we’re paired up with each other’s WeChat contacts.”
This feeling was indeed a bit strange, even though all four of them knew each other.
Xu Zhi put away her shoes and suggested, “Why don’t I give you his WeChat, and you give me Zhu Yangqi’s WeChat? I think the four of us are friends now, right?”
…
Chen Luzhou had just closed his laptop and fished out a new drone circuit board from the box to replace the old one when he saw Zhu Yangqi slurping instant noodles and picking up his phone. He swallowed hastily and said, “Why is Xu Zhi adding me on WeChat? My birth mother has been dead for years, if she wants to meet my mom, that’s not going to work.”
Chen Luzhou: “…”
The next second, the phone in his pocket also buzzed.
Xu Zhi: [Can Yingying add you on WeChat?]
Zhu Yangqi heard the sound and leaned over to look. Suddenly enlightened, he said, “Alright, Chen Luzhou, you’re in a love triangle now. This time it’s Cai Yingying trying to pursue you. Xu Zhi is generous, actually pushing you towards her best friend.”
Chen Luzhou: “…”