After handing over the large gold chain to the community street office, Xu Zhi suggested treating them to a late-night meal as a gesture of gratitude.
Cai Yingying immediately chimed in, “Yes, yes! I know a place nearby that stays open quite late. It’s not only delicious but also clean. It has a perfect five-star rating on Dianping. We’re truly grateful for your help tonight. This necklace is especially important to my best friend.”
Zhu Yangqi responded, “Sounds good.”
Chen Luzhou said, “I’m going back to eat instant noodles.”
Cai Yingying’s face instantly fell. As expected, handsome guys were always hard to hook. Trying to cover her disappointment, she said, “Come on, don’t be like that. What’s wrong with having a late-night snack? Are you afraid we’re hitting on you? We both have boyfriends, you know.”
“Oh, you both have boyfriends?” Even Zhu Yangqi, who was in the middle of dismantling the pole, lost interest in going.
Xu Zhi instinctively glanced at Cai Yingying, who continued addressing the two men in a righteous tone, “You’ve done us such a big favor, and you even took apart your model for us. We don’t want to owe you anything. It’s purely to thank you, so don’t overthink it.”
After saying this, Cai Yingying leaned close to Xu Zhi’s ear and whispered, “Guys like him are just arrogant and aloof. We need to take the opposite approach, or he’ll think we’re going to cling to him.”
Xu Zhi was bewildered, “Wait, what’s your plan now? What about Xiao Xue?”
Cai Yingying replied with an air of righteousness, “What does it have to do with me? Weren’t you the one who suggested treating them to dinner? I’m just tagging along for a meal with a handsome guy.” She nodded towards the guy, “Someone like him – we probably won’t come across another specimen this fine this year, right? What’s wrong with having a meal? Besides, Xiao Xue and I aren’t officially together yet, and you’re not dating Tan Xu either. You’re about to break up again, so what’s there to worry about?”
Xu Zhi wasn’t concerned about that, but she just sighed, “Don’t scare him away from me.”
She had her agenda. However, she wasn’t very good at talking to people, especially boys.
Just as Zhu Yangqi was about to say that since they both had boyfriends, he’d go home for instant noodles too, Chen Luzhou, who was crouching down tying his shoelaces, spoke up without raising his head, “Alright, where are we eating?”
Crouching there, all Xu Zhi could see was his soft, fluffy hair and his broad, straight back, like a mountain ridge at sunrise, tempting one to climb it. Suddenly, Xu Zhi felt he might not be so difficult to deal with after all. Staring at the top of his head, she said, “Just at the entrance.”
Chen Luzhou methodically finished tying his shoelaces, giving them a final tug before standing up. The two of them stood by the tree, but Xu Zhi felt his presence was more substantial than the tree itself, firmly shielding her. A faint scent of sage body wash wafted to her nose. The night sky was like a giant net, and Xu Zhi felt as if he had the whole world at his back, giving her an inexplicable sense of security.
“You go ahead, I need to go back and lock up,” he said, turning to go inside. The guy who had been following him like a shadow immediately went in with him.
“We’ll wait for you at the entrance!”
Xu Zhi and Cai Yingying stood waiting by the streetlight at the bottom of the building stairs. Fireflies were still fluttering about aimlessly. In the warm yellow light, their elongated shadows stood motionless, looking very much like two statues of women waiting for their husbands to return. Xu Zhi reminded her, “Cai Yingying, wipe your drool.”
“That’s not drool,” Cai Yingying said, “Those are tears of envy.”
“Envious of what?”
“Envious of his future girlfriend.”
Xu Zhi asked, “How do you know he doesn’t have a girlfriend?”
Cai Yingying’s eyes were firmly fixed on the building entrance as she said with certainty, “He’s single. And a guy that handsome is not easy to pursue.”
Just as she finished speaking, they heard the soft sound of a door closing inside, followed by two tall, young figures emerging from the building entrance one after the other. The “shadow” had freshened up, with a string of odds and ends hanging around his neck, jingling like an old music box as he walked. He had only changed into a simple, clean black T-shirt, and perhaps worried about the cold night air, he had brought out a sports jacket that hung over his shoulder. His pale skin stood out, and the lines of his arms were smooth and powerful, with prominent veins.
He walked lazily behind his “shadow,” head lowered as he plugged a power bank into his phone. The “shadow” said something with a grin, and he smiled back halfheartedly. The next second, his gaze swept over to where Xu Zhi was standing. Probably not knowing how to address them, he quietly looked away and stopped moving. For some reason, Xu Zhi felt his gaze held a hint of ulterior motive.
Without a word, Cai Yingying pulled Xu Zhi over, and the four of them headed towards the alley exit.
In this short time, Chen Luzhou had found a movie to watch. Cai Yingying complained, “Seriously? Are you so bored hanging out with us that you need to kill time watching a movie?”
“Don’t mind him, he’s like this even when he goes out with his girlfriend. You don’t know, but Bohui Cinema is—” Zhu Yangqi was about to spill all of Chen Luzhou’s secrets when Chen Luzhou gave him a cool glance. Zhu Yangqi quickly changed tack, “Bohui Cinema, he’s watched every single movie they’ve shown.”
Thinking she had misjudged, Cai Yingying quietly asked the “shadow,” “Oh, he has a girlfriend?”
Zhu Yangqi clicked his tongue, “Hey, didn’t you say it was just a meal? What, interested in pursuing my bro?”
“As if! I have a boyfriend, okay?” Cai Yingying rolled her eyes defiantly, “But let me tell you, speaking of Bohui Cinema, their tickets are really expensive, and they never give out coupons—”
“Nonsense, it’s the largest cinema in the city—”
Xu Zhi was left behind. She glanced over; the guy was indeed lowering his head to watch a movie, clearly not interested in talking to her. Moreover, it was a very old disaster film.
“Why are you only watching it now? I remember this movie came out when we were in tenth grade,” Xu Zhi said, trying to sound like an expert.
“Is that so? Maybe I was too busy before and didn’t notice,” he replied.
“The sequel is coming out this summer vacation, you know.”
“Mm.”
Xu Zhi racked her brain for topics: “Do you usually watch movies at Bohui?”
“Mm.” Even fainter than before.
“Is there any movie you want to see recently? I can treat you,” Xu Zhi said.
Chen Luzhou finally looked up at her, puzzled, “What do you mean? Is one meal not enough to show your gratitude?”
Xu Zhi couldn’t bring herself to say, “I’ll treat you to a movie if you let me meet your mother.” How could she approach his mother more naturally?
“Nothing,” she said.
Xu Zhi felt she must not have been natural enough.
The alley was deep and quiet, with moss-covered walls. Layers of leaves hung from the high walls, moonlight spilling over them, making it easy for thoughts to ferment. It was a downhill path, the wind particularly clear in their ears. Behind them, a bicycle bell kept ringing, and a group of young boys whizzed past them fearlessly in the moonlight, showing no signs of slowing down.
Xu Zhi wasn’t paying attention, lost in thought about how to strike up a more natural conversation. She almost got brushed by the cyclists without noticing. Forcefully opening another topic, she asked, “What year and month were you born?”
As soon as she asked, she realized it didn’t make sense. The timing wouldn’t work out; he couldn’t have a son his age.
“Me? You’re asking about my birthday?” Chen Luzhou looked up at the reckless group of kids, inconspicuously moving to her outer side. He found it amusing and the corner of his mouth turned up slightly, which was rare for him. “Why don’t you ask my name first? Don’t you know the basics of flirting?”
“…Oh.”
The conversation died.
Chen Luzhou: “…”
“Don’t you need to let your boyfriend know?”
As they reached the alley entrance, Chen Luzhou locked his phone and casually twirled it between two fingers. Standing at the busy street corner, watching the traffic light about to change, he suddenly asked this question, either offhandedly or intentionally.
Xu Zhi felt his question wasn’t friendly. Her second thought was that being his girlfriend must be very restrictive.
“Does having a boyfriend mean I can’t go out for a meal with someone of the opposite sex?” she asked.
Her gaze was so earnest that it made Chen Luzhou pause in his casual phone-twirling.
“…Good question.”
Yifeng Lane’s barbecue street was famous far and wide. Not just in Qingyi City, but people from neighboring cities came specifically for it. At this time, it was at its busiest, with all sorts of luxury cars squeezed in wherever they could find space. Xu Zhi wasn’t in the mood to wait in line, so she used Meituan to find a restaurant with the shortest wait and made a reservation. It was a local specialty, seafood, and bone barbecue.
As soon as they sat down, Chen Luzhou’s phone rang. He glanced at it casually while looking at the menu, then declined the call. The screen displayed “Queen Mother.”
Xu Zhi and Cai Yingying exchanged a glance.
Zhu Yangqi knew it was Chen Luzhou’s killjoy mother. “Wow, getting brave, are we? Daring to ignore the Queen Mother’s call? Don’t want your credit card anymore?”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Chen Luzhou sighed, seemingly admitting defeat. He tossed the menu to the two girls across the table, “You order.”
Zhu Yangqi excitedly drummed on the table, “Hurry up, hurry up, don’t try to save him money. Tell the boss to bring ten Australian lobster sashimi first.”
Cai Yingying snatched the ordering pad, “Hey, we’re the ones treating, okay?”
Zhu Yangqi said, “Don’t worry, he never lets girls pay.”
Chen Luzhou went to the bathroom to call Madam Lian Hui back. He held the phone to his ear while washing his hands, head lowered, “Mom.”
Madam Lian Hui’s voice was as dignified and gentle as always, “Now that the exams are over, don’t you plan to move back home?”
He smiled indifferently, turned off the water, and grabbed a paper towel to dry his hands, “I’m leaving the country in less than two months anyway, so why bother moving back and forth? What’s up, do you miss me?”
“We’ve prepared most of the documents for your study abroad. If things go quickly, you might have a video interview next week.”
“Okay, got it.” Chen Luzhou tossed the paper into the trash can, leaning lazily against the sink as he spoke.
“Aren’t you going to ask which university it is?”
“No matter which one, I’ll get in, won’t I?” Chen Luzhou tilted his head back in exasperation, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he said, “Mom, I understand what you mean. Whichever subpar university he’s found for me, I’ll dutifully attend.”
**
When Chen Luzhou returned, the dishes had just been served. A large pile of bare skewers already lay in the trash can. Zhu Yangqi’s mouth was covered in oily cumin. Chen Luzhou pulled out a chair and sat down, disgustedly handing him a tissue, “Wipe your mouth, it’s killing my appetite.”
Chen Luzhou glanced at Xu Zhi. Her area was clean; she hadn’t eaten much. Her phone was placed beside her, with his power bank already plugged into it. He noticed but didn’t say anything, “Not hungry?”
“It’s okay,” Xu Zhi explained voluntarily, making a move to unplug it, “My phone just ran out of battery, Zhu Yangqi—”
“It’s fine, keep it charging,” he said, taking a sip of meatball soup.
“Zhu Yangqi, you don’t eat cilantro?” Cai Yingying said, heartbroken.
While he was away, Zhu Yangqi had already introduced them, and took it upon himself to introduce them to Chen Luzhou: “That beauty is called Cai Yingying, that Cai, the Ying from crystalline. This fairy is called Xu Zhi, the Xu from ‘both’, the Zhi from gardenia. You’re Chen Luzhou, I’ve already told them.”
Cai Yingying: “I heard your English name is CY?”
Zhu Yangqi nodded: “Because my bro was too good-looking since childhood, his English tutor thought he was a girl when he was little.”
Cai Yingying said skeptically: “He doesn’t look like a girl now, he’s very handsome. Xu Zhi, don’t you think?”
Xu Zhi thought Chen Luzhou was a handsome guy who could stand up to scrutiny. His features were all standard, no one would dispute his looks. His straight, long eyebrows were docile and well-behaved, his eye corners sharp and thin, his pupils black, bright, and cold, giving him an aloof, no-nonsense appearance.
Most of the time, the corners of his mouth were curved, the only part of him that looked gentle.
For some reason, Xu Zhi felt he had a kind of fearless openness about him. Hearing Cai Yingying’s comment, he didn’t seem embarrassed at all, casually allowing Xu Zhi to examine him, his gaze even returning to her directly without avoiding it.
Instead, it was Xu Zhi who couldn’t help but avoid his gaze: “I suppose so.”
Chen Luzhou chuckled, leaning back with his arms crossed. The zipper of his tracksuit was open, as he leaned back in his chair with his chest exposed. He poured himself a dish of vinegar and said: “I’m still curious, how did your necklace get stuck up there?”
Cai Yingying said: “It’s like this, she scored better than her ‘boyfriend’ in the college entrance exam. Her ‘boyfriend’ probably felt unbalanced and started emotionally abusing Xu Zhi. It’s not just once or twice, every time he does poorly in an exam, he inexplicably loses his temper and needs Xu Zhi to comfort him. Just now, Xu Zhi wanted to get her necklace back, and he suddenly went crazy and threw the necklace down from upstairs, and it… got stuck in your tree.”
Zhu Yangqi: “What a psycho. Sis, you’re not breaking up with him over this?”
Xu Zhi calmly said to him: “Don’t call me sis, we don’t know who’s older. Besides, I was planning to talk things over with him—”
Cai Yingying interrupted: “But that guy, sometimes he’s quite nice. His family doesn’t have much money. In his senior year, to save money, he only ate one meal a day. Once when Xu Zhi didn’t have time to eat dinner, he gave his only meal to her. He’s quite a complex person.”
Zhu Yangqi took a bite of a mushroom skewer, frowning and speaking without filter: “Sis, didn’t your mom teach you not to pick up boyfriends from the trash can? You’ve gone straight to the recycling center to dig, haven’t you?”
Xu Zhi didn’t get angry, but Cai Yingying was furious after hearing this, wanting to scold Zhu Yangqi for his tactlessness and unnecessary mention of someone’s mother. Before she could speak, Chen Luzhou, who had been coldly observing while leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, casually picked up a small golden bun from the table and stuffed it into Zhu Yangqi’s mouth without a word, indicating that if he couldn’t speak properly, he shouldn’t speak at all: “Have you been thrown in there before, or have you gone in to pick something up? Is her having a boyfriend affecting your garbage collection? Is it because of her that you can’t meet your year-end KPI?”
Zhu Yangqi’s joke indeed lacked tact, and he realized it was quite inappropriate. After all, how could he speak that way about girls he had just met? So, following Chen Luzhou’s lead, he mumbled to himself, trying to make amends: “Well, competition is fierce these days.”
Cai Yingying’s anger subsided a bit, but she didn’t want to talk to Zhu Yangqi for the time being. So she directed her conversation to Chen Luzhou, “I heard you have another nickname called Xian Cao (Immortal Grass).”
Xu Zhi looked at Chen Luzhou, not knowing why, perhaps because of the woman with a voice identical to her mother’s, Xu Zhi always felt Chen Luzhou was approachable, even though he had an aloof, cocky appearance.
Chen Luzhou had a “don’t ask me about this, ask whoever calls me that, even if I’m narcissistic I wouldn’t introduce such a nickname myself” expression on his face.
Xu Zhi and Cai Yingying turned to look at Zhu Yangqi simultaneously.
Zhu Yangqi immediately became proud again. He explained while gnawing on a bone: “Haven’t you heard? The competition among handsome guys in our No.1 High School is fierce, it’s like a battle of gods. He’s the one who ‘won’, the immortal grass among the gods.”
Chen Luzhou, while looking at his phone, wanted to say when did he ever participate? Never mind, bragging invites lightning strikes.
Cai Yingying belatedly looked at the two of them: “You two are also from No.1 High School?”
Zhu Yangqi turned his head to look at Chen Luzhou, who ignored him completely, not considering the image of No.1 High at all. He was lounging lazily with his legs spread, leaning back. His WeChat kept buzzing as if someone had written him a small essay, one dialogue box not enough to send it all. He seemed quite interested, reading it word for word, looking every bit like a “top player from No.1 High, busy with countless affairs.”
Zhu Yangqi quietly moved away a bit, deciding to keep his distance. He sat up straight and said to Cai Yingying, “What, we don’t look like it?”
Cai Yingying looked at Chen Luzhou, then at Zhu Yangqi, not sure who didn’t look the part, but something seemed off. “A little bit.”
Zhu Yangqi thought to himself, long hair, short sight, do you know how awesome the guy next to me is? But he felt it was better not to pay attention to Chen Luzhou right now.
He glanced sideways and realized that the small essay wasn’t what he had imagined. Chen Luzhou truly wasn’t human, he could read such a long tirade of insults with such interest. The person was probably Gu Yan’s admirer, who had somehow added Chen Luzhou on WeChat. The language was unprintably dirty.
“You can tolerate this?”
The TV in the barbecue restaurant was playing a French film. Chen Luzhou leaned back in his chair, stretching his neck to see the name of the film, then put down the chair leg and said to Zhu Yangqi: “Seeing how sincerely he was cursing, I thought he might know where my ancestors’ graves were. I was just curious, you know? But in the end, he didn’t even leave me an address.”
“…”
Cai Yingying didn’t understand what they were talking about at all, so she brought the topic back: “Since you’re from No.1 High, do you know Zhai Xiao?”
Chen Luzhou shook his head.
Zhu Yangqi searched his memory, “I think so, we played ball together recently.”
“Which one?” Chen Luzhou turned his head to ask him, “Have I met him?”
Zhu Yangqi: “Of course, we’ve played several times. But you play more with Jiang Cheng’s group, so you probably don’t remember him.”
Cai Yingying’s eyes lit up: “He must be a top student at your school too, right?”
“Not really, but he studies hard, the diligent type.”
Compared to the guy next to him, he’s no match.
Cai Yingying retorted, not convinced: “You sound like you’re a good student. What’s your estimated score for the college entrance exam?”
“Over 400, just under 500 points.”
“Then you’re quite presumptuous,” Cai Yingying said disdainfully.
“I’m an art student, this score is enough to get into the Central Academy of Fine Arts,” Zhu Yangqi said.
Cai Yingying and Xu Zhi exchanged a glance, not asking further. They automatically categorized Chen Luzhou, like Zhu Yangqi, as an art student.
The barbecue restaurant gradually welcomed more customers. Chen Luzhou repeatedly confirmed if Xu Zhi was full, then picked up his phone and stood up, seeming about to go pay the bill. Xu Zhi quickly followed him.
Only Zhu Yangqi and Cai Yingying were left at the table, still gnawing on the last bits of bone. Cai Yingying couldn’t help but ask: “So, does Zhai Xiao hang out with many girls usually?”
“Girls? I haven’t noticed,” Zhu Yangqi shook his head at first, then suddenly had a flash of insight, “He has a girlfriend from another school, I think.”
Cai Yingying smiled mysteriously.
Zhu Yangqi, oblivious, sucked on the marrow in the bone and said indistinctly: “I think her name is something like Jingjing.”
Cai Yingying rolled her eyes. Jingjing, Yingying, how could he not tell the difference?
Cai Yingying patiently gave him a hint, “Think about it, isn’t it quite similar to my name?”
Zhu Yangqi suddenly had a moment of clarity: “Right, it’s Chai Jingjing, from No.8 High School.”
Cai Yingying’s smile froze: “…”
Xu Zhi closely followed Chen Luzhou’s footsteps, going up to the counter and taking out her phone, ready to fight Chen Luzhou for the bill. She had even opened her QR code in advance.
But Chen Luzhou just took a pack of tissues from the counter. Turning around to see her following, he looked down at her meaningfully.
Many people were coming and going at the counter to pay, the voices were noisy and fragmented, but he only looked at her. Those eyes, clean and bright like the moon hidden behind sparse fences, made one’s heart skip a beat. They were as vast as the sea, as if he could withstand all storms, and also as calm as a pool hiding a young man’s secrets.
Chen Luzhou casually picked a fruit candy from the candy box at the counter and naturally handed it to her, smiling uncontrollably, “Why did you follow me? Did you think I was going to pay?”