Xing Wu didn’t go home for dinner, but instead took Qing Ye to a small casual restaurant. If it weren’t for him bringing her there, she wouldn’t have known there was such a quaint place in this area.
Since Qing Ye had already eaten noodles, Xing Wu ordered a steak for himself and some snacks for her – sago dessert and french fries.
He wasn’t very talkative today, and there was a hint of fatigue in his expression. It wasn’t clear whether this was because he had just finished a competition or because of what happened this morning.
Qing Ye felt she should say something about what happened at home this morning. Some things were better said than kept bottled up, but finding the right way to start was the problem.
So she chose a seemingly insignificant opening: “You don’t look like your father at all.”
Xing Wu lifted his gaze to look at her, then turned his head aside, casting an indifferent glance out the window. “Haven’t you heard of genetic mutation?”
“…” Well, those must have been some incredibly powerful genes then, almost like a Transformer-level mutation.
When the sago dessert arrived, Qing Ye took a sip through the straw, watching the tiny sago pearls line up like a string. At that moment, several things that had seemed odd to her suddenly connected.
Genetic mutation, attacking him with a knife, staying away from home for years, Li Lanfang’s tolerance – none of these things seemed normal to Qing Ye. For instance, genes couldn’t mutate to the point of complete dissimilarity, and even a tiger wouldn’t eat its cubs. It was rare for a father to threaten his son with a knife, let alone try to destroy him. Despite his long absences from home, even though Li Lanfang might have been angry, she still gave him her card.
Yes, none of these things made sense, but if you changed the premise – suppose Xing Wu wasn’t Xing Guodong’s son, or Li Lanfang had betrayed Xing Guodong and given birth to Xing Wu – then everything would make sense. Of course, he wouldn’t look like him, of course, Xing Guodong would hate him enough to draw a knife, and of course, Li Lanfang could only endure silently all these years, not daring to make a scene. Looking at it dialectically, everything seemed logical.
“You don’t know what price others have to pay for their success. No one wants to display their shame in public.”
Quan Ya’s earlier words suddenly floated into Qing Ye’s mind. She looked up at Xing Wu, whose features were shrouded in an impenetrable mist. At that moment, Qing Ye seemed to faintly see an invisible mountain weighing on his shoulders. Though she couldn’t see it clearly, her heart twinged, both because of this speculation and because of him.
So instead of offering comfort, Qing Ye changed the subject: “I heard from Quan Ya that you fight matches for others? Do you get these opportunities often?”
The steak arrived, and Xing Wu answered while cutting it: “Not often. I know some people who formed a team, and occasionally they take on unofficial private matches and ask for my help. They make some money from it. I can’t participate in official or professional matches.”
“Why not?”
“Most matches now are live events, no substitutes allowed, and some even require facial recognition.”
Qing Ye kept staring at Xing Wu’s hands. His fingers were well-defined, and the way he held the knife and fork was particularly pleasing to the eye. Noticing her constant gaze at his steak, Xing Wu simply forked a piece and offered it to her mouth. Qing Ye was startled for a moment before taking a bite. It was quite tender, so after finishing, she pointed at his plate again.
Xing Wu fed her another piece and said, “Let me order another one for you.”
Qing Ye shook her head: “No need, I just want to eat yours.”
“…” And so this young lady who claimed to be full ended up eating half of his steak.
The next day, although it was the weekend, Xing Wu said he had something to do and left early in the morning.
In the afternoon, as the store got busier, Qing Ye went upstairs to work on problems. Around six o’clock, Du Qiyan suddenly rushed upstairs calling for her: “Qing Ye, Qing Ye, there’s a man looking for you, says he’s from Beijing.”
Qing Ye yanked out her earphones and stood up. Her first thought was Uncle Sun, and she wondered why he hadn’t called ahead if he was coming to see her.
When she hurried downstairs with quick little steps and saw Meng Ruihang standing at the entrance of Xuan Dao, she froze.
Seeing Meng Ruihang again, and at Zha Zha Ting of all places, felt somewhat unreal to Qing Ye. He wore a khaki woolen coat, looking elegant and handsome, with a small black wheeled suitcase beside him and a paper bag on top.
When he saw Qing Ye coming down from the second floor through the glass door, his face broke into a long-missed warm smile, tinged with relief and excitement.
Qing Ye was startled when she suddenly saw him, not expecting Meng Ruihang to come looking for her. After just a few seconds, she walked out of Xuan Dao with her hands in her hoodie pockets.
Face to face again, both felt somewhat awkward. Meng Ruihang’s discomfort came from fear that his sudden visit might upset her, while Qing Ye’s unease stemmed from him seeing her in such a humble place.
They stood in silence for a moment, until Qing Ye’s gaze fell on the familiar paper bag. This reminded Meng Ruihang of something, and he turned to hand her the bag: “From that place you always went to – lemon cheesecake. I was worried the shop wouldn’t be open for today’s earliest flight, so I queued up yesterday afternoon. I thought you might be missing it since they probably don’t sell it here.”
Qing Ye lowered her eyes as she took the bag, noticing from the corner of her eye that Li Lanfang and the others were all craning their necks to look outside, grinning and watching. She awkwardly said to Meng Ruihang: “Wait for me a moment.”
Qing Ye returned to Xuan Dao, put down the cake, and asked Liu Nian: “Where’s the nearest hotel around here?”
Liu Nian told her: “In Fourth Alley, on the road to your school. Before you reach your school, turn left at the first intersection. There’s only one hotel there, you’ll see it when you get there.”
Qing Ye nodded and told Li Lanfang: “I won’t be back for dinner tonight.”
Then she hurried out. Li Lanfang watched Meng Ruihang and Qing Ye’s retreating figures with gossipy delight, grinning from ear to ear: “What a handsome young man, you can tell he’s from a wealthy family just by looking at him. That coat is made of good material.” Du Qiyan and the others also craned their necks to look outside.
Once outside Xuan Dao, Qing Ye said to Meng Ruihang: “Let me take you to eat first, though you probably had trouble finding this place.”
Meng Ruihang’s eyes hadn’t left Qing Ye’s face, and he smiled: “Yes, it was hard to find. After getting out of the car, I had to ask for directions many times, passing this intersection several times before circling back.”
Qing Ye kept her eyes on the ground and responded with a quiet “mm.”
There weren’t many decent restaurants in the Zha Zha Ting area, so Qing Ye found a relatively clean small restaurant that served stir-fry dishes. The place had only four tables. After sitting down, she handed the menu to Meng Ruihang: “It’s a small place, hope you don’t mind.”
Meng Ruihang took the menu, looking at her with complex emotions: “Why so formal?”
Qing Ye turned her head away without responding. Meng Ruihang ordered several dishes, all of which were Qing Ye’s favorites. The owner poured them two cups of tea, and Qing Ye played with her disposable plastic cup. She wore a loose, casual hoodie, with her curly long hair draped over her shoulders, her porcelain-white face soft and pure.
After handing the menu back to the owner, Meng Ruihang looked at her and remarked: “You changed your hairstyle?”
Qing Ye glanced up at him, brushing her hair behind her shoulders, and asked: “What time is your return flight tomorrow?”
Meng Ruihang was taken aback: “I just got here and you’re already trying to get rid of me? You really…”
“Don’t come again, it’s not good.”
Meng Ruihang suddenly leaned back in his chair and smiled: “What’s not good about it?”
Qing Ye shrugged indifferently: “Nothing’s good about it. Do you have that much free time?”
“I thought if I didn’t come see you now, I’d have even less time later.”
As the dishes arrived one after another, Meng Ruihang asked about her recent monthly exam results and said: “That’s not bad. Don’t push yourself too hard. About studying abroad, I can help you find a way…”
“Ruihang,” Qing Ye suddenly interrupted him with a smile: “Don’t worry about my affairs.”
Meng Ruihang opened his mouth but didn’t continue. They chatted about school matters for a while. When they left the restaurant, it was already dark, and Qing Ye said to him: “Let me take you to the hotel.”
However, Meng Ruihang insisted on seeing Qing Ye’s school, so she took him on a detour to An Zhong for a look around. On this weekend night, the main gates were closed. Meng Ruihang stood at the entrance, gazing at the teaching building, and suddenly said: “I bet you have quite a few admirers at school?”
Qing Ye replied coolly: “No one dares.”
Meng Ruihang turned to look at her in surprise, then smiled: “True, the boys here…”
He looked back at the buildings shrouded in darkness, his voice becoming somewhat heavy: “Probably can’t keep up with you.”
Qing Ye curled her lips into a smile, lifting her chin: “Says who?”
Meng Ruihang turned his gaze back to her, but Qing Ye had already turned around, saying: “You’ve seen it, let’s go.”
They arrived at the hotel Liu Nian had mentioned, and both were dumbfounded when they stood at the entrance. A dilapidated sign with flickering lights due to faulty bulbs read “Welcome Grand Hotel” – though there was nothing grand about it. There was just a dark, narrow staircase that could barely fit one person, and you couldn’t even see where it led. The walls were covered with dark, sketchy advertisements, making it look like a shady establishment.
Qing Ye cleared her throat and said to Meng Ruihang: “Should we go to the county town instead?”
But Meng Ruihang picked up his luggage: “No need for the trouble, this will do.”
They climbed up the narrow stairs to the second floor, where a middle-aged woman sat at the front desk playing spider solitaire on an old computer. Qing Ye approached and asked: “Do you have any rooms available?”
The woman didn’t even lift her eyelids as she said: “ID card.”
Qing Ye turned around to see Meng Ruihang had already placed his ID card on the counter. The owner finally looked up at them after taking his ID card and said to Qing Ye: “Yours too.”
Qing Ye quickly explained: “I’m leaving soon, not staying here.”
The middle-aged woman gave them a meaningful look, then registered the information and handed them a key. Qing Ye took it and looked at it curiously – why wasn’t it a key card? Well, whatever.
She turned to Meng Ruihang and said: “213.”
The corridor had a depressingly low ceiling, and the carpet on the floor looked unsanitary. Qing Ye walked in front while Meng Ruihang followed with his luggage. She stopped at 213: “Here.”
When she unlocked the door, they found it was a standard room with two single beds. The bathroom had a shower, though all the facilities were old, and there was no TV.
Qing Ye looked around and turned to Meng Ruihang: “Make do with it for one night. I should head back now.”
Meng Ruihang put down his things and said: “Wait, I brought some things for you.”
Then Qing Ye watched as he opened the small suitcase. Instead of clothes, it contained several sets of study materials and books. Qing Ye could tell from the covers that they would be useful to her.
Meng Ruihang took out the materials and packed them properly, saying: “It’s too heavy. How about I bring them to you tomorrow?”
Qing Ye took one review book: “I’ll take this one back to look at first.”
Suddenly, Meng Ruihang said to her: “Since you’re living on your own, if you need money, I can give you some first.”
Qing Ye kept her head down, flipping through the review book without responding. Meng Ruihang stood in front of her, watching. She closed the book and put it aside, suddenly looking up at him: “Is this amusing to you?”
Meng Ruihang frowned in confusion: “Qing Ye, I know my family’s decision was hurtful back then. Do you think these past few months have been easy for me? I’ve argued with my father countless times. His position is sensitive right now, with so many eyes watching him. He couldn’t openly keep you there, but he’s already working on your father’s situation.”
Qing Ye just nodded and calmly said to him: “Thank your family for me. Whether my father gets out this time or not, I, Qing Ye, will remember this kindness and will repay it in the future.
As for you, please don’t come looking for me again. If He Leling finds out, she might think something’s going on between us. That’s not good.”
Meng Ruihang froze: “He Leling? What does she have to do with this?”
Qing Ye suddenly gave a cold laugh, putting her hands in her hoodie pockets and stepping back: “That’s why I asked if this was amusing to you. Do you think I’m stupid or what? Ruihang, don’t make things so awkward that we can’t even be friends.”
With that, she picked up the book and turned to leave, but Meng Ruihang grabbed her arm: “Explain yourself clearly. What does He Leling have to do with this?”
Qing Ye looked back at him once, then simply took out her phone and showed him the photo. Meng Ruihang barely glanced at it before pulling Qing Ye back into the hallway: “That day was He Leling’s birthday party. I wasn’t the only one who took photos with her – almost everyone who attended did.”
Qing Ye put her phone away and gave him a cold look. She wasn’t stupid; if nothing was going on between them, Jesse wouldn’t have deliberately sent her that photo.
The room suddenly fell silent. Meng Ruihang, seeing Qing Ye’s icy gaze, abruptly sat on the bed and lowered his head: “Yes, after you left, she confronted me. I was in a mess during that time and was shocked by the whole thing, so I didn’t give her an answer. At her birthday party, she asked to date me in front of everyone. Out of consideration for her face, and because it was her birthday, I didn’t reject her right there. I only cleared things up with her the next day. I handled it poorly, but Qing Ye…”
He lifted his head and looked at her steadily: “I truly never even held her hand.”
…
When Xing Wu returned home after eight o’clock, Du Qiyan had already left work, while Liu Nian and Li Lanfang were still tidying up. Xing Wu washed his hands and went upstairs to look around, but didn’t see Qing Ye. He came back down, poured a glass of water, and casually asked: “Where’s Qing Ye?”
Li Lanfang excitedly said: “A handsome young man from Beijing came looking for her this afternoon. Could he be Qing Ye’s boyfriend? They seemed close and left together. She didn’t come back for dinner.”
A dark current gradually welled up in Xing Wu’s eyes as he threw back the large glass of water. He heard Li Lanfang muttering: “I wonder if Qing Ye is coming back tonight? Wuzi, should I call and ask her?”
Xing Wu put down the glass and asked quietly, turning his head: “Where did they go?”
“Probably to the hotel in Fourth Alley.”
Xing Wu looked at Liu Nian, who told him: “Qing Ye asked me where the nearest hotel was before she left. She probably took that guy there to get a room.”
Then he turned to Li Lanfang: “Boss Li, I think it’s better not to call. What if he is Qing Ye’s boyfriend? Wouldn’t it be awkward to call? They rarely get to meet.”
Although Li Lanfang felt it wasn’t appropriate for a girl to stay out overnight, she thought about how Qing Ye was different from other thoughtless young girls. She always knew what she was doing and wouldn’t act recklessly. She was afraid calling would just make herself look foolish, especially since Qing Ye usually didn’t care what others said.
However, while Li Lanfang was still pondering this, Xing Wu had already grabbed his motorcycle keys and strode out. Li Lanfang called after him: “Where are you going when you just got back?”
Xing Wu didn’t answer her. His motorcycle made a sharp turn in the darkness, heading straight for Fourth Alley.