Chapter 92: Side Story 4 (3/5)
In the end, Lu Yichuan had to borrow the infirmary doctor’s phone to call his own.
Twenty minutes later, Jiang Xingbai appeared outside the infirmary, carrying Lu Yichuan’s jacket. He handed the jacket to Lu Yichuan and, trying to appear casual, glanced at Jiang Heng. “Yichuan-ge, is he your friend?”
“No.” Lu Yichuan took out his phone, paid the twenty yuan for Jiang Heng’s treatment, then grabbed the boy, who was still trying to borrow a phone charger from the doctor, by the collar and dragged him out. “Let’s go.”
Jiang Heng’s nose was red and sore. “Hey! The money…”
“I paid.”
“Sorry to trouble you.” Jiang Heng, his neck shrinking under Lu Yichuan’s grip, said, “I’ll pay you back when we get back. Thank you so much, Xuechang. I’ll treat you to dinner sometime.”
The familiar words made Lu Yichuan look at him again, a strange smile playing on his lips.
Jiang Heng suddenly realized something. “I’m serious this time, I wasn’t just saying it. I’ve been a bit busy lately.”
He had just started university and had spent most of his mother’s allowance on…various things. He was too embarrassed to ask for more money, so he had been looking for a part-time job.
“Not in the next couple of days, but after that, I’ll definitely treat you to dinner.”
Lu Yichuan, holding him by the collar, stood under a ginkgo tree by the path. “Really? I’ll be waiting. Go back and rest. And no more playing games in crowded places.”
Xuechang Lu, when not smiling, had a rather cold and aloof demeanor, and Jiang Heng, having been scolded, didn’t dare to argue, just nodded obediently.
Lu Yichuan released him and watched as he slowly trudged towards the dormitory.
Jiang Xingbai, standing beside him, said, “And you say you’re not close? You even left the game for him.”
Lu Yichuan put on his jacket. “I wasn’t really…into the game.”
Jiang Xingbai started walking back with him. “Who is he? Judging by where he was sitting, he’s from your department?”
“Yes, a freshman. Gao Zhilan asked me to take him to his dormitory on the first day of school.”
“You’re quite…helpful.”
Lu Yichuan didn’t respond.
Jiang Xingbai continued, “My parents are coming back tonight. Mom wants you to come over for dinner.”
“No,” Lu Yichuan refused. “I have something to do tonight.”
…
Jiang Heng spent the entire day in bed, eating a bag of dried jujubes Song Chengan had bought, then, feeling rejuvenated, got up and went to look for a part-time job.
Song Chengan tagged along.
Jiang Heng was confused. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re…rich. Do rich people also need part-time jobs?”
Song Chengan, making a face, explained, “My sister put me on an allowance. Entertainment requires funds! I can’t afford to do anything now! I’d rather find something to do than rot in the dorm playing games all day. And who knows, maybe my sister will be so impressed with my work ethic that she’ll increase my allowance.”
So Jiang Heng had to look for a job with this freeloader in tow.
He went for an interview at a café located by the river in the university district, the willow branches swaying gently on the opposite bank, a picturesque view.
Although slightly tanned now, Jiang Heng was still very handsome. His smile, revealing two dimples, was both charming and approachable, very popular with girls.
The café paid daily wages, one hundred yuan a day, and Jiang Heng calculated that working four or five days would be enough to treat someone to a decent meal.
After all, treating someone to a meal shouldn’t be too shabby.
He worked hard every weekend.
Song Chengan joined him for two days, then, declaring he’d rather stay in the dorm and play games, promptly quit.
The following weekend, Jiang Heng went to work alone.
The café owner was a clean freak. The first thing he did when he arrived was wash all the cups, and by the time he was finished, it was past ten. The sky outside looked gloomy, like rain.
Just as Jiang Heng finished wiping down the tables, a clap of thunder echoed overhead, followed by a downpour.
The cold wind and rain blew into the café, and Jiang Heng shivered, going to close the door. He had just reached the entrance when he saw several figures hurrying through the rain.
He pulled the door open again, recognizing the tall, slender figure. “Xuechang Lu.”
Lu Yichuan paused, glanced at the face behind the door, and entered the café.
Jiang Zhuo and Gao Zhilan were with him.
Gao Zhilan patted her clothes and hair. “What a coincidence! I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Jiang Zhuo complained, “This damn weather! So unpredictable! My new shoes are ruined!”
Jiang Heng led them to a table. “The rain is too heavy, stay here for a while, wait for it to stop.”
Gao Zhilan, noticing the apron he was wearing, asked, “Are you…working here?”
Jiang Heng readily admitted it. “Want something to drink? It’s okay if you don’t want coffee, I can give you water, it’s free.”
Gao Zhilan chuckled. “Since we’re here, we should support our junior’s…career.” She opened the menu and turned to the two men beside her. “What do you want? It’s on me.”
Jiang Zhuo pointed randomly at the menu, his gaze darting between Jiang Heng and Gao Zhilan. “You know each other?”
Gao Zhilan said, “We’re classmates, and we met on the first day of school, he even invited me to dinner, but I couldn’t make it that day. So today is my treat, consider it an apology.”
Jiang Zhuo, seeing Lu Yichuan’s cold gaze on him, didn’t say anything more, engrossed in his phone.
It was Lu Yichuan’s turn to order. He picked something, then Jiang Heng leaned over, whispering, “Don’t order that, it’s expensive and doesn’t taste good.”
Lu Yichuan frowned slightly and turned the page.
“This one is also not good.”
Lu Yichuan raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “Not good? Why not? Have you…tried everything on the menu?”
Jiang Heng smiled. “Not bad, but it’s…difficult to make.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yichuan closed the menu. “Why don’t you order something then?”
Jiang Heng chuckled. “You’re the customer; how can I order for you?”
Lu Yichuan: “…”
So suddenly conscientious about his waiter duties.
In the end, Jiang Heng brought Lu Yichuan a cup of coffee that looked and tasted terrible.
Lu Yichuan stirred the coffee, feeling like he was paying Jiang Heng to…boost his sales figures.
The rain continued outside. The background music changed. The teenager behind the counter, leaning against it, playing with his phone, his apron accentuating his slender waist, his eyes bright,
A vibrancy he had never seen before.
Lu Yichuan took a sip of the poorly made coffee and knew instantly that it wasn’t made by the other, more experienced barista.
Jiang Zhuo, after observing for a while, suddenly said, “Why does that waiter look so familiar? Someone got hit by a basketball and had a nosebleed during the freshman welcome tournament…he looks a lot like him.”
“It is him,” Lu Yichuan said.
Jiang Zhuo looked at his indifferent expression. “You know him too?”
“Not really,” Lu Yichuan said casually.
Not really close, yet you were the first to rush to his side?
Jiang Zhuo thought to himself.
The September rain came and went quickly. Gao Zhilan went to pay, but Jiang Heng stopped her. “I’ve already paid, it’s my treat.”
Gao Zhilan, knowing his financial situation wasn’t good, tried to refuse, but Jiang Heng pointed at the café’s QR code. “I’ve already transferred the money. I won’t accept it if you send it to me. And thank you for helping me on my first day, this is my treat, for both of you and Xuechang Lu.”
He insisted, and refusing again would be rude, so Gao Zhilan smiled and agreed. Lu Yichuan remained silent throughout.
In Jiang Heng’s eyes, silence meant consent. The aloof Xuechang Lu was just a bit shy, he understood.
They decided to have dinner on Wednesday evening, when they all had free time.
Although it had been hot during the day, the evening was cool and pleasant. Street food stalls had set up shop by the university entrance, the aroma wafting in the air.
Jiang Heng, unable to resist the temptation, bought a rou jia mo.
He watched as the vendor stuffed the flatbread with meat and wrapped it, then, as he turned around, a car stopped beside him. The window rolled down, revealing Lu Yichuan’s face. “Get in.”
Jiang Heng got into Xuechang Lu’s car, and the aroma of rou jia mo immediately filled the small space.
He explained, “I wasn’t trying to sneak off and eat by myself, it just smelled so good, I couldn’t resist.”
Lu Yichuan glanced at him. Jiang Heng was trying to tear the rou jia mo in half. Noticing his gaze, the teenager looked up. “Want some? I’ll share.”
Lu Yichuan started the car. “Street food isn’t hygienic.”
Jiang Heng had his own logic. “A little dirt never hurt anyone.”
“The ingredients aren’t fresh.”
“So much meat for only six yuan, if it was fresh, he’d be losing money.”
Lu Yichuan: “…”
“Are you sure you don’t want any? I’m going to eat it.”
The man beside him chuckled, and Jiang Heng knew he really didn’t want any.
He took a large bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Is this your car? How much did it cost?”
“Around a hundred thousand.”
Actually, over a million.
Jiang Heng didn’t know anything about cars, so he believed him. “Looks alright. I’ll buy one like this when I start working, but not black, it’s too boring. I’ll get a white one.”
He looked around the car. “My dad and mom can sit in the back, and Zhou Xingxing can sit in the front, she’s a little rascal.”
Lu Yichuan paused. “Zhou?”
“Oh…we’re not biological siblings. My parents died in a car accident when I was five, and then I was adopted by the Zhou family.”
Lu Yichuan recalled the boy’s faded jeans and the stretched collar of his T-shirt.
Jiang Heng was handsome, his smile bright and sunny, easily giving the impression that he had a loving family, masking any signs of hardship.
“My adoptive parents are very good to me,” Jiang Heng said. “But…I was already old enough to remember things when they adopted me, so I could never fully accept their kindness, always felt like I was…indebted to them, so I never asked for much.”
Lu Yichuan’s throat tightened. He didn’t respond.
They arrived at the restaurant, but Gao Zhilan stood them up. She apologized profusely on the phone, practically begging for forgiveness. “I really didn’t mean to bail on you! That damn counselor called a meeting at the last minute! I tried to refuse, but he said I had no sense of responsibility! Bullshit! Who even cares about being a class representative if it weren’t for the extra credit?!”
Jiang Heng hung up and looked at Lu Yichuan. “So…should we…just eat by ourselves?”
Lu Yichuan watched as he devoured his rou jia mo. “You can still eat?”
Jiang Heng patted his stomach. “I can still eat half as much again.”
“Let’s go for hot pot! Extra spicy broth!”
Jiang Heng had a deep, lifelong love for spicy food.
Lu Yichuan was about to refuse, but seeing the longing in his eyes, he swallowed his words.
Jiang Heng, having already done his research, led Lu Yichuan to the hot pot restaurant he had chosen. To accommodate Lu Yichuan’s more…refined palate, he ordered a dual-flavor hot pot.
As the spicy oil bubbled and churned, Jiang Heng added tripe and shrimp paste.
He hissed after every bite, his lips gradually turning red and swollen. Lu Yichuan, watching him, couldn’t help but say, pouring him a cup of tea, “I thought people usually ordered what they could…handle.”
Jiang Heng added some bok choy to the mild broth. “Hiss…I thought I could handle it.”
Lu Yichuan said, “Your instincts are terrible.”
Jiang Heng: “…”
His mouth, as if laced with poison.
After a few bites of bok choy, Jiang Heng felt alive again, and he started adding meatballs to the spicy broth.
“Hiss…”
He finished his tea and gulped down a glass of ice-cold beer. By the time Lu Yichuan noticed, he had already finished the entire glass.
He seemed fine, and Lu Yichuan assumed he could handle his alcohol, until someone bumped into them as they were leaving.
Jiang Heng, drunk but not rowdy, leaned against him, like a stubborn ox, seemingly intent on plowing him into the ground.
Lu Yichuan was “plowed” all the way to the cashier. “Your total is 254 yuan.”
He turned around, and the ox had closed its eyes.
Lu Yichuan paid, then turned to the small ox and held its shoulders. “Can you still walk?”
Jiang Heng straightened up suddenly and declared, “I can still eat!”
“…”
Lu Yichuan sighed. “Grab my hand.”
The next second, a hand was thrust into his, fingers intertwining with his.
Jiang Heng swayed slightly, his voice slurred. “Hold…holding…”
A warmth spread through Lu Yichuan’s palm, making his pupils constrict.
“Not…that hand.”
“Oh…” Jiang Heng obediently switched hands, intertwining his fingers with Lu Yichuan’s other hand. “This hand…holding.”
“…”
“No…”
Jiang Heng punched Lu Yichuan’s arm angrily. “You’re so annoying! Stop it! I’m not going with you if you keep doing this!”
Lu Yichuan chuckled and, ignoring all sense of propriety, dragged him out of the restaurant.
The night air was cool, and as they walked, a head landed on Lu Yichuan’s shoulder.
“I’m so sleepy…I can’t walk anymore…”
He pushed at him. “Get up, you can sleep when we get back.”
The stubborn ox had returned, refusing to budge no matter how hard he pushed. “I can’t. I’ve taken root. I’ll sprout tomorrow.”
“Why not blossom and bear fruit while you’re at it?”
Jiang Heng, ever agreeable, said, “Okay, I’ve taken root, I’ll sprout tomorrow, blossom the day after, and bear fruit the day after that.”
His speech was surprisingly clear for a drunk person.
Behind them were plane trees, their branches bare, the lights casting long shadows, and Lu Yichuan looked down at the person leaning against him.
A few weeks had passed, and the boy’s tanned skin had faded, his hair longer and softer now, his long eyelashes casting shadows on his face, his lips slightly swollen and red from the spicy food.
For a moment, Lu Yichuan was transported back to that hot summer afternoon.
He had been returning to his dormitory with a book in hand when a voice had called out his name, and when he turned around, a person had been thrust into his arms.
Like a gift from heaven.
Perfect in every way.
The wind had ruffled his shirt, and Lu Yichuan had lowered his eyes.
“Jiang Heng.”
He had asked him,
“Have you ever been in love?”
