Chapter 29

After dinner, Lu Jiyu first sent the old lady back to the hotel. Later, the driver chased after him and said he wanted to take him home. Lu Jiyu was stunned for a moment after hearing this. Home, which one is his home?

Was it the old house in the capital, the large flat that Lu Lin bought in the city center, or the one-bedroom apartment he rented short-term in Luoying Lane.

Lu Jiyu wasn't one to dwell on things, and he had no idea why such a sour question had popped up out of nowhere. He'd skipped the driver's car and walked back from the hotel alone. His WeChat group chat buzzed non-stop, and he took a quick look. It was Zhou Zifang inviting him to barbecue.

Lu Jiyu really had no appetite. The meal he just had with Cheng Xiang was enough for him to eat for two meals. If he ate more barbecue, he was worried that he would become a giant.

But Zhou Zifang was such an indomitable person that he sent a photo within five minutes.

The photo was obviously taken secretly, and was blurry and far away, but Lu Jiyu still recognized the two people in the photo at a glance.

Jiang Wan and Chen Wulin.

The two of them sat in a steamy atmosphere, with the orange light bulb above their heads illuminating half of her face. Her nose was straight and her eyebrows were curved, and you could tell she was smiling.

The barbecue restaurant is on the food street near Luoying Lane.

When Lu Jiyu arrived, business was booming; the restaurant was practically packed. Zhou Zifang and Li Mu sat at a table facing the road outside, toasting each other. The aroma of alcohol and barbecue filled the air, like the powerful heartbeat of a city at night. Lu Jiyu looked at the mess on the table; it was obvious that the two had already finished their meal.

When Zhou Zifang saw Lu Jiyu, his eyes lit up. He didn't care about the grease on his hands and mouth and patted the blue plastic stool beside him. At the same time, he didn't forget to point behind him in a sneaky way, looking furtive, as if he was afraid that others would not know what shameful things he was doing.

Lu Jiyu saw it as soon as he arrived without him pointing it out.

Jiang Wan and Chen Wulin had their backs to them, three tables away from their table. They sat neither too close nor too far away, seemingly chatting among themselves, but the noise around them was too loud to make out a word.

"I thought you wouldn't come." Zhou Zifang moved a bottle of ice cola in front of Lu Jiyu.

Lu Jiyu stuffed his hands in his sweatshirt pockets, his back slightly hunched. A faint layer of fatigue floated on his cold, pale face. He stared motionlessly at the bubbles in the Coke bottle. He said unhappily, "You thought I wasn't coming and kept harassing me on WeChat?"

Li Mu came over and interjected, "He just wants to watch the show."

"We just made a bet. He said you didn't dare come because you were afraid of running into Chen Wulin and your identity as the top student would be exposed."

"I bet you would come. See? I said our Beibei would be afraid of this."

Lu Jiyu laughed self-deprecatingly. He wasn't really afraid of this, but when he really ran into her, he still felt a strange fear in his heart. Because he had never seen Jiang Wan angry, and of course, others wouldn't necessarily be angry about this. It was good that she wasn't angry, which meant that the matter would pass smoothly, but was it really good if she wasn't angry? Did this mean that she didn't care about him at all?

Lu Jiyu was speechless because of his own train of thought.

Why is she chatting and laughing there while I am trapped in this circle?

Lu Jiyu took out his mobile phone and flipped to the photo album. He clicked on the video he had edited in the afternoon. He dragged his finger on the progress bar repeatedly. After thinking about it, he finally sent the previous rough cut video to Jiang Wan.

gazer: Are you free? Send me your video.

Then he selected a few songs from the music software and sent them to her.

gazer: Which background music should I choose?

He put one foot on the stool and twisted his phone around twice. Without waiting for Jiang Wan's reply, he opened his phone and started typing.

gazer: Are you busy? Please reply when you see the message. I may not be free later. I will edit it and send it to you when I have time today.

Zhou Zi, who was watching the whole process from the side, looked at the series of blue information boxes, patted Lu Jiyu's arm and advised him: "Beibei, let's save some dignity for ourselves, okay? After all, we are the best students in No. 3 Middle School. You are like this-"

Lu Jiyu was selecting an emoji from the emoji library. He had originally intended to choose an impatient emoji, but was hesitating whether to send it. Zhou Zifang slapped his elbow, and Lu Jiyu paused as his hand moved downward. Before he could even see clearly, the emoji had already been sent.

The result was that I sent her a kneeling emoticon.

…

Zhou Zifang took a breath of cold air, and Lu Jiyu reacted in a second and immediately wanted to withdraw.

But it was too late.

Jiang Wan seemed to be guarding this message of his.

Next second.

Jiang Ziya: It was me who asked you to do something, why did you kneel down in front of me? How embarrassing!

Lu Jiyu: ...

Zhou Zifang had already stood up and sat opposite Lu Jiyu, huddling together with Li Mu for warmth.

Lu Jiyu thought to himself that you only talk nicely. I worked hard to edit the video for you at home, but you just clapped your hands and ignored everything else and started to make appointments with people for a midnight snack.

Jiang Ziya: It’s not convenient for me to listen to music outside now. Can I go back and make a decision?

Lu Jiyu pinched his neck with his backhand.

gazer: Will it be late?

Jiang Ziya: Probably not. I’m having dinner with friends.

When Jiang Wan received Chen Wulin's ticket, her first reaction was to treat him to a meal. With the Gaokao approaching, and knowing that Chen Wulin's mother was very strict with her, she had originally planned to arrange a meal after the exam.

But unexpectedly, Chen Wulin immediately said to her: Is it possible today?

Jiang Wan didn't refuse, and it seemed like there was no reason to refuse.

Chen Wulin arrived with a schoolbag on his back, but not in his school uniform. They put their bags down and headed straight for the barbecue stall. Jiang Huainan had expressed his dislike for her coming to places like this, both overtly and covertly, back at home, because he felt barbecue stalls were a hodgepodge of people, not to mention a bunch of drunken hooligans looking to stir up trouble.

Jiang Wan was obedient most of the time, but he could be rebellious sometimes, like today.

She and Chen Wulin seemed to be separated by a thousand miles of distance. After they sat down at the table and politely ordered their meals, they couldn't even find a topic to talk about. So they could only talk about Chen Meiyun.

Jiang Wan didn't expect that Chen Wulin knew that Chen Meiyu had liked him when they were young.

"How did you know?" she asked, taking a sip of beer.

The atmosphere between the two seemed to finally ease a little.

"Because she was around me every day." Chen Wulin seemed to sigh before looking at her: "Jiang Wan--." He had a handsome face, and except for a bit of fatigue in his eyes, he seemed to have not changed over the years.

Chen Wulin finished his words halfway before tilting his head back and taking a sip of wine. Jiang Wan didn't ask any further questions.

The two of them had just started to enjoy the barbecue when Chen Wulin's cell phone on the table started to vibrate non-stop, making it difficult to ignore.

Chen Hong on the other end of the phone seemed to know that Chen Wulin was deliberately not answering his calls, so she kept calling. Until Jiang Wan couldn't stand it anymore, she pushed the phone in front of Chen Wulin.

"Go home first. The college entrance exam is only a few days away. There's no need to cause any more trouble at this time."

Chen Wulin just remained silent.

Lu Jiyu, sitting at the other table, didn't reply. He thought for a moment, still not ready to run into Chen Wulin here. But he'd made a mental note to confront Chen Wulin after the college entrance exam.

Zhou Zifang and Li Mu were almost half full. They touched their stomachs and seemed very satisfied, but when they thought about going back, they felt like something was missing.

So he started to act up again.

"You really didn't even say hello?" Zhou Zifang felt that Lu Jiyu was no longer just confused, but a little cowardly.

But he only dared to think about it, not to speak it out.

Zhou Zifang took out his phone and handed it to Lu Jiyu. "Chen Meiyun said they were planning a road trip to Xinjiang this summer. From what she said, I heard she wanted to invite us to go together. Of course, I didn't agree so easily."

Lu Jiyu glanced at Zhou Zifang's phone without paying attention, but before he could see it clearly, the screen lit up and Jiang Wan sent him another WeChat message.

Jiang Ziya: My friend has to leave for something, so I should be back soon. Or are you still in Luoying Lane? Why don't I just come to your house? I ordered too much barbecue, so I'll just pack some up for you.

Lu Jiyu was speechless. He thought he was only fit to eat what was left over.

Jiang Wan on the other end seemed to be able to guess Lu Jiyu's thoughts and immediately sent another message.

Jiang Ziya: Don’t get me wrong, the barbecue wasn’t leftover from us. I ordered it and the waiter didn’t have time to bring it, so I asked him to pack it up.

Jiang Ziya: And after the college entrance exam, I'll treat you to a meal. You choose the place.

You choose the location. Those four words were so generous and cheerful that Lu Jiyu almost forgot about her ladylike nature. But the unhappiness that had been weighing on his heart dissipated somewhat with those four words. He picked up his phone and was about to reply when a round, round butt suddenly bumped into him. Lu Jiyu's hand trembled, and he nearly dropped his phone, knocking him off balance.

The man reeked of alcohol, a large gold chain like a dog collar circling his neck, his short-sleeved shirt pulled up to his chest, revealing a bulging belly. He turned his head, a bottle in one hand and a cigarette in the other, his smile provocative. As he spoke to Lu Jiyu, the smoke blew all over his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little brother, I hope your little arms and legs weren't bumped.

Lu Jiyu didn't say anything. He glanced at the table next to him, and everyone at that table was staring at him as if they were watching a good show. Well, what's the point of this? Isn't this just a deliberate attempt to stir up trouble? Lu Jiyu thought back to when he first arrived, and it was the fat man sitting at the next table who inexplicably called him a "pretty boy." But Lu Jiyu ignored him. He understood better than anyone the principle of "less trouble is more" when out and about.

But he didn't expect that this person would provoke Lu Jiyu right under his nose.

Zhou Zifang and Li Mu also sensed something was amiss. Li Mu, on the other end of the table, reached under the table with his phone and started calling people.

Lu Jiyu's face was already grim, and now it was even colder. But he still smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern. We young people are not as fragile as you, old and frail."

Zhou Zifang gasped. It looked like this guy had been really provoked today, otherwise why would he be so impulsive and reckless? He simply treated his brother's life as worthless.

The fat man's face was covered with fat, and his eyes became fierce.

"I'm talking to you, you damned pretty boy." He started cursing, spit flying everywhere, and grabbed Lu Jiyu's collar with one hand. A young woman at their table hurried over to mediate, forcing the fat man to push her away: "You bitch, do you know me? Why are you so reluctant to leave me? Don't think I didn't see you staring at me."

It turns out you were just jealous here.

Zhou Zifang and Li Mu also stood up immediately. But they were only two students after all, while the other side had four or five burly men at the table. If a fight really broke out, they would not even be able to find a complete corpse.

But the atmosphere had already reached a point where it seemed that they had no choice but to fight, otherwise they would be sorry for the audience around them. At this moment, a clear voice rang out from behind the crowd.

"Brother, why are you so angry with my friend? Why don't I have a drink with you to cool off."

In the direction everyone was looking, Jiang Guan, carrying two bottles of beer in one hand, walked out from the crowd of onlookers with a calm smile. She was surrounded by messy chairs and garbage piled on the ground. The tables and chairs she passed by were emitting greasy reflections. She was like a wet moon fished out of the water, passing by this rough urban atmosphere. The noise around her seemed to be muted the moment she appeared.

She stood there, calm and composed, her dark eyes full of serenity and naturalness, giving people a sense of reliability and peace of mind, as if she was in control of the overall situation.

At that moment, Lu Jiyu, whose neck was being strangled, tilted his head slightly, watching her walk towards him step by step, and thought to himself, somewhat unnaturally, this person is really a natural for giving a flag-raising speech, able to handle any situation with composure. Then he lowered his head again, as if he found his thoughts a little funny, and wrinkled his nose, half-smile.

The eldest brother stared at the little girl who appeared in front of him for a long time, and then he loosened his grip on Lu Jiyu, stood up straight, and the expression on his face changed several times.

There are surprises and even more mouth-watering.

Lu Jiyu straightened his ruffled collar, stood up, and walked back to Jiang Wan's side. He then used his foot to grab a chair nearby and sat down nonchalantly. Everyone was standing, but this troublemaker, Lu Jiyu, blatantly sat down. Lu Jiyu planted his feet on the chair legs, folded his arms, and without even glancing at Chen Wulin, he tilted his head slightly and said in a voice only he and Jiang Wan could hear: "You're a big drinker?"

"It's just so-so, but at least I won't mess with him."

Lu Jiyu flicked the bottle in her hand with his finger: "If you understand the whole process, you should know that he provoked me first."

Jiang Wan glanced at him sideways, staring at the top of his soft, black hair. "Lu Jiyu, do you know there's a rule called the principle of compromise for the happy? It's better for him to scold you than for you to be beaten up by them."

The happy person's concession principle states that happy people have more, so when faced with conflicts or provocations, they should choose to give in.

Lu Jiyu shrugged: "How do you know I will definitely be beaten by them?"

"Because I have common sense."

Lu Jiyu finally looked up at her. There was something sparkling in his eyes that Jiang Wan couldn't understand. "Then why are you standing up for me?"

"Maybe it's because I still have a conscience."

Very good, classmate Jiang Wan has both conscience and common sense.

The big-bellied man brought a pile of beer from the next table and placed it on Lu Jiyu and the others' table. He looked at Jiang Wan with a smile and said, "Little sister, two bottles of beer are not enough. You should at least finish these. But don't worry, I won't make it difficult for you. I'll drink as much as you want. Once you're satisfied, we'll understand what happened today."

Li Mu, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but roll his eyes and whispered, "He looks too old to be a father, and he still has the nerve to call himself brother."

Zhou Zifang nudged him with his elbow: "You could be louder."

Lu Jiyu stood up from his chair, his voice back to normal, his eyes fixed on the fat man, and said to Jiang Wan: "Do you think they will give up just by drinking?"

When the fat man heard Lu Jiyu's words, his smile immediately fell: "What's the matter? Want to cheat? I'm telling you, you have to drink this wine today whether you want to or not!"

After all, there are so many people watching here!

Seeing the fat man about to come forward and use violence, Chen Wulin, who had been standing behind Jiang Wan without saying a word, suddenly said, "I'm warning you, don't move. The police will be here soon."

He spoke so quickly that Jiang Wan didn't have time to stop him. He could only give him a speechless look.

As expected, the fat man exploded.

"Damn you, how dare you try to play tricks on me!" He threw his beer to the ground, sending it flying as he lunged forward at Jiang Wan. Almost instantly, Lu Jiyu abruptly stood up, yanked Jiang Wan behind him, and, with the momentum, delivered a powerful kick to the stomach of the chubby man who had caught up with him. His long arms and legs, his movements crisp and decisive, with no hesitation at all, and his handsome face, stoic from beginning to end, made his fights a real pleasure to watch.

The fat man was kicked and took two steps back. His face turned red and he became even more irritable after losing face.

Seeing this, his group of burly brothers jumped up.

Jiang Wan was protected behind Lu Jiyu, and he could hear that his breathing was not disordered at all: "Lu Jiyu, I counted for you that there are six people on the other side who can fight. How many can you fight?"

"Hmm." He thought politely for a moment. "About half?"

Jiang Wan: Very good.

She blinked, her expression a deadpan expression that seemed a bit of an act: "So now I should ask them to cut half for you to fight with?"

"Wouldn't that be a bit unfair? Actually, it's not impossible to beat a whole one."

Jiang Wan kindly suggested: "Why don't we run first."

Lu Jiyu turned around, his eyes first falling on the hand that was pulling the hem of his clothes while she was talking, and then he looked at her and smiled carelessly: "What? Don't you want to see me fight alone?"

Why are you so desperate? Did you drink too much chicken soup, or -

Jiang Wan asked him, "...Mission Impossible has chosen you to be the male lead?"

Before she finished her words, a middle-aged man in a black T-shirt suddenly came from the street. He stood between the two groups and looked at Lu Jiyu straight in.

"What's the matter?" The man's eyes were sharp and his voice was mellow. It was obvious that he was no ordinary person.

The others around were still a little confused about who this person was, but Lu Jiyu, who was being questioned, had already put on an unprecedented, especially obedient tone and replied: "Uncle Li, you're here. They want to beat me up."

He pointed at the group of people led by the fat man.

Zhou Zifang: ...

Li Mu: ...

Jiang Wan: ...

The man here nodded slightly and gestured backwards: "Move back."

"Okay, no wonder you're so arrogant. You've found some help." The fat man looked up and down at the man in black who had appeared out of nowhere. He had an ordinary appearance and a body that was nothing special. He began to speak loudly: "Come one, I'll take care of one. Come two, I'll take care of a pair."

With a "bang", the fat man fell to the ground the next second after he finished his harsh words.

Seeing this autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, the group of friends behind the fat man couldn't help but retreat. The situation on both sides suddenly took a drastic turn.

But for these gangsters, face is always more important than substance, so one of them shouted, "What are you afraid of! Beat them all!"

…

You don’t know until you hit him, and he’ll be dead if you hit him.