Fireworks-grilled barbecue (Part 5)

Jiang Yichun turned around and met Jia Shugui's gaze, who was standing behind her.

He was a slightly chubby boy with medium-length hair parted in the middle and wearing bulky square-framed glasses.

He was wearing a dark blue down jacket, his hands in his pockets, and his hair, which hadn't been washed in a long time, was a mess in the cold wind but was still clearly visible.

His features were not clearly visible under the light, but Jiang Yichun immediately labeled him with several tags.

A shut-in, a complete otaku, might also like to go to the supermarket to buy a large bottle of iced tea, complaining about it being a "low-class drink" while gulping it down.

Their eyes met.

Jiang Yichun clearly saw the person in front of him swallow, his lips tremble, and something strange flicker in his eyes.

Just like the "weird fish" with glowing eyes that she used when doing past college entrance exam reading comprehension questions.

"You are..."

"You must be Yang Xuexi's boyfriend, right?" Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Yichun, carrying the bag of barbecue, stepped forward.

Although the boyfriend of Xi Xi in her mind should be at least as good-looking as He Yin Xin, the person in front of her... is not bad.

Maybe it's because he's good to Sister Xixi that the two of them got together.

Jia Shugui's lips twitched, and his gaze immediately shifted to the young man standing behind Jiang Yichun.

He winked at He Yinxin with the expression of a dog that had fallen into a pond and was clinging to a life-saving piece of driftwood.

He Yinxin raised her chin, holding a skewer in one hand and raising her index finger with the other, waving it at him.

Jia Shugui could see his lip movements:

"It cannot be denied."

"Keep acting."

"Pretend to be my boyfriend."

Seeing He Yinxin's inexplicably confident and arrogant demeanor, he felt a surge of inexplicable anger.

What kind of high-class is this guy trying to be?

Is he using me as a wingman to woo girls?

But then he thought of He Yinxin's reputation throughout the entire School of Management.

Honest, efficient, and sharp-tongued, but always gives the other party a way out.

He thought of He Yinxin's promise to his "girlfriend".

Girlfriends of He Yinxin's caliber must be stunning beauties or campus belles...

Almost instantly, the smaller head took control of the larger head; as long as he could endure it, the beautiful woman was waiting for him ahead!

Jia Shugui forced a smile at Jiang Yichun.

"That's right, I am, I am Xixi's boyfriend."

Jiang Yichun's smile froze completely.

The sticky scalp oil on the person's head was severely impacting her psychological defenses.

baby?

Baby Xixi?

Calling each other "baby" after only a few days of dating?

Is this what dating is all about?

Does Sister Xixi need to work so hard to find love?

She maintained a composed demeanor: "Oh, oh, is that so? That's great!"

Jia Shugui smoothed his hair and smiled at her: "No need to thank me, brother. I'm just your girlfriend's food deliveryman and guardian knight of happiness."

"Little Xixi is my precious baby."

"..."

Jiang Yichun was secretly glad that he hadn't ordered any high-fat skewers tonight.

After all, a human-shaped lard was right in front of her, chattering away, and every pore on its skin seemed to be oozing oil.

She picked up the bag full of kebabs and slammed it down on the table, her stiff smile still on her face.

"Um, classmate, senior, you, you come and get it, I've put it on the table." Jiang Yichun stammered, his tongue tied in knots, before he could finish speaking.

Jia Shugui tossed his medium-length hair and smiled at her: "Okay, thank you, junior."

“My little Xixi absolutely loves these grilled skewers.”

"But she loves me more."

Jiang Yichun took a few steps back and chuckled, "Oh, I see. Indeed, you two seem to have a pretty good relationship."

"Then, then senior, hurry up and go find Sister Xixi. The skewers won't taste good if they get cold."

If I stay with you any longer, the skewers in my hand will lose their appeal.

She swallowed the harsh undertone and replaced it with a polite smile.

Standing behind her, He Yinxin suddenly spoke up: "Yeah, classmate, hurry up and take it back, barbecue doesn't taste very good when it's cold."

"It will become very oily when it cools down."

"Barbecued food is even harder to swallow when it's oily."

"Oh, okay." Jia Shugui glanced at He Yinxin, but when he felt Jiang Yichun's gaze as if he were watching a freak show, he immediately looked away.

Jia Shugui smiled knowingly at the two of them, reached out and grabbed a plastic bag from the table, stuffing the bag of sizzling, oily skewers into it.

"See you later, junior. And your boyfriend too."

He raised his index and middle fingers, pointed them at Jiang Yichun and He Yinxin, then turned and strode away, disappearing into the alley lights.

Jiang Yichun's cheeks flushed instantly, turning as red as an apple. She shouted at the retreating figure:

"Huh? What? What? He's not my boyfriend! He's an outstanding senior I greatly respect!"

He Yinxin stood behind her and muttered softly, "Yeah, why do people assume a boy and a girl are a couple just because they see them standing together?"

"shallow."

Jiang Yichun turned around and saw that he still had the lower half of his face buried in his scarf, and his eyes were not clearly visible under his glasses.

The only thing she could sense was the slight tremor in his voice at the end.

Jiang Yichun chuckled as he watched.

He Yinxin was taken aback, and pulled the lower half of his face out from under the scarf; his cheeks were already flushed.

"Jiang Yichun, what's wrong?" He avoided her gaze and plopped back down on the plastic stool.

Jiang Yichun snapped out of her daze and rubbed her burning cheeks. "It's nothing. I just think what you said makes a lot of sense, Senior He."

"Um, and also, Senior He, isn't your scarf quite good at keeping you warm? Your face is very red."

He Yinxin's hand, gripping the skewers, trembled. He avoided her gaze and said, "Yes, yes. The seller said they're pure wool. That's why they're warmer."

"My nose is quite sensitive, so this scarf is just right to keep out the cold."

Jiang Yichun blinked and muttered to himself: Then why are you blushing like a teapot?

She sat down in front of him, picked up the bubbly lychee-flavored soda, and took a big gulp.

"Ha—" She let out a long breath and looked at him, "I never expected Sister Xixi's boyfriend to be this kind of person! This is outrageous!"

"Senior He, are you aware of this?"

He Yinxin shook her head, took a bite of the roasted chicken leg, and swallowed it in small sips: "I don't know. Yang Xuexi didn't tell me either."

"They're probably people I met recently."

"Her... taste in men doesn't seem very good. But even though that guy doesn't seem to be a good match for her, what if he's actually good to her?"

"Some people are not suited for dating, but are suited for marriage and a long life together."

He Yinxin pushed up her glasses and answered in a measured and deliberate manner.

Jiang Yichun watched as He looked like he was giving an academic presentation, and the smile on his face never left: "It seems that Senior He is very knowledgeable."

He Yinxin frowned slightly and glanced at her: "What do you know? I'm just stating objective facts."

"The above are merely my personal conclusions based on daily observations and social practice."

Listening to his academic-sounding speech, Jiang Yichun began to flatter him: "That's right, that's right, after all, Senior He's mathematical analysis skills are really amazing!"

"You explained the Stata program very thoroughly! And you also did a lot of work for Grandma Tianfang this time."

He Yinxin waved her hand again: "It's really nothing. It was just a small favor. Jiang Yichun, actually I've always wanted to say that you've done a lot too."

"If you hadn't suggested using mathematical analysis software, I would have almost rejected my first proposal."

Jiang Yichun laughed heartily, raised the soda can, and shook it in mid-air: "Cooperation and win-win."

He Yinxin looked at the bubbling soda, a slight smile playing on her lips, and picked up her own milk, dangling it in the air.

"Yes. Cooperation leads to mutual benefit."

Jiang Yichun saw his eyes again through his blue-glowing glasses.

His eyes seemed to shimmer with a faint watery light.

Jiang Yichun's fingertips trembled slightly, and she quickly looked away from his face, taking a sip of soda.

He would shed tears, consider her feelings, and even do his best to help others.

Perhaps He Yinxin really isn't a robot; perhaps he's the Tin Man who found a heart in the Wizard of Oz?

Perhaps he even possesses a warm and sensitive heart?

I don't know if it was the bubbling soda or the fairy tale that began to weave in my mind.

Jiang Yichun pressed further, "By the way, Senior He, you seem to have such a clear understanding of love. So, which type do you think you are? Are you more suited for dating or settling down?"

When she realized what shocking thing she had said, the young man in front of her had already widened his eyes.

Wait, isn't he an outstanding senior I particularly respect?

How could I ask him such a question when we've only known each other for a few days?

That's incredibly disrespectful, even more so than stepping on his shadow!

Jiang Yichun covered his mouth and exclaimed, "Sorry, sorry, Senior He, I... I misspoke and asked that!"

He Yinxin lowered his head, took a bite of the toast sprinkled with condensed milk, and his voice was a little hoarse:

"Jiang Yichun".

"Hmm?" Jiang Yichun quickly lowered his head, turning into a little hamster burying its head in its food.

"Are we... friends now?"

He spoke very softly.

These words traveled through the air, gradually accumulating energy, and when they reached Jiang Yichun's ears, they exploded like a spring thunderclap.

Jiang Yichun bit one end of the roasted potato slice, tore it off, and stuffed it into her mouth, her fingertips trembling.

Are we friends?

So, he even needs to confirm whether or not to be friends?

He went from being a highly respected and outstanding senior to becoming my friend?

Did we go from being business partners to friends?

Can he...be my friend?

She heard his sigh: "Jiang Yichun, don't be too nervous."

"I was just asking to confirm. Can we continue..."

"Yeah. We're friends."

Jiang Yichun took a deep breath and smiled at him.

She knew she always liked to keep her distance from men, and the boy in front of her was also actively keeping his distance from her.

She felt a sense of warmth within this safe distance.

A warmth that grows from the cold agreement builds a greenhouse for her, so that she is no longer afraid of those sudden scorching suns or torrential rains.

She could trust that, under the protection of the greenhouse, she could chat with the boy in front of her about trivial daily life and the pressure of her studies without any burden, without looking too far into the future or trying too hard to guess what he was thinking.

"Ah, well, okay." He Yinxin's pupils contracted, and her fingertips gently rubbed the skewers she had already finished eating.

"fine."

His Adam's apple bobbed, he looked away and scratched the back of his head: "Jiang Yichun, there's something else."

"You said, Senior He."

"Don't call me senior anymore."

Jiang Yichun frowned: "Then what should I call you?"

He Yinxin replied softly, "Just call me Lao He."

"We're friends now, so calling him 'senior' just doesn't feel right for our current relationship."

Jiang Yichun laughed and raised his soda bottle again: "Hello, Lao He!"

"Hey He, from now on you can call me Xiaochun!"

"I also find it strange to be called by my full name."

He Yinxin raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a gentle smile: "Yes, received, Xiaochun."

He raised the glass bottle of milk in his hand again and waved it at her.

He moved his hand slightly forward, tilting the milk bottle towards her.

Jiang Yichun looked at the milk swaying in the bottle, and his hand moved closer to the glass bottle as if possessed.

The soda bottle in her hand gently touched the glass bottle, making a crisp "ding-dong" sound.

"Cheers, Lao He." Jiang Yichun stared intently at his swaying soda cup.

A moment of silence followed, then He Yinxin's voice, tinged with laughter:

"Cheers, Xiaochun."

“Celebrating our friendship.”

She withdrew her hand, kept her head down, and silently finished the bottle of soda.

When she looked up, He Yinxin was sitting opposite her, the lower half of his face still buried in his scarf.

"Xiaochun, are you finished eating?"

"Okay, we've finished eating. Let's go back together."

Jiang Yichun had completely forgotten the question he had asked He Yinxin; all he could think about was, "We're friends now."

Since you're friends, it's perfectly normal for you to go back to school together, as long as you keep your distance.

The two got up and disappeared into the dim light of the fireworks.

They walked side by side under the dim streetlights, the light casting long, long shadows of the two of them.

Although the two shadows were far apart, they moved forward in parallel.

The two shadows were separated only by the turnstile at the school gate.

After saying goodbye to Jiang Yichun, He Yinxin strode towards her dormitory.

It felt as if there was a gust of wind beneath his feet.

Every time he finished eating with Jiang Yichun, the oppressive feeling on his body would dissipate somewhat.

Needless to say, he skillfully resolved all those thorny issues, not to mention that he even became "friends" with her today.

He Yinxin could no longer suppress her smile. She covered her mouth with her scarf while rubbing the corner of her clothes with her hand.

His heart was like that piece of toasted bread covered in condensed milk, hot and sweet.

He pushed open the door and walked into the lobby of dormitory 517. As soon as he entered, he met the gaze of Jia Shugui, who was sitting at the table eating skewers.

The moment the two looked at each other, the warmth in He Yinxin's heart vanished.

Jia Shugui was staring intently at him with a resentful look in his eyes.

"Old He, is this how you do things?"