Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Long time no see old classmates
*
"Gu Mengran, what are you doing back in the room? We agreed that each of us would cook for a day, and today is your turn! Come out quickly, your grandpa is hungry."
Through the door, the old man's voice was like thunder in his ears, but Gu Mengran had no time to pay attention. He lowered his eyes and stared at the unfamiliar phone number on the screen. His thumb trembled slightly, and he was struggling over whether to press the dial button.
Liang Zhao, the Liang Zhao of this life...do you remember him?
The footsteps outside the door gradually faded away, and the old man went to cook while cursing.
The bedroom became quiet again. Gu Mengran sat back at the desk, pressed the dial button and hung up, pressed the dial button and hung up again. The dark room flickered with the light from the screen.
After repeating this for more than ten times, Gu Mengran finally made up his mind and pressed the dial button again. This time, he did not hang up, but subconsciously held his breath and waited for the call to be connected.
"--beep."
A muffled sound floated out of the receiver, and Gu Mengran stood up suddenly. He began to hesitate again, his index finger hovering above the red hang-up button, and then dropped it inch by inch.
"Beep, beep, beep... Hello, who is this?"
He was not given a chance to regret. After only three rings, the phone was connected. A deep and cold male voice passed by his ears, spreading out layer by layer.
"Hello, hello, Liang...Liang Zhao?"
You can tell from the voice that it's Liang Zhao, a little immature, but it's definitely Liang Zhao. Gu Mengran's mind went blank, he hesitated for a long time, and managed to squeeze out a stiff opening remark.
The person on the other end of the line answered quickly: "Yes, who are you?"
"I, I'm your junior high school classmate," Gu Mengran's heart stopped suddenly. He spoke his name carefully and cautiously: "Gu Mengran, I was your deskmate for a while in the second year of junior high school. Do you still remember?"
One second, two seconds, three seconds... the other party was silent.
This was expected. We had no connection with each other and it had been five years so it was normal that we didn't remember each other.
Gu Mengran suppressed the sour feeling rising in his nose and brainwashed himself madly.
There was silence for a moment and the atmosphere was slightly awkward.
Seeing that the phone was still on, Gu Mengran took a deep breath and pretended to be relaxed to break the silence: "It's normal that you don't remember. I haven't been in touch for these years-"
"Remember." Liang Zhao interrupted him.
Gu Mengran: "Do you remember me?"
"Yeah. Gu Mengran, the talkative Gu Mengran."
Gu Mengran's breath hitched, and his hands that were supporting himself on the table trembled slightly.
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that Liang Zhao's voice was a little hoarse than before. He didn't have time to pay attention to these details. Liang Zhao's short words were like a spring breeze, and Gu Mengran's half-cooled body gradually warmed up.
Five years had passed, but Liang Zhao still remembered him, an old classmate with whom he had barely spoken. And he, the him in the past...had completely forgotten Liang Zhao.
"Are you still there, Gu Mengran?"
His thoughts drifted away uncontrollably, and Liang Zhao's deep voice woke Gu Mengran up. He nodded hurriedly, and then realized that the other party couldn't see him, and responded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I'm here."
The other party seemed to not care about his loss of composure at all, and said calmly: "You called me, what's the matter?"
"have!"
Once reminded, Gu Mengran finally remembered the important matter.
He stopped stuttering and said directly: "Liang Zhao, are you in Yuntian? I have something important to talk to you about. Can we meet as soon as possible?"
"Yuntian?" Liang Zhao dragged out the last word, "I'm here."
"Great! How about tomorrow, tomorrow at noon? I'll treat you to a meal."
Liang Zhao hesitated for a moment, "Maybe in the evening."
A long time after hanging up the phone, Gu Mengran was still dizzy and his brain was in a state of shutdown.
After washing his face with cold water to restart his brain, he gave his squad leader Zheng Yifei a big red envelope, reminding him explicitly and implicitly to stock up on supplies and try to go to the plateau when it rains.
Then he saved Liang Zhao's phone number, searched for the number and added him on WeChat. It was not until Liang Zhao accepted his friend request that Gu Mengran gradually felt the reality of his soon reunion with Liang Zhao.
Liang Zhao, Liang Zhao... In this life, it is my turn to protect you.
To be honest, before he met Liang Zhao in his previous life, Gu Mengran had no impression of this person. Later, he racked his brains to recall, but only managed to find a few vague memories.
He has good grades but doesn't fit in. He is a gloomy, silent and non-existent boy.
In the year of natural disasters, supplies were scarce, and Gu Mengran was sold for ten biscuits. He was transferred from a chaotic island to a giant, seemingly glamorous cruise ship.
Free from all worries, he could settle down anywhere. At that time, Gu Mengran had completely given up on Gu Decheng, but he still wanted to live, so he just stayed on the cruise ship.
There were many young people on the ship. Gu Mengran initially naively thought that they were bought to do coolies and become slaves, using their labor to exchange for food.
It was not until later that unbearable noises were heard coming from the captain's room every night. Some people escaped, some committed suicide, and some offered themselves for sex. Only then did Gu Mengran realize that they were not only slaves, but also the "harem" of the wretched and greasy middle-aged captain.
Without any hesitation, Gu Mengran escaped.
Unfortunately, he crashed into a ship while escaping. The sharp propeller of the huge ship cut off his right leg and half of his face was ruthlessly torn and shredded.
The bright red blood dyed a large area of the sea red. The group of people thought he was dead, and at this cost, Gu Mengran escaped.
Soaking in the cold sea water, he felt like a corpse. Gu Mengran gave up. He vaguely saw his grandparents smiling and waving at him, but just as he took a step forward, a pair of warm hands held him tightly.
"Hold on, Gu Mengran! Don't, don't give up."
The person who saved him was Liang Zhao, the Liang Zhao he had forgotten.
*
"Isn't a T-shirt too casual? A suit? Tsk, a suit won't work either. It's too deliberate and formal. Hey, what should I wear?"
In the twilight of the evening, the bedroom light was turned on to the highest setting, the suitcase was placed across the aisle, and the messy clothes on the bed formed a small hill.
The owner of the room was standing in front of a life-size mirror, putting on and taking off clothes, changing no less than ten sets of clothes, just like a host selling clothes.
Meng Gaoyang, who had come to join in the fun after hearing the noise, said:
The palm-leaf fan stopped waving and the smile disappeared. The old man stared at Gu Mengran, who was as beautiful as a peacock spreading its tail, with his brows furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a mosquito to death.
Gu Mengran was completely unaware. He shook out another shirt from the bed and turned to look at the old man. "Grandpa? Grandpa, why are you standing there? Give me some constructive advice."
The old man's eyes darkened, "I don't care about you! Gu Mengran, tell me the truth, who are you going to dinner with tonight?"
"I've already told you," Gu Mengran unbuttoned his shirt, put it on over his T-shirt, looked at himself in the mirror, and said without turning his head, "My junior high school classmate, a boy. Don't worry, I didn't harm other girls."
The corner of Meng Gaoyang's mouth twitched, "Don't worry? Gu Mengran, I raised you, I don't know what kind of person you are? You never care about your image, you always wear slippers and go out, why are you dressing up to have dinner with a male classmate?"
The flip-flops on his feet were particularly eye-catching. After saying this, Mr. Meng silently moved half an inch behind the door.
Gu Mengran didn't have time to care. He was stunned by the old man's question. It took him a long time to come back to his senses. He muttered softly: "I'm not dressed up, but... I haven't seen my old classmates for a long time. I can't be too sloppy, right?"
He lost all confidence and his voice became smaller and smaller.
The old man gave him a meaningful look and snorted, "I don't care about you. Didn't you make an appointment with others at seven o'clock? You were busy cleaning up without even checking the time."
Gu Mengran took out his phone and slapped his forehead, "Oh no!"
The days are long in summer, and it is still light at 7 o'clock. The yellow fog in the air seems to fast-forward the city, and the people rushing around don't stop, and the once bustling shopping malls seem a little depressed.
“——Ding, we’ve arrived at the fourth floor.”
At exactly seven o'clock, Gu Mengran rushed out of the elevator panting, jogged all the way, and walked into a popular restaurant on time.
The yellow fog had a huge impact. It was lunchtime, and the old internet celebrity restaurants that used to require waiting in line only had a few tables. Therefore, as soon as Gu Mengran entered the door, he saw a tall boy sitting in the right front corner without looking for him.
Liang Zhao, the nineteen-year-old Liang Zhao whom he had never seen before.
Liang Zhao has a tough look, a high nose bridge, sharp eyebrows, and deep facial features. His sharp and aggressive appearance gives people the first impression that he is not easy to mess with and difficult to approach.
But he is not talkative, doesn't like to laugh, and just sits there with a sullen face. He gives off an oppressive vibe, and the temperature around him seems to drop by several degrees.
Unlike the 22-year-old, he has not experienced the ravages of disaster, and there is still a bit of pure youthfulness between his brows. He wears a simple Japanese heavyweight T-shirt with brown work shorts, looking like a cool athlete.
Soothing music echoed in the restaurant. Perhaps it was because the gaze was too hot and the presence was too strong, Liang Zhao, who was looking down at the menu, noticed it and raised his eyes nonchalantly.
When their eyes met, Gu Mengran's breathing became disordered.
But in just a short moment, he quickly adjusted himself, suppressed his rapid breathing, forced out a smile that he thought was perfect, and walked quickly towards Liang Zhao, "Sorry, sorry, I'm late. Long time no see, Liang Zhao, it seems that you haven't changed much in all these years."
This universal opening line for talking to old classmates whom I haven’t seen for many years should be correct, right?
Gu Mengran sat opposite Liang Zhao, with his hands hanging under the table and gently clenched into fists.
Compared to Gu Mengran's enthusiasm, Liang Zhao was much colder. He glanced at Gu Mengran, nodded slightly, handed over the menu, and then withdrew his gaze indifferently.
Gu Mengran opened his lips slightly, wanting to say something but stopping himself, and finally lowered his head to look at the menu.
"Do you like spicy food?"
"Do you want to eat beef?"
“What about seafood?”
"eat."
The conversation was dry and an awkward atmosphere lingered between the two.
At least there was some talk before ordering. After the dishes were served, the four-grid pot was bubbling with steam. The two sat opposite each other, each holding a tea cup, like a blind date meeting for the first time, and there was an air of unfamiliarity all over their bodies.
This won't work! Business is the most important thing.
Gu Mengran took a sip of tea and gently put down the cup. He no longer avoided looking at Liang Zhao and smiled as he broke the silence: "Liang Zhao, I heard from the squad leader that you are sailing in Huangjiang now?"
Liang Zhao's eyebrows moved slightly, and he uttered a low "hmm".
They are of the same age but have different fates. Nineteen-year-old Gu Mengran has just entered college, while nineteen-year-old Liang Zhao has already dropped out of school and has been working for several years.
Liang Zhao was abandoned by his parents when he was young and was adopted by Grandma Liang and raised to adulthood. He was very competitive and although he was not good at speaking, his academic performance was always among the best.
To make matters worse, in his second year of high school, Liang's grandmother was hospitalized and diagnosed with liver cancer. The sky-high medical expenses did not overwhelm Liang Zhao. He sold his house and belongings, dropped out of school without telling his grandmother, and went out to work to earn money.
After a year and a half of treatment, Grandma Liang passed away. Liang Zhao never returned to school. He was alone, without any support or home, so he simply stayed in Huangjiang as an ordinary sailor.
Liang Zhao rarely mentioned the past himself, and these things were learned indirectly by Gu Mengran in his previous life. He felt sorry for Liang Zhao, but the moment he was reborn, the profession of sailor became a good reason.
The shrimps in the tomato pot floated up, the fatty beef in the red soup shrank into small pieces, thin smoke filled the air with the heat, and no one picked up their chopsticks.
Gu Mengran touched the tip of his nose, raised his eyes slightly, and looked at Liang Zhao with a serious look, "I asked you out today to ask you, Liang Zhao, do you plan to work on a different ship?"
"Some time ago, my grandfather bought a transport ship on a whim, imitating others to open a floating supermarket, but he is over 60 years old, how can he run a ship again?"
I'm sorry, grandpa!
Gu Mengran silently apologized to his grandfather in his heart and continued to make up: "Hey, no matter how much I persuade him, he won't listen. The old man has been sailing for his whole life and can't live without water. Even if he is recruiting crew members, he wants to follow the ship as a ship owner and participate in the operation and management of the ship."
Having said this, Gu Mengran deliberately paused, but Liang Zhao just looked at him calmly without giving any reaction.
Gu Mengran was not discouraged, and said to himself: "I am worried about him being an old man. It is summer vacation, and I have a seaman's license, so I thought we could go together. But I am a half-baked person with only theory but no practical experience, so I want to find another person.
I was chatting with the squad leader a few days ago, and he mentioned that you were sailing. I thought this was perfect, we are old classmates, we know each other well, and we are familiar with each other. If you are willing to come to our ship, we can be companions and talk. "
Liang Zhao raised his eyebrows and looked at him quietly without saying a word. His eyes seemed to say: Do you think we are familiar with each other? Do you look like you have something to say?
Gu Mengran felt guilty when he looked at her, and lowered his head unconsciously. "Liang Zhao, I know we haven't been in touch for so many years. It would be strange for me to suddenly invite you, but can you think about it carefully? I'm serious."
"Okay." A light laugh escaped Liang Zhao's throat.
"The salary and benefits are easy to discuss, it's mainly about dealing with strangers—" Gu Mengran raised his head suddenly, his pupils shrank suddenly, "What did you say?"
Liang Zhao looked lazy and carefree, his calm eyes tinged with a hint of smile, "I agree, let's go to your boat."
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