18 Chapter 18
Two small maroon fish were spitting tiny bubbles and swimming freely in the fish tank. Their tails were very big, like they were wearing maroon gauze skirts.
There were also two fish of this color in my memory, swimming in a small glass tank in the rental house, accompanying Chen Ying through her high school career.
“When did you buy it?”
"Just now, when I went to get my coat, I saw someone setting up a stall on the roadside to play ring tossing on the way back. But you know my skills, I can't catch them."
Chen Ying stared at the fish tank intently, her eyes softening and warming. She smiled happily, looked at Zhou Baixi, and said, "So you bought it."
Zhou Baixi smiled but said nothing.
The barbecue still tasted the same as before, with the unique flavor of Fanhua Street. Later, when Chen Ying was in college, she and Ye Jinyi tried barbecue in many places, but none of them tasted as good as the one in Fanhua Street.
Actually, I came here to eat once when I was in high school, but that was only one time.
At the time, Chen Ying had just started her freshman year of high school. After her parents had dropped her off at the school, they wanted to return home. Her uncle wouldn't allow it, insisting everyone have a meal together. That evening, he took everyone to this barbecue restaurant, saying it was one last indulgence before school started. He urged her to study hard and not to eat barbecue alone so late, as it was too dangerous.
At this moment, Wu Qianqiu had just been admitted to university, and he was in very good shape. He especially liked to tease Chen Ying. He would take away whatever Chen Ying ate first, and raise his eyebrows to provoke Chen Ying in places where the adults couldn't notice.
Chen Ying didn't care. Wu Qianqiu had always been like this and she was used to it.
Despite Wu Qianqiu's mischief, she still tasted the flavor that night. It was delicious and unforgettable.
Tonight's barbecue is even more memorable. No one disturbs me. The breeze and night sky are my companions. The person I like sits opposite me and I bring her favorite little goldfish.
Her eyes were filled with Zhou Baixi's shadow.
At this moment, there are only her and Zhou Baixi in the world.
It was the same taste, but the person next to him was Zhou Baixi. It felt weird, especially since he kept bringing delicious food to Chen Ying. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't moved. Fortunately, I was able to control myself and not panic and make a fool of myself.
There are always many stars in the night sky of Fanhua Street. They have not changed over the years. They are stubborn, unchanging, and always hanging in the same sky.
After eating barbecue and visiting the night market, Zhou Baixi held the fish tank and bought a glowing balloon from the old man selling balloons and tied it on Chen Ying's hand. He then went to various stalls and bought a small portion of each snack.
Chen Ying looked at the glowing balloon on her wrist, then at the snacks in her hand that she could no longer finish. Most of these were her favorites, but she had never told anyone about her preferences.
"What are you staring at? Eat it. Didn't you like these very much before?"
Zhou Baixi smiled brightly, and there seemed to be a clear spring in his eyes.
Chen Ying laughed. Eat, of course I have to eat! I used to be craving it for a long time but couldn't eat it. Now I can eat it as much as I want, so of course I have to eat until I get tired of it.
But she still couldn't help asking: "How do you know I like to eat these?"
Zhou Baixi had already stopped at a place selling qingbuliang (Chinese broth) and paid before saying, "When I passed by here occasionally before, you'd stare at me. I was worried you'd get sick and miss your exams, so I didn't bring you any."
Now we have the chance to make up for it.
Chen Ying scratched her head, and said with an unnatural expression: "Why don't I remember..."
The LED lights on the roadside flickered, and the billboards changed their colors twice. When the time on them showed 10:00 PM, Zhou Baixi said it was time to take Chen Ying home.
Chen Ying sat in the passenger seat, draped over his coat. The car was filled with a special car diffuser that smelled wonderful. Perhaps because he was too tired today, or perhaps because he had eaten too much, Chen Ying felt sleepy the moment he got in the car.
The car drove very steadily, and the water in the fish tank under the seat did not spill out. The fish ran happily in the tank. They had their own navigation in the dark and could always find another good partner.
Chen Ying dreamed of her senior year of high school again. She lived alone in a small rented room. The room was as simple as it could be: a bed, a desk, a small wardrobe, and a simple kitchen.
The desk was piled high with review materials, and used draft papers were neatly stacked under the desk, as high as a 20-centimeter ruler standing upright.
There is also a small glass fish tank in the corner of the desk. It is so small that the two little goldfish seem a little crowded when swimming in it.
Chen Ying thought secretly: When I graduate, I will buy you two a new fish tank. By then, it will be a very big fish tank, big enough for you two to make a lot of noise in it.
The fish food was placed by the window. When Chen Ying was tired of doing homework, she would throw two pieces of fish food in to tease them. Seeing them blow bubbles with satisfaction after each grabbing one, Chen Ying was very happy.
Isn't she just a little goldfish in a fish tank, competing with tens of thousands of candidates for a handful of admission places? It's like a huge crowd trying to cross a single-plank bridge, and if she's not careful she'll be pushed under the bridge.
If you can’t grab fish food, you will starve. If you can’t get high scores, you will be selected.
She regarded the little goldfish as herself and also as a very important friend. When she was unhappy and had no one to talk to, she would always have the little goldfish as her companions when she returned home. With a wave of her hand, the two little goldfish would rush out of the water with their mouths open to fight for food.
Occasionally, they would press their bodies against the fiberglass and look at Chen Ying the same way Chen Ying looked at them, then listen to what troubles their master had today. Once they said it out loud, the troubles would dissipate like bubbles.
The gurgling sound of bubbles seemed to echo in her ears. Chen Ying opened her eyes in a daze, and her cell phone rang. She didn't go home so late, so Ye Jinyi called to urge her.
After answering the phone, Chen Ying realized that she had fallen asleep in Zhou Baixi's car again.
His face instantly turned red, and even his ears and neck became abnormal in color.
The second time!
This is so embarrassing. This has happened a second time. The aromatherapy in the car is so hypnotic. Why isn't Zhou Baixi sleepy?!
This kind of thing cannot be told to anyone, otherwise Ye Jin will laugh at her for the rest of her life.
She stared at her phone with big eyes and secretly glanced at Zhou Baixi out of the corner of her eye. He stared at the steering wheel and was surprisingly quiet.
It's over. Doesn't he really hate this? He kindly sent the girl home, but she fell asleep in his car, and he was too embarrassed to wake her up. He could only wait anxiously, hoping that the girl would be more self-conscious and wake up soon...
Chen Ying felt that if she had the chance to ride in his car again in the future, she must set an alarm to prevent herself from falling asleep again.
No matter whether he was annoying or not, Chen Ying was too embarrassed to see him.
"Um... sorry, I fell asleep again, like a pig."
Haha, when I have insomnia, I can't fall asleep without any sound, but I sleep so soundly in someone's car. Chen Ying, I despise you.
Chen Ying made a big cross on herself in her heart.
She almost fled in panic. Without waiting for Zhou Baixi to react, Chen Ying got out of the car quickly, but was stopped when she was about to close the door.
He stumbled over his words, "Actually... you don't have to bring a coat anymore. I already have one."
Chen Ying looked at Zhou Baixi's coat on the seat and felt very uncomfortable.
When she chose a university far away from home, she had already thought of all the consequences. She would be alone with no one to take care of her, but she was not afraid. Her childhood experiences made her grow up quickly, and she could take care of herself by herself.
When she goes out, she will check the weather forecast and bring her own umbrella because no one will bring her one.
I will bring an extra coat when I go out at night because it is cold.
Although she later met Ye Jinyi, the girl who would send her an umbrella when it rained, these habits remained unchanged. Today was an accident.
"From now on, whenever you go out with me, I'll always bring a coat. You don't have to worry about being cold or if it rains. I always have an umbrella ready. I even..." He looked shy and unnatural. "I even have a full set of makeup in my car so I can touch up my makeup anytime."
God knows how awkward it was when he and Li Hao went to choose those cosmetics together. The two straight men picked and picked, but in the end they couldn't find anything they were satisfied with. They had to rely on his sister to step in and choose a set for him.
However, Chen Ying didn't understand what he said. What she was thinking subconsciously was: I will bring my own umbrella if it rains. Today was really an accident. And you bought a full set of cosmetics... What does it have to do with me?
Her bewildered look made Zhou Baixi a little embarrassed. He coughed twice, smiled, and said, "It's okay, go upstairs."
Chen Ying ran upstairs as if escaping, put the fish tank next to the original fish tank, quickly took a bath, fed the fish a few fish food, then went to Ye Jinyi's room, jumped on the bed and hugged her.
"I'm so excited today, he gave me fish."
Ye Jin smoothed out every wrinkle on his face and sneered, "To show kindness for no reason is either treacherous or deceitful."
"I'd rather he had some intentions," Chen Ying said seriously. "I think there's something wrong with him. He'd leave a coat in the car, and he even mentioned skincare products. Why do I feel like he's a bit of a... scumbag?"
Ye Jinyi's eyes widened. "After not seeing him for a few years, he wouldn't have turned into a sea king, would he? You better hold on, don't be fooled!"
Chen Ying scratched her face, "I don't think he's like Aquaman. He's not that kind of person."
Ye Jinyi rolled his eyes at her.
"Really? He used to be a very outstanding person, an all-round talent, and he never had any scandals—no, it seems like there were..." She thought about it carefully and suddenly laughed foolishly, "But the person in that scandal was me. I heard it by accident, and he didn't know about it yet."
Ye Jinyi touched her head lovingly, with a worried look on his face, "Silly child, you've been blinded by love. How can I save you?"
"No need to save me, I want to post on WeChat Moments, I'm very happy today!"
She carefully looked for several angles, and finally decided on one and took a photo of the fish tank.
The caption reads: "A reward for my ideal college entrance exam results."
After sending it, I didn’t care about the follow-up and fell asleep. When I fell asleep, the corners of my mouth were upturned.
She went to bed early, so she didn't know that Zhou Baixi posted a message on WeChat Moments for the first time that night.
The photo shows a girl holding a fish tank with two maroon fish swimming freely in the water. Zhou Baixi made a scissors hand gesture, just blocking the girl's face.
Caption: "Taking a photo with my youth."
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