Chapter Twenty-Two
"Are you really not going anywhere?" The short holiday was a dream come true for a group of trainees who were still full of fun, but it was no different for Gu Huailang. He politely declined his friends' invitation to spend the New Year at their homes, but Meng Fanxi asked again, not giving up.
"I'm not going. You guys have fun, see you after the holiday." Gu Huailang wasn't in a hurry to go back; he was currently flipping through a book.
Downstairs, Meng Fanxi walked hurriedly toward his father with his schoolbag on his back. Then he stopped, looked back at the dormitory on the second floor, and remained silent.
Meng Fanxi had a very lively Spring Festival. The whole family was involved in making couplets, New Year's goods, paper-cut window decorations, lanterns, and more. He wholeheartedly enjoyed participating in every aspect of the celebration.
In his youth, he didn't understand holidays or the rarity of gathering together. During holidays, he would ignore worldly affairs and spend his time resting, playing games, or practicing dancing.
Time flies like water. As we grow up, time seems to speed up. The time we spend together becomes less and less. The brother and sister come and go in a hurry, and the topics they talk about are all the joys and sorrows of the adult world.
Looking at the table laden with home-cooked food, with her family members chatting and laughing, discussing everyday matters and commenting on the flavors of each dish, Meng Fanxi felt a deep sense of fulfillment, an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and happiness.
In their group chat, everyone wished each other a Happy New Year, and Xu You and Wei Ye were also commenting on the gala in real time.
Meng Fanxi was puzzled and asked in the group: "@Xu Zuoyou @Xiao Wei, are you two so free? The two people I expected to be the busiest are watching the gala right now?"
Xu You: "There are too many relatives at home, and I'm so annoyed that I've retreated to my room. I can't stand their all-around criticism of me, from my studies to my career to my life. I'm still a child!"
Wei Ye: "Same as above. [Smiles]"
Xu You: "@Xiao Wei, have some shame, stop pretending to be young!"
Meng Fanxi ate his food while looking at his phone and laughing. He almost dropped the food on the table, but quickly put it back in his bowl before Lin Wei could send him a sharp look. He then frantically typed on his phone with one hand, echoing Xu You's teasing of Wei Ye.
Ren Yuchen was always elusive in the group chat; after sending a "Happy New Year" emoji, he seemed to disappear.
Gu Huailang posted a laughing emoji, followed by a photo of a New Year's Eve dinner table: "I'll invite everyone to try my cooking another day [grinning face]".
Meng Fanxi zoomed in on the photo; the dishes were plentiful and looked incredibly tempting. There were nine plates in total, and the group chat was already buzzing with praise.
Xu You: "@Huai Lang, hello, I'm sending myself to your home now, please receive it."
Wei Ye: "Wow, amazing, chef! Our group is in for a treat from now on."
Ren Yuchen, who had been out of the public eye, also appeared: "[Thumbs up][Thumbs up]"
In the group chat, everyone had tacitly avoided posting photos of family reunions during the New Year's Eve dinner, fearing it would upset Gu Huailang. Unexpectedly, he took the initiative to post pictures in the group chat.
Meng Fanxi quickly followed up in the group chat, praising, "@Huai Lang, let's have a competition sometime [doge emoji]"
I posted a close-up picture of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes that I made myself.
Xu You: "I know two hundred ways to make instant noodles, and I can show off a few of them to everyone later [shy]"
Wei Ye: "Sure, let's have a cooking competition sometime, everyone come out and show off! [doge emoji]"
...
After the New Year, Meng Fanxi spent two days visiting relatives with her family. She experienced firsthand what Xu You meant by being evaluated by relatives in every way. After returning home exhausted, Meng Fanxi went straight to her room and started scrolling through her phone to clear her mind.
On the day I left the dormitory, the lonely figure of Gu Huailang sitting in the dormitory suddenly flashed through my mind.
In the group chat, everyone chatted frequently, and there were quite a lot of messages. Gu Huailang also spoke a lot, and there was no sign of him feeling lonely.
Maybe he's overthinking it?
Wei Ye suddenly contacted him, saying that he was passing through Linyang City on his way back to the capital and asked if he wanted to go find Gu Huailang together.
Wei also said that Xu You had contacted him a long time ago, wanting to go out with Gu Huailang. His intentions were good, but Wei stopped him. Given Xu You's thought process, what if he accidentally said something that backfired?
After a moment's thought, Meng Fanxi agreed to Wei Ye's request. Linyang was very close to the capital, and the two arrived at Gu Huailang's building before dinner time, where they both saw each other's hungry expressions.
Undeniably, the delicious food made them even more eager to find Gu Huailang.
As dusk fell, the two looked up at the building. A faint light shone through Gu Huailang's window. Luckily, someone was there. They hadn't contacted Gu Huailang beforehand, wanting to surprise him.
The two carried the fruit and snacks they had bought on the way upstairs.
The doorbell rang, and footsteps came from inside. Meng Fanxi retreated silently, hiding half a body length behind Wei Ye, just in case Gu Huailang got angry and came to the front first.
With a "snap," the door opened, revealing a space about a hand's width wide. Gu Huailang, dressed in casual clothes, was initially looking down to receive something when he noticed something was wrong. He looked up, saw them, and paused for a few seconds in surprise before smiling. "What brings you here? Come in quickly, I thought it was takeout." He hurriedly opened the door and invited them in.
"You're ordering takeout during the Chinese New Year?" Wei said disapprovingly, handing over the things he was carrying to Gu Huailang to put away, and joked, "We're here to freeload, don't try to get rid of us with takeout."
Gu Huailang smiled helplessly, "I know, I'll definitely treat you to a big meal."
The house was tidy and somewhat spacious. The two of them, acting as if they were old friends, ignored Gu Huailang, who was in the kitchen putting things away, and started wandering around the house. There were takeout containers piled up in the corner by the door, which looked like they had been eaten that morning.
Meng Fanxi went to the kitchen to find Gu Huailang and helped him wash the vegetables. While washing, she asked worriedly, "Have you been eating nothing but takeout during your vacation? The picture of that table full of delicious food you posted the other day wasn't just a picture you found online, was it?"
"No," Gu Huailang quickly shook his head and explained embarrassedly, "I made those dishes on New Year's Eve. I was afraid you would worry, so I got lazy afterward."
Wei Ye heard this as he walked to the kitchen doorway, and said while holding his phone, "You don't mind if I call Xu Youye over, do you? He's already left."
Gu Huailang said, "It's okay, let's all have some fun together." Only then did he admit that deep down he was actually looking forward to a lively atmosphere. During his vacation alone, time would just slip by while he was lying in bed, and he felt like he didn't even feel like he existed. He didn't even want to cook.
Xu You arrived quickly, and the atmosphere immediately shifted from warm to noisy. Everyone helped out in the kitchen. Seeing Meng Fanxi seize a moment to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, Xu You also clamored to make instant noodles in various ways.
Wei also poured cold water on the idea: "Xu You, I've looked around, and it seems there aren't any instant noodles in the house. If you want to make them, go downstairs and buy some yourself."
Gu Huailang was about to say that the storage cabinet was specially filled with instant noodles of various flavors that he had bought, but Wei Ye stopped him with a look.
"Never mind then." Xu You gave up his instant noodle plan with some disappointment and walked out of the kitchen, but then he picked up his phone with great interest and stood outside the kitchen taking pictures of everyone cooking, adding the caption: "Everyone is making a feast for me. I will judge them in a while. The one with the best taste will be awarded the title of Imperial Chef."
Meng Fanxi slowly drifted over and said, "What if I don't want to do it anymore after hearing what you say?" The other two nodded in agreement.
The kitchen was bustling with activity as the three worked together seamlessly, chatting casually while cooking. Xu You, bored, slumped onto the sofa and sent the videos he had just filmed to the group chat, tagging Ren Yuchen, but received no response.
Xu You muttered, "What is Ren Yuchen doing? He just disappears every time he comes home."
The table was quickly filled with a dazzling array of dishes, and the four of them sat down, their glasses filled with cola. Except for Wei Ye, the other three all tacitly took out their phones to find the best angles for taking pictures. Wei Ye, unconcerned, planned to try the nearest dish first, but just as he reached for his chopsticks, Xu You slapped his hand hard across the back of his hand.
Xu You: "Don't move!"
Wei hissed and touched the back of his hand. "How come you have such a strong grip? You're still young, loving all this fancy stuff. When you get to my age, all you'll care about is eating, and you won't care about taking pictures at all."
Meng Fanxi silently remarked, "You're not that old, are you?"
Gu Huailang's cooking skills were indeed excellent. When the dishes made by several people were placed together, his was the most visually appealing and the most delicious.
Meng Fanxi kept picking at the braised pork ribs. The sauce made by Gu Huailang was thick but not greasy, making it fragrant and delicious with rice. There was also the garlic spinach, which was refreshing and tender. Even someone like him who doesn't like vegetables ate almost half of it.
It has to be said that the four of them were incredibly capable; they finished almost all the dishes they made, and they've already decided what they want to eat next time.
Everyone was stuffed, and holding their stomachs, they began their post-meal relaxation time, scrolling through their phones and discussing the latest hot topics.
Only then did Ren Yuchen send a video call to Xu You.
Xu You answered the call and found an angle that would put everyone on the screen. After the video call connected, Ren Yuchen's screen was covered by the night, and only his outline could be vaguely seen. He moved closer to the light, and only under the orange-yellow light could his face be seen clearly.
"Are you outside?" Xu You leaned back in his chair, asking lazily. Before the other person could answer, he boasted smugly, "Look at our spoils, we've eaten them all. You'll have to wait until next time."
Ren Yuchen replied cooperatively, "What a pity. Next time, Huailang, you can make me a special one." For some reason, Ren Yuchen was surrounded by a down-to-earth aura at this moment, making him seem exceptionally real.
Gu Huailang laughed and said, "Oh, you're outside? Haven't you gone back yet?" It was already late, and he was a little worried about his safety.
Ren Yuchen said, "I'm at my grandma's house in the countryside, I'm fine." The video was a bit choppy, so he moved his position a little. "It's just that the signal isn't very good."
The relatives who came to pay New Year's visit to Ren Yuchen's maternal grandmother were leaving the next morning. After having lunch in the afternoon, they set up a barbecue grill in the yard and started a self-service barbecue. Ren Yuchen helped out. Only after the barbecue was finished did he have time to check his phone and find out that they had gathered together.
His cousin handed him a few skewers of grilled food. He held his phone in one hand to video chat and ate the skewers slowly with the other.
Although Xu You was full, it didn't stop him from craving barbecue skewers again: "If we go to see you tomorrow, will we be able to get some barbecue skewers?"
Xu Youai is used to joking, so the other three didn't take it seriously.
Ren Yuchen considered it seriously and said, "Yes, we have all the equipment. We might need to buy some more meat."
Xu You sat up abruptly and waved his hand, "Okay, we'll go tomorrow!"
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A note from the author:
I never expected to see a former reader in the comments section! How amazing!! Thank you for reading (heart emoji)
Please explain:
1. This story was updated to over 60,000 words before I signed a contract. The readers gave me a lot of encouragement in the comments section, which is one of the reasons why I decided to update this story now.
2. This situation has been reported to the editor, so it is still banned from the list (I imagined meeting the previous readers, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon, haha).
3. The overall story framework and ideas for this article were determined more than two years ago and will continue to be improved.
Finally, thank you again for your support!
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