Ginger Milk Pudding
After a satisfying meal, Hu Tong visibly hesitated again as it was time to head to the karaoke bar.
"You guys go first, my stomach hurts a bit, I need to go to the toilet." Hu Tong waved to her classmates while clutching her stomach, "I'll be right there."
He Qiuying understood, sent Hu Tong the KTV location, and then left with several female classmates who looked worried.
Hu Tongzhen went to the restroom and bought a cup of milk tea at a shop next to the restaurant. White steam slowly rose in front of him, carrying a rich milky aroma and a slightly spicy ginger flavor.
She became inexplicably nervous, walked into the milk tea shop, pointed randomly, paid, and only realized she had bought ginger milk curd after receiving it.
"Wow..." Hu Tong took a small sip of milk tea and gave a brief review, "It tastes awful."
Hu Tong had never tried ginger milk curd before. In her mind, milk tea had to be sweet, and any other flavor would be a defilement of her beloved beverage.
If she wants something sour or spicy, why doesn't she eat rice noodles or hot pot?
Holding the steaming hot milk tea, Hu Tong moved towards the KTV, her thoughts drifting.
On the other hand, if she wants to be in a relationship, why doesn't she try dating someone who has confessed their feelings to her?
From childhood to adulthood, Hu Tong had a few suitors, but she looked down on those who were not as good as her, while those who were better than her only made her feel insecure...
After entering Peking University, she occasionally received advances from upperclassmen, but when they sent her study materials or gossiped about professors and she remained unmoved, they labeled her as "hard to pursue," which was simply ridiculous.
Her information search ability was no match for the simple act of pressing the enter key in a search engine input box.
It's no wonder that Hu Tong has always harbored great hostility towards men of the opposite sex who are close to his age.
It seems... only Cheng Zhou is different.
Aren't they the same?
Hu Tong chuckled, recalling how Cheng Zhou had been fooled and left dazed when he was little.
It doesn't seem to be any different.
Perhaps it's just that she's more "accustomed" to Cheng Zhou.
Hu Tong convinced himself, took a big gulp of ginger milk curd, and immediately felt a burning sensation in his chest. He ended his hesitant posture of taking three steps forward and two steps back, and walked into the KTV with his head held high and chest out. He found the private room and pushed the door open.
The disco ball cast colorful circular spots of light in the dimly lit private room, and the halved navel oranges on the fruit platter were so red they looked almost black, like clumps of bruises.
Several students huddled in front of a microphone, howling like banshees, while others waved excitedly to the music, like a bunch of zombies who hadn't eaten meat in a long time.
With the eerie lights, music, and movements, Hu Tong thought he had opened the door to another world.
Cheng Zhou sat in the corner of the private room, swaying slowly from side to side. His previously dyed white hair had faded to gray-brown. If he took off his navy blue sweater, he would look exactly like a sunflower from Plants vs. Zombies.
He Qiuying, who appeared out of nowhere, snatched the milk tea from Hu Tong's hand and winked slyly.
"Go ahead and make things clear!" He Qiuying encouraged her. "Clear up the misunderstanding, put aside past grievances, shake hands and make peace, and rebuild the broken mirror—well, anyway, good luck!"
Hu Tong nodded solemnly to his friend, patted his cheeks which were cold from the wind, and walked past without looking to the side.
Cheng Zhou looked up at her with feigned indifference, showing no inclination to speak or get up to greet her.
Hmm, quite arrogant. — Hu Tong's comment.
She pushed past the male classmate next to Cheng Zhou and sat down amidst the complaints of those around her. A barely perceptible smirk appeared on Cheng Zhou's lips.
The music was loud, the lighting was dim, and Hu Tong looked up, starting their first conversation in many days with a bright smile.
She said,
"Hey, handsome young man, all alone?"
Cheng Zhou's handsome face, which had a faint smile on it, froze again.
He really wishes he wasn't alone right now.
Cheng Zhou wants to become a ghost, a vengeful ghost who can force Hu Tong to repay his debt of love.
In the end, however, he simply turned his face away and expressed his dissatisfaction with silence.
Hu Tong pouted and made a move to get up and go find He Qiuying to play, but was glared back by He Qiuying with a sharp look.
Hu Tong, who had just lifted his buttocks, sat down heavily again.
She tugged at Cheng Zhou's sleeve and said, "Can we each take a step back and make up?"
Hu Tong raised four fingers and swore, "I will never force a kiss on you again."
Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and she wasn't deliberately lowering it.
A few low coughs immediately came from behind me.
Cheng Zhou turned around abruptly, his porcelain-white face showing surprise and embarrassment. "Who told you to say that directly?"
Hu Tong pointed to himself: "Hu Tong gave it to me. What, are you shy?"
She turned around and asked each of the classmates who were watching the show, "Have you ever kissed someone in your relationship? What about you? And you too?"
A male classmate who was familiar with Cheng Zhou gave him a "good luck" look, then ran off laughing and grabbing the microphone.
A moment later, Hu Tong turned back, crossed his arms, and said, "We've all kissed, what's there to be shy about?"
Cheng Zhou pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.
Looking down at Hu Tong, his gaze unconsciously drifted to her lips. After a moment, he turned his face away in alarm.
A blush crept up his ears, revealing the secrets he wanted to hide under the dazzling, hazy lights.
"It's not shyness, it's anger," Cheng Zhou said in a voice that he didn't expect Hu Tong to hear.
The students were energetically singing a classic old song, and Hu Tong had to get close to him, pressing his arm against his, and loudly asked, "What did you say?"
Cheng Zhou mustered his courage and looked at her again, the metallic light softening in that instant. "I mean, you know you were wrong—"
Seeing that Hu Tong was about to frown, Cheng Zhou quickly changed his tune, "You know I don't like Jiao Yuhong, right?"
Hu Tong nodded vigorously, a smug look on his face.
If Cheng Zhou doesn't like Jiao Yuhong, then who would he like? After all, he's willing to spend 1800 when he only earns 500.
It's her, of course!
Hu Tong thought to himself with a smug satisfaction, marveling at his own charm.
"I understand," Hu Tong said, beaming, and leaned closer to Cheng Zhou, almost into his arms.
Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him, saying repeatedly, "I know, I know, you like Jiao Yuhong, don't you?"
Her joyful gaze swept over his feignedly calm face, from his trembling eyelashes to his tightly pursed lips, inch by inch, with utmost patience, just as she loved him wholeheartedly as well.
Cheng Zhou's heart skipped a beat. He sat there stiffly, anticipating what would happen next.
He prayed in his heart, "Say you like me too."
To everyone's surprise, Hu Tong grabbed the collar of his sweater, blinked, and said, "Then can we kiss now?"
Lust can cloud judgment.
Despite the absurdity, Cheng Zhou felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
He held Hu Tong's hand and asked, "Do you really want to kiss me?"
"Yes!" Hu Tong answered honestly, his heart pounding with excitement.
That's great! She can stamp Cheng Zhou's name right away and make him figure out who his master is!
Cheng Zhou chuckled softly.
His fingertips traced Hu Tong's arm, sliding down to the back of her neck, as if he were about to kiss her.
Cheng Zhou leaned forward, his tone almost coaxing, their breaths mingling, "Do you really only want to kiss me, Hu Tong?"
Hu Tong rolled her eyes. What's so interesting about that? Other men's physical attributes don't inspire her desire to kiss them either!
Well, virgins need a sense of ritual, so she'll spoil him this once.
Hu Tong hummed in agreement again, then closed his eyes expectantly.
The expected touch did not occur, and the hand that was resting on the back of her neck merely moved to her ear to smooth her stray hairs. Hu Tong was getting a little impatient.
With a click of her tongue, Hu Tong was about to open her eyes when Cheng Zhou's hand gently landed on her face again.
Sigh, making a kiss so complicated. Hu Tong tilted his head back even higher.
The warm touch finally arrived, but not in a small spot, but over a large area.
Cheng Zhou covered Hu Tong's face with his hand and pushed him away.
"Cheng Zhou!"
As if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, Hu Tong opened his eyes wide in annoyance, watching Cheng Zhou stand up and coldly straighten his crumpled collar.
“You still don’t understand,” Cheng Zhou said, grabbing the black coat draped to the side, turning to walk out, and waving gently and apologetically to the classmate who had struck up a conversation and invited him to sing a song.
"What? I know a lot more than that!"
Hu Tong took the milk tea from He Qiuying, took a big sip, and felt his cold chest warm up again. Without thinking, he said, "I declare that ginger milk curd is the best milk tea in the world!"
He Qiuying smiled helplessly: "What are you talking about? Do you want me to dedicate a song to you?"
"Play all the songs that criticize unfaithful men!"
Hu Tong stared at Cheng Zhou as he walked away, until his tall figure disappeared behind the door, before she came to her senses and exclaimed in surprise.
"Wait a minute, isn't this considered entrapment?"
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