Chapter 29
The setting sun trailed a long golden tail, stretching their shadows far out. "Let's go," Ling Yao said, nudging Su Rui's shoulder naturally. "Grandma must be getting impatient." Su Rui was stunned for a moment, a warm feeling welling up in her heart. The fact that Ling Yao had remembered to accompany him home for dinner gave him a false sense of cherishment. He nodded, and the two of them walked side by side towards the old residential area.
The aroma of home-cooked food wafted from the alleyway. Grandma had been standing at the doorway, waiting for them. Upon seeing them, a kind smile immediately spread across her face, especially when she saw Ling Yao, a smile tinged with genuine gratitude. "Ling Yao, you're here! Come in, come in! We don't have any fancy dishes at home, so please don't be offended." Grandma hurriedly ushered the two of them into the house. The small dining table was laid with a few carefully prepared dishes. Though simple, they exuded a homely warmth. During the meal, Grandma kept serving food to Ling Yao. "Ling Yao, thanks so much! Last time I was hospitalized, if you hadn't helped me find a doctor and paid for my medicine, I don't know if my old bones would have made it... And you always take care of our little Rui..." Grandma's eyes welled up as she spoke. "We don't know how to repay you..." Ling Yao seemed unaccustomed to such direct gratitude and interrupted awkwardly, "Grandma, don't say that. It's just a small thing. It's my duty. Your cooking is delicious." He abruptly changed the subject, lowering his head to take a mouthful of rice. Su Rui watched this scene, feeling both sweet and bitter. The sweetness was Ling Yao's patience and his grandmother's approval, while the bitterness was the unbridgeable gap between them and the indescribable way of "repaying" him. He could only whisper in agreement, "Grandma, please eat quickly! The food is getting cold."
After dinner, Su Rui rushed to clear the dishes. Grandma insisted on seeing them to the door and gave them a few more instructions. When they walked out of the alley, the setting sun had completely sunk into the horizon, leaving only a brilliant purple-red sunset glow on the horizon. The street lights lit up one after another, outlining the gentle outline of the city. The subtle atmosphere at the dinner table just now was blown away by the warm breeze of the summer night. The two of them tacitly did not mention going home, but sat down on a bench by the street, and neither of them mentioned leaving. They just sat side by side, watching the sky darken little by little, the evening breeze brought the remaining warmth of the day and the coolness of the night, so comfortable that people did not want to move. Grandma's words of gratitude were still ringing in my ears, and the tranquility at this moment seemed like a short-lived gift.
"What are you going to do next?" Ling Yao suddenly asked, his voice lazily tinged with laziness. The sudden disappearance of the huge goal of the college entrance examination seemed to bring a moment of emptiness. Su Rui thought for a moment and answered honestly, "Maybe... spend more time with Grandma first. Then... see if I can find some odd jobs." His future was concrete and realistic, with no window of opportunity. Ling Yao glanced at him sideways, but didn't comment on the "odd jobs" and simply said, "Yeah."
After a while, he took out his phone, swiped a few times, and then handed it to Su Rui. On the screen was an advertisement for a newly opened arcade, with cool lights and a wide variety of games. "Azhe and the others are clamoring to go there," Ling Yao said casually, "They're so noisy. Do you want to go?" Su Rui looked at the screen, at the games he had never played before, feeling a little yearning and a little timid: "I... I can't play those..." "Who's born knowing how to play?" Ling Yao put his phone away, stood up, and patted his pants. "Let's go. I'm free anyway." He said it as a matter of course, as if Su Rui's participation was the most natural thing.
Su Rui looked at his tall figure walking in front of him, and the timidity caused by the class difference in his heart was gradually replaced by an eagerness to try. He quickly stood up and followed.
The arcade was bustling with people and the music was deafening. Ah Zhe and the others had indeed arrived. When they saw Su Rui standing behind Ling Yao, they were stunned for a moment, then exchanged a few knowing glances, but said nothing more and quickly immersed themselves in the intense game again. Su Rui could sense the meaning behind those glances. He lowered his head and tried to reduce his presence as much as possible. Ling Yao seemed to be very familiar with this place. He exchanged a bunch of game coins and stuffed half of them into Su Rui: "Go play by yourself." Then he was dragged by Ah Zhe to go racing. Su Rui held the heavy game coins in his hand, and moved around in the dazzling lights and noisy music at a loss. He tried a few simple games, and the results were predictable. He quickly lost most of them.
Just as he was at a loss for what to do with a claw machine, Ling Yao suddenly walked over and stood behind him. "Stupid," he commented, then took the few remaining coins from Su Rui, put them in, and manipulated the joystick. His movements were skillful and precise, his eyes focused. Once, he failed. Twice, his claws slipped. The third time, just when Su Rui thought she was going to fail again, his claws firmly grasped a fluffy little fox stuffed animal and dropped it accurately into the exit! Ling Yao bent down, took out the stuffed animal, and casually stuffed it into Su Rui's arms: "Here." Su Rui hugged the little fox stuffed animal with a silly smile, looking at Ling Yao's profile, who was trying to pretend nothing happened. Her heart felt like it was gently bumped by something, aching and numb. Just like that candy that suddenly appeared that year. The clamor of the game sound effects surrounded him, but he seemed to only hear the beating of his own heartbeat.
Later, Ling Yao took him to play a few other games. Although he still complained about his "clumsy hands" and "slow reaction", he would always help him pass the levels without a fuss, or "conveniently" give him a share when he lost all his coins. This contradictory gentleness was the poison that made Su Rui deeply addicted.
It was late at night when they left the arcade. The summer breeze was just the right amount of cool. Azhe and the others were clamoring for a late-night snack, but Ling Yao waved them off. And so, they were alone again.
Walking back slowly along the quiet street, Su Rui held the little fox doll in his arms, and couldn't help but smile. He remembered his grandmother's gratitude, Ling Yao's slightly unnatural look at the dinner table, and his focused profile when he was catching the doll. "Why are you laughing so foolishly?" Ling Yao glanced at him. "No... nothing." Su Rui quickly restrained his smile, but his heart felt like a warm stove. He couldn't help but think that Ling Yao treated him differently after all. Those hurtful words he said to his friends might just be the vanity and lack of understanding of love of a young man. Look, isn't he treating himself very well now? He is even willing to come to his house for this simple meal.
At the intersection where they parted ways, Su Rui paused. "Thank you...for today." Thank you for your company, thank you for your doll, thank you...for stepping into my world a little bit. Ling Yao stood under the streetlight, his hands in his pockets, the light and shadow casting a soft outline on his face. He stared at Su Rui for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out and ruffled his hair. "Alright. Let's go." The movement was gentle, a touch and a break. Then he turned, his back quickly blending into the night.
Su Rui stood there, stroking the top of his head, which had been rubbed, a hint of warmth still lingering. The little fox doll in his arms grinned, almost as if smiling. The gentle summer breeze blew past, bringing with it the faint sound of distant singing and the scent of gardenias. It was an ordinary, yet not-so-ordinary summer night. But for Su Rui, it felt like a drunken dream from which he was reluctant to awaken. He naively believed that time was long, and that he would have time for his young self to learn how to love.
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