Ripples on the sea
Yu Nianxi came downstairs in a short while, wearing yoga clothes, and asked while fanning herself, "So what are we having for lunch today?"
"How about we get some seafood?"
Almost simultaneously, Chu Yiqi and Meng Yike spoke up, rejecting the proposal.
"Sisi allergy."
"Someone might be allergic."
Xi Ai looked up at Yu Nianxi, just as she received Yu Nianxi's message: [I'll be going to the premiere.]
Xi Ai glanced at it and put it down, then, like Santa Claus, promised to grant their wish to eat seafood: "But I have to go out for something later, so you can go eat seafood instead."
Shi Yunshan said, "No, how can we do this on the first day!"
Xi Ai glanced at her, then at Nie Chuiying beside her, and said, "What makes you any better, huh? You've been sneaking around in your room all afternoon."
“You don’t understand,” Nie Chuiying said speechlessly, “There was a camera in the room, and it was on. Although Sister Luo said it was only for today and someone would come to record the event tomorrow.”
"oh."
Chu Yiqi chuckled, then, under Nie Chuiying's gaze and with the added advantage of the movie queen being so close to him, he instantly transformed into a very serious and regretful expression, saying, "Then you guys are really miserable, and Sister Luo is really bad too."
For a fleeting moment, Shi Yunshan really wanted to say that Chu Yiqi was laughing at her for being fifty steps behind... no, for being a hundred steps behind and criticizing her for being fifty steps behind. But the words changed as they reached her lips: "So, what about Qiqi? Do you eat seafood?"
That's a very pertinent question...
Xi Ai chuckled, and after a strange silence, Chu Yiqi coughed as if trying to cover up his misunderstanding, and said, "Well, I have to go out with Xi Ai."
Meng Yike sat opposite, and to ease Qiqi's embarrassment, she tapped the table to change the subject: "Well, according to Sister Luo's instructions, the shoot tomorrow morning is for Lin Ni's new season's endorsement. We need to leave before seven o'clock."
"Okay."
"Your Majesty, we obey the decree—"
"Okay, okay, hurry up and head out, it'll be rush hour soon."
Nie Chuiying pulled Shi Yunshan and said, "I...I need to get something. Xi Ai, you guys go first."
Yu Nianxi looked at herself and said, "Oh, I still need to change my clothes."
Meng Yike was speechless, but then she thought about it again and felt that their arrangement was very good: children who are having a tiff need some space for each other.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Sister Luo said that this afternoon they were a particularly uncooperative group, but they'll be doing well tomorrow."
"Isn't having the Taro King's live stream entertaining enough?"
"Change your name, Shi Yunshan!"
"oh."
"There has to be some footage that's retained from the post-production editing, right?"
The six people looked at each other and exchanged a secret signal. Then, looking at the camera together, as if it had been rehearsed, they said, "Don't worry, Sister Luo, we guarantee we'll complete the mission."
After Chu Yiqi and Xi Ai finished speaking, they stood up together and ran out the door.
Xi Ai quickened her pace and opened the passenger door before Chu Yiqi could choose the back seat. Chu Yiqi glanced at Xi Ai, but seeing no change in the other's expression, she didn't say anything.
"You changed your car?"
"No, the old man thought I was too flamboyant and switched with me a long time ago."
Chu Yiqi was speechless, thinking to himself, "Isn't this car much more high-profile than yours?"
Xi Ai glanced at her, as if she could see through Chu Yiqi's thoughts, and added, "Although the price doesn't seem to indicate that it's understated, the color should be a bit more subdued, right?"
Chu Yiqi remained silent, then sighed.
"If you're sleepy, take a nap. It's Friday today, so traffic might be heavy."
She's always like this, getting sleepy as soon as she gets on the bus, but today she wanted to see Xi Ai more. After all, it's been a long time since they last met, and she always misses her dearly.
Chu Yiqi was not asleep. Amidst the flow of traffic, she met the gaze of Xi Ai, who happened to be looking at her.
They parted ways in an instant, yet were always tainted with memories.
*
Chu Yiqi looked away, remembering that earlier she had also sat in this spot looking at Xi Ai but was caught red-handed. Xi Ai had teased her with a smile at the time: "Teacher Chu, it's okay if you look. I don't charge for appearing on camera when I'm not working."
Chu Yiqi simply closed his eyes and said, "I was actually asleep."
Xi Ai looked away from the road and said, "I have a dashcam installed."
"Oh." Chu Yiqi opened her eyes and said, "Just look. How would I know I looked at yours if you didn't look?"
"At least I don't deny it."
"Then you are truly a gentleman, open and honest."
"Of course."
"..."
That day, there was a long traffic jam. Taking advantage of the car window, Xi Ai unbuckled her seatbelt.
The person beside him leaned over and caught the butterfly.
So the butterfly kissed a Phalaenopsis orchid.
*
Xi Ai remained silent, staring blankly at the orange-red expanse.
It wasn't anything important, but Xi Ai suddenly remembered that Nadia had sent her a photo earlier.
—It was Chu Yiqi who had just finished a course of treatment, and she went to pick her up. Chu Yiqi, wearing only a coat, leaned against the back seat and fell asleep. It was nighttime, and the only light came from the slightly chaotic streetlights outside.
Teacher Chu is always a little more well-behaved after falling asleep, but she is not exactly peaceful either, with a slight frown.
It was a coincidence that Xi Ai saw the photo while receiving glucose in the hospital. She heard the old man muttering to himself through her earphones, repeatedly promising that it wouldn't happen again, and only after he left all the matters abroad to Xi Yuchuan was the old man finally able to stay in Beicheng with peace of mind.
After hanging up the phone, Xi Ai looked out the window at the bustling city center of Haicheng, her finger unconsciously landing on Chu Yiqi's brow.
Xi Ai breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to pull herself out of her memories and look directly at the person next to her.
She had booked a Huaiyang cuisine restaurant, so after getting off the bus, she checked both of their masks and hats before heading over, fully armed with protective gear.
When they sat down by the window, the dishes were already laid out. Chu Yiqi was clearly taken aback for a moment, but didn't pick up her chopsticks.
Because she discovered that everything on the table was one of her favorite foods.
In fact, Chu Yiqi's preferences are quite stable, but not exactly easy to guess. It's just that, for some reason, Xi Ai is always able to find clues through many details.
But every time Chu Yiqi asked Xi Ai, Xi Ai would just deliberately say, "I don't know, I'm just guessing."
Or perhaps on one or two occasions, Xi Ai would reply, "I just think it's obvious."
So at that time, Chu Yiqi suspected more than once that he was very open about his likes and dislikes, but apart from Xi Ai, no one else had thought of it.
After finishing their meal, Xi Ai propped her head up and asked, "What time was the appointment?"
"It'll be a while, but we can walk over slowly." Chu Yiqi glanced at her phone—in this respect, she and Xi Ai were very similar; except when they were doing endorsements, they didn't like to wear anything on their hands.
The two walked slowly, and they also exchanged a few words about the general direction of the lyrics they were going to write this time.
"It will probably start from a very small point." Chu Yiqi paused for a moment and said, "When a few of us went to the orphanage before, we really liked what one of the children said."
At the Ciyu Welfare Home at that time, Xi Ai was playing the piano with a little girl, while Chu Yiqi and the other children watched from the window.
A little boy tugged at Chu Yiqi's hand and said, "Listen, sister, it's the sound of spring."
Chu Yiqi squatted down and said, "Um... could you describe it to me, sister?"
The girl thought for a long time and said, "Maybe it's blue, mixed with white."
Why?
"Because, listen, the music played by that pretty lady reminds me of clear springs on rocks, flowing clouds in the blue sky, and gentle waves on the vast sea."
Xi Ai nodded and silently considered the melody she had composed.
What are you writing?
"I haven't decided yet. I'll let you know when I do."
"oh."
Chu Yiqi stood in front of the control panel, watching Xi Ai beside him staring blankly with half her face propped up, so he asked her, "Aren't you going to pick out a gift?"
"I'm thinking about it," Xi Ai said, making excuses for herself without batting an eye, "I'm working with a custom design company."
What should I give as a gift?
"Let's send a set of Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), and it will most likely be arranged to be in the Tang Dynasty style."
Chu Yiqi nodded. Nadia had a very standard European and American appearance. After considering all the options, Tang Dynasty style was the most suitable. It was an era of inclusiveness and harmony, and it looked the best match.
Actually, along the way, Xi Ai would stop every now and then to look around, and then gesture with her hands to indicate anything she saw to Chu Yiqi. Chu Yiqi attributed this to the fact that she and Nadia were of similar build.
Chu Yiqi slowly and methodically picked through the items, while Xi Ai would occasionally look up to glance at them before being called back by work messages.
"By the way, are the saplings and the others together?"
Xi Ai looked up at Chu Yiqi. She had originally planned to record a vlog, but suddenly felt glad she hadn't started yet. She asked, "What did you see?"
"This morning, Nie Chuiying came out of Shi Yunshan's room." Then, off-camera, she quietly ran up the stairs.
"Hmm, it's been over a year, hasn't it?" Xi Ai remembered it very clearly. That day, they were recording an album. She went to the company from the hospital, and as soon as she arrived, she saw Nie Chuiying stuck to Shi Yunshan's shoulder. Xi Ai couldn't catch her breath and coughed for a long time while leaning against the glass door.
"Who brought this up?"
Xi Ai wanted to tease Chu Yiqi and get him to say a few more words: "Did you recognize who it was before you left?"
"Nie Chuiying, but it's not certain."
Xi Ai's smile widened, and she deliberately lowered her voice.
He said, "Then I must be the first person to recognize Shi Yunshan."
"It really is a sapling?" Chu Yiqi dropped the roses she had just scooped up, feeling both the happiness of having discovered a secret and the surprise of disbelief.
She suddenly understood why those people had been speculating about her and Xi Ai's relationship back then—it was all about creating a sense of participation and their natural inclination to watch the drama unfold.
Xi Ai added some rose petals to the melon and said, "Trust me, this melon is definitely ripe."
Chu Yiqi was meticulous in every step, but because she was skilled, she finished quickly, leaving her and Xi Ai with nothing to do but sit there.
As if possessed, Chu Yiqi added mugwort powder to another dish. Xi Ai's eyes lit up, her gaze falling on Chu Yiqi's wrist.
It seems that Chu Yiqi wears long sleeves in every outfit, and today is no exception. She wears a white camisole with a pink cardigan and ruffled cuffs, which perfectly cover her wrists.
In the past, when Xi Ai and Chu Yiqi's relationship wasn't so good, she was curious about the reason, but she never asked. Later, Xi Ai would subtly arrange everything.
— Just like those summer events, one of Xi's subsidiaries was represented by Chu Yiqi, so Xi Ai went through all the designs for that season, and finally paired each dress with gloves or wrist ties.
Later, Chu Yiqi went abroad, and Xi Ai would always secretly ask a few mutual friends to keep an eye on things. But ever since Xi Ai made those arrangements that year, the wrist ribbons have become like some kind of anti-counterfeiting mark for Chu Yiqi. Before each event, there would always be many posts discussing what Chu Yiqi would be wearing on his wrist that day.
Xi Ai snapped out of her reverie and asked knowingly, "Then who is this for?"
Chu Yiqi bit her lower lip, and after a while, she replied naturally: "Consider it a thank you gift, since you accompanied me on this trip for nothing."
Xi Ai didn't ask any more questions, nor did she expose Chu Yiqi's subconscious habit. She simply said happily, "Thank you, Teacher Chu."
Xi Ai finished recording the video and put her phone aside.
Xi Ai knew that Chu Yiqi was good at perfume making and that she often came here because Chu Yiqi had once taken Xi Ai shopping and made a perfume for her here. She never asked Xi Ai what she liked, but just made the perfume based on her impression of Xi Ai.
As for the incense burner they used to burn in the house, it was one they had taken a picture of when they went out to sea.
They went out carrying their things, just as Haicheng was about to begin to bustle with activity.
The evening breeze at the end of summer wasn't too hot; it felt very comfortable.
“Xi Ai”.
"Um."
"How long is the premiere of that art film?"
"You want to go see it?"
Chu Yiqi asked her, "Will you go?"
"Do you want me here?"
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