7 Chapter 7
◎Then call me brother◎
As soon as he finished speaking, Sang Xinqi had already pictured the appearance of that "simple yet special" black T-shirt in her mind.
She smiled at everyone, but her eyes fell on Liao Yishen, "Don't worry, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Making T-shirts is easy for her, but creating a unique and eye-catching design among the monotonous styles is a big challenge.
This little episode ended after everyone learned about the styles and patterns they wanted, and everyone resumed their studies.
But there are always some people who can't sit still, like Jiang Xun, who just finished grading the test papers. He twists and turns as if there are nails on the stool.
"It's six o'clock, top students!" Jiang Xun suddenly broke the silence of the study room. "Studying is so boring, we need to combine work and rest."
Tao Wen turned around and asked, "Where are we going?"
Being young at the time, they couldn't help but be moved when they heard this.
Sang Xinqi and the others also looked up, but only Liao Yishen was still concentrating on solving the problem, looking out of place.
"My cousin opened a barbecue restaurant some time ago. Should we go and try it?" Jiang Xun suggested.
Meng expected to respond immediately, "I think so."
The excitement in Tao Wen's eyes dimmed a little. If it was a free activity, she would definitely agree immediately, but she would have to consider it carefully if it required spending money.
The careless Jiang Xun didn't notice Tao Wen's hesitation at all, and assumed that she would participate. He turned to ask Liao Yishen, "Brother Liao, are you going?"
Liao Yishen didn't stop writing. He pondered for two or three seconds before saying, "If you all go, I can't stand out from the group."
"Great!" Jiang Xun cheered, "The store is only three kilometers away, very close."
It’s indeed not far away. Jiang Xun took Sang Xinqi there on the opening day, and the food was indeed very good.
The six of them quickly packed up and set off. The three-kilometer taxi ride only took a few minutes. Sang Xinqi and her friends arrived first and waited at the store door for a while before they saw the other three get out of the taxi.
"You're too slow, aren't you?" Tao Wen complained, "We've been here for several minutes."
Although she felt sorry for her pocket money, she thought it would be okay to be extravagant occasionally.
Meng Qixiang smiled and explained, "There's a traffic jam on the road."
Jiang Xun's cousin's barbecue restaurant is located next to the residential complex. Although the store is small, it is always packed. In the summer, customers prefer the outdoor seating.
"Is there a seat on the second floor?" Jiang Xun asked his cousin.
"Yes, it's reserved for you."
Jiang Xun's cousin is short and fat.
After he finished speaking, my cousin finally noticed Sang Xinqi in the crowd, "Sangsang! Long time no see."
"Yes, cousin," Sang Xinqi greeted with a smile.
"We are all family, today's meal is on me," said my cousin generously.
Tao Wen was surprised and asked, "Aren't you going to lose money?"
"You are all Jiang Xun's classmates, so it's only right that I treat you to a meal," my cousin waved his hand and went to get busy.
After sitting down on the second floor, Jiang Xun grabbed the menu and shouted, "I'm starving!"
Two menus were passed between the man and the woman, and the orders were taken in a short while.
"I'm not bragging, my brother's barbecue is absolutely first-rate," Jiang Xun assured, patting his chest.
Sang Xinqi added with a smile, "The key is that my cousin is a good cook."
"That's right!" Jiang Xun nodded repeatedly.
Chen Yanyan's eyes lit up, "I love barbecue!"
Tao Wen also raised her hand. "Me too! When I was a kid in the countryside, my grandparents always grilled food for me in the summer."
She paused, nervously observing everyone's reactions, "And the watermelons we grow ourselves. I often sit on the edge of the field and chew on half a watermelon."
"How happy!" Sang Xinqi exclaimed sincerely, "I've always dreamed of eating watermelon like this."
Tao Wen felt warm in her heart.
She remembered the disgusted expressions on her classmates' faces when she shared her past experiences in the countryside with them last time, but the eyes of her friends now only showed pure yearning.
"Life in the country is so blissful!" Jiang Xun said excitedly, "and it's much cooler than in the city. In the summer we can just lie in the woods and enjoy the cool air..."
The two people who had a common experience talked more and more excitedly, and the other four people were fascinated by their conversation, with envy written all over their faces.
At this time, my cousin came upstairs with the skewers in his hand. Seeing that they were chatting animatedly, he asked curiously, "What are you talking about? Why are you so happy?"
"I miss the summers I spent at my grandma's house," Jiang Xun replied.
My cousin couldn't help but sigh that life in the countryside is so comfortable.
Tao Wen nodded vigorously, a trace of loneliness flashed in her eyes. After all, she could never go back to that carefree life.
"Eat it while it's hot, and order more if it's not enough," my cousin reminded me before leaving.
"Okay!" everyone responded in unison.
As soon as my cousin disappeared at the stairs, six pairs of chopsticks reached for the baking tray impatiently.
Sang Xinqi went straight to her favorite lamb skewers. The familiar aroma of cumin mixed with the unique burnt aroma of charcoal fire bloomed between her lips and teeth, making her squint her eyes in satisfaction.
When she ate the third skewer, she suddenly realized something and glanced at Liao Yishen diagonally across from her.
The boy's slender fingers pinched the bamboo stick and he slowly bit off a small piece of mutton. Even the curve of his jaw while chewing revealed a bit of elegance.
This scene was in stark contrast to the way she was eating with big mouthfuls. Sang Xinqi suddenly felt that the skewers in her hands were a little hot.
She slowed down her eating without making a sound.
For a while, I was so uncomfortable that I didn’t even know how to eat.
Just when she was distracted, a drop of oil splashed on her white short-sleeve, leaving a small, glaring oil stain on her chest.
"Xunzi, paper!" She shouted at Jiang Xun reflexively.
This is a habit she developed since childhood. Whenever she has something to do, the first person she thinks of is her childhood sweetheart.
Before he finished speaking, a bony hand handed him a tissue.
Sang Xinqi was stunned for a moment, then looked up to meet Liao Yi's deep gaze. The tissue between his fingertips shone like pearls under the light, just like the meaningful look in his eyes at the moment. "You're welcome."
The look in his eyes made her feel like he had discovered her deliberate behavior, and her cheeks suddenly felt hot.
She quickly took the tissue and was about to wipe it when she heard a "pop" sound coming from the opposite side.
Jiang Xun slapped the half-empty tissue on the table and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Miss Sang is really capable. She can even do performance art while eating barbecue."
This familiar teasing made Sang Xinqi want to slap him. She lowered her head to wipe the stain and ignored Jiang Xun.
As he lowered his head to wipe it, the corners of his mouth curled up. It turned out that in front of a truly elegant person, deliberate imitation is the most clumsy.
Sang Xinqi suddenly realized why she had to be so restrained. Wasn't it better to just be her true self?
After figuring it out, she started eating again with relish.
The fat on the lamb skewers gleamed in the light. She took a big bite with satisfaction, not even noticing that cumin seeds stained the corners of her mouth.
"Jiang Xun," Tao Wen suddenly said, "Why are you always picking on Sangsang?"
"Ah?" Jiang Xun was stuffing roasted eggplant into his mouth. He was stunned for a moment when he heard the words, and then he laughed heartlessly, "We have been bickering with each other since we were young. It's become a habit!"
Tao Wen hummed softly, feeling an inexplicable emotion in her heart.
She subconsciously glanced at Sang Xinqi who was concentrating on eating skewers, and then glanced at Jiang Xun who was smiling brightly. The strange feeling was like a drop of ink falling into clear water, disappearing in an instant.
Jiang Xun chewed an eggplant and looked boredly at the adults toasting each other not far away. He curled his lips and said, "It's boring to eat without doing anything."
Sang Xinqi followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow, "Want to drink?"
Jiang Xun's eyes lit up and he nodded frantically.
Meng Xiangqi shook his head with a straight face and said seriously, "Minors are prohibited from drinking."
His serious look made everyone laugh.
Sang Xinqi suppressed her laughter and looked at Jiang Xun, "Be good and listen to your brother Wang."
Jiang Xun: “…”
Tao Wen suddenly had an idea and clapped her hands, "How about we play a game?"
Chen Yanyan held her cheek and asked with interest, "What are you playing?"
"How about truth or dare?" Tao Wen suggested with a smile, twirling her pigtails with her fingertips.
Sang Xinqi became interested, "What are the rules?"
Tao Wen picked up the empty drink bottle and flicked it lightly with her fingertips, spinning it in a circle on the table. "Whoever the bottle mouth is pointing at has to choose truth or dare, and whoever the bottom of the bottle is facing has to ask or create the questions."
Meng Qixiang nodded in agreement, "That's fine."
After understanding the rules, the game begins.
As the proposer, Tao Wen was the first to spin the bottle.
The plastic bottle spun a few times on the table and slowly stopped, with the mouth of the bottle pointing at Sang Xinqi and the bottom of the bottle pointing at Liao Yishen.
Everyone's eyes flickered back and forth between the two of them, and Jiang Xun immediately started to cheer, "Oh!" He grinned, his face full of an expression of anticipation for a good show.
A rare, faint smile appeared on Liao Yishen's usually indifferent face. He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Sang Xinqi.
Sang Xinqi's heart skipped a beat for some reason, but she still pretended to be calm and said first, "I choose the big dare."
Before Liao Yishen could speak, Jiang Xun couldn't wait to interrupt, "Let her call me brother!"
Sang Xinqi rolled her eyes at him, but Jiang Xun laughed even more wildly. This guy had always wanted to take advantage of her. Although he was indeed older than her, she refused to let him have his way.
However, the next second...
"Then call me brother," Liao Yishen said lightly.
The air froze instantly.
Everyone looked at him with shocked eyes, as if they were trying to confirm whether what he just said was an auditory hallucination.
Jiang Xun was stunned for a second, then burst into exaggerated laughter, the sound echoing throughout the second floor, attracting the attention of customers at other tables.
Sang Xinqi glared at Jiang Xun fiercely, "You laughed too loudly!"
Her ears felt slightly hot. She had never expected Liao Yishen to follow Jiang Xun's words and say this.
Tao Wen gave a thumbs-up, full of admiration, "Brother Liao learns really fast!"
Chen Yanyan lowered her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of the cup.
She had long known that Liao Yishen had a cold personality, kept to himself at school, and never joked.
But today... she raised her eyes quietly, but saw that his eyes were always on Sang Xinqi, and a trace of bitterness inexplicably arose in her heart.
Sang Xinqi held her forehead, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "...Can I change my mind and say the truth?"
Liao Yishen didn't embarrass her and nodded, "Okay."
The scene fell silent, and everyone was curious about what he would ask.
"Do you like fashion design?" His voice was soft but very clear.
As soon as the words fell, everyone immediately started to make a noise, "Hey!"
Especially Jiang Xun, he drew out his voice and laughed mischievously.
"Yes, I like it very much," Sang Xinqi answered, her eyes instantly lit up, as if filled with starlight.
Anyone can see that she really loves it.
The game continued, and this time it was Sang Xinqi's turn. She aimed her eyes at Jiang Xun with a look that said "You're dead".
She flicked the bottle with her fingertips, and after a few seconds, it stopped.
The mouth of the bottle was aimed at Jiang Xun, but the tail of the bottle was facing Tao Wen.
Tao Wen gave Sang Xinqi a look that seemed to say, "I will avenge you."
Sang Xinqi responded with a smile, then looked at Jiang Xun with a gloating look.
"I'm not afraid," Jiang Xun raised his eyebrows, looking fearless, "I choose the truth."
Tao Wen rolled her eyes slyly and suddenly asked, "Have you ever had a premature love?"
Jiang Xun's expression froze instantly: "......"
Sang Xinqi chuckled and tilted her head to look at him with interest.
"This... shouldn't count," Jiang Xun said hesitantly.
Meng Qixiang's eyes widened in surprise, "Are you really in love too early?"
Sang Xinqi immediately added, "Why doesn't it count?"
Everyone's eyes were focused on Jiang Xun, making him feel very uncomfortable.
"Just... a little crush, that's all," he tried to downplay it.
Sang Xinqi exposed it mercilessly, "They were holding hands."
Jiang Xun's face flushed: "....."
Tao Wen teased, "If you can't explain it clearly, let Sangsang speak for you."
"Actually...we haven't explicitly said we're together," Jiang Xun's voice gradually became smaller.
Chen Yanyan pointed out sharply, "He's willing to hold your hand, so he must be interested in you. Why don't you confess?"
Jiang Xun sighed, "I confessed my feelings, but she said it was fine this way."
"I asked, 'How?' She just said, 'This way...' In the end, I still didn't understand what she meant."
Meng Qixiang asked, "Are you still in touch now?"
Jiang Xun shook his head, his tone low, "No contact, the specific reason... I don't know."
Chen Yanyan asked softly, "Do you still like her now?"
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