【30】Whether it is comparing misery or giving condescending advice, the person who is telling the truth actually doesn’t like it.
It was early November, and the wind outside was a bit chilly. Tan Xu didn't respond to Liang Zhiyao's teasing. Instead, she asked, "It's cold outside. Do you want to go in?" She shook her head, "If you don't mind, I'll be back in a little while." He quickly realized that the two of them were the only ones left inside, meaning he was going to continue his wingmanship. He took off his coat and handed it to her. Liang Zhiyao wasn't being mean to be polite, but she'd had a few drinks and wasn't actually cold. Seeing that Tan Xu was only wearing a thin layer underneath, she didn't offer it. Just as she was about to say, "Go ahead, wear it," he asked with a displeased expression, "Can't you stop rejecting me?" This emotion came out of nowhere, and Liang Zhiyao was confused, but he didn't bother to argue with him. He took Tan Xu's coat and put it on, but he couldn't help but sarcastically remark, "You were definitely more ruthless when you rejected someone just now." It even seemed a bit lacking in grace. After all, many things don't need to be so decisive to achieve their purpose. She'd assumed he was one of those people his age who had high emotional intelligence and was known for his diplomatic skills, but she hadn't expected him to be so disrespectful. "Really?" he asked casually. "Do you think I'm open to everyone, like someone you can keep in your pond and slowly harvest later?" He rarely spoke so harshly. Liang Zhiyao sensed his uncharacteristic aggression, but she didn't get angry. She tentatively asked, "Are you in a bad mood?" Her tone was calm, not the sarcastic one that often provokes doubts about someone's emotional outburst during a heated exchange, but rather pure concern. Tan Xu, in turn, fell silent, then apologized after a moment, "I'm sorry, I was rude just now." He was clearly emotionally affected, and it seemed he was taking his anger out on both her and the girl he'd just approached. It was a rather unkind behavior. "It's okay," Liang Zhiyao accepted graciously, "Want to chat? You still have to stand outside for a while anyway." He didn't speak right away, but now he found himself being pretentious - a while ago, he and Liang Zhiyao weren't even really friends, but he had come up with a theory, asking her to confide in him about the bad things she'd encountered, but when it came to his turn, he still didn't know what to say. It was a small matter, but just talking about it showed that he cared, which was like showing a weakness, and he was somewhat concerned about his face. Liang Zhiyao didn't ask any more questions, and her expression seemed to be that it was up to him, whether he wanted to say it or not. Her nonchalant manner made Tan Xu want to talk more: "Actually, I was... stood up again." This "again" might be referring to the time when a friend stood him up at the billiard hall, but Liang Zhiyao had a hunch that this time was definitely different from the past. Thinking of his birthday the day after tomorrow, he suddenly felt...
It was early November, and the wind outside was a little chilly. Tan Xu didn't respond to Liang Zhiyao's teasing, but asked her, "It's cold outside, do you want to go in?"
She shook her head. "If you don't mind, I'll go back later?"
He quickly realized that there were only two people left inside, which meant he had to continue to be her wingman, so he took off his coat and handed it to her.
Liang Zhiyao didn't mean to be polite with him, but she had a few drinks and wasn't actually cold at the moment. Seeing that Tan Xu was only wearing a very thin singlet, she didn't reach out to take it. Just as she was about to say, "You can put it on," she saw him ask with a displeased expression, "Can't you stop rejecting me all the time?"
This emotion came out of nowhere, and Liang Zhiyao was confused, but he didn't bother to argue with him. He took Tan Xu's coat and put it on, but he couldn't help but say to him, "You were obviously more ruthless when you rejected others just now."
It even seemed a bit lacking in grace. After all, many things didn't need to be so blunt to achieve their goals. She had assumed he was one of the more tactful and emotionally intelligent among his peers, but she hadn't expected him to be so disrespectful.
"Really?" he asked casually. "Do you think I'm open to everyone who comes? I can keep them in your pond and catch them later?"
He rarely spoke in such a choking manner. Liang Zhiyao sensed his unusual aggressiveness, but he didn't get angry. He tentatively asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"
Her tone was calm, not the kind of sarcastic tone that would come from someone questioning their partner's emotional outburst. It was simply pure concern. Tan Xu fell silent, then apologized after a moment, "I'm sorry, I was rude just now."
He was indeed affected by his emotions, and he seemed to be taking his anger out on her and the girl he had just chatted up with. This was a very bad behavior.
"It's okay," Liang Zhiyao accepted graciously, "Want to chat? We still have to stand outside for a while anyway."
He didn't speak immediately, but now he found himself being hypocritical - he and Liang Zhiyao weren't even really friends a while ago, but he put forward a theory and asked her to confide in him the bad things she had encountered, but when it was his turn, he still didn't know what to say.
It's a small matter, but just talking about it shows that you care about it. It's like showing your weakness to others, and you will be more or less concerned about your face.
Liang Zhiyao didn't ask any more questions, and his expression seemed to say that it was up to him and he could say whatever he wanted.
Her nonchalant manner made Tan Xu even more eager to confide in her, "Actually... I got stood up again."
This "again" might be referring to the time a friend stood him up at the pool hall, but Liang Zhiyao had a hunch this time was definitely different. Thinking about his birthday the day after tomorrow, he suddenly had a guess: "Was that phone call just now... from your parents? Or a good friend?"
She was a bit too perceptive, which saved him the hesitation of sharing his feelings, and she felt relieved for a moment. But at the same time, she felt that her quick guess meant that the source of her emotions was a common and clichéd plot, making it seem even more insignificant.
"It's my parents," he replied. "At my age, I'm not really that eager to celebrate my birthday with them. But they offered to come from the East, and now something has happened and they've changed their minds, so I might be a little emotional. Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude to you."
"Yeah," she nodded. "I think it's normal to have emotions. Don't be too hard on yourself."
It's not just a matter of expectations being raised and then lowered, or plans being disrupted. There's always a reason for the last-minute cancellation, and for those who are stood up, they're forced to face the reality that the other party weighed their agreement against another priority and ultimately chose the other.
Liang Zhiyao's parents were people who valued their promises and always put her first. She had almost no memory of ever being disappointed by them, so it wasn't easy for her to empathize with them. But just imagining a similar scenario happening to herself made her feel uncomfortable.
She didn't know the whole story, or whether Tan Xu had often encountered similar things since he was a child, so she didn't dare to say some chicken soup words to him like "parents also have their own difficulties", especially considering that she had always been spoiled, and she was even more afraid of making trouble for herself.
In just a few minutes, Tan Xu had practically finished consoling himself. His emotions were actually quite stable, with today's fluctuations being occasional. Liang Zhiyao, in particular, listened without offering any advice or judgment, which made him feel quite at ease.
Then he suddenly smiled and asked her, "Do you want to go get some fried chicken? There's a little place around the corner run by a black man. They're better than the one we just had."
She probably thought he had seen her staring at the remaining chicken wings, wanting to steal but not having the guts to do so. She said with a smile, "...weren't you busy sharing your wonderful high school life just now?"
How can I have the extra energy to pay attention to these things?
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you angry?"
This was a trick question, Liang Zhiyao ignored it and took off his coat and returned it to him: "I'm really not cold, you can wear it."
The fried chicken place was indeed just around the corner, even its name was haphazardly chosen: Chicken Shack. They ordered one of the classic combos, 2 Legs 2 Wings. When Liang Zhiyao reached for his bank card, he was told that all orders under $10 couldn't be accepted by card.
"Let me do it." Tan Xu directly handed the clerk a $10 bill.
“…Thank you,” she said. “Actually, I have some cash in my wallet.”
He joked, "I'm afraid that if you buy this deal and get the offer, you won't treat me to a proper meal. That would be a big loss for me."
The store is very small, with only two small round tables, but it is still bustling with people even after ten o'clock in the evening. Most of them buy food and take it away directly. The business is surprisingly good.
Liang Zhiyao understood the reason for this restaurant's booming business from the first bite. She'd never had fried chicken so satisfying in every way, either in the US or back home. The skin was crispy on the outside, the inside juicy, not too dry or tough, and the seasoning was just right. The best part was, the bottom of the carton came with a few slices of toast. No one could resist the combination of fat and carbs.
At this moment, she discovered that people are really easy to satisfy. Although her job search prospects are uncertain, after two weeks of intensive review and interview preparation, she can finally relax and enjoy the food. At least at this moment, she feels happy from the bottom of her heart.
When people feel happy, they always have more room to spare and are more inclined to show kindness to others. After they finished eating fried chicken, she saw that Tan Xu was still unusually silent, so she couldn't help but ask him, "Have you...been stood up often before?"
Thinking about it, the "again" wasn't necessarily referring to the snooker game; there might be another story. But after asking, she wasn't sure if it was appropriate, so she added, "If you don't want to talk about it, forget it."
"It's okay," he said calmly, "It's certainly not the first time, but I've actually gotten used to it since I was a child."
After he became an adult, he rarely made similar requests. This time, they took the initiative to promise, but broke the appointment at the last minute. He felt a little annoyed that he had done nothing but was still taken advantage of, so he was in a bad mood.
Normally, he'd be able to reconcile with himself quickly about things like this, but with her around today, it was like when he was a kid playing wrestling and fell, only to cry harder the moment his parents came running. But she shouldn't become his emotional trash can, especially since he still had some baggage.
Seeing that he had calmed down and didn't seem to want to talk in detail, Liang Zhiyao didn't ask any further questions.
When many people hear a friend complain, they often have two reactions. One is to compare their misery, perhaps sharing their own unpleasant experiences in an attempt to make the other person feel better. However, this kind of comfort, which carries a subtle subtext of "your problem is nothing," can backfire.
The other type is arrogant and condescending, and likes to give advice as a person with experience, trying to adjust the other person's values directly from the root, so that the troubles do not exist. This makes them seem even more self-righteous.
When she is the one talking, she doesn't like either of these two reactions, so when it's her turn to be the listener, she usually just sits quietly by the side and waits for the other person to talk. If there is anything she can do, she will provide some companionship and care, and that's about it.
Thinking of this, she asked Tan Xu, "Do you want to find some classmates to celebrate with? It happens to be the weekend, and they just finished their exams. Even if I ask at the last minute, there should be many people free."
Hearing this, he looked straight at her: "If I were to look for you, would you be free?"
“…”
Liang Zhiyao didn't know what to say. She felt like she had dug a hole for herself. She hesitated for a moment and replied, "Well...it depends."
She didn't really like gatherings with a lot of finance majors she didn't know, and would feel somewhat uncomfortable. But if they went out alone, it would seem too intimate, like a date.
At this stage, she still defines their relationship as "friends" more and is unwilling to give unnecessary hints when the situation is ambiguous.
Tan Xu thought for a moment and asked her, "Did you know there will be a total lunar eclipse tomorrow night?"
"Huh?"
"It's a bit late, around 1 a.m., but you should be able to see it from the 7th floor of the apartment, so you don't have to go out."
The apartment they were in only went up to the 6th floor, but the Club Room at the end of the 6th floor did have stairs leading to a higher floor, the so-called 7th floor. There was a large common space there, as well as an outdoor area where they could hold barbecue parties in the summer.
This proposal had nothing to do with the two situations Liang Zhiyao had imagined, and he was a little confused for a moment.
She wasn't so heartbroken that she agreed resolutely just because Tan Xu was in a bad mood tonight. However, when she thought about how he was reviewing for exams in two majors this week and had taken the time to help her with two mock interviews, she really wanted to give him something in return.
Objectively speaking, watching the total lunar eclipse actually sounds quite interesting. Plus, the coffee shop has officially closed this week, so she doesn't have to get up early to work on Sunday, so she's not too afraid of staying up late.
"Okay then," she finally agreed with a smile, "I'll set the alarm so I don't fall asleep."
Author's Note
Reversible light path
author
07-28
Today is an extra update, and it will be updated normally at midnight on Wednesday. Also, I ate fried chicken on the weekend, but it was Korean style -w- I really want to eat the spicy chicken wings in China!
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