Chapter 28
As the end of the year approached, time became increasingly tight for senior year. He Xi left home early and returned late every day, completely drowning himself in a sea of test papers.
It was almost ten o'clock when the evening study get out of class ended, and there were only a few boarding students left in the classroom. She hurriedly organized her notes and walked back with her shorthand notebook.
Usually at this time of year she would be squeezed in with the crowd, but today she was a little uncomfortable being alone.
I opened my Moments and saw the excitement of welcoming the New Year everywhere.
She tried to tuck her chin into the collar of her cotton coat, and her fingers were slightly stiff as she scratched the screen. After a while, her eyes slowly fell on the new picture and text posted by Yang Jia.
The fireworks on the riverside are brilliant, and among the surging crowd are a few delicate faces with smiles blooming, youthful and unrestrained.
This fireworks show on the bank of the Lanjiang River attracted a lot of attention after the time was initially determined, so much so that the teacher turned a blind eye to those who skipped self-study today.
He Xi stared at it for a few seconds, then turned on his phone and continued walking.
The alley across the street was still brightly lit and bustling with people. Reaching the corner, she hesitated for a moment before turning and walking into the alley next to it.
The greenhouses in front of each stall were full of people, and before she even got close, she saw the stall owners coming and going to solicit customers.
"Does it take so long to think about eating?"
A sudden voice appeared behind her. He Xi turned around and saw Zhao Lin staring at her with a smile on his face, his words full of teasing.
"I'm not very hungry."
She just wanted to join in the fun and had no interest in food.
"Let's go to the hot pot in front. It's my treat."
He started walking away after he finished speaking. After a few steps, he turned back and saw that she was still standing there, frowning slightly and waiting for her to come closer without saying a word.
"Isn't it bothering you?"
He Xi asked sincerely, but ended up getting hit on the head by the boy.
"You...you have no respect for yourselves!"
It doesn't matter if he does this once, she covered her forehead and uttered these words for a long time.
But he heard all the soft mumblings, and the low laughter in his ears showed that this person had no apology at all.
He Xi's ears felt hot, and she stared down at the menu on the table, ignoring him.
She finally realized that the two families had become closer since Grandma Li returned home to recuperate, and Zhao Lin didn't know when the coldness on his face gradually disappeared.
She took the menu and checked off the items, determined to charge him a large fee.
From Zhao Lin's point of view, the person opposite him looked like a bulging, frightened hedgehog.
Danger makes people want to get closer involuntarily.
"You choose first, I'll go to the stall next to you and order some more."
He stood up after he finished speaking, and when He Xi looked up, the boy was gone.
She looked at it for a long time, and finally cut down a lot of dishes before handing the menu to the stall owner.
The boiling red oil was boiling in the pot, and the oil gradually splashed onto the table. She pursed her lips and bent down to adjust the fire control switch on the table. She tried it several times before she got it to the right level.
When he stood up again, he saw Zhao Lin sitting opposite him without him noticing. On the corner of the table stood an exquisite six-inch cake and two cups of milk tea.
"I didn't realize you like sweets?"
He Xi smiled with some surprise. When she saw his eyes staring at the cake, she was stunned for a moment and then slowly reacted.
"Don't tell me it's your birthday."
As she finished speaking, she looked at the table full of food and gradually felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.
"I ran into it on my way back. It wasn't a special reservation."
Zhao Lin didn't take it seriously. He was about to pick up his chopsticks to eat the food, but she hurriedly raised her hand to stop him.
"How can we eat cake without a sense of ritual?"
She shook the toothpick on the dining table, tore a piece of paper towel and wrapped it around the tip, then carefully inserted it into the cake. After doing all this, she signaled the boy to start.
"You may light the candles."
Zhao Lin looked at the excitement in her eyes, pressed the corners of his mouth and pressed the lighter cooperatively.
The faint blue flame slowly lit the "candle". She looked at the rising small flame and a smile appeared on her brow.
"Successful, close your eyes and make a wish quickly."
He Xi was so excited about his brilliant idea that he pulled Zhao Lin's arm and urged him to make a wish.
"I already said it's not my birthday."
"Tsk, didn't we talk about the sense of ceremony? Besides, I just remembered that Grandma Li said your birthday is at the end of the year."
She turned to look at him, and the boy was touching his nose with a helpless expression.
"Hurry up, the candle won't last long."
The flame of the paper towel on the toothpick tip gradually got smaller and smaller, and just when the "candle" was about to go out, she quickly closed her eyes.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and symbolically blew on the remaining faint flame.
She glared at Zhao Lin reproachfully, then burst out laughing when she met his embarrassed look.
"It's just a wish, is it that difficult?"
Looking at the extremely lively expression of the person in front of him, Zhao Lin couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.
"From now on, I will outsource my wishing opportunities to you."
"ha?"
He Xi didn't understand what was going on. He looked at the person opposite him through the steam rising from the hot pot, but he didn't expect to see the curve of his mouth.
*
The two of them ate the hot pot leisurely for more than an hour. After paying the bill, He Xi rubbed his bloated stomach on the way back, and felt a little embarrassed after realizing it.
"Uncle Wang's hotpot is truly special. No wonder it's still so popular after all these years."
After she finished her conversation, the people around her remained indifferent. She glanced to the side with a hint of embarrassment.
"There's a fireworks show in Lanjiang today, and He Xu and the others went there early."
She didn't know how this came up, and she wondered why he didn't go with He Xu.
“I don’t like things that are fleeting.”
Zhao Lin's voice came into her ears, and his eyes were sharp. He stared at her for a while, then coughed lightly and looked away.
"Hmm."
He Xi nodded lightly in response, and continued walking home slowly without saying anything else.
The distance was not far, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her body was more relaxed than ever before.
"I'll treat you another day..."
"Twenty minutes left."
As they were almost at the gate, she twisted the corner of her clothes and started to speak, but she didn't expect him to speak at the same time.
"What?"
"Twenty minutes until the day ends."
He Xi raised his eyes and saw Zhao Lin's dark eyes, and for a moment he felt blessed.
"Now can I say - Happy Birthday."
After saying that, she burst into laughter, feeling awkward at the man next to her for no apparent reason.
Zhao Lin didn't seem annoyed at all, just looked at her quietly and smiled.
In the alley at midnight, her laughter could be heard from far away, and the noise made the courtyards of the surrounding houses lively as well.
"Let's go, or Xiao Hei will come out soon."
He Xi gave him a displeased look and followed him lazily.
"Hey - how about I give you a double birthday present next year?"
She said as she stretched out two fingers and waved them in front of his face.
"No, I don't usually celebrate my birthday." Zhao Lin said, looking at the person in front of him hesitantly.
It's easier to live without expectations when no one cares. He always fools himself like this.
"I don't care, it's settled anyway. It's my fault for letting me eat your meal for free today."
He Xi slipped away after she finished speaking, but Zhao Lin saw her nonchalant look.
He stood there for a long time, waiting for his wildly beating heart to return to its original track.
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