The red string of noodles connects lovers, the green light at the intersection makes them choose their place
"Sister Mei, there's no winning or losing in love. Whether Dr. Liu and I are a good match has nothing to do with Xiaoyue, or anyone else. Since fate brought us together, I like him, so I'll let him know the real me, and then let everything go. If we can really be together, he may have his favorite in his heart, and that doesn't necessarily have to be me. This is the incompleteness of life, there's no need to be too critical. As long as he loves me, that's enough. Besides, who knows who the favorite is? An alcoholic is addicted to alcohol, but can he survive without water?" Li Jingzi spoke of her love with a refreshing and rational mind. "It's as plain as water, or perhaps the friendship of gentlemen is as plain as water. I don't yearn for that kind of unforgettable and passionate love. I want to live a down-to-earth life, experiencing the true meaning of life together, not seeking wealth and fame, not seeking stormy times, but composing the simplest daily necessities into a continuous symphony, until we grow old together. This is what I pursue. So my fighting for it is also not fighting for it. It's a test for him and a test for myself."
"So, you also advised me to do nothing but wait, wait for Lao Qian to calm down, wait for Lao Qian to come back by himself, is that right?" Mei Rugu could easily contact herself.
"Yes, Sister Mei, you and Mr. Qian were college classmates and started a business together. You have romantic memories of youth and have shared hardships. If that's not worth looking forward to, then this person isn't worth looking forward to. Don't you agree, Sister Mei? Believe in the past, believe in Mr. Qian, and even more so, believe in yourself! Be yourself, Sister Mei! In fact, many of your actions are caused by your lack of self-confidence. People are often like this: the more assertive they appear, the less confident they are."
"Okay, we're talking about your business, so why are you talking about me again? Then let's go to Xiaoyue's place for dinner now, okay?"
"Walk!"
There were many people eating at noon. The cafeteria of Xialin University was crowded.
"Xiaoyu, what do you want to eat? Why don't you sit here and I'll go order." Qian Jianjun was caring and considerate like a young girl who had just fallen in love.
Gu Quyu thought for a moment and said coquettishly, "I'll eat whatever you eat, but we'll just have one bowl—or drink from the same cup!"
Just now in class, Qian Jianjun pondered over another short poem: "It's nice to drink together, while children and grandchildren fill the yard. Stealing a drunken glance, the evening light shines on the charming pear blossoms." The poem imagines a loving elderly couple, who, despite having many children and grandchildren, still share a glass of wine and cherish each other's joyful life. Qian Jianjun has occasionally written in his free time these past few years, but this short poem still brings him great pleasure. Now that Gu Quyu has casually quoted it, Qian Jianjun is overjoyed.
The cafeteria offered a wide variety of dishes, but what surprised Qian Jianjun most was the Xialin signature dish, turkeyless chicken. This dish is now nearly extinct, and many local young people are unaware of its existence. Having encountered it here, Qian Jianjun decided to try it. He had originally wanted to order shacha noodles for main course, but after experiencing the old saying, "once you've seen the sea, you'll never be impressed." So, Qian Jianjun ordered a bowl of zhajiangmian, a special northern Chinese dish. He then added a plate of Xialin's own fried clams and a small plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables to complete his meal.
Qian Jianjun and Gu Quyu soon had lunch in the school cafeteria. The turkey-free chicken was originally made by wrapping a whole chicken tightly in lard, then wrapping it in lotus leaves, and then using quicklime to heat it in water until cooked through. Qian Jianjun had assumed the school cafeteria wouldn't have such a complex and elaborate dish. When it arrived, he realized it was pre-cooked and reheated.
Qian Jianjun first removed a chicken leg and handed it to Gu Quyu, then tried a piece himself. Although it was a pre-made dish, the flavor was quite good, so he wasn't disappointed.
While I was still immersed in tasting the traditional delicacies, I heard Gu Quyu sitting opposite me say sweetly, "Open your mouth!"
Qian Jianjun then saw Gu Quyu using chopsticks to fry a piece of clams. Without thinking much, Qian Jianjun did as he was told.
The delicious aroma of the fried clams instantly lost all its flavor. Qian Jianjun had forgotten whether he had ever experienced this scene before, but the pounding of his heart told his brain that he was drunk, so drunk that everything seemed so novel, so charming, so tempting, so irresistible.
By the time they had their main course, Qian Jianjun was even more drunk, so drunk that he had forgotten Mei Rugu, the past, tomorrow, and himself… Especially when the last strand of chewy noodles held their lips together, it felt like the red thread of the matchmaker. Qian Jianjun was so drunk that only those pearly teeth and red lips remained in his sight. He was so drunk that he had lost all strength, so drunk that he wanted to surrender to the unpredictable will of heaven, no longer restraining himself, no longer resisting…
Xue Jiuyue had been feeling restless since yesterday. The silence of no news burned her soul constantly, and even the "spitting stars" had been subjected to countless complaints, "more unfair than Dou E," for no reason. She had secretly harbored a fantasy she dared not even think about: would Liu Che come to see her this morning—the time they had originally agreed on—and give her a surprise?
Although she dared not think about it, Xue Jiuyue still sat down in a seat with a view of the path in front of the door, and looked out the window from time to time. Until the sun fell almost vertically from the sky, the shadows of the trees had shrunk to a ball under her feet, and all the fantasies hidden in her heart were exposed as a pale and hard reality like bone on the concrete road.
The wound hadn't healed yet, but salt was sprinkled on it. Through the French window, Xue Jiyue saw Li Jingzi and Mei Rugu from a distance.
The one who should have come didn't show up, but two who shouldn't have come showed up. She didn't want to know why they came, but she just didn't want to see them. Xue Jiuyue started acting like a little girl. Her blank romantic history made her instinctively want to escape, so she stood up and walked out of the store.
"Hello, Xiaoyue, are you going out?" Li Jingzi greeted with a smile.
"Hello, Doctor Li! Hello, Ms. Mei!" Xue Jiuyue greeted politely. But Li Jingzi's frown only added fuel to her anger. The friendship they had shared meant she wouldn't hold a grudge against Li Jingzi, let alone speak harshly to her. However, she didn't want to say anything more at this point. "We had an appointment to go shopping. Sorry I'm in a hurry. Let's talk next time."
"Hey, Xiaoyue..." Li Jingzi called Xue Jiuyue.
"What's wrong?" Xue Jiuyue stopped and looked back.
Li Jingzi smiled and said, "It's okay. I saw you were in a hurry to leave, so I reminded you to be careful!"
As soon as the two of them sat down, Mei Rugu couldn't wait to ask, "Lan, you clearly called her just now, why didn't you explain?"
"I originally wanted to explain. But seeing Xiaoyue's state just now, I suddenly changed my mind."
"Why?"
"I suddenly feel that this misunderstanding may not be important to Xiaoyue, at least not now! With Xiaoyue's intelligence, she may misunderstand at first, but she should be able to analyze the possibility of it being a misunderstanding soon! It's been several days, and she's still so angry. Is she angry at seeing me?"
Mei Rugu asked in confusion, "If she's not angry at you, then is she angry at me?"
"It's even less likely to be you. According to what you said, Dr. Liu threw the eyebrow pencil in anger this morning. Why today? When you said that this morning, I was a little puzzled as to why Dr. Liu's reaction was so slow. It wasn't until I saw Xiaoyue just now that I suddenly had a guess. This morning might be the day they originally agreed to meet."
"What you said really makes sense! Lan, you're really good at seeing the big picture from the small details."
"You're too kind. We psychology students tend to delve deeper into abnormal psychological reactions! If my guess is correct, even if I tell Xiaoyue that this is a misunderstanding, it won't help."
Mei Rugu also fell into deep thought, and while Li Jingzi was sipping her coffee, she expressed her conjecture, "You mean they were both waiting for the other to break the deadlock this morning, but neither took any action, so they were both very angry. Now the crux of the matter is no longer a misunderstanding, but that neither of them can put aside their pride and take the initiative to explain and apologize."
"Sister Mei, you really are a bystander!"
"You mean, Lao Qian and I are often like this? We fight over things, and everyone has a temper. Besides, my situation is special. Lao Qian is already very successful at the company. If I continue to be submissive at home, the mistresses might come to my house in a few days."
"Okay, what you said makes sense. It's just that Xiaoyue and the others are in different situations from you. The conflicts and misunderstandings between you and Mr. Qian are very clear. I guess Xiaoyue and the others probably haven't made it clear yet. Everything can only be understood but not expressed in words. So no one can explain anything." Li Jingzi was still thinking as she spoke, so her speech was slow.
"What should we do then?"
Li Jingzi probably had the answer. She looked up at Mei Rugu and said cheerfully, "Let's wait a few days until they've calmed down. If the ice hasn't been broken, you can tell Xiaoyue, Sister Mei!"
"Why me? Why not you?"
"Catfish Effect! Since there's a misunderstanding, I might as well put some pressure on Xiaoyue!"
This time, Mei Rugu was even more surprised than before. "You really don't care about your own love?"
"Of course I care! Even an outstanding girl like Xiaoyue likes Doctor Liu, which means my judgment is spot on!" Li Jingzi smiled brightly. "Now that I've thought about it and know about it, I can't leave any regrets for their love. That's the way a mean person would act. Although I like Doctor Liu, I'll let things take their own course. At least for now, I'm not insisting on marrying him! Sister Mei, do you think I'm worried about getting married?"
"Who dares to say that you have trouble finding a husband? I just don't have a younger brother, otherwise I would have introduced him to you long ago."
"Although I'm not as good as you say, I think I will always meet someone I love and who loves me. It's just a matter of time, so there's no need to be so scheming just because of the love in front of me." After saying that, Li Jingzi brought the topic back, "If Xiaoyue and Doctor Liu reconcile because of you, given her personality, she will definitely feel that she owes you a favor and find a way to repay you. But if that happens, you should not only tell her the truth about Huamei, but that truth is just a stepping stone. You still need to persuade her more..."
Xue Jiuyue wasn't a good lier, so every time she lied, she'd go shopping, aimlessly... If she didn't know where to go, she'd just drive through ten red lights. Whenever Xue Jiuyue really didn't know where to go, she'd just pick a random direction and then, at the intersection, predict the direction of the nearest green light. That is, if the left light was green, she'd turn left; if the straight light was green, she'd go straight. If all the lights were red, she'd wait until the first green light turned on and then drive in that direction. Once she reached the agreed-upon number of red lights, she'd look for interesting spots nearby.
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