42 Watermelon
"I want to see you." Zhou Qi no longer concealed it and repeated, "I want to see you, Yang Xiao. Breakfast is an excuse, and wanting you to listen to my explanation is also an excuse. It's all because I want to see you."
There were still traces of water on Yang Xiao's face, and the hand holding the washcloth stopped, hanging in mid-air. She couldn't describe the feeling in her heart when she heard his words.
It was a bit like when she was little, thinking that burying used watermelon seeds in a clay pot would lead to sturdy watermelon vines sprouting and producing sweet fruits of varying sizes. Yang Quezi always laughed at her naiveté. But now, just when she had almost forgotten the hope she had planted in that pot, the watermelon seeds in the pot had actually sprouted, grown more lush, and produced the fruit she had always dreamed of.
But what if she doesn’t like watermelon so much now?
"What do you mean now, Zhou Qi?" Yang Xiao turned on the speaker, placed her phone on the coffee table, and opened a bottle of water. As the cold mineral water flowed down her throat and into her stomach, she realized that this was real.
"Then do you want to hear me say these words?" The soy milk in Zhou Qi's hand gradually became cold, so he became more eager to see her and wanted to put the soy milk in her palm quickly.
"Want to hear me, Yang Xiao? I'm the same. Am I happy when you're happy and worried when you're worried? Yes, Yang Xiao. When I see you smile, I'm incredibly happy and cherish you. When I see you frown and cry, I feel as sad as you do, and even my heart aches dully."
"I think it's probably a reminder for me."
"Remind me not to disappoint or sadden her, and not to make her cry over and over again because of me."
"Yang Xiao, are you willing to come down and meet me? Are you willing to drink the soy milk that's barely warm in my palm, and eat the buns that I'm holding in my arms and almost got my shirt all greasy?"
Yang Xiao hung up the phone.
Almost without thinking, he put on a coat and ran out.
The hotel corridors were winding and the decor was similar. Anxiously, she couldn't find the elevator, as if she were lost in a maze. She turned and ran towards the green sign for the emergency exit, finding the winding staircase that led down.
She couldn't wait any longer.
She couldn't wait any longer.
She only knew this moment.
She wanted to see Zhou Qi, drink that cup of soy milk, eat the buns he held in his arms, and hug him. Even if the person in front of her made her cry, kept her awake all night, and made her want to lie on his shoulder and bite his warm, throbbing neck to vent her anger.
Tomorrow is too far away, she wants now.
The stairwell was filled with the clattering sound of hurried footsteps, like the beating of a long-silent heart in the still air. Yang Xiao held onto the cold railing, having lost count of how many turns she had made and how many steps she had descended. The eighth floor was so high, so high that it felt like every step she took was pulling an unpleasant memory from her past, leaving it behind.
Finally, the first-floor exit sign came into view, black text on a silver background. Yang Xiao hesitated, her steps slowing. The normally closed fire door slammed shut, and the hand on the doorknob suddenly lost its strength and courage.
Was she too impatient? As if she had to be there the moment he sent a message or called, as if her heart was still swayed by his few worthless love words, as if all the crying, quarreling, and embarrassment were written off.
Why.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, causing some pain. Just because of a few words from him, she ran down from the eighth floor with all her strength, recklessly abandoning everything like a fool? She didn't want that. She didn't want him to drag her back again with a few words, worrying about the outcome.
Just as Yang Xiao turned around and wanted to go upstairs, the fire door was suddenly opened from the outside.
Zhou Qi stood at the door, with a beam of warm light from the lobby behind him, making his figure look like the protagonist walking out of a movie.
He walked a few steps towards Yang Xiao, and without hesitation, he grabbed her arm before she could retract it. With a little force, he pulled her into his arms, "Yang Xiao, why don't you take the elevator?"
"Because I can't wait to see you, because of my worthless thoughts, because I always look forward to things that don't belong to me..." Before Yang Xiao finished speaking, Zhou Qi's gentle kiss fell on her nose like a feather, interrupting all her self-deprecating words.
"Yang Xiao, I love you."
"I was timid and afraid, so I said this so late. There were some things before that I couldn't say, and I couldn't involve you. Now that I see Yang Zhi and you spending every day together, and that you can stand on your own, I am happy and jealous."
"I keep thinking that you've grown up and it's time for you to have your own life and socialize, regardless of gender. But in my heart, I'm like a child, childishly wanting to possess you and let your light shine only on those who pose no threat to me. It's a bit despicable, isn't it?"
"This feeling is the same as when I saw your high school classmates giving you white roses. But I was so cowardly that I only dared to give you sunflowers."
"My heart used to beat for my life, but I don't know when it started beating for you too." Zhou Qi held Yang Xiao's hand, placed it on his chest, and continued, "I know it's unfair to make you wait any longer."
"So, if possible, Yang Xiao."
"I'll go to Beijing after I've dealt with it. Can you please give me another chance?"
"A chance for me to make amends, a chance for me to be happy and upset with you."
Yang Xiao didn't answer him. His words stirred the once calm waters of her heart, threatening to overturn into a raging storm. She looked at him, her eyes reddening slightly, and then abruptly lowered her head, unwilling to let him see her devastated state.
All the anxiety, grievances, waiting, and lingering love swirled and intertwined in his words, "Go to Beijing." She felt she needed a little pain, or perhaps let him feel a little pain, to confirm once again whether this was a fictitious castle in the air.
So she suddenly stood on tiptoe, not kissing him, but biting his chin with a hint of venting and a strong desire to prove it, with a hint of declaration and punishment.
Zhou Qi felt pain, but he didn't hide. Instead, he used some force to hug her tightly, responding to her silent indulgence.
Without warning, two warm tears rolled down from under her tightly closed eyelashes, flowed down her cheeks, and landed on his shirt, quickly spreading a dark wet mark. She rested her forehead on the chin she had just bitten, panting slightly, her voice choked with sobs, and spoke:
"Let's talk about it...when you come to Beijing."
"good."
Zhou Qi gently let go of her, then naturally clasped her hand. It was slender and long, with a thin callus on the middle finger from long-term pen holding. "I was so eager to pursue you just now that I left the soy milk on the tea table in the lobby. Now, it must be really cold. So, Mr. Yang, would you be so kind as to come with me for a fresh breakfast?"
"Take the cold ones with you, don't waste them." Yang Xiao didn't break free from his hand. She was still savoring the warmth in his arms. But when she spoke, she said, "Doctor Zhou, remember to change your shirt when you get home. It smells like steamed buns."
"Okay. I'll drive. Want to come with me?" Even though he said that, Zhou Qi showed no sign of letting go of Yang Xiao's hand. He held her hand and walked all the way to the parking lot. Whether it was intentional or not, he took her around several times, just like Yang Xiao was stuck in a maze trying to find the elevator. He then said he couldn't find the car.
As a result, just when Yang Xiao was about to call the hotel front desk for help, Zhou Qi miraculously found a parking space again.
What a childish trick. Yang Xiao smiled but didn't expose him.
By the time the two of them sat down in the bun shop, it was already 8:30. The sky was brightening, the morning chill had subsided, and the heat of autumn had arrived. The owner lifted the lids of the stacked steamers, and a cloud of white steamed steam instantly burst out, revealing the round, snow-white buns underneath. "Want two? One meat or one vegetarian?"
"One meat bun is fine, thank you." Zhou Qi took the bun from the boss, and the heat instantly soaked the thin plastic bag. He turned around and handed it to Yang Xiao without hesitation. "It's a little hot, you can let it cool for a while before eating. It has your favorite pork filling."
"Don't you want to eat?" This was the question Yang Xiao wanted to ask when she heard him answer that the boss only needed one.
"Isn't there a cold one here?" Zhou Qi shook the buns and cold soy milk in his hands. "You find a place to sit first. I'll go to the convenience store to heat it up. There are a lot of people here in the morning and there are not many people in the store. The stools may not be wiped clean enough. Wipe them with paper before sitting down." Zhou Qi got up and walked towards the convenience store next door, carrying the completely cold breakfast.
Yang Xiao looked at the morning light dancing on his shoulders and gradually disappearing from her eyes. She was still holding the fragrant and slightly hot bun in her hand, and she actually felt a long-lost happiness, like a crackling fire in the cold night, and a thick quilt wrapped around her body that smelled of the warm winter sun.
She thought, she still likes watermelon. The vine wrapped around her heart and produced a delicious watermelon with bright red flesh that made her heart beat fast.
Yang Xiao sat at the outermost table, taking a bite of the bun while she was daydreaming. The pork was tender and juicy, the skin was soft and thin, and the saltiness was just right. There was a sweet aftertaste after eating it, and she liked it very much.
"Is it delicious?" Zhou Qi came back and gave her a smile. "This one tastes very similar to the one I bought for you in high school. I think you should like it."
"So that's the family then." Yang Xiao chewed on the food, savoring it as she watched Zhou Qi sit before her, bathed in the sunlight. Despite the passage of time, he still seemed like the same youthful Zhou Qi. The passage of time had only softened his outward edges, burying them in his brows and adding depth.
"Moved away." Zhou Qi's clear voice mingled with the clamor. He followed Yang Xiao's lead, lowering his head to take a bite of his bun. "The child went to high school in another city, and we went with him." He had imagined the scene before him since he first entered this shop. He imagined her sitting across from him, sharing a steaming hot breakfast with him. He wondered if she would remember him again when she tasted the familiar flavors.
"very nice."
"Yeah, that's great."
"Zhou Qi, don't imitate my speech."
"Why? Can't I sigh too?"
"Come up with an adjective yourself."
"Very good? Great? Very good? Very good? I think it's better than really good."
Yes, that’s great, that’s great.
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