Occasional showers
Whenever Zhang Jusong is happy, she will visit this small hot pot restaurant.
Not far from the school, it is a hot pot restaurant hidden in a residential area.
The streets of City A are horizontal and vertical, unlike the winding alleys in her hometown. However, after two years here, Zhang Jusong still hasn't learned to distinguish between east, west, south and north. Her excellent sense of direction is based on the simple cognition of left and right.
Go out of the school gate and walk along the road to the left. At the end of the working day, the road is heavily congested, so people walk faster.
Zhang Jusong is usually used to walking alone. His body moves mechanically, but his mind wanders aimlessly. Sometimes he reminisces about the books and movies he has read, sometimes he thinks about what to eat next, or he might wonder what that colorful cloud in the sky looks like.
After walking halfway, she realized that Xia Zhiheng was beside her.
This person is really strange. He didn't say a word but kept smiling.
Maybe he was daydreaming like her?
Putting himself in her shoes, Zhang Jusong gave up the idea of chatting awkwardly to show politeness and continued walking forward in silence.
It will be here soon.
The waiter opened the glass door, and the aroma of hot pot wafted towards me, wetting my hair and clothes like the misty rain in the south. If I didn't take a shower or wash my hair when I got home, I wouldn't be able to get rid of the unique aroma of the hot pot soup base.
The specialty of this restaurant is the bar-style hot pot. A black tray is placed in front of each person, green vegetables and soy products are placed in a tall white basin, a black box contains sliced beef or pork, and a choice of sauce is squeezed into a small bone dish. It is accompanied by a small pot fueled by alcohol, a portion of ramen, udon or rice, and it is a feast for one person.
Unfortunately, the bar was full. There was a vacant seat for four people, which was arranged like in a normal hot pot restaurant. There was an induction cooker in the middle of the large square table, and you could order a large pot.
We sat down and the waiter brought us the menu.
Zhang Jusong opened a pack of tissues and introduced while wiping the table: "I have always eaten the small single pot before, and have never tried their big pot. How about we order two single pots separately?"
Xia Zhiheng flipped through the menu: "You... often come here to eat hotpot alone?"
The hand that was wiping the table suddenly stopped, and Zhang Jusong raised his head: "Yes, I like to eat hot pot alone, what's wrong?"
God help him, I hope he doesn’t look like, “Oh, why are you eating hotpot alone? That’s so pitiful.”
Some memories of the past made her extremely sensitive.
The last time Zhang Jusong came here to eat with a classmate, this was the other party's reaction when he found out that she often came here to eat hotpot alone.
Although he knew it was well-intentioned, Zhang Jusong still felt like chewing wax while eating the hotpot.
Is it illegal to eat hotpot alone?
If they knew that she often went to the movies alone and sang at KTV alone, wouldn't they put her on the charity fundraising homepage right away, sighing and saying that this person is really too lonely and too pitiful?
Zhang Jusong didn’t know how to explain to others that she actually enjoyed the feeling of being alone.
When eating hotpot alone, you don’t have to force yourself to order a 2-in-1 hotpot, and your favorite ingredients will never be scooped out by others. When going to the movies alone, you can immerse yourself in the world of images without worrying about having to respond to your companions’ complaints. When going to KTV alone, you don’t have to worry about whether your singing will disturb other people’s ears. You can sing whatever you want, even if you break your voice. It’s an upgraded version of a solo concert in the bathroom.
However, it seems that everyone thinks that loneliness is pitiful and shameful. The happiness of being in a crowd is real happiness, while the happiness of being alone is just a lie.
She stared at Xia Zhiheng like Professor Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. If he showed any sign of "you are so pathetic", she would sentence him to "deduct five points from Gryffindor."
Xia Zhiheng looked around the store, thought for a moment, and said:
“Indeed, this is a great place to eat hot pot.”
Five points to Gryffindor!
Zhang Jusong laughed and continued to wipe the table: "Of course, I am very picky about food. If it's not delicious, I won't come back a second time."
"I've got it in mind. Next time I find a good restaurant near here, I'll ask you to identify it."
"Eh? Are you sure you want to go to University A?"
Xia Zhiheng nodded: "Yes."
"It seems you are very confident about the interview."
"Of course. Since I'm here, this spot is mine. Whether I need it or not is another matter."
Zhang Jusong put his hand on his chin and looked at him: "Tsk, it's great to be young."
It's been a long time since I've felt this kind of confidence that one can win.
Xia Zhiheng leaned forward and said, "Although I call you sister, you are actually only two years and three months older than me."
His eyebrows drooped, a little aggrieved: "Don't treat me like a kid."
Zhang Jusong was amused by his expression and held the menu up to hide his smile.
"Okay, okay, then what would this eighteen-year-old friend like to eat?"
Xia Zhiheng spread the menu on the table and pointed it out to her: "How about this set meal for two? It also comes with snacks."
Zhang Jusong took a quick look and saw two small pots, one serving of mutton and one of beef, which looked very cost-effective.
The free dessert was a heart-shaped pudding that looked a bit like a couple's meal, which made her a little hesitant.
Xia Zhiheng asked: "Don't you like it?"
"Uh, neither." Zhang Jusong replied.
Anyway, it doesn’t explicitly say it’s a couple’s package, so even if it is, we have to take advantage of it!
She decided, "Let's order this."
The hot pot is served very quickly, the alcohol lamp is lit, the broth is bubbling, I pick up a piece of thin lamb with chopsticks and blanch it for ten seconds, then roll it in a dipping dish covered with thick peanut butter. I can't wait to put it in my mouth. The taste is amazing!
Xia Zhiheng opened the pull ring of the ice cola and handed it over.
"Thank you." Zhang Jusong took the Coke.
When your fingers touch the aluminum can, you can feel the cool, fine water droplets, and paired with the sizzling hot pot, the experience of both ice and fire is very comfortable.
Summer nights are perfect with hotpot and ice cola!
Zhang Jusong chewed the mutton and thought comfortably.
After eating and drinking, I came out of the store and found that it was raining.
A sudden rain on a summer night always comes unexpectedly.
There were new diners sitting in the original seats in the restaurant, so it was not convenient to go back. Zhang Jusong and Xia Zhiheng simply took shelter under the eaves of the restaurant.
The raindrops splashed on my calves, making me feel a little cool.
Zhang Jusong wiped away the raindrops and chatted with Xia Zhiheng: "By the way, thank you for today."
She was talking about the dispute with Lei Yi. She knew it, and he knew it too.
Xia Zhiheng was silent for a moment before continuing:
"Does this happen often?"
"Of course not," Zhang Jusong said, "This is the first time I've had an argument with someone face to face since I entered college, and you just happened to run into me."
"Luckily we bumped into him." Xia Zhiheng muttered.
Just as the door of the store opened, the noise of diners and the aroma of hot pot overflowed, making a lot of noise. Zhang Jusong didn't quite hear what he said, so he asked, "Well, what did you just say?"
Xia Zhiheng smiled, and the little tiger tooth came out to greet again: "Nothing, I mean, when sister confronts others - it's very handsome."
"Is he handsome?"
Xia Zhiheng nodded: "Handsome! Sister is the same as before, she hasn't changed at all."
Zhang Jusong was stunned. She didn't know what to say, so she just said "thank you". Then, she looked away to see the raindrops floating in the orange light.
Suddenly, under the eaves, the atmosphere between the two people suddenly became quiet.
The rain is still falling.
Zhang Jusong thought about what he should say to make the atmosphere less awkward.
What should Xia Zhiheng think when he suddenly stopped talking? Would he worry that he had said something wrong? This was not a good thing.
She kind of hates herself.
Got to talk.
Zhang Jusong smiled slowly:
"What you just said sounds fresh."
She used her white sneakers to step on the puddle, and the world in the puddle shattered.
"Usually when I meet someone I used to know, they will say, 'You were so pretty when you were a kid.'"
The implication is that the person who spoke suddenly did not realize that she herself had grown up and was no longer as beautiful as she was when she was a child.
I understand. When Zhang Jusong looks through old photos and sees his past self, he feels a mixture of pain and confusion.
Such a cute little girl, is it really her?
So the older she got, the less she liked taking pictures.
Although she is pretty now, when she thinks back to her childhood and the time when she was admired by everyone, she just can't bring herself to take pictures.
It would be nice if I didn’t have to grow up. Zhang Jusong had thought about this countless times, but it’s impossible.
She gradually discovered that the saying "there is always someone better than you" became a curse that always hung over her head.
You are beautiful, but there are people who are more beautiful than you.
You have good grades, but there are people who have better grades than you.
You can speak, and there are people who speak better than you.
This feeling became even more obvious after I was admitted to University A. After all, this is a prestigious university where a brick could hit six students with college entrance examination scores above 700.
Days go by one after another, and what lies ahead is a destined ordinary life.
What to do?
What can I do?
Zhang Jusong chose to give up.
Take it one day at a time.
Amid the sounds of rain and wind, Xia Zhiheng's firm and bright voice was heard.
"Nonsense, my sister is still as beautiful as ever."
Zhang Jusong turned to look at him.
The light from the store sign shone an orange-yellow glow, casting a hazy shadow on the boy. His expression was particularly sincere, as if he was explaining a well-known truth like Newton's first law.
Zhang Jusong burst out laughing: "You are really good at making girls happy."
What did Xia Zhiheng want to explain——
The cell phone rang, interrupting everything.
The online taxi he booked arrived.
Xia Zhiheng looked at the rain and said, "Get in the car and I'll take you back to the dormitory."
"That would be too troublesome to take a detour."
"It's no trouble. It's raining." Xia Zhiheng insisted.
The car was stopped outside the dormitory apartment building.
"Let's stop here, Master." Zhang Jusong said, and went to open the car door.
Xia Zhiheng frowned: "Can you talk to the security? It's raining."
Zhang Jusong said, "It's okay. It's just a few steps away. I can just run in. It's quick."
She got out of the car and closed the door. Suddenly she turned around and knocked on the window.
Xia Zhiheng quickly pressed the window down button.
The rain wet her hair, sticking to her temples, making it a little messy.
Through the rain, he saw the girl smiling and waving at him:
"I almost forgot. Come on, I wish you all the best."
After saying that, she turned around, ran in the rain, stepped into the endless silent night, and gradually disappeared.
Xia Zhiheng was regretting until he boarded the plane.
Why didn't he bring an umbrella?
He should have brought an umbrella.
A good person like her shouldn't get wet in the rain.
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