【023】 Xi Lang's second gift
Gu Juan slowly walked along the road toward his new home, thinking about Gu Haojie's unusual behavior. Judging from Gu Haojie's expression at the time, he seemed unaware of the energy within him, or rather, he didn't understand what that energy was. Gu Juan couldn't figure it out, but the only thing he was certain of was that it wasn't true energy. Regardless, it made him wary of Gu Haojie.
“Beep—”
As he entered the residential complex, a car horn honked behind him, and Gu Juan moved aside. Yellow headlights shone straight at him, and the car stopped beside him.
The car window slowly slid down, revealing Shi Lang's face. "Gu Juan."
"Xi Lang?" Gu Juan asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Xi Lang gestured to the front, "I live here."
"Uh..." Gu Juan's eyelids jumped, "I live here too."
Xi Lang was surprised and pushed open the car door. "Get in."
This residential complex places great emphasis on creating an elegant environment, encompassing lawns, lakes, and woods. As a result, it covers a considerable area, and the gate is quite a distance from the residential buildings. Gu Juan readily got into the car.
"Where do you live?" Xi Lang asked while driving.
Gu Juan said, "Building 12. What about you?"
"Building 1."
Gu Juan understood. The residential buildings in this community were completed in three phases. Xi Lang was obviously one of the first to buy a house, so his building number was one of the earlier ones.
The car did not stop when passing Building 1 and drove directly to the bottom of Building 12.
"Would you like to come up and sit for a while?" This time, Gu Juan invited sincerely.
Xi Lang smiled meaningfully before nodding, perhaps remembering what happened last time.
Gu Juan entered the code to open the glass door, and the two took the elevator to the twelfth floor. He opened the door, turned on the light, and took a pair of new slippers from the shoe rack. "Newly bought, never worn. But they might be a little small for you."
"It's okay."
Xi Lang changed his shoes, saw no one, and looked around the living room. It was simply furnished, feeling somewhat empty and cluttered, with newspapers and magazines scattered about, and two large red and white checkered cushions even lying on the floor. Several framed photos hung on the wall shelves. The photos featured a young couple and a little boy, no more than ten years old, sitting on the grass, smiling brightly at the camera. Two of the photos showed a small Dalmatian puppy, in addition to the family of three. A faint scent of flowers wafted in from the balcony. Xi Lang turned his head and looked over. Behind the fluttering curtains, he could vaguely see branches swaying in the wind.
Gu Juan turned on all the lights in the house and returned to the living room. "Please sit down. What would you like to drink? We have tea, coffee, water, and juice."
"Tea, thank you." Xi Lang picked up the cushions and placed them neatly on the sofa. He sorted the newspapers and magazines, stacked them together, and placed them on the storage compartment under the glass coffee table.
Gu Juan made a cup of tea for Xi Lang, then went to the kitchen and cut a plate of fruit and placed it on the coffee table. He noticed something different in the living room, but couldn't figure out what it was. He sat down next to Xi Lang and jokingly said, "I guessed you'd want tea. Is drinking tea at night also a way to stay healthy?"
Xi Lang took a sip of tea and said, "I knew you would say that."
Gu Juan leaned back on the sofa and relaxed. "When are you free these days? I'll treat you to a meal."
Xi Lang shook his head slightly, "It's better to eat less food outside - you can come to my place tomorrow night and I'll cook."
Gu Juan was fed up with his own poor cooking skills. His eyes lit up and he was a little excited. "You can cook?"
Xi Lang sat with his legs crossed, his elegant posture exuding a natural nobility. "I spent a few years abroad and wasn't used to Western food, so I learned how to cook on my own. I only know some home-cooked dishes."
"Okay. Let's do it at my house. I'll be responsible for buying groceries and you'll be responsible for cooking. What kind of dishes do you like?" Gu Juan asked. If there were any dishes in the space, they would be taken directly from the space. If there were any dishes not in the space, they would go to the supermarket to buy them.
Xi Lang said, "I'm not picky."
"Then I'll see to it." Gu Juan said.
Xi Lang nodded and put down his teacup. "It's getting late. Go to bed early. See you tomorrow."
Gu Juan stood up and said, "Wait a moment."
Seeing him carrying a basket of fruit, Xi Lang felt like laughing and said, "I'll bring both baskets tomorrow."
Gu Juan's eyelids twitched.
"The fruit last time was very good. Where did you buy it?" Xi Lang asked casually.
Gu Juan said casually, "Shengming Shopping Mall."
Xi Lang didn't think much about it and picked up the fruit basket. "I'm leaving."
When he got downstairs, he placed the fruit basket on the passenger seat, took out his phone, and made a call. "Bofei, you said last time that your German Shepherd had three puppies. Could you give me one... I'm not raising one, but a friend... a male... Okay, I'll treat you to dinner when we get back to the capital."
A few minutes later, Xi Lang returned home. He had bought both apartments, 1902 and 2002, and combined them, so they wouldn't be too spacious even for one person. He walked to the French window in the first-floor living room and drew back the curtains. The dozen or so buildings in the complex were arranged in a semicircle. From his vantage point, he could clearly see the lights on in Block B, 12th floor, Building 12.
He leaned against the window and suddenly felt like smoking a cigarette. He felt in his pocket but couldn't find a cigarette box. Then he remembered that he had quit smoking for several years.
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