Chapter 15 A Different Approach: Fate seemed to have truly favored her, for her...
Faced with the sudden prank, the boy remained calm and composed. Apart from instinctively taking a step back, no disgust showed on his face.
He Ming showed great respect and tolerance to the girl who had made a complete fool of herself at that time. So much so that Zhu Liushuang would frequently dream of this scene in the days that followed.
In her dream, she saw him smile and say to her, "Next time, remember to look carefully before you act." His tone was still indifferent, but with a hint of a smile.
Of course, dreams and reality are vastly different. In reality, she couldn't even imagine He Ming smiling at her. She only wished he would quickly choose selective amnesia and forget the moment she embarrassed herself.
Looking back now, Zhu Liushuang actually hoped that He Ming would remember her prank. At least that way, she could leave some impression on him.
The memory abruptly ended. As usual, she listened to an audio episode and then racked her brains to write a long review. After finishing, Zhu Liushuang muttered to herself, somewhat resentfully, "I've read all the comments, can't you at least reply to one? Even just an emoji would be fine! Is it really okay to be so indifferent..."
Perhaps she should take further action?
With the back of her head pressed against the cushion, Zhu Liushuang rhythmically tapped it as she began to consider her next move.
Or should I just send you a private message?
She immediately shook her head in denial. It was too abrupt, a bit like... being approached by an online friend. It didn't fit her expectation of an unexpected "fateful" encounter.
Why don't we... build a radio station?
Maybe He Ming will click in and take a look!
Zhu Liushuang is a woman of action. She immediately went to her personal homepage and selected "Create a new radio station" on the empty interface.
To attract He Ming's attention, she deliberately chose a radio station name that was somewhat related to "human plants and trees," called "Human Warmth." Although it seemed a little deliberate, she didn't care anymore.
Looking at the empty radio interface, Zhu Liushuang tapped her head and thought: Now that the city is built, I should at least upload some audio.
As for what content to post, she was stumped.
In high school, she was an announcer for the school radio station, possessing a sweet voice. In Chinese class, the teacher always had her read the texts aloud. In addition, she also served as the lead singer in the class choir competition.
Although I've neglected this for so many years, and my voice is a bit more mature than before, I'm still good at singing and reciting.
Therefore, Zhu Liushuang decided to upload some songs and article recitations to her personal radio station.
What should we record for the first episode? This is crucial, as important as whether it can directly capture his attention and arouse his curiosity or goodwill.
The rain outside the window had stopped, and the old neighborhood fell asleep. Zhu Liushuang opened the bedside table and fumbled for a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
After staring at her phone screen for a long time, she made up her mind.
Soon, the room was filled with gentle and tender singing. It was fresh, elegant, and carried a touch of the graceful charm unique to women from Jiangnan.
Time flies and never returns; the past can only be reminisced. I remember my childhood sweetheart, the two of us inseparable day and night...
In Zhu Liushuang's heart, no song moved her more than this one. She thought that if He Ming were to click into her radio show one day, he would definitely pause for a moment because of this song.
After all... she knew he had a special fondness for this song.
————
On the last Sunday of June, Zhu Liushuang finally got a muggy, overcast day. As long as it didn't rain, it was a good day for her to set up her stall.
A small group of long-time customers in the WeChat group had been eagerly awaiting good news for days. Some even started tagging her early on to reserve tiramisu and iced glutinous rice balls.
The little girl named "Gu Gu" was very active, showering the group with flowers and fireworks, sending several emojis in a row. This was followed by her cheers: "Sister Xiao Shuang, you're finally here! I've finished my final exams! See you at the food street tonight! Wait for me!"
Having just finished mixing a large pot of taro paste, Zhu Liushuang, whose arms were aching, suddenly felt that she could steam another pot after seeing the support of her regular customers.
...
As night fell, Zhu Liushuang was already busy at the entrance of the food street. Gu Chunling had been managing her joint pain better recently, so she also came to set up a stall and help pack takeout boxes.
The twinkling star lights made the entire stall cart cute and atmospheric, attracting many children and young people.
This time, to the right of Zhu Liushuang's stall was a fried noodle and fried rice stall, while to the left was the same hamburger stall she had encountered last time.
The uncle selling beef burgers looked a bit plumper, and during a lull in customers, he chatted with Gu Chunling. His words were full of praise for Zhu Liushuang's virtuousness and competence, and envy for her having such a wonderful daughter.
Gu Chunling couldn't hide her pride; even the way she packed the hamburgers slowed down. Towards the end of their conversation, the hamburger vendor started probing into Zhu Liushuang's relationship status.
Just as Gu Chunling was about to respond, Zhu Liushuang nudged her mother's arm with her elbow. Her voice held a hint of dissatisfaction: "Mom... what did you promise me before?"
Gu Chunling wiped the sweat from her forehead and said somewhat guiltily, "Look at Mom's memory, she was so busy chatting." Then she turned and glanced at the middle-aged man who was grilling beef patties, and said awkwardly, "Our daughter is still young, and we're not thinking about relationships right now."
They were already complete strangers, and the hamburger vendor chuckled dryly twice after hearing this, then consciously changed the subject.
As the weather gets hotter, frozen glutinous rice balls are selling better than tiramisu. Zhu Liushuang has decided to focus all her efforts on selling frozen glutinous rice balls starting next month, and only make tiramisu for orders placed by regular customers. This will avoid waste and save costs.
Around 8 p.m., two girls with high ponytails ran towards the stall, laughing and joking. Zhu Liushuang quickly recognized the one in the lead as "Gu Gu" from the WeChat group. The girl had a few pimples on her chin, thick eyebrows, and big eyes; her eyes sparkled as she spoke, making her very charming.
"Sister Xiaoshuang, it's been so long! You've become even more beautiful!" The little girl was very sweet-talking. After praising Zhu Liushuang, she didn't forget Gu Chunling beside her. "Auntie, you're here too. Sister's cooking is so good, you must have learned it from you, right?"
Zhu Liushuang smiled and handed several pre-packaged tiramisu to "Gu Gu," adding, "To celebrate your successful completion of your final exams, today's iced glutinous rice balls are free! What kind of toppings do you like?"
"Really? I want this, this, and... Sister Xiaoshuang, you're so kind! I'll bring more classmates next time." The little girl was overjoyed. After ordering her condiments, she turned to her best friend behind her and whispered, "I told you, this lady is beautiful, kind, and her cooking is great..."
The girl following behind "Gu Gu" covered her mouth and whispered to her with a smile: "Didn't you say many times that you wanted her to be your sister-in-law? Why don't you ask her now?"
Encouraged by her friend, "Gu Gu" took the iced glutinous rice ball and boldly asked, "Sister Xiao Shuang, do you remember the person who helped me get the tiramisu last time?"
Zhu Liu's hands trembled, nearly spilling the taro balls from her bowl. How could she not remember? She had a good memory, and that night she had seen that person with He Ming, so she couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.
"I vaguely remember," she replied with a smile, though her lips were slightly stiff.
“That’s my brother! What do you think of him?” the little girl asked expectantly.
Zhu Liushuang suddenly had a bad feeling and chuckled, "They were very polite and even bought the last few bottles of fruit tea to support my business."
"Sister Xiaoshuang, my brother works at a law firm and earns quite a bit each year. Would you like to consider getting to know him?"
These days, why does everyone seem to be trying to set her up with dates? Zhu Liushuang looked up at the sky speechlessly, but she couldn't afford to offend her customers. She could only politely decline, "I'm currently focused on making money and am not considering dating!"
"Alright then... Whenever you want to date, remember to consider my brother first." Clearly, Gu Gu was a little discouraged after being rejected, but she still didn't give up the chance to play matchmaker for her brother.
After the two little girls left, each carrying a bowl of icy glutinous rice balls, Zhu Liushuang finally realized what "Gu Gu" meant.
Gu Gu's brother works at a law firm. He Ming and her brother appear to be friends or colleagues.
A firm? An accounting firm?
The head of the fourth audit team at Zhonghe Accounting Firm is surnamed He…
Deep down, a strong feeling was telling her: all of this must be connected.
Zhu Liushuang wanted to stop what she was doing immediately to ask Jiang Shuting or "Gu Gu", but there was still a long line of customers in front of the stall, and she couldn't afford to delay.
She had no choice but to suppress her impulse, control her fluctuating emotions, and speed up the process of making the iced glutinous rice balls.
The weather was exceptionally muggy, and after standing on the street for several hours, Zhu Liushuang felt her back was almost soaked with sweat. Fortunately, her iced glutinous rice balls were selling very well, which made her hard work all day worthwhile.
The shaved ice in the thermos was sold out, and all the toppings in the plastic box were also gone. Zhu Liushuang pulled out a folding stool hidden under the car and sat down.
Her back ached and her fingers were stiff. But she didn't care. She took her phone out of her pocket and opened WeChat.
She rejected the presumptuous idea of asking Jiang Shuting, and directly clicked into the WeChat group, found "Gu Gu's" profile picture, and chose to add her as a friend.
Gu Chunling sat on a low stool beside her, watching her daughter stare intently at her phone, and asked, "Shall we pack our things and go home now?"
"I'm a little tired, let me rest for five minutes before I finish packing," Zhu Liushuang said without looking up.
Gu Chunling's heartache was evident. Not wanting her daughter to work so hard, she stood up and started tidying up: "You've been busy all day, you should rest first." She put the empty boxes into the car, turned off the string lights, and wiped the tabletop with a cloth.
Zhu Liushuang's eyes didn't leave her phone screen. A few minutes later, "Gu Gu" accepted her friend request.
[Starry-eyed/Sister Xiaoshuang, did you add me as a friend because you changed your mind?]
Zhu Liushuang pursed her lips and made up an excuse: [Smirking/I see you really like my tiramisu, so I was thinking of adding you as a friend. Maybe if I'm not setting up my stall on weekends, I can make some and have it delivered to you.]
[Waving a handkerchief/Okay!]
Zhu Liushuang pondered for a few seconds, then stubbornly asked: "You just said your brother works at a firm, is it an accounting firm?"
[I knew it! My brother still has a chance. He works at Zhonghe Accounting Firm, and he's very capable!]
"Zhonghe Accounting Firm"—those were the only words that remained in Zhu Liushuang's eyes. She stared blankly at the chat interface, her eyes slightly warm.
Before this, she wanted to attract He Ming's attention by pretending to be "very destined." Now, fate seems to have truly favored her, opening the door to "destiny" for her.
She was 90% certain that "Teacher He" was probably He Ming!
[Sister Xiaoshuang, are you still busy?]
Next time I'll bring my brother to buy tiramisu!
"Gu Gu" sent two messages in a row. Zhu Liushuang, having recovered from her shock, replied: "[Thank you, I was just thinking of working at an accounting firm, so I was asking. Sorry to bother you.]"
【No, no, don't bother me. My brother has a lot of experience in this area; you two can talk about it another day.】
Zhu Liushuang, unwilling to continue the argument with "Gu Gu," replied with a smiling emoji, ending their conversation.
After packing up her stall, Gu Chunling looked at her daughter, who no longer seemed tired, with some suspicion: "Is there something good happening? Why are you smiling so happily?"
Is it that obvious? Zhu Liushuang subconsciously touched the corner of her mouth; it was indeed turned up.
She didn't even realize she was laughing.
But she truly felt that a colorful butterfly was about to take flight in her heart.
Perhaps in the next second, I will break through the door of her heart.
A note from the author:
----------------------
As fate would have it, tonight is an especially happy night for Shuangshuang.
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