It's really not mealtime now.
No one says you can only eat during mealtimes, but the cafeteria will be closed. In the end, the two of them squeezed into a small mala tang stall on campus, sitting on a small table that couldn't even fit two long legs, and on stools that were obviously a bit too low.
The two young men, both over 1.8 meters tall, were both eye-catching and yet few people noticed them.
Jiang Xu was relieved that few people passed by the stall, while Gu Li ordered his food very naturally and chatted with the stall owner in a dialect he couldn't identify.
"Okay, Xiao Gu is still so good at talking. Here are two sausages for you. Young people should eat their fill." The aunt smiled from ear to ear, her hands steady as she picked up food quickly and in large quantities.
"Okay, thank you, sis. This is the most comfortable place." Gu Li's expression wasn't exactly cheerful, as if he was just casually praising her, but his tone sounded quite sincere, and with his incredibly handsome face, he could make the aunt laugh a few times no matter what he said.
"You guys sit down and have some soda first. It's hot, so they'll cook quickly. It won't take long."
"Thank you, sis." Jiang Xu took the soda from the aunt and thanked her with a smile.
The aunt went off to do her work, and Jiang Xu handed the chilled soda to Gu Li, saying, "You've been here quite a few times, haven't you? Consider this me taking advantage of you."
"So you won't be allowed to take it back?" Gu Li tilted his head back and took a swig, water droplets running down the side of the cup onto his hand.
Gu Li has a pair of slender but not weak hands with distinct knuckles. They are hands that can throw punches and wield sticks, but are more suited to holding paintbrushes and objects. When those hands are clasped around the wrists, the fingertips are tinged with a peachy pink, the knuckles are as white as porcelain, the veins on the back of the hands are clearly visible, and the wrist bones are so prominent that one would want to trace them.
Jiang Xu looked at his hands, which were wet with water droplets, and remembered that the hands at the alley entrance had once held his wrist. He recalled that the pinkish color of those hands had been pressed against his wrist at that time, and the thought made his wrist feel a little hot.
He really knows exactly where he's going to hit a nerve!
Jiang Xu didn't know whether Jiang Xu was straight or gay before, but he was a complete top student. He had met all sorts of people when he was a freshman and was still single. He was a detail-oriented person, and he would treat people who attracted him better.
But that's all. His family in his previous life didn't allow him to be indulgent. Jiang Xu had thought about living a lonely life, but he didn't expect to come here. He didn't know about his original family situation, but from his conversation with his mother, he could tell that the atmosphere was okay.
But why did Jiang Xu still choose death? This question always puzzled him. He didn't think that a loving family couldn't stop a child with low self-esteem. So who drove Jiang Xu to his death?
"Hello?" Gu Li's voice was very close, and Jiang Xu subconsciously turned his head in that direction.
Their breaths collided for a moment, and then they both stepped back.
"You really want to take advantage, huh?" Gu Li sighed after stepping back. "Luckily, your brother Li reacted quickly. Little brother, you need to learn and practice more."
"Yes, it's a pity, I let you have it first, little brother." Jiang Xu touched the inside of the cup, trying to cool it down and calm himself down.
Both of them were clearly a bit thoughtless with their words. Before the awkward atmosphere could continue, the cheerful aunt appeared like a savior, "Alright, alright, let me take it. Be careful, it's quite hot."
"Okay!" the two said in unison, their movements causing the stools to shift slightly on the ground, making their steps toward the hot pot less leisurely.
"What's wrong with you two? Why are you in such a hurry?" The aunt handed the bowl to the two of them, looking at their actions with a bit of confusion.
"We're hungry," they replied again, carrying their respective hot bowls back to their seats, pulling their chairs back a few centimeters apart from each other in unison.
"Old man, kids these days have such a good relationship, they're so in sync," the aunt said to her husband as she walked toward the kitchen, where he was tidying up.
The voices faded into the distance, leaving behind two young people who were somewhat embarrassed but didn't know why.
"It smells pretty good," Jiang Xu said first, even before he had tasted it.
Gu Li said, "It smells delicious, you should try it."
The boy had a big appetite and ate heartily. Plus, the two of them had exercised together at noon, so they ate quietly, and the awkwardness in the atmosphere gradually dissipated.
"You like quail eggs?" Gu Li looked at the round, white eggs in Jiang Xu's soup bowl, exactly six of them.
Jiang Xu: "Hmm, you don't like it?"
Gu Li: "It's alright, but if I want more, how about I take one?"
"No, it wouldn't be good to have another connotation." Jiang Xu refused immediately.
"You still care about that? Then I'll give you two. Eight is a good symbol." Gu Li looked at the two quail eggs in her bowl. Not bad, she didn't want to eat any of them.
"Does this mean you're my dad or I'm your dad?" Jiang Xu looked at the two quail eggs but still didn't intend to take them.
Gu Li, after a moment of silence, said, "...Can't I just wish you wealth and that I'm your only father?"
Jiang Xu: "That won't do. I want to be one too, or I won't take your quail eggs."
Gu Li: "Fine, I'll give you half. I'll accept on behalf of Chaozi."
"Alright, bring it over here." Jiang Xu raised his chin, indicating that he had generously accepted.
"Come on, come on, we're going to make a fortune!" Gu Li said joyfully, and without hesitation, she used a spoon to place the quail eggs next to the six.
Looking at the eggs arranged in a circle, Jiang Xu felt a strange sense of good fortune and naturally replied, "Thank you, boss, that's very generous."
After saying that, the two looked at each other and reflected on their actions. They were both a little surprised at their own and each other's stupidity, but they were both good at pretending and calmly picked up food with expressionless faces.
Someone's hand trembled first, and the food they picked up fell into the red broth, splashing up tiny droplets of red oil. The calm was instantly shattered, and suppressed laughter rang out in the deserted mala tang stall.
Wave after wave of laughter erupted, as if a long-accumulated joy had finally burst forth. They couldn't stop laughing, tears welling in their eyes. One hand clutched their stomach, while the other held up a glass bottle filled with soda.
The crisp sound of glass clashing marked the beginning of this friendship. Jiang Xu and Gu Li were both looking forward to seeing what surprises the other would bring them next.
“Oh dear, are we getting old? These young kids these days, they’re always bickering one minute and laughing together the next,” the aunt said, taking the dripping cutlery from her husband. “But you know what, it’s been so long since I’ve seen that kid. It’s so nice to see him so energetic again, and the kid next to him is the same. It’s so good, so good.”
"Not old at all. My wife looks so young. All the young men and women call you 'sister.' How can you be old? Young people have their own way of living, and we have ours too, right?" Another plate was washed clean. "Here, take this plate. It's all good."
In the small kitchen, clear water streaks flowed across white porcelain plates, and the mouths of soda bottles on the table were filled with cool air. Summer had truly arrived.
Summer has arrived for them too.
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