During the meal, Jiang Xu and Gu Li chatted. Gu Li thought for a moment and asked, "Are you curious about me and Zhao Yao?"
Jiang Xu stopped forking. "Is something really wrong?"
Gu Li noticed the oddity in the words and immediately said, "That's not how it is," he waved his hand, "It's related to something, he helped me."
Zhao Yao spoke up at just the right moment, "It's about helping each other. You've helped me more, so don't make it sound like I've done something amazing."
Jiang Xu nodded. "Anyway, thank you."
Zhao Yao paused, then said, "Yes, you're too kind."
Jiang Chen ate his food earnestly, then looked up after a while and said, "You're too kind. I won't stand on ceremony." He raised his hand and ordered another dish, his eyes full of anticipation.
Looking at Jiang Chen's expression, Gu Li turned to Jiang Xu and said, "That's quite reasonable, isn't it?" He casually joked, then lowered his voice and said, "I'll tell you later, Jiang Xu."
Jiang Xu moved his leg slightly, and Gu Li felt his calf being gently brushed against. Although he couldn't feel the warmth of skin through the clothes, he could almost imagine the warm touch. At the same time, Jiang Xu's voice rang out, "You can say it anytime. Now think of something happy, like," he paused and continued, "what do we play later?"
The four of them stood in an area where the entire hall was filled with claw machines. The dollhouse was decorated in pink, and the small glass cabinets were full of cute dolls. Some girls were throwing coins to grab dolls, while couples were browsing and discussing which one to try.
Their appearance seemed out of place, completely out of sync with the pink atmosphere. All of them were tall and had long legs, making them look more like they were there to snatch the plush toys than to play the claw machine.
Jiang Xu glanced around, then looked at Gu Li beside him, who was beaming with interest. "Shall we play this?"
Gu Li was picking things out, her eyes occasionally lighting up. "Yeah, look at the place we went to before, we had to wait in line for ages. These days, you have to wait in line for everything when you go out to play. Waiting in line is just sitting there waiting, but this place doesn't require any waiting at all. It's so convenient."
Jiang Xu looked at the other two and asked, "What do you guys think?" He still felt that the pink color was a bit too bright.
Jiang Chen, just like Gu Li, was also looking at the dolls in the glass with great interest. He pointed to a claw machine and said, "Zhao Yao, that one is pretty cute. Do you want it? How about I help you win one?"
Zhao Yao nodded, "It looks pretty good, then I'll leave it to you."
As they walked, Zhao Yao patted Jiang Xu on the shoulder as he passed by. Jiang Xu looked at him and saw the unspoken meaning in his expression.
Gu Li and Jiang Xu stood in a row, watching Jiang Chen excitedly scan the code, ready to start. Gu Li put his arm around Jiang Xu's shoulder and said, "What's wrong? Did you lose confidence after being discouraged before? I'll help you get back on your feet."
Jiang Xu brushed Gu Li's hand away, "Little brother, you've already said it. Don't say your brother didn't comfort you when you embarrass yourself later."
Gu Li raised an eyebrow. "That's impossible. How about we have a competition?"
Jiang Xu: "No comparison."
Gu Li smiled and took a step closer, "Scared?"
Before Jiang Xu could speak, a flash went off. The two of them looked at the spot where the light was on, and there was a young girl awkwardly holding up her phone and looking down as she tried to leave.
Gu Li said, "Wait a minute." The girl jumped slightly in surprise when he spoke. She slowly and stiffly turned her head, glanced at Gu Li, and immediately bowed, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Jiang Xu noticed that Gu Li's expression was cold, completely different from her earlier playful demeanor. "Are you filming us?"
The girl clutched her phone shyly, and after a long pause, she nodded. "I'm an artist, and I usually take pictures of things I want to draw. I just couldn't control myself, and I'll delete them right away. I'm really sorry."
Gu Li still looked at the girl with a cold expression, and the girl bowed again, "I'm so sorry!"
Jiang Xu gently patted Gu Li's shoulder, "If you keep pretending, you'll scare the girl."
Gu Li's expression softened, and she stepped forward, extending her hand. "Since we've already taken the photos, we should at least show them to the person who was photographed."
The girl immediately handed over her phone, saying, "Okay."
Gu Li's slender fingers tapped on his phone, bringing up the photos he had taken.
The girl, being an art student, created a harmonious composition. The young men looked at each other, one with a smile full of affection, the other speaking softly as if through their eyes.
Against a pink background, the scene takes on a certain atmosphere, as if a light-colored ribbon is subtly connecting the two, creating a harmonious and touching effect.
Gu Li's fingertip hovered over the delete button for a moment before moving it away. He handed the phone back to the girl, saying, "Let it go this time, but next time, if you're taking pictures of a person, ask for their consent first. Not everyone wants to be photographed by strangers."
The girl put her phone away and nodded. "Okay, I understand."
"And also," Gu Li smiled, her whole demeanor softening, "the photos are quite good, no wonder you studied painting."
The girl's face began to flush red. "Really...really?"
Jiang Xu also saw the photo. "It really is beautiful."
The girl's eyes lit up with surprise. "You...I..." She bowed deeply. "Thank you." She rarely received affirmation, but today she received affirmation from two people at once.
Gu Li nodded. "It's nothing."
Jiang Xu smiled and waved to the people, "Come have fun at the amusement park, don't think too much."
The girl waved and ran away. Jiang Xu then carefully observed Gu Li's expression and asked, "Are you alright?"
Gu Li shrugged. "It's alright. I've been a bit paranoid lately." He took a deep breath. "Jiang Xu, my father will have someone secretly film me... us." His tone was a little heavy, as if he was unhappy about what he had just said.
Jiang Xu, "Is the photo good?"
Gu Li, "Hmm?" He looked at Jiang Xu as if he hadn't heard clearly, with some doubt in his eyes.
Jiang Xu smiled and repeated, "Did it turn out well?"
Gu Li thought about it for a moment and nodded, "It's alright, I guess. Neither of us can take any bad pictures." This was true, and Gu Li said it very naturally.
Jiang Xu nodded, "Then let him admire it."
Gu Li, "Aren't you angry?"
Jiang Xu said, “I told you yesterday that I’m a magnanimous person.” He took Gu Li’s hand and led her toward the claw machine. “This is such a small matter. It doesn’t affect me or us. It’s not as important as what’s happening now, you see?”
Gu Li looked in the direction Jiang Xu was pointing, and Jiang Xu continued, "Those two over there have already been caught. Don't let them get cocky later."
Gu Li's attention was now focused on the doll in the glass again. "That makes sense. We can't let you lose and be laughed at."
The two stood in front of the claw machine, Jiang Xu's fingertip tapping the glass, and he spoke with remarkable ease, "It's not mocking me, it's mocking us."
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