Two handsome guys
Xia Tong has been in a good mood lately because she has noticed that her father is spending more and more time at home. She once overheard him on the balcony in the middle of the night arguing in a subdued voice on the phone with someone.
There will always be disputes. Even the most seemingly normal, glamorous 27- or 28-year-old woman won't escape the pressure of family to marry, especially when rumors circulate that she's someone's mistress. Even veteran teachers in the same social circle will inadvertently reveal things when chatting with younger generations. And outspoken children, when severely criticized by their teachers, will gather together to badmouth them.
The saying goes, "Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles." But really, some things don't need to travel a thousand miles. Spreading throughout your social circle is enough. You can tolerate it, but can your parents? Forget it, you weren't born a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
Fu Jia has been in a bad mood lately because he discovered that Xia Xiaotong seems to have hooked up with two good-looking guys.
Actually, it was all caused by a dance machine.
That day, Xia Tong was shopping at the supermarket when she passed by the arcade downstairs. It was packed with people, and out of curiosity, she squeezed in. Sure enough, where there's a crowd, there might not be a stage, but the game is bound to be exciting.
A boy in a green T-shirt was dancing on the dance machine, and he was genuinely dancing. He was agile, his movements fluid and natural. Unlike other players who simply followed the icons on the screen, he added his own choreography, making his movements incredibly smooth and fluid—a veritable choreographed street dance routine. Xia Tong couldn't see the boy's face, but regardless of his looks, the confidence and energy he exuded made him incredibly dazzling.
Everyone around him was secretly admiring his dance skills, and Xia Tong was no exception. Suddenly, he spun around and blew a playful kiss to the audience below, eliciting cheers and applause. Xia Tong was also a little stunned; she had never seen anyone play a dance machine without facing the screen! And the important thing was: this guy was really handsome!
Xia Tong was also infected by his joy, and joined the crowd in cheering, jeering, and applauding him. She never knew she could be so unrestrained, screaming at the top of her lungs, cheering with her hair down, without regard for her image or the opinions of others.
As the song ended, the boy jumped off the dance machine, and a boy below him smiled and handed him a bottle of water—a strange, harmonious understanding. Xia Tong then got a good look at his face; his features, though not particularly striking, combined to create a handsome appearance, and the sunlight emanating from him seemed to illuminate everything. The boy who had just handed him the water, however, was the real heartthrob—sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and sensual thin lips. Though his smile was warm, it exuded a sense of distance and pressure. If the boy in the green T-shirt radiated dazzling light while dancing, then the boy beside him could capture half the attention even without doing anything.
As the music ended and the crowd dispersed, Xia Tong was left alone, gazing longingly at the dance machine. In the first seventeen years of her life, she had never stepped onto a dance machine; she didn't know how, and she dared not. She was afraid of being ridiculed, afraid of losing face.
Xia Tong looked around, glancing left and right to make sure no one was watching before getting on the dance machine. She fiddled with it for a while, then actually bought a few tokens. When the game started, Xia Tong was completely lost. She didn't know what the icons meant, so she acted like a clumsy, erratic person, stomping here and there, her body stiff and looking utterly silly.
"That's not how you play the dance machine." A voice came from behind. Xia Tong quickly stopped her almost Parkinson's-like movements and turned around. It was the handsome guy who had been dancing! Xia Tong's heart pounded, and her face immediately turned as red as a tomato, making her look like a child caught stealing candy. She bit her lip: "Then how do I play? Can you teach me?"
"Oh, it's you."
"What? It was me all along? You know me?"
"You're the one who robbed our taxi in front of the bank last time! How's your dad feeling? Is he any better?"
"What a coincidence..."
Soon, the two became close. She learned that this sunny, handsome guy was named Dai Zhen; he had a great personality, was playful and fun-loving, and being with him was never boring, silent, or awkward. Actually, during this time, Xia Tong kept unconsciously glancing at the boy next to Dai Zhen. He hadn't said a word the entire time, but when Dai Zhen spoke to him, his face was always smiling and nodding. They had an unusual understanding; Dai Zhen never forgot about the boy beside him while chatting with Xia Tong, and with just a glance from the boy, Dai Zhen knew what he wanted. It was truly a wonderful combination.
Xia Tong finally couldn't help but ask Dai Zhen, "What's his name?"
Dai Zhen immediately shielded him behind her, like a puppy guarding its food: "Xu Qin is mine, don't have any improper thoughts about him."
Xia Tong was speechless: "I was just asking for a name, how could that be considered improper?" But she always felt that their relationship was a little strange.
Xu Qin smiled apologetically at Xia Tong, but treated Dai Zhen with the same leniency and indulgence one might show him when he was a child. Xia Tong then vaguely realized that Xu Qin must be unable to speak. It's such a pity he's so handsome.
Xia Tong wasn't without friends growing up; her childhood playmates were long gone. She was isolated for three years in junior high and didn't have any particularly close classmates. Her high school friends knew about her less-than-honorable past, so Xia Tong automatically cut off contact with them. Her relationship with Fu Huiyao also became complicated because of Fu Jia. Her college roommates got along really well, but every holiday they were scattered across the country. So, back in her hometown, the person she spent the most time with was actually Fu Jia, who was always clinging to her.
So when they met someone as compatible as Dai Zhen, and with such a handsome guy by their side who made them look good wherever they went, the three of them formed a strange trio. They often made plans to play games, go on picnics, or have a big meal together.
But today they've become an even stranger iron quadrangle, because someone inconsiderate insisted on barging in.
In the warmly lit private room, two people were engaged in a lively conversation, while two others listened in silence. The difference was that one of them was acting on instinct, while the other was speechless with anger.
Fu Jia sat upright between Xia Tong and Dai Zhen, coldly watching the two of them talk loudly and casually, bypassing him.
"This pickled fish is pretty good, it's delicious, you should try it." Xia Tong recommended it to Dai Zhen after taking a bite.
Dai Zhen casually picked up a piece of pickled fish with his chopsticks and handed it to Xu Qin, who was sitting next to him, and teased, "Since you love it so much, you can pack up the leftover soup and take it home to enjoy slowly after we finish eating."
Xia Tong glanced at the large vat of greasy, spicy fish soup without changing her expression: "That's perfect, we can heat it up and make rice porridge tomorrow morning."
Fu Jia watched Xia Tong, her face flushed from eating, her expression lively, and how she became exceptionally cheerful when talking to Dai Zhen. He had never seen Xia Tong like this before. He was happy to see her happy, but not happy to see her happy because of others.
"Don't eat too much spicy food at night, it's bad for your stomach," Fu Jia advised.
Xia Tong glanced at him and concluded, "You're just jealous!" Then she turned to Dai Zhen, "He can't eat any spicy food at all. If he does, he'll cry, and his nose and eyes will turn completely red. Isn't that funny!"
"Not being able to eat spicy food is definitely one of the biggest regrets in life! A world without spice is simply a dark place!"
Xia Tong thought for a moment, then pinched her little finger to show him: "I'll let you in on a little secret, I actually live in the dark world too, but there's a tiny bit of light in there!"
"Haha, you're so cute when you talk!"
Fu Jia rolled her eyes in annoyance: Is it because she's too cute?
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To read about Dai Zhen and Xu Qin's story, please check out the novel "Stepmother" by Culiang.
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