Lobster Beer
The second day of Wen Lingyi's business trip.
The morning sun streamed through Zhou Jianxing's bedroom window, casting bright spots of light on the wooden floor. She opened her eyes, and the space beside her felt cold and empty. Zhou Shufen had quietly left at some point, leaving her alone in the room, with only the occasional bird song outside the window.
A feeling of emptiness gripped her.
Habits are really terrible things. In a short period of time, Wen Lingyi's breath, warmth, and presence have taken root in her life.
Opening the WeChat chat window, she edited two more messages in addition to the routine good morning message.
Xingxing: "Sister Wen, the weather forecast says it will rain in S City today, remember to bring an umbrella when you go out."
Xingxing: "I miss you so much" followed by an emoticon of a wronged puppy.
After sending the message, she held the phone tightly against her chest, as if this could shorten the physical distance of more than 1,500 kilometers.
She missed Wen Lingyi in City C, too. What was Wen Lingyi doing right now? Was she up? Had she seen her message? Was she...missing her a little too?
The phone screen lit up, and Wen Lingyi's reply was brief.
Girlfriend: "Good morning. I'll be back the day after tomorrow morning."
The morning of the day after tomorrow? Sunday? Thinking that she only needed to get through two more nights, today and tomorrow, before she could see Wen Lingyi, the corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously.
After washing up, watering the flowers and plants and having breakfast, Zhou Jianxing changed into his dark blue work clothes and went to work.
·
The repair shop remains unchanged, a distinct aroma of oil, solder, and metal dust. Beside a massive workbench, welding torches hiss with a blue flame, screwdrivers clink against metal casings, and an old exhaust fan hums overhead, striving to dissipate the subtle heat generated by the equipment.
The colleagues were already at their respective positions, each immersed in their work. Zhou Jianxing came in, and Master Zhang, who was closest to her, greeted her without even looking up: "Mr. Zhou, good morning."
"Good morning, Engineer Zhang." Zhou Jianxing responded with a smile, his eyes swept across the workshop and quickly locked onto the target.
Ajie was squatting next to a small household generator, tinkering with something with a frown on his face.
Zhou Jianxing pulled him to the corner behind a pile of old refrigerators waiting to be repaired and lowered his voice: "Ajie, didn't you say Xiaomin's internship is over? I happen to be free today, why don't you call Sister Wei and Xiaomin over tonight and have dinner together? It's my treat!"
Actually, ever since she got together with Wen Lingyi, the focus of her life has almost completely shifted to her. Not to mention gatherings with friends, she hasn't even chatted with her "online tree hole", the mysterious "sealed heart and locked love" sister for a long time.
Come to think of it, I said last time that I would treat the other party to a meal, but it feels like I just wrote a blank check again.
Zhou Jianxing felt a little guilty and secretly decided that he must find a way to get "Feng Xin Suo Ai" out to thank him in person.
Ajie put down the wrench, stood up, and looked Zhou Jianxing up and down. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, your beautiful lady isn't here today? Look at you, you haven't even put on your makeup, and you still have time to eat with us?"
Zhou Jianxing's face flushed at what he said, and he subconsciously touched his nose. This guy Ajie had such a sharp eye.
"Even inviting you to dinner won't shut you up!" Zhou Jianxing was furious and punched the other person. "Then why don't you call Xiao Min and I'll notify Sister Chu Wei. How about we go out for crayfish and beer tonight?"
"I've already picked a place. It's in that old residential area near where we live. There's a food stall that specializes in crayfish in the summer."
"Crayfish with ice beer?" Ajie's eyes lit up and he licked his lips, "That's a great suggestion!" He immediately took out his cell phone and started texting Xiaomin.
·
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the city a warm orange.
After get off work, Zhou Jianxing and Ajie took a taxi and turned into the bustling old town area near Magnolia Garden as if they were familiar with the route.
In the narrow alleys, the aroma of various snacks mixed together and the breath of life hits you in the face.
Their destination—a small but bustling Lao Li Lobster—was tucked away deep in the alley. Even before they got close, they could hear the bustling sounds of people, the clink of glasses, and the sizzling of crayfish being stir-fried.
In the open space at the entrance to the restaurant, a dozen or so simple folding square tables and small stools were set up in the open air, and almost every seat was occupied. Several bright incandescent bulbs hung overhead, clearly illuminating the diners below as they devoured their meals.
A huge black industrial fan was shaking vigorously in the corner, blowing the rich aroma of minced garlic, thirteen spices, spicy crayfish mixed with the taste of cumin and peppercorns all over the place.
Boxes of ice-cold beer were piled on the ground, and waiters in aprons were walking around, calling out the names of dishes, serving the dishes and collecting the empty plates with swift movements.
Chu Wei and Xiao Min had arrived earlier and were sitting at a table near the inside, waving at them.
When Xiao Min saw Zhou Jianxing, she rushed over like a happy little bird and gave her a big, firm hug: "Xingxing! I miss you so much! I haven't seen you for a long time!"
The four of them sat down around the small square table, the plastic seats cold. Several plates of salted edamame and fried peanuts were already laid out on the table.
The ice-cold beer arrived quickly, its glass bottles shrouded in tiny droplets of condensation, emitting a chilling air. Ajie quickly opened four bottles with a few "pops" of his bottle opener and filled each person's glass.
Before the food was served, people had already started chatting.
"Xingxing," Ajie took a sip of his ice-cold beer, his eyes narrowed comfortably. "We're all gathered here now, so... aren't you going to take the initiative to explain your situation?"
"It's not nice of you to hide it!"
Chu Wei, who was sitting opposite, paused with his hand holding the peanuts, and the peanuts covered with salt fell back into the plate.
"What's going on?" Chu Wei, still in the dark, looked up at Zhou Jianxing, "No way? Are you really getting married?"
Zhou Jianxing felt a little guilty for being in love but hiding it from his best friends.
"Well... no." Zhou Jianxing took a deep breath, picked up the beer glass in front of him and took a big sip. The cold liquid slid down his throat with a slight bitterness, which seemed to give him some courage.
She put down her cup, sat up straight, and glanced at the three people at the table with different expressions: "Is it me who is in love? The object is a woman."
"Ah?" Chu Wei gasped, her mouth wide open enough to fit an egg. Her first reaction was to turn around and look at Ajie, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Ber?! What you said is actually true?"
Then she went to see Zhou Jianxing again, as if she was meeting her for the first time: "Xingxing, so many boys have pursued you over the years, but you haven't been in a relationship. Is it really because you like women? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I could introduce you to someone!"
Xiao Min's eyes widened instantly, and she leaned forward, bombarding him with questions like a machine gun: "Wow! Really? How old is that woman? What does she do? How did you meet her? Is she pretty? Do you have a photo?"
Then he frowned in distress: "Ah... then from now on, will I never be able to hug you as recklessly as I did just now? Will she be angry with me if she finds out?"
Chu Wei also came back to her senses and asked immediately: "So, the reason why you were so abnormal recently was because of that woman?" There was a blazing fire of gossip in her eyes.
The chattering of the three people, mixed with the noisy diners and the hum of the fan, all rushed into Zhou Jianxing's ears, making her head buzz.
Zhou Jianxing took another sip of his cold beer before slowly speaking, "She's incredibly beautiful, like a celebrity. She's a little older than me... but not much. She's my client, and she works in the art industry."
She put down the cup and licked her dry lips.
"You're just bragging?" Ajie was the first to express disbelief, curling his lips exaggeratedly. "Just like a celebrity? No picture, no truth, Mr. Zhou! Where are the photos? Hurry and show them to us!"
"I don't have a photo of her." Zhou Jianxing said this with a guilty look on his face as he raised his beer and took a sip. "She's really, really beautiful."
"She... shouldn't be mad at you." Zhou Jianxing turned to Xiao Min, who looked gossipy, and said honestly, "To be exact, I'm still pursuing her."
"You are pursuing her, how can it be called a relationship?" Chu Wei was puzzled.
"It's just... I want her to like me a little more." Zhou Jianxing lowered his voice when he thought of all the painful details of their time together.
Just then, the waiter arrived with two huge stainless steel basins, steaming and fragrant. The rich aroma of garlic and the overbearing spicy flavor instantly filled the air, temporarily interrupting the heavy conversation.
The four of them put on disposable gloves and began to "battle" with the crayfish.
"Hey, when will you bring her to meet us? We can help you screen her so that you don't get deceived by a bad woman." Chu Wei felt a little distressed when he saw Zhou Jianxing's lonely look.
"If I have the chance, I will." Zhou Jianxing lowered his head to concentrate on peeling shrimp and naturally changed the subject. "Let's not talk about this anymore. How about you guys? How have you been lately?"
Bringing Wen Lingyi to meet friends? The very idea itself carries a sense of unrealistic fantasy.
Ajie rolled his eyes at Zhou Jianxing in annoyance. "Hmph! You're someone who values women over friends. You finally remember to care about us?"
"My internship here just ended, and I'm going to be in my third year of graduate school soon. I have to prepare my graduation thesis and start sending out resumes to look for jobs. I'm so busy that I'm almost exhausted!" Xiao Min frowned and took a big gulp of beer.
"Come to think of it," Zhou Jianxing gestured at Ajie with his eyes, "I've known Ajie for years. We grew up together, playing mischief together. I know his character best. I'm just curious, why did you fall for this guy back then?"
The acquaintance of Ajie and Xiaomin was quite dramatic. Four years ago, the gas stove in Xiaomin's home broke down, and Ajie repaired it. After a few visits, they developed feelings for each other.
"Hey! Zhou Jianxing! What do you mean?" Ajie raised his eyebrows and gently kicked Zhou Jianxing under the table. "Am I, Ajie, so bad? I have good looks..."
"Ajie is very good." Xiao Min interrupted Ajie's boasting with a smile, turned her head to look at him, her eyes full of love and tenderness, as if the noisy world around her had become a backdrop. "Anyway, my vision is just that." Her tone was a little coquettish, but her hands deftly peeled a plump shrimp and naturally put it into the bowl in front of Ajie.
In fact, Zhou Jianxing asked this because he wanted to know how Ajie succeeded in winning Xiaomin over.
She really had no idea how to pursue women. She could only try to get close to Wen Lingyi clumsily and with all her might, but she often failed.
"Yes, yes, you have bad taste, but I have good taste, okay?" Ajie smiled brightly, picked up a tissue and gently wiped the red oil on Xiaomin's chin.
"Alright, alright! Stop it! That's enough, you two! You're just spreading this dog food around," Chu Wei rubbed his arms exaggeratedly, "It's so disgusting to watch."
The meal is coming to an end.
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