Chapter 34
Lunchtime had passed, and one of the lead actors hadn't arrived yet, so the crew had to film the individual scenes of others first. Even so, they finished filming early, and the remaining crew did nothing but wait. Xu Zhilu and Lu Guangzhen weren't on set, so Gu Mengzhu sat alone on the steps, lost in thought. A considerable commotion came from nearby. She glanced at the man who had openly sat down next to her and couldn't help but shake her head in surprise:
If I had that kind of outgoing courage, I would have been a top salesperson and made tens of thousands of yuan long ago.
"Busy?"
Brother, we work on the same film set, don't you know how busy we are? You seem pretty free.
Unfortunately, he was oblivious to her subtle hints and simply sat down. She shifted her position, making room for him. Soon, the man launched into a long, rambling monologue, filled with stories and jokes, leaving her completely bewildered. Gu Mengzhu shook her head to clear her head slightly:
"I think you should stop talking to me and talk to Xiaozhi instead. You're just using me as a practice subject! Come on, let me teach you one. What do you get when you stir-fry chicken and porridge together?"
Shi Gang was dumbfounded. His big head could only copy and paste; he couldn't answer questions. Besides, he'd never heard this joke before. He stammered for a long time, unable to answer. She shook her head and explained:
"It's stir-fried chicken congee. How is it?" She raised her chin. "Pretty good, right?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately stopped smiling.
Dude, I'm not confessing my feelings to you, why are you blushing like that!
She yawned, her face hardening, and looked at him with a slightly somber expression:
"Have you learned it? If you have, go tell Xiaozhi about it, but don't go alone, okay?"
"It's not that easy. I don't see her all the time, and even when I do, I don't dare get too close..."
Lunch was mixed noodles, and Gu Mengzhu ate a few extra bites because they were fresh. She was currently feeling drowsy due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The sounds that had entered her ears gradually blurred, turning into a whirring, worm-like buzzing, and after a while, she couldn't understand what they were saying anymore. He was absorbed in his own emotions, talking freely, still babbling on and on, completely unaware that the person next to him had buried their head and was quietly dozing off.
He felt like someone was watching him.
Shi Gang stared back, puzzled, his eyes beneath his thick eyebrows unfocused. Seeing that he remained unmoved, Qi Yaoguang widened his eyes, finally gritting his teeth and forcing a smile, then extended his right hand in a "go, go, go" gesture. He glanced at the woman with her head down, then at the man whose face was ashen, thought for a moment, and finally exclaimed "Oh!" in realization, quickly getting up to make room for the other person.
Qi Yaoguang kept shaking his head, sighing as he did so.
The people at IKEA are so stupid! They're like sweet potatoes, completely oblivious to social cues.
Gu Mengzhu felt as if someone was missing beside her. Hearing a sigh, she was puzzled, so she lifted her head from the crook of her arm, her eyes forced to squint slightly due to the backlight.
"It's you again?"
He stood there holding a lunchbox, a forced smile on his face.
"What, you're not happy about it?"
"No, I just thought you were too free, walking all the way from half the film set to come here."
"I can't eat my fill without you making me laugh!"
"It's good if you're not full, since you need to lose weight for the camera anyway."
He didn't care and brazenly squeezed in to sit down. She gave a forced smile and glanced at the lunchbox in his hand:
"Why are you eating so late?"
"If the director doesn't yell 'cut,' who dares to let us eat?"
"Huh, these directors are all big names."
"Definitely."
He casually opened the lunchbox, then casually unfolded the chopsticks, and finally casually asked:
"What were you talking about with that guy just now?"
"nothing."
"You two seem to be having a good chat, so there's nothing to it yet."
"Which eye of yours saw me happy? Didn't you see I was asleep?"
"Really? I didn't notice."
Qi Yaoguang wasn't in a good mood; he took a bite of rice and chewed it expressionlessly. She glanced at him and relented:
He said that there is a kind of tree in the tropics that will spread its vines and grab a living person when it sees them, and then suck them dry.
He put down his chopsticks and pressed her head down:
Why are you so easily fooled? You believe everything people say.
"Hey, do you have any oil on your hands?!"
Gu Mengzhu, unconvinced, covered her head and glared at him before continuing to reply:
"Hey, he spoke with such conviction! He seemed quite sincere. Besides, the world is full of wonders. Even though I've lived for twenty-eight years, my knowledge is still limited. Maybe something really did happen?"
"When you get old, I'll just use eggs to scam your pension."
"Hey, where would someone like me get a pension?"
The food wasn't good, so he put away his chopsticks, covered the lunchbox, and placed it aside. Seeing how little he ate, and thinking that if he became famous, he would probably have to live like this forever, she couldn't help but sigh.
"There's a store having a big opening sale, it's on me, wanna come?"
"You seem to have a lot of money lately? Could you pay me back ten or twenty thousand first?"
"Three or four hundred is fine, but one or two thousand is not."
She buried her head again and spoke in a muffled voice:
"Never mind then, let's save some money."
"Okay, okay, I'll treat you. They're offering a 22% discount on beef brisket hot pot. Aren't you going? Beef is so expensive these days, 70 or 80 yuan a pound. When will you ever be able to earn such a cheap price?"
"Please, go!"
She was so pestered that she had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Why has this person become so shameless lately?
"I don't know when you'll finish work. I'll be waiting for you until the middle of the night. What am I going to do?"
"No, I know what I'm doing."
"That would be best."
As he said, as she finished work, Gu Mengzhu turned around and saw the person who had been waiting there for a long time. It was just past dusk, and the pale blue sky mixed with the yellowish sunlight was more alluring than golden quicksand. Looking at the silver crescent moon hanging in the sky, she felt incredulous. He had so much more work than her, how come he finished so early today?
"Hey, how did you do that? Ah, I know, you sneaked out!"
Qi Yaoguang covered his mouth and laughed:
"I didn't go to work this afternoon."
"Why?"
"I promised to treat you to a meal, how could I be rude?"
"How can I save money if I don't work? No way, really, I'll just go back to eating instant noodles!"
He grabbed her arm. It was getting dark, and she looked up but couldn't see his face because of the darkness.
"We haven't been seeing each other as often lately, and I feel like you're secretly planning something. Now you won't even accept my invitation to dinner. What's the big deal? It's just a meal, it's not like you're losing money. If you don't want to, I'll leave right now, find a new job, and pay you back quickly."
"What? I'm just worried that after you become famous, someone might try to sabotage you! It's better to have less contact with people!"
"That's unnecessary. In short, are you going or not?"
She lowered her head guiltily, and after a few seconds of silence, agreed to go to dinner with him. Her plan had worked; his steps suddenly became lighter, and she almost couldn't keep up.
"It's quite lively today."
Gu Mengzhu glanced at the flow of people around her and quickened her pace to keep up. She turned back and replied:
"Of course. It's the weekend today."
It's already the weekend; time really flies.
She followed the people through a large flowerbed. Although the ground was paved with tiles, it was still uneven, and she carefully watched the path as she walked. On either side of the gate stood cartoon sculptures over three meters tall, which looked like they hadn't been there long; she turned her head to take a second look.
A person was waiting there, holding a bouquet of flowers, even looking around excitedly. The lights, the sculptures, the bouquet, and the waiting person—everything seemed too perfect, making it hard to ignore the restless commotion. Yet, no matter how much he struggled, the bouquet never fell, as if the sentiment was so precious that even the flowers couldn't bear to droop.
Gu Mengzhu lowered her head and smiled slightly, silently wishing him good luck in her heart.
The new shop was quite crowded, with two rows of congratulatory flower stands displayed in front of the door, adding a touch of festive cheer. The beef offal had a strong aroma, infused with the sweet and savory flavors of hoisin sauce and radish, making her involuntarily sniff.
"There are a lot of people, maybe we should go to another place."
"What are you worried about? I booked it a long time ago."
Qi Yaoguang waved his phone, which was still lit up, at her, said a few words to the waiter standing at the entrance, and then waved to her.
"Alright, let's go."
The aroma of braised beef brisket lingered in the air, the orange-brown broth bubbling and sizzling over the fire, soaking the quiet ingredients within. After sitting down, she picked up her chopsticks, and, remembering the bouquet of flowers that had been carefully held in someone's arms, she fell into a daze.
"What are you doing? Are you stupid? Why aren't you eating?"
She put down her chopsticks and placed her arms around the table.
"Hey, I have a question for you."
"Hey, tell me already."
Qi Yaoguang picked up a thick piece of fatty beef brisket, threw it into the chili sauce dish, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Have you ever had a girlfriend?
No.
"Never talked about it? No way, that's unrealistic."
She stared in astonishment, her mouth slightly agape, shaking her head in disbelief at how outrageous it was. He dipped a radish in the broth from the pot, placed it in a bowl, and gave her a mischievous smile.
"You know it's unrealistic. You believe everything people say, even about vampire trees in Africa, but you don't believe in vampires. You'd be a genius if you just tied a bunch of garlic cloves together and wore a cross."
His words became increasingly sarcastic and unsettling. Gu Mengzhu sensed something was wrong but had no way to refute him, so she picked up her chopsticks and poked at the radish. Annoyed by her, he finally offered an explanation:
"Yes, I did talk to them, countless times. But after talking for so long, I didn't even know what we were talking about. It just felt pointless. If we got caught, I had to explain, cover it up, lie, and get yelled at. It was incredibly troublesome. Since I was bored, I decided to go online. Before I even finished a game, they would start calling me non-stop. It was even worse than being a prostitute. So I didn't talk to them for several years after that."
"Fortunately, it was a good ending, and they gave me enough money and face."
"Heh." She crossed her arms and sneered, "I think it's more like you're the one who can't afford to talk."
"Let me tell you, I can still negotiate even if I don't have money."
He raised his chin, stretched his back, and brought his face closer. The steam from the braised beef brisket floated on his face, making half of his face glow red.
"what?"
"As long as I have power, I'll have plenty of women to support me."
"Wow, this is the first time I've seen you. You've been beaten up like a pig's head! What kind of face do you have? Please wake up!"
"Even if I get beaten up and my head turns into a pig's head, it will still be the most beautiful pig's head in the world."
"Narcissism".
She glanced at him disdainfully, then picked up a piece of beef brisket and put it in her mouth. It tasted good, so she stuffed a piece of radish that had been pierced in half into her mouth.
"Hey, stop talking about me. Look, I've told you everything, now it's your turn to talk. You can't be so unkind."
His expectant gaze was so intense that she glanced at him twice and then looked away.
"If I don't want to talk about it, then I won't. People say, 'He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding.' Ah, those old fogies are just trying to scam me! What a disappointment."
"I didn't say I wouldn't talk about it."
Qi Yaoguang immediately put down his chopsticks and listened attentively, his posture very upright and his attitude extremely serious.
"Actually, there's nothing special about it. It's just that we've had some ambiguous relationships. I had a crush on him in high school and college, and after I started working, we had ambiguous relationships. We would eat together, sing karaoke, and sometimes we would touch each other, have some physical contact, and that's about it."
"That's it?"
"That's it? What do you want?"
Gu Mengzhu felt a little embarrassed as she said this, always feeling ashamed to talk about such emotional matters with others, whether they were of the same or opposite sex. She touched her burning cheeks, hurriedly picked up her cup and took a sip of water, only to find the freshly boiled tea inside scalding her and making her wince. She frowned and put the cup aside.
How long have you been in a flirtatious relationship?
"Three months. I'm leaving after three months, I'll get fired."
"Wow, you'd really take such a huge loss? You're so stupid, so incredibly stupid."
"Hey, please be reasonable! I've really suffered because of you! You eat my food, live in my house, use my things, and in the end, you even steal from me. Are you kidding me?"
She touched the water glass and sighed.
"At least they provided me with emotional value; I at least gained the bittersweet pleasure of ambiguity. You, tell me, what did I get from you? Nothing, absolutely nothing!"
He was taken aback by what he was said, and guiltily turned his head away to apologize.
“I’m sorry. I know I’ve said sorry many times. But I promise I will pay back the money. I won’t renege on my debt. You can trust me.”
"Yes, I believe you."
Gu Mengzhu nodded like a chick pecking at rice, offering plenty of emotional support. He pursed his lips; this attitude was clearly perfunctory.
"Judging from your expression, you don't believe me. Perfect, I won't give in! Wow, what a lucky day! May you have a prosperous and auspicious new year!"
"You want to die?! Ha, I bet you've never been beaten before, you don't even know what death means! You won't pay back the money? We'll beat you until you can't make a sound, and you'll even burst!"
"Eat your food properly, people are watching! Don't be so rude in public!"
"Come here!" (You)
Forty minutes later, the two, having finished their meal, left the mall and passed by the cartoon sculpture again. Under the bright lights, Gu Mengzhu finally saw the sculpture's face clearly.
It turned out to be a bear. She had passed by earlier and thought it was a cat.
The little bear, sitting peacefully, was covered in a spiky, durian-shell-like coat. Its adorable appearance belied its wariness, as if warning strangers to stay away. Yet, this spiky bear turned its soft belly towards the dejected man. Looking at him, she saw the bouquet of flowers, once held high, now drooping, and its owner huddled against the bear's belly, trembling as if sobbing. Rose petals lay scattered on the ground.
The bouquet will rise and fall; it dies the moment it's plucked, and will never bloom again depending on human feelings. Whether it's unrequited love or betrayal, friend or lover, the ending is clear: it's all over.
Love, it's time to end.
"What? You want flowers? I'll give you some!"
Seeing that the person was staring intently, Qi Yaoguang interjected.
No, you're overthinking it.
She shook her head habitually, hands in her pockets. He looked at her face again and again, and finally chuckled mischievously:
"Yes, you're the beautiful and charming Sister Pomegranate! What need do you have for flowers? Just look in the mirror. Look at you, wow, your face is flushed, you're more beautiful than a monkey's butt!"
"I'll kick your ass!" (an insult)
She was almost laughing in exasperation. She chased after him and slapped his back hard. He dodged and ran forward, the sounds of their playful fighting echoing along the long flowerbed path. Pot after pot of forsythia stretched out, as if to carry the sounds of their laughter far and wide for the sake of spring.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
