Chapter 44
"Aren't you going home for dinner again?" A car horn honked from Chu Linyu's end. "Aren't you guys eating alone too often lately?"
Xia Lanzheng glanced at Chu Linchuan and put one foot on the stone pillar by the roadside: "Brother, are you driving?"
"No, I was riding my bike outside today." Chu Linyu found a place to pull over and took off his helmet and gloves. "Is Chu Linchuan with you? Let him answer the phone."
Xia Lanzheng said "Oh" and handed the phone to Chu Linchuan. Chu Linchuan didn't take it. Instead, he put his ear close to his hand and asked, "What are you doing?"
Not knowing what Chu Linyu said, Chu Linchuan laughed: "He has a lot of acting classes recently. Why does he always come to our house... I'll ask his agent later."
After Chu Linchuan finished speaking, he nudged his chin and turned his ears away. The phone had already been hung up by Chu Linyu.
"What happened to Cheng Lan?" Xia Lanzheng asked.
"Why aren't you slow now?" Chu Linchuan glanced at him, picked up a strand of hair that had brushed his eyelids, and tugged at it. "He went to our house. He must have something to do while we were away."
Xia Lanzheng particularly liked hearing the words "our home" so much that she paid no attention to anything else. The two of them stood by the roadside for a while, neither moving first, which made Xia Lanzheng feel strange.
"What are you waiting for?"
Chu Linchuan raised his eyebrows: "Aren't I waiting for you?"
"What are you waiting for me for?" Xia Lanzheng was puzzled. "Aren't we waiting for your car?"
"What car do I have..." Chu Linchuan took two seconds to react, "I didn't bring my car today. Aren't you going to take me out to dinner?"
Xia Lanzheng stopped talking.
He wanted to eat a lot of things, but after a long time of thinking, he gave up. He didn't know the names of those high-end restaurants. If he was asked to name them, he could only spit out the names of roadside food stalls.
Take Chu Linchuan to eat at a food stall?
During the previous vacation, Chu Linchuan accompanied him to the market. It seemed that he really didn’t like to eat, so he just wanted to play with him.
Xia Lanzheng glanced at the people around her. Her brother was dressed so smartly today that he would probably wipe the stool eight hundred times before he even sat down.
All the handsome guys with mysophobia in novels are like this.
Okay, forget it.
Just eat some bland and beautiful meal.
Chu Linchuan turned around slowly, as if he could see through his thoughts: "You can eat anything. I'm not picky."
"Really?" Xia Lanzheng didn't hesitate at all, and took back the thought in her heart. "Then how about we go have a barbecue?"
"Okay," Chu Linchuan repeated, "I'm not picky about food."
Twenty minutes later, two figures got out of a green taxi. The window was wide open, and the driver extended his hand. "Here, handsome guy, just scan the code."
Xia Lanzheng's long hair was blown into a mess. After scanning the code and paying, Chu Linchuan stood on the side of the road with a pale face.
"What's wrong with you?" Xia Lanzheng patted his back. "Are you carsick?"
Chu Linchuan swallowed and didn't admit it: "There's no air conditioning in the car, it's a bit hot."
It was more than just hot, there was a faint smell of cigarette smoke in the car. The driver was holding three mobile phones, one was playing a short drama, one was grabbing orders, and the other was chatting with fellow riders.
This is not enough, you have to step on the accelerator to drive as if you are driving on a highway in the city.
Chu Linchuan had a headache, a stomachache, and pain everywhere. Suddenly, he missed Li Pingan a little.
Xia Lanzheng's face was full of anticipation, and Chu Linchuan didn't want to spoil her fun, so he didn't say much.
Sitting down in a restaurant called "Meimei BBQ", Xia Lanzheng checked the menu with ease and recommended the restaurant's signature dishes to Chu Linchuan.
"Would you like some eggplant? Roasted eggplant is especially delicious."
Xia Lanzheng handed the marked menu to the waiter. The guy was familiar with him, so after chatting for a few minutes, he handed the menu back and quietly asked him to sign it.
Chu Linchuan observed silently. Xia Lanzheng smiled sheepishly and signed her name sheepishly.
It was a small one in the corner of the menu, above the mango smoothie.
After everyone left, Xia Lan's expression changed, and the underlying tone of her smile became sincere, but she still kept her voice down and whispered excitedly: "Brother, this is my first time signing for someone, and it doesn't seem very good."
Chu Linchuan wanted to laugh, but held it back: "It's pretty good-looking. As long as I can recognize it's your name, that's enough."
Xia Lanzheng unpacked the disposable dishes and chopsticks, placed them in a basin, and rinsed them with boiling hot tea. "High-temperature disinfection, you definitely don't understand that, do you?"
Chu Linchuan raised his lips where he couldn't see and asked humbly, "How do I use chopsticks?"
Xia Lanzheng touched his arm and asked him to put the chopsticks under the teapot, where the tea was rinsed out, "That's enough. Be careful, it's hot."
"Do you come here often?" Chu Linchuan asked.
Xia Lanzheng put away the dishes and chopsticks: "I just wore... when I first came here, I came here a few times."
Chu Linchuan frowned a little, and let it go before Xia Lanzheng caught it: "What about before?"
Needless to say, Xia Lanzheng knew what this used to refer to: "I've been there with classmates before, but I usually don't eat. I just come to enjoy the atmosphere."
As they were talking, the guy brought their barbecue to the table, along with two bottles of soda. "Since you ordered mild spicy food today, I won't give you milk. I'll give you soda instead!"
"Thank you," Xia Lanzheng inserted a straw and handed a bottle to Chu Linchuan. Suddenly, she remembered something and asked, "Is your store's delivery driver still coming to work recently?"
The young man rolled his eyes and remembered: "I haven't been here for a long time. Hey, isn't he a star like you?"
Chu Linchuan took a sip of soda, put it down and looked at the two of them.
Xia Lanzheng didn't want to say more in front of Chu Linchuan, so she nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
Before the young man could finish his words, he said, "Actually, I thought you wouldn't come here again... Well, when you become famous, remember to come here often. Our store manager will give you a free meal."
"I might not come back in the future..." Xia Lanzheng started unconsciously, but when she saw her other hand on the table, she quickly swallowed her words back. "Thank you. I'll definitely come often."
The young man left happily, not forgetting to lower the air conditioner temperature and drag a screen over to block the table inside.
Xia Lanzheng wanted to say something to Chu Linchuan, but when she saw him drinking soda silently, she knew that what she had just said had been heard, and she felt a little embarrassed for a moment.
Although he didn't finish his words, it's not hard to guess - he may not still be in the entertainment industry in the future.
Saying this in front of the big boss is tantamount to destroying your own job.
What's more, Chu Linchuan cares more about his work than Xia Lanzheng herself.
Xia Lanzheng picked up a small, round potato, lowered her head to take a bite, and stared at the teeth marks on it.
"Don't you want to do this job anymore?" the person on the other side said.
The potatoes rolled into the bowl, and the chili powder was all over the place.
Xia Lanzheng scratched the bridge of her nose and hid her hands under the table: "Who said that? I never said that."
I tried to insert the chopsticks into the tooth marks of the potato, but it didn't go in and turned into soft and mushy bean flour.
Xia Lanzheng's chopsticks were awkwardly placed on the edge of the bowl. He lowered his head when something suddenly touched his calf.
Chu Linchuan's shoes touched her trouser legs. Xia Lanzheng shuddered and looked up suddenly, meeting Chu Linchuan's gaze.
"You kicked me."
This is a declarative sentence.
Sounds angry.
Chu Linchuan retracted his legs as if nothing had happened, without refutation or response.
He looked at Xia Lanzheng's face until his cheeks began to turn red, the blush spreading to the tips of his ears, and his lips, which were covered with chili powder, moved.
"Why?" Chu Linchuan wiped his hands with a tissue, "Give me a reason."
Xia Lanzheng's face was burning, and his intuition told him that it was not because he felt guilty.
He bent down, pretended to pat his trouser legs, and his eyes drifted to the opposite side, where he saw the legs that had kicked him just now.
His clothes were straight and slender, and his suit trousers were tight on his thighs, with the hem revealing his polished leather shoes.
With a bang—
"hiss."
Xia Lanzheng covered her head and grimaced in pain.
Chu Linchuan stood up from the opposite side and pressed the bottle of iced soda against Xia Lanzheng's forehead.
"You..." He met Xia Lanzheng's watery eyes, startled, and then burst out laughing, "What the hell are you doing? Are you that nervous?"
He felt that laughing out loud was not a good idea, so he turned his head and covered his lips with his hands to suppress his laughter.
Xia Lanzheng sat down with a snort, and the soda bottle didn't hit her head, but her cheek.
The heat subsided, and he picked up his chopsticks again, finished the small potatoes in the bowl, and drank half a bottle of soda in one breath.
Chu Linchuan looked at him with amusement, took off his coat, rolled up his shirt sleeves to his arms, and the blue veins on his forearms were reflected in his silver watch.
Xia Lanzheng looked at him a few more times, sighed, and glared back at Chu Linchuan, "Didn't you say I'd give you a reason?"
Chu Linchuan: "Yeah."
Xia Lanzheng asked, "Is this reason for the boss or for my brother?"
The barbecue restaurant was noisy, but Xia Lanzheng's question was clearly audible, and Chu Linchuan's forearm involuntarily lifted up.
"It will be all right."
Xia Lanzheng put her hands on her knees, like a student who had been called to the office.
"If it's to the boss, my reason is that I have other career plans."
Chu Linchuan remained silent and did not urge him.
"As for my brother," Xia Lanzheng uttered the two syllables, closed her mouth, swallowed, and then continued, "The reason is... I don't like this job."
Chu Linchuan simply ignored the identity of "boss": "Then what do you like?"
"I don't know," Xia Lanzheng answered firmly, "I haven't tried most things in the world."
Chu Linchuan suddenly felt a chill on his back, and Xia Lanzheng's voice became less real amid the noisy voices.
"When I was little, I dreamed of everything: opening a restaurant, traveling, and climbing mountains..." Xia Lanzheng laughed self-deprecatingly. "Actually, I also dreamed of becoming an actor. It was the most unrealistic dream, but I never expected it to come true."
Chu Linchuan knew that he shouldn't interrupt now, but Xia Lanzheng's expression was too vague, and he desperately wanted to say something and get a response.
"But you don't like it, do you?"
Xia Lanzheng pursed her lips: "I like it and I don't like it."
This was too confusing, like a tongue twister. He and Chu Linchuan were stunned for a moment and laughed at the same time.
"I don't want to do the same thing all my life. I want to try everything I wanted to do but didn't before," Xia Lanzheng sighed again, giving up on explaining. She propped up her head and said distressedly, "Chu Linchuan, do you understand what I mean?"
When he got anxious, he turned into a little sparrow. Chu Linchuan picked up a piece of fried bun and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Got it," Chu Linchuan raised his eyelids and looked at him, "Shut your mouth and eat."
Xia Lanzheng muttered, "How can I eat if I shut up... Of course, I won't terminate my contract with the company now. After all, I can't afford the liquidated damages, so just listen to what I said just now and don't take it to heart..."
"Xia Lanzheng," Chu Linchuan pinched Xia Lanzheng's restless fingertips, "Do you still remember where your contract is? Go home and look for it."
Xia Lanzheng's fingertips were pinched until they turned white, but she didn't notice at all. She stared at Chu Linchuan's extremely serious eyes and asked, "What do you mean?"
Chu Linchuan let go of his hand and sat back, smiled and suddenly stopped talking, slowly picking up the chopped green onions in the bowl.
Xia Lanzheng heard such shocking news, how could he sit still?
He grabbed his phone and flipped through the photo album, scrolling to the front. He had deleted all the photos taken by the original owner, except for the contract with Xing Pai.
I read ten lines at a glance and finally found the key points after five minutes——
"If either party wishes to terminate this contract early... it may do so at any time... by giving the other party a written notice of termination."
After reading this, Xia Lanzheng kicked her legs in surprise, and this time it was Chu Linchuan's turn to frown and hiss.
"No need to pay liquidated damages?" Xia Lanzheng put down her phone and looked at Chu Linchuan as if she was looking at a delicious roasted eggplant.
"Do what you want to do," Chu Linchuan straightened his cuffs, touched them up a little, and looked at him intently, "Be yourself."
The air was filled with the aroma of cumin and chili peppers. Outside the screen, wine bottles collided with each other, and the sound of drinking games at the table behind me was loud.
Red plastic chairs are everywhere, chaos, noise...
But Chu Linchuan's words accurately passed through the barrier and fell into Xia Lanzheng's ears.
It was a light and teasing laugh, but Xia Lanzheng's heart felt heavy when she heard it, which was enough to prove the weight of these words.
Xia Lanzheng felt a lump in her throat. In the blink of an eye, Chu Linchuan's figure flashed under the light, and tears began to flow.
Chu Linchuan was stunned when he saw this and was a little at a loss. He didn't mean to make Xia Lanzheng cry.
Xia Lanzheng herself was also at a loss.
He didn't want to cry in front of Chu Linchuan, so he turned his head and casually wiped his eyes. However, the more he wiped, the wetter his eyes became, and water droplets seeped out from between his fingers.
Chu Linchuan couldn't bear to watch it anymore and didn't want to see Xia Lanzheng cry.
"Oil will make you blind if you put it in your eyes." He sat down next to Xia Lanzheng and without saying a word, grabbed his finger and wiped it.
The water on his hands was wiped clean, but tears were still on his face.
"Brother," Xia Lanzheng cried silently, tears streaming down her face, "You are really a good person. I wronged you before."
Chu Linchuan threw away the paper ball: "What did you blame me for?"
Xia Lanzheng sniffed, holding back her tears. He reached out and took Chu Linchuan's bowl, threw two shrimps into it, and shoved them towards himself.
"Nothing, not important, you don't need to know... In return I'll peel shrimp for you."
The shrimps are roasted until they are crispy on the outside and crunchy on the inside. Does he need to peel them?
Chu Linchuan knew Xia Lanzheng too well. He was obviously embarrassed and wanted to find something to do.
"Okay," Chu Linchuan smiled as he thought about it, "peel it."
He saw bits and pieces of light through the cracks in the screen.
A month ago, Chu Linchuan would never have imagined that he would be sitting here with Xia Lanzheng eating barbecue. Actually, he didn't like this kind of food, which was too oily and spicy, but the atmosphere in the food stall infected him.
This seems to be a good idea.
The shrimp shell punctured Xia Lanzheng's gloves, and oil seeped in. His first reaction was to sneak a glance at Chu Linchuan, fearing that his mysophobia would flare up.
Chu Linchuan pretended not to see it, supporting his chin to cover the corner of his lips that was raised.
"Alright, sauce." Xia Lanzheng brought the bowl towards Chu Linchuan, her eyes brightening with joy. "Please eat."
Chu Linchuan had just opened his mouth when a scream came from behind the screen.
"Fuck, Weibo trending search, who's checking Weibo trending search?"
"What's wrong... Shit, is Cheng Lan crazy or am I crazy?"
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