The familiar apartment building, the underground parking lot.
The Porsche came to a stop in the reserved parking space, but the people inside did not get out; they simply unbuckled their seatbelts.
Tang Qi sat in the passenger seat, still looking down at her phone.
Lu Zhe, who was standing next to her, didn't urge her on; he just watched her play silently.
After a while, Lu Zhe suddenly said, "Turn this way and the princess can pass through."
Tang Qi glanced at him timidly, paused for two seconds, then realized what he meant and did as he said. Sure enough, a path appeared in the game, and the stalemate that had just trapped her was broken.
Lu Zhe added, "Watch out for the crows, wait here for a moment... um, now!"
Tang Qi tapped the screen and saw the princess in the game running towards the exit, avoiding two crow people along the way, and successfully reaching her destination, thus completing the game.
The girl couldn't help but laugh, looking up at the boy beside her. But then, her habitual fear of strangers returned, causing the smile on her face to freeze instantly.
But Lu Zhe smiled and said, "You look really good when you smile."
Tang Qi: "Really...?"
Lu Zhe: "Really, you should smile more often."
Tang Qi: "Okay..."
Despite her words, the girl did not reappear with that sweet and natural smile; she merely twitched the corner of her mouth unconsciously.
This situation seemed to leave Lu Zhe somewhat helpless.
But when Tang Qi put away her phone and opened the car door, the autistic girl showed a slight change.
She whispered, "Would you like to come up and sit down...you can even play games there."
This proactive invitation surprised Lu Zhe somewhat. He nodded: "Sure, of course."
So Tang Qi led the way, guiding him to the elevator, where they took it upstairs and entered the apartment.
In the living room, Lu Zhe was deeply impressed to see the young lady's collection of games.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "You have all these kinds of game consoles... and so many physical discs too!"
Tang Qi's voice was still very soft, as if she was a little embarrassed: "I've already said I'm a homebody. I buy whatever others recommend, even though I've never actually played many of them."
Lu Zhe picked out a disc and exclaimed in surprise, "They even have Devil May Cry 5! That's great!"
Tang Qi: "Do you like this game?"
Lu Zhe smiled and looked at her, saying, "Of course, but I used to play it on the computer. I've been playing it since Devil May Cry 3, back when you could only find pirated copies. By the way, do you want to play this with me?"
Tang Qi: "Can two people play this? I've never played this before..."
Lu Zhe: "There's no two-player mode, but that's okay, I can teach you."
Tang Qi still hesitated: "Is it a fighting game? I don't play this kind of thing much..."
Before she could resist any longer, Lu Zhe had already inserted the game disc and started the game.
He picked up the controller, sat down next to the girl, and laughed, "If you haven't played it before, you should definitely try it. It's really fun. If you don't like it after trying it, we can change it."
Next, the game began...
————
Lu Zhe and Tang Qi spent the entire afternoon and evening playing video games on the big TV. Their dinner was simple: pizza delivery.
It wasn't until after 10 p.m. that Lu Zhe finally put down the controller and said, "That's about it for today. I should go back now. Miss Tang, you should get some rest too."
"Ah..." Tang Qi looked at him, biting her lower lip, her face full of dissatisfaction.
Lu Zhe picked up his phone, stood up, and stretched.
Tang Qi huddled on the sofa and asked softly, "Will you come again tomorrow?"
However, the voice was so soft that it was difficult to hear. So Lu Zhe turned his head and looked down at her, asking, "Miss Tang, what did you say?"
Tang Qi raised her voice slightly: "Are you coming over tomorrow?"
Lu Zhe: "That depends on your dad's arrangements, haha. If there are no other work assignments, of course, no problem."
Tang Qi nodded slightly and said nothing more.
"Goodnight, Miss Tang. I'm leaving now. Bye-bye."
After saying this last sentence, Lu Zhe walked out of the living room and left the apartment suite.
Tang Qi sat on the sofa in a daze for a long time.
On the large television screen was the game that had just ended. But she didn't start a new game; she simply left the console in that state.
The girl was stunned for a long time before finally picking up her phone.
She dialed her mother's number.
"Huh? Why are you asking that?"
Tang Qi: "I just suddenly wanted to know."
"You don't need to know so much detail, don't ask anymore. As long as he does his job well and isn't stingy with you, that's enough. These kinds of questions..."
Upon hearing this answer, Tang Qi couldn't help but grit her teeth.
————
The following afternoon, Lu Zhe came to play games with her again.
But this time, Tang Qi suddenly paused the game after playing for a short while and turned to look at him.
Lu Zhe asked blankly, "What's wrong?"
Tang Qi took a deep breath, but still didn't know what to say—or whether she should say it at all.
After hesitating for a long time, she could only ask in a low voice, "Have you ever been in a relationship?"
Lu Zhe paused for a moment, then nodded: "We've talked about it."
Tang Qi: "Is it a boy or a girl?"
Lu Zhe couldn't help but laugh: "Miss Tang, what are you joking about? I'm not gay, of course I have a girlfriend!"
Tang Qi nodded gently, subconsciously pouting slightly, and continued playing the game.
Lu Zhe glanced at her again, his gaze flickering uncertainly.
After playing for a while, when it was time for the two to take a break, Lu Zhe suddenly said, "Ms. Tang, I just realized I don't have your contact information yet. How about we exchange WeChat IDs?"
Out of long-standing habit, Tang Qi first shook her head, but then immediately changed her mind and nodded.
Lu Zhe laughed: "So, do you want it or not?"
Tang Qi took out her phone, but her tone was still somewhat timid: "I'll take it..."
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