When An Lili went to the bar to pay, I scanned the code first.
"Lili, this time it's my treat." Actually, I felt a little embarrassed because although I said I was treating, I ended up using the two 50% off coupons that An Lili had.
"Hmph, since you behaved quite well, you forgot about our date... oh, let's just forget about that." An Lili misspoke and hurriedly grabbed her plate to run off and order food.
I returned to my seat, looking left and right. To be honest, this was my first time eating in a place like this, and I was momentarily at a loss.
To hide my unease, I immediately took out my phone and started playing a game.
"Brother Changming, why aren't you ordering anything?" An Lili returned to her seat, carrying a plate in each hand, glanced at me, and asked curiously.
"Didn't they deliver it to us?" I asked awkwardly, touching my hand.
"Pfft!"
An Lili covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then slowly said, "Brother Changming, at a buffet, you go and get the food yourself; take whatever you want to eat."
"Oh... okay." I replied somewhat shyly, stood up, and followed An Lili's example, taking the plate and going over.
When I arrived at the food section, I was stunned by the dazzling array of dishes. I felt like a mountain turtle that had never seen the ocean before.
I put a few meatballs on one plate and some vegetables on the other, then returned to my seat.
An Lili glanced at the dishes I brought back and couldn't help but smile. She said softly, "Brother Changming, you can eat whatever you want here. Eat whatever you want, as much as you want, as long as you don't waste food. The payment has already been made, so there's no need to pay extra."
I nodded slightly upon hearing this, then, as if remembering something, I asked, "Lili, if some people can eat a lot, wouldn't the restaurant lose money?"
"Hehe, I can't rule out the possibility of such people, but only one person can actually get their money's worth, especially us girls, who can't eat much at all. So today we can only rely on you to eat more, so we won't lose out." An Lili started putting the food into the hot pot, her movements were very skillful, obviously she had been to this kind of place to eat more than once.
"I'll try my best." I nodded very seriously, then got up, took the plates, and went to get the food. When I came back, my two plates were piled high with all kinds of food, like a small hill.
"Brother Changming, take more after you've finished eating, so you don't end up with leftovers and get penalized," An Lili said with a smile.
"Okay." I nodded in agreement, sat down, and started putting my favorite dishes into the pot to cook.
While eating the meatballs in her bowl, An Lili asked me, "Brother Changming, how many girlfriends have you had?"
I was eating a meatball when I heard An Lili's words. I took a bite, and it burst out with scalding hot soup, which burned me so much that I quickly spat it out. After drinking some water, I shook my head at An Lili and said, "No, I've never been in a relationship."
Actually, I didn't say anything. Back in school, I was a quiet person. Apart from a few classmates in my dormitory, I rarely talked to others, let alone female classmates.
After I started working, I just delivered packages on a daily basis. Even if I interacted with some girls, it was limited to picking up or sending packages.
Besides, I know my own situation. I'm blind in one eye, penniless, and powerless. How could I dare to like or pursue someone?
"Really?" An Lili looked up at me, asking with a disbelieving expression.
"Really, I swear." I was about to raise my hand to swear with a serious expression, but An Lili suddenly reached out and pressed my hand down.
“No need to swear, I believe you,” An Lili said softly with a slight smile.
"Yes." I nodded emphatically.
For some reason, seeing that An Lili didn't believe me, I immediately wanted to explain things to her. Seeing that An Lili was eating with her head down, I asked without thinking, "What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"
I didn't expect to ask such a purposeful question. After asking it, I regretted it a little, but deep down, I desperately wanted to know the answer.
An Lili looked up and met my gaze. She smiled slightly, shook her head, and said, "No, I just graduated and started working. I haven't had a chance to look for a job yet."
For some reason, hearing An Lili's answer made me feel inexplicably relieved, and even a little secretly pleased. I don't know why I had such a ridiculous thought.
"Changming, don't you want to find a girlfriend, get married, and have children?" An Lili suddenly looked straight at me and asked.
"Um... I think I'll pass." I shook my head, feeling a little inferior. "I'm blind in one eye and have no money. How could I dare to like someone or pursue her? Wouldn't that be holding her back?"
“Brother Changming, you’re completely wrong. Love doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor. If you like someone, just go for it. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” An Lili said gently, encouraging him.
"Sigh, Lili, maybe I'll be alone for the rest of my life." I sighed, somewhat dejected.
"Brother Changming, are you worried about the calamity your grandfather mentioned?" An Lili asked me.
"Hmm." I nodded blankly.
“Then you don’t need to worry. If fables were really that accurate, why would we need to go to work? We could just buy lottery tickets. Don’t listen to the older generation’s nonsense. Their generation is all about feudal superstition.” An Lili put a piece of meat on my plate and said with a serious expression.
Actually, what An Lili said makes a lot of sense. Such vague and unbelievable things have no credibility at all. But after experiencing so many things, I feel that my fate may be predetermined. I can't escape it, so I can only face it bravely.
"Hehe, you're right, let's not talk about this anymore." I saw that An Lili seemed worried about me, so I forced a smile and changed the subject.
An Lili nodded gently, a sweet smile on her face. This was the first time I had seen her smile so closely. She was beautiful and charming, at least that's what I thought.
Then I started chatting with An Lili. I shared some funny stories from my school days with him, and he did the same, telling me about his past experiences. When we talked about some funny things, we would laugh out loud.
Without realizing it, our relationship had inexplicably grown much closer.
To be honest, it feels really good to be with An Lili; I've even become a little addicted to it.
However, when I thought about how I saw An Lili sneaking around trying to open that brass lock that day, I instinctively wanted to stay away from her. I really wanted to ask her why she wanted to open that lock, but I was afraid that if I asked, our friendship would instantly break down and become awkward.
"Lili, why did you come to work at the courier station? With your education, you should be able to find a good job in the city, right?" I couldn't ask her directly why she needed to open the brass lock, so I thought I could find out indirectly.
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