Bo Qiu had to take the highway to get back and forth, so for safety's sake he couldn't keep an eye on her. Having just finished speaking, he concentrated on turning the ramp. Now, looking in the mirror again, he saw the way she sat. It was obvious she must have worn a red scarf when she was in school.
How come this girl is not only smart, but also looks a little stupid after looking at her like this?
When Bo Qiu saw her at the bar, Tu Nian had been a decadent, new-age moonlighter. She might not have seemed particularly shrewd, but at least she was quite clever. But after all this day, thinking about it, it seemed like she hadn't grown up at all.
"You seem strange today."
As soon as he spoke, Tu Nian's stiff movements relaxed a little. She took a sip of water and looked out the window. "Maybe she's just not used to it. It will be fine after a while."
"Will you find it difficult to adapt? I see you're doing quite well in class."
"Well...it's not a class, right?" Tu Nian replied hesitantly. As for the reason for her discomfort, she hesitated for a long time and couldn't give a clear answer.
The car fell silent. Bo Qiu did not ask any more questions, and Tu Nian did not seem to intend to say anything more. The two of them remained silent for a long time.
It wasn't until Bo Qiu looked at her in the mirror and saw that she was holding a small piece of paper in her hand and looked a little dazed that he asked, "What is that?"
Tu Nian was startled by his question and looked up, "What?" The next moment, she probably realized what Bo Qiu was going to ask, so she raised the note in her hand and asked, "This?"
Bo Qiu nodded.
It was a piece of paper not even as big as a palm, with a line of numbers neatly written on it in a beautiful and exquisite handwriting. Even after being folded, it didn't look curled at all.
Tu Nian looked at the note, a smile on his face: "Twins gave it to me, WeChat ID."
Twins? Bo Qiu thought for a long time before he remembered who she was. "The one I had lunch with? Did you add her?"
Tu Nian shook her head. She stroked the string of numbers and said, "She said I sang very well and she liked it very much."
"Just the truth." Bo Qiu shrugged.
"It's not that simple, okay?" Tu Nian rolled his eyes at him in dissatisfaction.
"Ever since I entered society... Although saying this might seem like I'm overestimating my abilities, I'll just say this for now." She tightened the water bottle in her hand and continued, "In Ronghai, I've not only performed in dozens of shows, big and small, but I've also sung on the streets. Oh, and in the bars, you know."
"In all these various venues, so many people praise my songs, but among so many people, not one person would say, 'Your songs sound tasteless.' When Shuangsheng mentioned it, it was the first time I felt like I was being listened to seriously."
She spoke with a lighthearted air, but the desolation on her face was unmistakable. The last sentence made Bo Qiu feel even more distressed.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore." He interrupted hurriedly, fearing that if he continued, the girl's sad past would be brought up in anger.
Tu Nian put the note away and propped up his head to look out of the car. The suburban scenery was pretty good. The sun was setting in the west, and the clear red sky had a unique charm.
The car drove all the way into Ronghai City, and the way back was even more embarrassing than the way there.
Bo Qiu sat in the front, secretly cursing himself countless times. Why did he have to talk about those deep things all the time? Not only did it make her unhappy, but it also made it difficult for him to comfort her. He had been holding back so many words of comfort along the way, but when they came to his lips, he couldn't say a word. Finally, he could only say what he was good at.
"You didn't eat much at noon, it's already this late, why don't we go get something delicious."
The atmosphere in the car was depressing, and when these words came out, even Bo Qiu himself felt very awkward.
Seeing that Tu Nian hadn't said anything for a long time, he was about to try to smooth things over when he heard the person behind him say "hmm" softly.
Bo Qiu's eyes lit up and he asked, "What do you want to eat? Western food, barbecue, buffet, hot pot, or anything you can think of."
"All are fine. I don't know much about these. Just pick one at random." Tu Nian looked out of the car. Although his expression was not as sad as before, he still didn't want to talk.
The choice was once again Bo Qiu's. Under normal circumstances, he would have gone there just because the food tasted good. However, today's situation was obviously not something that could be solved simply by the food tasted good.
The light was red. He turned his head and glanced at her. Except for a slightly melancholic expression, her features were exactly the same as when he had seen her before.
When he looked back again, he already had the best place in mind.
It was already dark outside the window, and it looked like it was around seven o'clock. The street lamps on both sides were quietly shining yellow, but they were not even one-tenth brighter than the surrounding shopping malls and shops.
Tu Nian worked hard all day, but he didn't feel too tired physically. Compared with the past, he felt much more relaxed today.
When I was working, I could work five jobs a day. I couldn't do things like serving dishes, pouring water, wiping tables, and taking orders because the hours were too long and the pay was paid monthly. If the creditors got in trouble, I wouldn't get a penny.
So what could she do? Handing out flyers, putting up advertisements, repairing sewers—all sorts of jobs—with short hours, heavy workloads, and daily or even weekly pay. She found work in different places throughout the day. She even did so much work that several bosses took down her contact information and called her in when there was work.
Of course, Aunt Xu would occasionally provide her with opportunities to perform and earn some easy money. Whenever there was such a performance, she was happiest.
Thinking about the past, Tu Nian felt both emotional and fortunate. As he was thinking about this, in the blink of an eye, there were fewer and fewer people on the road.
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery outside, she glanced at Bo Qiu with some surprise: "Boss Bo, where are we going?"
Bo Qiu smiled and replied mysteriously, "You'll know in a moment."
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Tu Nian stopped asking. After all, he was such a grown-up, and it was impossible for him to sell himself. Of course, even if he could sell himself, the money was not a big deal.
The car twisted and turned all the way. After about ten minutes, Tu Nian looked at the buildings outside that were almost rooted in his mind, and finally recognized the place.
The streets are full of trees, the roads are bumpy, and there is the Xu’s Musical Instrument Store that we just passed by. Isn’t this Elm Street?
Just as Tu Nian was thinking about which hotpot restaurant to eat at today, Bo Qiu parked the car in front of an old elm tree that towered into the sky.
Tu Nian is very familiar with this tree.
The two got off the car and were invited in by the shopkeeper behind the elm tree. Looking up, they saw a few large gold-painted characters engraved on a paulownia wood sign with some paint peeling off its edges - Zhao's Xiaolongbao.
The thought of those fragrant and juicy steamed dumplings made Tu Nian's stomach growl. She looked at the steamed dumplings on the table in the shop and thought to herself: I won't be able to eat them today. I will definitely come over to try a couple of steamed dumplings when I have some free time.
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