Chapter 36
My cousin's stingy persona remains intact.
Because he received a phone call at the last minute and had to leave in a hurry that night, he couldn't give Xu Qingzhou and Chi Jun a ride back. So when paying the fee, he simply included their taxi fare back in the bill.
But after all the calculations, it only amounted to four yuan more.
Facing Chi Jun's questioning gaze, his cousin raised his pinky finger and grinned, "A bus is still a bus, and taking the bus is more environmentally friendly."
Chi Jun: "..."
Xu Qingzhou: "..."
However, this place is far from the city center, so it's not easy to get a taxi.
Just then, he saw the bus he was waiting for approaching in the distance. Without arguing with his cousin any further, Chi Jun walked a few steps to the bus stop, waited for the bus to stop, and then put in his coins and boarded the bus.
Perhaps because there are few ride-hailing services in this area, the bus is now packed with people, with only three seats left.
One is a two-person seat behind, separated by the back door, and the other is a two-person seat in front.
However, there was already a girl sitting in the seat in front of me.
Xu Qingzhou dragged her heavy wedding dress around taking photos all day, and was so tired that her mind was foggy. When she got on the bus, she saw the spacious empty seats in the back and sat down without thinking too much.
Rose, being timid and shy, glanced at the girl in front of her who was dressed like a showgirl and chewing gum, then decisively stepped forward and sat down next to Xu Qingzhou.
So, there was only one empty seat left next to the girl in the front seat.
Chi Jun saw the seat but didn't show any expression; he simply sat down.
On the contrary, the girl next to him glanced at Chi Jun unintentionally, her gaze suddenly fixed, and she looked at Chi Jun again, her eyes instantly shining with excitement.
Chi Jun was already used to this kind of gaze, and his brain automatically filtered it out, as if he was completely unaware.
Xu Qingzhou and Rose, who were sitting at a higher level in the back, saw everything clearly the whole time.
The girl was seen adjusting her hair, shifting her position, and turning her head to look around, but her gaze was clearly focused on Chi Jun's face for a second or two. She even pretended to film a video of the crowded train carriage for her friend, and the camera lingered on Chi Jun's face for a moment, presumably filming a handsome guy to show her friend.
The bus kept stopping and starting, the doors opening and closing, and after what seemed like an eternity, the girl finally stopped moving.
She had her head down, seemingly dozing off, her head bobbing up and down with the bumps of the car.
Xu Qingzhou had no suspicions, but Rose stared intently. Having been immersed in all sorts of cheesy and melodramatic idol dramas for many years, she had some vague guesses in her mind.
Sure enough, the girl's head swayed back and forth for about three minutes before she started to lean to the left.
Rose's eyes widened in excitement.
Just as the girl was about to rest her head on Chi Jun's shoulder, Chi Jun suddenly stood up, and the girl, who missed her target, instantly collapsed onto her seat.
girl:"……"
Rose laughed twice.
Xu Qingzhou was staring out the window in a daze when he heard Rose laugh, and he subconsciously turned his head to look at her.
Rose was quite helpful; he immediately pointed at the girl and explained to Xu Qingzhou in a simple, honest voice:
"She pretended to be asleep and tried to lean on his shoulder, but he dodged away."
Xu Qingzhou: "..."
Rose is indeed not very quick-witted. She talks badly about others behind their backs, and she doesn't quiet down at all. She even points at the people involved, as if she's afraid the people involved won't know she's gossiping.
Fearing she would get into trouble, Xu Qingzhou quickly pressed her hand down and made a shushing gesture towards her.
Fortunately, when I turned my head, the girl who was doing the [unclear] show had already sat up straight and was adjusting her headphones. I don't know if she didn't hear it because the music in her headphones was too loud, or if she heard it but pretended not to hear it because she didn't want to make a fuss.
Xu Qingzhou breathed a slight sigh of relief, only to see the light dim.
She looked up.
Chi Jun stood next to Rose, holding onto the pole, looking down at her: "Aren't you getting off the bus?"
Rose paused for a moment, then looked out the window for a few seconds before realizing she had arrived at her stop. She jumped up as if her pants were on fire, grabbed her bag, and rushed out the back door.
She stood on the roadside platform, waving to Xu Qingzhou with a simple and honest expression.
Xu Qingzhou, clinging to the car window, smiled and waved at her.
When she turned around, she felt a gentle breeze beside her, and Chi Jun had already sat down in the seat next to her.
It seems he really dislikes people leaning on him...
Xu Qingzhou couldn't help but glance at the girl in front of him who was doing a fashion show. He felt a little embarrassed for her, and also a little sorry for her.
However, these feelings didn't last long. As the car entered the downtown area, it bumped and swayed, and due to the traffic jam, it had to brake suddenly from time to time. Xu Qingzhou felt dizzy and a little nauseous, and he couldn't care less about anything else.
She closed her eyes and stopped looking out the window.
*
It was completely dark.
The road was bustling with traffic, horns blared everywhere, and the neat rows of streetlights formed a shimmering string of beads under the sky.
Chi Jun's gaze drifted aimlessly out the car window, seemingly observing the flashing red and green shop signs, but his mind unconsciously drifted back to the words his cousin had said at the last minute—
Do you like her?
Have I ever told you that when you take pictures with your sister, your face gets redder and redder?
Chi Jun scoffed lightly.
Do you like Xu Qingzhou?
He's probably gone mad.
He stopped smiling, but unconsciously glanced sideways, his gaze landing on the little girl's face beside him.
Xu Qingzhou seemed to be asleep.
His head bobbed like a chick pecking at rice.
The light and shadow outside the car shone on her face, making her face appear even smaller and more delicate, long and thin. Even when she was asleep, she sat up straight and looked very well-behaved.
For some reason, Chi Jun suddenly remembered the little girl in the dressing room that morning, smiling expectantly and asking him, "Am I pretty?"
Chi Jun recalled that he replied, "It's watchable."
But upon closer reflection, that scene is far more than just "visible".
That kind of Xu Qingzhou was so lively and rare, so rarely seen... I couldn't help but keep replaying and savoring that scene in my mind.
At the intersection ahead, the bus slowly turns right.
Xu Qingzhou's body unconsciously leaned to the left.
Just as she was about to fall, Chi Jun instinctively reached out and supported her cheek.
The delicate, soft touch landed in his palm, and Chi Jun's eyes paused slightly. A few seconds later, his thumb unconsciously brushed lightly against her face.
As the girl inside the bus announced, the bus slowly came to a stop and arrived at a station.
Chi Jun looked up and his eyes met those of the girl who was about to get off the bus.
The girl's gaze lingered on his hand that was supporting Xu Qingzhou's face for a moment. Realizing what was happening, she blushed, looked away, and hurriedly got out of the car.
Following her gaze, Chi Jun's eyes fell on his hands again, and he frowned slightly as if he had thought of something.
Just then, the bus started moving, and Xu Qingzhou swayed backward, frowned, and slowly opened his eyes.
Unexpectedly, she opened her eyes and met Chi Jun's gaze.
She shifted her gaze slightly and then realized that her face was being supported by Chi Jun's palm.
"..."
After a two-second pause, Xu Qingzhou snapped back to reality and sat up straight.
Does he think she did it on purpose too?
Recalling the experience of that showgirl, Xu Qingzhou awkwardly and apologetically scratched his temple, glanced at Chi Jun, and looked away.
A few seconds later, she couldn't help but glance at Chi Jun again.
Finally, she pulled out a pen and paper: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Chi Jun looked at her, his eyebrows slightly raised, but he didn't say anything.
His reaction made Xu Qingzhou even more uncertain.
To further demonstrate that she did not do it intentionally, she added:
Why didn't you wake me up? If you do this again, then wake me up.
Chi Jun remained silent.
Just then, the train arrived at the station.
Seeing that Chi Jun didn't react and seemed unwilling to get up, Xu Qingzhou gently tugged at his sleeve and pointed outside the car.
Chi Jun understood what she meant and lazily stood up.
Even after getting out of the car with Xu Qingzhou, he still looked absent-minded with his hands in his pockets.
Xu Qingzhou took a few steps forward, then turned around and saw Chi Jun like this. She couldn't help but suspect that it was because she was leaning on his hand that he was a little unhappy.
After thinking for a moment, Xu Qingzhou cautiously asked, "What are you thinking about?"
People came and went around her, and the dim light of the streetlights shone on the girl's face, illuminating her clear and bright eyes, as black as grapes.
Chi Jun stared at that obedient and cautious little face, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly involuntarily.
He was thinking—
Why didn't he wake Xu Qingzhou when his body was leaning towards him?
But the words that were on the tip of my tongue turned out to be—
"I'm thinking about how to protect myself."
Xu Qingzhou blushed immediately.
She said it again: "I'm sorry."
Chi Jun chuckled, placed his hands on his knees, and bent down to look at her:
"Don't just say sorry, you've taken advantage of everything, shouldn't you do something practical?"
Perhaps traumatized by his "overprotective" demeanor, Xu Qingzhou instinctively took a half-step back, staring at his suddenly approaching face, before asking:
What concrete actions do you want?
Chi Jun raised the corner of his mouth slightly.
"How about this, treat me to dinner."
After a long day, and with it so late, it would be quite a hassle to go back and cook.
Xu Qingzhou nodded seriously without much thought.
Okay, what would you like to eat?
Chi Jun walked forward with his hands in his pockets, swaggering ahead.
"Let me take a look around first."
*
In the end, the two went to a beef noodle shop and each ordered a bowl of noodles.
It was almost 8 p.m. when we came out after dinner.
The ramen shop isn't far from the rental compound; it's about a 20-minute walk at a leisurely pace, perfect for digesting your food.
So, Chi Jun and Xu Qingzhou walked back.
In just ten minutes, after turning a corner, the two looked into the distance and saw a brightly lit sign on the roadside that read "[Tai'an Internet Celebrity Night Market]".
It must have been set up recently.
Xu Qingzhou was still thinking about going back to do her homework, but seeing that Chi Jun seemed interested in it, she didn't want to spoil the mood and followed him inside.
Besides selling all kinds of snacks from all over the country, they also sell shoes, clothes, and even flowers, birds, and small pets.
As Xu Qingzhou passed by a small pet stall, a snow-white little rabbit suddenly pounced at her feet. It looked round and chubby, and was incredibly cute.
Xu Qingzhou couldn't help but stop and reach out to pat the rabbit's little head.
Upon seeing this, the stall owners nearby immediately started calling out to customers.
"Hey beautiful, wanna buy one? It's 68 each, a very auspicious number."
Xu Qingzhou was indeed somewhat tempted.
But think about it, 68 yuan is almost her food expenses for a week.
Xu Qingzhou pursed her lips, about to shake her head, when she was suddenly gently patted on the shoulder.
Xu Qingzhou turned around and, by the dim, murky light of the stall next to her, saw Zheng Yangshu standing behind her, smiling at her.
She took out paper and pen, about to write "What a coincidence," when she saw Zheng Yangshu turn his head and call out to her right:
"elder brother."
Xu Qingzhou turned his head.
Chi Jun walked over carrying two small portions of Qingbuliang (a type of sweet soup). When Zheng Yangshu called him "Brother," he raised the corners of his mouth and nodded slightly.
—Unlike before, it seemed to exude a bit of indifference.
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