Chapter 12 Goodbye
A week later.
It took Jiang Bai a week to recover from her trip to Damei Mountain, but she was still thinking about the scenery during the trip. If possible, she would like to climb Damei Mountain again and experience it again.
Two days on the weekend is still too short. Some colleagues also said that there are hot springs and ski resorts on Damei Mountain, but unfortunately Jiang Bai has never seen them.
It was still Friday, and Jiang Bai went to work as usual. Because there were a lot of documents recently, Jiang Bai was very busy at work and had basically no time to rest. However, he could still finish the work at hand every day and did not need to work overtime. This was the best.
When passing by the middle school, Jiang Bai thought that since it was Friday, she might as well buy some food to reward herself. However, the food she ate was just braised dishes. Unlike other times, this time she bought more, including duck legs.
"Jiang Bai."
A familiar voice sounded, and Jiang Bai subconsciously turned his head, and saw Lan Shuqing standing on the street. She was wearing a thin khaki top, blue jeans, black hair and black eyes. Her pair of peach blossom eyes were beautiful and bright. The young girl looked very attractive.
After not seeing each other for a week, Jiang Bai was stunned for a moment and didn't react for a moment. She walked to Lan Shuqing with the braised dishes in her hand, only to find that he was carrying a schoolbag. It was this schoolbag that made her think that Lan Shuqing was still a student.
Before the two of them could say anything, a girl came over and put her arm around Lan Shuqing's shoulders. "Shuqing, what are you doing? Let's go have some barbecue."
Lan Shu glanced at Xie Rong and then at Jiang Bai.
Xie Rong noticed the young lady in front of Lan Shuqing. She had a fair complexion. Although her appearance was not stunning, she felt very comfortable. She smiled and asked, "Which class are you from? Why haven't I seen you before?"
Jiang Bai laughed when he heard this, "I'm not a student."
Xie Rong looked at Lan Shuqing doubtfully. Lan Shuqing hid the smirk on her face and said to Xie Rong, "It's a sister I just met. We made an appointment to go shopping today, and she came to pick me up."
Jiang Bai looked at Lan Shuqing, wondering why she said that.
Xie Rong exclaimed, "Ah!" She turned sideways and pointed behind her, "Chen Zhaolin and the others..."
Lan Shuqing pulled Xie Rong's hand down and held Jiang Bai, "That's it, we'll leave first, you guys have fun." As he spoke, he pulled Jiang Bai's hand, as if to let her leave quickly.
Jiang Bai didn't understand what was going on. The electric scooter was parked on the side of the road. Lan Shuqing pulled her to the side of the electric scooter, hung the braised dishes on the hook in front, put on her helmet, took out the key and started the car. Jiang Bai sat on it, and Lan Shuqing sat behind her and hugged Jiang Bai's waist. The electric scooter could still carry one person.
Xie Rong watched Lan Shuqing get on a small electric scooter and disappear in a short while.
A few students came over and asked, "Xie Rong, where is Lan Shuqing?"
Xie Rong pointed blankly in the direction the two people left, "left with a sister..."
There were a lot of students around, coming and going. Because there were so many people, Jiang Bai rode slowly, but no matter how slow he was, he was out of the street in a short while.
But Jiang Bai didn't know where to go. The hands on her waist made her body stiff, but there was no way to let Lan Shuqing let go. Jiang Bai asked Lan Shuqing while riding her bike, "Lan Shuqing, where are you going?"
Jiang Bai guessed that Lan Shuqing followed her because she didn't want to stay with her classmates. She had never been interested in other people's affairs, so she didn't ask.
Lan Shuqing was very satisfied with Jiang Bai's tacit agreement that they should be together. She leaned on Jiang Bai's back and felt that Jiang Bai was a little uncomfortable, but she just wanted it this way. Anyway, after a week in Dameishan and no contact, Lan Shuqing already knew that Jiang Bai was not such a proactive person.
After the two broke up, there was no news from each other. Lan Shuqing felt like he had just spent a fake weekend.
If it weren't for the chat records with Jiang Bai and the photos taken in Damei Mountain on his phone, Lan Shuqing almost thought he was hallucinating.
Many times, Lan Shuqing stared at the photos taken on her phone in a daze. When she took the photo of Jiang Bai, she used her own phone. In the photo, the woman was standing in the halo and looking at the sky quietly. The sunlight hit her face, and her expression could not be seen clearly, but it could be felt that she was relaxed, even a little detached.
Lan Shuqing couldn't explain how she felt, but she didn't want to lose contact with Jiang Bai just like that. They happened to meet again today.
With the idea that it is better to do it today than to wait, Lan Shuqing took the initiative to greet Jiang Bai.
Thinking of this, Lan Shuqing straightened up and took out his cell phone, "Wait for me to see."
It's still early, only half past six, so it's the perfect time to go eat. "Jiang Bai, let's go eat. Is there anything you want to eat?"
Jiang Bai thought about it and replied, "Either is fine."
Lan Shu patted Jiang Bai's shoulder lightly, "It's okay if you don't want it. Come on, think about what to eat."
The electric scooter was moving slowly on the road. Jiang Bai was paying attention to the road conditions and asked, "Where is your home? Let's pick one that's close to you."
Lan Shu thought about the area near her home and found nothing to eat. However, there was a shopping mall. She searched for food there. There were hot pot, soup pot, Thai food, Japanese food, Sukiyaki, grilled fish... There were many options. "Let's go eat hot pot!"
One person rode a bike while the other gave directions, and they arrived at their destination in more than ten minutes. This shopping mall, Jiang Bai's and Lan Shuqing's homes formed a triangle.
It wasn't even seven o'clock yet, but there were already quite a lot of people at Lao Hotpot. Lan Shuqing originally wanted a private room, but was told that it would take more than an hour to wait for a room. If they could just find a seat outside, somewhere quieter on the side, it would be faster. Lan Shuqing thought that was okay, and with the Lao Hotpot premium membership card, they arrived in about ten minutes.
The location was indeed quite remote. There were dozens or even hundreds of seats for the hotpot. Jiang Bai and Lan Shuqing sat at the innermost seat near the edge. Lan Shuqing sat on the side against the wall, while Jiang Bai had his back to everyone. They both agreed on this point; the corner seat was quiet.
Lao Hotpot is famous for its good service and expensive dishes. Jiang Bai has eaten there several times, mostly during team gatherings. She couldn't eat hotpot when she went out alone. This was her first time eating Lao Hotpot with a friend. Jiang Bai looked up at Lan Shuqing. Should they be considered friends?
Lan Shu scanned the QR code to place her order. She ordered half portions of popular dishes, all meat, with no vegetarian options. She handed her phone to Jiang Bai, "Jiang Bai, take a look at what you want to eat and order some more."
Jiang Bai took her phone and clicked on the dishes she had ordered. There were four squares of butter and tomato soup base, beef, tripe... five meats, and she didn't order any of the others. She added chicken feet and ordered a few vegetarian dishes, then handed them to Lan Shuqing, "I've ordered."
Lan Shu flipped through the dishes, then looked up at Jiang Bai and said with a smile, "I'll order some soy milk. What would you like to drink?"
“Soy milk is fine.”
Jiang Bai wiped her hands with a damp cloth and set them aside, waiting for the waiter to collect them. Her phone lit up and she picked it up. There was a new message in the work group. She looked up at Lan Shuqing, only to see him staring at her. Jiang Bai put her phone down and asked, "Do you come to this store often?"
As soon as he arrived at the mall, Lan Shuqing easily found the location for the hot pot.
Lan Shu chuckled, "Not really, maybe once a month." Either with friends or with family. One of her friends particularly likes hot pot, but Lan Shuqing doesn't like spicy food very much. Hot pot has a lighter taste and more varieties, which just meets the needs of both of them.
Once a month was considered frequent. Today was the first time Jiang Bai had heard about the priority privileges offered by hot pot memberships. She didn't eat out often, so she didn't know about these things. But if she ate hot pot, wouldn't the braised vegetables she bought be wasted? She glanced at Lan Shuqing, who was looking down at her phone. Xie Rong asked her on WeChat: Who is that sister?
Why did you leave with her?
I've never seen it before
Messages came one by one. Lan Shu raised his eyebrows and replied: I met her not long ago. My sister has social anxiety and doesn’t play with people she doesn’t know well.
Xie Rong's eyes twitched slightly over there. They were all strangers before they met. What was wrong with Lan Shuqing? She was a sister but she was hiding something from her.
Jiang Bai has already taken out the vegetarian dishes and chopped duck legs from the bag. Both are packed in boxes. He opens the lid, puts the lid back into the bag, and then puts it aside. He puts the two boxes aside, and then he can eat both hot pot and braised dishes.
Lan Shuqing ignored Xie Rong. She raised her head, shifting her gaze from the two boxes to Jiang Bai. She propped her chin up and asked directly, "Jiang Bai, why didn't you send me a message?"
Jiang Bai was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Lan Shuqing to ask this out of the blue. A wave of heat rose from his chest to his head. Jiang Bai pretended to be calm and touched the bowl. His expression was expressionless and his voice was steady. "I'm socially anxious and I don't know how to chat."
Lan Shuqing paused. He didn't expect that Jiang Bai had also used the same excuse he had just used. However... Lan Shuqing deliberately put on a stern face: "But I thought we were friends. Shouldn't friends keep in touch often?"
Jiang Bai's eyes widened slightly. She looked at Lan Shuqing and said "Ah" in her heart. She subconsciously followed Lan Shuqing's words, "Then I don't know what to talk to you about..."
Lan Shu hummed softly, "Then I will send you a message in the future, and you have to send me a message too."
Jiang Bai didn't understand and asked, "Aren't you still in your third year of high school? Do you have time to chat?"
"I'm not looking for you during the day," Lan Shuqing said. "I'll find you after class."
"Just ask if you agree or not?!"
The little girl looked serious. Jiang Bai silently said the word "friend" in his mind and replied, "Okay." After that, she became curious, "You said you have good grades, how good are they?"
Lan Shu raised his chin slightly and said, "Top ten in the grade, I guess."
The little girl's pride suddenly came out, and Jiang Bai smiled, "That's good."
Lan Shuqing also smiled, propping up her chin. "Why, are you worried about me?" It wasn't like Jiang Bai's grades would drop just because he chatted and had a meal. Jiang Bai was really an old-fashioned person. Lan Shuqing wanted to tease him again, "Jiang Bai, if you're so worried about my studies, why don't I go to your place this weekend and you supervise me while I study? How about that?"
Jiang Bai was genuinely stunned. She looked at Lan Shuqing, who didn't seem to be pretending, and mumbled, "It's not convenient for me..."
Lan Shuqing then asked, "Do you live with your parents?"
Jiang Bai exclaimed, "Ah!" and replied, "I live alone."
Lan Shuqing's eyes lit up again, "That's it!"
Seeing the other person's expression that said "you live alone, take me with you", Jiang Bai called her name helplessly, "Lan Shuqing."
Helpless and full of reluctance, Lan Shuqing did not hesitate and said magnanimously: "Okay, okay, I'll go again when I have the chance. Forget it this time."
It was as if he owed her something. Jiang Bai stared at Lan Shuqing. The little girl still looked fearless and smiled at her. Jiang Bai was defeated and lowered his head to fiddle with the dishes.
Lan Shu thought lightly, it’s really fun.
Just then, the pot they ordered arrived, along with various seasonings and the two empty bowls Jiang Bai had requested. The waiter put everything away and asked if they wanted beef broth, which they both requested. Jiang Bai pushed the seasoning bowl towards Lan Shuqing, indicating that she should go first. Lan Shuqing didn't hesitate, and waited until she was done before Jiang Bai added the seasoning and placed the bowl on a wooden rack to the side.
So, just wait for the food to be served.
Jiang Bai sat there straight, his hands on the table, his eyes occasionally glancing at the two boxes beside him, a little reserved, a little well-behaved, and a little... Lan Shuqing suddenly picked up the chopsticks and reached towards the two boxes.
From the moment Lan Shuqing moved her chopsticks, Jiang Bai's eyes followed the chopsticks, which made it convenient for Lan Shuqing to observe her expression. She was staring with incredible surprise.
Lan Shu picked up a piece of potato chips and ate it slowly. It tasted pretty good. No wonder Jiang Bai always went to that store to buy it. It was just a little spicy. Jiang Bai really liked spicy food and could eat spicy food.
After eating the potato chips, Lan Shuqing picked up the tea and took a sip. It was a bit spicy for her.
Jiang Bai watched Lan Shu eat her braised dish lightly. She didn't even take the first bite. Today was Friday, a rare Friday, so she bought it to reward herself. Although she was a little reluctant, Lan Shu ate it lightly. She couldn't let her spit it out, so Jiang Bai lowered her eyes and endured it.
Lan Shuqing watched her reaction with amusement, then coughed lightly, "Jiang Bai, this braised dish is quite delicious, don't you want to try it?"
Jiang Bai looked up at Lan Shuqing before picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat.
Somehow, Lan Shuqing felt that Jiang Bai's eyes were a little resentful. She secretly raised the corners of her mouth and thought it was even funnier.
Soon, all the ordered dishes were served and the hot pot was boiling, and then it was time for a pleasant hot pot. Jiang Bai was not very familiar with Lan Shuqing, and she seemed reserved and polite because she was already socially anxious, but the temptation of food was there, so she didn't hesitate.
Lan Shuqing soon realized that Jiang Bai seemed to like eating very much. She would eat whatever the dish was. She was completely relaxed while eating. Lan Shuqing stopped teasing her. After all, he had already teased her twice, and it would be bad to scare her again.
Finally, Lan Shuqing came to the conclusion that Jiang Bai was a big eater.
Noticing Lan Shuqing put down her chopsticks again, Jiang Bai looked up. Unlike herself, Lan Shuqing ate with elegant movements and was well-educated, unlike her. However, the young lady seemed to eat a little less. Jiang Bai couldn't help but ask, "Lan Shuqing, do you eat so little?"
Lan Shu glanced at her lightly and said, "No." Then he picked up the chopsticks again and skillfully picked up a piece of beef.
Because she often eats hot pot with friends, her friend is not a polite person. Sometimes the food in the pot is gone before Lan Shuqing starts eating. Over time, Lan Shuqing will occasionally grab the food, but she doesn't have this idea with Jiang Bai. Since Jiang Bai can eat enough, let her eat more.
After Lan Shuqing finished eating a piece of beef, Jiang Bai started serving the vegetarian dishes. Before serving, he specifically asked Lan Shuqing if it was okay; of course Lan Shuqing agreed.
Then Jiang Bai ate while silently picking up food for Lan Shu, of course, using serving chopsticks.
The two of them ate a hot pot meal for forty minutes. Neither of them spoke much during the rest of the meal, adhering to the tacit understanding of not talking while eating. After the meal, Jiang Bai's stomach was already round, while Lan Shu was only seven-tenths full, thanks to the braised dishes Jiang Bai bought to share the pressure.
When leaving the hot pot restaurant, Jiang Bai was carrying a black computer bag, a light-colored windbreaker, and gray sweatpants. He looked casual and gentle. Lan Shu glanced at Jiang Bai's waist and abdomen. It seemed to be a little bigger than when he came, but also seemed not to be bigger. Lan Shu quietly withdrew his gaze.
Jiang Bai held up his phone and asked Lan Shuqing, "How much was the bill just now?"
Lan Shu lightly lifted the schoolbag in his hand and slung it over his left shoulder. He said unceremoniously, "260."
Jiang Bai turned around and did a 130, smiling, "Let's split the bill. Next time I'll take you to eat something else."
Lan Shu glanced at her lightly. It seemed that Jiang Bai knew that he ate a lot. Not only did he pick up some food for her, he was also thinking about next time. Otherwise, with her passive personality, she wouldn't take the initiative to look for her. Jiang Bai felt a little guilty when she looked at him, so he turned around and left, "Let's go."
The hot pot restaurant was on the third floor of the mall. As they walked towards the escalator, Jiang Bai glanced at the backpack Lan Shuqing was carrying on his left shoulder. Suddenly, he became curious and asked, "Is it heavy?"
Lan Shuqing handed the bag to her and said, "Try it on."
Jiang Bai picked up the schoolbag and lifted it up. It was almost the same size as her bag. She looked at Lan Shuqing and said, "It's lighter than I thought. You are worthy of being a top student." Then she returned the bag to Lan Shuqing.
Lan Shu chuckled, "Just because a bag is light means it means you're a top student?"
Jiang Bai hummed, then tilted her head to look at Lan Shuqing, "Maybe it's because you don't have enough homework."
Lan Shuqing smiled again. She stepped forward and took Jiang Bai's arm. She could clearly feel him stiffen for a moment, but Lan Shuqing didn't care. "Sister, please take me home."
Sometimes she called her sister, sometimes Jiang Bai. Jiang Bai was already numb to being called that. Even if she corrected him, Lan Shuqing would not listen to her. Frogs will always be boiled in warm water. Jiang Bai nodded, "Okay."
Why are you so obedient? Lan Shu gently pinched Jiang Bai's arm, which was thin and soft. Jiang Bai turned her head and looked at her. Lan Shu smiled lightly and unscrupulously, ignoring her warning and even pinching the soft flesh on her arm again.
Jiang Bai turned around and said, "Okay."
After leaving the mall, Jiang Bai drove Lan Shuqing towards her home. As they walked, she felt something was wrong, and then she suddenly realized that Lan Shuqing's home was in a villa area, which was only about three or four kilometers away from the house she rented. It looked quite high-end when she passed by occasionally.
Soon she arrived at the entrance to the villa complex with Lan Shuqing. On either side of the gate were ancient stone carvings, and on the left was a low wall with the words "Tianlu" written in powerful strokes. Jiang Bai paused, "We're here."
Lan Shuqing got off the electric scooter and didn't leave immediately. Instead, he looked at Jiang Bai and said seriously, "Jiang Bai, we are friends now, right?"
Jiang Bai looked up at Lan Shuqing. The girl's face was still a little childish. Jiang Bai tightened his grip on the handlebars and replied, "Yes, we are friends."
Lan Shu chuckled, "Then remember what I said and send me a message."
Jiang Bai nodded and said "hmm".
Lan Shuqing was satisfied. She said to Jiang Bai, "I'm leaving now." She tapped Jiang Bai's helmet lightly and said, "Good night."
Jiang Bai was suddenly dazzled by Lan Shuqing's sweet smile and subconsciously replied, "Good night." Then he turned around on his electric scooter and disappeared into the night.
Lan Shuqing watched Jiang Bai walk away, then turned and walked towards the door. The security guard at the door opened the door for her. Tianlu is a famous villa community in City A, with a market value of over 10 million and more than a hundred owners. The security guards have to know them all, otherwise it would be bad if other people sneaked into the villa community.
After entering the residential complex, they still had to walk a while before reaching home. Lan Shuqing took out his cell phone and sent a message to Jiang Bai: Be safe and let me know when you get home.
Beep beep!
After walking for two minutes, Lan Shuqing heard a car horn behind her. She turned around and saw a black Porsche pull up beside her. The window rolled down, and a face that looked four points like Lan Shuqing came into view. Lan Shuqing exclaimed in surprise, "Brother, you're back."
Lan Qi hummed, "Get in the car."
Lan Shuqing opened the passenger seat and sat in it. "Do your parents know you're back?"
"Yeah." Lan Qi glanced at her, "Why are you walking back by yourself?" On Fridays, Li Liyue would either pick up Lan Shuqing, or if Li Liyue was not available, she would ask the driver to pick someone up.
Lan Shu chuckled and said, "A friend sent me back."
Lan Qi looked at her doubtfully, "Since we're friends, why didn't you ask her to take you in?"
Lan Shu chuckled, remembering Jiang Bai's hurried departure just now, "Next time."
Lan Qi is five years older than Lan Shuqing and one year older than Jiang Bai. He joined his family's company right after graduating from university. Lan Zhaoting is the chairman and Lan Qi is the general manager. The two men manage the company and the business is booming. Lan Qi has achieved good results in the two years since he joined the company. The Lan family has relatively relaxed requirements for their children. They can do whatever they want without too many restrictions. After hearing what Lan Shuqing said, Lan Qi didn't say anything else.
The next traffic light was red. Jiang Bai stopped by the roadside and took out headphones from his pocket. He was notified that there was a message on WeChat. When he clicked it, he saw Lan Shuqing's instructions. Jiang Bai was silent and replied: OK.
This doesn't look like an eighteen-year-old kid at all. He looks more mature than her. Jiang Bai put away his phone, but couldn't stop recalling Lan Shu's chuckling look in his mind. It was so beautiful.
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