Jealousy arose
Zhou Qingchi got off the elevator first and stood aside to hold the elevator door open for the two girls.
Bai Yi'an and Chen Wanyi were flattered and thanked him repeatedly. The two walked quickly ahead of Zhou Qingchi, their heads close together as they discussed in hushed tones.
"Hiss, is Qi Wang going to confess his feelings? Why doesn't this handsome guy stop him? Could they really be friends?" Chen Wanyi asked three questions in a row.
Bai Yi'an covered her mouth, "Didn't you see his eyes? It's obvious that he and Xia Xia are still in the ambiguous stage, and it's not official."
Chen Wanyi was a little confused. Weren't they supposed to have grown up together? This ambiguous period was going on for a while.
The three of them went straight out of the office building. The sun was blazing at just past two o'clock. Zhou Qingchi led the two to a shady spot and then looked down at his phone, scrolling through WeChat over and over again, inexplicably making up for the likes he hadn't received from his friends.
As if her fingers had a mind of their own, she realized she had already tapped into her chat with Bai Yixia. Zhou Qingchi looked at the Samoyed with the charming smile that Bai Yixia had sent, and for some reason felt an unusual aversion to it. She wanted to long-press and delete it, but she couldn't bear to part with even the slightest trace of her.
This is strange.
Why hasn't Bai Yixia contacted him yet to ask him to come to the rescue? Did she change her mind after starting university and want to try what it's like to be in a relationship?
My emotions are in turmoil with nowhere to vent, so I can only keep them bottled up inside.
"Um... handsome guy?" An unfamiliar voice rang in his ears. Zhou Qingchi subconsciously turned off the screen. The image of Bai Yixia's smile when facing her roommate flashed through his mind. Then, he slightly curled the corners of his mouth and turned his head to look.
He thought his attitude was flawless; after more than a decade of practice, he was extremely skilled at it. But the girl in front of him still avoided his gaze. Zhou Qingchi had to remind himself to be more sincere with his smile and asked gently, "What's wrong?"
The girl, whose surname was either Bai or Chen, said somewhat shyly, "We don't know how much longer Xiaxia will stay up there, so we're planning to head back now. We're really starving. We sent her a message, but it might be inconvenient for her to reply right now, so we thought we'd let you know too."
One sentence hit all his sore spots. Zhou Qingchi felt he couldn't keep up the smile, but the person in front of him was Bai Yixia's friend. He could only pretend to think for a while and then replied half-jokingly, "How about we stay a little longer? Xia shouldn't take too long. We can have a meal together later. If I just let you go like this, she might complain about me later."
The girl muttered something under her breath, but Zhou Qingchi didn't hear it clearly. He only caught fragments of words like "alone," "two people," and "third wheel."
Zhou Qingchi felt his attention was about to wander again. What if Xia came down alone later? If they were holding hands, would he still be able to smile? That Samoyed was really annoying to look at.
Being distracted wouldn't solve the problem. The girl in front of him was still talking. After a few casual words, Zhou Qingchi smiled helplessly, shook his phone, and thought about what Bai Yixia would do. He said in a friendly but hypocritical tone, "Then at least let me call a taxi for you."
Without waiting for a refusal, Zhou Qingchi placed the order first. The girl smiled blankly and then kept saying thank you.
The driver was still quite far away, and Zhou Qingchi regretted not canceling the order when he accepted it. He could only stand aside and listen to the two girls chatting. These two seemed to be very outgoing; they had seemed a bit awkward before, but now they were actively bringing him up, asking how he knew their school's address so well and whether he often helped Bai Yixia hail a taxi.
Zhou Qingchi was touched on the point where he was willing to talk, and his smile finally showed more of his own sincerity. "I often treat her to some snacks, so I'm actually more familiar with the addresses of takeout orders."
The girl laughed and agreed, "Yeah, yeah, Xiaxia is just like a hamster, always chewing and chewing, but she never gets too fat no matter how much she eats. I'm so envious."
Zhou Qingchi laughed: "It's probably genetic; her mother is the same way."
"Yes, Xiaxia said that too."
Zhou Qingchi lost interest in the rest of the conversation and simply smiled and brushed it off.
Time stretched on and on. Towards the end, Zhou Qingchi checked his watch almost ten times a minute. Twice he checked the driver's progress, and the rest he wondered why Bai Yixia hadn't come downstairs yet. Had that Qi Wang confessed successfully? Or was he just outwardly gentle, actually like those men who get angry and resentful after being rejected?
Zhou Qingchi almost stepped into the building again, but fortunately the sensor door opened and Bai Yixia appeared in front of him, without any strangers following behind.
However, the expression on her face was not one of joy, but rather one of sadness.
Why?
Is it that her hopes are not met, or is she still resisting romantic relationships?
Zhou Qingchi couldn't understand it, but seeing Bai Yixia was enough to make him happy. He felt the corners of his mouth automatically turn up, and all the irritability and gloom in his heart disappeared. He waved to Bai Yixia, "Xia!"
Bai Yixia hesitated for only a few seconds. She was an optimist by nature and rarely experienced sadness. After only a few seconds, she composed herself and happily ran towards Zhou Qingchi.
She smiled at him with her eyes crinkling, "Sorry, Brother Zhou, have you been waiting long?"
Seeing Zhou Qingchi shake his head without any displeasure on his face, Bai Yixia actually felt somewhat dissatisfied.
She tried her best to shake off such thoughts, and looked around again, "Where are Xiaobai and Xiaowan?"
"Here it is." Bai Yi'an waved to her; a ride-hailing car was already parked in front of her. "Xiaxia, come here."
Bai Yixia was confused and could only ask Zhou Qingchi to wait for her. She walked over to Bai Yi'an in a few steps. As soon as she got there, Bai Yi'an put her arm around her shoulder and pressed her down, whispering, "Interrogation": "Oh my god, why didn't you say you had a handsome childhood sweetheart? If you had said so earlier, I wouldn't have given Qi Wang any hope. Did it affect your relationship?"
Bai Yixia touched the tip of her nose guiltily, "Um...you guys haven't asked! And he and I aren't a couple..."
Bai Yi'an gasped, staring at him in disbelief. "Seriously? I could tell you liked him." Intrigued, she added, "Should I—"
"No need!" Bai Yixia interrupted abruptly, then added, "Don't worry, I've already made plans, I'll just wait for National Day."
Her eyes were full of smugness. "I'll definitely give you good news then."
Bai Yi'an could only say "okay" in disappointment.
"We'll be leaving now, so as not to disturb your time together," Chen Wanyi said, leaning out of the car window after getting in.
Bai Yixia frowned. "I should have seen your message earlier, asking you to come and help. I should have been the one taking a taxi."
Chen Wanyi waved her hand, "It's the same whether it was your childhood friend who hit him or not. Please thank him for us, he's a very nice person."
Bai Yixia immediately relayed this message, jokingly saying, "Brother Qingchi, you're such a good person."
Zhou Qingchi chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Of course I have to treat your friend well."
Whether it was because of Qi Wang's confession or not, Bai Yixia felt a burning desire in her heart, and she almost blurted out "I like you."
But the words caught in his throat as he recalled the gossip, and Qi Wang's analysis of his unrequited love weighed heavily on his heart, leaving him speechless for a moment. Under Zhou Qingchi's questioning gaze, he could only manage to squeeze out the question: "What should we eat for lunch?"
-
The two eventually went to eat hot pot, which provided enough food and ample time for them to talk.
It was just a bit too much. When Bai Yixia walked out of the hot pot restaurant, she still felt the last piece of hot pot noodles in her throat, so she complained to Zhou Qingchi with a lot of indignation, "I ate the whole plate of potatoes you ordered by myself!"
Zhou Qingchi was also feeling a bit full. He glanced at Bai Yixia and turned to go back into the store.
Bai Yixia hurriedly grabbed him, "What are you doing? Are you trying to atone for your sins?"
Zhou Qingchi looked at her with an ambiguous expression and slowly said, "No, I just want to get the receipt so that the fried tofu puffs, fried meatballs, and braised chicken feet on it can recognize their real relatives."
Bai Yixia immediately backed down, abruptly releasing Zhou Qingchi's hand and muttering, "It's all already in your stomach, what else can we do?"
Zhou Qingchi looked at her nervously, "What if they keep clamoring to see you?"
The topic was so off-topic and hilarious that neither of them could escape bursting into laughter. What was even more distressing was that they had just finished eating and dared not laugh out loud, fearing that any sudden emotional fluctuations in their stomachs would result in a mushy meal.
The hot pot restaurant is located by the river, and the subway station is just a short walk away. Although it's a bit far, it's perfect for their digestion needs.
The two walked side by side along the riverbank. This area wasn't in the city center, and there were no railings along the river. Zhou Qingchi walked on the inside, placing Bai Yixia on the outside.
By the end of September, the willow leaves along the riverbank were slowly turning yellow, while the leaves remaining on the branches were still green. Bai Yixia spoke, feeling a bit sleepy after eating, so she bent down and stepped on the fallen leaves, humming the theme song for Sergov's character.
It wasn't too remote, but there weren't many people around at this time. Bai Yixia occasionally glanced at Zhou Qingchi walking beside her, then looked up at the long road ahead, and felt that the scene was too leisurely, as if they had been together for a long time, and that strolling aimlessly after dinner was the most inconspicuous but enduring happiness in life.
Bai Yixia smiled and her eyes crinkled with happiness.
"Xia Xia".
Zhou Qingchi called out to her at this moment. Bai Yixia looked over curiously. His expression was blocked by a few branches, but his voice was crystal clear.
Do you want to be in a relationship?
Bai Yixia's mind went blank for a moment, her heart felt like it had been put into a carbonated drink, shaking violently and producing many bubbles. Her steps involuntarily stopped, and her eyes widened in shock.
Zhou Qingchi pushed aside the willow branches, seemingly thinking that she hadn't heard his question clearly, and then slowly and steadily repeated it.
"Xia, do you want to be in a relationship now?"
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