dinner
Xu Zhiyi lowered his head and walked quickly, "Nothing, just... a little awkward."
Zhang Ningxia narrowed her eyes, "Really?"
Xu Zhiyi nodded quickly, "Yes."
"Okay, okay."
Since Xu Zhiyi refused to say, Zhang Ningxia didn't want to keep asking her.
—
In the bedroom, Xu Zhiyi quietly saved all the photos that Zhang Ningxia sent her in the dialog box.
Especially that panic photo, it is actually very beautiful.
She slid her fingertips back and forth across the screen, admiring today's beautiful photos.
Zhang Ningxia sent a message after a while. She glanced at it and was about to reply.
"Xu Zhiyi! Have you finished your homework?" Father's voice came from the living room, like a basin of cold water poured over your head.
She hurriedly locked the screen and stuffed the phone under the pillow, "I'll be there soon!"
The desk lamp cast a pale light on the math exercise book.
Xu Zhiyi bit the pen cap, and the function letters in front of him were distorted into blurry symbols.
The message Zhang Ningxia sent ten minutes ago still lingered in his mind: "Want to go to the library together this weekend? There's a new milk tea shop that just opened."
When footsteps were heard in the living room, Xu Zhiyi immediately straightened his back and had no time to care about the news.
When her father Xu Wangping pushed the door open, she was working on the last big problem on the draft paper.
He stood behind her and watched her for a full minute, his breathing heavy and slow.
"I heard Zhou Yu'an is back in school. Have you talked to him about his studies?"
Xu Zhiyi gripped the pen tightly and spoke in a low voice.
"It wasn't too late. Time was too short."
"So what I told you before, you just ignored it, right?"
"I told you to prepare well and learn from him. He's the top student in the province. More communication and contact will always be beneficial."
"The math problem you prepared last time..."
Once Xu Wangping starts nagging, he can hardly stop.
Xu Zhiyi stared at the formulas in the exercise book, his fingertips trembling slightly.
"Dad," she interrupted suddenly, "why hasn't my mom come back yet?"
Xu Wangping stopped talking and subconsciously continued, "Yeah, what's wrong with your mother? It's already so late, and she hasn't come back yet."
Xu Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief. After diverting his attention, his father at least wouldn't mention Zhou Yu'an endlessly.
In the halo of the desk lamp, the shadows of the father and daughter were cast on the wall, one sitting and the other standing.
The phone vibrated under the pillow.
Xu Zhiyi glanced at the bed and then quickly looked away.
Xu Wangping took out his cell phone, dialed the number, and walked out.
"Why haven't you come back yet?"
Xu Zhiyi pricked up his ears and listened carefully to the conversation in the living room, the tip of his pen making a rustling sound on the paper.
In less than a minute, Xu Wangping hurried in and said.
"Well, your mother is on duty again tonight, I'm going downstairs to buy some groceries."
Xu Zhiyi raised his head and asked tentatively, "Dad, should I go buy it?"
"Just do your homework well, and you don't have to worry about anything else." After saying that, Xu Wangping took out the key from the shoe cabinet, changed his shoes and went out.
After confirming that the other party had really gone out, Xu Zhiyi took out his cell phone.
Zhang Ningxia sent another message.
"Look at the new skirt my mom bought me. It's light blue, like the starry sky. Isn't it pretty?"
She stared at the picture for a long time, then typed and sent it.
"It looks good, especially suits you."
Outside, the early summer breeze lifted a corner of the curtains. Xu Zhiyi turned to a new page in her exercise book and continued to work hard.
The phone vibrated again.
【About to drive a tank】: Are you free tomorrow?
Xu Zhiyi stared at the screen, his knuckles turning white.
It would take her father no more than twenty minutes to go shopping, so she had to come up with a plan before then.
She quickly replied to Zhang Ningxia: "Do me a favor, can you give me a call on Saturday afternoon?"
The other party replied immediately: “?”
"Just say... let's do homework together and talk to your mother."
Zhang Ningxia sent a smirking expression: "Got it."
There was the sound of a key being inserted into the lock.
Xu Zhiyi stuffed his phone back under his pillow and pressed the tip of his pen heavily on the draft paper.
When Xu Wangping came in carrying the dishes, she was frowning at the last question.
He glanced at her homework book and his expression visibly relaxed.
On Saturday afternoon, Xu Zhiyi took the initiative to clean up the dishes: "Dad, Zhang Ningxia asked me to go to the library this afternoon."
Xu Wangping paused while wiping the table. "What are you going to do?"
"Let's do our homework together." She turned on the faucet, and the sound of running water covered up her heartbeat.
The phone rang on time in the afternoon. Xu Zhiyi deliberately turned on the hands-free mode. Zhang Ningxia's voice was clear and loud: "Zhiyi, I'm here. Can you come over now?"
Xu Wangping looked up from behind the newspaper: "Leave me the contact information of your classmates' parents."
"Okay." She quickly wrote down Zhang Ningxia's phone number on a piece of paper and then grabbed her schoolbag. "I might be back late."
Xu Wangping sternly warned her, "No later than six o'clock."
"Know!"
The moment the door closed, Xu Zhiyi ran downstairs.
When she ran to the gate of the community, Zhang Ningxia was hiding in the shade and waving at her.
"Zhiyi, here!"
Xu Zhiyi ran over and saw a bicycle parked in the corner.
Zhang Ningxia immediately sat in it and patted the back seat. "See, am I really considerate? I'm afraid the car will be too hot and you won't be comfortable sitting there."
Xu Zhiyi praised her enthusiastically, "Yes, yes, that's very thoughtful. Hurry up, hurry up, my dad asked me to come back before 6 o'clock in the evening, and I don't have much time left."
Xu Zhiyi jumped into the car, and her skirt was blown up by the wind.
She suddenly lowered her voice: "My dad might call your mom."
Zhang Ningxia slammed on the brakes: "What?"
"That's your mother's phone number..."
Zhang Ningxia's eyes instantly relaxed. "My mom, that's okay. She knows I came to see you. We'll take a video for her at the library entrance. There will definitely be no problem."
"Oh, I see." Xu Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief.
At the door of the milk tea shop, Xu Zhiyi suddenly froze. Song Chengrui was standing in the queue.
He turned and saw them and nodded.
Zhang Ningxia poked her in the back: "Your photo-taking boy."
Xu Zhiyi clutched the strap of her schoolbag and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense."
At the door of the milk tea shop, Xu Zhiyi stared at the back of Song Chengrui's head, and his heartbeat suddenly quickened.
She lowered her head and pretended to adjust the strap of her schoolbag, her fingers unconsciously tightening.
Thinking of what happened at school last time, Xu Zhiyi suddenly put some change in Zhang Ningxia's hand.
"Song Chengrui helped me last time, so I'll ask him this time. You go buy it."
"OK, I'll go line up and you find a seat." Zhang Ningxia winked at her and quickly joined the line.
Xu Zhiyi chose a corner by the window and took out his cell phone from his schoolbag.
The moment the screen lit up, a game push notification popped up: [Your friend "L" is waiting for you on Morning Island].
She bit her lower lip and quickly opened the app with the wings icon.
As Song Chengrui turned around with his milk tea in hand, he saw the transparent wings spread out on Xu Zhiyi's screen. The familiar starry sky background made him pause.
"Don't you want to play this game?" He suddenly appeared at the table.
Xu Zhiyi's hands trembled, and she locked the screen in panic. "That Ningxia asked me to try it, I was just curious."
Zhang Ningxia trotted over, three cups of milk tea dangling from the tray. "What are you guys talking about?"
"The Jungle Book." Song Chengrui pointed at Xu Zhiyi's mobile phone screen.
"No!" Xu Zhiyi blurted out, his ears burning.
If her father knew that she played games without finishing her homework, he would probably replace her smartphone with an old one.
Song Chengrui pulled out a chair and sat down.
Xu Zhiyi suddenly put a cup of milk tea in front of Song Chengrui, and Song Chengrui was a little surprised.
"This is……"
Xu Zhiyi was a little shy. "This is for you. Didn't you help me last time? This is a thank you."
"No need." Song Chengrui pushed it back.
"Use it." Xu Zhiyi insisted that he accept it.
Zhang Ningxia chuckled: "You guys have fun, I'm going to shoot the vlog."
She winked at Xu Zhiyi, motioning him to hand her phone over, and then she slipped to the dessert table holding her phone.
Xu Zhiyi looked at Zhang Ningxia's back as she ran away, and quietly unlocked her phone under the table with her fingertips.
The game interface remained under the starry sky of Morning Island, and a message from friend "L" hung in the center of the screen: [Are you coming again today?]
Song Chengrui caught a glimpse of her movements and suddenly stood up: "Forget it, you guys go play."
Xu Zhiyi looked up suddenly: "So fast?"
"Well, there's something else." Song Chengrui said in a light tone, pushing the milk tea back in front of her, "No need for a thank you gift, it's just a small favor."
Xu Zhiyi opened his mouth but couldn't say anything to persuade him to stay, so he could only pick up the milk tea again and hand it over.
"I bought it for you, just take it."
Song Chengrui hesitated for a moment and took the milk tea.
Water droplets condensed on the wall of the plastic cup, and the coolness seeped into my fingertips.
"Thank you." He turned and left, his back blending into the dazzling light.
Zhang Ningxia slid back, holding her phone: "Why did he leave?"
Xu Zhiyi stared at the game interface: "I don't know."
Another message popped up on the screen: [Are you in trouble? ]
She quickly replied: [No, I was busy just now.]
Zhang Ningxia came over: "Who are you talking to?"
Xu Zhiyi locked the screen: "Friends in the game."
"Oh?" Zhang Ningxia drawled out her tone. "More interesting than Song Chengrui?"
Xu Zhiyi poked her forehead: "What nonsense are you talking about."
In fact, Xu Zhiyi had finished her homework long ago. She quickly opened her mobile phone and found that her friend had been waiting for her for a while.
【Sorry, something delayed me.】
L: It’s okay.
According to the agreement between the two, they went to see Rainbow Falls and the latest meteor shower together.
After playing for about two hours, "L" suddenly sent a message.
[I guess I won't be free tomorrow. I have to go out.]
Xu Zhiyi looked at the message list and tapped with his finger.
【good. 】
I was halfway through my milk tea when my phone vibrated.
Message from my father: [It's half past five, time to get ready to come back.]
She stood up suddenly: "My dad is urging me, I have to go!"
Zhang Ningxia curled her lips: "It's only been a short time."
"You know my dad's temper." Xu Zhiyi hurriedly packed his schoolbag.
I pushed open the door and saw my father sitting on the sofa: "Have you finished your homework?"
"Almost." She lowered her head to change her shoes.
Xu Wangping frowned: "Is the library so inefficient?"
"It's a bit noisy because there are so many people." She slipped into the room and locked the door.
Dusk deepened outside the window, and the phone screen glowed faintly in the dim room.
The wing pattern on the game icon looks like it is about to fly.
After dinner, Xu Wangping knocked on the door and came in. He looked at Xu Zhiyi with a heavy expression.
"You've been absent-minded lately. Is there something wrong?"
Xu Zhiyi shook his head: "No, maybe it's because the midterm exam is coming up, and I'm a little nervous."
Xu Wangping's expression softened a bit. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Follow the study plan I chose for you. That's how Zhou Yu'an got the provincial top scorer."
He reached out to touch his daughter's head, but Xu Zhiyi subconsciously dodged slightly, and this action made her father's hand freeze in mid-air.
"Wash up early and get some rest." Xu Wangping withdrew his hand and turned to leave. "You'll still have to get up at seven tomorrow. I've made a new study schedule."
After the door was closed, Xu Zhiyi slumped on the bed with his palms full of sweat.
She took out her phone and saw an unread message on the screen from Zhang Ningxia:
[Today Song Chengrui asked me why you left so suddenly. He seemed to care about you a lot~]
Xu Zhiyi stared at the message, and the images of water droplets on Song Chengrui's fingertips when he took the milk tea and his back as he turned and left emerged in his mind.
She replied: [Don't talk nonsense, he was just asking politely.]
Zhang Ningxia replied immediately: [Come on, he looks at you differently. But by the way, how are you chatting with your friends in the game?]
Xu Zhiyi's finger hovered above the screen.
She never told anyone, including Zhang Ningxia, how she felt about L.
She finally replied: [It’s OK.]
Putting down his phone, Xu Zhiyi looked at the ceiling, but felt that this was the time that truly belonged to him.
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