Zhou Zeqi opened the voice message and put it on speaker, tossing his phone aside.
"You, um, are you still growing?"
Zhou Zeqi was sitting on the edge of the bed, his T-shirt half on. Upon hearing the voice message, he quickly pulled it back down, his heart racing at Xi Shui's surprising question.
He typed a reply:
[If you want to know, you can come observe for yourself.]
After sending it, he saw that the other side was typing a response.
Zhou Zeqi could almost picture Xi Shui's flushed face, scratching his head in embarrassment.
After a few seconds, Xi Shui's reply came:
[Maybe not, I'm too embarrassed. If it's really possible to grow, I can just observe myself.]
Zhou Zeqi: "......"
Silly.
-
Xi Shui continued with his classes. The afternoon technique class ended at 3:30, and he stayed in the classroom to practice the solo variation from the last act of The Dancing Girl one more time.
The final act's stage was a slope. He needed to circle the stage once, with mostly grand jumps. The run-up couldn't be too long, the landing had to be stable, and while in the air, he had to maintain the same level of dance movements and character expressions as on the ground.
Simply put, the variation was a solo dance, also a time for dancers to show off their skills.
Xi Shui finished dancing, covered in sweat.
Lin Xiaojin stood up and applauded, "Bravo!"
Xi Shui smiled shyly. It was then that he noticed Yun Chu standing at the back door.
The other boy was holding a book, with a navy canvas bag on his shoulder. Seeing that Xi Shui had noticed him, he knocked on the door, "Sorry, I saw you dancing so intently, so I didn't want to interrupt. Last time you said you'd treat me to a meal, and I happen to have time today. How about today, if that's okay?"
Lin Xiaojin was still in his applauding pose, hands together, bowing slightly, tilting his head to look at the back door, then at Xi Shui. His eyes clearly expressed, "Why are you still in contact with Yun Chu?"
"Hello there," Lin Xiaojin greeted the newcomer, "I'm Meng Kewen's childhood friend, Lin Xiaojin."
Yun Chu stood at the back door, not entering their classroom, "I'm Yun Chu, you know me."
"Right, from that time, you know, that thing, right?" Lin Xiaojin didn't want to say it directly, because when he had helped Xi Shui find a potential partner back then, he still thought Yun Chu's conditions were quite good. Although Xi Shui later chose to pursue Zhou Zeqi on his own, that was fine too. As long as Xi Shui was happy.
Xi Shui picked up his water bottle from the chair, took a big gulp, and then had enough breath to answer Yun Chu, "Sure, I was planning to go to the mall today anyway."
Lin Xiaojin looked at Xi Shui in surprise, "How come I didn't know you were going to the mall?"
"I just decided."
"What are you going to the mall for?"
Xi Shui was too embarrassed to say.
As he bent down to pick up his backpack, he whispered in Lin Xiaojin's ear: "To buy a gift for Zhou Zeqi."
Lin Xiaojin was even more surprised.
Going out to eat with a potential rival, and buying a gift for his boyfriend at the same time - what a time management expert.
But then Lin Xiaojin thought, Yun Chu probably didn't count as a rival yet.
-
Xi Shui was very generous. He didn't care much about material things and didn't have a clear concept of them. He led Lin Xiaojin and Yun Chu straight into a French restaurant with an average spend of 2000 yuan per person.
Lin Xiaojin looked at the noble and elegant decor inside, then at his own 200-yuan canvas shoes.
"Damn, I'm not going in."
Yun Chu also said, "Xi Shui, we're all students, there's no need to be so extravagant."
Seeing that neither of them wanted to eat there, Xi Shui said apologetically, "I'm sorry, my mom always said that when treating people to a meal, you should eat at good and expensive places, otherwise it's disrespectful."
Lin Xiaojin hugged Xi Shui and dragged him out, "Please, disrespect me then. I want to eat hot pot with nine grid options, the extra spicy kind. The more you disrespect me, the happier I'll be."
Xi Shui looked at Yun Chu, "Is hot pot okay?"
"It's fine."
Yun Chu was really easy-going.
Everything was fine with him.
Xi Shui thought to himself.
In the end, the three of them came to a hot pot restaurant with a 9.7 rating in an alley.
The hot pot restaurant was in an old residential area, with little decoration. Tables and chairs were set up outside. If it rained, they would put up plastic awnings overhead. Now that the weather was good, everyone was eating outdoors.
The strong smell of cooking could be felt as soon as they entered the neighborhood. On both sides were tall cypress trees with huge, dense canopies. The mottled walls were covered with various posters and small advertisements. The residential buildings were completely different from the high-rises outside, with a maximum of six or seven floors. Balconies were full of hanging clothes, along with dried chili peppers and cured meat. Vines grew from the ground floor all the way up to the top.
It was not even 5 o'clock yet, the sky was still bright, but the hot pot restaurant was already packed. They waited for a while until a table of customers finished eating before it was their turn to sit down.
The owner was a chubby woman, seemingly in her early forties, running from one table to another. Judging by the way she chatted with customers, it was clear that there were many regulars.
The owner glanced at the three of them, tossed down the menu, pulled out a small notebook from her apron pocket, and as she was about to write, she looked straight at Xi Shui and exclaimed, "Oh my, what a handsome boy!"
With a mix of Beijing dialect and words from other regions, Xi Shui didn't understand at first.
Seeing Xi Shui's confused look, Yun Chu explained, "She's saying you're handsome."
Xi Shui understood and immediately said to the owner, "Hello, you're very handsome too."
The owner blinked, then burst into laughter. After laughing, she turned and shouted towards the kitchen, "Three bowls of iced jelly for table 12!"
"It's on the house, no charge," the owner said in a loud, friendly auntie-like voice.
Lin Xiaojin ordered a ton of food. Yun Chu and Xi Shui didn't order much because Lin Xiaojin had practically swept through the entire menu.
This type of hot pot restaurant emphasized the original soup and dipping sauce. Xi Shui took the coriander and small chili peppers that Yun Chu passed him and put some in his bowl.
Just as he was about to pick up the ladle to scoop some soup, Yun Chu took the bowl from his hand, "Let me do it."
"Thank you."
With this start, Xi Shui hardly had to reach into the pot with his chopsticks throughout the entire meal. Yun Chu was constantly picking food for him, and Lin Xiaojin occasionally did the same.
"Enough, enough, I can't eat anymore."
Xi Shui felt that he had been different these past few days, not having such a large and uncontrollable desire for food as before. Now he could put down his chopsticks when he was no longer hungry, and besides, the soup base that Lin Xiaojin had chosen was incredibly spicy.
Xi Shui's mouth was bright red, and he found the iced jelly to be the most delicious – sweet and cold.
Yun Chu hadn't eaten much either. Seeing Xi Shui put down his chopsticks, he followed suit and asked, "Are you heading back to school after eating?"
Xi Shui was hugging the iced jelly, feeding himself small spoonfuls. Hearing Yun Chu's question, he shook his head, "No, I still need to buy something for Zhou Zeqi."
Yun Chu paused slightly, lowered his eyes, and suddenly smiled, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten."
Xi Shui didn't understand what Yun Chu meant. It was too noisy around them, and he hadn't heard clearly.
Lin Xiaojin, on the other hand, had heard clearly.
He was much more sensitive to these things than Xi Shui, and immediately understood. Yun Chu still had feelings for Xi Shui. This meal... he wasn't just looking forward to the meal, but to eating with Xi Shui.
Yun Chu looked somewhat thin, with a similar build to Xi Shui, just slightly taller. He was a completely different type from Zhou Zeqi. His features were delicate, as delicate as rain-washed green orchid grass. Lin Xiaojin observed him for a while and sighed inwardly, well, what can you do? Xi Shui just happens to like Zhou Zeqi's type.
Around 7 o'clock, Lin Xiaojin finished eating. Xi Shui went to pay the bill, and the owner packed two portions of iced jelly for him, saying, "Take these home to eat."
Xi Shui thought the owner was so nice!
"When I have time, I'll bring my boyfriend to eat hot pot at your place!" he said, standing at the bottom of the steps, his eyes brighter than the stars in the night sky.
"Your boyfriend isn't one of these two?" the owner asked while calculating the bill.
"No, they're my friends," Xi Shui replied.
"Then your boyfriend is really lucky," the owner sincerely felt.
Xi Shui: "No, I'm the lucky one."
The owner laughed loudly.
After Xi Shui came back from paying the bill, Yun Chu picked up his book bag from the chair and said, "I'm heading back to school now. I have a special report to give tomorrow, and I haven't finished writing it yet."
Xi Shui nodded, "Okay, shall we accompany you to get a taxi?"
Yun Chu smiled, "No need, you guys go shopping quickly."
Yun Chu: "Xiao Xi, take care."
After Yun Chu left, Xi Shui and Lin Xiaojin were walking down the street when Xi Shui suddenly realized, "How did he know my nickname?"
Lin Xiaojin shrugged, "It's not surprising. The whole school knows your nickname. Who told you to pick such a casual one?"
"My mom gave me that nickname. Don't you dare criticize it."
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything." Lin Xiaojin clutched his stomach, "I feel like I've gained ten pounds for sure!"
He then reached out to touch Xi Shui's stomach, incredulous. "Didn't you eat anything? Why is it still flat?"
Xi Shui replied, "I wasn't very hungry."
The lights in the shops on both sides of the street had all come on, and the band in the square had transitioned from singing ballads to blasting ear-splitting DJ music. The pale street lamps shone on the road, resembling round jade plates.
-
Zhou Zeqi sat on the couch in his home. The movie "The Revenant" had started playing automatically for the second time. Throughout the two-hour-plus film, Zhou Zeqi hadn't fast-forwarded a single second. By the time the food was ready and set on the table, the movie had finished playing.
He still hadn't waited for Xi Shui to come home.
No phone call either.
No reply to his messages.
"Ding~"
Zhou Zeqi thought it was a message from Xi Shui, but when he opened it, it was a photo sent by one of his basketball teammates. The picture was quite blurry.
[Hey Zhou, I went out for hotpot with a few others, and I think we ran into your boyfriend. Take a look, is this your boyfriend?]
The image was indeed very blurry, clearly taken from a distance.
It showed Xi Shui's profile.
Yun Chu's full face.
Lin Xiaojin's back.
They could recognize them, regardless of whether Xi Shui was Zhou Zeqi's boyfriend or not. Everyone in the school knew Xi Shui.
Zhou Zeqi stared at the photo for a while, his face expressionless, then tossed his phone aside. Looking at the now cold dishes on the table, he remembered how Xi Shui had enthusiastically talked about eating together every day just yesterday.
After a long moment, Zhou Zeqi grabbed a cushion and punched it hard twice.
Damn it.
-
It was almost ten o'clock when Xi Shui returned, carrying a large paper bag.
He went straight to knock on Zhou Zeqi's door.
His eyes were full of expectation.
After waiting for a while, no one opened the door.
Xi Shui thought for a moment, then pressed his face against the peephole and called softly, "Zhou Zeqi, open the door."
"Open the door, are you home?"
Xi Shui thought about calling Zhou Zeqi, fumbled to get his phone out of his bag with difficulty, pressed it a few times, and found that it had shut down due to low battery.
He decided to go home first.
After charging his phone at home, Xi Shui took the paper bag and ran to the small balcony of the practice room.
He noticed that even the lights in Zhou Zeqi's house were off. It was past ten, so Zhou Zeqi might have gone to bed.
Xi Shui stood there with the gift, unsure how to give it to Zhou Zeqi.
He hesitated on the balcony, still wanting to give it to Zhou Zeqi now.
Xi Shui moved to the edge of the balcony and looked down. It was so high!
Frowning, he put the paper bag on the balcony first, then prepared to climb up himself and jump over, thinking it seemed simple enough when he had seen Zhou Zeqi do it.
Just as he was about to pull himself up, the sliding door of the neighboring balcony was suddenly pulled open from the inside with a "whoosh." Zhou Zeqi walked out, his face displeased, "What are you doing?"
Xi Shui was startled but maintained his position, "I was just about to jump."
"......"
Zhou Zeqi stood opposite him, easily vaulting over with one hand on the railing. He grabbed Xi Shui's arm, pulled him down, and pressed him against the wall corner. "You're not afraid of heights anymore?"
Xi Shui sensed something was off with Zhou Zeqi and answered softly, "I bought you a gift. I wanted to give it to you now."
Zhou Zeqi wasn't interested in his gift at the moment.
His eyes were dark, without a trace of a smile. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"
"Why didn't you tell me you were going out to eat with others?"
Realizing Zhou Zeqi was angry, Xi Shui hurriedly replied, "My phone died, I just charged it. The dinner was spontaneous. I went out mainly to buy you a gift."
Zhou Zeqi stared at Xi Shui without saying a word.
Xi Shui felt nervous and scared.
He stammered, "If you're angry now, does that mean we're breaking up?"
Zhou Zeqi thought he had misheard.
"That's how it always happens on TV. They argue and argue, and then they break up." Xi Shui clutched Zhou Zeqi's sleeve. "What about you? Are you going to break up with me too?"
"No, I'm not breaking up with you," Zhou Zeqi said, his tone flat.
But Xi Shui had never heard him speak so coldly before, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"If we're not breaking up, then why are you acting like this?"
Zhou Zeqi laughed bitterly. He tilted Xi Shui's chin up, leaned in close to his cool lips, and said slowly, "You did something wrong. Where do you get the courage to question me now?"
Xi Shui mumbled, "I know I was wrong. I'm sorry..."
Seeing that Xi Shui was frightened, Zhou Zeqi's anger dissipated, no matter how upset he had been.
He cupped Xi Shui's face, "You said you'd eat with me every day. I waited for you until now."
Xi Shui's not-so-quick mind started working overtime, and he suggested, "How about we start from tomorrow?!"
"......"
Zhou Zeqi was so exasperated that he bit Xi Shui's cheek hard. Xi Shui yelped in pain, covering his face and looking at Zhou Zeqi with a hurt expression.
"Alright," Zhou Zeqi ruffled Xi Shui's hair, "You said you bought me a gift. What is it?"
At the mention of this, Xi Shui perked up again.
He ran to fetch the paper bag and presented it to Zhou Zeqi like a treasure, "I bought you thirty pairs of underwear!"
Zhou Zeqi: "......"
Xi Shui, immersed in the imagination that "Zhou Zeqi must be overjoyed now," leaned in close to Zhou Zeqi's ear and whispered, "They're all the largest size, you know."
*
Zhou Zeqi: Silly wife