"There are also takoyaki and beef buns," Xu Qingzhu said. "If you have a big appetite, I can also treat you to a serving of fried chicken."
Liang Shi: "..."
Liang Shi couldn't help but glance at Xu Qingzhu out of the corner of his eye, and saw that her eyes sparkled when she mentioned these dish names.
He had a look of great anticipation on his face.
Suddenly, for a fleeting moment, she no longer felt that Xu Qingzhu was an unattainable fairy.
She seemed like a simple girl next door, or a cute junior at school, recommending her favorite foods as if they were her most cherished possessions.
"Your school? Is it the same school that Sally and Lin Luoxi attend?" Liang Shi asked.
Xu Qingzhu nodded, then touched her phone screen and suddenly asked, "Would you mind eating together?"
"What do you want to eat?" Liang Shi asked.
"Dinner." Xu Qingzhu had already unlocked the screen. "I'm calling Sally and Cherry over to eat together."
Liang Shi nodded: "I don't mind."
A larger crowd makes it more lively, and the liveliness helps to lessen the sadness.
Liang Shi naturally wouldn't mind.
//
Because it was Sunday, Liang Shi couldn't find a parking space when he drove to the South Second Gate, so he drove to a place far away, parked the car, and then walked over from there.
The wind was strong at night, so Liang Shi gave Xu Qingzhu his already dried coat to wear.
Alphas are slightly larger, so their clothes are correspondingly larger as well.
Xu Qingzhu was wearing what looked like an oversized outfit, with the sleeves rolled up.
Not long after they arrived, Sally and Lin Luoxi also arrived.
Xu Qingzhu asked in surprise, "Why are you two together?"
Sally replied, "We played cards together."
But Lin Luoxi looked listless, glanced at Sally sideways, and surprisingly didn't argue with her.
"What's wrong?" Xu Qingzhu asked in a low voice, "Did you lose money?"
"Hmm," Lin Luoxi replied weakly, "I lost over ten thousand."
Xu Qingzhu: "?"
"Are you playing this high?" Xu Qingzhu clicked her tongue. "Who are you two playing with?"
“And my two friends.” Lin Luoxi stared at Sally’s back, pressed her temples, and couldn’t support herself any longer. She hooked her arm around Xu Qingzhu’s and rested her head on Xu Qingzhu’s shoulder. Because the two were about the same height, she felt a little awkward in this position, but in the end, her body took the lead. She asked, not understanding at all, “Why are some people still dogs after all these years?”
Xu Qingzhu didn't understand. "What do you mean?"
Lin Luoxi glanced at her, then said in a low voice, "After we finished, she still wanted to play cards with me all day. I don't understand."
Xu Qingzhu: "???"
Her pupils dilated in shock. "Finished? Is it the 'finished' I understand?"
"What else?" Lin Luoxi took a step, her legs trembling with weakness, but she leaned on Xu Qingzhu, who almost tripped as well. Liang Shi reached out to help her in time, then said helplessly, "Cherry, how about I help you?"
"No," Lin Luoxi sighed, "I don't want to have an ambiguous relationship with my best friend's wife."
Liang Shi: "..."
Xu Qingzhu pursed her lips, "Actually, I don't mind this kind of thing."
“I mind,” Lin Luoxi said, straightening up. “Playing cards all day is killing me.”
"Sally," Liang Shi called to Sally, who had been leading the way, "come over and help Cherry."
Sally immediately jogged over, "I thought she was going to keep bothering Blanche."
"You won my money, so you're afraid I'll beat you up, right?" Lin Luoxi said through gritted teeth, pinching Sally's arm as she spoke. Sally gasped, "OMG, Blanche, help!"
Xu Qingzhu stood aside and shook her head, "I can't help you."
Liang Shi immediately pulled Xu Qingzhu to his side, saying, "Don't let your relationship affect innocent people."
Sally & Lin Luoxi: "..."
The two of them paused, and Xu Qingzhu raised an eyebrow: "You two haven't made up yet, have you?"
Lin Luoxi cleared her throat. "We're not a couple yet."
Sally, standing to the side, said aggrievedly, "She won't agree to it."
Lin Luoxi couldn't help but pinch her again, "Why won't you agree? Don't you have any self-awareness?"
So the two started arguing again.
But the argument ended quickly.
Liang Shi had never been to this place before, but the three of them were frequent visitors.
When we entered the hot and sour rice noodle shop that Xu Qingzhu had mentioned, it was almost packed with people.
"Even after all these years, this store is still incredibly popular," Lin Luoxi said. "I haven't been here in ages."
Sally chimed in, "I came here twice after I returned to China. I called you that day, but you didn't come."
“I haven’t been here since I graduated,” Xu Qingzhu said.
Sally and Lin Luoxi retorted in unison, "How long have you been out of school?"
Xu Qingzhu: "...Not long after."
The shop was bustling, and the three of them were chatting away, making it lively, with Liang Shi serving as the background figure.
The rumored devilishly spicy hot and sour noodles made Liang Shi's eyes turn red after just one bite, and she couldn't calm down even after drinking a lot of water.
It's surprisingly fragrant, making you want to take a second bite.
Xu Qingzhu wasn't exactly someone who could handle spicy food, but here, she managed to finish a whole bowl, her forehead beaded with sweat from the spiciness, her eyes reddened, and her lips were even more vibrant than if she had applied lipstick.
Afterwards, they strolled along the entire food street, and Xu Qingzhu would stop to buy anything that tasted particularly delicious.
We ended up buying a huge amount, but with so many people, it was divided up quickly, and not much was left.
Liang Shi, on the other hand, ate until he was very full.
After parting ways with Sally and the others, Liang Shi drove back to Repulse Bay. As he passed Central Plaza, there was a beautifully built building.
The LED strip lights wrapped around the rooftop give a sense of peace.
Liang Shi didn't see it; it was Xu Qingzhu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, who said, "Look at that building."
While waiting at a red light, Liang Shi glanced at the neighborhood and silently memorized its name.
Before going to bed, Liang Shi brought Xu Qingzhu a glass of milk. Xu Qingzhu was sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly lost in thought.
When Liang Shi opened the door, he saw her with her head slightly tilted back, looking blank.
Liang Shi placed the milk on the bedside table and whispered, "Drink it and get some rest."
"I slept all afternoon," Xu Qingzhu said. "I'm not very sleepy."
"You can read a book for a while," Liang Shi said. "Don't always think about things that don't concern you."
"I didn't think about it," Xu Qingzhu answered instinctively.
After answering, he fell silent again. Just as Liang Shi was about to say something, Xu Qingzhu changed the subject, "Liang Shi, let's go to the nursing home tomorrow afternoon."
"Huh?" Liang Shi asked in surprise, "You don't go to work?"
"Finish what you need to do tomorrow morning, and go around four o'clock in the afternoon," Xu Qingzhu said. "Going on a weekday should be better. Ask your supervisor for leave."
"Okay." Liang agreed.
Liang Shi told her to rest well, but after leaving the room, he couldn't help but turn back, push open the door and say to her, "Teacher Xu."
Xu Qingzhu's cool voice rose slightly, "Hmm?"
“Ya Ya called me at noon and asked us to come home for lunch,” Liang Shi said. “I made up an excuse to her, and then she asked us to come home next week.”
"All right."
“Look,” Liang Shi smiled, “you are loved by so many people.”
//
Xu Qingzhu was deeply moved by Liang Shi's words.
The thought process, which had led to a dead end, suddenly became clear in an instant, and then the matter was put aside.
The next morning, Xu Qingzhu deliberately set an alarm for breakfast. After getting up, she planned to make breakfast, but when she went downstairs, Liang Shi was already in the kitchen.
Xu Qingzhu sighed helplessly, but teased, "Teacher Liang, you're so meticulous."
Liang Shi: "?"
"I just woke up early," Liang Shi explained. "It had just rained, and the air outside was wonderful."
"You went for a walk?"
"Yes."
Xu Qingzhu exclaimed, "Teacher Liang, your daily routine is like that of an elderly person!"
Liang Shi: "..."
I wasn't sure if she was praising someone.
Liang Shi cooked porridge in the morning and also asked Xu Qingzhu if her stomach was upset after eating such spicy food last night.
As a result, Xu Qingzhu said that everything was fine and she even had a good dream.
Liang Shi rubbed his slightly uncomfortable stomach and admitted with some difficulty, "Then I may indeed be entering the ranks of the elderly."
Xu Qingzhu: "?"
After Xu Qingzhu finished her porridge and went to clear the table, she patted Liang Shi on the shoulder and said, "Teacher Liang, keep exercising."
Liang Shi: "..."
Early in the morning, Liang Shi felt that he was being treated with sarcasm and sarcasm.