Su Jinning looked at him in surprise: "Did I tell you I like spicy food?"
"You always put spicy food in your food, I'm not blind." Shen Moyu retorted mercilessly, then put away her phone and waited for the food to be packed, as if it were a perfectly normal thing.
Su Jinning lowered her head, a small sense of secret joy suddenly rising in her heart.
They hadn't eaten together many times, so Shen Moyu's ability to remember so clearly surprised Su Jinning.
Seeing him lost in thought, Shen Moyu gently patted him with the hand holding the fish balls: "Come on, let's go eat over there, there are seats available."
"Ah, okay." Su Jinning responded softly, took the spicy fish balls, and the two walked side by side to the innermost area.
Upon opening the plastic lid, a delightful aroma wafted out. Even before tasting it, Su Jinning, just from the aroma and appearance, knew these fish balls must be incredibly fragrant.
He examined it with satisfaction for a while, then picked up a fish ball and put it in his mouth.
The fish balls are fresh and delicious, with a satisfying chewiness. When mixed with spicy seasoning, they are delicate yet not greasy, creating a unique flavor.
He never expected that a small stall like this, which he would rarely visit, could make food that tasted even better than that of a high-end restaurant.
He chewed it carefully, then gave Shen Moyu a thumbs up: "It's so delicious! I didn't expect you, top student, to be such a food connoisseur!"
Shen Moyu took a bite of the fish ball and shook his head: "I used to eat here once when I was studying at No. 8 Middle School, and I thought it was delicious, so I come here from time to time."
"Oh, right, it's pretty close to No. 8 Middle School." Su Jinning was engrossed in her food and answered vaguely.
Shen Moyu paused.
Long-forgotten memories suddenly flooded my mind. In my memory, it seemed to be a sweltering summer day as well.
Gu Junxiao smiled and handed him a plate of fish balls that looked excellent and smelled delicious. She looked at him with a big smile and said, "I used to come here to eat all the time. Try it."
Shen Moyu smiled, took the bowl of fish balls, and gently said "Thank you" to him.
At that time, the willows were just sprouting, spring was in full bloom, and the breeze was very gentle.
——
Gu Junxiao handed him a plate of slightly cooled fish balls, her gaze somewhat unfocused. She pursed her pale lips and hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "I just bought these, eat them."
"Smack." A perfectly good bowl of fish balls was slammed to the ground by Shen Moyu. Gu Junxiao was stunned for a moment, but did not pick it up.
He slowly clenched his fist, then gently released it, lowering his head and not daring to look Shen Moyu in the eye.
"Get out of here." Shen Moyu stomped on the fish balls, splashing the fresh soup far away.
As they brushed past each other, Gu Junxiao tried to grab his hand, but it remained suspended in mid-air, swaying, unsure how to hold him back, like a yellowing, withered leaf in autumn, helplessly fading away.
A few withered willow leaves were trampled under Shen Moyu's feet, the crisp sound drowning out his heavy breathing. As dusk fell and autumn deepened, he wrapped his coat tighter around himself; the breeze was now rather biting.
——
"Top student! Top student! What are you thinking about?" Su Jinning waved her hand in front of Shen Moyu's eyes when she saw him staring blankly.
"Ah...it's nothing." Shen Moyu's eyes lit up, as if he had just regained his senses, and he was a little dazed.
"Oh," Su Jinning replied with a hint of doubt.
Shen Moyu felt a warm feeling in his heart as he watched Su Jinning eat with her head down.
Thankfully, he wasn't Gu Junxiao.
I don't want to think about it anymore.
Shen Moyu ate a large fish ball in one bite, as if he was trying to suppress the bitter memories that had been lingering for a long time.
"Oh right, I still owe you a meal. Why are you treating this time?" Su Jinning asked him, wiping her mouth contentedly after finishing the fish balls.
Shen Moyu paused for a moment, holding his chopsticks, when he suddenly recalled the words Su Jinning had whispered to him under the moonlight after their fight in the gym.
He slowly raised his head, his soft gaze meeting Su Jinning's face.
Then he chuckled, deliberately lowering his voice, as if telling him a secret only the two of them knew: "Consider it a celebration of the month we've known each other."
A spring breeze blows for ten miles, and a fog rises for ten miles.
In the unpredictable month of March, two boys met in this alley as if fate had been planning it all along.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Su Jinning finally got it! Enough said, let's enjoy the sweet moments!
——
I'm taking tomorrow off. See you the day after. Go to bed early, my little darlings.
# Heartbeat
Chapter 36 The Wind Blows
Su Jinning stared blankly at Shen Moyu, and her movements as she wiped her mouth slowed down.
One month—the timing was perfect; Shen Moyu had calculated it perfectly.
Su Jinning twitched her right hand, then burst out laughing, looking at Shen Moyu with a helpless smile: "How bored can a top student be to remember the days?"
"I didn't memorize it when I was bored." Shen Moyu picked up a fish ball and looked at Su Jinning: "I memorized it on purpose."
"..." Su Jinning was stunned by his words once again. He didn't speak, but just stared blankly at Shen Moyu.
There were already a lot of people on the weekend, and now a whole bunch more came in, making noise and crowding around, creating another gust of hot air.
The wind blew through Su Jinning's hair, causing a bead of sweat to roll down his forehead, wiping his face and instantly making his cheeks burn.
At that moment, he seemed to see again the two boys arguing incessantly in the rain and mist.
It's a bit childish, but also a bit cute.
From the time when willow catkins were flying everywhere to the time when the leaves were lush and green, they had known each other for a month.
Amid the noise, Shen Moyu suddenly lowered his head and obediently started eating the fish balls. If Su Jinning wasn't mistaken, Shen Moyu had a slightly smug smile on his face the moment he lowered his head.