The boy thought about it and realized it made sense. He instantly felt relieved and smiled broadly, saying, "Thanks."
After saying that, he loosened one of the garbage bags, picked up the other two, and left the teaching building.
Ying Yunsheng was still standing by the window, having witnessed everything that had just happened: "Why didn't you say anything?"
Ji Li had just pulled out the trash bag when he asked, "What?"
Ying Yunsheng looked at him: "You clearly want to help him, why don't you just say so?"
Ji Li: "When the Ministry of Health comes to inspect later, there can't be any trash in the newly changed garbage bags."
Ying Yunsheng bluntly pointed out: "But the people in your classroom are already mopping the floor, so there can't be any more trash."
"Is that so?" Ji Li smiled. "I didn't notice just now, but the person who threw the trash has already left. It's impossible to call them back."
Ying Yunsheng remained silent.
It wasn't just about that boy; it applied to him and to everyone around us. When others do good deeds, they want to announce it to the world. Even if they don't intend to show off, they don't want their kindness to be taken for granted. But Ji Li always finds a perfect reason before offering help, never giving anyone a chance to owe him a favor, afraid that others will think he's acting out of kindness.
This way of doing things always gave Ying Yunsheng the illusion that "you seem to be intentionally reducing your contact with the people around you."
Ji Li casually put a new plastic bag over the last trash can before closing the opening of the remaining trash bag.
"Are you," Ying Yunsheng hesitated before speaking, "worried that if something happens in the future, others will be sad, so you..."
Ji Li laughed: "Is my image in your heart really that selfless?"
Ying Yunsheng: "Don't change the subject."
"Don't overthink it," Ji Li said. "I just don't like getting involved with other people on unnecessary terms."
Ying Yunsheng asked, puzzled, "Then why did you help him take out the trash?"
Ji Li: "Because it's tiring for one person to throw away three bags of trash, isn't it only right to lend a hand?"
Ying Yunsheng had never seen such a person before.
In the other person's eyes, being charitable is just like people needing to eat and drink, needing to look at traffic lights when crossing the street, and needing to abide by laws and regulations in life—it's an extremely normal and natural thing.
The other party never asks others for favors, not because he doesn't want others to owe him anything, but because he genuinely feels that everything he does is no big deal.
No reward is needed, and it's not even worth mentioning.
Shouldn't it be?
But how many people in this world actually put in the effort to do these things they should do every time?
The landfill is on the other side of the dormitory building.
Ying Yunsheng lagged half a step behind Ji Li and followed him to the garbage station, watching as the man threw the large bag into the metal cart and walked back.
He suddenly called out, "Ji Li."
The other person looked up: "Hmm?"
"If I told you now..."
I shouldn't have said that.
Neither the time nor the place is suitable.
At least the atmosphere of the two of them standing in front of the junkyard now is definitely not as good as the night of the competition.
That night, after the other person suddenly said something that went beyond the intimacy of ordinary classmates or even friends, he had a vague premonition. On one hand, his heart was beating faster, and on the other hand, he felt that he was being delusional. Under the constant pull of these two emotions, he also had a momentary impulse to ask the other person.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the strength to speak until the two finished eating the cake and left.
Now, he couldn't tell whether it was the cold wind blowing in the evening, the leaves being swept up and falling from the branches, or the pale yellow lights suddenly illuminating the roadside.
Or perhaps it was the smile in the other person's eyes when they looked up.
“If I were to tell you this now,” Ying Yunsheng looked at him, “I…”
The initial consonant "x" of the following word had just been uttered when a loud "sizzle" suddenly rang out in the air.
The garbage truck stopped abruptly, the iron shock absorber in the center of the wheel scraping against the ground with a sharp noise that instantly drowned out all the surrounding noise.
Ji Li walked around the tricycle and came over: "What did you just say about yourself?"
"I want to eat."
Are you hungry?
"Um."
"Let's go to the cafeteria."
Ying Yunsheng stared at the ground: "Oh."
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 35
Chapter 35
It is the wind that moves.
The two arrived at the cafeteria a step too late; the cafeteria lady was already tidying up behind the window.
After talking with the aunt, Ying Yunsheng learned that there was no room for negotiation. Meanwhile, Ji Li had already pushed open the emergency door in the stairwell: "Come here."
He was taken aback: "Where to?"
Ji Li: "Let's go eat."
"Aren't we out of food already?"
"There's more on the fourth floor."
The cafeteria at Changqiao has four floors. The bottom three floors have regular food stalls, but each floor offers its own specialty dishes. The fourth floor, however, is a dedicated ordering area. Because the prices are high, few students frequent it; a quick glance around reveals that the entire floor is mostly occupied by faculty and staff.
Ying Yunsheng was at a loss when faced with the menu. The food was ordered by Ji Li: three dishes and a soup. The rice was served in a thermos, each grain plump and glistening.
Ji Li ladled out a bowl of soup and left it to cool. When he looked up, he saw the other person fiddling with a shrimp.
Using chopsticks to remove the head and tail is too inconvenient; the shrimp slide around in the bowl, stubbornly wearing its outer shell.
Ji Li couldn't help but laugh. He took off a pair of disposable gloves, scooped the braised shrimp out of the bowl, peeled them, and put them back.
Ying Yunsheng was taken aback.
Ji Li had already peeled the second one, and looked up, asking, "Aren't you going to eat?"
Ying Yunsheng picked up the shrimp, his eyes, hidden behind his eyelashes, burning with emotion: "No."
Ji Li himself wasn't interested in seafood, but he had ordered it once when he took Ying Yunsheng to town in Tingfeng Lane, and found that Ying Yunsheng really liked it.
This dish is definitely ordered for him now, no doubt about it.
Ji Li peeled every single shrimp on the plate of braised prawns, cleared the shells aside, placed the plate full of shrimp meat in front of the other person, and then took off his gloves.
The plastic gloves weren't very good quality; oil still seeped in.
Ji Li stood up: "You eat first, I'll go wash my hands."
Ying Yunsheng: "Okay."
He finished eating the shrimp on his plate, and as soon as he looked up, a drink was placed in front of him.
Ying Yunsheng smelled a very faint chocolate scent, a sweet aroma spreading in the air: "For me?"
Ji Li hummed in agreement: "I just passed by a bakery, and they were having a new product launch. Does your teacher allow you to bring food into the classroom?"
Of course, regular students cannot.
Unfortunately, Ying Yunsheng was not an ordinary student either.
He was a student who had won a gold medal for the school in a national competition just a week ago.
Ji Li pulled out a chair and sat down: "Eat first. You can take the chocolate back and drink it during evening self-study."
"good."
Ever since the cake that night at the competition, Ying Yunsheng's attitude towards him has gradually changed. Specifically, he no longer refuses anything Ying Yunsheng offers him, but has learned to accept it.
This is a very good omen.
In the end, Ying Yunsheng usually finished all the food.
Ji Li placed the plate in the recycling bin in the corner: "Have you taken your hand to the hospital?"
It's been over a month since Ying Yunsheng injured his left hand with a beer bottle, and now it's time for his follow-up appointment as instructed by the doctor. During this time, Ying Yunsheng has been changing his dressings and gauze on time, and he had no intention of wasting money at the hospital.
Ji Li didn't give him any room for negotiation on this matter: "Since you don't want to go yourself, I'll take you this weekend."
Ying Yunsheng: "But I don't need to..."
Ji Li: "Be obedient."
"Well……"
"Will you listen to me or not?"
Ying Yunsheng held out for about three seconds before surrendering: "Listen."
.
The two took a taxi together to the same hospital they had visited before over the weekend.
The follow-up examination process is not as complicated as a normal medical visit. When Ying Yunsheng entered the consultation room, Ji Li stayed in the waiting area outside and took a disposable cup to fill with hot water.
Just as I turned on the hot water switch on the water dispenser, a clear voice suddenly rang out behind me: "Classmate."
Ji Li turned around and saw a girl holding a thermos.
The girl was about the same age as him. She had only caught a glimpse of him as she passed by, but now that she got closer and saw him clearly, he was indeed exactly her type: "Can I add you on WeChat?"
Ji Li turned off the water dispenser: "Sorry, I can't."
"Okay." The girl unscrewed the lid of the cup, trying to strike up a conversation, "Are you here for a medical checkup?"
Ji Li made way for her: "You came with someone else."