Chapter 19. ☆. Evening Breeze in Fujiang

With the evening breeze blowing, the three of them walked along the pedestrian street and came to the busiest street of snacks. The three of them looked at each other and dove into the crowded sesame oil skewer shop.

Beef, squid, tripe, pork loin, dried tofu, sliced lotus root, seaweed, quail eggs, shrimp balls,  fish balls, and a pot of fresh, spicy, boiling soup.

To hell with the taboo. No Japanese food. They were eating with their taste buds wide open, their five senses fluttering, sweat dripping from the tips of their noses and hissing with their mouths. They also rolled up their sleeves to fish up the last piece of lettuce floating on the surface of the soup to rinse their mouths.

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“I am so satisfied.” Ruan Mengmeng rubbed her round stomach.

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“Rv oyp pwczkxl!” Ubld Nkdfky zlydle cynj kd bla nbyka, ryayzuple.

Gp lyazu yp vball xkdwvlp yqvla vbl ekpb bye nssjle, Nw Hbldtuwyd pyo vbl vos tkazp’ dyvwal yp qsseklp. Nw Hbldtuwyd bye tsdl qasx clkdt pwarakple vs zywtbkdt blzrzlppzu, vs ryavknkryvkdt kd vbl qsse tayc, yde qkdyzzu zspkdt vbl cyvvzl. Rv bye nsxl vs vbl rskdv oblal bl oyp dso yzsdl nssjkdt yde plahkdt vbl vos ckt yrrlvkvl jkdtp vblka xlyzp.

“Rv’p tsse vbyv usw vos yal byrru vs lyv,” Nw Hbldtuwyd pyke tldvzu, rskdvkdt vs vbl tywgl sd vbl nsadla sq Ubld Nkdfky’p lul. “Mbl blyv qasx vbl pjlola pswr byp vbl cydeytl pxswzelakdt yde ekpnszswale. Zsw pbswze alxshl kv. Eswzed’v vbl prknkdlpp bwav vbl oswde vs vbl rskdv sq rykd?”

“Nlv’p pll,” Swyd Yldtxldt blze Ubld Nkdfky’p qynl yde pdsavle, “Gkuy Kkyfky, usw’al ps qwddu dso. Zsw’al alyzzu y qssekl.”

“Cut, as if you weren’t,” Chen Linjia pushed Ruan Mengjia’s hand away, “but it does hurt a little after eating. I’m going to the bathroom.”

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“Wait,” Ruan Meng Meng took out a large band-aid from her small bag, “Here, put it on your face in the mirror after you wash it.”

“Okay, sweet baby.” Chen Linjia smiled and pinched Ruan Mengmeng’s face.

After eating, Ruan Mengmeng was habitually dazed for a while, with one hand on her cheek and one hand hidden under the table rubbing her stomach.

Her chubby white face was pink and round. Her red lips were puffed up like a delicate flower, and her misty almond eyes were more and more relaxed through the curl of soup mist. Her lazy and wanton look was like a cat that had had its fill of sun.

It so happened that a faint yawn struck her, and as she squinted in a trance, the flowery lips blossomed into petals, and a delicate little tongue was hidden inside.

Lu Zhengyuan couldn’t take his eyes off her; he wanted to gather her over and rub her.

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Ruan Mengmeng started chatting in order not to get sleepy, “We used to have sixty-two people in our class, but it seems that only a dozen of them are in our school. You still managed to get into the science experimental class. The top of the class in the midterm exams wouldn’t be you, right?”

“That was before,” Lu Zhengyuan replied, copying her with one hand on his cheek. “Now, the class is full of top students and the competition is still great. On the surface, he discusses with you which of the problem sets are difficult, but behind the scenes, he has actually brushed them up long ago. The ones he recommends to you are the ones that are left over, and you have to thank him for the recommendation when you hear it. It’s all a ruse.”

“Huh?” Ruan Mengmeng was surprised, “You top students are so competitive?”

Lu Zhengyuan: “Haha, it’s actually all the same. As the girls in the liberal arts department said, I was playing with pesticides without endorsements when I went back [1]. In fact, I didn’t fool around with my studies at all. Since I’ve been in high school, the college entrance examination is only a thousand days away.”

“Well,” Ruan Mengmeng was a bit deflated and confused, “Do you people with good brains wake up early?”

“Good grades don’t mean a high IQ. Most of us are pretty much the same, with different learning styles and attitudes.” Lu Zhengyuan, seeing her lack of direction, thought for a moment and said, “Mengmeng, didn’t you like to draw when you were in class before? There’s a special class for art students in Arts. Have you ever thought about it?”

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Ruan Mengmeng blinked, her eyes suddenly lighting up and her face blossoming with colour.

“Yeah! I can go to university as an art student. My dad never told me about it and always pulled my leg to get into the local university,” she smiled awkwardly, “You know, the class teacher used to despise the poor local schools and mock the fact that only connected people stay in the area to get a diploma.”

“So where does Mengmeng want to go in the future?”

“I want to ……”

Before Ruan Mengmeng finished her sentence, she saw Chen Linjia, whose face was as black as a pot, walking over quickly.

She stood up, thinking Chen Linjia’s wound was secondarily infected, and asked nervously, “What’s wrong?”

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Chen Linjia skimmed her lips, “The man surnamed Gu called.”

“Eh?” Ruan Mengmeng didn’t understand. What did he say? The last name is Gu, not Yan [2]. Why did her face change colour when she mentioned it?

Chen Linjia said in a vicious voice, “He has called me a dozen times to hurry me back to the hospital. It’s annoying. Who does he think he is?”

“It’s exactly ten o’clock. It’s time to go back.” Lu Zhengyuan said calmly, “Chen Linjia has a car, Mengmeng you.”

Chen Linjia was going to say I’ll take her, but her eyes turned in time and said, “Lu Zhengyuan, you take Mengmeng home. After all, the hospital road and Hua Ya Garden are not in the same direction.”

“I don’t need to be sent home,” Ruan Mengmeng waved her hand and refused, “I will just call a drop. Zhengyuan’s house is not in the same direction either, right?”

“This is Yummy Street, Young Miss. The alley is so small and crowded that the drop won’t come in,” Chen Linjia said, “Anyway, I don’t worry about you. It’s okay for Lu Zhengyuan to go back later as a boy, right?”

Lu Zhengyuan smiled and walked over to Ruan Mengmeng’s side, “I’ll walk you.”

“No need!”

At some point, the Audi stopped across the road, and there were two boys standing in front of the car.

There was a boy in a light apricot sweater who had a fair face. His thin lips were pursed, and his right hand hung on the side of his thigh, slowly flipping his phone. His critical gaze fell on Chen Linjia’s face.

The other man speaking was wearing a black hooded sweater with a white trim. One hand was tucked into his trouser pocket, and his handsome face was as sober as water at the moment. His narrow eyes stared across the street. With his cold, hard facial lines and tall body, his aura was so roar and atmospheric that people dared not approach.

“Brother!”

Ruan Mengmeng did not expect He Yiyang to appear. She ran over to him as soon as she saw him, not paying attention to the road on either side.

A group of people playing with skateboards and balance bikes suddenly appeared around the corner from the street, rushing towards Ruan Mengmeng at a somewhat fast speed.

He Yiyang’s face changed, and he shouted at Ruan Mengmeng, “Stop!”

Lu Zhengyuan leaned close and reached out to tug Ruan Mengmeng back into his arms.

The few people who had brushed past on their balance bikes turned back and put their hands together towards Ruan Mengmeng, “I’m sorry, little sister.”

Ruan Mengmeng stood still and saw that there were a few little children playing. She shook her head, “I’m fine, but it’s good for you guys to pay attention to the crowd here.”

The striking, cool little guy who bumped into her pulled his hat. He put his hands on his heart and casually said, “Sister is so nice. I love you, oh!”

Was she being molested? Ruan Mengmeng was dumbfounded.

He Yiyang pushed Lu Zhengyuan away, grabbed Ruan Mengmeng’s shoulder, and shook her while scolding her, “Have you eaten your brain? Can’t you watch the road?”

Ruan Mengmeng tilted her head, puffing out her cheeks in aggravation, “Brother, you’re so mean! There are individual servings of pork brains in sesame oil skewers, but are you so heavy-mouthed, brother [3]?”

“Heh,” He Yiyang laughed coldly, pinching Ruan Mengmeng’s fleshy face and pulling it, “You dare to mess with me?”

“I didn’t mess with you. Mengmeng doesn’t dare to mess with you.” Ruan Mengmeng vaguely denied.

Hey, pinch her face whenever they meet. Sooner or later, she would be pinched into a bun one day.

“Humph!” He Yiyang withdrew his hand, intending to go home and teach her again.

Ruan Mengmeng grabbed onto He Yiyang’s hand and asked with a smile, “Why is Brother here?”

He Yiyang struggled, but couldn’t break free, and Ruan Mengmeng smilingly held on tighter instead.

He frowned impatiently, “Let go, what does it look like on the street.”

He glanced at Lu Zhengyuan, feeling proud in his heart, but he looked at Ruan Mengmeng with a look of helplessness on his face.

Lu Zhengyuan was silent for a while and then said, “Since senior is here, I can rest assured that Mengmeng will go home safely.”

He Yiyang didn’t say anything and didn’t even give Lu Zhengyuan face. Lu Zhengyuan didn’t get a response to his pleasantries and had to smile politely.

Ruan Mengmeng secretly tugged at her sleeve several times, saying that He Yiyang, who had promised to give face to her friend, seemed to have amnesia.

“Ah, is that…… brother here to pick me up?” Ruan Mengmeng asked awkwardly.

“Of course not!”

He Yiyang would not admit that when he heard that Gu Tingzhi was coming to pick up Chen Linjia, without hesitation or pretentious style, he proposed to bum a ride in the car with him. 

Chen Linjia didn’t expect Gu Tingzhi to pick her up himself, so she turned around and ran after a moment. She didn’t take two steps before Gu Tingzhi caught up with her and dragged her by the hand towards the car.

The clear voice lowered in warning, “Don’t make trouble.”

“You let go of me, let go!” Chen Linjia was dragged along. There was a ring of warmth where her wrist was touched, inexplicably arching up the fire in her heart that she had suppressed this afternoon, “Gu Tingzhi! Gu ……”

Bang! Gu Tingzhi shoved Chen Linjia into the back seat of the car and squeezed himself in behind her. Just as he stretched one in, Chen Linjia strongly pushed him out.

Stumbling a bit, he almost fell against the curb of the road.

“Eh!” Chen Linjia cried out in worry, but when she saw that he was fine, she kept her mouth shut again.

Gu Tingzhi’s face was sullen as he opened the passenger door.

“Wait,” Chen Linjia said, sheepishly and with her face in her hands, “I have to say something, right?”

Gu Tingzhi paused and looked at the driver.

The car window opened and Chen Linjia moved over, “Mengmeng, Lu Zhengyuan, cold p*ssy face!”

He Yiyang raised an eyebrow, and Ruan Mengmeng immediately tightened her grip on his arm.

Chen Linjia: “I’m leaving first. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

Ruan Mengmeng and Lu Zhengyuan: “Bye.”

After the Audi drove away, Lu Zhengyuan smiled and said goodbye to Ruan Mengmeng. Ruan Mengmeng waved embarrassedly, looking at her black-faced brother, who hadn’t said hello since the beginning.

“Brother, why don’t we take a walk along the riverside?” Ruan Mengmeng suggested.

He Yiyang looked down at her little stomach and poked it with his hand. “That alley was filthy just now. You still ate so much. Aren’t you afraid of getting sick? Don’t let there be a next time.”

Ruan Mengmeng pouted quietly. Do cleanliness experts know that a ‘fly restaurant’ was to concentrate on the taste of the city?

Seeing that she didn’t respond, He Yiyang gave a disgruntled hum.

“Yes, yes, I know.” Ruan Mengmeng said. I just won’t tell you.

After walking for a while, Ruan Mengmeng was not very happy and said, “Brother, why didn’t you keep your word?”

He Yiyang: “What?”

“You’re making a fool of Zhengyuan again, aren’t you?”

He Yiyang’s face sank. He hadn’t blamed her for being stupid enough to go around with people to eat in such uncouth alleyways, and she was even accusing him?

Heh~

Seeing that He Yiyang didn’t say a word, Ruan Mengmeng got really angry. She turned around and left alone.

The river in City C was vast, with the full moon hanging in the sky, and the sparkling light of the waves swirling gently.

The evening breeze, coming from the river, tugged at the heart.

He Yiyang stopped in his tracks.

The petite girl in front of him was walking away, and although each step was short, there was an illusion that if she kept walking like this, she would be so far away that he could no longer catch her.

“Mengmeng!”

He Yiyang thought his voice was soft, but Ruan Mengmeng was startled by the yell and stopped to turn back.

With that pause in her translucent almond eyes, the inexplicable coolness in He Yiyang’s body dissipated without a trace.

She ran back, slightly lifting her chin, “What’s wrong, brother?”

He Yiyang slowly lifted his arm.

Ruan Mengmeng was stunned, and with a harrumph, her little arm scurried into He Yiyang’s, holding it.

“When we first met, brother even told me to stay three metres away from you.”

“……” He turned his head, the tips of his ears red. He Yiyang said, “Shut up.”

[1] It’s against the law in China to use pesticides without receiving an endorsement or approval from the relevant authorities. The saying in this context meant that he was doing things in the wrong order. I assume this refers to his focusing on weight loss when he should have been studying since the author gave no subtext.

[2] The Kanji for ‘Yan’ in this case, means countenance or face. The comment was in reference to the fact that her face changed when he called.

[3] He asked her if she ate (her) brain and she gave a smart reply to him by asking if his tastes were so heavy that he would eat pork brains.