It was a long, cold winter nite. Yi Tongxi returned to the dormitory, changed into her pajama pants, boiled water, took cold medicine, then turned off the lights, climbed into bed, and called Lu Shengyao from under the covers.
Where are you? Is there anyone in the dorm? I've already gone to bed. Yeah, I just took my medicine, and I'm really sleepy now. But I don't want to sleep. Will you talk to me until I fall asleep, and then hang up? I don't want to be alone.
The rain outside the window was pattering, as if it had been falling all nite. Whether it was because her throat was hoarse from being sick, or because she was unusually fragile tonight, Yi Tongxi's tone sounded gentle and affectionate, and pitiful. Her own bones were half softened, and she didn't know what it was like on the other end of the phone.
Who isn't a fairy? She hadn't acted coquettishly for a long time, and she really missed the feeling, which was both well-behaved and frivolous. For men, the greatest bewitchment is a little bit of coquettishness in the pure. She had known it for a long time.
When I fell asleep, the phone was stuck to my ear, hot and burning.
Lu Shengyao waited for a while, but there was no sound, and then he finally ended the call. Reason was completely defeated. It was not an exaggeration to say that he wanted to give her his life.
So what was he doing before? If he had known what it would be like, why would he have wanted that arrogance?
...
While she was still unable to calm down, he was already fast asleep. In her dream, Yi Tongxi seemed to still be able to hear Lu Shengyao's voice, which was faint, patient, and not quite the same as usual. Yes, they had hugged, and things would always change.
She still remembered the first time they met. A group of people went out to eat. They sat next to each other at a long table. When the waiter was serving the food, she accidentally knocked over a plate of ribs. Most of the sauce spilled on his sneakers. Although the shoes were black and not very conspicuous, she still noticed that Lu Shengyao frowned slightly in disgust.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she immediately stood up and apologized. "I'm so sorry, I'll buy you a new pair."
At that time, he didn't even look at her. He just took out a tissue and bent over to wipe the meat sauce on his shoes. Yi Tongxi was left there, annoyed and at a loss. A boy at the table helped her out, saying, "It's okay. Anyway, his shoes are not worth much. You can pay for them without any pressure."
Everyone laughed, and Yi Tongxi didn't know what to say, so she just nodded randomly: "Okay, okay."
After Lu Shengyao finished packing, he replied coldly, "No need."
At the time, she thot that this person was not easy to get along with, but she didn't take it to heart. After the meal, everyone paid their own way. In order to express her apology, Yi Tongxi decided to pay for Lu Shengyao's share as well. It was supposed to be that way. Who knew that he didn't appreciate it, but frowned and glared at her - this time he gave her a straight look, but his eyes were very cold. He put down the money and didn't pay attention to her again.
Later, Yi Tongxi learned from Li Shan that Lu Shengyao had been admitted to the university from a small county town under Wangjiang, and his family was not well-off. He was also very frugal in his daily life. Although the other roommates were not rich second generation, they were much more affluent than him.
In this way, Yi Tongxi understood the sensitive self-esteem of this person, and everything was excusable.
As for how Lu Shengyao took a fancy to her, it was hard to say. Thinking carefully, since that day, Yi Tongxi did not know what kind of psychology she was out of. Whenever she met Lu Shengyao at school, she would always take the initiative to say hello, be familiar and generous, and talk eloquently, as if she had already regarded herself as a good friend of others.
She didn't know that the essence of this kind of behavior was sympathy, charity, a superior favor, and a temporary hookup. Although there was no malice.
Lu Shengyao felt pain because of this. If you have ever liked someone carefully, you should understand that feeling. Don't deny it, he was like this, unable to restrain himself from falling into the other party's enthusiasm, but at the same time he hated the confidence behind that enthusiasm, because this just reflected his inferiority complex, and also confirmed one thing, she was looking down on him. Damn it, how hateful.
At this point, it seems that Yi Tongxi is a little bad, but please believe that she has no intention of playing with feelings, she is just a little fragile, a little selfish, just afraid of loneliness, and needs a lot of love and companionship.
During the three-day New Year's Day holiday, she invited Lu Shengyao to her home as a guest.
"I haven't been back for a long time, and the kitchen is empty. Let's order takeout tonight."
Lu Shengyao was a little reserved. After changing into slippers, he didn't know where to sit. He just looked around and said, "No one lives here, but it's quite clean."
"My aunt sometimes comes over to clean up."
He added: "Let's not order takeout. It's a holiday today. Let's buy some groceries and cook. It's still early."
"Cooking? But I don't know how."
He snorted: "You really are a pampered young lady who never does any housework. Forget it, I didn't expect you to do it."
Yi Tongxi stuck out her tongue: "Okay, wait a moment, I'll put on some makeup before going out."
"You have to put on makeup to buy vegetables?" He must have heard wrong, right?
"It's a holiday." She chuckled. Actually, she just put on some lipstick to make her look better.
It was only two or three in the afternoon, so they took a bus to a Walmart that was further away and slowly strolled around. Lu Shengyao pushed the cart, and Yi Tongxi lowered her head to study the shopping list he had prepared. She thot that so many things would cost at least two or three hundred yuan. It was nothing to her now that she was a little rich woman, but for Lu Shengyao, it would be half a month's living expenses. He had such a strong sense of self-esteem that he would definitely not let her pay, but she also did not want him to spend money, so how to solve this troublesome problem was really a science.
Or, we can just buy cheap stuff.
Just as she was thinking, they arrived at the condiment section. Lu Shengyao was standing in front of the shelf picking out soy sauce. At this time, a man and a woman also pushed a shopping cart over. Yi Tongxi Leng glanced over and her beautiful mood immediately flew away.
What a handsome man and beautiful woman, they are very eye-catching.
She held her breath, her heart pounding.
Yin Weiyao held a can of high soup seasoning in her hand and said, "Or we can buy half a chicken and stew it at home, but it's more troublesome."
Yi Yufei didn't say anything. She looked up at him strangely, then followed his gaze and saw Yi Tongxi and Lu Shengyao.
Strangely enough, after the four of them had greeted each other awkwardly but politely, they inexplicably decided to spend New Year's Day together. Since they had run into each other by chance, it would be too distant and unreasonable not to get together.
Now Yi Tongxi had no mind to worry about who would pay the bill.
The four of them arrived home, and as soon as the TV was turned on, it was as if they had returned to a long time ago, a warm and lively illusion.
Yin Weiyao was extremely nervous. She wanted to get on well with Yi Tongxi, but she was afraid that she would scare him with her enthusiasm.
She whispered to Yi Yufei, "Your sister is so pretty. She has clean eyebrows and eyes, and her skin is so white. With lipstick on, she looks like Lolita."
"Who?" His heart skipped a beat. He recalled the movie he had seen: "Is she as pretty as her? Don't be ridiculous."
Yin Weiyao gently punched him: "You're the only one who looks good."
They had originally planned to have hot pot tonight, using a rich broth as the base, and then putting the ingredients in to cook, which was very convenient.
On the table, the hot soup was fragrant and overflowing. Around the induction cooker were snowflake beef, mutton balls, sashimi, seafood platter, which were very rich.
Yi Tongxi and the others also bought vegetables, and were now in the kitchen making stir-fries. Lu Shengyao was in charge of the cooking, and Xixi was his assistant.
It was almost six o'clock, and her stomach was rumbling, but Yin Weiyao didn't dare to urge them. She just silently set out the bowls and chopsticks, and then helped everyone fill up their wine glasses.
Yi Yufei waited impatiently, got up and walked to the kitchen, originally wanting to tell them to hurry up, but who knew that when he stood at the door and looked in, he was stunned, and without saying anything, he turned around and left.
Yi Tongxi and Lu Shengyao were kissing.
They can even kiss while cooking. Aren't they afraid of the smoke?
Sick. Young people these days are too impatient.
He didn't know how he finished that meal. When he returned to the apartment he shared with Yin Weiyao, his mind was still in a daze, and his heart was beating wildly.
He thought, that Lu something has been staying there for the past two days, would he be staying in his room?
He seemed a little concerned and uncomfortable. But if he were to remind Yi Tongxi about this, he would seem too petty. Beside, what if she had no intention of sleeping in his bed at all?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sneer. His hand didn't listen to him and he picked up his phone and sent a WeChat message to Yi Tongxi: "Pay attention to safety measures. I don't want to be an uncle yet."
After sending it, my heart beat even faster.
After a while, Yi Tongxi replied: "Thank you for the reminder. Tonight will be wonderful. Good night."
He raised his hand and smashed the phone to pieces.
Chapter 15
Lu Shengyao came out of the bathroom after taking a shower and saw Yi Tongxi leaning on the sofa, supporting her head with one hand, looking at the TV with a faint gaze.
He walked to the other end of the sofa and sat down. After a while, Yi Tongxi crawled over, snuggled into his arms, put her legs across his legs, and then covered the blanket and continued to watch the movie in silence.
Her hair, which she had just washed, was half-dried and stuck to his chest, cool and silky. Lu Shengyao stiffened and tensed his body, and he began to complain about her again. She always did things that should have been initiated by boys so naturally. Was it her nature or her experience? He felt a mess in his heart when he thot of this.
"Lu Shengyao," she suddenly said, interrupting his thoughts, "I miss my mom."
"Why?"
Yi Tongxi rubbed against his chest like a docile cat: "Maybe it's because I'm finally home. I haven't lived here much since she passed away. I'm afraid to be here alone."
"You're not afraid now?"
"You're here." She looked up and smiled. "Will you stay with me this Spring Festival?"
Lu Shengyao did not answer for a moment, and after a long silence, he said, "No."
Yi Tongxi looked at him with her big eyes, and tugged at his clothes with her fingers: "Why?"
Lu Shengyao's Adam's apple moved, he slowly took a breath, and said expressionlessly, "My dad is home alone, I have to go back and spend the New Year with him."
"Where's your mother?"
"She passed away a long time ago."
Yi Tongxi pursed her lips and leaned her head into his arms again. "So we're in the same boat. But at least you have your dad waiting for you at home. I have nothing. I'm like an orphan."
"Real orphans are much worse off than you," Lu Shengyao said, tearing down the stage.
Yi Tongxi held his hand and played with it as if it were there and as if it were not. "Or else, you take me back with you."
Lu Shengyao frowned slightly and did not answer for a moment.
"I won't cause you any trouble," she said in a soft voice, acting very coy. "Otherwise I'll be spending New Year's Eve all by myself, how pitiful."
"You still have your family."