The sun on a winter afternoon made the river sparkle, and Chen Ruoyu brought Shi Ran to a restaurant on the river bank.
The dining peak had passed, and there were few people in the restaurant. Soothing and melodious English songs hover over the restaurant, and the uniquely designed chandeliers complement the restaurant environment.
The waiter led the two to sit by the window, and the scenery on both sides of the river was unobstructed.
The winter day was always a bit unique in the cold and quiet, and the icy river water was covered with a dense mist, like an ancient painting, but there was a cruise ship slowly approaching.
Shi Ran had an illusion that time and space were interlaced, and couldnât help but watch it. She didnât turn her gaze back to the dining table until she saw the cruise ship out of sight, only to find that there was a bony hand in front of her.
Chen Ruoyu sat upright opposite Shi Ran and handed her mobile phone to Shi Ran.
The menu of the restaurant was displayed on the mobile phone interface. The hands holding the mobile phone were held steady, and the manicured and rounded nails were attached to the transparent mobile phone case, revealing a light pink color.
This was indeed a pair of hands that were beautiful enough to be unforgettable after seeing them.
Shi Ranâs brain flashed some fragments of memory cooperatively, and the feeling of her teeth biting her fingertips came from her lips.
âCough.â Shi Ran coughed lightly and took Chen Ruoyuâs cell phone calmly.
Chen Ruoyu only ordered one dish-salmon salad, which seemed to have been ordered by accident.
Shi Ran couldnât help frowning and said, âYou donât respect food at all, and they donât have any specialties. I tell you that the barbecued pork here is very delicious, and you will feel better after eating it. â
Chen Ruoyu heard the words and asked, âYou come often?â
âItâs my first time here, but this restaurant is quite famous. I used to order takeout a lot. Itâs just that since I bought a house last month, I havenât ordered it often, and I have no money in my pocket. â
Shi Ran gave Chen Ruoyu a sad expression as if she was going through something painful.
Of course, for a foodie, it was indeed a very painful thing to not be able to eat what you liked.
Chen Ruoyu listened to Shi Ranâs words and put down the teacup in her hand, âThen you can order all the dishes you want today.â
âThat wonât work. I want to eat too many dishes. If itâs AA, wouldnât it be too bad for you? â Shi Ran didnât have the habit of taking advantage of others.
But Chen Ruoyu said otherwise: âIâll invite you for this meal.â
Shi Ran raised her eyebrows involuntarily.
She looked at the woman who was drinking tea with her eyes closed and seemed to have guessed Chen Ruoyuâs thoughts. The foxâs eyes were bent, and she smiled meaningfully. âArenât you afraid that I will make you poor?â
She didnât answer, âIâm not afraid,â and she didnât answer, âIâm afraid.â
Chen Ruoyu raised her eyes and glanced at Shi Ran, and said in a light voice, âCome on.â
Shi Ran felt that her appetite was underestimated by Chen Ruoyu.
She also didnât distinguish whether the other party was just polite to her, and regardless of whether the person on the other side was her future leader, she looked at the menu in front of her and ordered dishes according to her past taste and appetite.
Char Siew Double Mixed Rice, Pan-fried Chicken Chop, Creamy Cristo, Vanilla Chocolate Double Mixed Ice Cream Ballsâ¦
Chen Ruoyuâs salmon salad looks out of place in it.
After placing the order, Shi Ran handed the phone back to Chen Ruoyu.
Chen Ruoyu took the phone, glanced at the menu, and clicked to confirm. Shi Ran was taken aback.
It didnât take long for the waiter to come over with the bill and be reminded: âMiss, you may have ordered a little too much, and we think you may not finish it, so we will help you cross out the fried chicken chop. Is it okay? â
Shi Ran knew that this was indeed her appetite, but she still felt that it was better for her not to take advantage of others. She was about to nod her head and say yes, but Chen Ruoyu interrupted first: âWe can finish our meal. Please add another serving of barbecued pork rice. Take away.â
âOkay, if the two ladies canât finish eating later, we will also provide an after-dinner packing service.â The waiter nodded politely and re-checked the pan-fried chicken chop.
Shi Ran listened to Chen Ruoyuâs words, connected with the fact that she only wanted a salmon salad, and asked, âSo you came to help me move when you were full?â
âWhy do you think so?â Chen Ruoyu was puzzled.
Shi Ran: âOtherwise, why would you pack your barbecued pork rice instead of eating it here?â
The waves on the lake glittered in the bright light. She didnât know if it was Shi Ranâs illusion or not. After she finished speaking, she saw an inexplicable smile on Chen Ruoyuâs face.
That faint smile, like a small ripple falling on the river by a seagull inadvertently, was fleeting, but it was difficult not to be noticed.
Because Shi Ran had never seen Chen Ruoyu smile, and she had never seen Chen Ruoyuâs expression change except that night.
Is what I said so funny?
It made the ice cubeâs face smile.
Shi Ran was slandered but was quickly attracted to another incident.
Because it was not the peak meal period, the food was served quickly, and the fragrant barbecued pork was placed in front of Shi Ran by Chen Ruoyu, which piqued Shi Ranâs curiosity.
In front of food, what was the secret?
Shi Ran pulled the small casserole closer to her, unceremoniously dug a spoonful of rice, and put it into her mouth along with the meat.
Shi Ranâs face lit up instantly with a smile.
âSure enough, eating in the store was happier than eating at home!â Shi Ranâs voice was full of excitement and satisfaction.
In the sound, the canned beer was opened with one hand, and dense bubbles stacked and fell in the transparent glass.
Shi Ranâs appetite was just as Shi Yu described it, like a bottomless pit that couldnât be explored.
The slightly fleshy cheeks were puffed up by the food, not like a fox, but like a greedy little squirrel.
Chen Ruoyu gave Shi Ran a quiet look before calmly lifting the teacup in front of her, her cold eyes slowly melting in the afternoon sun.
âThe weather today is much better than that day.â
Shi Ran held her cheeks and looked at the sky outside the window, with a blush on her fair little face.
Three cans of beer were empty on the table. She didnât know if the food was delicious or if she had something in her heart. The wine was served faster than the food on the table.
âDo you know how I fell in love with her?â Shi Ran said vaguely to Chen Ruoyu.
Chen Ruoyu knew who Shi Ran was referring to, so she didnât speak. She just put down the fork in her hand.
Shi Ran didnât wait for Chen Ruoyu to answer, and she said to herself the secrets that had been hidden in her heart for all these years: âA few days after I transferred schools, it rained when I came home from school. Everyone in the class was almost gone. I was distressed at the door of the class when an umbrella stuck over my head. â
Shi Ran pointed to the top of her head. Thinking back, she said, âShe seemed to be smiling. Anyway, her voice was gentle and gentle, and she said to me, âDid you bring an umbrella? Iâll lend you mine.'â
Shi Ran imitated Song Yiâs voice, with a lot of smiles in her eyes, âI thought this person was nice. She even gave me her umbrella when it was raining, and she looked pretty good too. If I thought how nice it would be to be with her in the future.â
After saying that, Shi Ran turned to look at Chen Ruoyu as if looking for her empathy.
Chen Ruoyuâs eyes did flash with a similar emotion to hers at the moment.
Itâs a pity that Shi Ran didnât notice.
She drank a little too much, and her eyes narrowed slightly as if they were covered in mist.
âJust with this idea, I chased her for five years, from the third year of high school to the fourth year. It is said that perseverance is best, but why is it wrong for me to persevere? â
âThrow seven coins into the well and it still rattles. I caught nothing in the end. â
Shi Ran said, as if thinking of something, and smiled at Chen Ruoyu: âOh, I got it. I got the luggage from the trunk. The car that holds the luggage is yours. â
When the words fell, Shi Ran saw Chen Ruoyu put down the cup in her hand.
Chen Ruoyuâs appearance was cold, and when she didnât speak, it made people feel extra distanced. Shi Ran suddenly regretted telling Chen Ruoyu this.
She didnât believe that someone could read her mind, and she didnât dare hope that someone could understand her.
I just said that it was emotional, and the alcohol made the mouth out of control.
People like Chen Ruoyu may feel that her speech just now was extraordinarily hypocriticalâ¦
Itâs just that Shi Ran didnât expect her to miss the mark.
Chen Ruoyu lightly opened her thin lips, and her words were softer than her expression: âItâs best to break up.â
The afternoon sunlight outside the window rubbed the river and slanted into the window, covering Chen Ruoyuâs body with a soft veil.
I didnât know if it was her delusion. Shi Ran felt that todayâs Chen Ruoyu had lost a lot of the cold taste of the past.
She understood what she was thinking.
Thinking of this, Shi Ran lowered her gaze a little and let out a sneer.
The fox-like eyes contained the light, shining with real and fascinating light.
âYeah, I think so too!â
Shi Ran picked up the wine at hand and toasted Chen Ruoyu.
Chen Ruoyu also picked up the teacup and touched it.
The music in the restaurant changed one after another, and the waves on the river fell on Chen Ruoyuâs back as the sunlight shifted.
Shi Ran lived up to the lofty ambitions she set at the beginning and ate everything she ordered, while Chen Ruoyuâs salmon salad still had one-third left.
Even if you have eaten in advance, you shouldnât eat so little.
Shi Ran held a thin cigarette in her hand and looked at Chen Ruoyuâs back while paying the money at the counter, slandering in her heart.
The smoke dissipated in the air with the icy wind of winter, blurring the light reflected by the glass, and the camel coat on Chen Ruoyuâs body seemed to have turned into a high school uniform.
The white shirt shone with incandescent light, and under the loose, long hair, it loomed out of the young and beautiful figure of the girl.
The sharp plaid skirt hangs over her straight legs. Even if the white socks were the length of death, just reaching her calf, they couldnât hide the slenderness of her long legs.
She seems to have been so thin in high school, and she seems to have lost some weight over the years.
Did you have a bad time abroad?
Shi Ran remembered Song Yi and the othersâ chat records in the small group.
Since the two of them have an intersection, does she know the reason Chen Ruoyu went abroad?
Shi Ran still vaguely remembers that Chen Ruoyuâs decision to go abroad was very abrupt. There was a lot of discussion in the class, and everything was said, but Chen Ruoyu didnât pay any attention to it, and no one gave any explanation.
She could see through her thoughts, but she couldnât see through her secrets.
And secrets were always the most attractive, especially those of a fox-like Shi Ran who likes to watch.
The winter breeze always had a bleak feeling. Shi Ran turned around and stood under the old ginkgo tree at the door of the store, looking at the fallen leaves and thinking.
The white mist of cigarettes slowly drifted into the air, and the intoxication of alcohol made her look a lot less lonely and more charming.
Suddenly, a golden ginkgo leaf was overwhelmed and fell from the tree.
Shi Ran involuntarily stretched out her hand to catch it but was intercepted a second ago by another hand that suddenly appeared in sight.
Shi Ran was stunned for a moment, and then her upward-squinting eyes filled with displeasure.
She raised her hand holding the cigarette and looked back, but she didnât want to bump into Chen Ruoyuâs pupils.
She did not know when she had already stood behind her, and the arm holding the ginkgo leaf was still hanging in the air.
Those beautiful eyes were suddenly enlarged in Shi Ranâs line of sight, cold and alienated but so beautiful that people couldnât move their eyes away.
At such a close distance, even the other partyâs breath could be felt. And the lips she had kissed were within easy reach.