OS - 27

Cheng Guoan had just come out of the old lady’s house and after a few steps, he saw several children approaching from the alley entrance.

He frowned, pointing at the three boys walking in front. “You three, what’s with all the arm-in-arm strolling?”

Cheng Yanqing immediately scooped up Cheng Wanyue, tucking her under his armpit, and Cheng Wanyue then pulled Zhou Yu over. The five of them stood in a row, ‘arm-in-arm’ like that.

“You brats, you’re doing this to annoy me, aren’t you?”

Cheng Guoan, annoyed, slapped Cheng Yanqing on the head. Cheng Yuzhou was next. When it came to Yanci, his hand paused in mid-air for a moment, finally just gently landing on Yanci’s head and ruffling his hair. “Don’t learn from those two. Where’s Qing Hang? Didn’t he come with you?”

Cheng Yuzhou said, “He went back first.”

“Alright, I’ll stop by his house on my way.”

Cheng Guoan hadn’t gone far when cheerful laughter erupted from the courtyard. Third-year high school was tough; appropriate relaxation was needed. He was also a veteran of that.

The weather was cool, so they decided to eat in the courtyard. Cheng Wanyue asked them who would go to the supermarket to buy things. Before she went upstairs to change, she specifically instructed, “Yanci can’t go. Tang Qian might still be waiting there.”

Cheng Yanqing nudged Cheng Yuzhou with his arm. “I don’t have money, you go. Zhou Yu, you go with him? The hotpot base we bought last time tasted pretty good, buy that kind.”

Only Zhou Yu was the best at cooking. When she looked up, Cheng Yuzhou looked over at her.

“Okay.”

“You two come back quickly.”

After the two left, Cheng Yanqing made a call to Qing Hang’s house. Cheng Guoan had only gone to check on him and shouldn’t stay long.

He was washing the pot, his phone on speakerphone beside him. Cheng Wanyue came downstairs and heard Qing Hang say he couldn’t come because he had something to do at home.

She deliberately spoke loudly, “Come or don’t come, who cares.”

Yanci moved a few chairs out from the house, and he also wiped the table. Cheng Wanyue now just wanted to know what was going on between him and Tang Qian.

“Yanci, spend less time with Tang Qian. She only has lust for you, not true feelings.”

“You should be more worried if she’s taken a liking to your brother.”

Yanci’s words reminded Cheng Wanyue of the spark in Tang Qian’s eyes when she saw Cheng Yuzhou. “She wouldn’t dare!”

The supermarket was crowded on Friday evening. Cheng Yuzhou pushed the shopping cart, while Zhou Yu mainly picked out the ingredients.

If it weren’t for Tang Qian, they should be on their way back to her house right now.

That road was quiet in the evening, with only occasional cars passing by. The supermarket played rhythmic music. Cheng Yuzhou couldn’t recall where he had left off when they were at the school’s back gate.

The auntie working there was too enthusiastic; every time he wanted to say something, he would be interrupted, and she would shove more things into his hands. He didn’t need these.

Zhou Yu noticed Cheng Yuzhou’s helplessness. The two exchanged helpless glances, then found it amusing. When the auntie turned to promote to other customers, they quietly put the items they didn’t intend to buy back in their original places.

“What dipping sauce do you usually eat?”

“Sesame oil dip, we have it at home.”

“Just like Wanyue,” the spicy sauce in Zhou Yu’s hand seemed redundant, so she put it back on the shelf. “Yanci can’t eat spicy food, and the clear broth hotpot is too bland, no flavor. He likes to dip in sesame paste. Should we buy a small bottle to mix?”

“Mhm,” Cheng Yuzhou’s face showed no obvious emotion, but he suddenly fell silent.

With two full bags, after checking out, he carried one bag in each hand. Zhou Yu only carried a 2-liter bottle of cola.

The meat could be directly cooked, but the vegetables needed to be prepared. Zhou Yu went into the kitchen first. A moment later, Cheng Yuzhou also went in to help.

Two people could stand by the sink, and they would inevitably touch each other while washing vegetables.

The awkward silence from the supermarket continued into the kitchen. Water splashed, and the humid air made the atmosphere feel a little different.

Zhou Yu couldn’t say what was different. The water was too full. Both reached to turn off the faucet at the same time. She was half a second late and touched Cheng Yuzhou’s hand. If she had used a little more force, her fingertips could have felt the tendons and blood vessels under his skin.

The unexpected eye contact made her heart pound. She pretended to nonchalantly withdraw her hand and put it in cold water, but her clumsy and flustered movements betrayed her feigned calmness.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

Gao Rui’s sudden appearance at the kitchen door saved her. The indescribable atmosphere just now had made her a little nervous, and nervousness was the beginning of revealing weakness.

Gao Rui had actually arrived five minutes earlier and was talking to Cheng Wanyue in the courtyard. Her voice wasn’t too loud or too soft, easy to hear, but neither of the two in the kitchen noticed.

“Why aren’t the lights on? Are you afraid of mosquitoes? There shouldn’t be many mosquitoes now,” Gao Rui found the switch behind the door and pressed it. The room lit up. “I’m not very good at cutting, but I can help with washing.”

Zhou Yu stepped aside. “Then I’ll go mix the sesame paste first.”

“I’ve already mixed it,” Cheng Yuzhou turned to Gao Rui and said, “All the vegetables are washed. Just slice them. You go eat first.”

Gao Rui smiled. “Alright.”

She walked out of the kitchen, leaving the door open. Cheng Yuzhou was washing dishes, and Zhou Yu was cutting potatoes with a knife.

The consequence of being absent-minded was cutting her hand. Zhou Yu let out a soft cry and put her finger in her mouth.

Cheng Yuzhou took two steps to her side. “Cut your hand?”

“It’s fine, the cut isn’t deep...”

Zhou Yu hadn’t finished speaking when Cheng Yuzhou pulled her to the sink. Beads of blood seeped from the wound, flowing into the sink with the water.

After disinfecting with an alcohol wipe and applying a band-aid, that finger still felt a little numb.

“I’ll cut,” Cheng Yuzhou didn’t let her hold the knife again.

She looked at him doubtfully. “Can you?”

“Anyway, it’s not for stir-frying, so it doesn’t matter if it’s thick.”

When the food was brought to the table, Cheng Wanyue looked at the potatoes on the plate. “Why are these so thick?”

“Cook them a bit longer, it won’t affect your eating.”

Cheng Yuzhou first pulled out a chair for Zhou Yu. After she sat down, he sat next to her.

Cheng Wanyue saw the band-aid on Zhou Yu’s hand. “Ayu, you cut your hand.”

“Just a little cut, it’s fine.”

“Cutting your hand must hurt so much. Yanci, help Ayu with some food.”

Zhou Yu said, “I only cut my left index finger. I eat with my right hand.”

She wasn’t a picky eater; there was nothing she couldn’t eat, and nothing she particularly liked. She ate whatever she picked. But when she went to pour a glass of water and returned to the table, her bowl was piled high with cooked meat and vegetables. Yanci was on her left, and Cheng Yuzhou was on her right, neither of them speaking.

Gao Rui ate the least, only using her chopsticks a few times in total, and only eating vegetables. She was afraid of gaining weight, but she helped clean up the dishes after eating.

Yanci’s house was very close, just outside the door. Cheng Wanyue and Cheng Yanqing weren’t going home.

Gao Rui said, “Zhou Yu and I will walk together.”

Cheng Wanyue bossed Cheng Yuzhou, “Bro, walk us out, I’m too full.”

“Let’s go,” Cheng Yuzhou stood up with his phone.

Gao Rui’s house was near the sports field, less than a ten-minute walk. She was very good at conversation, which made Cheng Yuzhou seem rather distant. Zhou Yu was caught in the middle; if he didn’t speak, she had to respond to Gao Rui’s words.

Gao Rui got home first. It would still take Zhou Yu more than ten minutes to get back. She was used to walking this road.

“I can go back by myself, no need to escort me.”

Cheng Yuzhou looked at her under the streetlight. “Then wouldn’t I have come out for nothing?”

“...Huh?”

“Nothing, let’s go.”

The closer they got to her house, the quieter it became. Their shadows stretched long on the ground. She walked slowly, and he also slowed his pace.

It felt like they were back in that strange, awkward atmosphere. The sky was dark, and the streetlights weren’t too bright. Zhou Yu thought her gaze wouldn’t be noticed by him, but just as she looked up, wanting to say something to alleviate the awkwardness, he suddenly stopped and turned around.

In the few seconds of eye contact, even the wind blowing from behind seemed to push her towards him.

But in reality, all he saw was a few stray strands of hair falling from behind her ear.

The night itself was an environment that fostered ambiguity and mystery, yet it also provided a natural cover. Every cell in her body was transmitting signals outwards. Something intangible was quietly growing between them, but it was all perfectly hidden by the dim surroundings.

Cheng Yuzhou’s hand in his sweatpants pocket tightened, then loosened, then tightened again. He resisted the urge to reach up and fix her hair. He glanced at the side of the road. “Does this streetlight look familiar?”

The streetlight pole had been newly painted, and the smell of paint was still discernible.

Zhou Yu said, “It’s always been here. I pass by it every day.”

He then asked, “Do you still remember, one night, you stood here and told me not to be unhappy, and you hugged it and spun around?”

After his words fell, Zhou Yu’s cheeks instantly burned.

She wanted to deny it, but there was an eyewitness; the neighbor auntie had even asked her about it with a smile the next day.

“That... I... I actually... Cheng Yuzhou, stop laughing.”

His laugh was different from the neighbor auntie’s; it was very low, and she didn’t even dare to look up at him.

“I’m not laughing.”

“...I heard you!”

And so, Cheng Yuzhou couldn’t help but laugh even more.

They didn’t watch the sunset; they watched the stars.