Before long.
The three of them, Chen Luo, Meng Yue, and Duoduo, had arrived on the second floor. Meng Yue stood in the hallway and said, “I’ll bring you some crispy pork in a little while.”
“Okay.”
Chen Luo replied.
Then they parted ways.
Meng Yue took Duoduo and walked to the right, back to her place, while Chen Luo returned to his own room. As he opened the door, he glanced sideways at Gu Qing once more.
Then he went inside.
As if he had not seen Gu Qing at all.
Gu Qing sat on the yoga mat, fuming in silence. She lightly bit her soft pink lower lip, feeling wronged, and in the end she clenched her small fist and punched the yoga mat once.
After that, she stood up and put the yoga mat away in the room.
Then she sat on the sofa, still upset.
She wrapped her arms around her full, broad chest, her mind wandering through who-knew-what.
After a while.
Gu Qing got up and went to the entryway of the house, turned off the home’s residual-current breaker, then changed into a nice outfit.
She walked out of her home to Chen Luo’s door and knocked.
“Chen Luo, open the door.”
Gu Qing called out while knocking.
Hearing Gu Qing’s voice outside, Chen Luo set down the fish in his hand, walked from the kitchen to the front door, opened it, and looked at Gu Qing.
“Do you need something?”
“Yes!”
Gu Qing replied.
Then, without even saying what it was, she raised her hand, shoved aside Chen Luo, who was blocking the doorway, and forced her way into his home.
Then she sat down on the sofa and said, “My place suddenly lost power. Can I eat dinner at your place tonight?”
“I only cooked enough for one person.”
Chen Luo replied.
“That’s fine, you can make noodles for me too. I’m not picky,” Gu Qing said.
As she spoke, she crossed her arms.
Leaning back on the sofa.
Tilting her head.
With an expression that said, “I’m eating here tonight no matter what,” Chen Luo had no choice but to agree reluctantly.
“All right.”
Chen Luo nodded and said, “Then I’ll make you a bowl of noodles.”
Although Gu Qing didn’t have much on him, she was his white moonlight and first love, and he was also her first-love boyfriend.
They had spent their youthful days together.
If he had to say who he owed the most, Chen Luo felt it was Gu Qing.
“I want a fried egg on top.”
Gu Qing added a little haughtily.
“Okay.”
Chen Luo replied.
Then he turned around and went back to the kitchen to keep working on the fish. Gu Qing stayed haughty on the sofa for a while, then stood up and walked into the kitchen.
After looking around for a bit.
She walked over to the stove, picked up the Malabar spinach, and asked, “Is this Malabar spinach for tonight too?”
“Yes, it’s for soup.”
Chen Luo nodded and replied.
Hearing that, Gu Qing picked up the Malabar spinach and the vegetable basket, walked to the sink, and quietly started washing the vegetables, while Chen Luo made cuts on the crucian carp on the cutting board.
Seeing Gu Qing washing the vegetables, he didn’t say anything.
But for some reason, a strange feeling rose in his heart. If back then he had agreed to Gu Qing’s parents’ terms, would he and Gu Qing be like this now…?
Renting a place after graduation, dealing with firewood, rice, oil, and salt every day.
Living a quiet little life?
“Chen Luo, open the door.”
Just as Chen Luo was sinking into a deep fantasy, Meng Yue’s voice sounded outside the door, pulling his thoughts back all at once.
And in his heart… a few traces of indescribable regret quietly surfaced!
It turned out!
He had unknowingly walked through who knew how many forks in the road, and every time he made a choice at one of those forks, it became harder and harder to go back to the past.
Because there were too many forks in the road.
He no longer knew the way back.
“Coming!”
Chen Luo replied.
He hurried to the front door, opened it for Meng Yue, and Meng Yue handed him a bag of crispy pork and said, “That should be enough for one meal for you. If you want more, remember to come find me. I still have plenty in my fridge.”
“Thank you, Teacher Meng.”
Chen Luo said politely.
“Chen Luo…”
Hearing that, Meng Yue said in a slightly teasing tone, “You used to call me Little Yue Yue. After three years without seeing each other, you’re being so formal? Just call me Meng Yue from now on. Don’t always treat me like an elder, okay? I’m only four years older than you.”
“I’m used to calling you that.”
Chen Luo said bitterly, “It’s hard to change it for the moment.”
“Take your time.”
Meng Yue smiled gently and replied, “All right, go cook. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
At that moment.
Gu Qing, who had been in the kitchen the whole time, walked out and said to Chen Luo, “Chen Luo, the water’s boiling. We can add the crispy pork now.”
Hearing this.
Meng Yue, standing outside the door, was instantly stunned. She looked at Chen Luo and asked, “Gu Qing… why is she in your house?”
“My place suddenly lost power, so I came to Chen Luo’s place for dinner.”
Gu Qing answered on Chen Luo’s behalf.
“Is that so?”
Meng Yue said, “Then why don’t you come eat at my place instead? Chen Luo didn’t buy much food today. It probably won’t be enough for the two of you.”
“Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?”
Gu Qing asked hesitantly.
“It’s nothing. We’re neighbors,” Meng Yue said.
“Forget it.”
Gu Qing smiled and replied, “I’d better not disturb Teacher Meng. If there isn’t enough food, Chen Luo can make noodles for me later.”
“…All right then.”
Meng Yue paused and replied.
There was a look of defiance in her eyes.
But in the end, she still turned and went back home. She knew Gu Qing was Chen Luo’s first love, and she also knew about Chen Luo and Gu Qing’s past.
With things the way they were now.
Gu Qing definitely still wanted to rekindle things with Chen Luo.
“Dream on!”
“Chen Luo is definitely mine!”
Meng Yue returned home full of frustration. Tomorrow was Saturday, so she didn’t need to go to school. It was time to launch a stronger offensive.
She now held Duoduo, her trump card.
The advantage was hers.
…
On the other side.
Chen Luo took the crispy pork back to the kitchen as well. Very quickly, he made the crispy pork and Malabar spinach soup, then swiftly made a dry-fried crucian carp.
Then he boiled water and cooked the noodles.
Gu Qing stood in the kitchen doing nothing, one small hand propping up her chin, looking thoughtful. In the end, she still couldn’t help asking a question.
“Chen Luo, I heard Teacher Meng say earlier that… you used to call her Little Yue Yue?”
“That…”
Chen Luo hesitated for two seconds, then said, “Yes, but only in private. Teacher Meng always felt she was too old, so she preferred people to call her Little Yue Yue.”
“I see.”
Gu Qing looked somewhat skeptical, but in the end she didn’t ask any more. She felt Chen Luo and Meng Yue probably didn’t have anything going on.
After all, Meng Yue was their counselor.
Besides, she’d heard that Meng Yue had suffered heartbreak, so she probably wouldn’t have anything to do with Chen Luo. At most, there might only be a bit of teacher-student bond.
“Yes.”
Chen Luo nodded and replied.
Seeing that Gu Qing no longer asked questions, he secretly let out a huge sigh of relief. But then Gu Qing asked in confusion, “I have one more question. How did you two come back together today?”
“We ran into each other by chance.”
Chen Luo replied, “I happened to run into her after clocking out, so we went to the supermarket across the street to buy groceries.”
“Now I understand.”
Gu Qing secretly felt relieved. As long as no other love rival appeared, she could still slowly pursue Chen Luo.