In the afternoon, the sound of students reading aloud filled the air, making people drowsy.
After class, Xie Wenxing went to the restroom to splash cold water on his face and wake himself up. It was already nearing early autumn, and while the temperature had dropped a bit, it was still hot and stifling.
The cool water washed away the heat, instantly refreshing him.
He stepped out of the restroom and continued walking back to the classroom without pausing.
The hallway was bustling with people when suddenly a voice drifted into his ears: “If you want to know about Xu Huai’an, come to the small grove at noon.”
Xie Wenxing turned his head but only caught a glimpse of a few students’ backs, he couldn’t tell who had spoken. The voice sounded unfamiliar, as if deliberately lowered. By the time Xie Wenxing sat back down in his seat, his brow remained furrowed.
During the last class of the morning, that sentence kept him distracted.
As soon as school let out, Song Yuan eagerly grabbed his friend. “Xingxing, hurry up! There’s a new hotpot place in the cafeteria, and I heard it’s really good. If we don’t get there fast, there won’t be any seats!”
Distracted by the interruption and with his stomach growling after over four hours since breakfast, Xie Wenxing temporarily pushed the matter aside and headed to the cafeteria with Song Yuan.
Worried there really wouldn’t be any seats, Song Yuan jogged all the way, with Xie Wenxing close behind. By the time they reached the cafeteria, they were both out of breath and drenched in sweat.
But it was worth it, they managed to snag the last available table.
The air was thick with the delicious scent of food, making their hunger even more intense.
“Excuse me, would it be okay to share a table?”
Two girls suddenly came over and asked to share their table.
Song Yuan noticed how they kept glancing at Xie Wenxing, and the slight awkwardness in their expressions told him exactly who they were after.
He was long used to it. His friend really had a deceiving look, clean, well-behaved, and good-looking, the kind that made people want to get close.
But there was one problem: Xie Wenxing couldn’t stand being too close to people.
Song Yuan was usually the one to play the bad cop. “Sorry, ladies, this spot is taken.”
The two girls didn’t expect to be turned down, and their faces fell. Perhaps because they were thin-skinned, one of them snapped, “We don’t have any ulterior motives. Is it really that big of a deal to just share a table?”
Song Yuan was taken aback. “I didn’t say you had any ulterior motives?”
And, sis, don’t you think that comment sounds a bit like “the lady doth protest too much”?
But Xie Wenxing was well-practiced in handling situations like this. He didn’t hold back his gentle smile, which subtly eased the tension in the air.
When he furrowed his brows, it made people’s hearts clench with him. He said with a hint of distress, “Sorry, but this seat really is taken. They’ll be here any minute.”
The moment he finished speaking, he happened to spot someone at the entrance. His eyes lit up, and he called out, “Xu Huai’an! Over here, over here!”
Just moments earlier, Zhou Yuan had been complaining to Zhao Xu. “It’s all because we had to wait for you. Look, we wasted time, and now the place is packed, no seats left. How are you going to make it up to me?”
Zhou Yuan had Zhao Xu in a headlock. Zhao Xu was coughing, frantically patting Zhou Yuan’s arm while trying to twist his wrist. “You’re one to talk! If you hadn’t needed to use the bathroom, we wouldn’t have been delayed. Seriously, you’re the one with the bladder problems, not me. Hmph.”
Sometimes Xu Huai’an genuinely wondered why he was friends with these two. Watching them wrestle around like a couple of rowdy kids, he silently took a few steps away, using his body language to make it clear he had nothing to do with them.
That was when he heard someone calling his name.
The voice was clear with a hint of softness, and when it said his name, it seemed to carry a trace of sweetness, like cotton candy.
The little mischievous bunny’s eyes always sparkled whenever he saw him, as if filled with stars, bright but never glaring.
He probably thought he was hiding his feelings well.
The two girls had initially thought Xie Wenxing was just making up an excuse to brush them off. They didn’t expect the seat to actually be taken, and by Xu Huai’an, of all people.
Suddenly, they remembered that Xu Huai’an had given Xie Wenxing a cake before. It seemed they had a decent relationship?
But hadn’t Xie Wenxing only transferred here recently? And wasn’t Xu Huai’an notoriously aloof? Would he really come over?
Zhou Yuan and Zhao Xu had stopped roughhousing at some point. Both of them looked at Xu Huai’an, waiting to hear his response.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone around, Xie Wenxing’s waving hand trembled slightly. He had acted on impulse and wasn’t even sure if Xu Huai’an understood what he meant, or if he would accept his invitation.
This was a bit rash. He should have planned this properly, prepared a proper invitation for a meal instead of being so casual.
Would Xu Huai’an think he was being weird?
All kinds of uncertainties filled Xie Wenxing’s mind. But soon, Xu Huai’an lifted his foot and walked over, and just like that, Xie Wenxing’s heart settled.
He looked up at Xu Huai’an, unable to stop the smile spreading across his face. “What took you guys so long? Good thing there are still seats.”
When Xie Wenxing and Song Yuan ate out together, they always sat diagonally across from each other, keeping a certain distance. The table seated four, with four individual hotpots, and now there were two seats left.
By the time Xu Huai’an walked over, the two girls had already left. Xu Huai’an naturally took the seat next to Xie Wenxing, who suddenly didn’t know what to do with his feet.
His heart kept racing, and by the end of the meal, he couldn’t even remember what the food had tasted like, only how fast his heart had been pounding and how his forehead had kept sweating.
It was the happiest meal Xie Wenxing had had in a long time. When he reached for a napkin, his hand brushed against Xu Huai’an’s arm, and under the table, his knee occasionally bumped into Xu Huai’an’s leg.
Heaven knew he really didn’t mean to.
It was just that the table was too small.
As he was thinking this, his leg was nudged again. He turned his head, and Xu Huai’an parted his thin lips slightly. “Sorry, the table’s too small.”
For some reason, Xie Wenxing’s face instantly turned crimson.
But for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had forgotten something.
Meanwhile, in the small grove behind the school’s sports field, someone was waiting hungrily, craning their neck in anticipation.
Author’s Note:
Xingxing: The hotpot was really delicious.