"Let's order a few more dishes. Shi Ci will be here soon." Ms. Ding pulled Tang Zuo to sit down.
Shi Hai raised his head in surprise, his eyes swept from Ms. Ding's face to Tang Zuo, and he was silent for a moment.
After Shi Bingcheng called the waiter and took the order, he asked in confusion, "Is she free to come over?"
Ms. Ding nodded, "Yes, it's coming soon."
"How do you know?" Shi Bingcheng asked with a smile.
"Just called..."
"Mom, didn't you just go to the bathroom?" Shi Hai glanced at her, "You didn't bring your phone with you."
Ms. Ding remained calm and laughed, "No need to call, we are in perfect sync with each other."
Her words made Mr. Shi laugh, but he didn't think much about it. Shi Hai just curled his lips slightly. He raised his eyes to look at Tang Zuo. Tang Zuo had been thinking about something with her head down. When she noticed her gaze, she looked back. Shi Hai was stunned for a moment and turned his head away.
After a while, Tang Zhuo smelled a familiar scent. It was Shi Ci. She put her shoes together slightly and sat quietly. She heard Shi Ci's voice, "Dad..."
Shi Bingcheng's voice, "Oh. Come here. Sit down."
"Ms. Ding."
Tang Zuo glanced quietly and saw Shi Ci's sleeves. She was wearing a light purple coat.
"See, we are in sync," Ms. Ding said with a meaningful smile and a look in her eyes, "Hurry up and sit down, or sit here."
"Sit among you and be a light bulb?" Shi Ci basked in the sun, then naturally pulled out a chair and sat down next to Tang Zuo.
Tang Zuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he could go see her now.
When turning your head, it should not be too fast or too slow, but very naturally. Control your expression, smile politely, the eyes should not be too familiar, and the gaze time should not be too long, but just right.
She struggled internally for a while, and felt that it took too long, so she finally made a quick decision and looked to the left.
Shi Ci was looking at her with a smile, and Tang Zuo also smiled slightly.
"Shi Hai, why don't you call you sister?" Shi Bingcheng said.
Tang Zuo was stunned for a moment. From her perspective, Shi Hai was looking at Shi Ci, but she only saw Shi Ci's fair and deep lines.
"Here, heat the dishes and chopsticks for your sister." Ms. Ding, who was on Tang Zuo's right, also said to him.
Shi Hai curled his lips and began to remove the transparent film from the dishes and chopsticks, but still did not call Shi Ci.
"Thank you." Shi Ci smiled and turned to look at Tang Zuo. Tang Zuo pursed her lips and her heart skipped a beat. If she didn't call her, it would seem too rude, but also too familiar.
"Professor Shi." She said in a low voice.
"Yeah." Shi Ci smiled slightly and blinked at her with a gleam in his eyes.
Tang Zhuo thought about the meaning behind this name that only the two of them knew, and her cheeks suddenly felt hot. She lowered her head quickly, not daring to reveal her flaws.
The round table was piled with steamer trays and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
Shi Bingcheng said to Shi Ci: "No matter how busy you are, you must go home to visit your mother. Your mother misses you very much."
Shi Ci glanced at Ms. Ding and said slowly, "Oh."
"What are your plans for winter break?" Shi Bingcheng turned to Shi Hai, "It's almost the second semester of my junior year."
Shi Hai paused, "... I'm busy too."
His little book on Qidian has been serialized for seven or eight hundred chapters and is entering the final stage. There is no problem with the plot, mainly the attribution of some characters. However, he cannot tell outsiders about this because he does not want to reveal his identity.
Shi Bingcheng took a sip of tea and didn't ask any more questions.
Shi Hai took a deep breath, he looked up at Shi Ci, then a little further away, he saw Tang Zuo. His heart sank, and he didn't want to look at him anymore, so he used his chopsticks to pick up the ribs. As soon as he put his chopsticks down, another pair of chopsticks came over at the same time, and both pairs of chopsticks picked up a piece of ribs at the same time.
Shi Hai looked up, glared at Shi Ci, and held his chopsticks tightly.
Shi Ci stared at him, showing no intention of giving in.
“I saw it first!”
"Oh. Really?"
The two men started fighting over a piece of pork ribs.
Ms. Ding laughed, "What are you two siblings doing?"
Shi Ci shrugged and said, "I'll give you a piece of pork rib." Then he took back his chopsticks.
Shi Hai picked up the ribs and stuffed them into his mouth, but his expression did not look very happy.
"There are other things to eat, you are still like children..." Father Shi shook his head, his tone very gentle.
"Well, little Tang Zuo, ignore them, they are childish..." Ms. Ding glanced between the two of them, continued to pick food for Tang Zuo, and chatted with her, "What do your parents do for a living?"
Tang Zhuo was stunned for a moment and whispered, "They are all teachers."
"Ah? A family of teachers?" Ms. Ding asked with a smile, "Both your parents go to the same school?"
Tang Zuo: “… Well, first in our village, then in a junior high school in the county town. My father taught English and my mother taught Chinese.”
"Oh, one Chinese and one English, very interesting. No wonder our little Tang is studying English..." Ms. Ding suddenly realized and gave her another piece of golden cake.
Tang Zuo couldn't refuse, so he ate obediently.
Ms. Ding stared at her, liking her more and more. She asked with a smile, "Then little Tang Zuo's parents should still be very young, right?"
"Hey, Ms. Ding... I want to eat golden cake..." Shi Ci suddenly said.
"Hey, you pick it up yourself..." Ms. Ding had no time to pay attention to her. She continued to ask Tang Zuo, "Then..."
"Mommy..." Shi Ci called her again.
Ms. Ding turned to her, looked at her, and said meaningfully, "Give me a piece."
Ms. Ding was silent for a second, then she laughed, "Look, she's so old, but she's still acting like a spoiled child..." She really used clean chopsticks to pick up a piece and put it into Shi Ci's bowl. She didn't ask about Tang Zuo's family affairs anymore.
Tang Zuo felt a little uncomfortable. He had eaten a lot and felt a little full.
After finally finishing the meal, they walked out. Ms. Ding and Mr. Shi walked in front, and Shi Hai followed them. Glancing back, he saw Shi Ci and Tang Zuo walking shoulder to shoulder behind them.
"Are you full?" Shi Ci asked her in a low voice, with concern in his eyes.
"Yeah." Tang Zuo nodded.
"Are you okay?" Shi Ci lowered his hand, reached out, and quickly touched Tang Zuo's fingers.
Tang Zuo curled his eyes at her and nodded slightly.
"Shi Ci, you're going back to school, right? Take Xiao Tang Zuo with you." Ms. Ding seemed to have eyes on the back of her head, and she turned around and smiled at them.
Shi Ci calmly withdrew his hand, "Yes. I will."
Shi Bingcheng also nodded, "Drive carefully. Make sure to send the child to school safely."
Tang Zuo suppressed his emotions and said goodbye to his elders.
Ms. Ding waved her hand and invited with a smile, "Come to my house when you have time. Let Shi Ci take you there."
Tang Zhuo didn't know if this had any other meaning, so he just nodded calmly.
The two elders left first. Shi Hai in front paused, without looking back, and then walked away.
When she sat in the passenger seat of Shi Ci's car, Tang Zhao finally let go of her worries and breathed a sigh of relief. Shi Ci's slender arm went over her shoulders and gently stroked her head.
Tang Zuo pressed his cheek against her neck, listening to her steady heartbeat, and neither of them spoke.
The underground garage was very quiet, and there were only the two of them in the car, making it peaceful and calm.
"Auntie, do you know?" Tang Zuo was a sensitive person to begin with. Ms. Ding's attitude towards her was very friendly, yet seemed a little too enthusiastic.
She slightly raised her head to look at Shi Ci. From this angle, Shi Ci's lips were naturally curled up. She lowered her eyes and nodded, "She knows."
Tang Zuo: "Then..."
"It's okay. I know Ms. Ding. She never interferes with my affairs," Shi Ci smoothed Tang Zuo's hair, "and she likes you very much."
Tang Zhao bit her lower lip, lowered her head, and her eyes were hot. "... I like Aunt Ding very much, too."
She is very enthusiastic, caring, talkative, can tell stories, and cook delicious food. Her hands are gentle and her smile is warm. Everything about her is very motherly.
Shi Ci chuckled, "Ms. Ding is very popular. There is no one she can't get along with..." She touched Tang Zuo's face, "How did you meet today?"
“…” Tang Zuo hesitated, not knowing how to start.
"No... it was just a coincidence..."
If she hadn't met Ms. Ding just now, no one would have come to help her out. What would she do then
"What's wrong?" Shi Ci noticed that her expression was not right and asked, "What happened? Tell me, okay?"
Tang Zhuo's lips moved slightly, but she didn't say anything. When she heard this, the first thing she thought of was not the man's rudeness, but the advertisement, about Zheng, and about her decision that summer.
It was like swallowing a large piece of sandpaper, grinding against her flesh and blood. If she could, she really wanted to say everything.
She wanted to tell her everything, the anxiety, inferiority, regret, and self-contempt.
But there is such a big gap between the two of them, and Shi Ci already has a lot to bear, how could she bear it
Shi Ci suddenly kissed her forehead gently. She said nothing, but Tang Zuo felt that the movement of the sandpaper slowed down.
"Just now, at the subway entrance..." Tang Zhao swallowed the pain in his throat, "There was a man..."
After Shi Ci finished listening to her, her face darkened. She didn't speak for several seconds, and when she spoke, she was annoyed, "It's all my fault for not sending you off..."
When Tang Zhuo heard this, she almost broke down. She put her arms around Shi Ci's neck and choked up a little, "Don't say that..."
Shi Ci calmed down. She instinctively sensed that Tang Zhao was a little bit upset and thought that she was frightened by the man. She felt even more distressed. "I'll come and see you off every morning from now on. Is that a deal?"
Tang Zhao felt a sore nose and murmured in a low voice: "Why are you so nice to me..."
"Silly chirp." Shi Ci laughed instead.
Tang Zuo looked up at her. The light in the carriage was not very bright. The faint light and shadow reflected her face and the diamond pendant on her ear, like a star. Her thick black eyelashes fluttered slightly, blinking, expressing her gentle affection for him.
"Professor Shi..." Tang Zhao's eyes were wet, and she called her softly,
"Huh? How..." Shi Ci laughed.
Tang Zuo's cheeks turned slightly red, and she moved closer actively and boldly. Her nose first rubbed against hers, and then she kissed Shi Ci's lips.
The surrounding light and shadows were dim and very quiet. In the deserted garage, Tang Zhao could hear her own heartbeat. It was as if there was an invisible gravity that locked them tightly.
Shi Ci's heartbeat was also speeding up, and her voice was trembling slightly.
The kiss entangled in the dark and narrow space gives me a sense of belonging that is destined to be inescapable, yet does not need to be searched for.
In the warmth given by Shi Ci, Tang Zhuo thought of a few lines of poetry:
her heart fit for home -
i - a sparrow - build there
sweet twigs and twine
my perennial nest.”
Her heart is fit for home—
I—a sparrow (a small bird)—right there (here)
With lovely twigs and thin vines
Build my permanent nest.
The author has something to say: Sorry for the long wait, muah. Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angels who cast [bazooka]: 35695028 6; Salty Tomato and Egg 3; Feng Shuo and Lin Xiaozong 1;
Thanks to the little angels who threw [hand grenades]: no name, little shoot vacuum cleaner, Persia, Shangsi, ruia_lan, ai, hand can pick stars, 23285594, may Xu, jing 1;
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: 37932598, 3 Mixiu; 2 my little Feifei; cute Susie, Patrick and SpongeBob, passers-by just passing by, no name, Anan is here, Master Mozi, can't name, dark fragrance, Linmai, a coin of Misaka, a small dried fish, A Mao of Shanzhi brother, Qingqinlian, Tantan sauce, Lai Meiyun's koala mom, Nana, veins on leaves, b612, Park Hyomin's wife, presence yy, marshmallow, Mulinda, 15266949, stranded 171, student Shin Yunfu, Super soft sheep, Gu Chen, Yi Liu, Mo, Li, Leng Fei, a lot of money, a mouthful of monkey shochu, bubble teapot, black-mouthed dog, Sui'an, oha, freja Bai, Meng, Scorpio tail ring, Bao's milk tea shop gives Deng Deng a seat, Xiaohua sister, zowen, Chibi Maruko, Wu Qi Sui, 7, two yuan, 50-1, Zuo Zuo loves meat, Xin Kele also, loves to read texts, cats who don't like fish, Didi Didi Didi me Na, Lao Wu, Nico, you are my little cutie, Weicheng wiee, daysfromjuly, Yunshen Juzhichu, Blowing Peak Machine, Jin 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
157 bottles of Yi Yu Huan Zhi; 96 bottles of Ming Ji Xiao Hao; 68 bottles of Amiao; 56 bottles of Want to Raise a Cactus; 55 bottles of moon; 50 bottles of 23213313; 47 bottles of Fu Xiu; 40 bottles of 27875016, A Mu, Yao Ba Qi 87; 35 bottles of Shan Jiu, 26001227; 33 bottles of lee da da da da; 32 bottles of davichi99; 25 bottles of sleep; Xiao Ya Xiao Ji Zhi, Yang Chaoyue, Lu Cong Jin Ye Bai, Tu Mi, Qiu Zhi, laoonionz, Zuo Zuo Loves Meat, Qing Fu Long Yi, Xi, Yang Yang Da 20 bottles; 17 bottles of Wuhen; joy 16 bottles; yam, Weizhi 15 bottles; soy sauce bottle 14 bottles; let go of the queen, Longsan, Jie, Dengzi, Liangyix, Linmai, 33627197, Fengyue, Aiya, chemical-x, krystal, z, not compromising. , 18080116, 33432373, no, want to sleep in broad daylight 10 bottles; Golden Leopard, Thirty-two 9 bottles; Youpired1989, Xiaoshiba 8 bottles; Junyi 7 bottles; Yunjian, ==|||, cute bear 6 bottles; sweet and sour pork, coward, Lao Wu, 992, Dilireba's little baby, Sui'an, eat watermelon osmanthus wine, dream, 19942101, Linlin, big circle, chestnut raccoon, october_z., km 5 bottles; Lemon Civet, Xuanqi Flag Never Falls 4 bottles; Whispering, wlisy丶, Xiaoyiyou 3 bottles; luooke, Musheng, 33286438, Yin 2 bottles; Zheng Danni is super cute, Baisi Bude, duwann, My Wife is Mentally Retarded, Yuzu Meiyi, Patrick and SpongeBob, Xiaohua Sister, Canglangzhishui, jessie, 35572401, Qizi, Three Points, 35784962, Xiaojun, 5347, 30918909, Ju Jingyi's Little Cute 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!