She had never walked down the street with a boy like this since she was a child...
Oh, that’s not right. Strictly speaking, she also pulled Xu Tingbai when they were little, but at that time she just held his arm, not like now... holding hands.
His hands were big and warm, and now that she was being held in his pocket like this, her palms were sweating.
"Are you talking about that one?" The two walked to the intersection of Yueqian Road. Xu Tingbai looked at the door of a store on the side of the road and asked.
"Yes, that's it. I remember the uncle said his last name was Yang."
"His surname is Yang, but after so many years, it may not be him."
"Let's go and have a look."
"good."
The two pushed open the door and walked in.
This rice noodle shop is not big. There are six tables inside, three of which are occupied by customers. Lin Qingle chose a table nearby and sat down. "Let go of your hands."
Xu Tingbai: "Why?"
Why is there any reason for this... Lin Qingle motioned for him to sit opposite her. Wouldn't it be strange for them to sit face to face and hold hands
Xu Tingbai understood what she meant, but he didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he sat down next to her: "Let's sit side by side so that we can look at the menu together."
Lin Qingle looked at the menu, which only had four flavors of rice noodles in total. He didn't even need to look at the menu...
But she did not refute. Her hand moved slightly, and she let him hold it obediently.
"What would you two like to eat?" Just then, the boss came out from the inner room.
Lin Qingle raised his eyes and looked at the person who came. The face in reality and in his memory suddenly overlapped. It was the rice noodle uncle. Although he looked much older, he still looked the same as in his memory.
"Uncle!"
Uncle Rice Noodles was stunned when he saw the girl staring at him with sharp eyes: "Ah? You..."
"Uncle, you have opened a shop now. When I ate rice noodles here before, you were still setting up a stall at the intersection."
The rice noodle uncle looked at Lin Qingle, then looked at the quiet man sitting next to her. After a long time, he finally remembered.
He stared at them with wide eyes: "You, you... You are that little girl! You are, that kid Xu Tingbai!"
Xu Tingbai smiled at him and said, "Uncle."
Uncle Mixian was so shocked that he didn't know what to say. After a while, he said, "Why are you two here? Tingbai, can you see this?!"
Xu Tingbai nodded.
Uncle Rice Noodles: "Oh, this is good, very good!"
Lin Qingle said: "I came back from the Chinese New Year. I passed by here yesterday and saw this store. I thought it might be opened by you, uncle, so I came to take a look today."
"Yes, I opened it. It's been open for almost three years." The rice noodle uncle smiled from ear to ear. "My business is pretty good. It's been nearly 20 years old."
Lin Qingle: "Yes, yes, I know. When I came here to eat, it was already a ten-year-old restaurant."
"Hahaha, right, right." Uncle Mixian looked at the two of them and suddenly asked, "Are you two married?"
Xu Tingbai replied: "Not yet."
What haven't you said yet? It sounds like it will be soon.
The hand that Lin Qingle was holding squeezed him hard, and Xu Tingbai glanced at her sideways, smiling indulgently.
"Not yet, but it will be soon!" Uncle Mixian looked at the young couple in front of him and said, "Oh, I never thought that you two kids would end up together! But I think you should be together! Tingbai, I saw everything this girl did to you in the past."
Xu Tingbai held Lin Qingle's hand tightly: "I know."
"Yeah, rain or shine, she comes to see you every weekend. I'm touched just seeing her like that." Uncle Mixian said, "You have to treat her well."
"Yes."
"That's good, that's good. All right, you guys take a seat. I'll cook something for you."
Xu Tingbai: "Just the old taste."
"Sure, I'll do it for you two as before, okay girls?"
Lin Qingle: "Yes, of course."
The noodle shop uncle happily entered the inner room. Lin Qingle looked around and whispered, "It's great that the uncle can open a small shop at his age."
“You want to open a shop too?”
"No, I just thought it would be nice to open my own shop when I get older."
Xu Tingbai pondered for a moment and said, "Then we can open a store when we are older."
Lin Qingle glanced at him and said, "Boss Xu, aren't you opening a store now? You have stores in various countries."
Xu Tingbai: "That's different. When we get older, it will be a small shop run by the two of us."
“…” I’d be foolish to believe you.
Lin Qingle: "If I retire, I may not open a shop. I will go to a guide dog base to take care of dogs."
"Oh, me too."
Lin Qingle wondered: "Why are you imitating me?"
Xu Tingbai pulled her hand out of his pocket and put his other hand over it, playing with it in his hand: "I didn't learn from you, I just wanted to follow you."
Lin Qingle: “…Oh.”
After a while, the rice noodle uncle brought out two servings of rice noodles.
"It's delicious, you two. I'm going to get busy now."
Lin Qingle: "Okay, thank you uncle."
The rice noodles were steaming hot and fragrant. In fact, she had eaten rice noodles many times in other places over the years, but she always felt that none of them tasted as good as here.
"Let me try it." Lin Qingle said.
Xu Tingbai: "Well, you try it."
Lin Qingle blushed, glanced at the others at the next table, and whispered, "Let go first."
He looked calm, but his hands never let go of hers, pinching and touching her, playing with her hands like toys. Lin Qingle pulled away, "Hey, let go first, it's time to eat..."
Lin Qingle said it with some helplessness, but also unconsciously with a hint of coquettishness.
Xu Tingbai looked at her for a few seconds with a slightly deep gaze, and finally let go.
Lin Qingle got the chance and quickly took the chopsticks and took a big bite: "Hmm... It really tastes like this."
Xu Tingbai also took a bite. He was familiar with the taste, but in fact he was different from her. He didn't like to eat these before, just because he had no choice.
"It's still as delicious as before, right!" Lin Qingle said happily.
Xu Tingbai looked into her sparkling eyes, smiled faintly and nodded.
—
After coming out of the rice noodle stall, the two of them walked around the surrounding area.
"Except for the alley near your house, other places have changed a lot, and many shops are new." Lin Qingle was excited to revisit the old place with Xu Tingbai. She walked in front of him with a cheerful step.
"Lin Qingle."
"ah?"
"Why are you walking so fast? Be careful, the ground is slippery."
"It's not slippery. There's no snow here."
"It's also slippery when the snow melts. Come here."
Lin Qingle felt that Xu Tingbai seemed to be more talkative than when he was a child. She turned around to look at him and was about to make fun of him, but found that he stretched out his hand towards her.
His hands are beautiful, with long, slender fingers and distinct joints.
Lin Qingle's heart moved, and suddenly he didn't want to laugh at him anymore, so he walked back and put his hand in his palm: "Oh, I see."
Xu Tingbai was satisfied with the person he had found, so he continued walking forward with her...
Maybe things would be different when you are in love. Anyway, Lin Qingle felt that time passed a lot faster.
Soon it was time for dinner. She had promised her mother at noon that she would go home for dinner, so naturally she had to go back.
"Then I'll go home first. Remember to have dinner when you return to the hotel." Lin Qingle said after the two of them reached the original intersection where they started.
Xu Tingbai frowned and suddenly felt that he really disliked this holiday.
If they were in the imperial capital now, he would still have a way to keep her.
But here, he could only let her go home.
Lin Qingle: "Why aren't you talking? I'm leaving."
Xu Tingbai: "Okay, tell me when you get home."
"Um."
"… "
“… … ”
The two looked at each other in silence. Finally, it was Lin Qingle who broke the silence, "Then let go..."
Xu Tingbai was stunned for a moment, then he realized that he was still holding her hand. After reluctantly letting go, he felt even more reluctant: "I'll come to see you tomorrow at noon."
"This...may not be possible at noon."
"Why."
"It's Chinese New Year soon, and my mom said she wants to clean the house, so I'll help her at home tomorrow."
Xu Tingbai remained silent and just looked at her.
Lin Qingle couldn't stand being looked at: "I'll come out to see you in the evening, okay?"
Xu Tingbai: "What time?"
"Well, let's have a midnight snack together!"
Midnight snack, so late...
"Okay, it's settled. I'll go back now. Bye!" Lin Qingle waved his hand and hurried inside.
Xu Tingbai looked at her back, then looked at his empty palm.
Well, at least there's midnight snack.
—
Lin Yufen is a person who likes cleanliness very much. As the Chinese New Year is approaching, she plans to do a thorough cleaning of her house.
Early the next morning, she pulled Lin Qingle up and asked her to tidy up her room.
After Lin Qingle finished his breakfast, he squatted on the ground and packed up the books he had left behind from his childhood.
"Hurry up and clean up. When you're done, take out the clothes you don't wear. I'll go clean the windows first."
"Oh... I see."
Lin Qingle was still a little sleepy, and he packed his things slowly and listlessly.
Just then, the cell phone rang.
After Lin Qingle glanced at the screen, he perked up and quickly put on his headphones.
"Hello?"
"Are you up?" Xu Tingbai's faint voice came from the other end of the phone.
Lin Qingle hummed, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up. I don't know why, now I want to laugh when I hear his voice... I feel sweet from the bottom of my heart.
"Wake up, I'm packing now."
"What are you packing?"
"My mother asked me to collect all the useless things so that she can get rid of them." Lin Qingle said, "What are you doing?"
"We drove out and arrived at Yueqian Road."
"Why are you going there?"
"You didn't come out to eat with me at noon, so I went to eat at Grandma Jiang's house."
Lin Qingle smiled. Why did he sound so aggrieved
"Then I didn't mean it. I already said we'd have a midnight snack."
"Oh, then what are you going to treat me to?"
"Boss Xu, you still want me to buy you a midnight snack?"
Xu Tingbai smiled faintly: "Yes, I want it."
"Okay... since the boss has asked, I dare not refuse."
"Then you should come out earlier in the evening."
Lin Qingle smiled and was about to say "I know" when she suddenly heard a loud noise and screams from outside the living room. She paused, her face changed, and she immediately ran out of the room: "Mom?!"
At the living room window, the chair Lin Yufen was standing on was not stable, and she tilted and fell directly to the floor.
Lin Qingle immediately ran over to help her: "Mom, are you okay?!"
Lin Yufen: "Ouch, ouch, I think I twisted my foot."
Lin Qingle hurried to check her leg: "Does it hurt? Is it serious?! I, I'll take you to the hospital."
Lin Qingle wanted to help her up, but she was just a little girl and couldn't lift a person who was much heavier than her from the ground. Moreover, Lin Yufen's legs were in great pain and her face was pale, so she couldn't get up by herself.
"Mom, please sit down. I'll call 120."
"Why did you call 120? You're exaggerating. I just sprained my leg, but I'm fine."
"You said you were fine, so you were fine. How do you know if you were okay?"
"It's really nothing, it's just my leg! I'll take a break, I'll stand up and go to the clinic later."
"mom-"
"Lin Qingle? What's going on?" Xu Tingbai's anxious voice came from the headset.
Lin Qingle then remembered that she was still on the phone. She was so anxious that she didn't care about anything else for a moment and said directly: "My mother fell while cleaning the window. Her leg was twisted and I can't pull her up."
"Okay, wait a minute, I'll be there soon."
Lin Yufen: "Who are you talking to?"
Lin Qingle looked anxious and said immediately, "Don't worry about it. Just sit still and don't move."
…
Xu Tingbai arrived very quickly. Less than ten minutes later, Lin Qingle heard a knock on the door.
She hurriedly opened the door and saw Xu Tingbai standing behind it. "What's going on?"
"Come in, help me inside!"
Xu Tingbai nodded and walked into the living room.
Lin Yufen was sitting on the ground, grimacing in pain, but the moment she saw the person coming, her expression froze. She took a long time to react before looking at Lin Qingle.
Xu Tingbai squatted down in front of her, "Auntie, I'll carry you down. Qingle, help me."
"oh!"
Lin Yufen stopped Lin Qingle's outstretched hand and said, "Is this the friend you just mentioned on the phone who was coming over?"
Lin Qingle: "Yes, Mom, stop talking and go to the hospital first."
"Wait a minute—" Lin Yufen stared at Xu Tingbai blankly, "You, you are..."
"Auntie, I'm Xu Tingbai."
Of course Lin Yufen remembered it, and because of the shock, her eyes widened. She looked at Lin Qingle, then at Xu Ting.
Bai, "You, you can see it?"
Xu Tingbai nodded: "I'll take you to the hospital first. The car is parked downstairs and it will be there soon."
Lin Yufen: “…”
From home to downstairs, Lin Yufen was completely confused.
Just as she was about to get into the car, a neighbor called out to her, "Yufen? What's wrong with you? Who, who is this?"
Lin Yufen came to her senses, but before she could say anything, Xu Tingbai put her into the car.
Lin Qingle hurriedly explained to the neighbor on her behalf: "My mother just fell accidentally. Auntie, I will take her to the hospital first."
Neighbor aunt: "Ah? Oh! Then go quickly, go quickly!"
Lin Qingle nodded and got into the car. Xu Tingbai quickly started the car.
After the black car disappeared, the neighboring aunts began to look at each other in confusion.
"Was it a young man who carried Yufen down here just now? I guess I am not seeing things."
"You're right! He's quite handsome!"
"Who then?"
"Could it be her daughter's boyfriend? Otherwise, I haven't seen such a person near us."
"Of course it is. It's Chinese New Year now, so come and meet the parents!"
"No wonder I didn't want to add your nephew last time. That guy was too good-looking, wasn't he?"
The neighbor aunt who was talking about introducing her nephew to Lin Qingle yesterday suddenly looked unhappy: "Well, what's the use of just being good-looking..."
"But the car he had just now looked pretty good, so he must be quite rich, right?!"
The author has something to say: Meeting the parents suddenly!