After reaching out my hand, time seemed to freeze.
The hot steam from the hot pot burned his palms very much. Huo Ran stared at Tao Zhiyue opposite him at a loss.
He didn't seem to react, and his expression didn't change.
Through the steaming white mist, there is a feeling of illusion and unreality.
A strange sense of uneasiness rose in Huo Ran's heart.
Subconsciously, he didn't dare to say anything else, as if speaking out would break something.
The scene remained frozen here, Huo Ran did not move at all, even the sound of his breathing was hidden.
The world around is flowing, people are toasting their glasses joyfully, bowls and chopsticks are making crisp sounds, smiling waiters are walking slowly by with trays, red and white meat, green leafy vegetables, golden corn juice, there are colorful colors everywhere, and the smell of food is wafting everywhere.
After a long silence, Tao Zhiyue walked through the hazy mist and slowly held his hand that had been hovering in the air.
"Your hands are very hot."
He said softly.
On the contrary, Tao Zhiyue's hands were very cold, as if they had lost their temperature. His skin was soft and pale against Huo Ran's palm.
Huo Ran heard a very complex emotion in his voice, so complex that he couldn't parse it.
So he lowered his head in a daze and saw a small pink burn mark on the back of Tao Zhiyue's hand.
"Did you get burned?"
He suddenly became nervous and wanted to call the waiter immediately.
"It's okay, I got burned a few days ago."
“Is it when you’re cooking at home?”
"Well, on Thursday afternoon, I'll make braised beef at home."
Huo Ran silently calculated the time and it was the day when he asked Tao Zhiyue if he could pursue him.
Tao Zhiyue continued talking, as if he was reminiscing about something very distant, his expression was a little dazed.
"That day, after taking a shower, I went to the supermarket to buy beef and seasonings. When I came back to cut the meat, I cut my finger. I was distracted, so my head hit the range hood several times. I also accidentally burned the back of my hand on the wall of the pot. I rinsed it with tap water for a long time."
Before Huo Ran had the chance to ask him why he was distracted, he heard him whispering in his ear.
"Because I've been thinking about you."
His clear eyes flashed with tiny rays of light as he gazed at the person on the other side of the river sincerely.
"I still remember the lava-like bread. It was very soft, and when I bit into the filling, it had a strong aroma."
Huo Ran's heart beat violently as he listened to his chattering.
Tao Zhiyue's palms were no longer cold, but were warmed by the warmth from another hand.
So he gently squeezed the other person's fingers, then released them.
He withdrew his hand, which had been warmed, and gave Huo Ran a nice smile.
Just like that long and lonely weekend night, someone told him that hedgehogs could be hugged, so he held the hand that person extended and couldn't help smiling because of the other person's cuteness.
"Okay, my name is Tao Zhiyue."
The white mist between them was blown away by the wind. The world became clear and bright, and the faces illuminated by the lights revealed a quiet tenderness.
For some reason, Huo Ran felt a little sour in his nose.
He didn’t know what Tao Zhiyue was thinking during those few minutes of silence.
But Huo Ran inexplicably realized that the person opposite him seemed to have made a very important decision in an instant.
Because his hands were shaking slightly just now, and they only calmed down when I took the initiative to clench his fingers.
He seemed to have been wandering on the edge of the cliff for a long time, and finally decided to walk towards the human world after seeing the starlight leading the way through the endless fog.
Many chaotic images flashed through my mind, my language lost its order, my emotions merged into a river, and many unfinished words floated on it and flowed into the sea of my heart.
But in the end, Huo Ran just scratched his hair stupidly.
"Actually... you told me that night when you were drunk."
Tao Zhiyue looked at him with a smile, his eyes bright.
"So you lied to me when you said we just had a casual chat that day."
"I didn't mean it." Huo Ran explained immediately, "I was afraid I would be embarrassed because I didn't say anything else..."
Tao Zhiyue picked up the chopsticks and started putting food into the boiling hot pot.
"What else did I say?"
"You said you like eating hot pot, writing code, and the cabin where you can see the stars..."
"Is that why you suggested that I eat hot pot that day?"
"Right..." Huo Ran looked at him anxiously, "Are you angry?"
Tao Zhiyue didn't say anything. He picked up the blanched beef and put it into Huo Ran's bowl. Twenty seconds was just right, and the meat was tender.
"It should taste good. Please help me taste it first." Tao Zhiyue emphasized, "It's cooked in a red oil pan."
Happiness came too suddenly. Huo Ran picked it up dreamily. He was even a little reluctant to eat it.
The first bite is the tender and smooth beef with the fresh and fragrant taste, and the spicy flavor of red oil, it is really delicious.
But the braised beef made by Tao Zhiyue must be more delicious.
"tasty!"
He began to put food into the hot pot, trying to fill Tao Zhiyue's bowl.
Tao Zhiyue just looked at him quietly and ate whatever he received obediently.
The bean sprouts in the hydroponic pots were picked up in pieces and dropped into the rich white bone soup. A whole row of mushrooms were also put into the soup, bubbling.
On the other side, the red soup was filled with fresh meat, and Huo Ran was busy with the colander.
Tao Zhiyue asked him softly: "Is your name the same as the burning one?"
"Yes." Huo Ran held the spoon and observed his expression, "Doesn't it sound good?"
Tao Zhiyue didn't nod or shake his head, but just stared at him steadily, "It's very suitable."
That must be a compliment to him.
Huo Ran felt that he was able to do it again and was extremely happy.
He moved the golden sand red rice sausage and crab roe soup dumplings in front of Tao Zhiyue.
"Eat these two while they're hot."
Tao Zhiyue picked it up obediently and put the first steamed bun intact into Huo Ran's bowl.
He was a little proud: "It's not broken."
Huo Ran could hardly control the upturned corners of his mouth. He bit open the thin skin of the xiaolongbao and tasted the fresh and fragrant soup.
“This is delicious too.”
Soon the two snacks were finished. The portions were quite filling. Tao Zhiyue touched his stomach, put down his chopsticks and started asking questions.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Huo Ran sat up straight instantly and got ready for battle. "Ask me anything you want!"
"Why did you come to Jinbei City?"
Huo Ran was a little surprised by this question, but he answered seriously: "The company had an investment in Jinbei City before, a game company. I was supposed to come here as the person in charge, but I put it on hold. Then it happened that several people of the same sex suddenly came after me..."
At this point, he glanced at Tao Zhiyue secretly: "I don't have any feelings for them! I'm annoyed every day and want to avoid them, so I keep urging my dad to get the Jinbei project off the ground. He probably thought I really wanted to come to Jinbei, so he asked me to come to this game exhibition to take a look."
Tao Zhiyue listened carefully, "When did those few people who suddenly pursued you start?"
"About two months ago, maybe a little less than two months ago."
When Huo Ran mentioned this, he panicked. He tried to change the subject, "Actually, one of the reasons I came here is that I wanted to thank you in person..."
"I told you the other day that my schedule was too busy and I couldn't spare the time. I was lying. I just didn't want you to feel awkward after rejecting me."
"But after the game show ended, I stayed around because I wanted to see him."
"I didn't do anything else except chatting with you every day and thinking about how to pursue you."
This person is always straightforward and passionate.
Tao Zhiyue arched his eyebrows, his cheeks reddened by the heat, "I know."
Huo Ran breathed a sigh of relief and added, "As for the other four... I have already rejected two of them, and the other two should have given up on their own. Anyway, when I return to Yanping, I will definitely reject them firmly and seriously."
"I am no longer the same person I was when I posted before, really!" Huo Ran raised his hand and assured him solemnly.
Tao Zhiyue was amused by his actions and at the same time he keenly found the key point.
"They gave up? When?"
"During this period of time..." Huo Ran recalled, "One of them sent flowers to the company every day, but he seems to have stopped sending flowers these past two days. Another childhood friend used to chat with me often, but he hasn't done so recently either."
Tao Zhiyue frowned slightly, as if thinking about what he said.
Seeing that the situation was not right, Huo Ran immediately made a promise, "Whether it is true or not, I absolutely do not have any improper thoughts about them."
He pushed the untouched milk tea to the side and changed the subject very awkwardly, "The cream is about to collapse, let's drink the milk tea first."
"You should eat the cream and chopped nuts on top first, then mix them with the milk tea below and drink them together."
Tao Zhiyue didn't think much about it, he just thought that he looked very funny, so he did as he said and took a small sip of the rich cream and crushed nuts.
“Very sweet.”
There was white cream foam on the corners of his mouth. Huo Ran felt as if his sight was under a spell and he couldn't move it away. His throat tightened unconsciously.
Tao Zhiyue was puzzled by his burning eyes, "What's wrong?"
"Damn..."
"mine?"
"Damn...does your finger still hurt?"
"What finger?"
"He said he cut it when he was cutting the beef."
"It doesn't hurt anymore, it's healed."
"Really?"
"You want to see it?"
"..." Huo Ran hesitated, "Can I see it?"
Tao Zhiyue burst out laughing.
"How silly."
Huo Ran stared at him intently, so he laughed along with him, "Yeah, I'm stupid."
So Tao Zhiyue stretched out his hand again and generously put his fingers in front of him. There was a faint pink scar on the slender joint.
The other scar was on the inside of the finger. It was inconspicuous, but Huo Ran looked at it very carefully.
"Will it leave a scar? The wound looks a little deep."
Huo Ran was worried.
"No, it's only temporary and will disappear soon."
His eyes were filled with an eternally burning flame, which made Tao Zhiyue involuntarily look at the back of his hand which had regained its warmth.
The pale blue blood vessels spread, flow through the pulse, and lead to the beating heart.
"It's great to be alive." He murmured to himself, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible, "I can still cut my hands and bleed."
Huo Ran didn't hear the second half of the sentence clearly, but he agreed seriously: "It's good to be alive, and I can also eat hot pot."
Tao Zhiyue couldn't help laughing.
His eyes were always sparkling, filled with water-colored stars.
Later, the milk tea and ice jelly were also finished. It was dark outside the window, but the bustling hot pot restaurant was still brightly lit and full of people drinking and chatting.
This meal took a very long time, so long that time lost its meaning.
They said a lot of boring things to the steaming hot pot, so boring that they couldn't remember a single word of it afterwards, but at that moment they couldn't finish talking.
When I walked out of the store, the day's heat had completely dissipated, and the evening breeze was slightly cool.
"There are no stars today."
Huo Ran looked up at the night sky reflexively, feeling a little regretful.
"There will be someday."
Tao Zhiyue followed his gaze and said in a light voice, "Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after tomorrow."
The vast night sky above is boundless, the bright moon hangs high in the sky, emitting bright silver light, and the endless universe draws open a deep blue curtain, distant and grand.
In the vastness of the sky, they are so small.
"Do you believe in fate?"
Tao Zhiyue looked at the person who was so close to him, and blurted out the words hidden in his heart.
They were close again, breathing the same air, walking on the same ground.
In the suddenly intersecting world lines, in the vast and anonymous Internet torrent, they passed all the wrong options and grasped the possibility that seemed absolutely impossible.
Eventually they met as fate would have it.
Huo Ran raised the tissue he had been holding in his hand for a long time, mustered up his courage, breathed deeply, leaned forward, and gently wiped away the soft and light white at the corner of the other's lips.
Like a gust of wind passing by your cheek.
"I don't believe in fate, I only believe in the present."
"You are by my side now."