The Substitute

Chapter 12

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When dining with Li Chen, I chose the hot pot restaurant near the fitness center. It was recommended by Aguo, and the price was affordable and the taste was good.

Holding my hard-earned salary, I thought about treating the stone man, whom I once hated but now don't like much, to a meal, and waves of reluctance surged in my heart.

I used to think Zhuoyang was the cutest thing in the world, but now I finally understand that the cutest thing in the world is the money I earned with great effort.

Goodbye, money.

I thought I was being very obvious, but Li Chen still completely ignored me.

From beginning to end, he seemed very excited. His joyful look made me feel as if he had traveled through time from an African refugee tribe.

When entering the hot pot restaurant, Li Chen finally showed some hesitation. I was very happy. It would be best if this stone man who cheated me looked down on this place, and then we would go our separate ways and never see each other again.

But what I didn’t expect was that Li Chen didn’t look down on this place, but he couldn’t eat spicy food.

I was happy again and was about to order a red pot, but Li Chen spoke first, "Waiter, give us a dango pot."

"… "

I confirmed again that I really don't like Li Chen.

The soup base came up and the pot was heated. I ordered my favorite beef, mutton and squid skewers. Li Chen, on the other hand, seemed a bit more polite and ordered a lot of vegetables.

I asked, "Do you like vegetables so much?"

Hearing this, Li Chen looked at me shyly and said, "I ordered this for you. Girls should eat more vegetables to have better skin..."

Damn it! I have thick skin and acne on my face, so I don’t care.

Afterwards, I stopped talking. I had been hungry for a long time and now I concentrated on eating the food in front of me.

I haven't eaten hot pot for many years. In the past, I actually liked eating this kind of food with a stimulating taste, but Zhuoyang didn't like it. He thought it was dirty. He thought it was disgusting that so many people were eating from the same pot and exchanging saliva.

I didn't think much of it at first. Wasn't he used to exchanging saliva with many women? But every time I saw Zhuo Yang's contemptuous look, I still felt very uncomfortable.

It's like, even on a small matter, we represent a huge difference. Two people like this are destined not to be together.

Gradually, I gave up my favorite hot pot and started eating Western food with Zhuoyang.

At two opposite positions, everyone was poking at the food on their plates. Although people were very close, no one felt close to them.

"An Yue, what's wrong with you?"

Li Chen glanced at me, then slowly put all the crayfish he had peeled into my bowl.

This kind of…

To be honest, I'm a little flattered. I didn't think that my relationship with Li Chen could reach this point.

I love eating lobsters, but I always find it difficult to peel the shells. Even Zhuo Yang, who has lived with me for seven years, didn’t know this, so how did Li Chen know

Is it just a coincidence

I squinted my eyes and looked at Li Chen critically, "I don't like crayfish."

"Ah, how could that be, I clearly remember..."

He knows this little habit of mine. Li Chen let it slip.

I don't know why, but I suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as if there was always some unpleasant or malicious eyes staring at me.

I have a good sixth sense, and now it tells me that for the sake of world peace and tranquility, I must stay away from Li Shitou.

I was used to not talking while eating with Zhuo Yang, and I didn't like to talk. But Li Chen talked a lot.

He told a lot of bad jokes, but I ignored them all.

Finally, his mouth was dry and I was too full, so I couldn't help but raise my head and said, "I'm full."

Li Chen didn't move. After a while, he chuckled, "Haha, so fast, how about eating more?"

“No thanks.” I rubbed my round belly and shook my head: “I’m not thin to begin with. If I get any fatter I’ll look like a pig.”

I waved my hands nonchalantly and glanced at the time on my phone. Only fifteen minutes had passed. No wonder Li Chen said I was so fast.

But I felt like a long, long time had passed.

really-

Is it because the face in front of me is different

Perhaps my gaze was too direct, Li Chen lowered his head, slowly picked up the dishes and ate.

His movements were so slow that I became a little impatient.

Moreover, he used his mouth to eat the food, so no one spoke. I played Tetris on my old mobile phone indifferently. It would be best if I could complete all the levels and then go home.

"An Yue, don't you like me?"

However, when I was only at the third level, Li Chen had already put down his chopsticks.

However, this did not mean he would stop eating, but rather he seemed to want to get to the bottom of the matter.

I nodded without thinking, "Would you like a man who always says that you are ugly and useless and that you are a disgrace to all women in the world? Oh, or should I say, do I look like a self-deprecating person?"

Li Chen shook his head and poked me again, "I thought you liked Zhuo Yang, which was enough to torture yourself..."

"That's enough." My patience has run out. I put down my phone and nodded: "Li Chen, thank you for helping me out that day, but I think we are not suitable to be friends."

"An Yue..."

I stood up to pay the bill. Li Chen chased after me.

"An Yue, I'm sorry."

I paid him the money, got the change back, and turned back calmly, "There's nothing to be sorry about, it's all in the past... Just don't show up in front of me as much in the future."

"I'm sorry." Li Chen wanted to hold me back, but I dodged him nimbly.

"What do you want to do?"

I let out my temper, put my hands on my hips, and looked like I would scold you like a shrew if you come over again.

Li Chen seemed to be frightened. He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. It took him a long while before he muttered something.

"I don't want to be friends with you anymore."

"Oh, that's great. I didn't expect that we have such the same opinion." Thank God, Li Chen is still the Li Chen I know, the one with a foul mouth that makes everyone want to slap him.

"An Yue, that's not what I meant, I..."

I thought Li Chen and I had reached a consensus, so I took my bag and left first.

Unexpectedly, Li Chen talked so much nonsense, chased me up again, and tried to say something to me.

I was so annoyed that I was about to spit in his face to make him give up, but a voice saved me.

"Li Chen, why are you here?"

This lark-like voice saved me, and I am very grateful to the owner of this strange voice. Turning around, I was about to express my gratitude, but my eyes caught the cold-faced man standing behind the lark.

Zhuoyang.

Zhuo Yang, my ex-husband, whom I had not seen since my divorce. Although I occasionally saw his information in the newspaper, it was a pity for him to appear in front of me so vividly.

Haven't seen him for a few days, he seems...

It seems that he has not changed at all. He is still so handsome, exactly the same as the Zhuo Yang I liked and loved in my memory.

However, something seemed to be different.

I glared at Zhuo Yang. What was going on? After divorcing me, shouldn't he and Hu Ling be together forever? Then who is this lark in front of me

Are there new birds in his back garden

I was unhappy and glared at Zhuo Yang again. At this time, I found that he seemed unhappy too.

However, he didn't even look at me, but just looked at Li Chen who was holding the corner of my clothes.

"Why are you here, with her?"

Ahem... Don't think I didn't see that look of disdain! My stomach suddenly burned with anger, and I just wanted to rush forward and slap that look of disdain.

Before I could move, Li Chen let me go and cleverly stood in front of me.

"Nothing, just going out to have a meal with An Yue."

Li Chen's voice was calm, completely different from the man who had begged for no reason and was a little shy before. While I was lamenting that men are more fickle than women, I heard Zhuo Yang's vicious voice.

"Eat? Didn't you say that eating with her is the worst thing in the world? Just seeing her face has made me lose my appetite..."

Honestly, I don't mind what Li Chen says about me. He has said more vicious things. I'm used to it. Alas, habit is a terrible thing.

But after all, I am a person with self-respect, and I still feel a little embarrassed when it is said in public like this.

His face turned red and white, and he wanted to curse, but felt it was pointless.

I waved at Li Chen who was about to say something, "Okay, we've finished our meal... I have something else to do, so I'll leave first..."

I ran very fast, and the time I spent in the fitness center was not in vain.

But Li Chen still easily grabbed my hand, "An Yue, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

I hate people who stab me and then say sorry. Hey, to borrow a phrase from Daomingsi, if apologies are useful, why would we need the police

I shook my hand away impatiently.

"It's so annoying! What on earth do you want to do..."

Li Chen looked at me, there was a hint of pleading in his dark eyes, and his thin lips opened, as if he had a lot of nonsense to say.

I had no interest at all and just wanted to turn around and leave.

He continued to come over and pull me, I shook my hands off, and then the two actions overlapped and my hand was held in his palm.

I felt so sick that the hairs on my back stood up.

But Li Chen's smile was even more disgusting, he grabbed my hand and refused to let go no matter how hard I shook it. And his smile was very mean.

"It's getting late. I'll take you home."

"I don't... and it's only eight o'clock... I don't want you to send me..."

I thought my attitude was firm enough, but I didn't expect Li Chen to be even firmer than me.

"I will definitely send you back... An Yue, be good..." Li Chen's tone seemed to be comforting a disobedient kitten.

I really vomited.

Maybe it was because I ate too much at night, or maybe it was because cheap food doesn’t come with good quality, and there was something wrong with the food in the hotpot restaurant.

My stomach felt very uncomfortable, so I leaned against a big tree by the roadside and vomited.

I know Li Chen quite well. He has a sharp tongue and some inexplicable mysophobia.

Sure enough, seeing me vomiting all over the place, he quickly dodged.

I put my hands on my hips, stood up, touched the saliva at the corner of my mouth, and sneered.

But…

The smile froze at the corner of his mouth.

Li Chen unexpectedly appeared in front of me again, panting, and handed me a bottle of mineral water with the cap unscrewed.

"An Yue, rinse your mouth... If you feel too uncomfortable, let's go to the hospital..."

I was stunned. Li Chen thought I was choked or had a joke, but I didn't understand his brain cells. He reached out and stroked my back, as if to calm me down.

I really... I spit a mouthful of water on his face. Looking at the anxious expression on Li Chen's face, I confirmed a fact: Li Chen did not come from Africa, but I came from Mars.

I have absolutely no idea what this stupid earthling is trying to do.

While I was distracted, Li Chen came closer and closer, and finally, his fingers slowly reached towards my face.

Damn it! I wanted to push this disgusting man away, then give him a 360-degree spin kick. But even though I was roaring in my heart, my feet didn't move at all, as if they had taken root.

I could only watch Li Chen's hand, slowly approaching, slowly approaching, and finally -

Touched my lips.

boom-

I felt like the fire in my stomach had burned into my brain, killing my brain cells.

I don't remember anything and I don't care about anything.

All I saw was Li Chen's outstretched hand and Zhuo Yang's angry face from afar.

Damn, why is he angry? I am the one who is angry.

I was taken advantage of. Although I am no longer a soft and tender tofu, Li Chen... really went too far...

Snap…

In the blur, I seemed to hear the sound of my bones cracking, and then... I found that I raised my foot and kicked Li Chen's lower... part.

Perhaps, that place seems to be the legendary source of a man's life, the lifeblood of a man.

I heard that being kicked in the vitals would be extremely painful.

I think so.

Li Chen screamed.