It suddenly darkened. Yu Nuo wore a baseball cap and kept her head down, her eyes fixed on her wrist. People crowded around them, and the nearby lights weren’t very bright. Chen Yuzheng had one hand behind his back, holding onto her. Their shadows overlapped. His hand was warm, with clean-cut fingernails and long, straight knuckles. He didn’t grip too tightly, and she froze, her fingers curling slightly. She remained completely still and quiet. When the crowd dispersed, Chen Yuzheng let go of her. Yu Nuo clutched her bag strap tightly.
The nearby glass windows cast neon colors, reflecting their silhouettes. Chen Yuzheng remained silent, and so did she, as they walked slowly along the bustling street. As closing time approached, intermittent music played from nearby shops.
Yu Nuo lowered her head. “Thank you… for today.”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“…”
Yu Nuo’s mind was still a bit frozen, unable to process things properly. She didn’t know what to say or how to say it. She had just finished crying in the bathroom, and maybe Chen Yuzheng had simply forgotten to hang up the phone. But in that moment, Yu Nuo felt a lump in her throat. There was a wordless silence on the other end, quietly accompanying her. His unintentional kindness made Yu Nuo feel as though her hidden sadness had somehow been comforted.
Yu Nuo secretly observed him. “It seems… I’m always in a mess when I’m around you.”
Chen Yuzheng smiled and casually said, “Are you doing it on purpose?”
She didn’t quite catch on. “Hm?”
“Nothing.”
“…”
She glanced at him again, and seeing no frown or impatience, she finally relaxed a little. Yu Nuo had always been somewhat withdrawn. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her stepmother had a difficult personality. Over time, she became extremely cautious at home, afraid of saying or doing anything wrong, which gradually made her less talkative. Later, when alone with others, she would take a long time to respond to what friends said, often leading to awkward silences.
Yu Nuo actually wanted to thank Chen Yuzheng, but the words got stuck in her throat, and she didn’t know how to express them.
Chen Yuzheng stopped in front of a barbecue restaurant.
Yu Nuo stopped with him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
He looked at her for a moment and said, “I’m hungry. Keep me company while I eat.”
Yu Nuo: “Didn’t you just eat?”
“I’m young and still growing.”
They sat down in the restaurant, and the server asked for their order. Yu Nuo hadn’t eaten much earlier, and smelling the aroma of noodles, she looked at the menu and ordered a bowl of egg fried noodles.
When the server asked Chen Yuzheng, he said, “The same as her.”
The small restaurant was brightly lit, business was slow, and they were the only customers. Yu Nuo felt awkward, her eyes wandering around, taking in the restaurant’s décor.
Chen Yuzheng watched her for several seconds. “What were you crying about earlier?”
“Hm?”
“Broken heart?”
Yu Nuo lowered her head and denied it: “No…”
Yu Nuo remained silent. The silence stretched so long that Chen Yuzheng thought he wouldn’t get an answer.
“…It’s because of family matters.”
Chen Yuzheng kept staring at her quietly. Yu Nuo suddenly felt embarrassed, unconsciously pressing her lips together, trying hard to control her emotions.
She grabbed the water glass from the table, took a sip, then said, “Just that my mom wanted to see me about something… it’s nothing really.”
Though she managed a forced smile, the worry in her eyes was unmistakable, showing an unconscious vulnerability that couldn’t be hidden.
Chen Yuzheng pondered: “Aren’t your parents divorced?”
Yu Nuo’s mood dropped, and she nodded.
Two bowls of noodles arrived shortly, steaming hot. Yu Nuo picked out the cilantro and ate very slowly, one bite at a time.
After eating for a while, she secretly glanced at Chen Yuzheng several times.
He seemed… to have barely touched his chopsticks.
Yu Nuo thought for a moment and stopped eating: “Do you not like these noodles?”
“Not hungry.”
Yu Nuo: “…”
Another awkward silence.
She didn’t know how to make conversation… Yu Nuo suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and after a moment’s hesitation, she tentatively asked: “Chen Yuzheng, can I have some more alcohol?”
Chen Yuzheng sat there, somewhat surprised, then raised an eyebrow, “You can still drink?”
Yu Nuo nodded firmly.
She didn’t want the atmosphere to remain so awkward and heavy.
She’d heard from Fu Yidong that she talked a bit more after drinking.
Chen Yuzheng: “Do as you like.”
Another case of beer was brought.
Yu Nuo filled a glass, first taking a small sip, took two deep breaths, then drank it all in one go.
The beer taste in her throat had a slight bitterness, but it wasn’t strong, and with one held breath, it went down like water, not difficult to drink. After finishing one glass, Yu Nuo wiped the beer from the corner of her mouth and poured herself another glass.
Chen Yuzheng didn’t stop her, asking casually: “Sister, you’re quite bold?”
Yu Nuo smiled shyly, avoiding his gaze, and made a rare joke, “Just consider it drowning my sorrows…”
She hadn’t planned to drink too much, just enough to feel tipsy and still be able to talk.
However, as she kept drinking, the dizzy feeling returned. This sensation felt fresh, as if all her troubles had disappeared.
Eventually, someone took the glass from Yu Nuo’s hand.
Confused, Yu Nuo reached for it dreamily, “I’m not done drinking…”
Chen Yuzheng poured a glass of water, picked it up, and handed it to Yu Nuo: “Last glass, then we’ll leave.”
“Last glass?” Yu Nuo looked at the glass of water in her hand, nodding solemnly, “Okay, last glass.”
She threw her head back and drank it all.
Chen Yuzheng watched her with an amused expression, “How does it taste?”
Yu Nuo’s face was pale, but her eyes were bright: “I think… I’m not drunk yet.” She hiccupped, “I can still drink a few more glasses.”
“Not drunk?”
Yu Nuo mumbled in agreement and reached for the half-empty beer bottle.
Chen Yuzheng blocked her, but Yu Nuo smacked his hand away, “Let me drink a bit more, and I’ll talk to you…”
Her speech was still quite clear.
Chen Yuzheng paused for two seconds, leaned slightly forward, and pulled her up from her seat, “Getting feisty when drunk?”
—
At this late hour, almost all the stores on the street had closed.
Yu Nuo refused to let the person beside her support her, mumbling, “I’m really not drunk.” She pushed Chen Yuzheng away, “You don’t believe me, I’ll walk in a straight line to show you.”
She opened her eyes wide, looking at the white line on the ground, spreading her arms like she was walking on a balance beam, very seriously.
Chen Yuzheng followed slowly behind her.
After walking for a while, Yu Nuo turned back, her eyes curved as she called out: “Chen Yuzheng?”
He made a sound of acknowledgment.
“Am I walking straight?”
Chen Yuzheng nodded.
Yu Nuo continued walking contentedly, but as she walked, she felt someone chasing her, so she started running. In the darkness, she hit something and stumbled, falling to the ground.
The previous wound was scraped, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
Time seemed to stretch infinitely, and someone pulled her up from the ground.
A faint tobacco scent lingered at the tip of her nose. Yu Nuo’s brain was numb, unaware and unthinking, she closed her eyes and leaned slightly towards this person.
Chen Yuzheng stopped in his tracks.
He lowered his head slightly, raised his hand, and wiped away her tears.
…
“Give me your phone.”
Yu Nuo sat on the bench, taking two seconds to react.
Chen Yuzheng: “To call your friend.”
Yu Nuo immediately shook her head: “I don’t want to go back.”
Chen Yuzheng asked patiently: “Then what do you want to do?”
Yu Nuo said seriously: “I want… to go to the seaside… to watch the sunrise.”
She patted the space beside her, “Sit down, let me talk to you.”
Yu Nuo pondered for a moment, then asked: “Do you want to hear a story?”
Chen Yuzheng was making a phone call but still played along: “What story?”
“A fairy tale.”
“…”
His cousin said “hello” twice on the other end, “Say something, where are you?”
Chen Yuzheng remained composed, “Drive a car over.”
“It’s so late, what do you need a car for?”
Yu Nuo had already started talking nonsense, “Do you want to hear The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, or The Little Match Girl? I also know Thumbelina…”
“Tell whichever you like.”
“Then I’ll tell you… The Little Match Girl.”
Chen Yuzheng made a sound of agreement, switched the phone to his other ear, and gave his cousin the address.
Yu Nuo thought he was talking to her, couldn’t hear clearly, and moved closer, “What did you say?”
Her head was throbbing, and she struggled to read his lips, her ears still ringing.
Chen Yuzheng stared at her and casually hung up the phone.
Seeing he wasn’t speaking anymore, Yu Nuo’s eyes filled with tears, looking a bit lost: “I’m sorry… my right ear doesn’t work very well… could you say it again?”
Chen Yuzheng leaned in, stopping when he got close to her, and asked softly: “Can you hear now?”
Yu Nuo nodded slowly.
Chen Yuzheng tilted his head slightly, his eyelids lowering, almost reaching her ear.
“I said, you’re quite cute… when you’re drunk.”
Leave a Reply