Yu Nuo looked at his smile and froze for a moment.
Wishing you’ll love me until the end of time.
Mm. After reflecting on their conversation for two seconds, her heart stalled. Biting her lip lightly, she said, “Don’t… make jokes like that anymore.”
Chen Yuzheng rarely stumbled, “Hm?”
Yu Nuo fell silent.
He didn’t speak, waiting for her to continue.
In an unseen corner, her left hand clenched tight. Her tone was serious: “It makes me… feel a bit strange.”
Staring at her, Chen Yuzheng’s expression was confused for a moment. Then belatedly realizing he might have gone too far, his expression cooled slightly as he reined in his previous casualness, “I can be a bit reckless, don’t take it to heart.”
Yu Nuo: “……”
As the song ended, Chen Yuzheng took off his earphones and played with them in his hands for a while.
Yu Nuo was quiet for a moment before also removing her earphones.
They drew slightly apart from each other.
She lowered her head, her face half-hidden in shadow, looking somewhat distant. Since they’d met, she had always been slightly reserved but gentle and easy to talk to. She rarely acted like this.
Chen Yuzheng reflected on his actions.
After glancing at her a couple more times, intentionally or not, he rubbed his nose and said, “Well, about eating your food this morning, and just now… I was just teasing you.”
Hearing this, Yu Nuo turned her head.
Chen Yuzheng paused, then said: “Seems I went too far. Sorry about that.”
His sudden apology left Yu Nuo at a loss for words, “It’s okay…”
Chen Yuzheng made a sound of acknowledgment and returned her earphones.
The conversation ended there, with nothing more to say.
Her previously jumping heart sank back down with a thud.
Yu Nuo’s eyes dimmed as she took the earphones back, forcing a smile and wordlessly looking out the window.
The brief moment of intimacy had dissipated, and there was a distinct feeling that after removing the earphones, an inexplicable distance had formed between them.
But Yu Nuo’s thoughts were muddled and her heart was in chaos. Though she wanted to say something to ease the tension, her throat wouldn’t make a sound.
She actually couldn’t sort out her thoughts, but she knew her blurted-out words weren’t meant as criticism. Even if she was slow on the uptake, she had noticed Chen Yuzheng’s intentional or unintentional flirting with her lately.
Once the thought took hold, it became increasingly uncontrollable.
She just wanted to test… test if all of this was just her own wishful thinking.
When he apologized, she already regretted it.
Yu Nuo felt somewhat helpless, helpless about her own dullness, and even felt… inferior.
This emotion had always been there, but it had never been as strong as it was now. So strong that she wanted to go back to before all this happened, before she had said those words to Chen Yuzheng.
—
Killer and Ultraman peered through the gap between the front seats for a while, then looked at each other, urging each other, “You first.”
Ultraman clicked his tongue: “You first, or we can play rock-paper-scissors.”
Killer muttered “Look how cowardly you are” quietly, then reached out and quickly slapped Chen Yuzheng’s head before swiftly withdrawing his hand, pretending nothing happened.
After waiting two minutes with no reaction from the front, Killer gestured, “Quick, it’s your turn.”
Ultraman carefully observed for another moment before lightning-quick slapping Chen Yuzheng’s head. Then he sat down, casually looking out the window as if nothing had happened.
Still no reaction from the front.
Killer was puzzled and started to rise slightly, about to reach out when his hand was suddenly grabbed.
Ultraman burst out laughing.
Chen Yuzheng stood up from his seat and twisted Killer’s wrist, “Itchy hands?”
Killer yelped in pain a couple times, standing up and getting tangled with him, “Gentle, Brother Zheng, gentle, it hurts! It wasn’t me, Ultraman hit you! It was him!!!”
Ultraman quickly denied it: “I didn’t, it was Killer’s bad idea! I really didn’t do anything.”
Hearing the commotion, Yu Nuo turned around to watch the three of them roughhousing. Qi Ya’nan turned back from the front and called out: “What’s all the noise about? Everyone sit down, we’re driving, isn’t it dangerous?”
Killer called back plaintively: “Sister Nan, we’re not making noise! The team bully is picking on us!!!”
They continued squabbling for a while longer.
A few minutes passed and the car became quiet again, with occasional murmurs.
Chen Yuzheng had gone to the back and didn’t return to his seat.
Yu Nuo stared absently at the empty space beside her.
She would feel uneasy getting close to someone. Unconsciously resisting, it seemed like… she had pushed him away.
The earphone cord fell against her arm with a light brush, and Yu Nuo’s heart seemed to ache a little too.
—
When they arrived at the restaurant hotel, the bus came to a steady stop. Xu Yitong pulled Yu Nuo off the bus, looking around, “Has your brother arrived?”
“Not sure.” Yu Nuo checked her phone, “Should I ask?”
Xu Yitong: “No need, let’s head up first.”
The dining area was on the fourth floor. The TG group took the elevator up. WR and YLD’s people had already arrived and were mingling, chatting casually.
Yu Nuo happened to receive a call from Yu Ge. She put the phone to her ear and said hello.
Yu Ge: “You’re having dinner with TG?”
“Yes, just arrived.”
Xu Yitong was dancing with her fingers beside her, mouthing words to her. Yu Nuo struggled to make them out for a moment, then hesitated before asking, “Um, brother.”
Yu Ge: “What is it?”
“At your table, is there still space? I, I want to come eat with you.”
Xu Yitong nodded and pointed at herself, “Me too, me too.”
Yu Ge: “Yes, there is.”
Yu Nuo quickly added: “And a friend of mine.”
Yu Ge: “……”
Thomas didn’t realize they were missing two people until he sat down. He turned to look around and asked Chen Yuzheng: “Hey, where are your sister and Yu Nuo?”
He had an unlit cigarette in his mouth, “How would I know?”
Killer: “They probably went to find Fish.”
Thomas didn’t think much of it: “Oh oh, that’s funny, your sister is actually Fish’s fan?”
Chen Yuzheng didn’t respond.
After an awkward moment, Thomas sensed something and lowered his voice to ask Ultraman: “What’s wrong with Conquer?”
Ultraman: “What do you mean what’s wrong?”
“Haven’t you noticed he’s in a bad mood?”
Ultraman grabbed some sunflower seeds from the table, cracking them open while looking confused: “Is he? Seems fine to me.”
Thomas gave him a look. Killer bumped his elbow and lowered his voice: “I know.”
Thomas immediately leaned in curiously, “What?”
Killer: “He and Yu Nuo had a fight.”
“Huh?” Thomas was a bit surprised, “She seems so mild-tempered, how did they end up fighting, what about?”
“How would I know what they fought about? But they definitely fought. He was fine before getting on the bus, after getting off he’s had a dead face, not saying a word.” Killer acted knowing, then suddenly had an idea: “Could it be he confessed on the bus and got rejected by the girl?”
—
At the table, glasses clinked as Yu Nuo only took a few bites before losing her appetite. She stared at the feast spread out before her, poking at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks. Yu Ge called her name several times.
Yu Nuo didn’t hear, continuing to space out.
He raised his voice slightly: “Yu Nuo.”
Yu Nuo snapped back to attention, “Ah? What is it?”
Yu Ge glanced at her sideways, “You’re done eating?”
“I’m a bit full.”
Yu Ge frowned: “How much have you even eaten?”
Yu Nuo picked up her chopsticks, obediently saying: “Then I’ll… eat a bit more.”
Xu Yitong rested her chin on her hand, seeing this and giggling: “Your brother is so good to you, I want a brother too.”
Yu Ge pretended not to hear, ignoring her.
This table was all OG people, but Xu Yitong didn’t know any of them and didn’t feel uncomfortable. She had just been chatting with A’Wen for over ten minutes – A’Wen happened to be talkative too. Now they were acting like old friends, both talking about various gossip about their extended families.
A’Wen stood up to pour drinks for everyone, “Come on, we’re happy today, everyone have a drink.”
Seeing Yu Nuo’s glass empty, A’Wen asked: “Little sister, want some?”
Before she could answer, Yu Ge’s ice-cold face blocked the glass, “Don’t pour any, she can’t drink.”
A’Wen tried to persuade him: “Why do you control your sister like she’s your daughter? A little drink is good for the mood.”
Xu Yitong laughed: “That’s right, little Nuo Nuo can’t handle alcohol well.”
A’Wen was just joking around anyway, “Alright alright, I won’t pour any.”
Xu Yitong leaned close to Yu Nuo and whispered super quietly: “With your brother here this time, that cheap brother of mine won’t get a chance to take advantage.”
Yu Nuo: “……”
Reminded by Xu Yitong, her mind wandered back to that sunrise.
He sat by the misty blue ocean, the morning breeze billowing his T-shirt. With a cigarette between his lips, he turned back to glance at her lightly, that smile.
Yu Nuo’s heart contracted, a sour and bitter feeling spreading through her. She unconsciously felt a bit lost, the food in her mouth tasteless.
By the end of the meal, Xu Yitong still hadn’t added Yu Ge on WeChat.
But there was some substantial progress.
— She had added A’Wen’s WeChat.
Rounding up, Yu Ge should not be far off.
Meanwhile, the TG group was also finishing up their meal.
Two of the girls at the table had left, and management wasn’t with them. When it was just guys in their teens and twenties gathered together, they started playing around and talking more freely without restraint.
Killer and Ultraman were the most hyped up, playing drinking games and doing dares. As things were wrapping up, they did one final round.
Ultraman shouted and lost.
Damn it!
He had already stood up three times today raising his arms and yelling: “I am Superman, I’m going home now.” Ultraman’s face showed he really couldn’t lose face anymore, so he tried to negotiate with Killer: “Brother Kill, for the sake of our teammate relationship, give me a break. I’ve already made a fool of myself tonight. I can’t do any more embarrassing things.”
Killer patted his shoulder, “Don’t worry, come here, bro won’t make you do those foolish dares anymore. I’ll just have you say one sentence to someone.”
Ultraman was very cautious: “Say what to whom? The target has to be male only.”
“Male, male.” Killer hooked his arm around Ultraman’s neck, looking at Chen Yuzheng who had been silent all evening, and whispered something to Ultraman.
“What?!!!” Ultraman was shocked, “How can you be so poisonous, this is too cruel!”
Killer impatiently said: “Hurry up, you agreed to the bet.”
Ultraman deflated: “He’s going to kill me.”
Killer consoled him: “Don’t worry, bro will collect your corpse.”
—
After dinner ended and that side dispersed, Xu Yitong came over to TG’s side looking for Chen Yuzheng.
Thomas: “Where’s Yu Nuo? Isn’t she with you?”
Xu Yitong was replying to WeChat messages and answered casually: “Oh, she probably left with her brother.”
Hearing this, Chen Yuzheng turned his head to glance at where OG was sitting. In the crowd, she was looking down lost in thought while Yu Ge was talking to her.
After a while, Yu Nuo looked up and smiled at Yu Ge.
Chen Yuzheng looked away, idly playing with the lighter in his hand.
A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. Chen Yuzheng lifted his eyelids and asked: “What?”
Ultraman puffed his cheeks, “Brother Zheng, I need to tell you something.”
Killer was trying hard not to laugh out loud.
Chen Yuzheng wasn’t in the mood to deal with them right now, “Don’t want to hear it, get lost.”
Ultraman promised: “I’ll leave after I say it.”
Xu Yitong looked up from her phone screen curiously: “What do you want to say?”
Drunk on alcohol, Ultraman’s face was glowing red as he put on a serious expression: “Chen Yuzheng, you know what?”
His voice was full of vigor, drawing onlookers from nearby.
Killer was filming with his phone, holding his stomach trying to hold in his laughter.
Chen Yuzheng: “?”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ultraman worked up his courage for a moment, then rapidly blurted out: “You’re really pitiful, you’re like a, like a melancholy clown being tortured by love!”
Chen Yuzheng: “……?”
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