On Friday afternoon, as soon as classes were over, Bai Yang hurried to the designated meeting spot. He was a bit anxious that Shao Cheng might forget, but right on time, a familiar tall figure entered his view – Shao Cheng had arrived punctually, just as they had agreed.
Shao Cheng was dressed in a light, open-collar black shirt and slightly casual gray trousers. The white gold watch on his wrist reflected specks of light under the sun’s illumination, giving off an air of composure and elegance.
Nervously, Bai Yang tugged down the hem of his slightly rolled-up T-shirt.
He made an effort to stand up straight, trying to look more energetic, and greeted Shao Cheng with a smile, “Thank you for coming.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” Shao Cheng’s expression remained aloof, carrying an air of oppression, yet he didn’t show any sign of disgust, “Where are we going? If it’s far, I’ll get the car.”
Bai Yang didn’t hesitate, “It’s not far, about a half-hour walk.”
Shao Cheng didn’t say anything.
Bai Yang looked at him, his branded attire and polished shoes, and suddenly realized something. He quickly corrected himself, “I was just kidding. We should definitely take the car.”
Why would he be foolish enough to let Shao Cheng walk half an hour?
Shao Cheng’s expression didn’t change, and he went to the parking lot to bring his Porsche. Without a word, he parked it right in front of Bai Yang. Bai Yang opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, feeling like he was in a dream.
He actually had the chance to sit in Shao Cheng’s passenger seat.
Even though this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The restaurant for dinner was Bai Yang’s choice, a highly ranked hotpot place in a nearby mall. He had almost never eaten out in the past two years, always cooking for himself. He couldn’t think of any upscale restaurants, and considering Shao Cheng was probably tired of extravagant food, a more down-to-earth restaurant might be a welcome change.
Based on the waitress’s recommendations, they ordered their dishes, and soon the pot and various ingredients were brought to their table.
Unexpectedly, Shao Cheng didn’t say much from start to finish. However, he didn’t show any signs of aversion either. He casually dipped the meat into the hotpot and began eating. It was only after a few bites that he noticed Bai Yang hadn’t been eating much, instead keeping his gaze fixed on Shao Cheng.
Shao Cheng frowned slightly, “Why are you staring at me?”
“You look very handsome,” Bai Yang said candidly, though his ears reddened a bit.
Shao Cheng, his face usually cold and commanding, possessed sharp features, his obsidian-like eyes radiating a piercing and cold gaze, often tinged with arrogance and mockery, making it impossible to sustain direct eye contact for long.
Unmoved by the compliment, Shao Cheng replied, “Thanks. Same to you.”
Bai Yang was taken aback; he hadn’t expected such a courteous response. He smiled even more brightly, dimples appearing, “You think I look handsome? Should I consider dating you?” Since this was their only chance at a date, he didn’t want any regrets and decided to ask the questions he wouldn’t have dared otherwise.
Shao Cheng immediately declined, “I’ve told you, I’m not into guys.”
“Hehe, I was just kidding. Even if you were into guys, you wouldn’t be interested in me. I’m fully aware of that.” Bai Yang’s eyebrows and eyes curved as he joked. He then used a public chopstick to cook some food for Shao Cheng and asked, “Did you really break up with Zheng Hanqin?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“No particular reason.”
“Then why haven’t you found a new girlfriend?”
Shao Cheng put down his chopsticks and his tone grew colder, “Why do you have so many questions?”
Bai Yang felt he had been prying too much and was a bit remorseful. This was the first time he was having such a face-to-face conversation with Shao Cheng, so his enthusiasm might have gotten the better of him.
“Sorry, let’s talk about something else. What would you like to talk about?” Bai Yang asked.
“It’s up to you.”
Bai Yang racked his brain, realizing they didn’t have many shared interests. Since he couldn’t ask Shao Cheng about his own matters, he decided to talk about himself.
“Can I introduce myself?” he asked. Seeing Shao Cheng nod, he straightened up and began introducing himself, “I’m Bai Yang, you might not remember, but it’s the Bai Yang from the Bai Yang tree. I’m a junior this year, a year younger than you, majoring in Chinese literature. I like reading, writing articles, and exercising… I guess there’s not much more to introduce. Oh yeah, I also have a younger sister.”
When Shao Cheng heard the last sentence, he perked up a bit, “You have a sister?”
“Yeah! My sister is really cute!” Bai Yang couldn’t help but boast whenever he talked about his sister.
Shao Cheng hummed in response, neither confirming nor denying.
Bai Yang wanted to ask if Shao Cheng remembered the girl he helped in the hospital a year ago, but he realized that doing so might seem like he was fishing for sympathy. After all, his sister was the one in a coma, not him. If Shao Cheng felt sympathy for him because of his sister’s situation, that wasn’t the outcome he wanted. Moreover, Shao Cheng might have forgotten about that incident long ago.
“My sister is young, but she’s smart. I don’t know what she wants to do in the future,” Bai Yang said with a smile, lowering his gaze to hide his sadness.
“Ask her, not me,” Shao Cheng replied with indifference.
“Yeah, she’ll tell me someday in the future,” Bai Yang said gently, smiling at him. After hesitating for a few seconds, he couldn’t resist asking the question that had been on his mind, “Shao Cheng, what do you want to do after you graduate?”
Shao Cheng was already in his senior year and would soon be facing graduation. If Bai Yang could know about his future plans, maybe he could work towards entering the same professional circle, giving him a chance to meet Shao Cheng again.
Shao Cheng’s tone was nonchalant, “I don’t know.”
Bai Yang wasn’t discouraged and continued, “Do you plan to inherit your family’s company? Or become a lawyer? Or maybe… write detective novels?”
Shao Cheng’s head snapped up, his gaze sharp as a blade, and his voice turned cooler, “How do you know? Where did you hear that?”
Bai Yang, sensing his anger, hurriedly explained, “I guessed! I’ve seen you many times in the library, always reading detective novels and taking notes. So, I just casually asked…”
Shao Cheng stared at him, assessing the credibility of his words. Bai Yang felt uneasy under his gaze and looked back at him cautiously, “I didn’t mean to invade your privacy. I just thought you’re really suited for this field, so I made a guess. I’m sorry…”
“You think I’m suited for it?” Shao Cheng asked abruptly.
Bai Yang nodded vigorously, “Absolutely!”
“How am I suited?”
Bai Yang hesitated for a moment and then looked at him carefully as he spoke, “You actually look a lot like the cold, ruthless, and extremely intelligent main antagonist in detective novels…”
To Bai Yang’s surprise, Shao Cheng’s lips curved into a smile, genuine and captivating. Bai Yang had never seen him smile like this before, and he was momentarily stunned, his heart racing.
Regrettably, Shao Cheng quickly erased the smile from his face, returning to his usual aloof demeanor. He said, “What kind of reasoning is that?”
Bai Yang had his reasoning well-prepared, “Of course it’s valid! Think about it – detective novels are all about unraveling the techniques of the antagonist’s crimes. In a way, the author is the antagonist of the story, creating the methods, props, and concealed evidence, while readers are the detectives, deciphering the mysteries layer by layer. So, when I say you look like an antagonist, I’m actually praising you for resembling an author! Isn’t that a good enough reason?”
Shao Cheng’s icy demeanor softened slightly, “You’re quite articulate.”
Bai Yang laughed merrily and a bit bashfully, then lowered his head to continue cooking for Shao Cheng.
The dinner turned out to be more harmonious than Bai Yang had imagined. While Shao Cheng didn’t say much, he also didn’t completely ignore him.
As they neared the end of the meal, Bai Yang secretly paid the bill – it amounted to a little over five hundred yuan, equivalent to his food budget for more than a month.
When Shao Cheng found out that Bai Yang had paid, he furrowed his brows displeased, “Wasn’t I supposed to repay the favor? Why did you pay?”
Bai Yang smiled, “You accompanying me for dinner is already repaying the favor. Many people would love to have a meal with you, but they don’t get the chance. How could I let you pay?” If they were to tally up the favors, Bai Yang’s debt to Shao Cheng was probably thousands of times more than the other way around.
After Bai Yang had paid the bill, Shao Cheng had no choice but to reluctantly accept his explanation. However, he insisted that Bai Yang get into the car and let him drive him home. Otherwise, he would transfer money to him. Bai Yang couldn’t argue and reluctantly got into Shao Cheng’s car again.
Might as well indulge in a little more time alone together, even if it was just a few seconds more.
The car pulled onto the road in front of the residential building but couldn’t enter. Bai Yang got out of the car and leaned against the window to bid farewell to Shao Cheng, “Thank you for having dinner with me and giving me a ride back. I had a great time tonight. I probably won’t have another chance like this in the future, so let me say it one more time with all the courage I have – I really like you, Shao Cheng, a lot. If there’s anything you need from me, just ask.”
Shao Cheng looked at Bai Yang’s sincere and handsome smile, and for a brief moment, something flickered in his heart.
From their first meeting near the track to now, this person always smiled like this, his clear and clean eyes containing an affectionate tenderness. His admiration and infatuation were all too apparent.
If this was all an act, it was an incredibly realistic one.
With this thought in mind, Shao Cheng’s tone softened, a rare occurrence, “Yeah, see you.”
“Alright, take care on the road. Goodbye.” Bai Yang smiled again, watching Shao Cheng’s car drive away.
The car went about a hundred meters before Shao Cheng looked back through the rearview mirror. The shape of the old buildings in the darkness was almost indistinguishable, and Bai Yang stood under a dim streetlight, facing the direction the car was leaving, enveloped in the warm yellow light. Although his face was obscured, his silhouette was as upright and strong as a Bai Yang tree.
It was as if there was nothing in the world that could crush him.
