With that, he pulled Ye Qingli along and disappeared into the night in an instant.
He didn't want to waste another word on him.
"Girls want to stay in shape. Skipping one meal isn't a big deal."
Only an idiot would say something like that.
After they left, Huang Xu stood there for a long time, unmoving. His nails dug into his palms, leaving deep red marks.
...
It was now past eight o'clock, with about two hours until the dorm curfew. Xiao Yu took her to a restaurant near the school.
The interior was minimalist. Besides the tables and chairs, there was an air conditioner by the door, and a few menus hung on the clean white walls. Ye Qingli looked for a moment and ordered a bowl of tomato and egg noodles.
She turned and asked Xiao Yu, "What are you having?"
He wasn't very hungry and glanced casually. "Scallion oil noodles."
The owner looked kind and smiled warmly. "Sure, sure. The kitchen will make it right away. Please take a seat for a moment."
There weren't many people inside; several tables were empty. They chose a seat by the window.
Xiao Yu first took two tissues to wipe the table, then the chair, fussing about. Ye Qingli watched him and opened her mouth.
"Are you that particular about cleanliness?"
The table was already spotless, reflecting light, with traces of water still on the corner.
"It's okay," he replied, looking down at his pants and making up an excuse. "The color's too light; hard to wash."
"Oh."
Ye Qingli pressed her lips together, her hands resting on her legs under the table, fidgeting uneasily. After a moment, she spoke. "I'm sorry."
Came out of nowhere. Xiao Yu frowned, not understanding. "Why are you apologizing?"
"For misunderstanding you last time. I owe you that."
She should have said it long ago, but she kept putting it off, and he had just returned her student ID.
Ye Qingli lowered her head, feeling more and more guilty the more she thought about it.
So it was about that. Xiao Yu looked at her for a moment and then suddenly smiled.
"Just a word? That's not sincere at all."
Ye Qingli thought for a moment and tentatively said, "This meal is on me."
"Two bowls of noodles for less than thirty bucks? You trying to brush me off?"
"Then name your terms."
If this won't do and that won't do, she might as well let him decide.
Xiao Yu silently stared at her for a few seconds, then pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
He took one out, put it between his lips, and tossed a lighter to Ye Qingli.
The next second, he lifted his chin, the corner of his eyes tilting up.
"Light it for your big bro."
The tone of the last syllable rose, carrying a hint of playfulness. He wanted her to come over and light his cigarette.
Ye Qingli's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively refused. "Pick another condition. This one won't work."
If it were any of his girlfriends, they'd probably be thrilled to hear such a request, but she couldn't do it. She had already caused a misunderstanding once before, and even though there were no familiar faces in the restaurant, she shouldn't do it.
Xiao Yu quietly looked at her for a few seconds, nodded to himself, leaned over, and took the lighter back from the table.
It was the first time he had been rejected.
But strangely enough, he wasn't annoyed. He curled the corner of his mouth, actually in a good mood.
"Can't think of anything else. I'll owe you one for now."
Ten minutes later, the owner came out of the kitchen with two bowls of noodles, placing them gently on the table, still smiling. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Ye Qingli smiled too and took her bowl. There were more eggs than tomatoes, and the thick sauce was well mixed with the noodles. She took a bite; it tasted pretty good.
Perhaps she was hungry, because she ate more than half of the bowl.
Only a little was left, but she really couldn't eat anymore. She grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth and looked up, noticing that Xiao Yu's bowl still had a lot left, as if he hadn't touched it.
Ye Qingli paused. "Aren't you hungry?"
Xiao Yu lifted his eyelids to glance at her and told the truth. "Too greasy."
Even so, he raised his hand and asked the owner to pack it up.
The moment he took the bag, Xiao Yu scanned the QR code to pay.
Ye Qingli pulled out her phone, reaching for him. "Let me."
"Twenty-something bucks, don't turn this into a brawl like old village ladies," Xiao Yu said, entering his payment password, cutting her off mercilessly.
"..." Ye Qingli silently put her phone away again.