The job interview was on Friday. Students in the physical education major generally had no classes all day on weekends, so Xiao Yu told Xu Nuo that he would come to work part-time on those two days and return to school the rest of the time. Coincidentally, most of the kids came on weekends, so Xu Nuo agreed without hesitation.
The kids learning taekwondo here were mostly eight or nine years old, with some teenagers, roughly half and half, about twenty people in total.
On his first day on the job, Xu Nuo asked Xiao Yu to lead them in warm-up exercises—usually things like knee lifts, jumping jacks, and forward-backward movements. He hadn't practiced in a while, so while supervising, he followed along a few times himself.
With him there, Xu Nuo was relieved of her duties. She just stood by watching, not moving a muscle, as if she were on an inspection tour. The gaze was too intense, making Xiao Yu uncomfortable. He glanced back at her coldly. "What are you looking at?"
She said she wanted him to assist, but in reality, she dumped all the work on him.
"Watching you lead them in training," Xu Nuo said with a smile.
She found this guy absolutely perfect. His head-to-body ratio made him a natural clothes hanger; no matter what he wore, he pulled it off flawlessly. Yesterday he was still a trendy guy, and today in a taekwondo uniform, with his black hair neat and tidy, he was outrageously handsome.
She felt her heart beating faster than usual today.
Not sure what she was plotting, Xiao Yu avoided her sly smile and continued to keep an eye on their kicks. "You'll have to pay me extra for this."
He was handsome in every way, except he had a knack for saying annoying things. Xu Nuo couldn't bring herself to be truly angry with him; every word she spoke carried a hint of amusement. "What's wrong with you? You must be the first person to haggle with the boss."
"Since you're the boss, I won't feel right if I don't squeeze a bit more out of you." "Then suck it up."
Over the weekend, he spent almost the entire time at the taekwondo gym without going out. Xu Qingsong joked about how dedicated he was, asking if he had turned over a new leaf. On Sunday at noon, during a break, Xiao Yu sent Ye Qingli a message, asking if she wanted to have dinner together that evening.
After half a day passed with no reply, a kid ran over and sat down beside Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu put away his phone and was about to ask why he wasn't resting when he looked up and saw the kid reaching out his hand, offering a piece of candy.
"Big brother, for you."
Xiao Yu looked at the candy, hesitated. "Why are you suddenly giving me candy?"
The kid didn't hesitate to praise him. "Because I like you, big brother. I think you're really gentle. That sister teaches us very strictly; I'm always afraid of making mistakes." He paused for two seconds, then asked, "Big brother, will you always teach us?"
Xiao Yu never expected that he would one day be liked by a kid. It was already good enough that his grumpy face didn't repel people. His eyelid twitched; he didn't answer yes or no, but instead showed his first smile here. "Looks like I've been too easy on you guys. You even have time to tattle."
Teased like that, the kid blushed, as if afraid he'd report him to Xu Nuo. He lowered his head and mumbled, "I won't say anything, big brother."
His face still had baby fat, and when he lowered his head, he looked like a little bun. Xiao Yu laughed even harder, reached out and pinched his cheek, then patted his butt. "Go train once you've rested enough."
"I understand, big brother."
The kid stood up and even bowed to him. Xiao Yu found it amusing. Just as the kid was about to leave, Xiao Yu pulled him back and asked him to do it again, while he raised his phone to record a video. After editing, he posted the first ever post on his Moments.
The caption read: "This kid is pretty funny."
As soon as he let go, the kid ran off. Xu Nuo, who had been watching the whole time from across, burst out laughing. "What are you doing? If the parents find out, they'll come beat you up."
"It's a mutual agreement."
Without looking up, Xiao Yu saw that his post had already garnered over a dozen likes. Everyone must be really bored, he thought. Scrolling down, the first comment was from Xu Qingsong.
"Nice one, A Yu. That kid's more obedient than a dog under your command." "..." Even through the screen, Xiao Yu could imagine his smug face. Frowning in annoyance, he replied, "Do you have some kind of problem?"
"Hehe."
Even more infuriating.
...
By the time work ended in the evening, Xiao Yu still hadn't received a reply from Ye Qingli.
The north wind howled, and the hand gripping his phone was flushed red from the cold. The children were picked up by their parents one by one, waving goodbye to him and Xu Nuo. Xu Nuo smiled and waved back. Turning around, she saw this grim-faced guy standing there like someone owed him eight million.
She elbowed him. "What's up with you? So full of resentment."
Xiao Yu was lost in thought. Suddenly interrupted, he glanced at her coldly. "Cold."
"Not that tough. I'm not cold yet," Xu Nuo said, glancing at his jacket. He was wearing a padded coat today, the fur on the hood ruffling in the wind. It was only early December, and if he was this cold now, how would he survive the depths of winter?
Using this as an excuse, she grinned. "Don't say I'm a heartless boss. Seeing you freeze like this, I'll reluctantly treat you to a meal. I know a place that's amazing. Their boiled fish is to die for—"
"Xu Nuo."
Xiao Yu pulled out a pack of cigarettes. The biting wind was bone-chilling. He raised his cold hand to shield the wind, took a while to light it, then clamped the cigarette between his lips. He felt inexplicably irritated but restrained himself. "Go eat by yourself. I'm going back to school."
With that, he left. His tall, lean silhouette melted into the thick night. Xu Nuo stood there frozen for two seconds before finally noticing his sudden shift in mood. She slowly extended her hand, but before she could say anything, his figure disappeared at the end of the street.
The wind howled in his ears. Xiao Yu looked up. The signs on both sides of the shops were lit up, flashing red and green, dazzling his vision.
The cigarette went out after just a couple of puffs. He glanced at it, sighed, and bit the cigarette as he bent down to fish out his lighter. Just as his hand reached into his pocket, he felt his phone vibrate against his fingertips.
Ever since Xu Qingsong had told him off, he had changed his habit of keeping it on silent, but now he found it annoying, so he switched it to vibrate. Xiao Yu eagerly pulled out his phone. The screen lit up, but what appeared was just a useless spam message.
"..." He bit his lip hard. What was he even expecting?
It's your honor to be invited to dinner by me, you know?
Xiao Yu kicked a pebble by his foot in irritation. Plenty of girls wanted to eat with me. Am I that desperate for you? If you're ignoring me, so be it. It's not like I'm going to beg you. It's not like I did anything to offend her.
Then again, maybe he was being too absolute. Maybe she was taking a nap, slept through the afternoon, and was still dreaming. How could she reply while dreaming? That was possible too.
He was busy making excuses for her, but the next second, he saw Ye Qingli across the street. She and Xu Yan each held a cup of bubble tea and carried a bulging bag—looked like they had been shopping.
None of that mattered. What stung the most was that Ye Qingli was holding her phone, the screen was on, but she still hadn't replied to him.
Xiao Yu suddenly felt like an idiot.
Perhaps it was the cold weather, but the two didn't notice the chilly gaze directed at them from across the street. Xiao Yu gritted his teeth, messing up his hair. He lost interest in the cigarette, tossing it into a roadside trash can.
Without giving them a second glance, he bypassed them and went straight back to school.