He heard every word Yan Junxi said to Ning Yike, and though it was early autumn, the fiery glow seemed to strike his eyes.
After the two left the stadium, Shu Wang took her to a newly opened crab pot restaurant at the school and found a corner table.
When the waiter came over, Shu Wang said, "We'll have a double portion of the crab pot, no spice."
Then he turned to Yan Junxi and said, "Sister Xi, your wound hasn't healed yet, so I won't order anything spicy, even though spicy crab pot tastes better."
Yan Junxi placed her bag on the table, propped her chin on her arm, and looked at him, smiling as she said, "You're quite thoughtful, little guy. How did you end up liking such a young girl?"
Shu Wang waved his hand at her words, sighing helplessly, "Don't even mention it. Who hasn't had a naive and ignorant youth? Just blame it on being too innocent..."
After the crab pot was served, Shu Wang carefully served her some rice.
"Sister Xi, after you finish eating, I'll walk you out of the school gate."
Yan Junxi nodded and said, "You know, this crab pot is really good. I've never had it before. Coming here today was definitely worth it."
"Of course! I've eaten here several times since this place opened. It's the only one, no other branches!"
Yan Junxi listened quietly. Although she wasn't interested, she clapped her hands and nodded after he finished speaking, saying, "Impressive, very impressive."
When the two had almost finished eating, Yan Junxi pulled out a tissue to wipe her mouth. She picked up the teacup beside her only to find it empty.
"Thirsty..."
Seeing this, Shu Wang quickly picked up the teapot next to him and poured her some water.
After she finished drinking, the young man finally asked, "Sister Xi, are you going straight back to your rented apartment later, and then go back to work in a few days?"
Yan Junxi pondered for a moment, then said, "If I just keep working without doing anything else, it'll drive me crazy. Let's go busking at Longyuan Lake Park tonight."
"Busking?"
"Yes, singing. Don't you know I like music? I used to go every few days."
Shu Wang's heart stirred at her words. He leaned closer and tentatively asked, "Can I come with you tonight?"
Yan Junxi was taken aback. She looked at him, puzzled, and asked, "What would you do there?"
"I'll listen to you sing! We're good friends who've been through a lot together, so can't I go support a good friend? Besides, I don't have anything to do tonight..."
"Is that not okay?" he added at the end.
"It's not that it's not okay..." Yan Junxi hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Didn't you just tell... that person that you didn't have time for the freshman gala tonight?"
Shu Wang smiled helplessly, "That was just an excuse, of course. I have plenty of time. I don't have many classes these days, and I'd just be playing games in my dorm anyway. Might as well get some fresh air."
Yan Junxi looked at his eager expression, pouted, and finally nodded, "Alright, then we'll go together tonight."
— — — —
After the two finished their crab pot, they left Liancheng Foreign Language School together and returned to Yan Junxi's place.
Returning to this dilapidated little rental room, Shu Wang inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.
He went to the door of Yan Junxi's bedroom. The door was open, and to the right upon entering was the floor mat he had slept on, a small empty space between the wardrobe and the bed.
The enormous setting sun outside the window was descending, its light pouring in, illuminating the wall and casting long shadows behind him. Faint sounds of commotion could be heard in the distance, and an old train whistled as it passed over the tracks.
The curtains were beautiful: pink and red lace sheers and pure white velvet drapes. If there was any girlish decoration in the entire room, it was probably these curtains and the pink teddy bear leaning against the corner of the bed, its dark eyes two buttons, its expression serious, and its clothes clean and faded from washing.
He walked along the wall to the window, imagining a girl, after coming home from work every day, leaning against the headboard alone, hugging the teddy bear, watching the sky gradually darken until late at night, when the outside world became brightly lit, and a sense of loneliness slowly permeated every corner of the room.
He suddenly turned around, surveying the small bedroom. The walls were covered with music posters, and there was only one dusty light bulb on the ceiling. If the lights were off and the curtains drawn, a person would probably be very afraid of the dark.
"What are you looking at? Is a girl's room that captivating?"
Yan Junxi appeared before him at some point, interrupting his daze.
Snapping back to reality, Shu Wang smiled silently and said, "Nothing. From the bedroom window here, you can see Longyuan Lake. When the sun sets, like now, look, it's beautiful."
As he spoke, he pointed outside.
Yan Junxi listened, her smile gentle, and nodded. She stood shoulder to shoulder with him at the window, gazing silently into the distance, watching the enormous sun descend.
"Indeed, it's more beautiful than anything I've seen before," she murmured.
Shu Wang inadvertently turned his head and was surprised to find the setting sun reflected in her eyes, making them bright, like a shimmering surface. Outside the window, cicadas in the plane trees buzzed loudly in the late summer.
After the two packed their belongings, they went together to Longyuan Lake Park.