"Just got back from the restroom," Xiaoliang says in a casual tone.
"Oh," I say with a casual tone. What a coincidence that we went to the restroom together, or so I thought.
We stood in awkward silence for a moment. As weird as it sounds, standing in front of him right face to face actually made me feel some sort of peaceful feeling. I guess I'm glad to see him this close, after knowing that we will be seperated again in the theater. Realizing that we had stood here looking all speechless, I start to walk away from him to enter the theater, in which he follows me from behind. Ok, that was one awkward moment.
An hour eventually passed. The movie has come to an end and everyone in the theater starts departing. Junhao offered to drive me home, but I insisted that I'll be ok walking. As I was just about to walk away from the cinema, Xiaoliang suddenly calls my name, making me turn my head.
"Mingyu, going home?" Xiaoliang ask as he catches up with me.
"Yeah, it's late," I say to him.
"And dark. You should take a ride with me," Xiaoliang says.
I hesitate for a moment, but he was right. It's dark and it won't hurt to catch a ride with him, knowing that he's all alone.
"Ok," I say.
"Ok. By the way, how about if we went out for dinner first?" Xiaoliang ask.
I stood in silence for a moment. This is the first time a guy (other than Junhao) had ever asked me to join him for the dinner. Though I want to get home early so my mom won't yell into my ears, I haven't eaten dinner yet, and having dinner with this quiet guy might no be such a bad idea. Besides, as weird as it sounds, I am starting to feel comfortable when being around him.
"Ok," I say.
With that final word, Xiaoliang leads me to his car which is parked near the cinema. We enter the car and put our seatbelts on, before he starts the engine and drives off. Again, the tension between us became awkward, regarding the fact that both of us are quiet. Yet, I've come to grow more comfortable spending time with him, even in the simplest way. Funny that how all encounters eventually got us together in the most unexpected way.
A few hours later...
10:12 PM...
At Yifei's house...
"Don't tell me that nothing happen," Yifei says in an arrogant tone through the phone.
"Impossible to not say that, when I was sitting beside Junhao the whole time," Liqiang answers through the phone.
"Idiot! Didn't I already told you to sit next to her?" Yifei ask.
"Impossible to do that when Junhao insisted that he sits next to me," Liqiang says.
Yifei roll her eyes out of annoyance at the thought that her and Meiling's plan of setting Mingyu and Liqiang together failed. Not to mention she was irritated when she knew that Xiaoliang had gone to the restroom not long after Mingyu.
"I think you and Meiling should just give up. Seems like she can't stop getting near Xiaoliang and Junhao," Liqiang says with a rather desperate tone.
"No way! Did you think I was gonna give up just like that? That girl doesn't know who I am," Yifei says.
Liqiang sighs. At this point, he thinks Yifei sounds like a complete drama queen, that she's ambitious to get rid of Mingyu from her sight so she could have Xiaoliang all to herself.
"We'll think of another plan soon," Liqiang says.
"We have to. Damn, I should have hired a better player for the job. I really thought you were gonna get her laid tonight," Yifei blurts out.
If he could be honest to her, right now he doesn't even care about getting Mingyu laid anymore. In fact, he doesn't even care about the girl at all. That pretty much explains why he didn't put much attention to her at the cinema, and doesn't even mind that he have to sit next to Junhao. His eyes were lost the whole night seeing Junhao getting all romantic with Meiling, which secretly irritated him.
"Let's talk again tomorrow. I gotta sleep," Liqiang says.
"Yeah right. Bye!" Yifei says before hanging up the phone. She throws her phone to her bed with annoyance.
Yifei walks over to her dressing table, which she had placed her collection of finest perfumes and imported skincares. She takes a seat and grabs her favorite night serum. She starts applying it to her skin as she stare at her reflection in the fancy mirror.
Xiaoliang, I'll make you mine, and there won't be any excuse. Yifei thought.
2 days later...
8:15 AM...
At Huang University...
Junhao walks through the hallway, when he sees Meiling and Yifei talking together near Meiling's locker. He runs up to the girls, making them turn their heads at his presence.
"Hey, good morning," Junhao says. He gives Meiling a quick kiss on her cheek, making her smile shyly.
"Morning, Babe," Meiling says in a shy tone.
Looking at the couple having a moment together, Yifei lets out a cough to get their attention, before insisting that she'll be heading to class first. Meiling nods before she rushes off, leaving the couple finally alone.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Meiling ask Junhao as she puts her hands on his cheeks, making his eyes focus to hers.
"Yeah, and you?" Junhao ask.
"Good, but it would have been better if you called me before bed," Meiling says in a rather seductive tone, making Junhao blush at her voice.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was studying till late night and forgot to call," Junhao says in an apologetic tone.
Meiling continues to stare into his eyes. Though it looked like Junhao's words were true, she has a hard time believeing it, knowing that Mingyu could be involved with him at any chance. She already had trust issues since the first time she learned that they are best friends since middle school. Since that, she's been trying to find a way to get rid of her from his life.
"Meiling, are you ok?" Junhao notice that Meiling's smile suddenly fades away, making him confuse by her sudden action.
Meiling became quiet for a moment. She hesitate to ask him again the same question, but like always, curiousity got the best of her, so she chooses to ask him the same question again.
"I'm ok. Just a bit, curious," Meiling says.
"Curious? About what?" Junhao ask with a curious tone. He didn't know what made her curious, but he's already curious about her question.
"Do you really like me?" Meiling ask as she stares into Junhao's eyes.
"Of course I do. We've spend so much time together, why are you still doubting me?" Junhao ask. He isn't surprised by her question, since she had asked him this a few times.
"I was just wondering," Meiling says in a sulk tone.
"Ah, what made you wonder? Am I not showing enough efforts to you?" Junhao ask. He starts to wonder if he had not shown her enough efforts as a boyfriend.
"You keep giving your attention to Wang Mingyu," Meiling states.
Junhao takes a deep breath. Even after he explained to her multiple times about Mingyu, she still kept having trust issues about it.
"Baby, I told you she's just a friend. I only treat her as a friend, especially since she has a condition. I only like you, and there's no one else," Junhao says.
Hearing this for a moment made Meiling feel a bit better, though she still feels insecure about Junhao and Mingyu's relationship. One thing that she believe, is that it's difficult for a guy and a girl to be just best friends. Nevertheless, she tries to cover up her doubts with a smile at Junhao's statement.
"Ok, I trust you," Meiling says while smiling at Junhao, in which he smiles back.
"Let's go to class," Junhao says, in which Meiling agrees. The two starts walking to their class together hand in hand.
A few hours later...
At the cafeteria...
Mingyu's POV...
I walk to the cafeteria with my lunch box in hand. I decided to brought noodles from home today. Like usual, Junhao had insisted me to sit with him and Meiling, but I had refuse since I didn't want to give him too much trouble, especially since he has a girlfriend now. I don't want Meiling to misunderstand our relationship, especially since Saturday night where I saw the way she stared at me at the cinema, looking as if she's not really happy with my presence near Junhao. I don't want to give the couple trouble, especially knowing that Junhao is deeply in love with her. I want him to be happy with the person he loves, and who loves him.
As I continue to search the cafeteria for an empty seat, my attention stops at a table with a boy wearing a black hoodie, having his lunch alone. Slowly, I approach his table, planning to ask if there's a seat available.
"Hello, is this seat taken?" I ask the guy, Xiaoliang.
"Nope," Xiaoliang answers. His signature soft voice tinkles through ny ears, somehow giving me a comforting feeling.
I smile at his answer and pulls out a chair to sit across him. I see that he's only having bread for lunch. What the hell? Boy, you need more energy if you want to concentrate on Mr Zhang's class.
"So..umm..my momma packed me some chicken noodles this morning. Would you like to try?" I ask him, after struggling to find a way to ask him to try. Was that even a good way to ask him? I'm still wondering.
"No, thanks," Xiaoliang answers in a casual tone.
I assumed well he wasn't gonna accept my offer, but hey, I'm not gonna give up just like that. I want to share my lunch with him.
"I have too much anyway. I want to share this with you," I say, while trying to look at me with a serious look. Wow, this is actually the first time I have the guts to look at someone (other than Junhao) without feeling any bit of anxiety. Funny how I grow to feel more comfortable and confident around this guy.
"It's ok. I'm almost done," Xiaoliang says, slowly forming a small smile. Wow, again I have a chance to witness his rare smile, which looked so..sweet.
"I'm gonna make you extend luch time," I say, not trying to sound too sarcastic though. I pull his now empty lunch box and puts half of my noodles into his box. After that, I put his lunch box back in front of him.
"What the...this is way too much," Xiaoliang says in a surprised tone as he looks at his lunch box now filled with noodles.
"Not too much, but enough to listen to Mr Zhang's lecture all day," I say, attempting to actually make a joke with my sentence.
Surprisingly, Xiaoliang lets out a small laugh upon hearing my sentence. Did I just make the introvert laugh? And did I just crack a joke? Man, what's up with all these new feelings in me. One thing I know, I'm having good vibes today.
"Alright, thank you. I really have to repay you for your kindness," Xiaoliang says, as he turns his vision away from me and back down to stare at the lunch box. For a moment, it seems like he's avoiding eye contact.
"No problem. Now let's just start eating," I say with a smile.
Meanwhile...
Yifei and Liqiang are sitting together while staring at Xiaoliang and Mingyu from a distance. Yifei noticed how the two teenagers are getting more closer as they bond through lunch, which worried her.
"They're just getting closer," Yifei says to Liqiang, but he didn't reply as he is busy staring at a Meiling and Junhao from a distance.
"Hello! Wu Liqiang," Yifei says, trying to get the boy's attention.
Liqiang turns his head to face Yifei upon hearing her slightly loud voice.
"What?" Liqiang ask the girl.
"Staring at the happy couple I see," Yifei teases him.
Liqiang's cheeks suddenly turns red upon hearing Yifei's statement. He swear, he never meant to make it obvious that he is secretly jealous of Junhao's relationship with Meiling.
"I sense that someone is jealous," Yifei says in a playful tone.
"Man, what are you talking about? I have more women than Junhao will ever have," Liqiang states in a confident tone, trying to hide how he truly feels.
"But he has the girl you want," Yifei states, making Liqiang feel more uncomfortable.
"That's none of your business," Liqiang says, turning his head away from Yifei as he didn't want her to see his awkward face.
"Whatever. I don't even care. I only care about the guy I want to approach," Yifei says.
"Well, he's busy sharing lunch with an anxious girl," Liqiang blurts out.
"That's why I'm gonna get him to have lunch with me," Yifei says.
"And how is that possible? I hate to break it to you, but it seems like he's more attracted with the mentally unstable girl than he is with you," Liqiang states.
"I have my ways, Qiang," Yifei says, before she takes a sip of her orange juice elegantly.
A few hours later...
6:15 PM...
At The Jade Bowl...
Xiaoliang walks back from the kitchen with a plate of steamed fish for table 20. He serves the food and heads off to table 12 to take orders. To his surprise, he is familiar with the customer at table 12.
"Oh, hello, Yifei," Xiaoliang says with an awkward look. He didn't expect Yifei to approach him at his work place. Sure, she knows that he has a shift after college, it's just that he didn't expect her to see him like this, right now.
"May I take your order?" Xiaoliang ask with his signature gentle voice.
Yifei turns her gaze from the menu to Xiaoliang. She smiles upon seeing the young boy, standing in front of her, in his restaurant uniform, still looking all sweet.
"Can I get a bowl of salad and a strawberry juice?" Yifei ask with a sweet tone.
"Sure. One bowl of salad and a strawberry juice. Anything else?" Xiaoliang ask as he takes note.
"Nope, that's it for now," Yifei says.
"Ok. Please wait for your order. Thank you," Xiaoliang says, before rushing off back to the kitchen.
Yifei smiles as she watches the boy running off to the kitchen. It's the first time for her to visit Xiaoliang during his shift. The young boy looked so busy, it made Yifei more mesmerized with him. She could see that the boy is hard-working and responsible soul.
He's more mature than I thought. Yifei thought.
9:40 PM...
At Mingyu's house...
Mingyu decides to read her Business Management book before going to bed. As she is in the middle of reading, her phone suddenly starts ringing, making her move her attention to her phone. She grabs her phone from the desk. She's a bit surprised to see who's calling her, but couldn't deny that a part of her also feels slightly happy.
"Hello!" Mingyu answers the phone. Slowly, she forms a small smile on her lips, knowing that she's happy that he had called her.
To be continue...