On this side of the construction area, after Zhou Ji had showed off to all the people he could show off to, he discovered a very serious issue.
As he had been busy here, it was inevitable that his clothes would pick up some dust, which he could tolerate. He wasn’t sure if he had sweated or not. He worried that he might end up smelling of sweat, and his girlfriend would find him even more repulsive. With these thoughts in mind, he leaned towards Duan Ye and asked, “Lao Duan, come on, give it a sniff and see if there’s any sweat odor on me.”
Duan Ye glanced at him and said, “Get lost.”
This was to be expected.
The unpainted apartment was filled with dust. Even with a fan running, it wasn’t much help. While Zhou Ji and Duan Ye weren’t like the other workers who had to move various items, they were installing windows and still exerted a fair amount of effort. When the weather was hot, in about an hour or two, their short sleeves would become soaked with sweat.
Zhou Ji wasn’t someone who paid meticulous attention to others or things, so he hadn’t noticed Duan Ye’s unusual silence.
He followed Duan Ye to the side and took the simple elevator down.
Zhou Ji was still worried about the smell on his body. Duan Ye went to the construction site’s office and borrowed a piece of soap from the staff inside. He came to the faucet, wet his arms, and lathered up the soap, washing himself. After rinsing, there was a faint fragrance of body wash on him, at least making him smell better and feel refreshed.
Watching this whole process, Zhou Ji was thoroughly impressed.
He quickly snatched the soap from Duan Ye’s hand, washed his face, and the two of them walked out of the construction site feeling refreshed. This area was still under construction, with dust and dirt everywhere. Zhou Ji looked back and said with a relieved tone, “It’s a good thing they don’t know the way. If they really came over… sigh, it would be quite…”
He couldn’t quite describe the feeling.
It wasn’t about embarrassment, after all, they were earning their living through hard work. But he really didn’t want his girlfriend to see this dusty and dirty side of him.
It was a strange kind of embarrassment.
Duan Ye remained focused on the road ahead and softly acknowledged the words with a low hum.
With their long strides, they hastened their pace. They soon arrived at the McKenzie’s burger shop. Instead of rushing in, they stood at the entrance and watched for a while. The restaurant had full-length windows, decorated with Christmas tree decals from last year’s Christmas. They could easily see the two girls inside, chatting and laughing. The girls were enjoying the cool air conditioning. They had just come from the construction site, so it seemed like they were in two different worlds. But unexpectedly, in this moment, both Duan Ye and Zhou Ji felt unexpectedly content.
“Let’s go in,” Duan Ye whispered.
Zhou Ji, not as lively as before, still mustered a smile and said, “Sure, I’m going to have my love bento.”
They pushed open the door and walked in, catching the attention of Jiang Yumo and Ning Zhiyu.
Jiang Yumo quickly stood up and walked over, intimately linking her arm with Duan Ye’s. “Poor kid, are you hungry?”
Duan Ye lifted his hand and stroked her hair. “I’m fine. Have you eaten?”
“Yeah!” Jiang Yumo pulled him to sit down. “I ate! I was really full. Those sweet and sour spare ribs that Zhiyu made were so delicious.”
Zhou Ji also took a seat, and the four of them fit perfectly at the table.
Jiang Yumo thoughtfully ordered a glass of iced cola for Duan Ye. “Is it hot? Take a sip. I think the cola here is similar to KFC and McDonald’s.”
“Sure.” Duan Ye took the glass and was about to drink, but then he remembered something and asked her, “Do you want some?”
Jiang Yumo wasn’t particularly fond of cola, but she still held onto his hand, took a sip through the straw, and said, “Alright, I’ve tested the poison for you. You can have it, I won’t drink.”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Duan Ye’s lips as he lowered his head to drink the cola.
Of course, they were sharing the same straw.
They had shared many kisses during late nights, so this kind of behavior was quite normal for them.
Zhou Ji : “…”
He also offered the cola to Ning Zhiyu.
However, Ning Zhiyu wasn’t accustomed to being so intimate in front of others, even though the person sitting across from her was a close friend. She shook her head, “I’m not thirsty.”
Alright then…
Zhou Ji could only drink the cola alone in solitude. Jiang Yumo opened the lunchbox and enthusiastically introduced the dishes to them, “Here, Zhiyu made the sweet and sour spare ribs, Zhou Ji, you should eat more. The stir-fried chicken with green peppers is made by me. Oh, and just in case we don’t have enough food, we also brought salted duck eggs. The landlady said her salted duck eggs are especially amazing, the kind that oozes oil.”
“Great.”
Duan Ye picked up his chopsticks.
Both boys were around nineteen years old and had hearty appetites. Eating their girlfriends’ homemade lunchboxes, they were too focused on eating to bother with conversation.
Jiang Yumo rested her chin on her hand, and with Duan Ye’s arrival, her gaze seemed to be fixed only on him. Watching him eat, it seemed like an indulgence.
It was a very ordinary afternoon.
The four of them sat in the shop, where the latest popular love songs were playing in the background. The lyrics were melodious, and no matter how you looked at it, the central theme was the same— ‘I will love you forever.’
On this afternoon, for the first time, Duan Ye vaguely touched the word ‘love.’
Both Duan Ye and Zhou Ji were busy, so after finishing their meal, they had to return to strive for their future and life.
Under the scorching sun, he watched them get on the bus before heading towards the construction site. Suddenly, Zhou Ji spoke, “What have I done to deserve this? To actually have such a girlfriend.”
Duan Ye had never been one to engage in such conversations, but this time he unexpectedly replied, “You are indeed fortunate.”
—We are all the same, all fortunate, all very lucky.
The words that followed didn’t need to be said by Duan Ye; Zhou Ji understood as well, because their situations were the same.
They need to work harder than anyone, to not disappoint the girls.
The next two days were ordinary and uneventful.
Whenever Jiang Yumo and Ning Zhiyu had time, they would bring the boys meals. After work, the four of them would walk hand in hand, sometimes having dinner on the snack street. Where there’s reunion, there’s separation—that’s the nature of a long-distance relationship. The Golden Week was also coming to an end; Jiang Yumo and Ning Zhiyu had bought tickets to return to Yanjing. On the evening before their departure, Duan Ye didn’t sleep on the floor anymore; he held her all night.
The next morning, Jiang Yumo and Ning Zhiyu were going to take the train back to Yanjing.
Both Zhou Ji and Duan Ye put aside their work to see them off. Along the way, both couples fell into silence. It seemed that as the time on the train ticket drew closer, their happiness was gradually being taken away. If Duan Ye had more time, he would surely have accompanied Jiang Yumo back and returned afterwards.
Jiang Yumo and Duan Ye found a quiet corner on the other side.
Duan Ye enclosed Jiang Yumo within his embrace against the wall, and the two spoke softly.
“If you don’t have enough mobile data, just let me know,” Duan Ye advised her. “Or maybe you can change to a different plan?”
“Okay,” Jiang Yumao agreed.
Duan Ye was truly considerate. After school started, he frequently topped up her phone balance. Now that they were in a long-distance relationship, phone expenses were relatively significant, but unfortunately, this was an expense that couldn’t be avoided.
On the other hand, she was quite inconsiderate. Most of her out-of-town calling minutes were spent on Duan Ye, while the rest were for her parents.
Jiang Yumo toyed with Duan Ye’s hand.
His hand was large, and when their hands were placed together, hers seemed small.
“I heard from Zhou Ji that you both spend very little each month,” Jiang Yumo looked at him disapprovingly. “Health is the cornerstone of the revolution. Don’t take advantage of your youth to be careless; eat a bit better. Besides, I’ll be checking next time. How about raising your monthly allowance to 1,000 yuan?”
Duan Ye showed her his account book.
He indeed spent very little, apart from three meals a day, hardly using any money at all.
Upon hearing this figure, Duan Ye furrowed his brows, murmuring softly, “Too much. Can’t spend it all.”
Jiang Yumo teased him and leaned on his shoulder, saying, “Don’t let my Mom hear that, or I’ll get scolded again.”
She thought she was already quite thrifty, but her monthly allowance just barely covered her expenses. Even if it wasn’t enough, she wouldn’t ask her parents for more.
“You should spend a bit more.”
“You too, why couldn’t spend 1,000 yuan? It’s not 10,000 or 100,000.”
Patiently, Duan Ye calculated for her, “In the morning, I usually have buns or noodles, costing no more than 5 yuan. In a month, let’s say thirty days, that’s 150 yuan.”
Jiang Yumo nodded.
“For twenty days a month, I get lunch provided, so that’s free. For the remaining ten days, estimate ten yuan each, totaling another 100 yuan.”
“Dinner, I eat with Zhou Ji, just buy something casually, let’s say seven yuan, which is already quite a lot. That’s 210 yuan a month.”
Duan Ye rarely spoke about these matters. When these mundane details spilled from his mouth, it felt awkward yet amusing. Jiang Yumo kept holding back her laughter.
“Adding it all up, it’s less than 500 yuan.” Duan Ye summarized, “Indeed, I can’t spend 1,000 yuan.”
“So, this is your mission.” As departure neared, Jiang Yumo dropped her reserve. Standing on her tiptoes, she hugged his neck and whispered in his ear, “If you really manage to spend 1,000 yuan on living expenses in a month, there will be a reward when we meet next.”
Duan Ye instinctively tensed up, perhaps due to the notion of that ‘reward’ or perhaps due to her care. He made a hum of agreement.
Ticket inspection was imminent; they couldn’t waste any more time. Jiang Yumo and Ning Zhiyu went to join the line for boarding the train.
As they watched the two of them pass through the ticket checkpoint and enter, Zhou Ji could no longer hold back. His jaw tightened, and he said to Duan Ye, “I can’t hold it in anymore.” He then entered the restroom to adjust his emotions.
Duan Ye remained standing in the same spot, his entire being shrouded in silence. Jiang Yumo had left, as if taking away the joy that belonged to the youthful age of nineteen. He once again transformed into the mature young man that outsiders saw.
Jiang Yumo and Ning Zhiyu boarded the train and took their seats.
Ning Zhiyu stared blankly out of the window. The train had not yet started, and people kept dragging their luggage down the aisle, creating a noisy environment. Yet, she seemed unable to hear it.
Ironically, she should have been the most accustomed to farewells among the four of them. She had been in a state of parting since she was very, very young.
In a daze, she felt someone hold her hand.
Turning her head, she saw Jiang Yumo beside her.
Though Jiang Yumo’s eyes were slightly reddened, she was still making an effort to smile brightly. “We’ll get used to it.”
Getting used to the joy of every meeting, getting used to the discomfort of every separation.
“But,” she said, “we won’t be apart for long.”
This was what Duan Ye had promised.
As long as he gave his word, as long as he made a promise, he would keep it. It had always been like this.
Duan Ye returned to his rented room, unable to lift his spirits no matter what.
Turning on the light and heading for the couch, he casually glanced at the newly bought mini-fridge. A sticky note was attached to it. He suddenly sat up straight, then crouched down in front of the fridge. He peeled off the note. The handwriting was very familiar—it was hers.
[I saw the advertisement downstairs and ordered fresh milk for you. There’s a bottle in the fridge today. Remember to drink it. You’ll sleep better at night. ^_^]
Duan Ye looked at this sticky note over and over again.
He had no idea when she had stuck it there. He hadn’t noticed at all.
It seemed like she had this ability, to give him romantic surprises all the time.
With her personality, this probably wasn’t the only note.
He was like a child on a treasure hunt, pacing around the narrow rental house. Sure enough, there was a note posted on the kitchen wall:
[When I was shopping at the supermarket with Zhiyu, I couldn’t resist buying some beautiful plates TVT They’re really good-looking, aren’t they? I just love strolling through supermarkets and looking at pots and pans. I wonder why!]
And indeed, there were a few new plates on the kitchen counter.
They were in a style she would like.
There was also a note on the bedside table :
[It’s quite lonely to sleep alone. I bought you a stuffed toy. Don’t complain that I’m childish!]
Only then did he notice the gray rabbit plush toy that had appeared on the bed, seemingly out of nowhere.