“Forgot to mention, I won’t help you watch the livestream anymore. It’s too awkward.”
The message I missed from last night was on my phone, sent by Xiao Xiao.
*Gurgle, gurgle—*
The sound of boiling water and the sweet-and-sour steam from the flatbread stimulated my senses.
I gnawed on a piece of leftover flatbread from yesterday as I watched Su Xixia busily brushing oil onto more dough by the gas stove.
Strands of her fine hair danced on her shoulders, occasionally veiling the pale skin of her nape.
“You’re in such a rush! These can be steamed directly after they’re oiled, but you just had to eat the ones from last night!” she complained.
“Last night’s leftovers taste good too. They remind me of my hometown,” I replied casually while savoring the faint sweetness in my mouth.
She slammed the oil brush onto the cutting board, looking quite angry.
She used to be like this in the past too.
Never mind sudden anger—she could switch from a smile to a scowl in just one second.
‘I’m used to it. I’m used to it.’
“Should I add some leeks to the bread?”
“Red beans and leeks!? Is that even edible?”
“You can even stomach my secret recipe. Just deal with it! Otherwise, I’m not making any more for you!”
The pot lid flew aside with a *bang*, and the oily pieces of flatbread flew into the pot one by one.
I almost thought I could hear their terrified screams.
‘Wait, there really is a secret recipe? What else did she add besides red beans?’
“No need,” I finally sent the message I had drafted earlier.
My head was still dizzy.
I struggled to shift my attention to Su Xixia, wondering why she was angry.
Unexpectedly, why did she suddenly mention leeks?
Wait, speaking of leeks…
“Xixia! I was a bit drunk last night, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to control myself and might hurt you, so…”
“Ah—yaya! Did I mention that? You pervert!”
She turned around, looking at me with a beaming smile, her eyes narrowing and her eyebrows arching upward.
This woman was truly wicked!
I knew very well that this was her habitual expression after being mischievous.
If her beauty didn’t make up for it, I would definitely hate her.
‘In the past, I could only accept it, but now I choose to ignore it.’
“Save your money. I’m going to work!”
I stood up, put on my coat, and grabbed my laptop bag to head out.
“It’s fine, I still have some of the money from home… Hey! You haven’t even started your job yet, so what ‘work’ are you doing?” she suddenly barked, standing in my way and glaring at me.
“A part-time job. Otherwise, how long do you plan on eating instant noodles? For the rest of your life!?”
Leaving her with that, I sidled past her and dashed out the door.
“The rest of my life… The rest of my life…”
I could only hear her repeating those three words, though I had no idea what she was thinking.
—
Inside a KFC at a downtown mall, I sat in a corner and plugged in my computer.
Accompanied by a *zzzt* noise, this old antique defeated 13% of the computers in the country.
That number was truly beautiful.
I cursed under my breath.
After typing “Ali” wrong three times in a row, I finally logged into the platform, only to realize I had entered the password for my alternate account incorrectly as well.
Time slipped away through my errors, and the number of customers in the store began to increase.
Amidst the noise, I finally clicked into “Zhizhi’s” livestream.
“…Thank you for the rocket, Boss Geguo! Thank you! I’ll perform a sweet little song for you!”
The 480p picture was very blurry, but I recognized that face instantly.
Dark, almost cold eyes; long, glossy lashes like black feathers; thin lips coated in a pale red crystalline gloss; and cheeks accented with soft lines.
These features, which exuded a “keep away” vibe despite their beauty, were currently nodding along with a smile.
Her hands blurred as they moved through the air, and her feet began to dance.
Who was she?
I felt like I didn’t know her.
Unfortunately, her dancing figure was so familiar that I couldn’t ignore it.
How many times had I watched her?
Yet, the way she deliberately increased the range of her movements when she bent over, and her chest swaying under her flying long black hair, felt incredibly foreign to me.
‘When you’ve used a pen for several years, even if a single piece of lint gets stuck on the tip, you can feel the discrepancy.’
‘So, is this pen still the original one?… Of course it is.’
“Change into a skirt? No, one that’s too short won’t do. Just a youthful style? Sure—for your sake, please wait a moment—”
While my mind wandered through these thoughts, I saw the girl on the screen leave and return wearing a school-uniform-style pleated skirt.
Her beautiful legs were exposed beneath the skirt, and the muscle lines formed from years of dancing were visible under her black tights, drawing greedy stares.
Bullet comments and gifts like “Legs for days,” “She looks like my first love,” *slurp*, and *heavy breathing* instantly filled the screen.
At that moment, unable to see her face clearly, I pretended I didn’t know her.
‘She’s so popular… A pretty face that naturally feels cold, a slim and well-proportioned figure, a height of about 170 cm, and straight black hair that almost reaches her waist—her appearance is near perfect. Her long-trained dance steps are also enough to master any style. It’s hard to think of a reason why she wouldn’t be famous.’
But she hadn’t been popular originally.
She never imagined she would one day be sought after by ten thousand people.
Her dances had always been performed only for her teachers, or for me alone.
Back then, I was just like her—
Under the setting sun, the long shadow of the Sucheng University activity building stabbed into the orange-red ground.
Looking out the window from that vacant activity room felt like looking at my own shadow.
But I wasn’t the only person there.
“…As expected of an award-winning writer. This part is also written very well; I was very moved when I read this section.”
An Zhi brushed aside her side-hair.
Her shallow breath brushed past my cheek, as cold as her tone.
“But your expression hasn’t changed at all, so it’s not very convincing… I think it needs more work, maybe add some more foreshadowing or something.”
“I… I’ve always been like this.”
“Really? It’s hard to imagine someone like you, who would suddenly burst into tears because of me.”
I clutched a silk handkerchief.
The air was filled with a scent like ice cream—chilly yet sweet.
“You’re the first person to cry while watching me dance. My teachers and friends only know how to give praise.”
She looked at me, but her gaze quickly shifted to the handkerchief.
“Ah! I’ll return it to you after I wash it. I cried because you’re truly amazing. Even though I don’t understand dance, that sweet feeling hit my heart directly. By the time I realized it, it had already overflowed into tears.”
I didn’t dare to keep staring into her mysterious, dark eyes, so I also looked down at the handkerchief.
“Hehe, you’re just like what Xiao Qingling said—stubborn and cold, but very passionate once someone gets to know you. Having you accompany me during dance practice is very interesting.”
“You’re not like what she said, either. She said you were so cold you didn’t talk at all and that you were incredibly intimidating, like some elf living alone in a forest. So, thank you for telling me your thoughts on my draft.”
Her breath was fainter than others when she spoke.
When I looked up, her face was exceptionally close to mine.
I hurriedly turned my head away, and she seemed to notice as well, quickly straightening her back and clutching her dance skirt with both hands.
“…Sorry,” she said, as if apologizing.
Once the distance increased, her voice became very small, almost inaudible.
“Then, I’ll return the handkerchief to you tomorrow! I’ll also finish revising the draft… Still here?”
The distance that had begun to grow made me feel that if I didn’t take the initiative to invite her, she would disappear.
‘I didn’t want her to disappear. It’s rare to find someone willing to give serious feedback. I didn’t want her to disappear! Even if I have to use the excuse of returning the handkerchief, I have to ask her.’
“No need, gurgle…”
She spoke and moved her mouth, but I couldn’t hear what she said.
“I see. Sorry for bothering you.”
I shook my head, my mood taking a sharp downturn.
“No!”
Her voice suddenly drew near.
Her hair flowed against my neck; it was itchy and very warm.
“There’s no one in the dance studio before dinner. Let’s meet there.”
“Is—is that so!? Okay!”
At that moment, my entire body froze.
Even now, that heart-pounding sensation remains vivid in my memory.
Coming back to my senses, the girl on the screen was wiping away the sweat trickling down her face and throat, speaking clearly.
“Yes, that’s right. Today is the last day. I’ll be stopping the broadcasts for a few days starting tomorrow. I have something to take care of out of town.”
“You’ll miss me… I’ll miss you too. I’ll become even better after I return, so please forgive me for making you wait. I’ll see you in a few days.”
Immersed in my memories, I struggled to adapt to her current voice, which sounded surprisingly reassuring.
I could no longer hear that original feeling—the sense that we might never see each other again after parting.
I sat in front of the black screen of the livestream for who knows how long.
The occasional bullet comments that flew by showed a persistence no less than my own.
Yes, the ones accompanying her now were them.
No wonder Xiao Ji had advised me to avoid her livestream room if possible—
There were still people by her side.
That was good; that way, I wouldn’t have to worry about her being lonely.
I hesitated, wondering if I should press the button to delete my account.
My phone suddenly rang.
I looked at the caller ID for “Su Xixia,” replied that I was coming back immediately, and then packed up my computer.
As I walked out of the mall, the sun that should have been overhead had hidden behind the clouds.
I had Su Xixia by my side, too.
But for some reason, the laptop bag in my hand felt especially heavy.
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