The Seventh Pill

Having Dinner

Gui Tingyue locked eyes with Chen Shi, saying nothing.

Her chin muscles tightened like a little walnut for a few seconds, then relaxed: “Alright, let’s go back then.”

Since things had already come to this, if he didn’t mind destroying his image, why should she hesitate to burn her bridges?

She still found it hard to believe.

One’s appearance reflects one’s heart, and one’s voice reflects one’s character. If he were truly just an idle good-for-nothing, how could he produce such spirited, heart-stirring drum beats?

As her emotions hit rock bottom and rebounded, Gui Tingyue decided to make one last test and struggle.

Chen Shi thought she would leave in shame, but the girl’s gaze quickly returned to calmness after a brief flicker.

It was as if she quickly changed her strategy after being wounded in the abdomen, donning a solid armor, ready to face the enemy again.

Her courage was commendable.

Chen Shi tilted his head slightly, about to say a couple more outrageous things, but Gui Tingyue beat him to it: “Why don’t you come to my place?”

Chen Shi was taken aback: “Is there no one else at your place?”

Gui Tingyue replied: “There’s an auntie.”

Chen Shi gave a cold, absurd smile: “Then why should I go there?”

Gui Tingyue looked at him unflinchingly: “To eat. She cooks very well.”

Chen Shi frowned, no longer beating around the bush: “Are you genuinely naive or just pretending?”

Gui Tingyue pursed her lips, then said after a while: “Faking it.”

Chen Shi was amused.

His smile was genuine and unpretentious, making him look very young, like the return of spring, or snow melting.

But he didn’t answer immediately.

Gui Tingyue prodded, her words taunting: “Why aren’t you speaking? Are you scared?”

Chen Shi collected himself, his long eyelashes casting thin shadows: “Let’s go then.”

***

Auntie Li was dumbfounded when she welcome Gui Tingyue and — a strange man she had brought back.

She found a pair of new slippers and curiously asked who he was.

Gui Tingyue was concise: “The drummer.”

Auntie Li was shocked to the point of being speechless. This young girl who rarely moved or spoke had acted with surprising efficiency. In such a short time, she had already brought someone home.

Chen Shi raised an eyebrow slightly, indifferent to the perfunctory introduction.

The girl’s home had typical American-style decor, with intricate wallpaper, carved wooden tables, and metal chandeliers like warm-colored flower buds hanging high.

— The style he hated most.

Chen Shi frowned uncomfortably as he followed her in.

Auntie Li asked kindly: “What’s your name, young man?”

Gui Tingyue turned her head and took the chance: “She’s asking you, what’s your name?”

Auntie Li: “……”

Chen Shi replied: “Chen Shi.”

Gui Tingyue was surprised: “Your name really is Chen Shi?”

Chen Shi: “What else?”

Seeing they were about to bicker, Auntie Li quickly changed the subject: “Chen Shi, have you had dinner?”

Gui Tingyue turned back: “He’s here to freeload a meal.”

Chen Shi said: “Weren’t you the one who insisted on inviting me?”

Gui Tingyue didn’t deny it: “Oh, help yourself.”

Auntie Li fell silent, deciding to interpret this as young lovers’ playful banter.

Gui Tingyue went to the washroom to clean her face and remove her makeup. On the other hand, Chen Shi didn’t look around, he just walked to the living room window.

This room was dominated by floral patterns, visually cluttered, but at least the style was consistent. The only oddity was the dense array of silver-gray bars outside the floor-to-ceiling window, like a locked garden.

It was clearly installed later, and there were no fearless, active children in the house, so there was only one reason.

Chen Shi felt complicated.

At that moment, Gui Tingyue had returned to the living room. Seeing Chen Shi standing by the window, as if investigating a crime scene, her face unconsciously flushed, and she called out loudly: “Dinner’s ready—”

Chen Shi turned around, his distinctive face always a fresh surprise.

Auntie Li lifted the lids, and the aroma of home-cooked dishes immediately filled the room.

She placed two pairs of chopsticks neatly and also called out: “Yes, come eat, it’s late, you must be starving.”

Chen Shi sat down, thanked her, glanced at the rice bowl, and seemed about to say something but held back.

Auntie Li understood at a glance and advised in the tone of an elder: “You’re too thin, eat more.”

Across the table, Gui Tingyue saw the mountain of rice in front of him, like a snow-capped white tower, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Chen Shi raised his eyes, his gaze cold and sharp.

Gui Tingyue picked up some food as if nothing had happened and echoed: “Mm, don’t be polite.”

Chen Shi picked up his chopsticks, removed a large chunk from the peak of his rice mountain, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.

Auntie Li also sat at the table, but not wanting to interfere or disturb, she ate quickly, finishing her soup in a few gulps, and went to her room, leaving space for the two young people.

“How does it taste?” Gui Tingyue asked after seeing Chen Shi’s rice mound significantly reduced.

Chen Shi replied: “It’s okay.”

Gui Tingyue said: “Not a loss, right?”

Chen Shi looked at her: “What’s not a loss?”

Gui Tingyue held her spoon: “It’s not a loss to come to my place for dinner.”

Chen Shi said: “Can you compare these two things?”

Gui Tingyue nodded: “Sure, delicious food also rewards us with dopamine and satisfaction.”

“Besides,” she added, “why did you lie?”

Chen Shi paused: “Who did I lie to?”

Gui Tingyue said: “You’re not at all the kind of person you claimed to be. Since you moved here, you haven’t brought any girls home.”

Chen Shi snorted: “I was just getting familiar with the place first. Didn’t someone just take the bait?”

Gui Tingyue looked skeptical: “And ended up in the person’s pond?”

Chen Shi was speechless.

Gui Tingyue said: “If you really were as you said, then you’d be a male bodhisattva in the world, so handsome and kind.”

Chen Shi: “……”

Unreasonable, with a strange train of thought. He lowered his head to eat, no longer engaging in conversation.

Gui Tingyue stared at him for a while, then hesitantly asked: “Is drumming your hobby, or…… are you a professional drummer?”

Chen Shi paused, then coldly said: “I don’t want to answer.”

Gui Tingyue said: “Why can’t I ask?”

Chen Shi said: “I’m not that curious about you.”

Gui Tingyue said: “You’re welcome to be curious, I’ll answer everything honestly.”

Chen Shi glanced at her: “I just want you to stop talking.”

Gui Tingyue shrugged: “That might not be possible. I haven’t had such a strong desire to communicate in a long time.”

Chen Shi said: “Why am I not mute.”

Hearing this, Gui Tingyue’s lips curved slightly.

She continued to stare at him, noting his hands holding the chopsticks, pale and slender with slight calluses. “One day, I—”

Chen Shi remained silent.

Gui Tingyue automatically assumed he was allowing her to continue: “I saw you using chopsticks to drum in the kitchen, you even spun them, it was very…”

Clack, Chen Shi made a sharp sound with the chopsticks, like scissors cutting off all her words.

“Cool,” Gui Tingyue, having OCD, had to finish her sentence, even if barely audible: “And…”

Chen Shi’s face remained impassive: “That was the day I discovered there was a peeping tom.”

Gui Tingyue: “……”

Alright, focus on eating. She mentally zipped her lips shut.

***

After the meal, Chen Shi left alone. Before going downstairs, he rejected Gui Tingyue’s offer to see him off, and seemed not to hear her reminder to “send me a message when you get home.”

As soon as the door closed, Gui Tingyue ran to the window, leaning out to look down.

Sure enough, the man appeared on the pathway below. The shadows of the trees swayed, and his steps slow and steady, like a musical note cruising on sheet music.

A few minutes later, the window opposite lit up.

His small figure appeared inside, walking straight across the hallway without looking sideways, moving out of her line of sight. Gui Tingyue calmly closed her window, not leaving.

After waiting for a while, there was still no sound from her phone. She lowered her eyes and took the initiative to ask: Why didn’t you tell me you got home?

This time he replied: Weren’t you not watching?

Gui Tingyue said: I wasn’t using binoculars, I’m just using my eyes.

Chen Shi: Is there a difference?

Seeing that continuing this line of conversation would lead nowhere, Gui Tingyue tried another approach: Did you eat enough today?

Chen Shi didn’t reply.

Soon, he went to his bedroom, and when he approached the window, he paused noticeably.

She was still watching him.

And he saw her too.

However, neither could clearly see the other’s expression.

One second, two seconds, three seconds—swish! He pulled the curtain shut, the speed and force conveying his irritation from start to finish.

Gui Tingyue, however, smiled.

She lowered her head and typed into WeChat: Are you practicing drums tomorrow afternoon?

The chat window remained silent.

Gui Tingyue persisted: I’ll listen on time.

The other side finally responded: There’s nothing worth listening to.

Gui Tingyue said: Then recommend some drummers to me, ones similar to you.

Chen Shi: There aren’t any.

Gui Tingyue pouted: Then I also

Gui Tingyue: have no choice.

Chen Shi, maintaining his negative social attitude, threw his phone on the bed and went to take a shower.

Rubbing his wet hair as he came out of the bathroom, he returned to the bedroom, unlocked his phone, and found no expected “latest quotes from the female stalker” in WeChat.

After practicing on the drum practice pad for two hours, Chen Shi turned off the metronome. Suddenly, the image of that house confined by iron railings and the girl’s seemingly carefree words and smiling face floated into his mind.

He stretched his legs, leaning back slightly, then opened WeChat and skillfully typed a few names of drummers, some foreign, some Chinese, and sent them: These are all good, you can listen to them.

The reply came as swift as the wind.

MoonPie: Are they like you?

Chen Shi replied without even thinking about it: Better than me.

Just as he was about to put his phone aside, it buzzed in his hand again.

Chen Shi took a breath, raised it back in front of him, and glanced at it casually.

He was immediately stunned.

The girl had quoted his previous reply of “There aren’t any” and said: But none of them are you.

Chen Shi stared at this message, unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck.

……Who said this girl didn’t know how to interact with the opposite sex?

The author has something to say:

You said it.