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Su Yudie ordered a delicious and affordable spicy mini hot pot.
It’s very popular among students.
Each person has their own small pot, about twenty centimeters in diameter, heated by an induction cooker.
The bright red broth boils and bubbles in the pot, looking very appetizing.
Su Yudie held the menu, constantly checking items, muttering to herself, “Beef, yellow throat, thousand-layer stomach, lotus root slices, potatoes, enoki mushrooms, duck blood, shrimp dumplings, luncheon meat, glutinous rice balls, tangyuan, pineapple cakes…”
“Can you finish all that?” Zhuang Zi’ang reminded her.
“I have a big appetite,” Su Yudie said, her head down. “Besides, aren’t you here to help?”
Zhuang Zi’ang silently sipped his lemon tea, not daring to say anything more.
It’s embarrassing for a guy to have a smaller appetite than a girl.
It wasn’t long before the server brought the dishes.
Su Yudie divided each dish evenly into two portions, placing them in both pots.
Then she asked, “Coke or Pepsi?”
Zhuang Zi’ang replied, “Coke.”
Su Yudie waved to the server and ordered two bottles of ice-cold Coca-Cola.
The dark brown cola, poured into glass cups, produced a thick layer of foam.
Su Yudie raised her glass, clinking it against Zhuang Zi’ang’s: “Zhuang Zi’ang, I wish you could forget all your worries and be happy every day.”
Zhuang Zi’ang was moved. “Xiao Yudie, thank you.”
The carbonated cola slid down her throat, bringing a slight tingling sensation.
Su Yudie placed the first piece of cooked beef into Zhuang Zi’ang’s bowl before she began to indulge herself.
As she ate, she acted like a food connoisseur, offering various critiques.
“The duck intestines should be cooked to a perfect balance, but these are a bit overdone.”
“The seaweed is too salty; it needed to be rinsed a few more times.”
“The beef balls were not kneaded enough; they lack that chewy bounce.”
…
Her little mouth seemed unable to stay quiet, always needing to say something.
Zhuang Zi’ang pulled a tissue from the table and handed it to her. “You have some oil at the corner of your mouth.”
Su Yudie took it and wiped her mouth carelessly. “Thank you.”
Generally speaking, beautiful girls tend to care a lot about their image.
Yet Su Yudie, with a face as stunning as a celestial being, fully indulged in the pleasures of life.
Such a girl was far more likable than the aloof campus beauty, Lin Mu Shi.
“Xiao Yudie, why are you always so happy?” Zhuang Zi’ang asked.
“Being happy is just another day, and being unhappy is also just another day. So why not be happy every day?” Su Yudie replied with a smile.
Zhuang Zi’ang nodded silently.
She had a point, and he couldn’t argue.
If he continued to dwell on yesterday’s events, he’d be the one who looked bad.
“By the way, why do you call me Xiao Yudie?” Su Yudie realized.
“Uh, I heard the potato vendor call you that yesterday. I thought it sounded nice, so I started calling you that too,” Zhuang Zi’ang explained.
“Alright, we’re friends, so you’re allowed to call me that. Do you have any nicknames?” Su Yudie asked with a smile.
Zhuang Zi’ang shook his head, confused.
His classmates either called him “Class Monitor” or by his name. Only Li Huang Xuan called him “Son.”
“I don’t think ‘Son’ really counts as a nickname.”
“Then I’ll call you Big Dummy,” Su Yudie said, swirling the hairy belly in the broth.
“Why are you calling me Big Dummy? It sounds awful,” Zhuang Zi’ang retorted, dissatisfied.
“Because you lied to me this morning, and your lie was full of holes,” Su Yudie said, still holding onto the memory.
Zhuang Zi’ang thought to himself; he had been ranked first in his grade for two consecutive years.
If that made him a big dummy, what were the other students?
The mini hot pot meal lasted about forty minutes.
After fishing out the last potato from the pot, Su Yudie popped it into her mouth, looking completely satisfied.
Zhuang Zi’ang waved to the server to settle the bill.
Su Yudie quickly said, “I was the one who said I wanted to eat hot pot, so let me pay.”
Zhuang Zi’ang smiled. “I’ll treat this time; you can treat next time.”
“Okay!” Su Yudie nodded.
Unknown to them, they’d already made plans for their next meeting.
Leaving the hot pot restaurant, it was almost one in the afternoon.
Zhuang Zi’ang planned to look around the nearby residential areas for a suitable apartment for rent.
He couldn’t keep imposing on Li Huang Xuan’s family indefinitely.
Upon hearing this, Su Yudie naturally insisted on going with him.
Finding a place to rent around the school was easy, and some older apartment complexes were relatively inexpensive.
At the entrance of the residential complex, many rental listings were posted.
Zhuang Zi’ang found a one-bedroom apartment and called the number listed.
After a short while, an elderly woman in her sixties arrived to show him the apartment.
The woman introduced herself as Mrs. Liu. Her children and grandchildren lived elsewhere, and she and her husband managed half of the residential building.
Many parents accompanying their children to school rented from her.
“Are you two going to live here?” Mrs. Liu asked.
“No, it’s just me,” Zhuang Zi’ang quickly explained, feeling a little embarrassed.
“It’s alright, dearie. I’m very open-minded. Young people dating is perfectly normal,” Mrs. Liu said with a chuckle.
Su Yudie blushed at her words.
Despite her usual chatterbox nature, she became unusually quiet at this moment.
She wanted to explain but didn’t know how to begin.
Zhuang Zi’ang looked at the apartment; it was clean, tidy, and well-lit. He decided to rent it immediately.
Following typical rental practices, he paid a deposit and three months’ rent, totaling 1200 yuan.
Mrs. Liu handed him the keys, gave him a few words of advice about electrical safety, and then left.
Zhuang Zi’ang said to Su Yudie, “Xiao Yudie, in three months, please help me return the apartment key. You can use the remaining deposit to get hot pot.”
While paying the bill, Su Yudie didn’t want to wait in line, so she went outside to wait for Zhuang Zi’ang.
When Zhuang Zi’ang came out, he found her holding a round glass fish tank containing some stones and aquatic plants.
Two red goldfish swam happily inside.
“Zhuang Zi’ang, this is a gift for you. Congratulations on your new home.”
“Why are you giving me two fish? I barely manage to take care of myself,” Zhuang Zi’ang mumbled.
“It’s to add a bit of life to your new home. Promise me you won’t let them die,” Su Yudie said seriously.
“Don’t let them die?” Zhuang Zi’ang was taken aback.
“I’m telling you, if you let these two fish die, I won’t let you off the hook,” Su Yudie said, shaking her fist playfully.
Zhuang Zi’ang gazed deeply into Su Yudie’s eyes, as if trying to see into her soul.
Being friends with a girl like her was truly a joyful experience.
But why did he have to meet her when his life was about to end?
Xiao Yudie, if only he had met her sooner!