5. That Summer(2)

There were a total of six people, both boys and girls, and they all appeared to be high school students. They greeted Yu Yue.

A girl with flushed cheeks said to Yu Yue, “You look more like your mom, very pretty.”

Before Yu Yue could react, several other boys started teasing, “Oh, oh, heartbeats? Falling in love?”

The girl blushed even more, glared at the teasing boys, and whispered to Yu Yue, “I’m called Zhang Xiaoxiao.”

The others continued to tease even more.

That afternoon, Dan Hang took Yu Yue and his classmates to the game arcade, where they played games all afternoon.

Yu Yue didn’t particularly enjoy playing games, and the arcade was filled with the strong scent of smoke, which made him uncomfortable. However, seeing how happy everyone else was, he didn’t want to spoil their fun. He reluctantly found some enjoyment playing a racing game.

They played until around 6:30 pm.

Dan Hang checked the time and suggested it was time for dinner. The group began discussing where to eat.

Yu Yue fell behind as they discussed, and Zhang Xiaoxiao intentionally slowed down her pace, looking at him with a curious gaze.

When Yu Yue noticed Zhang Xiaoxiao’s gaze, she asked, “Do you not like playing games?”

Yu Yue remained silent, and Dan Hang, who was in front, declared, “Great! Let’s have barbecue! It’s decided, just like that!”

Following that, Dan Hang turned around and playfully grabbed Yu Yue’s wrist, saying, “Come on, let our young master taste the flavor of barbecue. Our young master has only eaten lobster before.”

Laughter erupted among the group.

Yu Yue didn’t know the meaning behind their laughter, but when he saw them laughing, he chuckled along.

At 6:30, the barbecue restaurant was bustling with activity. You could smell the unique aroma of barbecue from a distance. It was a large open-air eatery, and Yu Yue had never been to such a place before.

Once they sat down, Yu Yue looked at the greasy table, the outdoor seating without air conditioning, and the unattractive sign. He lightly scratched one side of his cheek with his finger. When they asked what he wanted to drink, he glanced at the greasy menu, wiped his face with a tissue, and was met with more laughter.

Looking at the menu, he finally said, “I’ll have soy milk.”

The group laughed again, saying, “If you’re a man, you should drink beer! Our young master has never even had beer before.”

One of the boys raised his hand and waved it vigorously, calling for the waiter, “Waiter! Let’s order!”

Yu Yue looked at the menu and realized that there weren’t many items he liked. When he was very young, Yu Jingnian and Jiang Qian had taught him not to eat from street stalls, not to eat from food carts, and not to eat barbecue because it was bad for his health.

Yu Yue thought it would be best to order some grilled bread and potatoes. As for the meat, he was concerned that it might not be prepared properly.

After the boy signaled the waiter, a server approached.

Yu Yue set the menu down, feeling that it was still greasy.

The boy began to speak with the server, “We’ll start with eight bottles of beer.”

Zhang Xiaoxiao asked, “Eight bottles? Didn’t Yu Yue say he doesn’t drink?”

The boy responded, “I already said, if you’re a man, you have to drink…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yu Yue heard a voice say, “Minors are prohibited from drinking.”

The voice was clear, cool, with hardly any fluctuations, and even though it wasn’t loud, it entered Yu Yue’s ears so distinctly, almost like the sound of celestial music.

This voice came from the server standing next to Yu Yue…

Yu Yue slowly raised his head. He began from the black apron the server was wearing and moved upwards to the black T-shirt. His gaze continued up until he reached the server’s fair neck and ended on the clean face.

At first glance, that face could be described as beautiful, reminiscent of the Hong Kong-style beauty from the 80s and 90s. He had deep-set eyes and a high nose bridge, with a young and tender look that couldn’t conceal his attractiveness. A strand of lamplight fell on this face, and for a moment, Yu Yue thought he was watching a movie, as if he were looking at an actor in one of his father, Yu Jingnian’s, movie scenes.

The server appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, and his hair was a bit long, so he tied it up behind his head. He held a pen and a notepad, and his knuckles gripping the pencil were distinct, with pale skin that contrasted sharply with the black T-shirt. However, all of this was just icing on the cake. What attracted Yu Yue the most was the subtle veins on the server’s neck when he lowered his head.

The boy who wanted to order beer stammered, “W-We’re adults…”

When the server said, “Minors are prohibited from drinking,” he was looking down at his notepad.

Upon hearing the boy’s response, the server finally raised his gaze.

He had a pair of dark, narrow eyes with an unyielding icy gaze. Even in the sweltering heat of midsummer, this icy gaze seemed to have the power to freeze people.

He asked the boy indifferently, “Do you want me to talk to your class teacher after school starts?” After a slight pause, he continued, “Your class teacher is Zhou Yuan from Class 2-3 in your sophomore year, right?”