Chapter 10: 11

When Tang Cuo rushed to the back door of the auditorium, there were still drops of water on the side of his face that he hadn’t had time to dry. Tang Xu stood next to a trash can, smoking and occasionally being greeted by the students who knew him. 

 
Tang Cuo found that Tang Xu’s addiction to smoking seemed to be much greater now; he had hardly seen Tang Xu smoke before. But when he thought about it, he realised how old Tang Xu was then. 
 
while he was still dazed. Tang Xu had turned his head and noticed him. He raised his hand and threw the cigarette into the trash can. The small fireworks disappeared into the darkness in an instant.
 
“Let’s go; what do you want to eat?”
 
Tang Cuo took two steps forward and caught up with him, saying, “Anything will do.”
 
Tang Xu glanced at him and asked, “Why don’t you have dinner tonight?”
 
“… didn’t come in time.” Tang Cuo lied, uneasily rubbing his fingers twice. He then asked, “What about you?”
 
Tang Xu’s eyes were a little deep, but he smiled at the end, “Same thing, I discussed something with a teacher. After it was over, I found out that the show was about to start, so I hurried over.”
 
“Oh,” Tang Cuo nodded. Although he felt that it was not good for Tang Xu not to eat like this, he couldn’t restrain a hint of joy in his heart: “But my show wasn’t the first one. You could have come on time even after you had eaten.” 
 
“This is my first time seeing your performance. I have to treat it formally.” Tang Xu seemed to be in a good mood. When he said this, there was an unconcealable smile between the words.
 
Tang Cuo listened and didn’t speak any more. The warm evening wind had dried the water droplets on both sides of his cheeks, and even the surroundings felt a little tight at the moment. He bowed his head and kicked a small stone away. The stone rolled a long distance to a large tree.
 
Tang Cuo insisted on returning to the dormitory, so the two of them simply chose a restaurant near the school.
 
While waiting for the order, Tang Xu’s cell phone rang. Tang Cuo didn’t intend to peek, but his eyesight is simply too good. With a glance, the name on the screen jumped into his eyes: Shixi.
 
“Well, I know, don’t worry, I won’t forget, um, good.”
 
The phone call lasted for a short time, and it appeared that Shi Xi was giving instructions, and Tang Xu agreed from start to finish. While on the phone, Tang Xu held a kettle in one hand and poured a glass of water for Tang Cuo.
 
When Tang Xu hung up the phone, Tang Cuo asked hesitantly, “Sister ShiXi… Is she okay now?”
 

When he asked this, he was unconsciously turning the water glass in his hand.
 
Tang Xu didn’t seem to expect him to ask about Shi Xi so abruptly. He clearly paused for a moment. Only later did he smile and say, “Very well. She has been in Shanghai and will be performing in Beijing in the next two days. She just asked me to pick her up.”
 
“Oh,” Tang Cuo replied.
 
He was aware of Shixi’s performance. This performance’s promotion had been posted a month earlier on a specific ticket sales website, and the tickets were sold out in seconds. It doesn’t seem normal for a ballet performance to be as popular as a concert by a big-name singer, but if the protagonist is ShiXi, then nothing is out of the ordinary.
 
Tang Xu noticed Tang Cuo’s unnatural expression and decided not to pursue this topic further. So he intimately discussed tonight’s party with him. They didn’t talk about ShiXi again, but on their way to school after dinner, Tang Cuo asked, “Do you have any more tickets for Sister Shi Xi’s performance?”
 
Tang Xu looked at him in surprise and asked, “Are you going to see it?” 
 
Tang Cuo felt a little self-conscious. “Well, I previously purchased tickets online but did not get them.”
 
Tang Xu didn’t respond right away. After a certain distance, he said, “I thought you didn’t like Shixi. Today seems to be the first time I’ve heard you call her Sister Shixi.”
 
Tang Cuo was so embarrassed after saying these words that he didn’t know what to do. He lowered his head and held back for a moment. “It’s because I was ignorant before… And I also want to apologise to her.”
 
Tang Cuo felt a lot more at ease after saying this. But he was soon overtaken by another type of nervous emotion. He had no idea how Tang Xu would react to his words.
 
After a short silence, Tang Xu put his hands on his shoulders and rubbed them. “She was too excited at the time, but later she said that she didn’t blame you anymore.”
 
Tang Cuo hummed, “That should be an apology too.”
 
Tang Cuo was ready to watch Shixi’s performance, but he didn’t expect Tang Xu to let him follow her to the airport. He Zhong and the others stayed in the dormitory until almost two o’clock the night before; he crawled out of bed before six o’clock in the morning. He was now sitting in Tang Xu’s car, holding a cup of hot soy milk. He was so sleepy that his eyelids dropped, and he felt as if his head was no longer his own.
 
Tang Xu glanced amusedly at the person who could fall asleep in three seconds but insisted on chatting with him and said, “If you’re sleepy, go to sleep. It’s a little early, and there’s still a long way to the airport.”
 
Tang Cuo couldn’t take it any longer. He drank two sips of soy milk before gulping it down. He poked the empty cup between them and said, “Then I’ll sleep for a while…”
 
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Cuo fell asleep.

 
Tang Xu turned down the air conditioner in the car and continued driving steadily. He looked at Tang Cuo and noticed a ray of sunlight in his eyes. So he raised his hand to put down the visor. The visor blocked the unreasonable sunlight, so that Tang Cuo’s eyes could be buried in a shadow.
 
He parked the car when they arrived at the airport. Tang Xu realised it was still early and did not rush to wake Tang Cuo up. He turned off the engine and rolled down the window. He took out his mobile phone and checked Moments. He saw Shi Xi post a picture before boarding the plane. Below is a stream of compliments and drool. He clicked the “like” button and then realised he hadn’t added Tang Cuo’s WeChat account yet.
 
Only when it was about time, Tang Xu gently shook Tang Cuo’s arm. “SiHang, wake up.”
 
Tang Cuo awoke in a daze, looked around, and said, “Ah, we’re here.”
 
Tang Xu handed him a bottle of water, “Well, have some water and get off.”
 
While waiting for Shixi to come out, Tang Cuo became extremely nervous. He hadn’t seen Shixi in a long time; what would he say later? What if she was unhappy to see him? What if she was angry that Tang Xu brought him here to pick her up… Tang Cuo imagined a thousand different meeting scenarios. The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became.
 
He looked at Tang Xu with trepidation.
 

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Tang Xu understood the worry in his eyes, touched his head, and said, “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
 
After speaking, probably to distract him, he took out his mobile phone and said to Tang Cuo, “Oh, by the way, let’s add WeChat.” 
 
When Shixi came out with a small bag on her back, she saw Tang Xu with a young boy, fiddling with something in his hand. She looked at the person beside Tang Xu, but she didn’t seem to recognise them.
 
She was still looking at Tang Xu, who had just raised his head and noticed her. When ShiXi caught his gaze, she exclaimed, “Tang Xu!”
 
Tang Cuo raised his head when he heard the voice and saw that smiling face that was still as beautiful as a flower.
 
Only then did Shi Xi realise who Tang Cuo was, but she couldn’t believe it and didn’t say anything else until the three of them were together.
 
Tang Xu raised his chin slightly and said to her, “This is SiHang; don’t you know him?”
 
Tang Cuo quickly put away the phone and bowed politely to her, “Hello, Sister ShiXi.”
 

She was still incredulous. Was this the same kid who didn’t give her a good face when he first saw her?
 
“Hey, why are you dumbfounded?” Tang Xu lightly patted her on the shoulder.
 
Shixi only then came to her senses and looked at Tang Xu with complicated eyes. Tang Xu winked at her with a pleading meaning in it.
 
“SiHang, long time no see.” Shi Xi smiled as she spoke slowly. Tang Cuo couldn’t ignore the alienation revealed in her words, despite her polite and gentle tone.
 
He lowered his head and staggered his eyes, not daring to look Shi Xi in the eyes.
 
“It’s been a long time, Sister Shixi.”
 
Neither Tang Xu nor Shi Xi said anything else.
 
Because Tang Cuo lowered his head, he couldn’t see the secret eye contact between Tang Xu and Shi Xi. Shi Xi looked at Tang Xu inexplicably, and Tang Xu returned her calm gaze with an incomprehensible smile.
 
There are people coming and going on both sides. There are many scenes of family and friend reunions, but nowhere is as quiet as they are.
 
“I’m really sorry for what happened before…” Tang Cuo again bowed deeply and said, “I was too ignorant at that time, and it took me so long to apologise to you. I’m sorry.”
 
Shixi didn’t respond for a while, and Tang Xu lightly touched her before she said, “Ah, it’s okay, it’s been so long, I don’t care anymore.”
 
Tang Cuo’s head was still bowed, and his body was not fully straightened. His entire body appeared to be completely submerged in a barrier of humility.
 
Although Tang Xu felt that Tang Cuo’s apology was justified, For some reason, seeing Tang Cuo’s head bowed for a long time, full of self-blame and not daring to raise his head. He felt uncomfortable and even… a little distressed.
 
So he reached out his hand to embrace Tang Cuo and pinched the back of his neck, saying, “Okay let’s go. Your sister Shi Xi still needs Beijing soybean milk.”
 
Shi Xi’s spirits returned after hearing this: “Wow, what’s with your mocking tone? You, as a Beijinger, didn’t like drinking soy milk. It’s just a waste.”
 
“I’ll give you my bowl to drink from, and SiHang’s blow is also for you. That’s enough.”
 
Tang Xu and Shi Xi chatted with each other, while Tang Cuo, except when he was called by Tang Xu, would say a word, and other times he couldn’t get in the way at all. He was not in a good mood and walked silently alongside Tang Xu. Tang Xu pinched his neck quietly again as he approached the car. He raised his eyes to Tang Xu, who returned his gaze, but Shi Xi’s words echoed.
 
When they got to the side of the car, Tang Xu walked to the driver’s seat. Shi Xi seemed to be habitually walking towards the passenger seat. She came to a halt as her hand touched the door and asked Tang Cuo, smiling, “Would you like to sit in the front or the back?”
 
Tang Cuo was taken aback for a moment before taking the initiative to open the back seat door and saying, “I’ll sit in the back.”
 
Shixi smiled as she opened the door and got in the car.
 
There was an empty soy milk cup in front of the teacups that he forgot to throw away. Tang Cuo stared at the empty cup for a long time before turning his head out the window, expressionless.
 
ShiXi in front asked, “Hey, is Sihang in college now?”
 
“Well,” he couldn’t finish because his throat was blocked. He suddenly opened his mouth, and his voice was hoarse. He coughed lightly, “Going to college.”
 
Tang Xu handed over the bottle of water he had just drunk. He took it and held it in his hand without opening it right away.
 
“Which university?”
 
“… Polytechnic University.”
 
because of such an ulterior secret. He felt guilty for a moment after answering the school’s name.
 
“Ah,” ShiXi’s voice was a little surprised, “isn’t that your school?”
 
This was obviously said to Tang Xu, who was driving with a smile in his voice: “Yeah. I’m teaching him a professional course; isn’t it a coincidence?” 
 
Tang Cuo panicked and looked ahead, but failed and happened to meet Shi Xi Eyes in the rearview mirror. He blinked, unsure whether he should look away or not.
 
Shi Xi’s eyes were crooked. “It’s quite a coincidence.”

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