That Nameless Summer Chapter 25

excuse

The sunshine on the penultimate day of the winter vacation rubbed away the coolness of the remaining snow. The water stains on the stone pavement at the entrance of the alley reflected the sparse shadows of locust branches. The sweet fragrance of the early paving was wafting in the wind, spreading warmly through the streets.When Song Li was grabbed by Xu Jiangyou’s arm and rushed out, Ling Qingye was leaning under the locust tree and flipping through the decoration quotation. The white sweater made his side face soft. When he saw the two of them coming, he held the page between his fingertips and nodded: “Let’s go, go early and don’t have to wait for a seat.”

Xu Jiangyou jumped all the way and counted the hot pot dishes, reciting hairy tripe, tender beef, and handmade shrimp sliders. Song Li listened to her with a smile, and Ling Qingye walked on the other side, occasionally saying “The sour plum soup is iced, drink less.” In a few words, the atmosphere was as relaxed and cheerful as the spring wind.

The hot steam from the hot pot restaurant was filled with the aroma of butter. Xu Jiangyou glanced at the seat by the window and pulled Song Ligang to sit down. His eyes suddenly stopped.Song Li followed her line of sight and saw Qin Jiangwen wearing an ill-fitting black waiter’s uniform with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing a few light red burn marks on his wrists. He was walking quickly with a tray full of bone dishes.The strands of hair on his forehead were wet with sweat and stuck to his forehead. The aloofness and aloofness that he usually had in school were completely gone, leaving only a calmness that was inconsistent with his age. He held the tray extremely steadily, and his steps were light and fast, as if he had been doing it for a long time.

“Why is he working here?” Xu Jiangyou tugged on Song Li’s sleeves and murmured in a low voice, his eyes full of surprise, “I usually see that the shoes he wears are all new models, how come he is here to serve the dishes?”

Song Li didn’t answer, just looked at Qin Jiangwen’s back.He remembered that Qin Jiangwen had always been a loner, always working on questions in the classroom during lunch break, and never talking about family matters; he excused class parent-child activities by saying “no one was at home”, and at the time he just thought he was withdrawn. Thinking about it now, there was an indescribable embarrassment in his tone.Ling Qingye’s eyes lingered on the burn mark on Qin Jiangwen’s wrist for a moment, then he looked away and said calmly: “I’ll order the food, you guys sit down.” When passing by Qin Jiangwen, he deliberately slowed down to avoid the possibility of collision, with a perfect sense of proportion.

Qin Jiangwen naturally saw them. The hand holding the tray froze almost imperceptibly, and the roots of his ears instantly turned red. However, he did not raise his head or say hello. He just quickened his pace and turned into the dish pass. His back was straight, as if he was deliberately avoiding this encounter.

The bottom of the pot quickly started to simmer, and the red oil rolled and wrapped in the delicious aroma. Ling Qingye pushed the tender beef in front of Song Li, and gave Xu Jiangyou a shrimp slipper, “Eat it while it’s hot, and cook it with firewood.” Xu Jiangyou pinched his chopsticks, but lost the interest just now. He couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the dish, and even forgot to rinse his favorite tripe.

While they were eating, Qin Jiangwen came over with the vegetables they ordered. There was some oil stain on the collar of his uniform. He put down the plate and said in a low voice with deliberate indifference: “The dishes are ready.” When he turned to leave, Xu Jiangyou subconsciously stopped him: “Qin Jiangwen!”

He paused in his steps, his back stiffened, and he did not look back.

“Is your wrist… okay?” Xu Jiangyou’s voice softened, and he didn’t ask why he was working anymore. He just stared at the red mark, “It’s burnt and you need to apply medicine.”

Qin Jiangwen was silent for a few seconds, his Adam’s apple rolled slightly, and he only uttered two words: “It’s okay.” After saying that, he quickly walked into the kitchen, even his footsteps had a hint of haste.

The meal was quieter than expected, Xu Jiangyou didn’t chirp anymore, Song Li occasionally got distracted, but Ling Qingye was very attentive. When he saw that his bowl was empty, he silently put the cooked meat on his plate. He didn’t say much, but hid his concern in the details.

When Song Li got up to go to the bathroom, he passed by the food preparation area next to the kitchen and happened to see Qin Jiangwen leaning against the wall in the corner, holding a rice ball from a convenience store in his hand. It was not heated, and he was gnawing slowly with a bottle of room temperature mineral water.

His back was to the aisle, his shoulders were slightly tensed, and his face was facing the dim wall lamp. His eyelashes were drooped, hiding the emotions in his eyes, leaving only an indescribable loneliness – completely different from the proud and cold Qin Jiangwen in school.

Hearing the footsteps, Qin Jiangwen looked up suddenly and saw that it was Song Li. Panic flashed in his eyes. He quickly held the unfinished rice ball in his hand and put the back of his hand against his mouth, as if he didn’t want to be seen like this. He turned around and walked to the kitchen.

“Wait a minute.” Song Li stopped him and took out two boxes of sushi he just bought from his pocket. They were from tuna and salmon, and they still had a little bit of residual heat. “I just bought them at the convenience store at the door. I haven’t finished them yet, so you can take them. I always eat cold rice balls, which makes my stomach feel bad.”

He didn’t mention part-time work, didn’t ask why, just a simple word of concern, which gave him enough dignity.

Qin Jiangwen looked at the two boxes of sushi, moved his fingers, pursed his lips, and wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.After a while, he reached out to take it, and his fingertips touched Song Li’s hand. With a slight coolness, he whispered “Thank you” in a low voice, but with real gratitude. Then he grabbed the sushi and walked quickly into the kitchen without looking back.

Song Li stood there, watching the kitchen door close, and his heart suddenly became clear.Qin Jiangwen’s “famous brands” may have been bought with his long-term salary savings; his “isolation” was just a fear of being discovered in his embarrassment – no one knew that this seemingly glamorous young man was carrying the weight of life alone.

When I left the hot pot restaurant, the setting sun was slanting on the street, stretching the shadows very long.Qin Jiangwen happened to change his clothes and came out. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt that had been washed white, carrying an old schoolbag with frayed edges on his back, and holding a canvas bag in his hand. He thought he was about to get off work.When he saw Song Li and the others, his eyes were complicated, but he still stopped and nodded slightly, saying hello. There was no longer the usual indifference, nor the panic when they met by chance.

Ling Qingye turned his head and looked at the direction in which Qin Jiangwen was going, and then at Song Li, with a faint warmth flashing in his eyes.

Some secrets do not need to be revealed; some good intentions do not need to be publicized. This is the tacit tenderness among teenagers.

On the locust tree at the entrance of the alley, the last bit of snow slid down the branches and hit the ground, causing tiny splashes of water.At the end of the winter vacation, this unexpected encounter was like a glimmer of light, illuminating the things hidden under the surface.

In this turbulent atmosphere of fireworks, a unique tacit understanding among teenagers was quietly formed.

The evening breeze blows by, bringing with it the moist breath of melted snow and a hint of quietly growing warmth, passing through the winter vacation that is about to end and heading towards a brand new spring.