AAWOMAHI Chapter28

Before going for a BBQ, Lu Xingmian bought a new phone.

 

He inserted his SIM card, installed several commonly used apps, and then logged into WeChat.

 

As soon as he logged in, he received several messages from Zhou Cheng, Zhu Jinyan, and Xia Zhicheng. They had sent messages when they found out Lu Xingmian won first prize.

 

However, Lu Xingmian’s phone was broken, and he’d just replaced it, so he only saw the messages now. After replying to each, Lu Xingmian opened his chat with Lu Shiran.

 

At this moment, he wanted to share this good news with Lu Shiran.

 

Lu Xingmian: [Ge, I want to tell you some good news.]

 

Lu Shiran quickly replied.

 

Lu Shiran: [What good news has you so happy?]

 

For some reason, seeing Lu Shiran’s message made Lu Xingmian suddenly shy. He really wanted to be praised by Lu Shiran.

 

Lu Xingmian took a deep breath and quickly replied.

 

Lu Xingmian: [I participated in the math competition held in Yancheng, and I won first prize.]

 

The message was sent, and Lu Shiran replied almost instantly.

 

Lu Shiran: [Congratulations, Lu Xingmian, you’re amazing.]

 

Seeing Lu Shiran’s message and receiving his praise, Lu Xingmian’s lips curved upwards uncontrollably. He was even happier than when he received the award, feeling a little shy yet slightly excited. Lu Shiran praised him, Lu Shiran praised him, hehehe.

 

Immediately after, Lu Xingmian’s phone vibrated continuously. He didn’t even need to look to know why; Lu Shiran was sending him red packets again.

 

Sure enough, when he opened the chat, it was a continuous stream of red packets from Lu Shiran.

 

[Congratu, lations, Stu, dent, Lu, Xing, mian.]

 

Lu Xingmian smiled helplessly at the seven red packets. Every time, Lu Shiran managed to coax him into accepting the red packets because he always tricked him by saying the amount inside was very small, and every time Lu Xingmian believed him.

 

Lu Xingmian: [Ge, can I not accept the red packets?]

 

He always felt that Lu Shiran was looking for various opportunities to send him red packets. Besides, he thought Lu Shiran didn’t have it easy making money. Several times, he had to accompany his boss to entertain clients outside. Lu Shiran’s boss was too heartless, making Lu Shiran socialize after work without overtime pay.

 

Lu Shiran: [You even called me ‘Ge’, just take it. This time there’s really not much.]

 

Lu Xingmian: [Really? Ge, don’t lie to me again.]

 

Lu Shiran: [Really, I’m not lying this time.]

 

Lu Xingmian clicked on the first red packet and knew he’d been tricked by Lu Shiran again; it was another two hundred.

 

However, he thought that next time he saw Lu Shiran, he could use the money to buy him something. Lu Shiran seemed to smoke.

 

Lu Xingmian chuckled foolishly while looking at his phone. Chen Che next to him asked, “Lu Xingmian, did you add them on WeChat?”

 

Lu Xingmian: “What?”

 

Chen Che said, “Those girls who gave you their contact info.”

 

Lu Xingmian: “No, I’m chatting with my brother.” All those slips of paper with contact information had been torn up and thrown into the trash by Lu Xingmian.

 

Chen Che nodded, thinking, Lu Xingmian and his brother really have a good relationship. When Lu Xingmian smiled just now, he really thought he was in love.

 

After dinner, the team leader personally sent each student home.

 

As he went upstairs, perhaps making a little too much noise, the grandma downstairs heard him and opened her door. Seeing Lu Xingmian, she enthusiastically called out to him: “Xiao Lu, come, come, wait a moment. We just made some steamed buns, fresh out of the steamer. Take some back with you.”

 

Lu Xingmian said, “Grandma, no need; I just finished eating.”

 

Grandma warmly said, “You don’t have to eat them now, you can save them for tomorrow. Just wait for me.”

 

“Grandma, really, you don’t have to.”

 

“Yes, you do, you do.”

 

Soon, Grandma came out with a plate of steaming hot buns, fresh from the pot.

 

Grandma said, “They’re pork and cabbage filling, cleaner and more hygienic than what you buy outside. You can put them in the fridge and just heat them up when you want to eat them.”

 

The grandma downstairs was very warm; she always greeted him with a smile when she saw him and even brought him candles when there was a power outage.

 

Lu Xingmian took the plate with both hands: “Thank you, Grandma; it smells so good, it must be delicious.”

 

Grandma smiled: “Don’t mention it. You ah, you’re about the same age as my grandson, just like my grandson.”

 

He always heard Grandma talk about her grandson, but Lu Xingmian had never met him.

 

Just then, a boy came out of a room to get some water. Grandma called him: “Jiaze, come here. This is Xiao Lu from upstairs I told you about. Like you, he’s also in his last year of high school.”

 

The boy, called Xie Jiaze, walked to the door. When he saw Lu Xingmian, his eyes instantly lit up: “Lu Xingmian?”

 

Lu Xingmian let out a surprised sound. Grandma’s grandson knew him?

 

Xie Jiaze truly couldn’t believe that the person living upstairs was Lu Xingmian.

 

Xie Jiaze quickly said that he also participated in the competition today and saw Lu Xingmian on the podium.

 

Since they weren’t from the same school, they hadn’t met despite living upstairs and downstairs for so long, so they never knew each other. He had also always heard his grandma say there was a senior high school student living upstairs.

 

It turned out this senior high school student was Lu Xingmian.

 

When Grandma heard this, she felt even more that Lu Xingmian was remarkable. Her grandson had told her that this competition was not easy.

 

Lu Xingmian put the steamed buns away. When he came down to return the plate, Xie Jiaze opened the door.

 

Xie Jiaze said, “Now that we know each other, can we exchange contact information?”

 

Lu Xingmian: “Okay.”

 

Lu Xingmian went home to do his homework, then washed up and got into bed.

 

Then, promptly, he called Lu Shiran.

 

Listening to Lu Shiran’s voice every night before going to sleep had become a habit.

 

Lu Xingmian lay on the bed and clicked on “voice.” When he looked at his phone again, he froze; he had accidentally clicked on “video.” Lu Xingmian looked at his own face on the phone screen, fumbling to hang up, when Lu Shiran answered.

 

Lu Shiran’s handsome face appeared on the screen. Having just showered, he was wearing loose clothes, and his collarbone was visible. His hair was soft and fell naturally. Just by simply looking at the camera, Lu Xingmian felt as if his heart was clutched. His face suddenly flushed, and he became nervous.

 

He really didn’t do it on purpose, but Lu Shiran actually answered his video call.

 

Lu Shiran, who was in the video, felt different from Lu Shiran in real life.

 

Lu Xingmian’s adam apple bobbed. He controlled his emotions and called out, “Ge.”

 

Hearing Lu Shiran hum in response, Lu Xingmian’s face flushed again. How could someone’s simple “en” sound so good? Fortunately, he had only turned on a small light, and the lighting was dim, so Lu Shiran surely couldn’t see him blushing.

 

Lu Xingmian explained, “Ge, I just accidentally pressed the wrong button, you…” He felt that Lu Shiran probably didn’t like video calls.

 

Lu Shiran: “It’s okay, this is quite nice too.”

 

Ahhh, being able to look at Lu Shiran while he talked him to sleep before bed! Lu Xingmian excitedly pursed his lips, then pursed them again, barely managing to control himself from smiling too brightly, but his eyes had already betrayed his mood.

 

Lu Shiran also hadn’t expected Lu Xingmian to be so happy just by having a video call on.

 

Lu Shiran asked him, “Lu Xingmian, do you mind if I smoke a cigarette?”

 

Lu Xingmian quickly shook his head: “No, I don’t mind at all.”

 

Lu Xingmian lay on his pillow, watching Lu Shiran in the camera. He watched him pick up a cigarette box from the side, pull out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, light it, take a puff, and then slowly exhale a stream of smoke.

 

Lu Xingmian found this series of actions very noble and elegant.

 

When Lu Shiran took out the cigarette box, Lu Xingmian took a screenshot. He wanted to know what brand of cigarettes Lu Shiran smoked so he could give him a carton next time they met.

 

After taking the screenshot, Lu Xingmian realized that Lu Shiran’s hands were so beautiful, especially when holding a cigarette. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles.

 

This person seemed perfect in every way: a pleasant voice, handsome looks, excellent body proportions, beautiful hands, and a good temper.

 

Lu Shiran paused as he exhaled a puff of smoke and looked at the camera.

 

Lu Xingmian was lying on his pillow, his eyes sparkling in the dim light, looking at him like an innocent and adorable cat.

 

Lu Shiran suddenly felt that smoking in front of Lu Xingmian was a sin, so he put out the cigarette.

 

Lu Xingmian was curious: “Ge, why did you put it out?”

 

Lu Shiran: “It’s nothing, I suddenly didn’t feel like smoking anymore.”

 

Especially smoking in front of Lu Xingmian, he felt guilty, afraid of being a bad influence on him.

 

Lu Xingmian felt a little regretful; Lu Shiran looked quite handsome when he smoked, and he wanted to watch him a bit longer.

 

Lu Shiran changed the subject, asking him what he ate for dinner.

 

Lu Xingmian said that the team leader treated them to BBQ, and when he came back, the grandma downstairs gave him a plate of steamed buns that smelled especially delicious.

 

He also mentioned that he met Grandma’s grandson today, who was about the same age as him.

 

Lu Shiran recalled the scene from earlier that evening at Mingcheng Middle School, with so many people surrounding Lu Xingmian asking for his contact information.

 

Lu Xingmian looked at Lu Shiran in the camera: “Ge, can you tell me a few more stories tonight?”

 

Lu Shiran smiled: “Of course.”

 

Lu Shiran placed his phone on the nearby cabinet. In the camera, only Lu Shiran’s side profile could be seen, along with his hand holding a children’s bedtime storybook.

 

This scene didn’t feel out of place at all. When his slender fingers inadvertently turned the pages, Lu Xingmian’s heart skipped a beat. Was this how Lu Shiran coaxed him to sleep every night?

 

Lu Xingmian was a little curious: “Ge, you have so many bedtime storybooks.”

 

Lu Shiran told him stories almost every day. Children’s stories were short, but for such a long time, Lu Shiran had never repeated a story.

 

Lu Shiran chuckled: “Not really, not that many.”

 

On the nearby table, a thick stack of storybooks had already piled up, half were given to him by Xiao Youzi, and half Lu Shiran bought himself.

 

Unconsciously, the collection of bedtime storybooks grew larger and larger.

 

Lu Xingmian lay on his pillow, looking at Lu Shiran’s hand holding the book in the phone, as his voice slowly entered his ears.

 

Lu Xingmian couldn’t bear to blink, listening quietly.

 

The story Lu Shiran was telling was called “The Little Hedgehog’s Well-Intentioned Lie.”

 

“It came to the little hedgehog’s field and saw tender young shoots emerging from the soil, swaying charmingly under the scorching sun and gentle breeze. How adorable!” Accompanied by Lu Shiran’s voice, Lu Xingmian could already imagine the tender young shoots shaking their heads, truly adorable. Lu Xingmian couldn’t help but smile and sway along.

 

On the other end, Lu Shiran turned his head and saw Lu Xingmian’s smiling face in the camera. His heart stirred. So this was how Lu Xingmian smiled when he told him stories?

 

He looked quite cute when he smiled like that, like a sweet little animal.

 

Lu Shiran finished one short story, and Lu Xingmian pleaded, “Ge, your storytelling is so nice, tell another one.”

 

Lu Shiran: “En, okay.”

 

After telling two stories consecutively, Lu Xingmian asked him, “Ge, are you thirsty? Do you want some water?”

 

Lu Shiran was very happy that Lu Xingmian cared about him: “No, I’m not thirsty.”

 

Lu Shiran noticed that Lu Xingmian had been lying on the pillow in the same position for a long time: “Lu Xingmian, aren’t you tired from lying like that?”

 

Lu Xingmian shook his head: “Not tired. This way I don’t have to hold the phone.”

 

Lu Shiran: “You don’t have to hold the phone when you’re lying down either.”

 

Lu Xingmian: “But I want to look at you.” Even if he could only see his hands, Lu Xingmian felt less lonely.

 

Lu Shiran didn’t say anything more and continued reading the storybook. The night quietly flowed between the two.

 

The other end of the phone suddenly went silent. Lu Shiran knew that Lu Xingmian was probably tired. He turned his head to look and couldn’t help but be amused by Lu Xingmian.

 

Lu Xingmian was dozing off on his pillow. Just as his eyes were about to close, they suddenly opened again, but he could only hold on for a moment before his eyelids slowly drooped again. He was that sleepy, yet still not sleeping.

 

Perhaps feeling that he hadn’t heard Lu Shiran’s voice for a long time, Lu Xingmian mumbled vaguely, “Ge, don’t stop…” He wanted to hear Lu Shiran’s voice again.

 

Lu Shiran finished reading the last two sentences, and Lu Xingmian, sprawled on his pillow, was completely asleep.

 

Lu Shiran quietly watched his sleeping face, feeling very guilty. He hadn’t revealed his identity to Lu Xingmian today.

 

Having not smoked all evening, he now took out a cigarette again and lit it.

 

After finishing the cigarette in his hand, Lu Shiran softly said to the peacefully sleeping boy on the phone.

 

“Lu Xingmian, good night.”

 

The boy on the phone mumbled in his sleep, seemingly in response to Lu Shiran.

 

After hanging up the video call, Lu Shiran thought for a moment and opened a search app.

 

[How can I apologize to a friend to get them to forgive me after deceiving them?]