AAWOMAHI Chapter9

After Lu Xingmian got into the car, it still hadn’t moved. He wondered if the driver was waiting for more people. How many fares had he picked up on this trip?

 

But Lu Xingmian felt that the car was too quiet, uncomfortably so.

 

A phone call broke the silence in the car. Lu Xingmian answered.

 

“Hello, I’ve arrived at your pinned location.”

 

Lu Xingmian looked forward. The driver in front wasn’t on the phone. The person calling him was his actual ride-share driver. After arriving at the pinned location, the driver saw no one by the roadside, but the app showed they were very close, so he called the passenger. The driver said he was parked by the road with his hazard lights on.

 

Then Lu Xingmian saw a black car parked ahead, its hazard lights flashing. The license plate number was exactly what was shown on the app.

 

So, he had gotten into the wrong car! No wonder the atmosphere in the car felt off.

 

Lu Xingmian quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, I got into the wrong car. My apologies for disturbing you.”

 

As quickly as he got in, Lu Xingmian swiftly got out of the car. Only after getting out did he realize this car was no ordinary vehicle; it was a luxury car. He just hadn’t looked closely before, seeing a black car and just getting in. He never expected to get into the wrong car.

 

How embarrassing! Lu Xingmian quickly got into his correct car. If he ran fast enough, the embarrassment wouldn’t catch up to him.

 

When he heard the young man speak, Lu Shiran glanced at him. The young man’s voice was very familiar, identical to Lu Xingmian’s. Although he had only heard it over the phone, Lu Shiran just knew this voice was exactly the same. Lu Shiran watched the young man’s departing back.

 

Could that have been Lu Xingmian?

 

When the young man got in earlier, he said he was going to SS City, which was some distance from Yancheng, about a two-hour drive.

 

After Lu Xingmian got into his correct car, the driver asked, “Is this for the phone number ending in 2580?”

 

Lu Xingmian replied, “Yes.”

 

This was his actual ride. After picking up the passenger, the driver started the car and headed for SS City, quite a big fare.

 

While waiting at a red light, Lu Xingmian took the opportunity to check his phone. Seeing no messages, he put his phone away and closed his eyes. Lu Xingmian thought to himself, it was a good thing he ran fast just now. Though he only caught a glimpse, the man in the car seemed quite handsome.

 

It would take two hours to get back to his place from here. The ride-share driver drove a bit aggressively, and Lu Xingmian felt carsick when he got out, taking over ten minutes to feel a little better.

 

After two days of fun during the National Day holiday, Lu Xingmian still had homework to catch up on, there were several test papers.

 

By the time he finished the papers, it was already evening. Lu Xingmian checked the fridge; it was empty. He had forgotten to buy groceries again, so he found a bucket of instant noodles in the cupboard. Luckily, he had a whole box of instant noodles ready; he could not only eat the noodles but also drink the soup as well.

 

While he was eating his noodles, Song Yihan and Liu Yichen, having returned home, sent messages to Lu Xingmian. Song Yihan thought for a moment, then sent another message to Lu Xingmian.

 

Song Yihan: [Lu Xingmian, remember this, we’ll always be your friends, your brothers. We’ll always support you.]

 

Lu Xingmian: [Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.]

 

After finishing his instant noodles and resting for a while, Lu Xingmian continued working on his papers.

 

Every night, before Lu Ge told stories, Lu Xingmian would chat with him for a bit. They would just talk casually; Lu Xingmian would say whatever came to mind. Being alone was a bit too quiet, and he wanted someone to talk to. And Lu Ge’s voice was a timbre he really liked.

 

Sometimes, Lu Xingmian preferred just listening to Lu Ge talk.

 

Lu Xingmian mentioned that he started frantically catching up on homework as soon as he got back, spent the entire afternoon on test papers, and just ate a simple dinner.

 

When Lu Shiran heard that Lu Xingmian had instant noodles for dinner, he asked, “You only had instant noodles for dinner?”

 

Lu Xingmian replied, “Not just that, I also had a sausage.”

 

Lu Shiran asked, “Are your parents not home, or do you live alone?”

 

Lu Xingmian confirmed, “I live alone.”

 

Living alone. Lu Shiran understood. If someone were home, they wouldn’t let a third-year high school student eat only instant noodles for dinner, nor would he have to rely on an outsider for help with his insomnia. However, this was Lu Xingmian’s family matter, and he felt he had already asked too much today.

 

But since he had already asked more than he should, Lu Shiran decided to meddle a little further: “Well, try to eat less instant noodles. Even making something simple is fine.”

 

Lu Xingmian hummed in agreement. “But I’m not good at cooking.” Perhaps he just wasn’t compatible with the kitchen god.

 

Lu Xingmian then started telling Lu Ge about getting into the wrong car in Yancheng that day.

 

“Lu Ge, the atmosphere was super awkward. I really thought it was my ride.”

 

“Lu Ge, good thing I ran fast then; otherwise, it would’ve been so embarrassing.”

 

Lu Shiran: “……” That boy really was Lu Xingmian.

 

–

 

After the National Day holiday, the weather gradually turned colder. Each autumn rain brought a chill. After two rounds of autumn rain, you now need a slightly thicker coat when going out.

 

Another autumn rain fell. During the break, Chen Che suggested they go eat hotpot after school. When the weather was cold, hotpot was the perfect meal. Zhu Jinyan and Zhou Cheng both raised their hands in agreement, and of course, Lu Xingmian was included too. Lu Xingmian adapted quickly to his environment and had already integrated into the class, having a good relationship with Chen Che and the others.

 

The hotpot restaurant near their school was a place they often frequented. The owner was a kind man in his forties who recognized most of the students who regularly ate there. When the hotpot owner saw Lu Xingmian, he asked, “Is this a new student? I haven’t seen him before.”

 

Chen Che and the others were also very familiar with the owner. “Boss, he’s the new transfer student in our class.” The owner specifically gave them an extra plate of meat as a welcome for the new student.

 

Lu Xingmian insisted on going Dutch this time, as Chen Che and the others had always refused to let him pay for meals before. Chen Che agreed, “Okay, everyone goes AA[mfn]Pay equally or go 50/50[/mfn] today.”

 

The hotpot was bubbling, and everyone started putting meat in. The four boys ordered a “half-spicy, half-clear broth” since Zhu Jinyan couldn’t handle too much spice. Zhu Jinyan looked at Lu Xingmian’s dipping sauce bowl. “Lu Xingmian, you don’t eat cilantro?”

 

Lu Xingmian replied, “Nope.”

 

Zhou Cheng, feeling like he’d found a kindred spirit, excitedly put his arm around Lu Xingmian. “I finally found someone else who doesn’t eat cilantro!” He continued, “Lu Xingmian, you don’t know, they always used to laugh at me for not eating cilantro.”

 

The two on the opposite side loved cilantro, leaving him as the only one who didn’t, and one person couldn’t argue with two. He never expected to finally meet someone else who didn’t eat cilantro. Zhou Cheng was naturally happy; now it was two against two.

 

Lu Xingmian smiled.

 

Zhou Cheng then asked, “Is that why your grades are so good, because you don’t eat cilantro?”

 

Zhu Jinyan rolled his eyes at Zhou Cheng. “Lu Xingmian’s good grades have nothing to do with whether he eats cilantro or not.”

 

Zhou Cheng retorted, “Zhu Jinyan, just eat your cilantro. You eat cilantro, and why don’t I see you getting first place!”

 

Zhu Jinyan countered, “At least I’m twenty points higher than you.”

 

Zhou Cheng said, “Zhu Jinyan, you’re endless! Just you wait, I’ll definitely score higher than you on the next exam.”

 

Zhu Jinyan calmly replied, “I’ll be waiting. Once you manage to surpass me—but first, you’ll have to treat me to breakfast for the whole month.”

 

The two had been in a playful rivalry since the first year of high school, a true “love-hate relationship.” Before this exam, they made a bet, and Zhou Cheng ended up owing a month’s worth of breakfast.

 

While the two bickered, Chen Che and Lu Xingmian focused on eating their meat. Chen Che informed Lu Xingmian that Gao Yan from Class One had been studying incredibly hard recently.

 

Lu Xingmian asked, “Why?”

 

Chen Che looked at Lu Xingmian, suddenly realizing that Lu Xingmian might not even know who Gao Yan was. “Do you not know who Gao Yan is?”

 

Lu Xingmian replied, “You just said he’s from Class One.”

 

Chen Che: “……” Alright, so Lu Xingmian really didn’t know.

 

Chen Che explained to him, “Before you came, Gao Yan was always first in the grade. But as soon as you arrived, he dropped to second. So now he’s studying with a vengeance, swearing to get back to first place in the next exam.”

 

Lu Xingmian was a bit curious. “How do you know?”

 

Chen Che said, “Lots of people know!”

 

Eating hotpot in cold weather was indeed the best choice. The few of them ate until they were sweating, feeling warm all over. As they ate happily, Lu Xingmian was suddenly startled by a commotion from the next table. A man at the adjacent table furiously smashed a beer bottle on the floor, cursing that the mutton smelled bad.

 

The boss quickly came out, trying to explain that their lamb was the freshest and absolutely not spoiled. The boss said their hotpot restaurant had been open for over a decade and always operated with integrity. With so many students eating there regularly, there was no way they’d have spoiled food in the establishment.

 

However, the three men at the next table wouldn’t listen. They pointed at the lamb in the hotpot, claiming the meat was spoiled and expired. Lu Xingmian and his friends noticed the four empty beer crates under the adjacent table.

 

Were these guys trying to cause trouble while drunk?

 

One man, with the shortest hair and the fiercest look, even bragged that he knew people in the underworld and would call them to smash the place if anyone dared to stop him. With that, the three men stood up and started to leave. They had consumed nearly 500 yuan at their table that night, so the boss certainly wouldn’t let them go. He grabbed one of the men, insisting they pay the bill.

 

The man directly shoved the boss, who stumbled back several steps and bumped into Zhou Cheng. Zhou Cheng caught the boss.

 

Zhou Cheng exclaimed, “What gives you the right to push people?”

 

The man stepped forward and pushed Zhou Cheng. “Student, mind your own business.”

 

Chen Che also stood up. “Are you leaving without paying the bill?”

 

“Laozi[mfn]I, used in an arrogant way.[/mfn] will not pay today. What are you going to do, stop me? Damn it! Little punk, you haven’t even grown your hair yet, and you’re already meddling!”

 

The hotpot restaurant instantly turned into a battlefield. Chen Che and his friends saw the three drunk men not only trying to dine and dash but also assaulting the hotpot owner, pushing Zhou Cheng, and spewing such vile insults.

 

They naturally couldn’t tolerate it.

 

Amidst the brawl, the owner called the police. Before the police arrived, the owner pulled Chen Che and the others aside. “Hurry, go! The police will be here soon.” The owner didn’t want to get the students involved; he would handle the rest himself. Before the police arrived, Lu Xingmian and his friends grabbed their backpacks and ran. They ran for over ten minutes before stopping.

 

They were all out of breath.

 

Lu Xingmian asked, “Why did we run?”

 

Zhou Cheng leaned against a nearby wall, panting. “We had to run; otherwise, it would’ve been too much trouble.”

 

Lu Xingmian then asked, “But doesn’t the boss recognize us?”

 

Zhou Cheng patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, the boss won’t turn us in. He’s the one who told us to run!”

 

Chen Che looked at Lu Xingmian, a little impressed. “Lu Xingmian, you’re pretty good! You can fight too.” Lu Xingmian looked thin and delicate, like someone who couldn’t fight, but it turned out he had some moves.

 

After their breathing stabilized, they all parted ways and went home.