Chapter Sixty-Four: Oh, It's You

Li Mu looked at Su Yingxue’s brief reply—just two words: wait for me. He didn’t reply further, slipped his phone back into his pocket, and stood quietly by the roadside to wait.

A little over ten minutes later, a taxi pulled up beside him. Su Yingxue, sitting in the back, opened the door and scooted further inside, smiling at Li Mu, “Come on, get in.”

Li Mu smiled slightly. He’d just been mulling over a thought: since Su Yingxue had taken a seat in the back, should he sit up front with the driver, or join her in the back? Before he could decide, Su Yingxue had already given him the answer.

Li Mu bent down and climbed in. Su Yingxue immediately told the driver, “To Yucheng Lane, please.”

Li Mu asked curiously, “Yucheng Lane—is that the little alley near Yucheng Middle School?”

“That’s right,” Su Yingxue replied with a smile. “I went to Yucheng Middle School for junior high. What about you?”

“The Xiling Coal Mine School,” Li Mu grinned. “Our school had classes from the Young Red Group all the way to ninth grade.”

“I’ve heard of it,” Su Yingxue said, smiling gently. “They say Xiling Coal Mine School has the widest age range in Haizhou.”

“It does, though despite all those grades, there aren’t many students—maybe only a thousand or so altogether.”

Su Yingxue glanced at him sideways, “Aren’t you curious why I invited you to dinner at Yucheng Lane?”

“Not really,” Li Mu said offhandedly. “Since you went to Yucheng Middle School, whatever you want to take me to eat must be something you loved back then.”

“Right on the mark,” Su Yingxue praised. “Not just back then—I still love it now, though I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste.”

“I eat anything,” Li Mu thought to himself. He was never picky, having spent more than a decade away from home studying and working. He’d become adept at eating just about any cuisine, with no aversions to anything—hot, cold, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, cilantro, Chinese toon, onions, ginger, garlic—he could take it all. Life had trained him well.

The driver soon brought them to the east side of Yucheng Middle School. Yucheng Lane was a narrow alley running parallel to the school, with huge concrete blocks at its entrance barring cars from entering. They got out at the mouth of the alley and walked side by side inside.

Li Mu had been to Yucheng Lane before—his memories dated back to around 1997 to 1999. There used to be a PlayStation gaming parlor there; sometimes he’d come with friends to play. But that memory felt very distant now.

Most shops in the lane catered to students: the old gaming parlor was still there, along with stationary stores and book rental shops. Glancing inside as they passed, he saw shelves lined with slim comic books; the pirated online novels that would later sweep the country hadn’t yet appeared.

Su Yingxue led Li Mu deep into the alley, stopping at a T-junction corner. There stood a Rongcheng Skewer House, its signboard somewhat aged. She pointed at it and said, “This is the place.”

“Skewer House, huh?” Li Mu smiled. “Let’s go in.”

Su Yingxue laughed, “It’s pretty spicy—will you be okay with that?”

“No problem,” he replied.

They entered together, discovering the seven or eight tables in the front room were all full, with the noise of lively conversation indicating the place was thriving. Su Yingxue, seeing Li Mu hesitate, tugged his sleeve and led him straight through to the back.

Li Mu then realized the place opened up into a courtyard of about seventy or eighty square meters, with a dozen or so tables set up. Though crowded, there were still seats available.

The plump proprietress spotted Su Yingxue and greeted her warmly, “Ah, Xiaoxue! It’s been ages since you came!”

Su Yingxue smiled, “Yes, I’ve been busy with the college entrance exams lately—no time to come by.”

The proprietress’s eyes curved into crescents as she laughed, “How did the exams go?”

“Pretty well,” Su Yingxue replied with a smile.

The proprietress nodded, glanced at Li Mu, and teased, “Haven’t seen you in a while, and you’ve grown even prettier. Your boyfriend’s quite handsome, too.”

Before Su Yingxue could explain, the proprietress pointed to an empty table and said, “Come, sit here. What kind of broth do you want?”

Su Yingxue turned to Li Mu, “If you can handle spicy, I’ll order the full spicy broth?”

“Sure,” Li Mu nodded lightly.

Su Yingxue ordered the broth and iced cola from the proprietress, then sat across from Li Mu at the small square table.

Li Mu recalled that nearly every girl seemed to love skewers—the kind where you could pick what you liked and cook it yourself. Su Yingxue was no exception, running twice with a metal tray to collect an assortment of skewers.

The proprietress brought the broth and lit the stove. By the time Su Yingxue returned from her second trip, the fiery red broth was boiling vigorously.

“Want to check if there’s anything you like?” Su Yingxue asked, a little excited, after her second round.

Li Mu glanced at the food piled high on the table—already more than enough for two. He waved his hand, “Let’s eat these first, or we might end up wasting food.”

“My appetite’s huge,” Su Yingxue raised her eyebrows, a hint of pride in her expression.

Li Mu said casually, “No worries, eat as much as you like—I’ve got money.”

Su Yingxue dropped ingredients into the pot and pouted, “It’s really cheap—no matter how much we eat, it won’t cost much. Besides, I said I’d treat, so you’re not allowed to grab the bill.”

Li Mu nodded, “It’s rare for the school beauty to treat me—how would it look if I insisted on paying?”

Su Yingxue smiled, then grew serious, “By the way, I heard that the crash course for a driver’s license only takes twenty days—so I’ll probably get my license before mid-next month. After that, I’ll be heading to the capital.”

“So soon? Why?” Li Mu was surprised.

“To stay with my aunt for a while,” Su Yingxue smiled. “She lives in Beijing and wants me to go early—partly to get used to the city, partly so I can help my cousin with her studies. She wants to take the art entrance exams next year, but can’t neglect her academic subjects.”

Li Mu asked, “When does university usually start?”

“End of August,” Su Yingxue replied. “We register around the twenty-fifth, and start military training about the twenty-eighth.”

“So I’ll likely head to Beijing around the twenty-third or twenty-fourth?”

“Exactly.” Su Yingxue assumed Li Mu was reluctant to leave home so early and smiled, “But don’t worry—after a month at school, there’s the National Day holiday, and you can come home then.”

Li Mu smiled sheepishly, “It’s not homesickness—I’m just worried I’ll leave things unfinished in Haizhou.”

Su Yingxue handed him some spicy boiled meat, just about to ask what he’d be busy with in Haizhou, when a short girl suddenly stood before them, shouting excitedly, “Yingxue!”

Both Su Yingxue and Li Mu looked up. Li Mu didn’t recognize the girl, but Su Yingxue’s face lit up, “Ruru, what a coincidence! How come you’re here?”

“I brought my high school classmates to try the delicacies of Yucheng Middle School,” the girl called Ruru giggled, glanced at Li Mu, then winked at Su Yingxue and whispered, “Boyfriend?”

“Don’t be silly!” Su Yingxue said quickly. “He’s my high school classmate. Let me introduce you—Li Mu.”

“Li Mu, this is my desk mate and friend for all three years of junior high, Cao Ruru.”

“Hello,” Li Mu nodded with a smile. Having been mistaken for Su Yingxue’s boyfriend twice in a row, he felt a surge of delight—surely this meant that in others’ eyes, he and Su Yingxue made a handsome couple, well-matched in talent and looks.

At that moment, Cao Ruru peered at Li Mu through her thick glasses, then suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, it’s you!”

Li Mu was stunned, and so was Su Yingxue.

“Have we met?” Li Mu asked tentatively.

“Hey!” Cao Ruru jumped excitedly and said to Su Yingxue, “Yingxue, remember at our junior high reunion after the college entrance exams, I told you I met an amazing guy during the exams? He was hit by a car but still came to take the test. The most important thing was, the proctor at No. 5 High tried to mess with him, but ended up threatened by him instead!”

“I remember,” Su Yingxue said, staring wide-eyed at Li Mu. “Are you saying that was Li Mu?”

“Absolutely!” Cao Ruru, as if meeting an idol, gazed at Li Mu in excitement. “Your hair’s been cut, but I’m sure it’s you!”