The video call connected, and Ruan Nianxi saw the person she had been longing to see.
She peered at the scenery behind him, which seemed to be outdoors, and curiously asked, "Why are you outside? Didn't I order takeout for you? Haven't you eaten?"
The takeout she ordered a few minutes ago should have arrived by now.
So why was he still outside?
The sun must be scorching out there.
"I'm here, I'm here!"
In a small gazebo in the backyard of the villa, Xie Shu sat alone, holding his phone in one hand, the camera facing him. Hearing Ruan Nianxi's question, he quickly responded.
As he spoke, he rotated his phone, the image whirling until it settled on a wooden table.
On the table were two lunch boxes, one filled with rice, the other with a variety of dishes, and unopened disposable chopsticks lay quietly beside them.
Seeing such a simple lunch, Ruan Nianxi frowned.
Hadn't she ordered plenty?
Why was there so little in front of him?
And…
"Haven't you eaten with the teachers and classmates over there?" Ruan Nianxi was puzzled.
Could it be that he gave the rest away to others?
But she had intended the order for him; the others were just an afterthought.
After showing Ruan Nianxi his lunch, Xie Shu turned the camera back to himself. The two looked at each other through the screen, and he explained calmly, "There are a lot of people upstairs, I didn't want to squeeze in with them. Plus, I wanted to video call you at noon. It wouldn't be convenient with them around, so I decided to come out here alone."
Xie Shu was telling the truth. Right after class, he had wanted to contact her but was interrupted by her call.
Later, they put together several tables upstairs, and everyone was chatting and laughing. Although the atmosphere was lively, he found it a bit noisy.
He thought it might interfere with his video chat with Ruan Nianxi, so after setting up the tables, he told them he wanted to go downstairs to eat alone, to connect with his girlfriend.
In the training institute, there were none of the usual workplace issues, all the teachers were kind, and the relationships were relaxed, so he had no qualms about speaking his mind.
Teacher Li and the art class students all knew that Xie Shu's "girlfriend" was someone he hadn't yet won over. Everyone gave a knowing look, and no one stopped him.
A few teachers from the media class were worried that Xie Shu might feel uncomfortable and wanted to persuade him to join the lively group, but Teacher Li stopped them.
So in the end, Xie Shu successfully took a box of rice and a box of hastily grabbed dishes downstairs to the backyard. As soon as he sat down, he eagerly made a video call to Ruan Nianxi.
Now he finally saw his little girlfriend.
Not being able to check his phone during work hours was sheer agony!
Ruan Nianxi was taken aback by Xie Shu's explanation, and then a blush gradually spread to her ears.
Because he needed to open the lunch box, Xie Shu had to lay his phone flat on the wooden table, the camera pointing up at the gazebo's roof.
He sat beside it, his gaze still fixed on Ruan Nianxi on the screen, as he asked while unwrapping the lid:
"What about you? It's noon already, you should be in the cafeteria, right?"
"Mhm."
"What did you eat? Show me to make sure you've eaten properly."
"I had porridge."
Ruan Nianxi mimicked Xie Shu's earlier action and turned the camera to show him her table.
Xie Shu glanced at it and immediately frowned.
Why was her meal exactly the same as breakfast?
And the cafeteria's buns seemed smaller than those near their school.
Could she be satisfied with that?
The camera then swung back to Ruan Nianxi.
Perfect, this also made it easier for Xie Shu to scrutinize her.
Her face, which used to have baby fat, had slimmed down to a delicate oval, and even her collarbone was clearly visible below the screen.
No, she had ordered so much for them, why was she only eating that?
"That's too little, go get yourself a couple more dishes," Xie Shu said with a frown.
If she didn't eat more, what would he do if she fell apart with just a touch?
Ruan Nianxi seemed unconcerned, "It's enough, I'm not very hungry."
Xie Shu said nothing in response, but put down the disposable chopsticks he had just picked up, stood up, and walked out of the gazebo with his phone in hand.
The sun blazed down fiercely as he stepped out of the gazebo, the heat hitting his skin. Even through the screen, Ruan Nianxi could feel the heat on his side.
"Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat first?"
"I'm going to find a restaurant outside to have porridge."
"Don't you want the takeout?"
"No, I just suddenly felt like having the same as you. I want to see if a small bowl of porridge and a couple of buns can fill me up at noon."
"…It's really hot out, try to stay in at noon if you can," Ruan Nianxi advised.
"If I happen to get heatstroke, it's my own fault. If it gets serious, I'll just spend a few days in the hospital and I'll be fine."
Xie Shu had already returned from the backyard gazebo to the first-floor studio. He then crossed the studio, passed through the corridor, and stepped out the front door, the scorching sun once again falling on his fair skin.
Perhaps it was indeed too hot, as within just a few seconds, a thin layer of sweat appeared on Xie Shu's forehead, causing Ruan Nianxi's heart to clench.
She couldn't bear to see him suffer in the sun.
It was heart-wrenchingly painful.
Ruan Nianxi continued to persuade him, but Xie Shu wouldn't listen, insisting on eating the same as her, wanting to experience what it was like to have a bird's stomach.
After much persuasion, seeing that Xie Shu had no intention of stopping, Ruan Nianxi quickly changed her tune, "I got it, I'll go get some dishes right away, don't eat the same as me."
This time Xie Shu obeyed and halted.
"I'm going now," Ruan Nianxi's voice came from the other end.
The sun was intense, and Xie Shu could barely see the screen. He moved a few steps to the shade of a tree, and the image on the phone became clearer.
He watched intently as Ruan Nianxi, indeed, headed to a window with her phone.
She chose a window with fewer people and was now queuing up.
Xie Shu waited quietly.
In a few minutes, Ruan Nianxi reached the front, took a tray, picked a few dishes without getting rice, and quickly returned to her seat.
Seeing this, Xie Shu's mood improved slightly.
Old Dad was right, it takes magic to defeat magic.
So afterwards, he retraced his steps back.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan