After Breaking the Ice-Beauty's Heart - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Only The Wish To Eat Instant Noodles Together Was Fulfilled.

“These instant noodles are so good!” Zhou Nianzhi said, her mouth full, her words muffled. “It’s true, everything tastes best when you’re hungry.”

Zhou Nianzhi stared at the little cup of instant noodles.

She wanted to drink every last drop of the soup.

“Is it enough?” Song Yuli looked at her, pointing to the restaurant next to them. “If you’re still hungry, we can go eat something else.”

“No!” Zhou Nianzhi quickly shook her head, blurting out, “Let’s save some money.”

Honestly, at first, Zhou Nianzhi was worried that Song Yuli would want to eat at the restaurant in the rest stop. She had been debating for a while whether they should split the bill or if she should act generous and pay for it herself…

Luckily, Song Yuli also wanted instant noodles, which saved her from a lot of future worries.

She relaxed, her mood improving. Forgetting that she was supposed to be keeping her distance, she said, “Song Yuli, the first time I treated you to a meal, it was also instant noodles. Do you remember?”

Oh my god.

What was she saying?

Zhou Nianzhi slammed her mouth shut. How could she bring up the past like that? Wasn’t she just closing the distance between them again…

“So what you mean is, this meal is me paying you back?” Song Yuli swallowed her instant noodles, wiped her mouth, and asked Zhou Nianzhi.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.” Zhou Nianzhi was shocked, thinking, Why is her mind working like this?

Song Yuli handed her a tissue. Zhou Nianzhi didn’t take it, waving her hand and saying, “I have my own.” She fumbled around in her pants pockets, only to realize the pants had no pockets at all!

Song Yuli shook the tissue at her again.

Zhou Nianzhi let out two dry laughs and reluctantly took the tissue, wiping the oil from the corners of her mouth.

“You missed a spot here,” Song Yuli said, pointing to the left side of her own face.

“Huh?” Zhou Nianzhi was a little flustered. She awkwardly picked up the tissue again, wiped the left side of her face, and her ears couldn’t help but feel hot. She nervously asked, “How about now?”

Song Yuli shook her head and said, “It’s still there.”

Zhou Nianzhi didn’t even need a mirror to know that one side of her face was completely red. Just as she was about to pull out her phone to use the selfie function to check, Song Yuli suddenly leaned in.

Wait!

This is… this is too close!

Before she could say anything, Song Yuli’s beautiful face was magnified right in front of her. It was so close that their breaths intertwined. Zhou Nianzhi didn’t dare to lean back for fear of falling over. She could only freeze in place, feeling her heart pound.

Thump, thump.

Her heartbeat was so loud.

Finally, Song Yuli let out a faint “Oh,” pulled herself back, and sat up straight. Without changing her expression, she said, “My mistake, it’s a mole.”

Zhou Nianzhi was so angry she didn’t know what to do. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Still a little dazed, she blurted out, “Don’t you know I don’t have a mole on my face?”

Song Yuli had just stood up, intending to throw away their empty instant noodle cups. When she heard Zhou Nianzhi’s words, she bent over slightly, her lips curving into a smile, and raised her eyebrow. “Oh?”

Now it wasn’t just one side of her face that was red.

Zhou Nianzhi was so embarrassed she couldn’t face anyone.

She covered her face with both hands, regretting her impulsive words.

It wasn’t until Song Yuli, having thrown away the trash, came back to her side and said softly, “Let’s go.”

Zhou Nianzhi’s voice, muffled by her hands, could only manage a single word: “Okay.”

She took a deep breath, slowly lowered her hands, stood up, and followed behind Song Yuli. She had thought her skin was thick enough to build a wall, so why was it so thin again now…?

Zhou Nianzhi looked at Song Yuli in front of her, who was wearing a clean, sky-blue T-shirt. When she tilted her head to look at her with a questioning expression, her bright, sparkling eyes shone like an innocent, naive little girl.

But then why, when she raised her eyebrow and smiled just now, did Song Yuli look like a triumphant hunter?

Feeling like a little lamb, Zhou Nianzhi sullenly got back in the car, fastened her seatbelt, and remained silent.

Song Yuli must have noticed, as she didn’t start the car right away. Instead, she spoke up, “I know you’ve already paid me back for the instant noodles from high school.”

Zhou Nianzhi let out a long “Oh.” She had intended to just use one word to act cool and aloof toward Song Yuli, but she could never control her mouth.

She couldn’t control her mouth when she was on a diet in college.

She couldn’t control her mouth to stop herself from texting her ex after they broke up.

She really had no self-control.

Whatever. It’s just the two of them in the car.

So for a little while, she would just follow her heart and say what she wanted to say.

“The instant noodles were three yuan and fifty cents, but you gave me ten yuan. How could I have taken that? So I paid you back,” Zhou Nianzhi said, her words a constant stream. “Speaking of which, you still owe me three yuan and fifty cents.”

Song Yuli didn’t argue. “Okay, okay,” she replied.

“How much were the instant noodles today?” Zhou Nianzhi continued. “Let’s see if we can settle the debt once and for all.”

The sky was gradually getting darker. Song Yuli lowered her head and tapped on her phone. Without thinking too much, she said truthfully, “Six yuan.”

Zhou Nianzhi couldn’t believe it. “What? So in the end, I still owe you two yuan and fifty cents?”

She couldn’t help but put her hand on her forehead, muttering to herself that Song Yuli, who bought six-yuan instant noodles, was acting like a “250,” a slang term for an idiot.

Song Yuli put her phone down, fastened her seatbelt, and replied, “Mhm.”

Zhou Nianzhi appeared calm, but inside, she was scowling and muttering, “She doesn’t even realize she bought the expensive ones, and she’s just saying ‘mhm’?”

After thinking for a long time, Zhou Nianzhi felt that she was the one who had changed, becoming someone who would haggle over a few yuan.

So this was how life had molded her…

Back then, the reason she could afford to give Song Yuli money for food was because she never lacked pocket money.

One day, Zhou Nianzhi was eating the meal her family had packed for her when she saw Song Yuli, her deskmate, just lying on her desk, holding her stomach. She asked around, “Are you sick?” or “Are you on your period?”

Finally, she found out that Song Yuli was just too hungry.

She was shocked to find that her deskmate hadn’t eaten anything since morning. She couldn’t just give her unfinished food to her, so she generously took out some money and wanted to take Song Yuli to buy something to eat. At first, Song Yuli tried to pretend she wasn’t in pain, burying her head in her arms, her voice muffled as she kept refusing and saying it was nothing.

(“Every time I always walk the crossroads of my life alone”)

Zhou Nianzhi was startled by the sudden song and turned her head in surprise to look at Song Yuli.

Song Yuli explained as she started the car, “I’m just playing some music.”

Zhou Nianzhi remembered the tragic car accident and asked with some concern, “Will it affect your driving?”

“No,” Song Yuli replied.

“Okay,” Zhou Nianzhi said, leaning back against the seat and continuing her memory.

On that day, she didn’t know what came over her. She just leaned close to Song Yuli’s ear and, feigning anger, called out Song Yuli’s full name.

Even now, Zhou Nianzhi remembered how Song Yuli, who had been lying on the desk, flinched as if she had been electrocuted. She sat up abruptly and blinked at Zhou Nianzhi.

Just like countless times afterward, Song Yuli looked at her with those innocent, clear eyes.

(“But this time you say you’ll take me to a corner, just you and me”)

Zhou Nianzhi thought to herself, I guess I was a lot braver back then.

On that day, she had just taken Song Yuli’s hand, while Song Yuli was looking at her in confusion, and pulled her to follow her to the cafeteria or the convenience store to buy food.

(“Like the soil holding on to the flower’s confusion / Like the sky entwining with the rain’s surge”)

On the way to buy food, Zhou Nianzhi didn’t ask Song Yuli why she wasn’t eating. Instead, like a mother, she kept nagging, “You have to eat when you’re hungry. How can you have the energy to study if you don’t eat? You’re so thin, don’t lose any more weight…”

Song Yuli was led along by her. She didn’t pull away or stop. She just followed her, step by step.

They walked out of the classroom, through the corridor, down the stairs, and through the crowded crowd. They quietly listened to each other’s footsteps amidst the bustling noise, heading toward the cafeteria together.

(“The calculated steps behind you / Every shadow, every scene has a dream we had”)

It wasn’t until they were near the cafeteria that Song Yuli slowed down and said softly, “A cup of instant noodles is fine.”

“How can that be? I can’t just let you eat instant noodles. Don’t worry, I have money,” Zhou Nianzhi said with confidence.

Song Yuli explained, “The cafeteria is too crowded.”

“How is it crowded…” Zhou Nianzhi said as she turned her head to look at the cafeteria, her jaw dropping in shock. “Oh my god, there are so many people!”

Zhou Nianzhi was stunned, thinking that if they had to wait in that line, it would be almost the new year before they got their food.

So she had no choice but to agree. She turned and walked toward the convenience store, nodding and saying, “Yeah, it is a bit crowded. Then we’ll just have to buy instant noodles.”

Song Yuli agreed and continued to follow behind her.

Luckily, the convenience store was right next to the cafeteria, so Song Yuli could get hot water from the cafeteria for her instant noodles.

Zhou Nianzhi led Song Yuli into the convenience store and said generously, “Pick whatever you want, I’ll pay!”

Song Yuli chuckled softly and took a cup of instant noodles.

Zhou Nianzhi didn’t even pay attention to which instant noodles she took. She just stared at Song Yuli, her face full of surprise. “Wow, you finally smiled at me!”

Even after paying, Zhou Nianzhi was still muttering, “So you’re not that cold after all. Was that a real smile, or were you laughing at me?”

Song Yuli looked a little helpless, but to make Zhou Nianzhi happy, she held the instant noodles in her right hand and used her left index finger to draw an arc on her lips. The corners of her mouth also curved up as she said, “I really am happy.”

Zhou Nianzhi grinned foolishly for a long time, circling Song Yuli with a playful smile. “Come on, smile for me again! You’re already pretty, but you’re even prettier when you smile!”

Song Yuli, with Zhou Nianzhi circling her, could only manage a wry smile.

“Oh! I almost forgot.” Zhou Nianzhi patted her head. “I was so busy with you, I haven’t even finished my own meal yet!”

So, the cheerful little bird stopped chirping. After running away in a hurry, she flew back and landed by the silent big tree, leaving behind a promise—

“I’ll eat instant noodles with you again next time!”

Just then, the music stuttered for a moment.

The memory came to an abrupt halt. Zhou Nianzhi thought it was a little funny, but also incredibly sad.

They had made countless wishes in their youth.

But in the future they had promised each other,

Only the wish to eat instant noodles together was fulfilled.

Silence returned once more.

Zhou Nianzhi lowered her head.

Suddenly, the evening breeze rushed in through a gap in the car window, settling in Zhou Nianzhi’s heart along with the music.

(“Take me to a distant future / Take away my loneliness of spinning on my own / Take me even if my love and your freedom / All turn into bubbles, I’m not afraid, take me”)

“Song Yuli,” Zhou Nianzhi called out the full name of the person next to her again, just like that evening when she had mustered up the courage to lean close to her deskmate and call her name.

But Song Yuli was no longer as shocked as she had been back then. She just replied with a faint, “Mhm.”

Before Zhou Nianzhi could say another word, Song Yuli immediately said two more: “I’m here.”

The wind rushed through the half-closed window, whistling in her ears and making them feel a little stuffy. But she heard it clearly, that one sentence, “I’m here.”

She took a sharp breath, and slowly, she spoke the words that had been weighing on her heart. “Song Yuli, are you doing this on purpose?”