An Earlier Meeting - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

After taking the photos, the two of them finally sat down to enjoy the delicious and fragrant grilled meat.

The meat slices on the grill sizzled, and golden fat constantly bubbled up, giving off a tempting charred aroma that made their mouths water.

The owner enthusiastically grilled for them for a while, but the restaurant gradually got busier. She was a little short-staffed, so she apologized and went to greet other customers.

Now, it was truly their own quiet time.

They huddled together, flipping through the photos they had just taken on the camera screen, occasionally pointing at a certain one, giggling softly with eyes curved into smiles.

The noise in the barbecue restaurant grew. Many couples came in together, sitting by the window or in a corner, enjoying the food and their sweet check-in moment.

The diligent owner quickly printed out the photos.

She held the photos, still smelling of ink, and a marker pen. With a big smile, she walked toward Huang Xiaozhi and Yu Wen.

Yes, she wanted these two special girls to write what they wanted to say most at this moment on the back of the photos.

When the two of them heard what the owner meant, they smiled at each other and took the pen and photos.

Huang Xiaozhi turned slightly, blocking Yu Wen’s curious gaze. On the back of their group photo, she wrote, stroke by stroke:

My eyes happen to only have you in them, and so does my peripheral vision.

Yu Wen also tacitly turned around, with her back to Huang Xiaozhi. On the back of the other photo, she wrote solemnly:

Because of you, I’m no longer ordinary.

After they were done, neither of them looked at what the other had written. With a hint of secret anticipation and shyness, they handed the photos back to the owner.

The owner looked at their secretive expressions, her heart itching. She really wanted to take a peek! She held back her laughter, took the photos and some tape, walked over to the cozy check-in wall, and carefully taped these two photos, filled with a young girl’s feelings, onto it.

The check-in wall now had another unique sight.

A warm scene might not last forever, but photos can capture it. They captured this unintentionally caught moment, their first “candid” photos, and their first proper photo together.

Overall, this barbecue restaurant was indeed great. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was warm, and the owner was especially friendly.

She said that she was in her forties and ran this self-service barbecue restaurant alone. She had no children or husband. She used this small shop to record the happy moments of the customers who came and went.

This “date” was totally worth it.

Their plan for the afternoon was to watch a movie.

Time always slips away unnoticed.

After lunch, the mall was noticeably busier. Students getting out of school and office workers getting off work filled the space, bustling and hustling.

Huang Xiaozhi had bought the movie tickets in advance. She chose a sci-fi movie and seats in the very back row of the theater.

Just as they reached the theater entrance, Huang Xiaozhi was thinking of going to buy some popcorn, but Yu Wen was already walking toward the snack counter.

Okay, it looks like I don’t have to spend money after all.

Before going into the theater, Huang Xiaozhi told Yu Wen, “I’m going to wash my hands. You can go find the seats and wait for me.”

Actually, she had been thinking about the photos the whole way there.

That photo that was taped on the wall. Her heart itched, and she really wanted to take a copy for herself as a souvenir.

But the photo had already been solemnly hung up. It would be bad to tear it off.

After much hesitation, she still turned around and walked quickly back to the barbecue restaurant.

The owner was busy greeting new customers. After seeing a waiter take over, she finally let out a sigh of relief and sat back down at the counter.

It wasn’t particularly busy, and there were enough staff.

Huang Xiaozhi walked over, leaned on the counter, and said with a smile, “Auntie, I’m back!”

The owner, who had been looking down at her phone, looked up when she heard the voice. When she saw who it was, she immediately broke into a surprised and curious smile. “Oh? Little girl, why are you back? Did you forget something?”

Huang Xiaozhi shook her head. She took out her phone from her pocket and scrolled on the screen. She quickly found that photo that a photographer had taken of her at school—in the sunset, she was looking intently at Yu Wen next to her.

She turned the phone screen toward the owner. “Auntie, could you please help me print this photo too? I want to keep it on this wall of happiness.” Her eyes were full of sincere anticipation.

The owner saw it and laughed. She thought it was something big. “Of course! Send the photo to me, and I’ll go print it. You can wait here for a bit.” She quickly took out her own phone.

Huang Xiaozhi obediently sent the photo.

After receiving it, the owner turned and walked into a small room next to the counter. Huang Xiaozhi stood at the counter alone, looking around.

The whole restaurant was filled with the aroma of grilled meat and lively conversations. Waiters moved between the tables, busy and full of vibrant life.

This is a warm place. she thought to herself. I must come back here again.

Just as she was a little dazed, the owner came out of the small room with two printed photos and a pen. She placed them on the counter and pushed them toward Huang Xiaozhi.

Huang Xiaozhi was a little confused. Why two?

The owner explained happily, “You can take this one and keep it as a souvenir. Here’s the pen. You can write something on the back of the photo.” She pushed the pen closer.

Huang Xiaozhi’s heart warmed. She nodded. “Thank you, Auntie.”

The pen felt a little cool in her hand. What should I write? A teenage crush probably starts with this kind of careful collection.

In the end, she only signed her name on the back of the photo:

Huang Xiaozhi.

This time, the owner didn’t take the photo to hang up. Instead, she tilted her chin toward the check-in wall, gesturing for Huang Xiaozhi to go hang it herself.

Huang Xiaozhi understood. She smiled gratefully at the owner, took the photo, and walked over.

She stood in front of the colorful photo wall, her gaze lingering.

It was covered with all kinds of happy moments: a family of three laughing heartily; young couples sweetly making heart signs; an elderly couple with white hair holding hands, their smiles serene; funny selfies of best friends; buddies with their arms around each other’s shoulders… there were so many.

There were a million definitions of happiness, and each photo told a silent story.

As Huang Xiaozhi looked, a warmth welled up in her heart. I guess I grew up in an environment filled with love, too, right?

She didn’t tape her photo in a particularly prominent spot. Instead, she carefully found a corner and taped it in the middle of other photos.

It was mixed in, not so easy to spot at first glance.

She wanted to keep it in this ocean of happiness, but she didn’t want the person in the photo—Yu Wen, who she liked—to easily discover it.

What would Yu Wen feel if… one day, a long time from now, she happened to see this photo and the words on the back?

She stood in front of the photo wall, as if she could feel the warmth radiating from the countless happy moments on the wall.

If possible, she hoped her feelings would ultimately blossom and bear fruit smoothly.

After waving goodbye to the owner, Huang Xiaozhi quickly left the barbecue restaurant.

She was a little worried that Yu Wen would get tired of waiting, or think she wasn’t coming and had already left.

Thankfully.

As soon as she arrived at the theater entrance, she saw Yu Wen standing near the ticket check, holding popcorn and a drink, waiting quietly.

She was still here! And she had already gotten the snacks!

The rock in Huang Xiaozhi’s heart finally landed. She felt relieved.

She hadn’t left, and she had even considerately prepared their “supplies” for the movie.

Huang Xiaozhi walked quickly toward Yu Wen. Her skirt swayed slightly with her steps, creating a small breeze, but she didn’t notice.

The setting sun’s glow shone on her through the mall’s glass dome. She looked light and full of life.

She naturally took a drink from Yu Wen’s hand and said cheerfully, “Let’s go, let’s go! The timing is perfect!”

Yu Wen didn’t say anything. She just had a faint smile on her lips and quietly followed her into the gradually darkening theater.

…

During the entire movie, they didn’t interact much. They were both immersed in the tense and thrilling sci-fi plot, focused on the big screen.

Even with the popcorn, they each had their own bucket, eating separately. Their fingers barely had a chance to touch.

The “little accidents” she had imagined, like their hands brushing together, didn’t happen either.

It was two hours of peace.

They were both very qualified and engaged movie watchers.

The movie’s ending was tragic. The protagonist chose to sacrifice himself to protect his family and the world.

The bond of family seemed especially heavy and moving in the face of a life-or-death choice.

As Huang Xiaozhi watched the parting scene on the screen, her eyes slowly unfocused. A sour feeling rushed up to her nose. Her eyes quickly filled with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

She was… crying?

This was completely unexpected.

She rarely cried when watching movies or TV shows.

Just then, Yu Wen, who seemed to have noticed her emotional shift, silently handed her two soft tissues.

Huang Xiaozhi took them, lowered her head, and quickly and carefully wiped the corners of her eyes.

She was a little embarrassed. She was so empathetic, and her tear ducts were so sensitive. It was a little shameful that Yu Wen saw this vulnerable side of her.

Although Yu Wen’s emotions didn’t seem to fluctuate much on the surface, the part in the movie where a mother sacrificed herself for her children was like a needle, accurately piercing the deepest part of her heart.

She thought of her own mother.

Did Mom, that year… did she also try her best to protect me? Was she… also suffering from unimaginable pain?

A deep emotional stir mixed with an indescribable sadness quietly spread.

She missed her mom.

She missed the mom who she was a piece of, but whose face was already a blur and whose life or death was unknown.

In the end, this emotion broke through the dam of her rationality. Yu Wen also couldn’t help it. A single warm tear silently rolled down her cheek.

These tears weren’t just for the movie. They were more for the mother’s love she had lost before she ever had it, for that blurry but unforgettable figure.

A mother’s love is the greatest and most selfless love in the world. But Yu Wen had almost never truly experienced it.

Her growth was drenched in calculations of self-interest and cold rules.

If… if she had lived with her biological parents, would she have had a mother’s warm embrace and a father’s solid support? Why was her life filled with hardship from the very beginning?

In the darkness, Yu Wen turned her head and looked at Huang Xiaozhi, who was quietly wiping her tears next to her. She was hiding it, trying her best to stay calm.

A girl like Huang Xiaozhi was probably raised in an environment full of love, right? A bright, little sun nurtured by love.

A child who grew up struggling in a love-deprived environment falling in love with a happy girl who grew up in love. At this moment, a million thoughts went through Yu Wen’s mind. If they really got together, would they be happy? Did I really know how to love and how to manage happiness?

She didn’t know. She had never truly had it.

…

The movie ended quickly, just like the intense sadness that had surged in and was now receding.

The lights came on, and the crowd started to move.

During this movie, Huang Xiaozhi didn’t know that Yu Wen had also shed tears, but she keenly felt that Yu Wen seemed a little down. She was enveloped in a faint cloud of gloom.

I clearly remember that I chose a sci-fi movie, so how did the family storyline still hit my tear ducts? She felt a little frustrated.

Coming out of the movie theater, the two were silent for a moment.

Yu Wen walked ahead. Her steps weren’t fast, but her stride was big.

Huang Xiaozhi followed her, gradually feeling a little strained, almost having to jog to keep up.

“Yu Wen, wait for me.” Huang Xiaozhi couldn’t help but call out from behind.

The person in front of her paused as if she had just come back to her senses. She immediately slowed her pace, stopped, and waited for Huang Xiaozhi to jog up and walk side by side with her.

Huang Xiaozhi took a deep breath, gently placed a hand on Yu Wen’s shoulder, and tilted her head to carefully look at her profile. Her voice was full of concern. “Did this movie… make you feel bad? If so, I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure if it was because of the movie, but she didn’t like to hold her questions in.

Yu Wen, next to her, clearly didn’t expect Huang Xiaozhi to notice and ask about her feelings so directly.

This feeling of being cared for made her heart tremble slightly. There was an unreal warmth.

She realized then that she had been so lost in her own world that she might have seemed a little distant.

She didn’t want Huang Xiaozhi to feel guilty, and besides, the movie itself was indeed very good.

“It’s not the movie’s fault,” Yu Wen shook her head, her gaze still lowered to the ground, watching her own moving feet. “The movie itself was great. The plot and special effects were wonderful. It’s just… some of the scenes accidentally reminded me of some… not-so-good things from the past.” Her voice was very soft, with a hint of a fatigue that was hard to detect.

They stopped under the lights of the mall hallway.

Huang Xiaozhi turned around and stood directly in front of Yu Wen. She was stunned. She knew very little about Yu Wen’s past.

Yu Wen always gave her the feeling that she was carrying a heavy secret, and had a lot on her mind.

What kind of environment could mold a girl like this? And why did she come to A City by herself?

Huang Xiaozhi didn’t know what to say for a moment.

The next second, she didn’t hesitate at all. She reached out and gently hugged Yu Wen.

It was a clumsy hug, not very practiced. But the arms that wrapped around her were filled with a firm warmth, holding Yu Wen tightly, who had been lost in the crowd.

Like a warm safe harbor, it took in her current sadness.

Yu Wen’s body instantly stiffened when she was hugged.

She looked at the Huang Xiaozhi who had suddenly gotten so close, feeling her head resting on her shoulder and her arms wrapped around her waist.

Huang Xiaozhi’s heartbeat came through the thin clothing, clear and strong.

In fact, Huang Xiaozhi’s heart was also pounding. She didn’t know what Yu Wen had gone through. She just instinctively wanted to comfort her.

This hug was tentative. She wasn’t sure if Yu Wen would be against this kind of intimate physical contact.

Just as Huang Xiaozhi was feeling uneasy, Yu Wen’s stiff body slowly relaxed.

She raised her hand, hesitated for a moment, then gently hugged Huang Xiaozhi back, patting her back soothingly, one time after another.

Who was comforting whom? It didn’t seem to matter at this moment.

Time seemed to freeze.

The noise of the mall seemed to be cut off, leaving only their small, embraced space.

The soft light shone on them, freezing into a silent picture.

Huang Xiaozhi closed her eyes tightly, her cheek pressed against Yu Wen’s shoulder, feeling this rare peace and comfort.

After a while, Huang Xiaozhi let go of her arms and took a small step back.

She looked up, gave Yu Wen a deep look, then lowered her head, a little embarrassed. Her voice was hesitant and sincere. “I… I don’t know what you’ve been through. If… if you want to talk about it, you can tell me about your past. Of course, only if you’re willing to.” She wanted to know her, to know all of her: the person she was now, and the past that had shaped her into who she was now.

Yu Wen looked at Huang Xiaozhi, who was looking down as if talking to herself, but was clearly speaking to her. She found her clumsy demeanor inexplicably endearing.

Yu Wen reached out, cupped Huang Xiaozhi’s cheeks, and made her look up so she had to look directly into her eyes.