Little Fish and Mint - Chapter 16
Xu Yitong froze, staring at Yu Ge, his words a sharp, stinging blow.
His sarcastic question hung in the air, the answer painfully obvious.
She felt a rare moment of uncertainty, unsure of what to do or say.
He looked at her, her shock and hurt clear in her eyes.
The sight was suddenly unbearable.
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, turning away.
As he walked past, she murmured, “So what if we’re not close? It’s not a big deal.”
He paused almost imperceptibly, then continued walking without looking back.
This time, she didn’t follow.
She watched him walk away, his back straight and proud, unlike her, who always slumped when upset. He was so rigid, his whole body a taut line, his shadow stretching long and lonely under the streetlights.
He walked further and further away, his figure shrinking into the darkness until he disappeared completely.
Xu Yitong sat alone on the edge of the flowerbed.
A stray cat appeared, meowing at her. When she looked at it, it backed away cautiously.
“Are you hungry?” she asked the little black cat, her voice muffled. “Want some cookies?”
She broke the cookies into smaller pieces and tossed them on the ground.
The cat tentatively approached. As she reached out to pet it, it darted away, stopping at a safe distance and looking back at her.
Xu Yitong felt a pang of familiarity, a strange echo of her encounter with Yu Ge.
“You’re just like him,” she murmured, tossing more cookie crumbs.
The wary stray, not understanding, tilted its head.
Summer insects chirped in the night. Mosquito bites itched on her skin. A wave of sadness washed over her. It was all wishful thinking, she thought bitterly.
She usually cried easily.
But this time, she fought back the tears.
It’s okay, she told herself. I was the one who pursued him. He has the right to reject me. This was expected. It’s not his fault.
She sat there for a long time, lost in thought. When she finally picked up her phone, the screen was dark; it had died.
Xu Yitong felt a wave of despair.
Did I forget to check my horoscope today? Why so much bad luck?
Leaving the cookies for the cat, she stood up.
After hesitating for a moment, she walked towards the security booth and knocked on the window.
“What?”
She held up her dead phone. “Can I charge my phone here? Just for a few minutes?”
The guard looked hesitant.
“Please?” she asked, biting her lip.
“Don’t cry,” the older man said, sighing.
“I’m not crying. I just need to call a taxi.”
He looked around, then opened the door. “Come in.”
…
Yu Ge entered the base to find his teammates dividing up snacks in the lobby.
“You’re back! Want some…?” Roy stopped mid-sentence, noticing Yu Ge’s face. “What happened to you?!”
Everyone stared.
Yu Ge turned away, wiping a cut on his lip with the back of his hand. “Nothing.”
Seeing the bruises on his arm, Roy exclaimed, “That bastard beat you up again?!”
“Watch your mouth! He’s still his father,” Awen warned.
“That piece of sh1t doesn’t deserve to be anyone’s father!” Roy cursed.
Yu Ge remained silent.
“Where’s that girl? Did she go home? Little C said she waited a long time and brought all this food… Want some? Or should I ask Auntie…”
“I’m not hungry,” Yu Ge interrupted calmly, then walked away without another word.
Little C started to follow.
“Leave him alone,” Awen stopped him.
They exchanged glances, understanding that some things couldn’t be comforted.
As Yu Ge went upstairs, Will clicked his tongue. “What happened at his home this time?” Little C asked, worried.
“Ask him later,” Roy said.
“Don’t bother, he won’t tell us,” Awen said, knowing Yu Ge well, especially his tendency to keep family matters private.
“He can’t just bottle it up!” Will said.
Little C, relatively new to OG, only knew Yu Ge had a bad relationship with his family.
“His father really beat him up? That badly?” he asked, remembering Yu Ge’s grim appearance.
“This is nothing. A couple of years ago, during Lunar New Year, that bastard came to the base drunk and smashed an ashtray on his head,” Roy revealed.
Little C: “…”
…
Yu Ge returned to his room, grabbed some clean clothes, and went into the bathroom.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror, the water running.
The cuts on his arm bled, but he felt numb.
He’d thought he was used to Yu Jiang’s abuse. But the toxic relationship, like a web, continued to entangle him, inescapable, endless.
He’d thought he was different from Yu Jiang, that he wouldn’t take his anger out on others.
But then Xu Yitong appeared.
Oblivious, she’d smiled at him, her cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to his own darkness.
He hadn’t even been able to maintain basic composure. She’d seen him at his worst, his ugliest.
He knew, with chilling certainty, that he’d lost control.
✧✧✧
Xu Yitong slept well, waking up to a sunny morning, her mood considerably lighter.
She wasn’t one to dwell on sadness.
Yu Ge didn’t see her as a friend. Not a big deal. She had plenty of other friends.
The cold shower of reality had dampened her enthusiasm.
She packed her things and stayed at her parents’ home for a while.
She stopped messaging Yu Ge, no longer agonizing over his lack of replies. Time passed quickly.
“Haven’t heard you mention Little Fish lately,” Cai Cai commented during a gathering.
“Heartbroken again,” Moli said, unsurprised.
“She lasted half a year this time. Thought it was true love.”
Xu Yitong took a sip of her drink, staying silent.
“I’m busy. Lots of stuff to buy for the renovations. Go with the designer this week,” CC said.
“I don’t want to,” Xu Yitong mumbled.
“Don’t make me angry,” CC’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Did I not warn you? Men are men, work is work. Now you’re heartbroken, so you’re giving up on the store? I’m investing hundreds of thousands of yuan here!”
Xu Yitong cowered under her intensity. “Fine, fine! And who says I’m heartbroken?! I’m just… taking a break! I haven’t given up!”
She meant it, too.
She avoided Xuhui, partly to nurse her wounded pride, partly to avoid Yu Ge. She didn’t want him to think she was clinging to him.
While she liked him, she had her limits.
She wasn’t as shameless as Chen Yuzheng.
…
Despite her reluctance, she went to oversee the renovations, as CC insisted.
Her worries about running into Yu Ge proved unfounded. She didn’t see him for over a month.
Except for once.
One evening, dusty and wearing a hardhat, she was discussing demolition with the foreman when she saw the OG team at the convenience store.
She hid behind the construction crew, waiting for them to pass.
“What are you doing here?” Awen asked, surprised to see her.
Flustered, she said, “Helping a friend with their store.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“Mm.”
They entered the store. Yu Ge paused at the entrance.
She felt his gaze on her.
She pretended to look elsewhere, then snuck another glance.
He was still looking at her, his face impassive, as cold and aloof as ever.
They stared at each other for a long moment, neither speaking.
Xu Yitong hesitated.
Then Awen and the others came out, and Yu Ge looked away, following them.
…
“Did they have a fight?” Roy asked Awen quietly as they crossed the street, recalling the strange atmosphere.
Awen shrugged. “How would I know?”
They stopped at a wonton shop for a quick dinner.
Seeing Yu Ge staring at his phone, Little C handed him chopsticks. “Waiting for someone’s message?”
Yu Ge flipped his phone over. “No.”
✧✧✧
Busy with renovations, Xu Yitong spent her free time at the convenience store, enjoying the air conditioning. She quickly befriended the owners.
It was a family-run store, complete with a golden retriever. The cashier from before, Chen Yuanyuan, was the owner’s daughter. Her younger brother, Chen Fang, a high school student on summer break, sometimes helped out at the store.
Chen Fang, a self-proclaimed “jungle god,” had even carried Xu Yitong in a few games of Honor of Kings.
They’d exchanged WeChat contacts and become friends.
One hot afternoon, Xu Yitong, as usual, sought refuge in the store.
Chen Fang was doing homework, a game playing on his phone.
Xu Yitong bought an ice cream and sat beside him. “Can you even concentrate with the game on?” she asked, watching him.
“It’s just summer homework. The teachers don’t check it.”
“What game is that?”
“League of Legends.”
Xu Yitong’s heart skipped a beat. She took a bite of her ice cream, then stayed quiet.
“You play League?” he asked. “I’m Diamond.”
“Ionia server Diamond. I could easily be Master or Grandmaster on other servers,” he added, puffing out his chest.
She wanted to laugh at his arrogance. “I play too.”
He stopped writing. “You know what Diamond means, right? I’m the best in my class. All my friends want to play with me.”
“Wow, you’re so good,” she said, playing along.
“I can carry you sometime.”
“What role do you play?”
“ADC.”
“Nah, I have a really good ADC who carries me. You wouldn’t be able to compare,” she teased him.
“Who? What rank?” He was clearly unconvinced.
“Do you know OG’s Fish?”
Chen Fang: “…”
He rolled his eyes, resuming his homework. “Stop bragging. I’m not a kid.”
“I’m serious! I really know Fish!”
“Sure you do.”
“Want to bet? If I really know him, you buy me milk tea.”
He looked at her skeptically. “Really?”
“Bet or not?”
“Fine,” he said, still not believing her. “Don’t just say you know him. If you can get me his autograph, I’ll buy you milk tea for a week.”
Xu Yitong opened Yu Ge’s WeChat contact and showed him. “Here’s his WeChat. I’m a pig if I’m lying.”
He took the phone, double-tapping Yu Ge’s profile picture. “Let me check his Moments…”
“Hey, be careful!”
Too late. A notification popped up: [You nudged “Little Fish.”]
“Oh sh1t!” Xu Yitong jumped up, snatching her phone back.
“What?” he asked, confused.
“Why did you nudge him?!” she exclaimed.
“What’s the big deal?”
“Never mind…”
She was about to retract the nudge when a green chat bubble appeared.
Little Fish: [?]
Her hand trembled, nearly dropping her phone. “He messaged me!” she cried.
Their last conversation had been a month ago, her unanswered question about what he was doing.
“No way… that’s really Fish?” Chen Fang asked, stunned.
Her heart raced, forgetting their earlier bet.
As she stared at the message, wondering how to explain, another message arrived.
Little Fish: [What do you want?]
She took a picture of Chen Fang’s back and sent it, explaining, [This kid is your fan. He wanted to see your Moments and accidentally nudged you.]
Chen Fang tried to see the messages, but she hid her phone.
“Tong-jie, why are you so flustered? Your face is red.”
“Go buy me milk tea! You lost!”
…
After he left, Xu Yitong paced, then sat down, trying to calm down.
She opened WeChat.
No reply from Yu Ge. She fidgeted nervously.
Putting her phone aside, she picked up Chen Fang’s homework to distract herself.
The first line was a poem.
He’d written: Eternal love may have an end, but this feeling can become a cherished memory.
Even with her limited literary knowledge, it didn’t sound right. She checked online.
He’d misquoted it.
Pleased with herself, she marked it wrong.
The doorbell chimed. Chen Fang returned.
Finding another mistake, she proudly wrote the correct answer.
“Did you get my milk tea?” she asked, as someone approached.
“What milk tea?” a deep voice asked.
She froze, looking up—
Their eyes met.