Little Fish and Mint - Chapter 17
A new customer entered the store. Chen Yuanyuan, sitting at the cash register, glanced up.
A young man, tall, maybe 1.8 meters, wearing a dark gray T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers. He looked refreshingly cool in the summer heat, like a high school student.
Tongtong’s friend? she wondered.
Her gaze moved to his face.
Wait… she recognized him.
She remembered Yu Ge.
He hadn’t come in often, but handsome faces were memorable. She’d once seen a girl chase him out of the store, asking for his contact information. He’d been incredibly cold.
…
Xu Yitong, sitting sideways, stared at him, her mouth slightly open in surprise. Her usually long hair was tied up, and she wore two blue shark hair clips.
His sudden appearance rendered her speechless.
Yu Ge stood there, still and silent like a bamboo stalk.
Her pen rolled off the table and clattered to the floor.
He bent down and picked it up without a word.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, taking the pen and looking down, flustered.
“Are you buying something?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
He straightened up. “Mm,” he replied indifferently.
Seeing she didn’t continue, he walked towards the shelves.
Xu Yitong watched him silently.
The bruises on his face had healed completely.
She wanted to ask if he’d come looking for her, but remembering her past humiliations, she held back. No more wishful thinking, she thought. It only leads to heartbreak.
He grabbed a bottle of water and a box of mints.
Didn’t he hate mint? she wondered.
He paid for his items.
The doorbell chimed. Chen Fang returned.
“Tong-jie, the line for that milk tea place was crazy long! I’ll get it for you next time,” he announced.
Yu Ge glanced at them.
Xu Yitong stood up, smiling gently. “It’s okay. Thanks for trying.”
Chen Fang: “…”
Her sudden sweetness was unsettling. “What’s with you? Did you take the wrong medicine?”
“Keep your voice down,” she hissed, her smile faltering.
Chen Fang, sweating profusely, wiped his forehead with his shirt.
Xu Yitong shielded her eyes. “Have some decorum! I’m a girl!”
“Tsk, we’re bros.”
She considered for a moment, then beckoned him closer, whispering, “Xiao Fang, see that guy?”
He glanced at the man at the cash register. “So?”
“Well?”
“You want his WeChat?” he asked seriously.
She took a deep breath. “Look closer.”
As Yu Ge turned to leave, Chen Fang’s eyes widened. “Holy sh1t! Fish God!” he yelled.
Yu Ge paused.
Chen Fang rushed over.
Yu Ge frowned slightly.
“Oh my god, it’s really you!” Chen Fang babbled excitedly, circling Yu Ge like an excited puppy.
Yu Ge’s hand was suddenly grabbed, and he looked at Xu Yitong, who was walking towards them.
“This is the boy who wanted to see your Moments. He’s your fan,” she explained.
“Yes! Yes! I’m your fan!” Chen Fang exclaimed, looking around for a pen. “Can I get your autograph?”
Yu Ge obliged.
“Can I take a picture with you?” Chen Fang held up his phone excitedly.
Yu Ge, who hadn’t spoken a word, patiently fulfilled all of Chen Fang’s requests.
“Do you live near here? Let me carry that for you,” Chen Fang offered eagerly after taking several photos.
Xu Yitong coughed loudly.
“Chen Fang! Go do your homework!” Chen Yuanyuan yelled.
…
Naturally, Xu Yitong walked Yu Ge out.
Stopping at the roadside, she clasped her hands behind her back. “Thank you.”
He stopped, turning slightly. “For what?”
“For signing that kid’s… thing.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Mm.”
They stood in silence, watching the traffic, both aware of the awkwardness from their last encounter. But maybe Yu Ge didn’t even remember? She decided not to dwell on it.
The pedestrian light turned green.
“I should get going,” she said, forcing a smile.
He didn’t reply.
She sighed, turning to leave, when he suddenly called her name.
“Xu Yitong.”
She turned back. “Huh?”
“Your… friend’s… store…” he started, then stopped.
She looked at him, confused.
“When is it… opening?” he finally asked.
Xu Yitong: “…”
Hiding her disappointment, she thought for a moment. “About two months? After summer, in autumn.”
The pedestrian light was about to change. Neither of them moved.
“Will you… come?” she asked.
“Sure,” he agreed.
She smiled briefly.
He looked at her for a moment, then asked, “What kind of milk tea did you want earlier?”
His voice was barely audible above the traffic noise; she almost thought she’d imagined it.
She stared at him, stunned.
“Yu Nuo… asked me to get her some milk tea,” he said, a slight hesitation in his voice.
“Oh…” she blinked, as if waking from a dream. “Yu Nuo? Your sister? Is she here?”
“Yeah.”
“…”
What a good brother, she thought, a pang of envy and a touch of sadness hitting her. She pointed down the street. “It’s just around the corner, a new place. I haven’t tried it, but the reviews are good. The line’s usually long, though.”
“Do you want some now?” he asked.
Her mind went blank.
“Are you… buying it for me?” she asked cautiously, as if afraid to believe it.
He nodded.
…
The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly, the air shimmering with heat.
A long line snaked out of the milk tea shop, “Deep Deep Kitty,” mostly young girls and students.
Yu Ge stood patiently in line.
The couple in front of him, in the throes of new love, were oblivious to the heat, clinging to each other. The boy tickled the girl, making her giggle.
Yu Ge politely looked away, studying the shop’s sign.
A blue cat wearing sunglasses.
It reminded him of Xu Yitong’s hair clips.
The girl in front of him kept glancing back at Yu Ge, her boyfriend finally noticing. They started whispering and giggling.
The girl stumbled backward, bumping into Yu Ge. He frowned, stepping back.
“Sorry,” the girl apologized.
“It’s fine,” he said, his tone indifferent.
She seemed to want to say something else, then stopped.
Suddenly, the harsh sunlight was blocked.
Xu Yitong held an umbrella over him, her temples damp with sweat, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. “It’s so hot!”
He paused, then took the umbrella from her. “I can wait in line myself.”
“You’ll melt!” She grinned, holding up a small electric fan. “Look!”
She turned it on high, aiming it at his face. “Better?”
“Mm.”
“I borrowed this from Chen Fang. He wouldn’t give it to me. Said I have to return it. So stingy! And I even helped him with his homework!”
She chattered on while he listened quietly.
Lost in conversation, she didn’t notice a step and nearly tripped. He quickly grabbed her arm.
Her wrist was slender in his hand.
He heard whispers nearby.
“See? I told you he has a girlfriend.”
“And I was going to ask for his WeChat for my friend…”
He released her hand as she regained her balance.
His hand was cool, but hers felt as if it had been burned. Her heart pounded. Standing close, she could smell his faint cologne.
She couldn’t even bring herself to thank him.
Xu Yitong used to hate waiting in lines. If the wait at a restaurant was longer than ten tables, she’d leave. But now, she wished the line was even longer.
An hour passed quickly.
Leaning against the counter, Xu Yitong ordered the shop’s signature milk tea, following the cashier’s recommendation.
Yu Ge paid for two.
“I’ll drink it here,” she said.
He didn’t object.
They found a quiet corner. Xu Yitong sipped her milk tea, chewing on the straw.
“Good?” he asked.
Her eyes crinkled in a smile. “Delicious! Your sister will love it.”
He seemed to be thinking about something. “Last time…”
She tilted her head, staring at him.
She realized what he was referring to.
“It’s a bit noisy here. Let’s talk outside,” she suggested, standing up.
…
Walking side-by-side, she hesitated, then asked tentatively, “You were upset last time, weren’t you?”
He stopped walking.
“I’m sorry,” he said, looking at her. “I scared you.”
Surprised by his apology, she shook her head. “You weren’t scary.”
“I wasn’t?”
She thought he was focusing on a strange detail. Everyone got angry sometimes. She’d been more upset about his harsh words than his anger. Besides, why would his anger be scary?
“Like a pufferfish. Is that scary?” she asked.
“A pufferfish?”
“You know, the fish that puffs up when it’s angry?”
He seemed to smile slightly. “Was I like that?”
“Yes.”
After a moment, he repeated, “I’m sorry.”
She grinned, holding up her drink. “Apology accepted, for the milk tea’s sake.”
As they neared the intersection where they’d part ways, she suddenly said, “Squidward.”
“What?”
“Your game ID,” she finished her milk tea, crumpling the empty cup. “I looked it up. It means ‘Squidward.'”
“Mm.”
“Did you like SpongeBob as a kid?” she asked.
“It was okay,” he said, unsure why she was asking.
“I watched it too.”
He waited.
“Squidward and SpongeBob are neighbors, but Squidward hates SpongeBob. He always plans to move away, somewhere quiet, where he’ll never see SpongeBob again.”
“But he always regrets it.”
Yu Ge remained silent.
“Squidward is aloof and cold, always saying the opposite of what he means. He won’t admit it, but he thinks SpongeBob is a good sponge. He doesn’t really hate him.”
Yu Ge stared at her, his gaze intense, his thoughts unreadable.
She paused, taking a breath after her long speech.
“So… they’ll become friends eventually, right?” she asked softly.
He looked away, a flicker of something in his eyes.
A motorcycle roared past, the engine noise fading into the distance.
“They already are,” he murmured.