CY – Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The group finally settled on a highly-rated barbecue restaurant. By the time they arrived, there was only one table left.

“Want to have some drinks later?” Zhou Bin seemed very excited.

“Aren’t you afraid we’ll tell your girlfriend?” Zhang Ting teased him with a smile, “And have her scold you.”

Zhou Bin reached for the menu. “I’m not afraid. I already reported in to her.”

They ordered a set meal. Zhang Ting got a drink, and the boys ordered a few bottles of beer. Zhou Bin wanted to order more, but they stopped him. After a few drinks, they gradually opened up, sharing stories from the past, and the atmosphere became quite harmonious. Zhang Xiaotian didn’t participate much in their conversation, only answering when asked. When he wasn’t speaking, he focused on the food Lu Bai kept putting onto his plate. Before he could even take a few bites, Lu Bai had nearly filled his plate.

“Stop adding food for now,” Zhang Xiaotian quickly stopped Lu Bai as he reached for his chopsticks again. “I’m almost full.”

“Like you’re eating cat food,” Lu Bai grumbled.

“Help me eat some of this meat, there’s too much,” Zhang Xiaotian pushed his plate towards Lu Bai. Lu Bai seemed pleased by this and took a bite of meat from Zhang Xiaotian’s plate.

The group’s conversation seemed to shift from university to high school. The Class Monitor asked Zhang Xiaotian, “When I was helping the homeroom teacher input information, I saw it. Xiaotian, you and Lu Bai weren’t in the same high school, were you? How do I remember Lu Bai saying you two were high school classmates?”

“Lu Bai said Xiaotian transferred later,” Zhou Bin chimed in.

“Yes,” Zhang Xiaotian nodded, feeling the gazes on him.

“It’s quite fated that you’re classmates and roommates again,” Zhang Ting said. “I’m so envious. I wish I could be with my good high school friends.”

“Tian’er and I are fated,” Lu Bai’s face was a little flushed. He put another piece of food on Zhang Xiaotian’s plate, which Zhang Xiaotian confiscated.

“You don’t need to be too envious. You can see your friends when you go home for the holidays,” the Class Monitor refilled his cup. “Besides, you can make new friends in university.”

Zhou Bin, who seemed to have a low alcohol tolerance, was getting excited after just one bottle of beer. “Speaking of high school, apart from a few close friends, I don’t even remember some people’s names.”

“You have too much of a forgetful streak,” the Class Monitor laughed at him.

“I’m not kidding,” Zhou Bin said. “I remember things from high school, but I really can’t place some people. Moreover, no matter how good my memory is, I can’t possibly remember everyone and everything from high school. It’s normal not to remember clearly.”

He then turned to Zhang Xiaotian and asked, “Xiaotian, you tell me, isn’t it the same for you?”

Zhang Xiaotian thought about it and nodded. He had little impression of the students from the school he transferred to later. From Fourth High School, besides Lu Bai, there weren’t many others he remembered by name.

“You don’t remember?” Lu Bai raised an eyebrow at Zhang Xiaotian and took a sip of his drink. “I remember quite a lot, actually. About high school.”

“You’re you, you have a good memory, but not everyone is like you,” Zhou Bin said. “Xiaotian first changed classes, and then changed schools. Isn’t it normal that he doesn’t remember clearly?”

Lu Bai didn’t say anything, just drank in silence.

Zhang Xiaotian mused that his three years of high school had indeed been turbulent, no wonder he didn’t retain much. Now, the only thing he could recall was the year he was deskmates with Lu Bai. Although his high school memories were a bit thin, at least they held the most important part, which made him very happy. He picked up his wine glass, subtly glancing at Lu Bai as he drank. The fluorescent lights were glaring, and from Zhang Xiaotian’s angle, he couldn’t see Lu Bai’s face clearly, only his Adam’s apple moving up and down as he drank, slowly, as if each descent was a strike against Zhang Xiaotian’s heart. Zhang Xiaotian was almost mesmerized until Zhou Bin’s group erupted in laughter again. He snapped back to reality, hastily swallowing a few mouthfuls of wine.

Lu Bai said he remembered a lot about high school. How much of that would he have accounted for?

Zhang Xiaotian both wished he remembered everything and wished he’d forget some things, but ultimately, it didn’t matter. He remembered a lot anyway.

Before he could even finish the wine in his mouth, a hand took his glass away. Zhang Xiaotian looked over and saw Lu Bai, his face not turned towards him, but reaching out to him.

“Give me back my chopsticks.”

“Don’t put food on my plate for me anymore, I really can’t eat it all,” Zhang Xiaotian placed the chopsticks in his hand.

“Who’s putting food on your plate for you?” Lu Bai took the chopsticks but didn’t use them, just set them aside. “I’m putting food on my own plate.”

Zhang Xiaotian smiled and said nothing more, turning back to eat his own food. A moment later, Lu Bai put another piece of greens on his plate.

“Lu Bai,” Zhang Xiaotian sighed. “I don’t eat this.”

“Who said it’s for you?” Lu Bai stubbornly lied, “There’s no room on my plate, so I’m putting it on yours for now.”

What blatant lying! There were so few oil spots on his plate that you could count them on one hand!

Zhang Xiaotian was helpless and could only let him put things on his plate, occasionally taking a few bites while listening to Zhou Bin and the others, who were getting drunk and reminiscing about their glorious past.

“That idiot couldn’t take it and surrendered!” The Class Monitor was clearly not a good drinker. After Zhou Bin persuaded him to have a few more cups, he was already blushing and boasting loudly, “If you ask me, he’s no good. It should have been us. I don’t know what the teacher saw in him to let him go.” As if overcome by emotion, he picked up his wine glass and took another drink. The others, fueled by alcohol, were either complaining or chatting aimlessly. The scene was lively. Zhang Xiaotian was using their antics as a way to eat when he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Lu Bai leaning his head on his shoulder with his eyes closed.

“Don’t look at me,” Lu Bai met his gaze and raised his hand to reposition Zhang Xiaotian’s face. “Let me lean for a bit.”

“Are you drunk?” Lu Bai’s hair tickled Zhang Xiaotian’s neck, making him instinctively flinch.

“Don’t move,” Lu Bai buried his face in the crook of his neck. “I’m not drunk, it’s just this bad alcohol that’s giving me a headache.”

Bad alcohol… Zhang Xiaotian let him lean, remaining silent.

After a while, Lu Bai suddenly spoke, “How much do you remember?”

“What?” Zhang Xiaotian didn’t quite understand.

Through his clothes, Lu Bai’s voice was a little muffled, and the warmth of his breath made Zhang Xiaotian’s shoulder feel warm. “I’m asking, how much do you remember? About high school.”

“Just, eating together, attending classes together, things like that.”

“Anything else?”

“What else?” Zhang Xiaotian thought for a moment. “You suddenly ask me, and I can’t seem to recall anything else.”

Lu Bai fell silent again.

“Do you want to go back to the dorm?” Zhang Xiaotian asked, looking down at him. “Is your head hurting badly?”

“I’m not going back. It’s boring being alone in the dorm.”

“I’m full. I’ll accompany you back.” Zhang Xiaotian helped Lu Bai up. Zhou Bin and the others said they wanted to drink a little longer, and Zhang Ting said she’d message her roommates to pick her up. Only then did they feel reassured and leave with Lu Bai.

Outside the restaurant, the evening breeze made their heads clearer. Lu Bai stopped leaning on Zhang Xiaotian, but his hand still tightly gripped Zhang Xiaotian’s wrist, allowing Zhang Xiaotian to lead him.

“Besides eating and attending classes, you really don’t remember anything else?” Lu Bai asked him again.

“Not really, I just can’t recall it at the moment,” Zhang Xiaotian looked back at him. “Why are you so fixated on this?”

“I definitely remember more than you,” Lu Bai’s voice was soft, but clear enough for Zhang Xiaotian to hear.

More than me? That’s not necessarily true. Zhang Xiaotian turned to help him adjust his jacket to keep him warmer and asked, “Then tell me, what do you remember?”

Lu Bai hadn’t expected Zhang Xiaotian to turn the question back on him and was momentarily stunned.

“See, you can’t say either,” Zhang Xiaotian pulled him along again. “Besides, you’re already in university, why are you still dwelling on things from the past? You should quickly embrace your new life and make new friends. You can catch up with old friends when you go home for the holidays.”

“New friends…” Lu Bai savored the words. “Do you want to make new friends too?”

“I haven’t thought about it yet. I’ll focus on getting along with the guys in the dorm first.”

I wish you would make more new friends, Zhang Xiaotian thought.

“In the dorm?” Lu Bai seemed to perk up. “Zhou Bin and Xu Yan?”

“Mm-hmm,” Zhang Xiaotian thought for a moment and said, “Zhou Bin is so interesting, he makes everywhere lively. Xu Yan is also very helpful, a good person. I found the Class Monitor quite fun at dinner just now too.”

“Before you…” Lu Bai seemed a little cold from the wind, his face looking unwell. “You used to rarely talk to others in class…”

Zhang Xiaotian nodded. “I know. That’s because I was new and couldn’t fit in. By the time I finally got used to things, then…” He paused here for a moment before continuing, “Thinking about it now, it is a bit of a regret, living my days without much flavor. Now that I’m in university, I won’t be transferring schools anymore. It would be good to make more memories.”

After all, you’ll eventually have your new life. It would be too pathetic if only I remained stuck in the same place.

Lu Bai followed Zhang Xiaotian in silence. The night wind rustled the leaves.

“What kind of memories do you want to make?” Lu Bai asked again.

“How am I supposed to answer that?” Zhang Xiaotian chuckled. “Just, more lively, more interesting ones.”

“Okay.”

“Okay what? How much did you drink? You’re talking nonsense,” Zhang Xiaotian couldn’t help but nag him again. “Never mind me for now, let’s talk about you. You joined the院 (yuan – department/college) basketball team, but you don’t seem very invested. You said you had so many friends in high school, so why have you become so quiet in university and just stick with me? Don’t waste these four years. You should participate in more activities.”

“I don’t have many friends,” Lu Bai said.

“If you say that, Yin Li and Han Chengcheng will be sad.”

“You remember them?”

“Of course. Besides you, I was only close with them.”

Lu Bai seemed a little happier. He snorted and quickened his pace to walk alongside Zhang Xiaotian.

“I remember the sports meet, I remember a lot of things. I also remember you had many friends, not just Yin Li, Han Chengcheng, and the three of us. You were very happy in high school. Perhaps you’re just not used to the new environment right now, but I hope you can be like you were in high school again,” Zhang Xiaotian continued. “That’s why you shouldn’t just revolve around me… What are you doing? You’re hurting me!”

Lu Bai reached out and pulled Zhang Xiaotian into an embrace, pinching his outer waist. Just as Zhang Xiaotian was about to pull away, he was held by the shoulder and couldn’t move.

“Stop worrying about all those unnecessary things,” Lu Bai’s lips held a faint smile. “You worry enough for a lifetime.”

His phone in his pocket rang. He took it out and looked at it. It was a message from the院 (yuan) team captain.

Lu Bai, have you considered the competition?

He then looked up at Zhang Xiaotian walking beside him and typed a reply.

He replied: Captain, I’m in.