The dark gray city was shrouded in heavy rain. The number of cars on the road decreased, and slowly, only the sound of falling rain could be heard.
Everyone was in a hurry, and the small bus stop on the street appeared to have been forgotten.
Chen Ge carried his backpack and lowered his head to look at their reflections in the puddles.
Zhang Ya held the umbrella, and her eyes were filled with surprise. She did not expect Chen Ge to say that.
The bus left the bus stop, and a moment later, the bus pulled in.
"Mr. Zhang, the bus is here. See you tomorrow." Chen Ge waved his hand, and there was a happy smile on his face.
He watched as Zhang Ya walked toward the bus while he leaned against the bus stop sign, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared.
"I can't go home. The moment I push open the door, night will fall, and when I come out, it will be a new day.
"When the city falls into darkness, the hidden filth and evil will be exposed. Hopefully, I will find something tonight."
Raising his head, only Chen Ge was left at the bus stop.
The whistle sounded, and the bus started to move. The bus soon left the bus stop, and the only person left in the rain was a woman holding a red umbrella.
"Zhang Ya?"
The bus had already left, but Zhang Ya remained where she was. She did not get on the bus.
"Why aren't you leaving?" Chen Ge looked at Zhang Ya with confusion. The woman returned to the bus stop with the umbrella.
"Every day, I will prepare for class at the office and then take the last bus to leave." Zhang Ya pointed at the bus stop sign. "That was the last bus on the bus. You missed it, and you didn't bring an umbrella. I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to go home, and it would be like last time."
"I …" The eloquent Chen Ge was stumped, and he did not know how to argue.
"You seem to be afraid of going home." Zhang Ya walked to stand before Chen Ge. "Can you tell me why?"
"It's nothing."
"Did you get into an argument with your family? Or did you run into trouble in your life? " There was concern in Zhang Ya's voice. She was born kind, and it was hard to lie to her. "You are a good child at heart, I can see that, but you seem to be carrying many things inside your heart. You do not appear to have ever smiled happily." Zhang Ya's voice was filled with concern.
Chen Ge did not speak. The rain was getting heavier. Even though he was hiding in the platform, his clothes were still wet.
Neither of them left. After a while, Zhang Ya opened the umbrella and looked at Chen Ge helplessly. "If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you."
She waved at Chen Ge. "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" Chen Ge was stunned for a moment. He really couldn't react.
"Go to my house and change your wet clothes first. Don't catch a cold."
"That's not a good idea, is it?"
"Then can I leave you alone on the platform? The rain is so heavy, it's too dangerous. " Zhang Ya shook the umbrella. She was like the mature big sister next door. Even her helpless expression was beautiful. "You really should communicate with your family. Many things are caused by bad communication, especially the conflict between family members. Alright, stop wasting time. Come here quickly. "
Chen Ge could not open the door to his house. To buy more time, he reluctantly walked to Zhang Ya's side.
The two walked along the road for a long time before they finally saw a taxi.
When they reached home, the sky was completely dark.
"Is this your home?" Chen Ge did not have any memory of Zhang Ya's room. In his memory, Zhang Ya had always lived in the dormitory.
Pushing open the door, there was a small room that was about 60 square meters. Even though it was not big, it had all kinds of furniture.
"I used to live in the city, but my parents got into a car accident. I lived in their house, and I kept thinking about the past. So, I sold the house and bought a small house here. "Zhang Ya appeared to have walked out from her sadness, and she could calmly talk about these things.
Of course, it could also be that she wanted to set a good example for Chen Ge. When she found out why Chen Ge kept wearing high heels in the morning, her heart actually felt bad.
Because she had experienced it before, she could understand that feeling better.
Putting away the umbrella, Zhang Ya turned on the lights in the living room. "I decorated all the furniture myself. How is it? Not bad, right? "
When Zhang Ya spoke, Chen Ge turned to look at the trashcan. It was filled with several empty cans of beer and carrot skins that had been peeled. "You still like to drink?"
This was a hobby that Chen Ge did not expect.
"Occasionally, occasionally I drink a little." Zhang Ya changed her shoes and tied the top of the trash can. "I'll go get you a set of dry clothes. Wait here for a moment."
Moments later, Chen Ge changed into the clothes that Zhang Ya brought over. It was Zhang Ya's own wide T-shirt. "Just make do with this for now. You might not be able to wear my other clothes."
"It's fine. This is good enough." Chen Ge lowered his head to look and realized that he was wearing the same style of clothes as Zhang Ya, but the color was different.
"Give me the wet clothes. I'll iron them for you. Go to the sofa to do your homework. It's going to be the mock exam soon, so you need to give yourself some pressure."
Zhang Ya took Chen Ge and her wet clothes into the bathroom. Chen Ge looked around. He placed the half-wet backpack next to the sofa and opened it to inspect it.
"Thankfully, the comic and Zhang Ya's storybooks are not wet." Chen Ge wanted to do his homework to leave a good impression on Zhang Ya, but he did not even bring his textbook back.
Several minutes later, Zhang Ya walked out from the bathroom. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "You're hungry, right? Let me see if there's anything else in the fridge. Let's fill our stomachs. "
Zhang Ya took out several tomatoes and eggs from the fridge. She probably did not cook often because she was in a hurry. When she cracked the eggs, the shells fell into the bowl. She quickly used a pair of chopsticks to pick them out bit by bit.
"Teacher, how about I cook for you?" Chen Ge watched Zhang Ya cook, and his eyes were filled with smiles.
"You know how to cook?"
"Yes, you've worked hard for the whole day. I'll cook for you as a thank you for taking me in today." Chen Ge gently pushed Zhang Ya to the side. He opened the fridge to take a look. It was filled with common things.
A few tomatoes, a few carrots that had been peeled beyond recognition, two cucumbers, a whole piece of tofu, half a piece of chicken breast that had been kept for a long time, a piece of lean meat, and half a bag of leftover pickled mustard.
"So, the food that Demon God eats is similar to what I usually eat."
"Do you need my help?" Zhang Ya doubted Chen Ge's cooking ability. After all, there were not that many high schoolers who knew how to cook.
"Why don't you sit on the sofa and rest? The kitchen is a romantic place for men." Chen Ge took out two bowls of Xiao Wan. One bowl was filled with egg, salt, and various seasonings. Then he diced the chicken breast and marinated it.
The other bowl was filled with water and the half bag of pickled mustard was soaked in it.
Then he heated the oil in the wok. He diced the tofu and fried it until it was golden brown. Then he took out the tofu and set it aside. Next, he fried the onion, ginger, and garlic in the same wok. Finally, he added the seasonings and the golden tofu and simmered it.
After closing the lid, Chen Ge used a knife to trim the tomatoes that Zhang Ya had cut earlier and sprinkled some sugar on them.
He took out the cucumbers, peeled them, and cut them into rounds. Then he sprinkled some salt and seasonings on them.
On the same plate, there were the sugar tomatoes on the left and the cucumbers on the right. One was salty and the other was sweet.
After that, Chen Ge picked up a wok. He diced the lean meat and stir-fried them in the wok. Then he took out the pickled mustard that was soaked in the water and stir-fried it.
He diced them and stir-fried them together. Then he added the seasonings.
At this time, the stewed tofu was ready. It was placed on a plate and taken out of the wok.
After a simple cleaning, Chen Ge poured some water into the wok and put the leftover fine noodles in the fridge.
When the noodles were done, the aroma of pickled mustard and meat wafted out.
Rice was taken out of the wok. The noodles were as thin as dragon whiskers, and the crystal-clear pickled mustard and meat were stir-fried.
"Teacher, come and serve the rice." Chen Ge glanced at the side. "Teppanyaki tofu, pickled mustard and shredded pork noodles. Later, there will also be my homemade chicken popcorn. I think that piece of chicken breast is going to go bad soon. I think it's better to eat it earlier."
Zhang Ya's eyes widened. The aroma constantly teased her taste buds.
The chicken breast that was soaked in the egg was almost ready. The last step was very simple. The diced chicken breast was covered with starch and fried until it was cooked.
It was golden and crispy, and the aroma assailed her nostrils. However, Chen Ge was still a little dissatisfied. "If only there were bread crumbs. It would be more tender and fragrant if fried in two batches."
All the dishes were taken out of the wok and placed on the coffee table. Until now, Zhang Ya still couldn't believe that these dishes were made with the leftovers in her fridge.
"The main dishes are noodles, teppanyaki tofu, and chicken popcorn. If you think it's greasy, there's also cucumber salad. If you don't like salty salad, I've also prepared sugar tomatoes. It's sweet and sour, very refreshing." Chen Ge looked at Zhang Ya, whose eyes were shining, and smiled even more happily.
He simply tidied up the kitchen and sat next to the coffee table. Although Zhang Ya wanted to eat, she didn't move her chopsticks. Obviously, she was waiting for Chen Ge to eat together.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Zhang Ya first took a bite of the teppanyaki tofu. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When she bit into it, the gravy even seeped out.
"Is it delicious?"
"Yes!"
Chen Ge sat across from Zhang Ya. He looked at the way Zhang Ya ate, and the corner of his mouth unconsciously began to rise. "If only I could cook for you every day."
Outside the window, it was raining cats and dogs, but inside the room, the two were enjoying a very simple and almost impossible dinner.
After all the food was finished, Zhang Ya went to clear the dishes while Chen Ge sat on the sofa. He forced himself not to look at Zhang Ya, but his eyes would involuntarily fall on Zhang Ya.
As if sensing something, when Zhang Ya put down the dishes, she raised her head and happened to meet Chen Ge's gaze.
In just a few tenths of a second, Chen Ge had already lowered his head. He picked up Yan Danian's comic and started to flip through it.
"Is that your own painting?" he asked. That's amazing! " After washing the dishes, Zhang Ya walked to the sofa. The living room was not that big. After putting down the sofa and coffee table, there was not much space left.
"It's my friend's drawing."
Chen Ge closed the comic but Zhang Ya did not quite believe him.
"Really? Actually, I quite like people with a wide range of hobbies and talents. "
"Then, this is my drawing. You found out." Chen Ge admitted it without hesitation. After all, Yan Danian could not appear now.
"You … I don't know what to say about you." Zhang Ya brewed two cups of tea and placed them on the coffee table. "How come I feel like you are good at everything other than studying?"
"Something like that." Chen Ge thought about it carefully. He could indeed be said to be multi-talented and proficient in many industries.
"You sure are welcome." Zhang Ya shook her head. "It's quite good. It's good to have your own hobbies and to work hard for them, unlike me …"
Chen Ge heard a trace of disappointment in Zhang Ya's voice. He was suddenly reminded of something. In real life, Zhang Ya was a dancer and had won the first prize in a competition, but now she had become an English teacher. This was a profession that had nothing to do with dancing.
He nudged toward Zhang Ya, picked up the cup of hot tea, and handed it to Zhang Ya. "Actually, I understand that you have been purposely trying to make yourself strong. When I first saw you, I knew that there are many things hidden in your heart. You just don't want to say them."
The tea in the cup was steaming, and the two sat together.
A homemade dinner brought the two of them closer. As the teacher, Zhang Ya should be the one to enlighten Chen Ge, but from that moment on, Chen Ge started to slowly open up Zhang Ya's heart.
"Other people just think that you are kind, gentle, and kind, but I care about whether you have been wronged or not."
Chen Ge silently sat down next to Zhang Ya and picked up Zhang Ya's bedtime story. "I have never had such a thought before, but when I saw you, when I got close to you, when I listened to your advice, when I was walking with you, I couldn't help but have this feeling. Even though you are covered in wounds, you still have to force a smile on your face to comfort others."
After a long time, Zhang Ya raised her head. She looked at Chen Ge, and she wanted to smile habitually, but she could not do it.
"When I first saw you, I also felt that you were very familiar. Perhaps it is because we have the same experience." Zhang Ya took a sip of tea. "Teacher used to study dancing, and I like dancing very much. I really like it. When I dance, I feel like I have become the breeze, and I can relax freely. I don't have to think about anything."
"Then what happened to you …"
"When teacher was at school, no one was willing to make friends with me. They said that my dancing was a show of my body, and they kept coming up with more and more ridiculous rumors, but that was not the reason why I gave up dancing in the end." Zhang Ya put down the teacup in her hand. "One evening, something happened. I was practicing in the dance studio, and a drunk man rushed into the room. I was so scared that I started to run around, screaming for help, hoping that someone would come to my rescue, but no one came to my rescue."
"I ran downstairs in the dress that I wore when I was dancing. Finally, I saw my teacher, and she helped me stop the drunkard behind me.
"I thought that I was finally saved, but who would have thought that was just the beginning of the nightmare. When I arrived at school the next day, everyone was pointing at me. Before the first class was over, I was called to the teacher's office. The drunkard was there as well. He and the teacher who saved me slandered me, saying that everything was a self-directed act. No one was willing to testify for me, and everyone in the class thought that was the truth. " Zhang Ya could not continue. "From then on, I did not dare enter the dance studio anymore. I did not dare to practice alone, and for a long time, I did not dare to be alone."
Chen Ge patted Zhang Ya's shivering shoulders and had her lean against him.
"It's okay now. We are inseparable, and I will not let you be alone anymore."
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