The Scorching Sun - 68
Fang Zhuo didn't have much experience with military training.
Her middle school military training had lasted only seven days. Their school hadn't had enough space at the time, so they'd temporarily borrowed the dormitory of a nearby high school for the training. But the high school's dormitories had no air conditioning. Each room housed eight students and had only a single electric fan.
Fang Zhuo remembered that summer being unbearably hot. After only two or three days of training, students were constantly coming down with heat rash or suffering from heat exhaustion. In the end, the entire military training program was wrapped up with little more than a perfunctory show.
High school hadn't been much different. The school out in the suburbs simply didn't take it very seriously.
A University's military training, on the other hand, was considerably more organized. Even the theatrical performance held at the end of training was staged with impressive ceremony and formality.
But the celebration after all that physical exertion lasted only one night. The next day, they would have to say goodbye to their instructors, start choosing classes, and begin an entirely new chapter of their education.
The process of attending university classes was completely unfamiliar to Fang Zhuo. She had no idea which professors to choose for required courses, how to arrange her electives, or which publisher and editor-in-chief she should buy her secondhand textbooks from.
Fortunately, Yu Qingjiang had already asked some upperclassmen about several of the more popular professors. She drew up a timetable in the dorm, then told everyone to follow the schedule and take turns grabbing or switching classes when registration opened.
Yan Lie also quietly shared with her the course-registration plug-in that had supposedly been passed down through the Computer Science department for generations.
Perhaps that clandestine little plug-in had simply spread too far. Everyone had it, everyone had an equal chance, and the school's network couldn't take the strain. Not long after the public registration system opened, it crashed, creating a batch of lucky students and an equally unfortunate batch.
As usual, Fang Zhuo belonged to the unlucky group. Even with Yan Lie helping her beside her, she still failed to get into two of her classes. Yu Qingjiang told her to hurry and find the professors to sign the necessary paperwork so she could switch courses as soon as possible.
The whole ordeal had Fang Zhuo on edge for several days before everything was finally settled.
She hadn't even had time to breathe a sigh of relief when the club recruitment drive came along.
Fang Zhuo genuinely had no special talents and couldn't think of anything she could contribute. Apart from studying and making money, she didn't have any particular hobbies either, so she wasn't especially interested in joining clubs.
But Yan Lie told her that if she joined the right clubs, she'd never have to worry about finding part-time work. The more she thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded.
They had only just started university. Fang Zhuo was unfamiliar with everything, and there were very few part-time jobs she could take. The most stable and effortless option was still the work-study program at the cafeteria.
The cafeteria staff were warm and easygoing. On Fang Zhuo's first day reporting for work, the auntie in charge of looking after them carefully explained their daily duties. She even promised to set aside whatever food they liked, so they wouldn't have to pay for their meals on days they worked.
The aunties at A University didn't have the legendary shaky hands. They scooped out each serving in generous ladlefuls, seemingly afraid the students might not get enough to eat. Their attitude put Fang Zhuo considerably at ease. She no longer had to worry about serving too much or too little and affecting everyone's work quotas.
But her favorite job was making dumplings.
At fifteen cents apiece, the school's subsidized rate somehow managed to turn Fang Zhuo into a professional. One person's output from her could match that of a cafeteria auntie.
And the job required very little brainpower. She could memorize vocabulary while folding dumplings.
Because phones weren't allowed during their shifts, Yan Lie often couldn't find her. On top of that, she worked at the third cafeteria, the Sichuan-style place Yan Lie had recommended. Since Yan Lie couldn't eat spicy food, the two of them rarely crossed paths there.
Still, he knew Fang Zhuo's schedule, whenever he had something to tell her, he'd come straight to the cafeteria to find her.
That evening, Fang Zhuo had no classes and had been serving food at the window since four in the afternoon.
At the busiest hour, the line stretched several meters. Fang Zhuo was wearing a mask and a cap when she spotted the tall Yan Lie among the crowd at a glance. He shuffled forward with the line, slowly making his way toward the counter, glancing at his phone as he looked up to inspect that day's dishes.
When he finally reached the front, he placed his meal card on the machine and quickly announced the menu he'd just decided on. "Cauliflower and shredded potatoes."
"Both are spicy," Fang Zhuo said.
Yan Lie looked up at the sound of her voice, finally realizing it was her. His face lit up with unmistakable delight. "Wow. I actually managed to get you."
Fang Zhuo told him to wait a moment, then went into the kitchen and brought out a bowl of corn and pork rib soup. She also served him some stir-fried cabbage and sweet-and-sour pork ribs, then swiped his card herself.
Yan Lie beamed. "Thanks, baby. I'll be sitting against the wall by the right-hand entrance. Wait for you after my meeting."
Fang Zhuo nodded.
The boy behind him stepped forward. "I'll have the corn, too."
Fang Zhuo reached for it. "There isn't any left."
"Then why does he get some? Just go inside and scoop me another spoonful."
"That's the dinner I saved for myself," Fang Zhuo said. "He's my boyfriend."
The friend behind him burst out laughing. "You really did that to yourself."
"Fine, cauliflower and shredded potatoes, then. Add a serving of braised pig's trotter, too." The boy let out an exaggerated whimper. "I'm going to have everything he can't get."
Fang Zhuo: "..."
His friend behind him struggled not to laugh. "Sorry. There's definitely something wrong with him."
Half an hour later, the cafeteria had begun to empty out. Two serving windows closed, and the remaining dishes were consolidated.
Fang Zhuo handed over her station, got herself a plate of food, and went to find Yan Lie. She sat at the table beside his, only to discover that the boy who had joked with her earlier was sitting with him. They were probably friends from the student union.
When Yan Lie saw her, he smiled and tapped his watch, holding up five fingers to indicate that his meeting was almost over.
The people at the table naturally turned their attention toward her as well. The boy who had joked with her earlier said something, and everyone laughed.
Fang Zhuo withdrew her peripheral attention and stopped paying notice to them.
She hadn't been eating for long when a shadow fell across the table. The boy who worked the same part-time job as her set his tray down and asked quietly, "Is anyone sitting here?"
Fang Zhuo shook her head.
He picked up his chopsticks and quietly ate two mouthfuls of rice, looking as though he could barely taste it. After a moment, he asked again, "Are you busy tonight?"
Fang Zhuo hadn't originally had anything planned, but once Yan Lie had come looking for her, her evening was essentially spoken for. She was just about to turn him down when Yan Lie came over with his bag and sat down extremely close beside her, slipping an arm around her from behind until he was practically pressed against her.
Fang Zhuo instinctively angled her shoulder away, but Yan Lie had already wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his embrace. Clearly being petty, yet wearing an innocent expression like nothing was happening, he said, "Your chopped chili fish head looks really good."
Fang Zhuo lifted her eyes and slowly swept them over his face. "You can't eat it anyway."
Yan Lie adopted a concerned tone. "Slow down. Wolfing your food isn't good for your health. I'm not in a hurry. I've got plenty of patience to wait."
He had pinned down the hand she was using, making it impossible for her to eat. Fang Zhuo pointed toward the side expressionlessly. Yan Lie took the hint and obediently dragged his bag over to another seat. He propped one arm on the table, rested his chin in his hand, and watched her eat.
His fellow club member passed behind them and waved. "We're heading out. Happy birthday."
Fang Zhuo finally remembered. Her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Today is the birthday of the great Confucius."
"I don't know any Great Confucius," Yan Lie said with a laugh. "But today is my goddess's birthday."
Fang Zhuo gave him a sidelong glance. "Isn't today also World Rabies Day?"
Yan Lie reached out, intending to pinch her cheek, but midway through, he raised his hand and instead ruffled her hair. He sounded aggrieved. "What's that supposed to mean? You're not insulting me, are you?"
"Of course not." Fang Zhuo nodded toward the person sitting across from her. "That's why I'm going to spend my birthday with my idol. If you need someone to cover your shift, I'm free tomorrow afternoon."
The boy managed a stiff smile. "No, it's fine. Never mind. Happy birthday."
He couldn't quite leave, but staying was awkward too, so he could only lower his head and shovel down his food in silence.
Fang Zhuo picked up her tray, called out a goodbye, and left with Yan Lie.
Outside the cafeteria, the evening wind swept over them, hot and brisk.
Fang Zhuo caught Yan Lie by the sleeve, and he naturally took her hand.
She gestured for him to stop, then stood in front of him and looked steadily into his face. "Yan Lie, your behavior today was a little unfriendly."
"Me?"
"Your acting was terribly clumsy, and your methods weren't exactly generous," Fang Zhuo said. "If you hadn't shown up, I could have turned him down perfectly reasonably and still maintained a pleasant working relationship."
Yan Lie scrutinized her suspiciously.
Fang Zhuo looked wistful. "He's a pretty decent guy. His family is poor, but he's determined to make something of himself. More importantly, he's willing to share his secrets for making money with me. He's a junior this year, and there are tons of bosses in his contacts."
"You little money grubber." Yan Lie laughed. "Do you know what they say? When someone suddenly starts showering you with favors, they're either after something or up to no good."
"When you first became my deskmate, you were pretty nice to me too."
Yan Lie answered with complete candor. "That's because I had ulterior motives from the very beginning."
Fang Zhuo: "...”
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