TAM 15

Halfway through the meal, the atmosphere still didn’t warm up. Only Wu Jingyan talked a lot.

It wasn’t the weekend, and the mall had few customers. There weren’t many people eating either.

Inside the barbecue restaurant, theirs was the only table near the window. The children’s restaurant next door was even quieter. By the time they were almost done eating, the person in the mascot costume had sat down on a chair outside the barbecue restaurant’s window.

Wu Jingyan had already put down her chopsticks. She rested her face on one hand and suddenly said, “I invited Si Yuan today, but he wouldn’t come.”

Li Yahan immediately put her chopsticks down. She looked like she had lost her appetite.

Wu Jingyan went on, “He’s not right for you. Why don’t you consider Mo Yao instead?”

Mo Yao looked at her without saying anything.

Wu Jingyan seemed a little excited and couldn’t stop herself. “Si Yuan’s family doesn’t have much money.”

Li Yahan suddenly got angry. “Can you stop talking?”

Wu Jingyan froze for a moment. “Why are you yelling at me?”

Li Yahan took a deep breath. She was gentle by nature, and she lowered her voice as she said, “It’s your birthday. Why are you saying things like this?”

Wu Jingyan wouldn’t back down. “So you do remember it’s my birthday. How many things have I done to help you get close to Si Yuan? And you’re yelling at me on my birthday?”

Li Yahan said, “Did I ever ask you to help me chase Si Yuan?”

“Didn’t you say you liked him?”

“I told you as a friend that I liked him. Did I tell you to help me chase him?”

Mo Yao had never seen Li Yahan speak like this before. Because of Wu Jingyan, he had spent some time around her and had always thought she was quiet, like a timid shadow following Wu Jingyan.

But who was really following who? A gentle nature didn’t mean no thoughts. Clay softens when it’s kneaded too long, but once it dries, it hardens.

Wu Jingyan looked hurt. “If I didn’t help you, you wouldn’t even have talked to Si Yuan twice.”

“Did you want to talk to him or did I?” Li Yahan’s face turned red with anger.

Wu Jingyan blinked, then said, “What are you implying? I don’t even like him.”

“Whether you like him or not doesn’t stop you from playing with him,” Li Yahan blurted out.

Wu Jingyan’s face turned ugly.

After saying that, Li Yahan seemed to regret it. She didn’t speak again. Her chest rose and fell, she didn’t look like she would calm down.

Wu Jingyan said slowly, “Just because no one likes you doesn’t mean I can’t talk to other guys normally.”

Li Yahan’s lips trembled. Then she bit her lower lip. Mo Yao couldn’t tell if she didn’t know how to fight back or if she just couldn’t bring herself to say something harsh.

Mo Yao almost spoke, but after a moment’s hesitation, he stayed quiet. He saw that Li Yahan’s eyes were red, and she bit her lip trying not to cry here. So Mo Yao raised his hand and patted her back lightly. “Let’s go.”

Li Yahan froze for a moment, then stood up with him.

“Don’t you dare leave!” Wu Jingyan shouted, angry now. “Mo Yao, don’t go!”

Mo Yao said, “I’ll walk Li Yahan back. You enjoy your birthday.”

The two of them stepped away from the table. Just as they reached the aisle, Wu Jingyan stood up and tried to grab Mo Yao’s arm. Her hand hit the edge of the table, and a cup of tea tipped over, spilling straight onto Mo Yao.

His pants turned wet from the waist down, the most awkward spot.

Li Yahan covered her mouth and cried out, “Ah!”

Mo Yao stopped and looked down at himself.

Then Zeng Wenchu, who had been silent the whole time, stood up. He put an arm around Wu Jingyan’s shoulder and said, “It’s your birthday. Don’t be upset.”

Wu Jingyan’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at Mo Yao, as if she felt wronged too.

Mo Yao took a napkin and wiped his pants. His clothes were thin, and his pants were light-colored, so the wet mark was obvious.

Keeping his arm around Wu Jingyan, Zeng Wenchu said, “Let’s go. I’ll take you somewhere else to celebrate.”

Mo Yao and Li Yahan both looked at them and said nothing.

Wu Jingyan let herself be led away, but she kept turning back to look at them. Tears started falling before Li Yahan’s did, but she didn’t stop walking.

The two of them left the barbecue restaurant.

Mo Yao kept watching them.

Li Yahan had calmed down. She looked at him and asked, “Why are you still looking?” She thought he couldn’t bear to part with Wu Jingyan.

Mo Yao turned back. “I’m worried they won’t pay.”

Li Yahan gasped. “Ah!”

But fortunately, Wu Jingyan paid through her phone.

Mo Yao and Li Yahan sat on the chairs outside the barbecue restaurant.

Li Yahan looked uneasy. She said to him, “What should we do? Should I buy you a pair of pants?”

Mo Yao stretched out his legs. “Forget it. Let it dry.”

“How long will that take?”

“Whatever,” Mo Yao said lazily.

Li Yahan stayed quiet for a moment, then couldn’t hold back what she wanted to say. “Wu Jingyan is always like that. She puts me down in front of others to make herself look better.”

Mo Yao looked surprised. “So you’re aware of it, but you still hang out with her?”

Li Yahan lowered her head. “Sometimes she’s nice.”

Mo Yao understood what she meant. Wu Jingyan had her flaws but also her good points. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been friends with her for so long.

Li Yahan said, “She keeps talking about Si Yuan everywhere. It’s so annoying.”

Mo Yao tilted his head slightly upward and said nothing.

“She wants to get close to Si Yuan but can’t admit it, so she always uses me as an excuse.” Li Yahan’s voice was low and muffled. After that, she stopped talking.

Mo Yao didn’t know how to comfort her, and he didn’t really feel like trying. He said, “You should go back first.”

Li Yahan lifted her head. “What about you?”

“Come with me.” A voice came from beside them.

Li Yahan jumped, and Mo Yao’s eyes widened and he slowly turned his head.

The one who spoke was the mascot sitting on the chair beside them. Because he was in costume and completely still, neither of them had realized that there was actually a person inside that furry body.

The mascot lifted his hand, grabbed the large head, and pulled it off his neck. Beneath it was Si Yuan’s handsome face. His hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to his temples. He said calmly, “I can find you a pair of pants.”

Mo Yao followed Si Yuan to a small staff changing room. When Li Yahan saw Si Yuan, she grew visibly nervous. When she heard he was taking Mo Yao to change clothes, she quickly said she’d go first and left so fast that she didn’t even say goodbye.

The changing room was small and completely enclosed, without windows. Between two rows of lockers was a single bench, and that was all.

Si Yuan still wore the heavy mascot suit. He tossed the mascot head onto the bench, opened a locker secured with a combination lock, and pulled out a pair of pants.

“They’re clean.” He handed them to Mo Yao.

Mo Yao took them and sat on the bench.

Si Yuan stood by the lockers. His head was slightly lowered, and sweat dripped from his hair and face.

The air inside was too closed off. Even with the air conditioner on, it still felt stuffy. Sweat had already formed on Mo Yao’s forehead.

Si Yuan must have felt even worse. The costume was too thick, and he had been sweating nonstop.

Mo Yao knew Si Yuan worked part-time, but he hadn’t realized it was that exhausting.

Si Yuan raised his hand, reached for the zipper behind his neck, and caught it between his fingers. He could only pull it down a short distance.

Mo Yao said, “I’ll help.” He stood up, walked behind him, and pulled the zipper all the way down to the base of the tail.

The smell of sweat trapped inside thick fabric filled the air instantly. Mo Yao stepped back and sat down again on the bench.

Si Yuan stood and took off the costume. Underneath, he only wore a tank top and shorts, both soaked with sweat.

Mo Yao lowered his head and began changing his pants.

Si Yuan took off his tank top too, leaving only boxer shorts. He grabbed a towel and sat on the bench, resting the towel on his shoulders. He stretched his legs, leaned back slightly, and didn’t rush to wipe his sweat.

Mo Yao could feel the heat still radiating from his body, and the sweat hadn’t stopped.

“Why don’t you get a tutoring job or something?” Mo Yao said while changing, thinking this job looked far too tough.

Si Yuan stared straight ahead. “I do that on weekends.”

The pants fit Mo Yao well, though the legs were a bit long. Once he put on shoes, it didn’t matter.

He stood and fastened the button, then tried to find something to say. “So you’re done working today?”

“It’s not the weekend, so it’s about time to stop,” Si Yuan said. After a pause, he added, “The hours aren’t regular, so I can only find jobs like this.”

Mo Yao was surprised he explained at all. From what he remembered, Si Yuan never talked about his personal life with their roommates.

Mo Yao folded his own pants and held them in his arms. He planned to leave, but it felt too abrupt. So he asked, “Are you done for the day? Do you want to head back to school together?”

Si Yuan looked up. “Alright.”

Mo Yao had no choice but to sit back down with the pants still in his arms.