TVDC 48: Does it Taste Good?

This dinner left everyone feeling uneasy. Qiu Xuning didn’t have much of an appetite either but to avoid getting hungry later, he still forced himself to finish a bowl of rice.

After the meal, Zhou Mingmei couldn’t stand the way Qiu Xuning kept staring at her with those pleading eyes, as if he had a lot to say. With no other choice, she said, “I’ll go pay the bill.”

Qiu Xuning let out a sigh of relief, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile.

The waiter who had greeted them earlier saw Zhou Mingmei coming over to ask about the bill. It took him a moment to react before he hurriedly grabbed the calculator, tapped on it a few times, and finally said, “That’ll be 323 yuan, I’ll round it down for you, 320.”

Zhou Mingmei took some cash out of her bag, counted out 320 yuan, and handed it to the waiter, feeling a pang of pain as she did. She didn’t really understand all those complicated reasons, but when Qiu Xuning said those words through tears, it was hard not to listen. She used to be helpless whenever he lost his temper—and now, she was just as helpless when he cried.

Zhou Mingmei paid as if she were just completing a task, then said to Qiu Xuning, “You saw me pay, right? Now stop crying already. You’re already sixteen, in two years you’ll be an adult. You’re still crying like this, don’t you think it’s embarrassing?”

Qiu Xuning sniffed and said softly, “It’s just embarrassing in front of you all, but I’m not afraid.”

Zhou Mingmei heard this and replied irritably, “Alright, look at your face. Go home, wash up properly, and then go to bed!”

Qiu Xuning replied softly with a hum.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Qiu Xuning glanced at He Zhiyuan and said to Zhou Mingmei, “Mom, I want to take a walk to help with digestion.”

Zhou Mingmei said, “Alright, go ahead. I’ll head back.”

Qiu Zhaozhao said, “I’ll go with you.”

She was speaking to Qiu Xuning.

Qiu Xuning glanced at him and softly hummed in response.

Zhou Mingmei and Qiu Shunming then walked together towards home.

Zhou Mingmei recalled how Qiu Xuning had cried so intensely, unable to catch his breath, and sighed. She said to Qiu Shunming, “He cried so badly today, I didn’t know what to do.”

Qiu Shunming had drunk a bit and his words carried a hint of alcohol. He said, “If Qiu Shuohai spoke to me like that, I’d have slapped him.”

Zhou Mingmei glared at him and said, “Stop always talking about hitting people. Ningning is a promising person. If we trace our family back three generations, he’s the most promising one. Whatever he says, we should listen to him first. It’s only a few more years, once he gets into college, we won’t even be able to hear him anymore.”

She then said, “Shunming, we didn’t have the wrong son. Zhaozhao cares about him, speaks up for him. When we’re old, who will take care of us? Shuohai can’t be relied on, but we still have our younger son, don’t we?”

Qiu Shunming listened and nodded in agreement, “You’re right.”

The couple continued walking home, chatting on and on. Meanwhile, Qiu Zhaozhao walked to the left of Qiu Xuning, with He Zhiyuan on the right. The three of them walked along the dimly lit street, the night lights casting a soft glow, and for a while, no one spoke.

After a while, it was still Qiu Zhaozhao who spoke. She softly asked, “Ningning, those things you said at the dinner table earlier, do you really feel that way?”

Qiu Xuning lowered his eyes and softly hummed in response.

He had already washed his face, which still felt a little damp. His eyes seemed less swollen, but he still felt he looked unattractive, so he kept his head down, staring at the road beneath his feet.

Qiu Zhaozhao said, “Actually, when I said I wanted to work before, it wasn’t what I truly meant. I knew that if I said something like that, Mom would be happy, so I just wanted to please her.”

As she spoke, there was a hint of confusion on her face. “Dad always says I’m dumb, that going to high school is a waste of money. When I got into the top ten of the whole school for the first time, he immediately asked me if I cheated. It made me feel bad, and I started wondering if I really am dumb, if I really can’t do it. I don’t know.”

Qiu Xuning softly said, “You’re not dumb.”

No matter how good the grades of Qiu Haiyan and Qiu Zhaozhao were, Qiu Shunming would always call them dumb, saying they couldn’t do anything, constantly belittling them. Meanwhile, no matter how bad Qiu Shuohai’s grades were, to Qiu Shunming and Zhou Mingmei, he was always “clever.”

Qiu Xuning really couldn’t understand what they were thinking. He sighed and said seriously, “You’re really not dumb. You just… you just lack confidence.”

Qiu Zhaozhao wasn’t dumb. She just wanted validation from others too much, which led her down the wrong path. A person’s value isn’t determined by others’ approval; it’s something you gradually elevate on your own.

Qiu Zhaozhao nodded and said, “Actually, I’m very insecure.”

After saying that, she fell silent. They were family, so they each understood a bit about the others’ thoughts. In the past six months, Qiu Zhaozhao had also come to realize that Qiu Xuning truly had her best interests at heart.

After walking for a while longer, Qiu Zhaozhao said, “I’m going back now. I want to have a good talk with Mom.”

Qiu Xuning looked at her in surprise, “What do you want to talk about?”

Qiu Zhaozhao said, “I don’t know. I might tell her that once I turn eighteen, I’ll write her an IOU for my tuition and living expenses, and when I start working, I’ll pay her back.”

Qiu Xuning fell silent.

Qiu Zhaozhao said, “This will be fine, I’ll feel better inside.”

Qiu Xuning softly hummed in response and quietly said, “Anyway… you need to take care of yourself. I hope you’ll be okay.”

Qiu Zhaozhao said seriously, “Qiu Xuning, thank you. My jiejie said so much to me, but I couldn’t really take it in. But I like listening to what you say.”

She said, breaking into a smile, “I know you really want me to be okay.”

“Thank you so much.”

Although it was a bit cheesy, it was the best way to express how she felt right now. The feeling of being cared for and loved by someone was truly wonderful.

…

Qiu Xuning watched as Qiu Zhaozhao walked away, not turning his gaze until she turned the corner.

He Zhiyuan had been silent beside him the whole time. When it was just the two of them, he slowly spoke up, asking, “Do you want to eat ice cream?”

Qiu Xuning paused for a moment, then softly replied, “Eat.”

He smiled again and asked, “Are you treating?”

He Zhiyuan smiled slightly and readily responded, “I’ll treat. You wait here for me.”

Qiu Xuning gave a soft “Mm” in response, watching as He Zhiyuan crossed the pedestrian crossing to a store. After buying something, he crossed the street again and returned to his side.

He Zhiyuan had a small pudding in one hand and a can of beer in the other.

When Qiu Xuning saw the beer, he was  momentarily stunned and asked, “You drink alcohol?”

He Zhiyuan countered, “Can’t I?”

Qiu Xuning took the small pudding and whispered, “Just don’t get drunk.”

He Zhiyuan chuckled softly and said, “I’m not that easy to get drunk.”

They found a quiet spot and sat down.

Qiu Xuning opened the small pudding and was about to eat when a shadow covered his eyes. Soon after, he felt a cool touch on his eyelids.

Qiu Xuning froze, maintaining the pose of opening his mouth to eat the pudding for a while before speaking, “Did you buy this because of me?”

He Zhiyuan said, “Your eyes are swollen, it’s really ugly.”

Qiu Xuning puffed his cheeks and stayed silent.

After a while, he quietly asked, “Is it really that ugly?”

He Zhiyuan softly replied, “You should’ve taken a photo.”

“…”

He Zhiyuan gently rolled the cold beer, and Qiu Xuning felt the burning sensation on his eyelids lessen significantly. He let out a soft sigh and quietly began to eat the rich, milky pudding.

After quite a while, He Zhiyuan finally moved the beer away, lowered his gaze to look at him, and asked, “How is it? Does it feel better?”

Qiu Xuning blinked, softly murmured “Mm,” glanced at He Zhiyuan, then quickly shifted his gaze away, and quietly said, “Much better.”

By this time, his voice still carried a nasal tone—soft and delicate, adding an innocent, tender quality to his words.

He Zhiyuan opened the beer, took a sip, then turned to look at Qiu Xuning. Suddenly, he said, “I want to eat.”

Qiu Xuning froze for a moment and asked, “Eat what?”

He Zhiyuan slowly leaned in, his voice low, “Eat your… small pudding.”

After saying that, he reached out, grabbed Qiu Xuning’s wrist, lifted it slightly, and took a bite.

“…” Qiu Xuning stared blankly at the small pudding in his hand, which had already been bitten into by He Zhiyuan, and remained silent for a long time.

He Zhiyuan was still very close to him. Qiu Xuning could feel his breath, still cool, carrying the faint scent of the pudding’s milkiness.

“Y-you how could you eat mine?” Qiu Xuning stood there, stunned for a while, before stammering out the words.

He Zhiyuan didn’t speak, only lowered his gaze and looked at him.

Qiu Xuning’s eyelids were still red, but the swelling had gone down significantly, allowing He Zhiyuan to clearly see the intense panic and nervousness reflected in his bright, clear eyes.

He could even feel Qiu Xuning’s breathing becoming more rapid.

He Zhiyuan asked, “Do you dislike me?”

Qiu Xuning was at a loss for words. After a while, he stammered, “N-no it’s not about disliking… If you want to eat, you can go buy your own, but you ate mine…”

He Zhiyuan said, “Oh, you dislike me.”

“No! I don’t dislike you at all,” Qiu Xuning quickly replied.

The small pudding in his hand had slightly melted, dripping onto his delicate white fingers.

He Zhiyuan averted his gaze and casually said, “If you’re not going to eat it, give it to me. I’m used to eating your leftovers.”

Qiu Xuning’s face turned red. There were times when He Zhiyuan would eat things Qiu Xuning couldn’t finish without a second thought, but now that it was his turn, he hesitated.

Qiu Xuning let out a breath and whispered, “No, I’ll eat it, I don’t dislike you.”

Saying this, he opened his mouth and took in the small pudding that He Zhiyuan had bitten into.

The streetlamp in the distance emitted a dim yellow light, and because Qiu Xuning was facing away from it, the sudden flush of his face was easily concealed in the darkness of the night.

Qiu Xuning’s heart suddenly started racing, and his lips and tongue grew hot. He tasted the beer, the one He Zhiyuan had just drunk—slightly astringent, with a hint of bitter clarity.

Facing the dim light, He Zhiyuan smiled. It wasn’t a smile that seemed to mock, but rather one with a deeper meaning, carrying a certain charm that made Qiu Xuning’s heart flutter.

Perhaps it was the lighting, but He Zhiyuan’s eyes glowed, as if a flame was burning in them. He stared at Qiu Xuning, his voice growing low, “Does it taste good?”

Qiu Xuning held the small pudding in his mouth, and his originally fair and translucent cheeks quickly turned a deep red. Even though he was facing away from the light, He Zhiyuan could still notice. Now, his face, neck, and even the tips of his ears were all flushed.

Whenever Qiu Xuning got emotional, this would happen. He would turn red all over, like a boiled shrimp.

He glanced at He Zhiyuan for a moment but quickly shifted his gaze away. His throat felt as if it was blocked, and he couldn’t utter a word.

He Zhiyuan silently smiled, turned away, and picked up the beer can again, drinking a few sips nonchalantly. He softly said, “Eat this small pudding, then go home and sleep well.”

Qiu Xuning felt the taste of the beer in his mouth gradually fade, but the heart in his chest continued to race, unsettled by He Zhiyuan’s actions.

He desperately wanted to shout at He Zhiyuan, asking if it was… if it was intentional?