Chapter 12: Massage My Temples, Will You?
“Let’s buy something else, yeah?” Zhang Chulan watched Chi Wu grabbing Sachima relentlessly and realized the current Chi Wu was terribly paranoid, lacking the thoughtfulness and comprehensiveness he usually assumed he had.
He pondered this slightly unfamiliar Chi Wu and spoke tentatively.
“Like mixed grain porridge, calcium milk, other pastries or something…”
Chi Wu thought for a moment and said faintly, “Oh.”
Carrying bags big and small, Zhang Chulan sneakily arranged the items at the door of the house, then swung his two long legs and scampered back to Chi Wu.
He tilted his head, smashing it onto Chi Wu’s thigh, his voice muffled and stuffy.
“Wubao, I’m so tired.”
“You worked hard. You’re doing great.” Chi Wu said.
He paused, then placed his hand on Zhang Chulan’s back, patting gently as if petting a spoiled cat or dog.
Zhang Chulan heard these somewhat robotic words again and let out a laugh with unclear meaning.
His childhood friend’s language system was really weird.
There weren’t many people on the bus at this time. Those going to the county town had waited early, and the bus departed on time.
Zhang Chulan twisted his body and lay on Chi Wu’s lap for a while. His body became uncomfortable, so he crawled up crookedly to stretch.
The sky continued to brighten, like a dusty lightbulb stalling for a moment.
In this continuously brightening daylight, the streets gradually filled with people. The splash splash of water being thrown hit the road from the courtyards.
The morning air was a bit cold. Everyone looked like unawakened wandering spirits, hunched over and listless.
Zhang Chulan, sleepless all night, had a splitting headache. His body screamed for sleep, but his mind was jumping around wildly.
“Ei, ei… you kids, what is this all about!” Grandma Zhao stood at the door shouting, her aged voice clear and brisk, full of vigor.
“How can this be acceptable!”
She made a move to carry the things over, but unfortunately, the bus drove forward. Zhang Chulan poked his head out and waved to Grandma Zhao, who was running toward them.
Grandma Zhao held a red bamboo basket filled with boiled yellow-green edamame.
She quickly turned around, grabbed a large red plastic bag from her doorstep, poured the edamame in, and grabbed two red envelopes with worn edges.
“Master Liu, wait a sec! Wait a sec! Aiyou! Are you deaf?!”
Master Liu finally saw the old lady in the rearview mirror. The bus let out a pff sigh and slowly came to a stop.
Grandma Zhao walked to the bus window and handed the bag up.
Chi Wu didn’t take it. Grandma Zhao’s mouth instantly twisted, extremely dissatisfied.
“Take it, take it. You little kids don’t have much money to begin with, yet you bought me so many things. I just boiled a pot of edamame and was saying I’d bring it out for you to taste, but you ran off.”
Zhang Chulan’s body leaned across again, pressing on Chi Wu’s thigh, head reaching toward the window: “We want it, we want it.”
As he spoke, he really reached out to take it. “Grandma, don’t stand by the edge of the bus. Wait a sec, the gas smell is strong. Stand further away.”
Seeing him take the bag, Grandma Zhao smiled, eyes crinkling: “Good, good.”
Once the bus started, Zhang Chulan familiarly found the hidden red envelopes in the plastic bag.
Swish. He threw them next to Grandma Zhao.
“Grandma, we can’t accept this. Take it back and buy something you like to eat. We are strong and able-bodied, we can earn money.”
Grandma Zhao let out an “Aiyou,” bending down to pick up the red envelopes and yell again, but this time the driver seemed to understand something and didn’t stop again.
“Wubao, if you’re carsick, don’t eat yet. I’ll peel them for you when we get off.”
Zhang Chulan said, as if afraid Chi Wu would disdain it, and added:
“Don’t worry, edamame is edible cold too. It won’t give you a bad stomach.”
“I have nothing to worry about.” Chi Wu hooked the corner of his mouth.
The wisps of smoke rising gradually merged with the fog. The wind wound through the partially open window into his nose, smelling of smoke but not pungent.
It smelled exceptionally comfortable.
Now, the sky was truly bright.
Zhang Chulan tied up the edamame bag, stood up, and put it in the overhead compartment. When he sat back down, his body swayed twice.
“Sleep a bit.” Chi Wu said gently.
Zhang Chulan wanted to sleep too. The breakdown of not being able to sleep made his tone involuntarily soften, like a puppy acting spoiled.
“I can’t sleep. Wubao, massage my temples, will you?”
Chi Wu didn’t say anything. He crossed his legs and reached out to hook Zhang Chulan’s neck. Zhang Chulan adjusted his sitting posture and obediently collapsed onto Chi Wu’s lap.
Chi Wu placed his hands on Zhang Chulan’s temples. His voice was extremely light, almost inaudible.
“Sleep.”
The voice was as faint as the wind. Zhang Chulan really wanted to laugh.
But his nerves, which had been as hard as an iceberg just a moment ago, seemed wrapped in something warm and began to melt. It was like a rain of white noise deliberately falling for Zhang Chulan—the drip drop of flowing water.
Zhang Chulan slept a good sleep.
“Hoo—” When he woke up, his brain felt incredibly clear and refreshed, though sleeping prone on Chi Wu’s leg made his neck hurt a bit.
But none of that mattered.
Zhang Chulan lifted his head and found Chi Wu with tightly knitted brows and closed eyes.
He sat up straight, reached out, and gently placed that head onto his own shoulder, rubbing that brow as if trying to smooth it out.
“Wubao, sleep well.”
By the time they transferred back to the school, it was already noon. Crowds of people flocked to the cafeteria in groups, while a few walked out of the campus intending to treat themselves.
“Wubao, let’s eat outside too.” Zhang Chulan pointed to the chicken pot place opposite the main gate.
“Heard that place tastes good.”
“Let’s go.”
“What a coincidence. Zhang Chulan, why are you guys here too?”
Zhang Chulan looked at the disheveled Feng Baobao and felt dizzy. He couldn’t help saying:
“I actually want to ask you, Feng Baobao, do you know how to lie? Are you squatting me specifically?”
Feng Baobao put her hands in her pockets, like a patrolling goose, walking with a hunch and a waddle.
“You really misunderstood me this time. I’m also a student at this school now. I heard Xu San say the food near the school is tasty and cheap, so I wanted to come out and taste it.”
As Feng Baobao spoke, she pointed to the bag in Zhang Chulan’s hand.
“What’s in that bag? Food?”
“Eh…” Zhang Chulan had never seen anyone with such a lack of boundaries as Feng Baobao in his life. Moreover, he didn’t understand why Feng Baobao was acting so familiar with him.
Before Zhang Chulan could answer, Feng Baobao suddenly leaned in front of Chi Wu, her two big eyes revealing curiosity.
“Chi Wu, did you not sleep yesterday? Why are your dark circles so dark?”
Zhang Chulan retracted his previous thought. Feng Baobao was simply indiscriminately familiar with everyone.
“Didn’t sleep last night, but I napped in the car just now,” Chi Wu touched his eye area and asked Feng Baobao, “Is it really heavy?”
“Really.” Feng Baobao repeated, as if afraid Chi Wu wouldn’t believe it.
“Not just a little heavy. You better sleep well in the future, or you’ll be no different from a panda.”
Zhang Chulan didn’t want to listen to the weird dialogue between these two anymore.
He reached out and pulled Chi Wu, who seemed to care about the dark circles, then turned to look at Feng Baobao who was staring at them curiously.
“Aren’t you here to eat? Let’s go, let’s go eat. My treat.”
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