03

Do you think I have a lot of things? Yao Yizhou, can we not discuss this topic today? Let's talk about something light and pleasant, like the lamb. You said, if the lamb knew that it would be killed after growing up and its meat would be eaten by people, would it still want to be born? You said, would it choose to die while still in the womb? I looked at Yao Yizhou, waiting for his response. You said, would it choose to die while still in the womb? I looked at Yao Yizhou, waiting for his response

Now, recalling what Xiao Yu said, I suddenly wonder if Ji Chuan and I have reached the point of breaking up

Years have passed, and Yao Yizhou's fear of barbecuing has long since vanished under my repeated encouragement, especially during the summer each year when we have frequented the barbecue shops around the school countless times

Yao Yizhou's words made all the classmates laugh so hard that they could hardly stand up. In fact, what I find most puzzling is that since he does not eat barbecue, why did he come to participate in a barbecue event and even bring so much meat

I strive to open my eyes, but no matter how hard I try, I am unable to do so

The wedding dress still displayed in the most beautiful manner in the window, and the expressionless mannequin seemed to mock my disappointment. Yet, I could only quietly turn my face away, turning my back to Yao Yizhou as I wiped the tears from my cheeks

As I pulled out a few napkins from the napkin holder on the table to wipe the surface, I casually asked a question, but little did I know that it left Yao Yizhou speechless, his smile seemingly frozen on his face.

Yao Yizhou noticed my unusual behavior and took out a box of cut fruit from the desk, placing it in front of me

Yao Yizhou seemed to have noticed my unusual behavior, but he merely smiled and nodded slowly, saying: "Alright"

Recollecting my thoughts, I pulled Yao Yizhou and ran wildly down the street. Soon, we arrived at that familiar barbecue restaurant in the alley.

I handed the menu to Yao Yizhou, but he waved his hand and said, "That's enough, just these."

As I pondered, my tears could not help but silently fall

Being gently cared for by a boy who is not my boyfriend, I suddenly felt quite uncomfortable. With a long sigh, I remarked, "Yizhou, I believe that your future girlfriend must have saved the galaxy in her past life to be so fortunate as to have such a gentle and considerate boyfriend like you"

Once, a group of us students organized a spring outing, and it was decided that everyone would bring their own food to cook together on an electric grill. On the day of the outing, the food brought by the students was piled up almost like a mountain. What was most amusing was that everyone had brought various types of meat.

It is yet another sleepless night, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot fall asleep with my eyes wide open

Then, it seemed that I heard someone calling my name. I wanted to respond to the person who was calling me, to ask him where I was at that moment, but the words turned into a whisper before they could leave my lips

I just ordered boldly, but Yao Yizhou started laughing while covering his mouth: "Didn't you just say that you wanted to eat their roasted potato slices and roasted steamed bun slices? Why did you end up ordering a bunch of meat as soon as we got here?"

Yao Yizhou remained silent. I handed him the grilled lamb skewers and said, "Go ahead and eat, you know that their barbecue tastes best when it's hot."

He seemed to recall the times we had barbecues in the past and couldn't help but laugh along with me

After entering university, the battlefield between Yao Yizhou and me shifted to a barbecue restaurant near the campus, and Yao Yizhou transformed from a youth who was immensely fearful of barbecues into a seasoned barbecue "foodie"

Yao Yizhou paused for a moment before slowly asking me: "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Outside the school, the traffic was bustling and noisy. Yao Yizhou and I stood at the school gate with our backpacks, unsure of where to go. Yao Yizhou stood beside me, waiting for me to make a decision—he has always been this way, respecting any choice I make. At this moment, his presence brought me an immense sense of peace.

I realized that this question might have touched a nerve for Yao Yizhou, so I quickly said: "I am just curious, asking casually. If you do not wish to speak about it, I will not force you."

In fact, I had secretly tried on this wedding dress a long time ago. I originally planned to wait until graduation to wear this wedding dress and marry Ji Chuan, turning my love into marriage. Being able to be with Ji Chuan has always been my dream, but now, the once resolute me has become hesitant. The future that once seemed within reach has also become blurred.

I did not respond to Yao Yizhou because I know he is right; I have indeed changed a lot. However, I cannot tell him that my changes are related to Ji Chuan

If only the person beside me right now were Ji Chuan ... I silently thought to myself, but the more I thought about it, the sadder I felt, so I picked up the beer on the table and drank it down.

I took a napkin, casually wiped my mouth, unsure if I had cleaned it properly, and then sent the second skewer of lamb to my mouth

After class on the second day, I lay on the desk, my face devoid of any expression

He fell into deep thought, seemingly unsure of how to respond to my question

Seeing that he had already begun to take action, I picked up the backpack that had never been opened and stood up to walk outside. Yao Yizhou quickly followed suit

The tears are scalding, yet my face is cold

Just as I finished one skewer and reached for the second, Yao Yizhou pulled out a few napkins from the napkin holder and handed them to me, smiling as he said: "Wipe the meat sauce from the corner of your mouth"

"Wen Ya, what is wrong with you? Why aren't you leaving?" A concerned voice came from beside me, belonging to Yao Yizhou

Just when I wanted to struggle, my lips suddenly relaxed

I originally thought Yao Yizhou would take the opportunity to boast, yet he remained silent, his gaze no longer held the tenderness from before, but instead carried an indescribable sadness.

After a long period of silence, Yao Yizhou whispered in my ear: "Wen Ya, have you noticed that you have changed a lot now?"

I remember one year, I had a conflict with Ji Chuan, and not only did Shen Xiaoyu not offer a single word of advice, but she also encouraged me to break up with Ji Chuan

I do not quite understand the intention behind Yao Yizhou's question, but I still nodded: "Of course I have a boyfriend, you know that, so why ask me a question you already know the answer to? I am quite devoted, and in my heart, there is only Ji Chuan."

In a daze, I felt as if I had been helped into a taxi. The journey seemed to be constantly swaying, causing my stomach to churn repeatedly, until I lay down on the soft bed, at which point I felt somewhat better

When I finished the third bottle of beer, a wave of dizziness hit me, my vision became blurred, and I collapsed onto the table, unconscious

I smiled at my boss and nodded in gratitude: "Thank you, boss!"

You see, you possess more than I do; you have a boyfriend, while I do not even have a girlfriend.

Yao Yizhou took the lamb skewer and carefully bit into it. His refined way of eating was completely different from mine; I belong to the "generous" type of person, directly bringing the skewer to my mouth and tearing off the entire piece of meat in one bite

I am not someone who can control my emotions well, and at that moment, I said I wanted to sever ties with her

Faintly, I heard a deep sigh beside my ear

I turned my face away, forcing a smile to mask the awkwardness of the changed circumstances, and then said: "It seems like there is sand in my eyes... It's nothing, let's go, we can have barbecue. Do you still want to eat the baked potato slices? I remember the place we used to go to, the baked potato slices and the grilled bread slices were both quite good."

That day, almost everyone was on the verge of bursting from overeating, yet Yao Yizhou had not eaten a single bite. When I asked him why, he simply took a slow sip of water and said leisurely: "My parents do not allow me to eat barbecue"

I looked at Yao Yizhou with embarrassment, but he smiled gently and said, "Hurry up and eat, have a little more."

Yao Yizhou helped me put away the backpack, and I was not polite with him, randomly ordering from the menu: "Grilled lamb, grilled chicken wings, grilled yellow croaker, grilled squid, and ten bottles of beer."

"Yizhou, I feel quite bored. Would you like to go out for a walk together?" I turned my face to look at Yao Yizhou.

Such low-quality sleep directly affects my mental state the next day

On the way to the barbecue restaurant with Yao Yizhou, we passed by a wedding dress shop. In the large window of the shop, a mannequin was dressed in a beautiful white wedding gown. I stood by the window, staring intently at the white wedding dress, and a strange sense of bitterness rose in my heart

I laughed uncontrollably upon hearing this. At that time, I truly could not believe that there were still children who listened to their parents in this day and age; it was simply too peculiar. However, Yao Yizhou spoke very seriously and earnestly, saying: "Barbecued food can cause cancer, so it is better to be cautious."

Yao Yizhou pressed one hand against the hand holding the lamb skewer, while with the other hand, he snatched the napkin from my grasp and carefully wiped away the meat sauce from the corner of my mouth

Yao Yizhou nodded in agreement and said, "Let's go." After speaking, he began to pack his belongings

The little fish smiled bitterly and said, "You see, I asked you to break up, but you refused, which proves that you still have feelings for Ji Chuan. Since that is the case, you two should not separate. Although you currently have conflicts, it is simply a matter of resolving those conflicts; there is no knot that cannot be untied. Between you and him, one of you must be the first to lower your head."

If it were in the past, I would certainly not have held back, but now I have no appetite at all

I touched my head and, feeling embarrassed, started to laugh: "Oh dear, I forgot! You didn't remind me either, so why don't you go ahead and order again!"

"Let's go have barbecue," I said, turning my head to smile at Yao Yizhou

My fierce drinking style seems to have startled Yao Yizhou, who patted my arm and gently advised, "Wen Ya, don't drink anymore"

Yizhou, why haven't you found a girlfriend yet? Is it because your standards for a girlfriend are particularly high? After all these years, you haven't dated a single girl. Haven't you encountered someone you like?

Indeed, after all these years, my capacity for alcohol has only reached three bottles...

Suddenly, a wet object pressed against my lips, draining all the strength from my body

The boss placed a steaming plate of freshly grilled lamb skewers and chicken wings on the table, warmly greeting us: "Take your time eating, be careful not to burn yourself. Young lady, I know you like cumin, so I made sure to add a little extra for you."

I believe that, given his understanding of me, he must know that I am not referring to a sheep; in fact, I am talking about myself

Originally, I only intended to take a sip of alcohol and then set it down, but for some reason, after being persuaded by Yao Yizhou, I lost control and ended up drinking bottle after bottle