Chapter Thirty-One: Strolling in the Rainy Street

  After several weeks, although some people would occasionally gossip about Zhao Shui Guang in their free time, everyone saw that the two of them had a stable life and there was nothing much to talk about in the end.

  "It's not like they have a crush on me, who cares about me that much?"

  It's almost July and everyone is busy preparing for the final exams, so they are all very busy and the library is always crowded with people waiting in line to get in, who has time to bother with other things.

  In July, the weather was so hot that it felt like it was on fire. Zhao Shuiguan was lying in bed studying with an electric fan blowing on her when she received a text message from Tan Shumeng asking if she wanted to have lunch together at noon. She suddenly remembered that she had said: "In the future, when you're free, you can accompany me to eat lunch together".

  Zhao Shuiguang wasn't as lucky as Peng Xiaoxiao. Even in the summer, Peng Xiaoxiao would stay in her dorm and wouldn't even go to the cafeteria with her boyfriend. But her boyfriend was truly a filial son - whenever Peng Xiaoxiao didn't want to go downstairs for meals, he would buy her rice bowls from the back street and send them to the balcony on the lower floor. Peng Xiaoxiao would then throw down a thick rope, and her boyfriend would tie the plastic bag to it with a string. With just a slight movement of her finger, Peng Xiaoxiao could get food to eat. This move made the other three people envy her so much that they gritted their teeth in anger. Yang Yang would often mock Peng Xiaoxiao while she was eating: "Comrade Xiaoxiao, I've figured it out - you're dating a boyfriend just to have someone deliver meals for you!" Zhao Shuiguang said: "Pengpeng, if you keep leading the way like this, by noon, all the windows of the dormitories will be throwing out ropes, who knows, maybe they'll think it's a flying tiger team operation!"

  Tan Shu Mo sent a text message: Come down, I'll take you to eat wontons.

  Zhao Shuiguang suddenly came to life, and the wonton restaurant near school became famous. It was her favorite, and she often muttered in front of Tang Book that she would go eat at this wonton house today. She quickly put on her shoes and rushed downstairs, "rustling" and "crashing". When she reached the first floor, she saw a male student sending food to his girlfriend again. The school did not allow boys to enter the girls' dormitory for safety reasons, so the entire first floor of the dormitory was surrounded by iron railings. The boy handed over the lunchbox from under the railing, which was like a prison visit. Zhao Shuiguang couldn't help but burst out laughing, and the couple turned around to glare at her. It was probably a freshman couple, and the girl hugged the box and chatted with her boyfriend in the scorching sun, even forgetting to eat.

  People in love often imagine themselves doing what other couples do. Zhao Shuiguan thought that if he and Shu Mei were like this, they would be in a great state. As soon as he walked out the door, he saw her standing under the big tree at the entrance of the dormitory, looking refreshed and walking quickly towards him with a smile.

  The restaurant has air conditioning, but it's not particularly cool. During peak dining hours, there are too many people, the door opens and closes repeatedly, and the cold air is all blown away.

  Looking at the menu on the plastic board, Tan Shu Mo asked: "What do you want to eat?"

  Zhao Shuiguan suddenly felt a little dizzy, she had been to this restaurant many times, heard too many couples standing under the menu board asking "what to eat?", but never thought that Tan Shumeng would also stand here. Hearing him casually ask such a sentence, she suddenly felt that everything was clear in her heart, inexplicably excited. It turned out that he understood, didn't drive, didn't go to high-end restaurants, stood under her dormitory building waiting for her, the two of them like an ordinary university couple, chatting idly, walking slowly to this restaurant that university students quite liked.

  Zhao Shuiguang said: "Whatever."

  "Is there a dish called 'random'?"

  "Then there's duck blood and vermicelli soup and wontons."

  Tan Shu Mo pointed at him and said, "Look at Zhao Shui Guang following behind his butt", then knocked on her head and said: "Go find a spot."

  Zhao Shuiguan finally squeezed into a spot, sat down, took out a tissue to wipe the table, and looked at Tan Shu with a small ticket in hand standing by the window. His slender fingers grasped the emerald green tray, which didn't look tacky at all when he held it, his profile was as sharp as if drawn with charcoal, his clear and cold eyebrows gazed forward, as if searching for something, he turned his head to glance around, their eyes met, and he smiled warmly.

  Zhao Shuiguang still ran over and stood beside Tan Shumeng. Tan Shumeng hooked his mouth and smiled: "How did you come, wasn't I supposed to take your place?"

  Zhao Shuiguang said: "I told the girl next to me to help take a look, it's nothing."

  She added a sentence: "You are so boring alone." Later, thinking about it, I realized that people who talk about books and ink are the ones who are bored. Alas, she is the one who is bored.

  Standing beside Tan Shu and talking to him was a trivial matter in life, speaking out bit by bit, adding her humorous ideas, he would laugh and lower his head to look at her, with starry twinkling lights in his eyes, the two of them moving forward while chatting as the team shortened.

  It's the two of them to get their meals now. Zhao Shuiguan shouted, "Master, no blood duck." Tan Shumeng said, "Thank you, no blood duck, no duck intestines, no duck liver."

  Zhao Shuiguan tilted his head and asked: "Then what did you eat?" Tan Shui Mo said very seriously: "Soup and noodles."

  Someone picked up the bowl and it was indeed a big lump of rice noodles!

  The two sat down, Zhao Shuiguan took a spoon to drink the soup, and was slapped by a shadowless palm. He heard Xu Ying's voice: "Consider it caught for me!" Zhao Shuiguan choked on a mouthful of soup.

  Xu Ying went to the library for self-study today and asked her fellow townspeople to have lunch together. As soon as she entered, she saw Zhao Shui Guang's face and quickly ran over to greet him.

  A hand with distinct joints handed Zhao Shuiguan a paper towel, and Xu Ying was about to say which man's hand looked so good. Along the hand, she looked up and was shocked. The face that was 30% sexy and 70% cold was none other than Tan Shumeng. Xu Ying was stunned, not expecting these two to come here. She weakly called out: "Teacher Tan". Tan Shumeng nodded slightly, just as the person next to him got up with a tray. He smiled shallowly: "Let's sit together."

  Xu Ying didn't dare disobey, took the meal and quickly pulled her fellow villager to sit down. Her fellow villager had also long heard of Tan Shu's great name in the world of books and ink, and this was exactly what she had been hoping for.

  Zhao Shuiguan handed the soup dumplings to them, and Xu Ying was originally sitting next to Zhao Shuiguan in the morning, not even daring to breathe loudly, staring at her own fans eating, secretly observing the two. She discovered that Tan Shumeng would push the chili sauce in front of Zhao Shuiguan, and Zhao Shuiguan would add it to the soup after opening the lid. Having eaten with Zhao Shuiguan for so long, she only found out today that this person really could eat spicy food. She also saw Tan Shumeng pick up the duck intestines from his own bowl into Zhao Shuiguan's bowl, and Zhao Shuiguan ate them without even blinking an eye. Although they were two completely different people, doing such things seemed like the most natural thing to do.

  Xu Ying looked at Tan and saw that the luster on his glasses seemed to have faded, and her impression of him was no longer just that of a cold and detached teacher on the podium. She also became bolder and asked: "Teacher Tan, why is there only corn flour in your bowl?"

  Zhao Shuiguan took a bite of the wonton and said: "This guy is picky, doesn't eat liver-like things!"

  Tan Shu Mo twisted open a mineral water bottle and said: "Zhao Shui Guang, from now on you eat carrots by yourself."

  Zhao Shuiguang quickly shut his mouth, heaven knows she hated eating carrots the most, every time there were some he would pick them out for her to eat. Tan Shumeng finally exploded one day, saying helplessly: "Zhao Shuiguang, when did you become so obedient? I said I don't hate eating carrots, not that I like eating them."

  Two people together sometimes remember not just what they said to each other, but also what they did.

  From then on, Zhao Shuiguan would suddenly think of Tan Shuming whenever he ate carrots in his dishes.

  It turns out I remembered much more than I imagined.

  Xu Ying saw the two arguing and was amazed, her impression of Tan also became more ordinary. She plucked up the courage to ask: "How did Teacher Tan get to know Xiao Guang?" Although she had heard Zhao Shui Guang's explanation before, it was vague at that time, and Zhao Shui Guang was shy, so he didn't say any details.

  Tan Shu Mo looked up and took a sip of water, watching as the person with their head down eating turned bright red in the ears. He raised a smile and said, "I'm her high school teacher."

  Xu Ying and her fellow villager exchanged a glance, almost thinking they had misheard. These two still have such a deep connection? Xu Ying secretly pinched Zhao Shui Guang's thigh under the table, and Zhao Shui Guang let out an "ah" of surprise. He caught a glimpse of Tan Shu Mo's smile with profound meaning at the corner of his mouth, and glared at him fiercely, but that person just smiled even more happily.

  Xu Yingping calmed down her young heart and asked: "So you guys were together in high school?"

  After asking, she felt very cunning, but couldn't control her mouth. She was curious to death and thought that someone with a bookworm personality would not answer her.

  Tan Shu Mo smiled lightly and said: "No."

  Xu Ying couldn't help but want him to finish speaking and be done with it, but she still didn't have the nerve, so she could only change the subject with her.

  Zhaoshuiguan, although he kept his mouth shut and made an effort to eat, everything was still on his mind. In the past when he was with Huanhuan, all their friends were familiar faces, so there was no comparison to be made. However, Zhaoshuiguan had also had dinner with the boyfriends of female friends before, and most males would feel uncomfortable in such situations. Moreover, the questions asked by females often lacked logic, leaving males either making excuses to flee or struggling to maintain a poker face.

  But when talking about books and ink, he was patient from start to finish, not impatient or enthusiastic. He just sat there quietly listening, the restaurant's noise was too loud, he occasionally leaned in a bit closer to hear clearly, then hung a shallow smile and replied.

  This moved Zhao Shuiguan deeply, a man who respects you will also respect your friends.

  Zhao Shuiguang and Tan Shumeng finished eating first and left, but it suddenly started raining when they went out. They bought an umbrella at the supermarket next door. Opening a transparent umbrella, the two walked side by side into the rain.

  Before long, Zhao Shuiguan's mobile phone vibrated. He opened it and saw a message from Xu Ying: "Dear, the appraisal is done, good man indeed! PS: Your gaze at me is simply naked true feelings!" Zhao Shuiguan blushed, grumbling that Xu Ying was being too much, and closed his phone.

  Tan Shu Mo looked at her and asked: "What's wrong?"

  "It's nothing."

  Hurry to school, saw two girls desperately walking forward, walked five steps away from them, seemingly unintentionally turned back and took a quick glance at them, then turned back and gathered together. Zhao Shuiguan thought to himself, "What a mistake! What a mistake! If only I had bought a big black umbrella to cover everything."

  Tan Shu saw her frowning and gritting her teeth, looking quite unhappy.

  Summer rain, "patter" on the umbrella, a bit of damp soil in the air, the school cafeteria, a large pot of smoke rising from the stove, Tan Shu Mo stretched out his warm arm and wrapped it around Zhao Shui Guang's shoulder, his slender fingers gently placed on her shoulder, she was nestled in the crook of his arm, a beautiful arc tightly embracing her heart.

  After trampling through a puddle, Tan Shu Mo asked Zhao Shui Guang, "What are you planning to do for summer vacation?"

  Zhao Shuiguang said: "Let's play." Remembering that he went to the UK and made her sad for so long last year, he quickly asked: "Are you going to attend a meeting again?"

  Tan Shu Mo said: "Maybe, but it won't be long, I'm preparing to go back home for a trip." After thinking about it, he asked casually: "Want to go play in Beijing?"

  Zhao Shuiguang thought for a moment and said: "Think about it." But then he felt that something was off.

  Tan Shu Mo's fingers tightened on the umbrella handle as he said lightly, "You can go to Beijing for a trip and drop by my place."

  Zhao Shuiguan was startled and his foot "slapped" into the puddle, instantly splashing mud onto both of their pants. She frantically pulled out a tissue, pretending to squat down to wipe it off, but he let out a sigh, supported her, handed her the umbrella handle, and bent down himself. With one hand holding up her pant leg and the other gently wiping away the stain.

  Zhao Shuiguan was quite embarrassed, although there were not many people now, but after all, he was in school, and as a professor, it would be gossip if someone saw him, so he struggled free and said: "It's nothing, I don't want to, I'm letting you wipe it."

  Tan Shu Mo knew her embarrassment, stood up, faintly put the paper into his pocket, took back the umbrella handle, and the two were speechless for a moment, only hearing the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella.

  Zhao Shuiguan's heart was racing as he said: "I'm not unwilling to go, I just haven't thought it through yet. I also want to accompany my mom and maybe attend some classes."

  She's telling the truth, she needs to think carefully. Talking about books and ink, saying "go to Beijing for a play and come to my house for a sit", cheating ghost, it should be go to my house for a sit and then go to Beijing for a play!

  Tan Shu Mo leaned sideways and tucked her hair behind her ear, then pulled her back in and said, "It's okay."

  He's being too hasty, when will he be so impatient about books and ink? Never mind, let's take it easy.

  Outside the umbrella, it's a curtain of rain. The pinkish-white petals on the branches are knocked down, spinning and falling, but their vines seem to be creeping upwards. Raindrops hit the green eyelashes clustered around the flower stems, emitting a dazzling new green.

  It is true that there are two worlds: one outside the umbrella and another inside it.

  Soon, after the summer vacation, Tan Shu Mo stayed for a few days and then flew back to Beijing. Zhao Shui Guang called him every day and sent text messages, which seemed to be a daily routine. She couldn't bear her own laziness and wanted to find something to do. Unfortunately, before she could think of anything, something happened - Zhao's mom called: "Daughter, hurry up and take a taxi to the People's Hospital, your grandma had a sudden stroke this morning."