Chương 39: Chapter 39: Unexpected reunion and spiritual corner
Su Ran's expression began to become unnatural. Xu Tianna, who was sitting opposite him, noticed something strange. She looked at Su Ran, then looked back along his gaze, and her eyes met Lin Yue's.
Xu Tianna was cold and aloof, and Lin Yue was born arrogant. The two of them were facing each other like this, but neither of them took the initiative to say hello. Instead, Lu Chen waved at Su Ran and said, "Su Ran, you are having dinner with your girlfriend."
"Well, it's just right that you are here, let's share a table together." Although Su Ran was extremely reluctant to meet like this, he still made an invitation out of courtesy. This forced courtesy made him feel awkward, but he had to do it.
Lin Yue took Lu Chen's arm, shook his head and said, "No, let's sit over there to avoid crowding."
Lu Chen obeyed Lin Yue's words. He smiled at Su Ran and walked to another table with Lin Yue. Looking at their backs, Su Ran thought that after this unexpected encounter, Lin Yue and Lu Chen should be convinced that he and Xu Tianna were in a relationship. After all, today was their date alone, and they should have enjoyed dinner time that belonged only to each other.
This was probably the first time that Lin Yue had come to "Sky" for dinner in the few days since she returned to China. CC was obviously very surprised when she saw Lin Yue. She served draft beer and Coke to Lin Yue and Lu Chen just like she did to Su Ran and the others, but she did not mention the past. In CC's eyes, Su Ran and Lin Yue both had new partners at the moment, and it was not appropriate to mention the past and it would also destroy the current atmosphere.
During the meal, Su Ran and Lu Chen chatted for a few words across a few tables. Su Ran asked Lu Chen why he and Lin Yue were still in Suzhou. Lu Chen replied that Suzhou was where they went to college, but they rarely came back in recent years. While they were both free, they wanted to play here for a few more days, but Lin Yue would go to Nanjing with him in a few days.
Lu Chen's words were like a sharp sword, piercing Su Ran's sensitive and fragile nerves. He knew in his heart that Lin Yue went to Nanjing to meet Lu Chen's family. Perhaps it would not be long before he really received their wedding invitation, which would tear his heart to pieces again.
During the whole meal, Su Ran felt like sitting on pins and needles, but he always restrained himself from looking at Lin Yue and did not dare to drink too much. He warned himself again and again in his heart: those past times have long been diluted by the torrent of time. No matter how much reluctance there is in the heart, no matter how much self-torture, it cannot change the established facts.
Su Ran knew that from the moment Lin Yue put on the crystal diamond necklace given by Lu Chen, he seemed to be imprisoned in a world isolated from the world, with an indestructible wall built around him, closing himself tightly, not looking, not thinking, trying to make himself no longer painful.
At some point, Lu Chen and Lin Yue had finished their meal before them, and just said hello and got up and left. Su Ran watched them walk into the narrow alley. The warm scene at the corner where you could buy roasted sweet potatoes on winter nights in the past was now blurred.
This night was chilly.
Xu Tianna waved her hand gently in front of Su Ran's eyes, awakening him from his trance. Su Ran realized that this was originally a dinner for him and Xu Tianna. He smiled apologetically, raised his glass to Xu Tianna, and drank the draft beer in the glass, but his mind was still clear.
The dinner was still going on, not because Su Ran and Xu Tianna were eating slowly, but because Lin Yue and Lu Chen left too hastily. Su Ran asked for another glass of draft beer, not because he wanted to drown his sorrows in wine, he knew that such draft beer could not make him drunk at all, but just wanted to use this cold wine to make himself more sober.
Half an hour later, Su Ran and Xu Tianna finished their dinner and stood up to leave.
"Su Ran, you haven't paid yet?" Xu Tianna said and pulled him.
"We are such close friends, why do you need to pay?" Su Ran continued to walk forward, actually just joking with Xu Tianna. In fact, they were silent most of the time during the meal, and they had little communication. When they were about to leave, they teased her and wanted to make this night look less depressing and heavy.
Xu Tianna increased the strength of her hand and pulled Su Ran. The originally calm expression on her face was now full of anger: "You are a person with bad behavior. If everyone is like you, how can your friend's restaurant run?"
"You drank too much, right? It's strange that Coke can make people drunk?" Su Ran looked at Xu Tianna with a smile, and her excitement at the moment was completely different from her usual calmness.
Xu Tianna realized that she had lost her composure and stopped entangled with Su Ran. She took out her wallet and walked straight to the bar. At this moment, Su Ran understood even more how much Xu Tianna hated his bad behavior, and even hated it to the point that she ignored her own manners and pulled him in public.
Su Ran quickly followed, grabbed Xu Tianna, and said to her: "I said I would treat you, how can I let you pay?"
"I don't want to associate with a rogue like you, don't talk to me." Xu Tianna said angrily.
"Haha, I'm kidding you, the place to pay the bill is not at the bar, but in that corner." Su Ran turned Xu Tianna's body and let her see the box in the corner.
Xu Tianna looked at him with some doubts. She had been facing the box while eating and didn't know the situation.
Su Ran smiled and explained: "Didn't you see that there are no prices on the menu we ordered? Eating here is all based on self-consciousness. Just put the money in the box when you leave."
"How much do you want to put in?" Xu Tianna asked in surprise.
"Yes, no one will supervise you here." Su Ran replied.
"But this..." Xu Tianna hesitated.
Su Ran took Xu Tianna to the corner where the boxes were placed, took out 300 yuan from his wallet and put it in the box, then said to her: "People who come here to consume have had a pure empty city in their hearts. No one will use worldly materials to blaspheme it, so this store has been operating for many years and has not lost money. If there is still a pure land in this world, it must be here." On the way back, Xu Tianna drove a small Alto on the city roads. She seemed to still be obsessed with the "Empty City Music Theme Restaurant" and asked Su Ran again: "Su Ran, have all the customers of that restaurant abided by this rule for so many years?" "Of course not, when this restaurant first opened, there were many people who came to eat for free and escaped the bill." Su Ran replied. Xu Tianna was not surprised by this answer. After all, there is no shortage of people in this world who love to take advantage of small things and try to get something for nothing. She then asked, "Why did everyone follow the rules?"
Su Ran fell into memories and said slowly, "At that time, we all felt that this idealized way of operation was difficult to sustain because it was too unrealistic. If it continued like this, we would inevitably be unable to make ends meet and would be difficult to support. Finally, one day, we posted a notice of closure on the bulletin board of the restaurant."
"Then what?" Xu Tianna listened attentively.
"On the last night before the closure, many people still brought their families to eat free dinner. We were discouraged and felt that we were too stupid. This idealized way of operation ultimately exposed the ugliness of human nature." Su Ran's tone was filled with helplessness.
Xu Tianna nodded thoughtfully.
Su Ran opened the car window, lit a cigarette, and continued: "After closing that night, a few of us friends were in a low mood, closed the door and drank a lot of wine, thinking that after this night, the 'Empty City' would no longer exist." He exhaled a puff of smoke and said with a wry smile: "Maybe there really is such a thing as a desperate situation. When we opened the box to calculate the day's operating income, we found a full 100,000 yuan in cash. We were all shocked, but no one knew which customer put it in." "So this restaurant can continue to operate because of this 100,000 yuan?" Xu Tianna asked. Su Ran nodded and said, "Well, this 100,000 yuan gave us the motivation to continue operating. To be more precise, it was a kind of spiritual support. For the sake of that unknown kind-hearted person, we couldn't let 'Kongchengli' close down. Later, we changed the box to a transparent one, so that everyone could see at a glance how much money they put in after dinner. Those stingy people who only threw a few coins in, my friends and I blocked them in the alley and taught them a lesson. Over time, those who like to take advantage of small things dared not come. CC She didn't know about this until now. If she knew, she would definitely not agree with us doing this. It took a long time before we changed the transparent boxes back to opaque ones. At this time, the restaurant was basically able to maintain normal operations, but occasionally there would still be people who wanted to fish in troubled waters. "After listening to Su Ran's story, Xu Tianna, who had always been indifferent, was rarely united against the enemy: "Well done, those wicked people should be taught a lesson. But you abused lynching like this, wouldn't those who were beaten call the police?" "Of course I would call the police, but one of our friends is the local police officer, so he turned a blind eye. Besides, we didn't extort money, and we knew how to act. We just warned them, as long as the restaurant could operate normally. "Su Ran explained. Xu Tianna looked at Su Ran and suddenly laughed. Su Ran looked at her in surprise, not knowing why. "I find it funny to hear you scold others for being wicked." Xu Tianna explained with a smile. "Who stipulates that wicked people can't scold others for being wicked?" Su Ran said unconvinced. "I didn't say you were bad this time." Xu Tianna responded with a smile.
"That's what you meant. Do you think I'm stupid? Can't you hear it?" Su Ran pretended to be angry.
Xu Tianna laughed "Haha". It was the first time he saw her laugh so happily during the days he spent with Su Ran. At this moment, she was cheerful and even more beautiful. The Alto was driving briskly in the light and shadow of the city, as if there were fewer worldly disturbances and more crisp and pleasant laughter. This laughter also made Su Ran feel a little relieved. He looked at Xu Tianna, and a different ripple appeared in his heart. He didn't know where this relationship, which became delicate due to an unexpected episode, would go in the future, and what kind of story would be woven between his entanglement with Lin Yue and Lu Chen in this complex emotional network.
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực