Xie Xie, Get Your Wallet Ready

The noon sun the next day baked the streets warm. Gu Yue tugged on Tang Wulin's sleeve, her eyes brimming with longing, her voice soft enough to melt. "Wulin, let's go have barbecue! I heard the new place on East Street is really good!" She paused, her eyes darting around before she added, "Let's invite Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan too. The more, the merrier!"

Tang Wulin couldn't help smiling at her rare childlike expression and nodded. When the message reached Xie Xie, he was fiddling with some soul-tool components in his hands. The moment he heard that Gu Yue had invited him herself, his eyes lit up, and a bit of smug pride rose in his heart. "Oh? Miss Gu Yue finally remembered me? Looks like this young master's charm really is irresistible." Delighted, he changed clothes, even spent extra time styling his hair, then hummed a tune as he headed out.

The four met at the academy gates. Xie Xie arrived first, standing with his hands behind his back as he tried to strike a dashing pose. The moment Gu Yue and the others arrived, he went right up to them, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "Gu Yue, what made you think of inviting me today?"

Gu Yue gave him a glance, her expression as calm as still water. "Everyone here? Then let's go." With that, she naturally turned to Tang Wulin. "Wulin, lead the way."

Xie Xie followed closely beside them, occasionally making conversation. Gu Yue responded now and then, mostly with "Mm" or "Oh," but Xie Xie felt quite pleased with himself, assuming she was simply shy. By the time they reached the barbecue restaurant, the aroma was already drifting outside. Gu Yue pushed open the door first, found a window seat, and skillfully ordered a whole pile of meat and vegetables from the menu. Once the server finished taking down the order, she suddenly looked up at Xie Xie, who was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, and said casually, "Xie Xie, you'll pay the bill later."

The air fell silent for two seconds. The smile on Xie Xie's face froze. He blinked, thinking he had misheard. "...What?"

"Pay for it." Gu Yue said it as though it were perfectly obvious. She even tilted her head slightly, looking a little puzzled. "Why else did we invite you?"

Xie Xie's face instantly flushed, red from his neck to the tips of his ears. He sprang to his feet, the chair legs scraping sharply against the floor. "Gu Yue! You... you invited me just to make me pay?!"

"What else?" Gu Yue picked up her glass and took a sip, her tone as flat as if they were discussing the weather. "What other reason did you think there was?"

Xie Xie felt a breath catch in his chest. He pointed at Gu Yue, his finger trembling twice before he managed to force out the words. "You... in your eyes, I'm just a wallet?!"

"No." Gu Yue set down her cup and refuted him with complete seriousness.

Hearing that, the tiny ember in Xie Xie's heart that had nearly gone out flickered again. His expression eased a little, and he snorted. "At least you have some sense. You know this young master's worth isn't just—"

Before he could finish, Gu Yue took over. Her eyes were clear, her tone certain. "You're also a rack for hanging shopping bags. Last time we went shopping, you carried things pretty steadily."

"Pfft—" Xu Xiaoyan hurriedly covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking nonstop. Tang Wulin lowered his head as well, pressing a fist to his lips and coughing lightly as he tried to suppress his laughter.

Xie Xie froze completely, his eyes wide and round. His face went from red to green, then from green to white. His chest heaved violently like a fish out of water. His lips trembled a few times before he suddenly flung out his hand. "I'm not going! I'm not going! You can eat by yourselves! Whoever wants to pay can pay!" With that, he turned and rushed toward the door.

"Hey, don't go, Xie Xie!" Xu Xiaoyan quickly stood and grabbed his arm.

Tang Wulin also hurried to his feet and blocked his path, holding back a laugh as he coaxed, "All right, all right, Gu Yue was joking. I'll treat this meal. I'll pay, okay?"

"Is this about who pays?!" Xie Xie was so angry his hair nearly stood on end. Pointing at Gu Yue, he said, "Was she joking? She was treating me like a sucker! Like cheap labor! He couldn't go on. All he felt was grievance and fury surging straight into his head. Shaking off Xu Xiaoyan's hand, he lifted his chin stubbornly. "I'm going back to the academy! I'm not hanging out with you anymore!" With that, he tried to leave again.

"Xie Xie! Are you really leaving?" Tang Wulin grabbed him. "The meat's already ordered. Look, it's being served."

Right then, the server arrived carrying two large platters of glistening, sizzling barbecue. The rich charred aroma instantly filled the air. Xie Xie's steps paused, and his stomach betrayed him with a rumble. He gritted his teeth and shot Gu Yue an unwilling glare. Gu Yue had already picked up the tongs and begun placing slices of meat on the grill.

Xu Xiaoyan quietly tugged at Xie Xie's sleeve and whispered, "We're already here. You can be mad after you eat. Otherwise, it'd be such a waste. It smells so good."

Tang Wulin patted his shoulder as well and lowered his voice. "Why fight with food? Eat more later and get your money's worth."

Xie Xie stood there, unable to leave and unable to stay. The meat on the grill gradually changed color and curled up, fat spattering as it let out an enticing sizzle. His gaze involuntarily followed the tongs in Gu Yue's hand as she naturally placed the first cooked slice of meat into Tang Wulin's bowl. Tang Wulin smiled at her.

Xie Xie's chest tightened again. But the smell was simply too tempting. He struggled for a few seconds, then finally dropped back into his chair with a resentful thump. Crossing his arms, he turned his face away and snorted through his nose. "...Fine, I'll eat! But that doesn't mean I've forgiven you, Gu Yue! I'm only doing this for Wulin and Xiaoyan!"

Gu Yue looked up at him but said nothing. Xu Xiaoyan hurriedly smoothed things over by pouring Xie Xie a drink. Tang Wulin also nudged some cooked meat toward him.

As Xie Xie viciously bit into the meat, he swore to himself that no matter how Gu Yue begged him next time, he absolutely... absolutely wouldn't come out so easily! Unless... unless she actually apologized! Yes, that was it! As he thought that, he picked up another large piece of fragrant grilled pork belly and stuffed it into his mouth.

Gu Yue suddenly remembered something. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly stood up and walked toward the condiment station. Her movements were light, her ponytail swaying behind her. Tang Wulin was flipping the beef on the grill. When he saw her go over, he naturally followed. More than twenty jars and bottles lined the condiment counter, and Gu Yue skillfully picked up several small dishes and began mixing sauces.

She first scooped in a spoonful of dark sauce, then added some minced garlic and crushed peanuts. Finally, she sprinkled on some bright green cilantro and sesame seeds. "Here, mix it like this." She handed the prepared dish to Tang Wulin, her voice carrying a rare hint of cheerfulness. "Start with this barbecue sauce as the base, then add a little vinegar to cut the richness. If you like spice, you can add this chili powder—but sprinkle it in last, or it'll burn."

As she spoke, she demonstrated, her fingers moving nimbly among the various condiment bottles.

Tang Wulin copied her and mixed a small dish for himself. After tasting it, his eyes immediately lit up. "It really is delicious!" The corners of Gu Yue's lips lifted slightly, a flash of pride passing through her eyes as she lowered her head and mixed some more for him.

Their backs stood rather close together at the condiment counter. From Xie Xie's angle, the harmony between them was almost blinding. Sitting at the table, Xie Xie poked at the kimchi in his bowl with his chopsticks, staring in that direction as a sour feeling rose in his heart.

Why? he thought resentfully. During training, Gu Yue was always so cold toward everyone. Why did she seem like a different person around Tang Wulin? And judging by how skilled she was, she must have grilled food for herself plenty of times before, right? Maybe she was even some kind of seasoned foodie... Thinking of that only made Xie Xie more depressed. The small dish in his hand nearly slipped out and shattered. He quickly steadied it, and it wobbled in his palm with a crisp clink.

When Gu Yue returned carrying two dishes of seasoning, Xie Xie deliberately turned his face away, grabbed a large piece of meat, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing with a little too much force. Tang Wulin, completely oblivious, eagerly pushed Gu Yue's seasoning toward Xie Xie. "Try it. Gu Yue mixed it, and it's really good."

Xie Xie glanced at the enticingly colored seasoning, feeling awkward inside, but his words remained stiff. "I can mix my own." After saying that, he dipped his meat into the ordinary soy sauce in front of him, only to frown at the saltiness.

Gu Yue seemed not to notice his little mood—or perhaps she noticed and simply didn't care. She sat down, wrapped a perfectly grilled piece of pork belly in lettuce, and elegantly placed it in her mouth. Her eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction.

Tang Wulin continued praising Gu Yue as he ate. "Your recipe is incredible. The sweet, sour, and spicy balance is perfect. It brings out all the freshness of the meat." Gu Yue's ears turned faintly red at the compliment, but she put on a composed front and took a sip of iced black tea. "It's nothing. I just used to eat it this way a lot." She said it lightly, but the slight lift in her tone gave away her happiness.

Xie Xie ate meat in silence, finding it more and more tasteless. He watched Tang Wulin naturally place another piece of grilled mushroom into Gu Yue's bowl. Gu Yue actually didn't refuse it, even softly saying thank you. The fire in his heart burned even hotter.

For the latter half of the meal, Xie Xie barely spoke. He just kept eating with his head down, as if he were sulking at someone. Xu Xiaoyan couldn't persuade him to stop. The meat on the grill gradually dwindled, and only a few pieces of lettuce remained. Tang Wulin suggested ordering more vegetables, but Gu Yue shook her head and said she was full. Xie Xie also put down his chopsticks and said stiffly, "I'm full too."

When it was time to pay, Tang Wulin naturally took out his wallet, but Gu Yue had already handed her card to the server first. Watching them, Xie Xie began grumbling to himself again. Since when had those two become so in sync? As they left the barbecue restaurant, the night wind brushed against their faces with a trace of coolness.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue walked side by side in front, while Xu Xiaoyan followed beside them, discussing whether they should come again next weekend. Xie Xie trailed slowly behind, kicking little stones along the road.

The streetlights stretched the four of their shadows long. Tang Wulin's and Gu Yue's shadows overlapped from time to time, while Xie Xie's shadow dragged lonely behind them.

Gu Yue looked back, as if only then noticing that he had fallen a little far behind. "Walk faster," she said, her tone as indifferent as usual, though in the night, it seemed to hold a little less distance than before.

Xie Xie quickened his pace and caught up. The four walked side by side along the sidewalk, and no one spoke again.