Instant noodles used to be his most important staple food—cheap and convenient.
During the period when he was growing taller, he got hungry quickly and had a large appetite. Zhao Huilin strictly remembered the amount of rice in the rice bin, and if there was less, she would scold him for eating too much and make him pay more for living expenses.
Yan Heqing bought several boxes of instant noodles and hid them under the bed. When no one was home, he would cook two packs, add a few leafy greens, and occasionally add a poached egg from the leftover eggs from cooking, which Zhao Huilin didn't know about.
Even if she wakes up hungry in the middle of the night, she can eat it dry without disturbing Zhao Yan's family by sprinkling on a seasoning packet and leaving it in the kitchen.
He got through that period of extreme hunger in this way. Although he was not getting enough nutrition, fortunately, Yan Heqing's height was like bamboo after the rain, and he grew taller in just one spring.
He must have taken after his mother; he vaguely remembered that his mother could easily pick the big red pomegranates from the top of the tree.
Yan Heqing then thought of something else, "Who won the fight between you and Mr. Xie?"
After turning a corner, Lu Lin didn't quite remember this incident. He recalled for a moment, "Was it half a tooth, or two?"
Yan Heqing fell silent.
He also encountered unreasonable students in junior high school.
A girl slipped him a love letter, and during his PE class, several boys stopped him and dragged him into the restroom.
They surrounded him, punching and kicking him, warning him not to accept girls.
He wasn't as capable as Lu Lin; when he was being beaten, all he could do was protect his head.
He didn't even consider resisting at that time.
He once read in a book that everyone is born with a pair of claws to protect themselves, which develop into great, indestructible armor as they grow older.
The child's claws were so tender; his claws had barely sprouted a point when they were broken off by Yan Shengbing's abuse.
When he was 7 years old, Yan Shengbing hit him for the first time.
He resisted then, shoving Yan Shengbing and trying to escape from the house immediately.
Just as they reached the door, Yan Shengbing grabbed them.
The drunken man was furious and punched him repeatedly in the face and body.
"Go ahead and run! I adopted you, so it's only right that I beat you! Damn it! You unwanted bastard dare to look down on me? I'll beat you to death! I'll beat you to death!"
He had never been in so much pain; all he could see was a sea of blood.
He was really scared.
So he hid his claws and silently took the beating, hoping it would minimize the damage.
This caused him to forget for a long time that he actually possessed claws, even if they weren't sharp, and that they could still fight back.
Fortunately, on his 18th birthday, God gave him an unparalleled gift.
He retrieved his claws.
"What are you thinking about?" Lu Lin noticed Yan Heqing's absent-mindedness out of the corner of his eye and broke the silence again.
"I'm thinking I'll get my driver's license soon." Yan Heqing turned his head, his eyes slightly curved. "How about I treat you to instant noodles that day? With ham, beef, and a soft-boiled egg."
Lu Lin's voice was calm and steady. "Okay."
*
The practice location and the test site are set up exactly the same, so it must be a private training ground.
The venue was open and flat, with only Lu Lin and Yan Heqing present.
Yan Heqing passed the second part of the driving test on his first try; the rest was just a matter of accumulating driving hours.
Every 15 minutes, Lu Lin would take a picture of himself practicing driving and upload it.
Time passed, and after completing a day's study hours, Yan Heqing got out of the car.
At the moment when the sky is between light and shadow, it is not so bright, but not so dark that it cannot be seen.
Lu Lin took a quick photo with his phone.
He then casually put his phone back in his pocket.
The car was left at the driving practice area, and the two walked out side by side.
Lu Lin's driver was waiting outside. Yan Heqing pointed to the subway entrance not far ahead and said, "No need to see me off. I can take the subway directly there; it's very convenient."
Lu Lin didn't press the matter, "Be careful on the road."
Nodding, Yan Heqing slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked toward the subway entrance. After a few steps, he stopped and turned back. Lu Lin was still standing there, watching him.
Yan Heqing suddenly waved to Lu Lin, " Lu Lin, see you on Saturday."
School starts tomorrow, so I won't be able to recharge my credit hours until this Saturday.
The streetlights along the road suddenly turned on, their light falling on the corners of his slightly upturned lips.
This row of lights seemed to be lit just for him.
Lu Lin's lips curled up uncontrollably, and he made a gesture he had never done before, raising his hand and waving at Yan Heqing.
Once in the car, Lu Lin remained silent. The driver, who had witnessed everything, wisely slowed down as he passed Yan Heqing.
Through the car window, Lu Lin watched Yan Heqing walk into the subway entrance before turning his gaze away, looking down, and zooming in on the candid photo.
In the photo, only half of the boy's profile is visible as he gets out of the car. The interplay of light and shadow, and the distance between them, makes Yan Heqing's face appear blurry and difficult to discern. However, Lu Lin's fingertip lands precisely on the corner of his mouth, gently and lightly caressing it.
A moment later, it became my screensaver.
--
Yan Heqing returned to the residential area. At the entrance, he saw a small supermarket that was still open and went inside.
Walking to the instant noodle shelf, where there was a wide variety of flavors available, Yan Heqing still picked the most common one: pickled cabbage and beef noodles.
I went to the fresh produce section and picked out No. 1 Primary School of beef, a head of lettuce, No. 1 Primary School bunch of scallions.
After paying the bill, Yan Heqing walked into the residential area.
As I approached the apartment building, the motion-sensor lights on the third floor were on, but those on the second and fourth floors were off.
Yan Heqing didn't have to wait long before the phone rang.
He took out his phone.
It was Lin Fengzhi had been missing for several days.
Yan Heqing didn't take it, put it back in his pocket, and walked on at a leisurely pace.
Lin Fengzhi was puzzled when the phone rang but no one answered. Yan Heqing wasn't home and wasn't answering the phone; what was he doing?
The phone automatically disconnected after a certain time. Lin Fengzhi moved the phone away and was about to dial again when he heard footsteps downstairs. He glanced down and saw that Yan Heqing had returned.
"Brother!" Lin Fengzhi, phone in hand, rushed downstairs and grabbed Yan Heqing's arm. "Come with me!"
Yan Heqing didn't move. He calmly said, "I haven't eaten yet."
Lin Fengzhi's gaze fell on his hands, only then noticing the groceries he was carrying. Lin Fengzhi paused, "It's already eight o'clock, why haven't you eaten yet?" Then she noticed his backpack, " Beijing University hasn't started classes yet, where have you been?"