Professor Shen chuckled, "I arrived yesterday and rented a place today, near Beijing University."
Yan Heqing understood why Professor Shen had returned to China; Beijing University had been inviting him back to teach.
"Are you coming back to teach?"
Professor Shen remained noncommittal. "Let's talk again in a month. Are you free tomorrow? I haven't been back for ten years; the country has changed a lot. I need a guide."
Yan Heqing readily agreed.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Lu Lin was there first, and the waiter led Yan Heqing to a private room.
After ordering several dishes recommended by Chu Ziyu, the waiter left. Lu Lin opened a bottle of Romanée-Conti, poured a glass for Yan Heqing, and said casually, "Is he the man who took you to the airport last time?"
Yan Heqing took the red wine. "Yes, he also lives in the residential area, it seems he's only two buildings away from us."
Is he married?
"No—" Yan Heqing stopped speaking, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Not everyone will like me."
Lu Lin said calmly, "According to you, he spent ten years abroad, and prestigious university research labs were vying to invite him. You just returned to China, and he immediately came back to teach at Beijing University. He even rented a place near our house. No matter what, he's highly suspicious."
"No." Yan Heqing held up a finger, her wedding ring sparkling. "He knows I'm married."
Aside from conducting experiments, Yan Heqing always wears his wedding ring, which helps him avoid most unwanted advances.
Lu Lin chuckled, and just then the waiter brought over the appetizers, so he naturally changed the subject.
The food here is indeed delicious; Yan Heqing even ordered an extra pancake.
Since it was still early after they finished eating, Yan Heqing suggested that they go see a movie. Neither of them wanted to see a movie, so they didn't buy tickets in advance and instead bought tickets for the next movie at the cinema.
The mall wasn't far from the restaurant, just a few minutes' walk away. When we arrived at the movie theater, it was around Friday night, prime time, and the lobby was full of young people.
Yan Heqing and Lu Lin were too eye-catching; as soon as they entered the hall, countless eyes turned to them.
However, both of them automatically ignored others and were not affected at all. There was an electronic display screen above the ticket counter. Yan Heqing looked up and saw the movie showing the next showing. Judging from the title, it seemed to be a romance movie.
Yan Heqing turned to Lu Lin and asked, "The game at 8:15?"
Lu Lin had no objections.
Yan Heqing then lined up to buy tickets.
Amidst the bustling crowds, Lu Lin noticed many young couples buying snacks, so he joined them and bought one as well.
Two iced Cokes, a bucket of tomato-flavored fries, no popcorn—aside from dried pineapple, Yan Heqing rarely touches other sweets.
After buying the tickets, Yan Heqing started the ticket check. Once inside, he found the venue was almost full, and the hall was quite small; they were in the last row.
The viewing experience in the last row was poor; there was only one man and one woman in the innermost seats, while Yan Heqing and Lu Lin were seated in the aisle.
Shortly after I sat down, the movie started, the lights dimmed, and only the screen had a faint glow.
The film opens with a female monologue, the scene zooms in from a distance, and freezes on a noisy tenement building.
Amidst the distinctive sounds of stir-frying in the alley, a girl in a blue and white school uniform, with a steamed bun in her mouth and her hair tied in a ponytail, hurriedly ran out of the apartment building.
"Did you bring your lunchbox?" a woman's loud voice rang out from inside the tenement building.
The female lead tied her hair up, put away the steamed bun, and ran while saying, "I brought it!"
"Slow down, don't fall! The bus will be here in six minutes!" The woman leaned out of the window.
It's a youth campus romance.
Lu Lin turned his head, and the faint fluorescent light fell on the young man's focused face; he was even watching the movie with perfect posture.
The couple on the innermost side were already locked in a passionate kiss. Lu Lin asked him in a low voice, "When you were in school, how did you manage your three meals a day?"
Yan Heqing simply said, "Bring your own lunch."
He used to pack some leftovers from the previous day and bring them to school the next day.
While other students went to the cafeteria, he would find a secluded spot to eat.
Later, when Zhao Huilin found out that he had to pay more for living expenses, he started eating in the cafeteria.
A steamed bun costs three mao (0.3 yuan) and he usually buys one every day at noon. The canteen also provides free soup, and sometimes if he's lucky, he can get radish and pork rib soup and even a piece of pork rib.
Lu Lin had never experienced hardship. He knew that many people had a difficult life, but he could never have imagined that Yan Heqing once ate only one steamed bun and drank only one cup of water a day.
Lu Lin continued watching the movie, but the plot was so boring that he had no interest in it. When the movie reached the part where the protagonist made his awkward confession, he turned to look at Yan Heqing again, but before he could say anything, he saw that Yan Heqing had fallen asleep.
Yan Heqing was still holding fries in his arms, had eaten No. 1 Primary School, and was sleeping soundly with his head slightly lowered.
He hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep in a long time.
Yan Heqing worked incredibly hard on his experiments.
One time, she got home at 2 a. m. and, not wanting to wake Lu Lin, slept on the sofa. She then went out to the lab again at 4 a. m.
Yan Heqing thought Lu Lin didn't know, but in fact, Lu Lin was always awake whenever he returned late or left early.
Lu Lin had wavered about whether to stop it, but he knew that if he spoke up, Yan Heqing would agree.
Seeing Yan Heqing's energetic demeanor when he was engrossed in studying, and the sparkle in his eyes, Lu Lin dismissed the idea.
Yan Heqing is passionate about his career; all he needs to do is support him and be his backing.
Lu Lin would cook a pot of soup for Yan Heqing every day. Whenever Yan Heqing came home or went out, he would drink a bowl of nutritious soup. This became an unspoken understanding between the two.
Lu Lin quietly watched Yan Heqing sleep. As the movie was about to end, he turned to the side, took out the French fry bucket, and half-squatted to carry Yan Heqing on his back.
Yan Heqing woke up briefly, and Lu Lin said, "It's okay, go back to sleep," so he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Using the light from the screen, and before the movie ended, Lu Lin carried Yan Heqing away from the cinema.
Stepping out of the mall, a chill immediately hit me, and it even started to snow lightly.
Although the snow was dry and wouldn't melt easily, Lu Lin was worried that Yan Heqing would catch a cold, so he quickened his pace and hurried back to the car.
Lu Lin's driver drove off, and Lu Lin drove Yan Heqing's secondhand car home.
Yan Heqing had slept well and was fully awake; he had already arrived home.