In the early summer in Haicheng, sunny days and rainy days alternate unevenly.
It was not until Su Yang walked out of the gate of "Suye" and took the escalator up to the ground that she noticed it had rained outside at some point.
There were still puddles of water on the ground, indicating that the sudden rain had been quite heavy.
After the rain, the wind was cool. The oncoming night wind made Su Yang shiver, and she subconsciously hugged the bag in her arms.
Suddenly, a heavy coat landed on her shoulders.
Su Yang turned her head and saw Xu Lize's hand moving away from her shoulder.
"I don't need it. You..."
"Tell me. Why did you work here before?"
In the night, Xu Lize took out a cigarette case and matches from his pocket while speaking.
With a "snap", the wind - blown flame was lit in the night, illuminating Xu Lize's half - lit and half - shadowed profile.
Su Yang couldn't remember how long it had been since she last saw someone light a cigarette with a match. Curious to find out, she leaned forward only to find that Xu Lize had already turned his head and was staring at her.
The smell of nicotine hit her face, like a key to unlock the locked memories, instantly evoking her past memories.
She just didn't expect Xu Lize's in - depth questioning to be so delayed.
"... I was quite rebellious during my freshman year. Since I was admitted to a university in Haicheng, my mom tried every means to make me return to the Su family and recognize my ancestors. But of course, I wasn't willing. So during my freshman year, I didn't ask my mom for a single cent, nor did I ask the Su family for anything. All my tuition fees were earned through part - time jobs."
Seeing Xu Lize looking at her with a skeptical look while smoking, Su Yang suddenly laughed.
"Really. Looking back now, I actually regret it. If I had studied hard during my freshman year and had enough credits for the elective courses at the end of the semester, I could have been directly recommended for postgraduate study without taking the exam."
"Isn't it the same now? You still have to look for a job," Xu Lize said non - committally.
"That's different," Su Yang retorted.
"How is it different?"
"The reputation is different." Su Yang glared at Xu Lize in the night.
"..."
Xu Lize fell silent. He held the cigarette that he had taken two puffs of between his middle finger and index finger, letting the scarlet tip burn brighter and brighter in the night wind.
So Su Yang continued, "At first, I just did odd jobs in the kitchen of a Western restaurant. Later, I met my master. He accidentally found that I had a sensitive sense of taste and asked me if I wanted to learn bartending from him. My thought at that time was very simple. Mixing drinks at the bar was better than washing dishes in the kitchen. And I had seen my master receive tips from customers. I knew this job could earn money faster, so I agreed."
"What's your master's name?"
"Yue Kai," Su Yang said. "But it should sound unfamiliar to you because we bartenders rarely introduce ourselves."
Xu Lize nodded, signaling her to continue.
"Later, during my sophomore year, I found out about my mom... and why she was so insistent on making me go back and recognize my dad. My mom thought very simply. She thought I was a member of the Su family, and Su Quansheng wouldn't ignore me... Later, my master and Sister Hua knew I was in trouble, so they specially arranged a shift for me in the first half of the night. You're a VIP of Suye. You should know that the people who go there to drink actually have good qualities. It's rare to encounter someone who gets drunk and makes trouble. The customers are also generous, and the colleagues get along well. Part of my living expenses later were basically earned here at Suye. It wasn't until the second semester of my senior year when I had to start a proper internship that my master asked me to stop working."
"Your master is a nice guy," Xu Lize commented indifferently after hearing this.
Su Yang also nodded. "Yes. He said that I was a proper graduate from a famous university and should find a job that could better reflect my self - worth. He said it wasn't that the job of a bartender couldn't reflect value, but he knew that this job was just a means for me to earn quick money."
As she spoke, Su Yang turned back and took a look at the bar sign hidden in the night.
Actually, she really wanted to refute Yue Kai at that time. She knew clearly in her heart that she really liked the job of a bartender, but unfortunately, this job still didn't earn money fast enough...
This conversation was neither too long nor too short. Just as it ended, the cigarette in Xu Lize's hand burned out.
Su Yang's tone was very calm, so calm that it seemed as if she was telling a story about someone else.
Xu Lize also seemed to listen absent - mindedly. Finally, after Su Yang finished speaking, he just gently patted her on the shoulder and said, "Let's go home."
Early the next morning, Su Yang received an admission notice from Chen's Group, asking her to report to the headquarters on Friday at 9 o'clock sharp and then participate in the on - the - job training.
Su Yang rarely stayed in bed that day. After seeing the message, she lingered in bed with the pillow for more than twenty minutes before slowly getting up.
The living room downstairs was quiet. When Su Yang finished washing and came downstairs, she only saw the figure of the aunt busy in the kitchen.
Seeing Su Yang, the aunt greeted her with a smile.
"Miss Su, is preserved egg and lean meat congee okay for breakfast? I also made dried vegetable buns. They're already steamed."
Su Yang nodded repeatedly. While turning around to get the chopsticks, she asked the aunt, "Hasn't Xu Lize come back from his morning run yet?"
The aunt shook her head. "Mr. Xu went to the company early this morning. He didn't even go for his morning run today."
Su Yang was a little surprised. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was not even 8 o'clock yet.
She immediately warned herself that as long as Xu Lize was at home, she must never be lazy and get up late.
Just as she was thinking, the aunt came over with the steaming congee and buns.
Just as Su Yang was about to reach out to take them, she saw the aunt dodge slightly with the tray and squint at her.
"Miss Su, you're not telling me the truth, are you?"
"What?" Su Yang didn't understand what the aunt meant.
"You still lied to me that you're Mr. Xu's cousin," the aunt's smile was a bit exaggerated but very kind and gentle. "You two are husband and wife. What's there to be shy about?"
Su Yang immediately understood what the aunt meant, and her face instantly flushed red.
"I... Auntie, I'm... sorry..."
"Oh, what's there to be sorry about?" The aunt gently patted Su Yang on the shoulder and spoke in the tone of an experienced person. "Auntie understands. You young couple are not used to living together at first, but let me tell you, such things get easier with practice! Oh, right, Miss Su, you and Mr. Xu have already got married. Should I help you move your things from your room to the master bedroom?"
"No!" Su Yang was so scared that she almost dropped the spoon in her hand. She waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no. For the time being... there's no need!"
The aunt raised her eyebrows and didn't suspect anything. She just politely said to Su Yang, "If you want to move later, just tell me. I'll help you."
"Okay, okay!" Su Yang nodded like a pounding garlic, wishing she could bury her face in the congee bowl.
Then the aunt actually asked, "So in the future... should I call you Mrs. Xu?"
This time, Su Yang coughed out all the congee she had just put into her mouth.
"Cough, cough... Just... cough, Auntie, you can just call me Su Yang. Really, I'm not used to being called 'Mrs.' or 'Miss'."