Unbridled 24

Lin Wuyu wasn't used to eating at other people's homes; rather, he wasn't used to eating together with a whole family, be it with elders, children, or anyone's family for that matter. 

He didn't even want to go to Xu Tianbo's house. 

Throughout his life, apart from the Lin family, he’d never eaten at anyone else's house. The one time he ate at the Lin family was with his classmates when Old Lin was home alone.

Today, he felt somewhat lonely.

It started after he came out of the exam hall.

Regardless of whether he did well or poorly in the exam, whether he returned to school first or went straight home, his classmates were ultimately heading home for dinner.

The dormitory was empty.

This emptiness was different from the weekends.

Suddenly, his entire high school life seemed to have disappeared.

It was very lonely.

If Ding Ji hadn't invited him for dinner, he probably wouldn't have gone back to the dormitory after getting his things. He might have found a hotel to stay for the night to calm his emotions.

An hour ago, Xu Tianbo sent a message asking where he was for the evening. Lin Wuyu only saw it after he was done smacking the cucumbers.

[Lin Wuyu] "Going back to the dormitory after dinner with a friend."

[Xu Tianbo] "If you encounter problems, then say something. I've been free these past few days."

[Lin Wuyu] "Well then, continue being free."

[Xu Tianbo] "What's wrong with you? Seriously!"

[Lin Wuyu] "I'm not hanging out with someone with a lisp."

Lin Wuyu smiled and put his phone back in his pocket. He looked at the cucumbers that had turned into a black mass under Ding Ji's handling and said, "You dare complain about mine being cucumber bits for pickling? Aren’t yours also cucumber bits for pickling?"

Ding Ji hesitated while holding a bottle of sesame oil, "Should I still add sesame oil? I think the flavor is a bit too intense now."

"Just leave it like this," Lin Wuyu said, "There's too much liquid. Can you pour some out?"

"Smart," Ding Ji nodded, took the plate, went to the sink, and carefully poured out the excess soy sauce and vinegar.

"You’re calling me smart just for this? Isn’t your own intelligence a bit lacking?" Lin Wuyu took the plate from him.

"You smacked cucumbers so hard it hit someone's face," Ding Ji said, "What right do you have to call me lacking? Serve it."

Lin Wuyu turned and carried the cucumber dish out.

"Oh, you look so serious." Grandpa glanced at the plate of cucumbers, "Did Little Ji make this smacked cucumber?"

"Yeah," Lin Wuyu smiled and nodded.

"It's quite good!" Grandma commented from the side, "Nowadays, just how many kids can cook? They don't even step into the kitchen. Look at this divine child, smacking cucumbers like a Goddess scattering flowers…"

Indeed, Grandma loved Ding Ji a lot.

To support Ding Ji, she didn't hesitate to undermine her first meeting with Lin Wuyu.

Lin Wuyu smiled, "I'm really not good at it."

"This kid's temper is much better than Peng Peng's," Grandpa said, "If you say the same to Peng Peng, he'll definitely make a fuss."

And to save his face, Grandpa didn't hesitate to undermine Liu Jinpeng.

Liu Jinpeng was really pitiful.

Lin Wuyu had been holding back his laughter the entire time.

"Time to eat." Ding Ji brought out bowls and chopsticks and placed them on the table, pulling Lin Wuyu to sit beside him, "Try me and my grandma’s cooking."

"You don't have any culinary skills," Grandma said.

"Be civilized," Ding Ji said, "We have a guest here."

"What guest?" Grandma said, "He's just a kid… Little Yu, don't be polite. There are no rules in our house, just eat."

"Okay," Lin Wuyu nodded.

"Eat more, don't be shy," Grandma added two pieces of the ribs to his bowl before adding two pieces to Ding Ji's bowl, "It's been tiring lately. Now that it's over, just eat, drink, and have fun without worrying about anything else."

Lin Wuyu didn't like others serving him food. It had nothing to do with hygiene; after all, he’d drink water from Ding Ji's bottle without a second thought. It just made him feel uneasy.

But in the moment when he was about to politely decline, he suppressed the urge to raise his hand.

The way Grandma was serving him didn't seem like she was treating a guest. There was no formality – it was as if she was serving her two grandsons. It felt natural and affectionate.

He suddenly felt warm.

Not from friends, not from classmates, not from teachers, but the kind of unreasonable affection that came from family elders.

"Never mind him," Ding Ji quickly snatched a piece of ribs from Lin Wuyu's bowl. "Let me tell you, he's a bottomless pit. If you don't stop him, this whole table won't be enough for him to eat."

"Why are you snatching food from someone else's bowl?!" Grandpa scolded him with a glare. "Is there nothing for you in your bowl?!"

"If I eat slower, there really will be nothing left," Ding Ji grinned mischievously, wearing a spoiled expression on his face.

Lin Wuyu sometimes felt that Ding Ji was indeed very attentive and perceptive. He probably hadn't even moved his hand just now, but Ding Ji still noticed.

When Ding Ji was about to snatch the second piece of ribs, Lin Wuyu flicked the back of his hand.

"Ah!" Ding Ji exclaimed.

"You deserve it!" Grandma said.

"Will you believe me when I said that’ll leave a bruise on my hand?!" Ding Ji glared at him.

"Of course. I flicked you, so why wouldn't I believe you?" Lin Wuyu took the piece of rib back from his bowl and smiled at Ding Ji.

After looking at him for a while, Ding Ji smiled too. Then, he leaned close to his ear and whispered, "It’s very cordial right now."

"It's nice," Lin Wuyu nodded.

To celebrate the end of the college entrance exams, his grandpa opened two bottles of red wine, even following Ding Ji's request to let the wine breathe for an hour. After a few bites of food, he felt they should drink wine before realising that he hadn't brought it over yet.

"I'll get it," Grandma said as she stood up.

"Don't move.” Grandpa stood up. "You've been busy preparing dinner. Now’s your time to rest."

"Resting means not moving at all," Grandma said, "I'm telling you, moving as little as possible will cause you to restore slower. I walk around the house every day and there's been no problem."

"Listen to him," Ding Ji patted his grandma’s hand.

"I have no problem beating you too," his grandma said, slapping his hands away.

His grandma looked to be recovering well – what’s important was that she was still quite young. Ding Ji said that she’d always been healthy. Looking at her now, aside from walking a bit slower, her complexion was very good.

"Where did you put the wine that was ready?" Grandpa asked.

"In the room with the balcony," Grandma said.

"Wow," Lin Wuyu was somewhat surprised as he looked at Ding Ji, "Does your family always drink red wine? You even have a wine aerator?"

"Bullshit," Ding Ji pointed his chin towards Grandpa, "We used a cold water bottle to aerate it."

Sure enough, after a short while, Grandpa brought over a one-liter glass bottle with an open mouth. Inside was wine.

"There aren’t any wine glasses either," Grandpa said, "Can we use teacups?"

Ding Ji brought four teacups and lined them up, then took the cold water bottle and poured four full cups.

"Your mom said to just pour a bit at the bottom of the cup," his grandma said.

"But we still have to pour out a bit. We’re just tasting it and seeing who can tell if it's good or bad," Ding Ji said. "According to you, then even our cups aren't right – after all, they don't have stems. When you hold them up, the temperature changes the taste."

Grandma thought for a moment. She leaned in to sip from the cup first, tasted it, then held the cup with both hands, waited a few seconds, and took another sip.

"But there’s no change ah?" She evaluated. 

Grandpa and Ding Ji burst into laughter. Lin Wuyu couldn't hold back either, joining in the laughter.

"So, you see, those of us who don't understand wine just drink for the fun of it," Ding Ji said with a smile, "Once we finish this one, we'll have to get the jar of wine my grandpa hides under the bed."

"Go ahead and drink. Little Yu isn't going back home anyway," Grandma said, "Just don't drink too much. If you get sick from drinking, I won't clean up after you. Your grandpa won't either."

Lin Wuyu was taken aback for a moment, then glanced at Ding Ji.

"What she means is that you don't have to go home to get scolded by your family," Ding Ji whispered, "She's not asking you to stay here, don't worry."

"No," Lin Wuyu whispered too, "I mean, how does she know I don't need to go home?"

"I didn't say anything," Ding Ji quickly gestured.

"I know," Lin Wuyu said.

"My grandma sometimes has a sixth sense," Ding Ji said, "I don't know if she's just guessing or really figuring things out. But as soon as you finished the exam, you came to my house with your luggage… Not many people would do that. Normally, they’d just go home."

"…That's true," Lin Wuyu nodded.

His grandma’s cooking skills were excellent. Of course, it could also be because Lin Wuyu's culinary experience was limited to the cafeteria and street restaurants. His mom's skills were pretty much in the "won't kill you" category.

His grandma’s dishes were not only delicious but also quite generous in portion. All the dishes were piled up, some even using soup bowls.

Lin Wuyu ate quite a bit.

He was just as surprised as Grandpa and Grandma, only now realizing he could eat so indulgently in someone else's home and enjoy it.

He had two cups of the wine Grandpa had hidden. He wasn’t sure what kind of wine it was – it wasn’t too strong, but very fragrant.

When he finally put down his chopsticks, he couldn't help but mutter softly, "I think I ate too much."

"Did you just realise?" On the side, Grandma looked a bit worried. "You almost ate as much as a pig… Little Ji, go get a box of those digestive tablets for him."

Lin Wuyu leaned back in his chair and laughed for a while. "Grandma, the way you describe someone is something else."

"You eat so much yet not gain weight," Grandma pinched his cheek, "If my niece knew about this, she'd beg you for advice."

Ding Ji brought over a box of digestive tablets, picked a few pieces, and handed them to him. "Hurry, eat them."

"Maybe later," Lin Wuyu sighed, "I can't drink water right now."

"These are chewable, so there’s no need to wash them down," Ding Ji said.

Lin Wuyu just lowered his head and took a bite from Ding Ji's hand. He chewed the tablet and wrinkled his brow, "It doesn't taste good."

Ding Ji sighed. He took a milk-flavored lollipop from his pocket, peeled it, and handed it to him. "Milk-flavored lollipop."

"Thanks," Lin Wuyu took the lollipop.

After a while, he felt less bloated.

There were still quite a few dishes left on the table. If it weren't for him, more than half of these dishes would’ve gone to waste tonight.

Grandpa and Grandma were really hospitable.

No wonder Ding Ji turned out to be such a kind-hearted grandson.

Lin Wuyu stood up, helped Ding Ji clear the table, and then stood by the sink to watch him wash the dishes, occasionally lending a hand.

"Don't go back to the dormitory later," Ding Ji said, "It's getting late. Just stay here tonight."

"Is it convenient?" Lin Wuyu asked in a somewhat redundant manner. But before Ding Ji could respond, he quickly answered himself, "Convenient."

Ding Ji laughed, "Peng Peng often stays over here. It’s like his own home. Before, I had other classmates running away from home because of bad exam scores or neighbors' kids who had fights with their parents. They’d all come here to hide. My grandpa and grandma are used to it."

"Your family sounds like a big community," Lin Wuyu chuckled.

"It's not that much since we're just a bunch of little kids. We can't compare to a community." Ding Ji handed him a clean bowl. "You can sleep in my room. I have a big bed."

"Oh," Lin Wuyu hesitated for a moment.

"Um," Ding Ji suddenly looked a bit awkward, "Or maybe I'll sleep in my sister-in-law’s room and you can sleep in my room."

"Huh?" Lin Wuyu looked at him.

"No, "Ding Ji explained, "I mean, if you're not comfortable sleeping in my room, then… you can go to my sister-in-law’s room…"

"Where do Liu Fork and Plate, your classmates, friends, and neighbors sleep when they come over?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"They all squeeze into one bed with me," Ding Ji rubbed his nose, "It's more convenient for chatting at night."

"Then why are you suggesting I sleep in your sister-in-law’s room?" Lin Wuyu laughed.

"It's not like that… I was worried you'd feel uncomfortable," Ding Ji said.

"Why would I feel uncomfortable?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"…Who knows why you'd feel uncomfortable?!" Ding Ji was a bit annoyed and forcefully handed him a washed bowl.

That's just you being uncomfortable.

If it were any other time, Lin Wuyu would definitely have said this line. But he didn't say it today. 

After Ding Ji helped him stand up to his mom earlier, he felt awkward. He didn't want Ding Ji to keep feeling awkward.

After the rooftop incident, those familiar to him showed understanding and support, but he also received a fair share of hostility, even from his parents.

At first, Ding Ji was surprised by this, but later on, he was always sincere about it. That's why he didn't want Ding Ji to feel awkward.

Luckily, after Ding Ji finished washing the dishes, he returned to his normal self; though, he did seem to have reverted to his tipsy state.

"Let's go for a walk!" He stood in the living room, telling Grandpa and Grandma.

"Go ahead," Grandma waved her hand, "I'm feeling a bit dizzy."

"Let's go!" Ding Ji waved to Lin Wuyu.

Lin Wuyu followed him out of the door.

After they went downstairs, he looked around. This old residential area was a bit cramped, with quite a few broken streetlights. It was ten o'clock at night and there was no one around.

However, when he looked up, he saw many stars tonight and felt very comfortable.

"Where are we going for a walk?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Normally, when I go for a walk with my grandma, we exit from that corner, walk to the main street, then follow the street around in a circle before coming back from the entrance where we got the taxi today," Ding Ji explained, gesturing.

"Sounds good," Lin Wuyu said.

Ding Ji took a few steps and stretched lazily, "Ah—usually, I'd be preparing to pull an all-nighter at this time. It's really weird to suddenly have this much free time. I'm not used to it."

"Why not find some homework to do?" Lin Wuyu took out his phone.

"Are you crazy?" Ding Ji quickly sidestepped several steps, "Aren't you fed up with being tortured yet?"

Lin Wuyu laughed, "It's you who's not used to it."

"I've never been this diligent my whole life," Ding Ji said, "I have no idea what kind of results I'll end up with."

"At least top three," Lin Wuyu said.

"Why not say first place?" Ding Ji clicked his tongue.

"Because I'm here," Lin Wuyu smiled.

"You're so damn confident," Ding Ji glanced at him, "What did you put as your preferences? Your parents must have received quite a few calls these days."

"Yeah," Lin Wuyu responded.

"H University?" Ding Ji asked.

"Are you planning to apply to H University?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Probably. I've never really had a strong preference. Anywhere's fine. Both my parents are from H University, so they'd definitely want me to go there," Ding Ji said, "I'm not going to argue with them about this. Anyway, I don't have any other schools I want to go to. I’m just doing them a favor."

Lin Wuyu laughed, "Are you hearing yourself right now?"

"How about you?" Ding Ji asked again, "Most likely H University for you too?"

He was indeed curious about where Lin Wuyu would apply. He hoped they could go to the same university, but he was also worried. Lin Wuyu was quite organised and had his own plans. Who knew if he would play it unpredictably and break his usual patterns?

"Not necessarily. What if I decide to study abroad?" Lin Wuyu asked.

Ding Ji was stunned. He stared at him for a while before snorting, "Study abroad my ass. It's already so late and you haven't made a single move. Where do you think you’ll end up? Vietnam?"

Lin Wuyu couldn't stop laughing.

However, this reaction made Ding Ji realize that Lin Wuyu was probably going to stick to the usual path. He decided not to ask further. It’d seem like he had an interest in this guy if he kept pressing the issue.

"What major are you interested in?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Who?" Ding Ji didn't catch up.

"What major did you apply for?" Lin Wuyu smiled.

"Mechanical engineering," Ding Ji said.

"Ah," Lin Wuyu raised an eyebrow.

"What? Do you know about this major?" Ding Ji asked.

"Did you apply without knowing about it?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"I just thought it sounded interesting," Ding Ji said, "But after the results come out, I'll think about it again."

"It does sound interesting," Lin Wuyu patted his shoulder.

The two of them didn't follow Ding Ji's initial plan and ended up walking around in circles before coming back downstairs like they hit a dead end.

"We're back already?" Lin Wuyu was a bit perplexed.

"Want to see the stars?" Ding Ji pointed upwards.

Lin Wuyu looked up, "On the rooftop?"

"Yes," Ding Ji nodded, "My grandpa occupies a small piece of the rooftop for his gardening. He grows some chili peppers and keeps it tidy."

"Sure." Lin Wuyu was intrigued.

The rooftop was quite spacious, initially seeming dull with various clotheslines hanging and empty flowerpots scattered around.

However, when they reached the southwest corner, it suddenly felt different.

This was the territory claimed by Ding Ji's grandpa. He used an iron-framed trellis to separate a small space. Besides the chili peppers, there were some unknown plants, a small wooden table, and two bamboo lounge chairs in the middle.

"How about it? Not bad, right?" Ding Ji took out a lighter from the table and lit several mosquito coils beneath the table. He circled one of the lounge chairs in preparation before sitting down.

"Isn't it smoky?" Lin Wuyu found it a bit amusing.

"I can handle it," Ding Ji swayed the chair and pointed at the sky, "See? It’s the Big Dipper."

"Yeah," Lin Wuyu sat down, gazing at the sky, "Do you know anything about astrology?"

"No. In our gang, learning astrology is as remote as learning from another mountain," Ding Ji said.

Lin Wuyu laughed without saying anything.

Ding Ji looked at the stars for a while before sitting up and turning to look at him. "I just calculated your name."

"Which character?" Lin Wuyu asked.

"Wu," Ding Ji said.

"And so?" Lin Wuyu propped up his arm.

"You're planning to apply for mechanical engineering as well, aren't you?" Ding Ji asked.

"How did you come up with that?" Lin Wuyu held back his laughter.

"When I mentioned it earlier," Ding Ji counted on his fingers, "Your reaction was obviously surprised, and then you added 'it does sound interesting.' It's not that hard to figure out. Besides, this major is related to drones… If I hadn't had a bit to drink today, I would've figured it out earlier…"

"You call this figuring it out?" Lin Wuyu suppressed his laughter.

"Ya," Ding Ji nodded, "Did I get it right?"