enjoyebooks Chapter 19 "One Meat Dish and One Vegetable Dish"
Chapter 19 "One Meat Dish and One Vegetable Dish"
Li Xue glanced at Gao Huan: "You tell me yourself."
Gao Huan didn't think there was anything to say.
Table tennis, basketball, boxing, swimming.
Play ball, lift weights, and take a swimming lesson at least once a week.
"That's good," Ren Quan said. "If a man doesn't exercise when he's young, he won't be able to keep up in middle age."
Gao Beibei then said softly, "He also likes to cook."
He paused, then added, "And it's delicious."
Li Bingbing scoffed, her tone laced with sourness.
"Keep showing off. You're so proud of yourself for eating Xiao Huan's cooking every day."
As she spoke, she picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and her expression visibly changed.
"Did he cook this meat?"
Gao Beibei smiled and nodded.
The smile wasn't big, just a slight upturn at the corners of the mouth, but the light in the eyes was impossible to hide.
Li Bingbing picked up another piece, breaking her diet once again.
I picked up another piece.
After eating three pieces, I held the chopsticks in my mouth for a moment, as if I wanted to say something, but then swallowed them back down.
I rolled my eyes at her and continued eating.
Gao Huan couldn't help but smile as she watched the two older best friends bickering.
Li Xue sat opposite, watching this scene, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
She recalled that when Gao Huan first signed with Hesong, he was learning things desperately every day.
Now that everything is back on track, she is genuinely happy for this young man.
After everyone finished eating, Yangyang Jin nudged Gao Huan's arm: "Brother Huan, the cake hasn't been cut yet."
The cake was bought by Li Bingbing; it's a Black Forest cake, Gao Beibei's favorite kind.
Gao Huan cut the cake and gave everyone a piece.
Gao Beibei took a bite and said it was sweet.
Gao Huan looked at the cream on the corner of her mouth and suddenly said, "Auntie, there's a song that's been recorded and just released today."
All eyes at the table turned to them.
Gao Beibei was stunned: "What song?"
Gao Huan didn't answer. He walked to the coffee table, picked up his phone, opened the music app, and found the page for that song.
Click to open.
The moment the music started, the table fell silent.
The piano prelude is like a pebble dropped into deep water, creating ripples that spread outwards in concentric circles.
"Sunrise and sunset, deeper and deeper, a small square table, with one meat dish and one vegetable dish..."
After listening to a few words, Gao Beibei's eyes reddened.
She didn't know when Gao Huan recorded this song, but she knew why he released it on her birthday.
She realized that the song was written for her.
A small square table, with one meat dish and one vegetable dish.
She raised him all those years on her own; she never complained about the hardships, and he never thanked her.
"A figure busily and calmly goes about their business, a pair of hands that bring warmth to this moment..."
Gao Beibei slowly lowered her head.
"...The moon is bright, the wind is gentle, have you ever come to my dreams?"
Gao Beibei didn't cry.
Her eyes were red, but she didn't cry.
She didn't want to shed tears in front of Gao Huan.
She's been like this for so many years.
The song has finished playing.
A brief silence fell over the dining table.
Li Bingbing glanced at Gao Huan, then at Gao Beibei, her voice a little hoarse: "This child...you're really something."
Gao Beibei sniffed and asked with a smile, "When did you record this?"
"I recorded this in my spare time last month."
Did you write the lyrics?
"Um."
Gao Beibei looked at him, wanting to say something, opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Finally, she said, "It sounds nice."
Just those two words, but everyone could sense their weight.
Yangyang Jin sat beside her, her eyes slightly moist.
She had been with Gao Huan for two years, and he usually seemed indifferent to everything. So, this sudden change of heart was a bit hard to accept.
Li Xue took a sip of tea and said softly, "Xiao Huan, do whatever you want. Aunt Xue supports you."
Gao Huan nodded.
Ren Quan leaned back in his chair, looked at Gao Huan, and mentally gave him an even higher score.
Gao Beibei stood up and began to clear the dishes.
Gao Huan got up to help her, but she pressed her back down into her seat: "You sit down and chat with them."
Gao Huan did not persist.
Gao Beibei carried the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen. The sound of running water could be heard.
Li Bingbing glanced at Gao Huan: "Your aunt may not say it, but she's happier than anyone else."
"I know."
Li Xue put down her teacup and opened her phone.
"Xiao Huan, what are your plans for tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? To HS City."
"What are you going to HS City for?"
"Watch a table tennis match. National Championships, Men's Team Round of 16."
Li Xue raised her head and looked at him.
Gao Huan added, "After watching the competition, I invited a table tennis player I really like to shoot a set of scenes for the music video 'Medals'."
Li Xue looked at him for a few seconds and then didn't ask any more questions.
He's always been like this; he does what he wants and then tells her.
From "Gu Jian Qi Tan" to now, there has never been a mistake.
Gao Beibei came out carrying a plate of cut fruit and placed it on the coffee table.
"You guys chat, I'm going to change my clothes."
She went into the bedroom and closed the door.
Li Bingbing followed her inside.
The room fell silent.
Gao Huan leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes briefly.
The phone screen lit up, and Nazha sent a message: "Brother, the song you released today is so beautiful and touching!!! I cried while listening to it."
Followed by her selfie and a string of emojis.
Gao Huan did not reply and put his phone back in his pocket.
The wind outside the window picked up, causing the branches of the ginkgo tree downstairs to sway from side to side.
On the TV cabinet, the bunch of white lisianthus trembled slightly.
The candles on the table had gone out, but there were still traces of candles stuck in the cake.
Yangyang Jin came out carrying a plate of cut fruit and placed it on the coffee table, offering a slice of orange to Gao Huan's lips.
"Try it, is it sweet?"
Gao Huan took a bite.
Sweet.
In the bedroom, Gao Beibei's back was reflected in the mirror on the dressing table.
Her eyes were still red in the mirror.
Li Bingbing hugged her and whispered words of comfort.
……
A while later, Gao Beibei came out of the bedroom, changed into a casual sweater, and sat down next to Gao Huan.
Li Bingbing glanced at the time and stood up:
"That's enough, we should go. We all have things to do this afternoon."
Ren Quan also stood up and put on his down jacket.
Li Xue walked to the door and glanced back at Gao Huan:
"I'm going to Yellowstone tomorrow. Be careful on the road and don't let my fans know my whereabouts, or it could cause trouble."
"Have you made arrangements with Fan Zhendong yet?"
"It's a date."
Gao Huan said, "He arrived at the training hall in the morning, and we filmed for twenty minutes. After his match in the afternoon, we filmed a few more shots."
Li Xue nodded and said nothing more.
After seeing the guests off, Gao Beibei began tidying up the coffee table.
Gao Huan helped her carry the fruit platter into the kitchen, washed his hands, and stood at the kitchen door watching her.
"What's wrong?" Gao Beibei turned around and glanced at him.
"It's nothing."
Gao Huan said, "Save me two pieces of braised pork for tomorrow. I'll come back to eat it the day after tomorrow."
Gao Beibei smiled: "Okay, I'll save it for you."