We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Li Mubai did not go straight home, but went directly to Jixiang Restaurant.

"Auntie, I'd like a serving of stir-fried beef tendon."

There were quite a few people. Li Mubai walked into the kitchen and saw his parents busy at work.

"Little White is back. Go help your older brothers and sisters clear the table."

Most of the people who come here are college students from the surrounding area.

"oh."

Li Mubai put down his schoolbag and silently tidied up the table.

"Auntie, is that your child?" a female college student in line asked.

"Yes, our second child."

"He looks quite handsome; he must have had a lot of admirers at school."

"Haha, the child should focus on studying."

"But things are different now; students are becoming more mature at a younger age."

……

"Dad, can you make me some fried rice with eggs? I'll pack it up and take it home to do my homework."

Li Mubai can also make fried rice, but it's not as delicious as his parents'.

"Okay, I'll get it for you after I finish cooking these."

"Xiaobai, why are you back later than usual today?" Li's mother asked.

"One of my classmates missed her stop, so I took her to the station."

"Boy or girl?"

"……girl."

"Xiaobai, I don't object to you dating, but this is a crucial time in your second year of high school. There are less than two years until the college entrance exam. Don't think about dating now. Wait until you get to college..."

"No, they're just classmates who happen to be on the same bus," Li Mubai interrupted.

"That's good."

"The fried rice is ready," Mr. Li called out from the kitchen.

"I'm going home now, Mom."

"Okay, remember to do your homework when you get back."

Li Mubai carried the food home, but the house was still empty. Li's parents spent most of their day at the restaurant.

He ate dinner in the living room and then went back to his room.

There was a solid wood desk in the room. He remembered that when he was in elementary school, he went to a classmate's house and found that the classmate had a separate desk, which made him very envious.

But his family wasn't well-off back then. The desk he has now was bought when he was in his first year of high school. He can put the books he bought on the bookshelf and won't get oil on his face from doing his homework on the dining table.

Take out your homework and place it on the table. Homework, start!

At ten o'clock, Li Mubai first did the easiest Chinese homework, leaving the rest for tomorrow.

"Ding-dong!"

His QQ account was relatively clean, with almost no private messages; most of his messages were group chats, including high school class groups, middle school class groups, and elementary school class groups. At this moment, the top group was showing a red dot.

Qinghe: "[jpg.]"

Qinghe: "I'll keep your portrait for you."

Li Bubai: "No."

Qinghe: "Heh, you ignore me now, but I'll be no match for you in the future!"

Li Mubai did not reply to her, and after a while Chen Qiuhe sent another message.

Qinghe: "Do you play King of Glory?"

Li Bubai: "No way, you actually know how to play this game?"

He didn't expect there to be female players in this game, and it seems there are indeed some, though he's never met any in real life.

Qinghe: "I'm not playing either."

Li Bubai: "...Then what did you ask?"

Qinghe: "I was just asking, why are you in such a hurry?"

Li Bubai: "[Husky pointing emoji] I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to read a book."

Qinghe: "Hey buddy, you're studying on the weekend?"

Li Mubai put his phone on silent.

He left "Loneliness is a Gift of Life" at school, since it was quite troublesome to carry it back and forth. He pulled out a book from the bookshelf—"Go to Chang'an," by "Zuoqiu Meng." At first glance, Li Mubai thought it was Zuoqiu Ming, wondering when Zuoqiu Ming had released a new book.

This book is based on historical stories written on bamboo and silk manuscripts unearthed from the Han Dynasty. Li Mubai opened the first chapter.

"Nan felt his warm breath and even heartbeat, and thought of the parting decades ago, and of the woman who also had the name Nan, but decades later she was able to be with Qianqiu."

It took me about forty minutes to finish reading the first chapter. It was about a young woman from Chang'an named Nan who found love through an ancient song. Li Mubai found it quite interesting. The book started with short stories and then explained historical knowledge, so you could learn both Chinese and history at the same time.

It was almost 11 o'clock, and Chen Qiuhe had shared four or five Douyin videos with him, but he didn't have Douyin.

Li Bubai: "Read."

Qinghe: "???"

Li Mubai put down his phone, washed up, and went to bed.

Saturdays are a rare period of leisure for most students, a time when they have free time to themselves.

Li Mubai was idly scrolling through his QQ space when Wang Rui posted a picture of barbecue that looked delicious. Li Mubai gave it a like.

It seems he's never eaten barbecue or hot pot since he was a child; his first choice when he's out is always a noodle shop. But these kinds of meals are better enjoyed by two people.

Li Mubai wanted to give it a try, but after thinking it over, he realized he couldn't find a suitable person and had to give up.

Sigh, Chen Qiuhe, you should become a boy.

Yan Shu: "[jpg.] This one?"

Li Mubai clicked on the picture and saw a gray-green book lying flat on the desk.

Li Bubai: "So fast."

He remembered that the book was not cheap, priced at 198 yuan, which was a considerable expense for a high school student.

He bought it himself when there was a half-price promotion online.

Li Bubai: "How much did you buy it for?"

Yan Shu: "158".

Li Bubai: "Actually, if you're really interested, there's no need to rush. You can find 50% off deals online, which can save you a lot."

Yan Shu: "Where do you usually buy your books?"

Li Bubai: "I usually buy from bookstores, and occasionally online."

Actually, buying books online is much cheaper than buying them offline, such as Dangdang and Kongfz.com. However, the online experience is not the same as browsing a bookstore, so Li Mubai still goes to bookstores frequently.

Yan Shu: "Sisyphe Bookstore?"

Li Bubai: "No, it's just a small bookstore."

Sisyphe was too expensive for him to afford, and it was crowded and not a proper bookstore. The bookstore that Li Mubai frequented was one he discovered by chance in his first year of high school. It was located in a book wholesale market, surrounded by shops selling educational materials, but it was the only one selling extracurricular books, making it stand out.

Yan Shu: "Where?"

The message was sent out and then quickly retracted, but Li Mubai had already seen it. He said it was impossible to say anything, as that would put him at risk of being exposed. After all, there were very few customers in that bookstore, and most of the people who went there were acquaintances. He would just pretend he didn't see it.

Li Bubai: "What did you withdraw?"

Yan Shu: "It's nothing."

Li Bubai: "Oh, oh."

Yan Shu: "Then I'll go read the book. If I encounter any problems I don't understand, can I ask you?"

Li Mubai didn't understand why the other person was asking so cautiously; he wasn't some particularly capable person.

Li Bubai: "You can ask me any questions at any time, provided I can answer them."

In fact, Wang Li's discussion was very detailed, and the rules of prosody are not a profound issue. It wasn't until late at night that Yan Shu sent another screenshot on his phone.

Yan Shu: "Something feels off."

Li Bubai: "Ji, Bai, and Zhuo are all entering tone characters, which are oblique tones."

Yan Shu: "So it was an entering tone."

Li Bubai: "Not bad, very impressive. You've basically figured it out on the first day. Entering tone characters require long-term accumulation."

Yan Shu sent me a pink rabbit happy emoji.

Li Mubai felt something was off. He had assumed Yan Shu was a boy, so could the other person be a girl?