Suddenly the bus stopped, breaking all my inner thoughts and feelings that I was thinking, and I came back to reality. Let's go, we have reached, I said it to Ji Juan while standing up from my seat. We both got out of the bus and headed towards the restaurant here.
This restaurant sells the best hotpot here in Shanghai, I said it to Ji Juan while walking towards that restaurant with him. He smiled and just nodded his head.
Are you from Shanghai or from somewhere else, I asked him.
I am from Beijing, and I am here for the acting career, as you know that pretty well. Almost many dramas are shot in Shanghai only.
Hmmm, but many dramas have been shot in Beijing also, I said to him while reaching towards the restaurant. Look, here it is, I said.
Then we both headed inside the restaurant. The waiter there asked us, you want a table for two, right. We both nodded our heads. Then the waiter showed us the seat for two. We headed there and sat on that seat.
This seat is located quite well, as we are sitting near a huge glass where we can see outside the restaurant. In the nearby areas, people and families are walking on the road path, kids are walking holding their parents' hands, some are eating sweet buns while some are drinking milk teas. I think life is quite good. It's not every time about thinking about the negativity of it. Sometimes it also has some really genuine positive sides in it, just we are not able to see them, or I can say in simple words that we just don't want to see them.
Then my whole attention is captured by the moon, which is so high up in the sky, looking so beautiful and shining more than any stars around it. I smiled watching it, as the moon reminds me of him, of his appearance. They both have very similar qualities with each other, or I can say he is my moon on planet Earth. He is also shining above everything, like a long-lost precious treasure for which everyone is searching. Just like him, so high above in the sky that no one can ever be able to reach him. Even I also can't, but I just hope, just hope only one thing, that no matter if we stay together or not ever in the future, I just want him to be happy and keep shining like this moon, more than above every star around it. No matter if that life of his didn't have me in it, but it must shine like this only, like this.
Then suddenly a glass of water was put forward towards me on the table, and then Ji Juan asked me, where are you so long lost, Miss Zhao.
I smiled at him and said, nothing. Why didn't you order anything, just order it. See, night is getting darker. I need to head to my dormitory on time, otherwise it will get closed and I have to spend this chilled winter night roaming around on the roads and paths.
Ji Juan laughed a little and then he said, then I could definitely accompany you in that matter.
I smiled. Of course you have to. What do you think, that I just leave you like this. Of course I have treated you to a meal, I'll definitely make sure to drag you with me and then we both will roam around the streets like this only, I said it.
He smiled and said, of course, I'll definitely come with you, you don't need to drag me. I'll come by my own.
Then the waiter arrived at our table and we ordered our food, one hotpot and two portions of choco vanilla cake I ordered. The waiter smiled and said, ok, your order will get ready within a few minutes, and the waiter went off from there.
Ji Juan smiled at me while looking at me. I noticed that and asked him, why so smiling, is that because I didn't ask you what you want to order. Actually there was a reason behind that, and it's because I am treating you this meal, so you have to eat according to my choice only.
He laughed a little and said, no no Miss Zhao, I don't have a problem with that. How can I dare to have that thought, isn't it a sin for me that the person who is treating me this meal, I doubt it.
I smiled and said, good, you are quite a sensible person, Mr Ji Juan.
He smiled back at me and said, you too Miss Zhao, just I didn't know things well before that.
Hmm, what did you just say, I asked him.
Nothing, he replied to me while smiling. I was just asking, are you currently studying in Shanghai University, right.
I nodded my head and said yes.
What's your major, he asked me.
I am currently doing an interior designing course over there, and I am in my last semester of the last year, I said.
Oo, that's pretty nice. So I wanna book the appointment of this interior designer in the future, he said.
How, I asked him quite shockingly.
I mean, when you become a successful interior designer, I want you to first design my home for my mom and me in Shanghai. As you know, I am from Beijing, my home is there, but as for pursuing my career, I need to stay here in Shanghai, so I want you to design it for me, he said to me.
I smiled and said, so you really wanna book my first appointment of work with you, pretty nice it is. I'll give a thought on it, I said it to him.
Thought on it, he repeated it.
I laughed and said, of course I'll do it, just you have to accept it however and whatever I'll design.
He smiled and said, ok I will, just my mom needs to like it, then I also approve that.
Oooo, so you are really a mom's boy, isn't it, I asked him.
He smiled faintly and said while looking down at his hands, yes. My mother single-handedly took care of me and my siblings when she got divorced from my father. She sacrificed a lot of her wishes and opportunities for herself in her career, so I just want to make that worth it. I really don't want her to feel down and think that she wasted her life on us.
He got quite emotional while saying that. Then in order to console him, I put my hand on his hand and said the words that soothed him at that moment, at least for now, that your mother will never think that. In fact, every child is very special to their mother, no matter how bad or good the child was, and you are already an amazing one. Your mother will never ever feel that she invested herself in a wrong one. You are such a promising actor. I know sooner or later your hard work will definitely pay you off, just believe in yourself.
He smiled and said, your kind words really make me believe in myself. Thank you, Miss Zhao.
It's nothing to thank me about. It's just I said what I felt. And yes, when in future you become a bigger star, then don't forget me, ok, I said it to him.
He laughed a little and said, of course I won't. How could I forget you, you can't be forgotten so easily.
Then our order arrived at our table, and I didn't able to hear the whole sentence, especially the last part that he was saying, and my whole attention went to the food only.
So the yummy hotpot is here. Are you ready, Mr Ji Juan, to have it, I asked him.
Of course, he replied.
Then we finished eating our hotpot. Then our two portions of choco vanilla cake arrived at our table when we finished our hotpot.
Oooo, my favourite part of the meal has come, I said it while looking at the cake with my greedy eyes on it.
I wanna use the restroom, Ji Juan said.
Ok, then come soon. Making cake wait for you longer will make it angry, I said.
He smiled and said ok, I'll come within five minutes, and went to the restroom.
Then while waiting for him to get back from the restroom, I opened my Weibo to pass my time till then, as my usual habit. Then the moment I opened it, I got a shock. I saw Yuan's video singing on the Spring Festival Gala night with a girl in a red gown, maybe some actress. And in that video, as part of the performance on that stage, he pulled that girl so passionately towards him with his hand.
I got jealous. I won't lie here, I really got jealous. So you went early because of it. I know it's his work, but what should I do if I felt that much pain in my Mr heart. My heart ached and tears started forming in my eyes.
Then Ji Juan arrived at that exact moment. I immediately closed my phone and put it back in my bag and tried to hold the spoon to eat the cake, but my hands shivered. He noticed that and said, Miss Zhao, your hands are shivering. Then his eyes went to my eyes, they were watery, and he said, are you crying.
I shook my head and said, no, of course not. Why should I cry. It's just because of this chilling winter. I have told you earlier, the darker and later it gets at night, the chilling winter breeze increases. Just finish it fast, I need to head back to my dormitory, otherwise I really have to spend my whole night here only, I said it while smiling fakely.
He understood it, as the winter is about to end in Shanghai. It's not that chilling that can make my hands shiver and eyes watery, but he didn't ask me anything. He just ate the cake.
Then after finishing the cake, I stood up quickly from the table, paid the bill through my WeChat, and walked out faster from that restaurant.
Ji Juan followed me. While walking too fast on the road to grab the bus at the right time because it's going to be the last bus at night, suddenly I felt a pain in my ankle and I stopped. My ankle got twisted. I think I was about to fall, but....