Chapter 59: Forgot Birthday

  A smile is the most beautiful expression in this world. A woman's smile, a pretty woman's smile, is like a rose blooming quietly in the night.

  In this dark and cold wind, such a woman, such a smile, made Ye Shaofeng, who had just left the police station, feel relieved and cheerful.

  "How is it you?" Ye Shaofeng said with a smile.

  "Maple brother, are you...alright?" Yao Xueqi slowly walked over, wearing a khaki windbreaker and a pair of knee-high leather boots. The cold wind blew her long hair back and forth in the darkness.

  Ye Shaofeng shook his head and said, "Nothing, how did you know I was caught?"

  "When school let out at noon, I saw you and Wang Li and them fighting. At the time, I couldn't even squeeze in to help you, so I had no choice but to call the police. Who knew that you were so fierce and could knock down those few kids in just three or four minutes? If I had known you wouldn't be at a disadvantage, I wouldn't have called the police and wouldn't have caused you more trouble." Yao Xueqi said with embarrassment.

  "Oh, so it was you who called the police. Thanks." Ye Shaofeng said with a smile, looking nonchalant.

  "Wang Litai's dad is from the criminal police brigade. He didn't use his personal connections, it's hard on you." Yao Xueqi asked with concern.

  "No, that Wang Li is a straightforward person, I quite like him. After this incident, we have a better understanding of each other. From now on, he can be considered as one of our own." Ye Shaofeng said.

  "Maple brother, you're really something. Even a difficult child like Wang Li can be controlled by you, you're not simple at all." Yao Xueqi said with a smile.

  "By the way, why didn't you go to the hospital to visit your aunt today?" Ye Shaofeng asked.

  "Oh, my mom has hired a nanny to take care of things at home, so I have plenty of time to focus on work. By the way, I was promoted a few days ago and now I'm the head of the teaching affairs department for the first year group, and my salary increased by over 300 yuan too."

  "Alright, that's great. It's so late and you haven't eaten yet, let's go, I'll treat you to dinner," said Ye Shaofeng.

  "No, I'm treating you today. Let's go to that hot pot restaurant we used to frequent in high school!" said Yao Xueqi.

  Two people went to a hot pot city, where there weren't many people. People in Luoyang are quite lazy, once autumn and winter arrive, they don't want to leave their homes, so autumn and winter are the off-season for restaurants.

  An old copper pot, with charcoal underneath and smoke rising from above, the soup inside was bubbling away. Yao Xueqi added a few slices of mutton and soon scooped them out, placing them in Ye Shaofeng's bowl, saying: "You love eating this the most."

  "You still remember." Ye Shaofeng said with a bit of embarrassment.

  "Of course, I still remember that at that time we didn't have much money. But as long as I said I wanted to come here to eat, you would definitely bring me. Because of the lack of money, every time we only ordered a plate of the cheapest mutton slices. However, eating like this was also very happy, really miss those days." When saying these words, Yao Xueqi's eyes were filled with tears, it had been a long time since she poured out her heart like this, and it had been a long time since she took out that youthful memory.

  Ye Shao Feng also sighed, his high school memories were already starting to become blurry in his mind. Because he had experienced military life, and had been through too many life-and-death tests. More deeply etched in his memory than his high school days.

  When a person experiences more, encounters more ups and downs, then what fills his mind is almost all thrilling and heartbreaking moments.

  Those ordinary and dull happinesses have long been forgotten, or, have long been buried deeper, so deep that even oneself can't dig them out.

  Ye Shaofeng's eyes were hollow, his mouth chewing on a piece of mutton, it tasted great.

  However, what he thought of was not the past in high school, but when he was in the Dragon Squad, going to the desolate mountains and wild ridges to carry out tasks, when they were out of bullets and food, they could only fill their hunger with some wild dogs, wild boars, and wild goats from the mountains.

  At that time, he and his comrades were peeling off the skin of wild beasts, eating raw meat, and drinking animal blood. The taste is still very disgusting when thinking about it now.

  But it was precisely that disgusting beast meat and beast blood that allowed them to replenish their combat strength, allowing their originally fragile lives to be prolonged, with infinite power.

  "Xiang Ge, what are you thinking about?" Yao Xueqi suddenly asked, pulling Ye Shaofeng's memories back from that tumultuous period.

  Looking at the beautiful woman in front of him, this woman was also his first love. Ye Shaofeng still smiled warmly. This warmth was only a surface phenomenon, Ye Shaofeng was in Luoyang City, but his heart was still with Longzu. He would often suddenly think of Longzu because of something.

  Comrades, are you all doing well? Brothers of Dragon Squad, are you now carrying out your own tasks in various corners of the world?

  Brothers, at this moment, aren't you all holding guns, aiming at the target's head. While in your own hand, you can only hold chopsticks, eating the boiled mutton that a woman is serving you one bite at a time.

  "Don't think about it, just eat. After you're done, I'll send you home." Ye Shaofeng said with a smile.

  "Have you already forgotten?" Yao Xueqi suddenly asked.

  "What did you forget? What are you referring to?"

  "Ah...... I knew you'd forgotten, it's been so many years, we're all changing..." Yao Xueqi said.

  "What did you say?" Ye Shaofeng asked.

  "Never mind, let's just drop it and eat instead." As she spoke, Yao Xueqi lowered her head and continued eating.

  After eating for a while, they finally finished their meal, and the atmosphere of the whole dinner was quite gloomy.

  Yao Xueqi found that Ye Shaofeng's selfless help to her was just a sense of responsibility, and the passionate love they once had could no longer be found in him.

  Could it be that in Fang Ge's heart, there is already another woman? Could it be that he no longer cares about that first love feeling?

  "Maple brother, I've finished eating, let's go."

  "Oh." As he spoke, Ye Shaofeng stood up.

  At this time, Ye Shaofeng's mobile phone rang, and the call was actually from Chang Miaoke.

  Ye Shaofeng quickly picked up the phone and Chang Miao said: "Where are you?"

  "Eating."

  "With whom?"

  "Friend."

  "Something has come up, can you come over?"

  "Where can I find you?"

  "I'll be waiting for you at the school gate." When Chang Miao said this, her tone started to tremble, as if something was up.

  Ye Shaofeng hung up the phone, and at this time he and Yao Xueqi had already walked to the entrance of the restaurant.

  "Xue Qi, that... I... I have something on..."

  "Alright, no need to send me home, I'll just take a taxi back myself. It's actually good timing as I wanted to visit my mom at the hospital anyway. You go ahead and attend to your matters, I'm fine." Yao Xueqi said with a smile.

  "I'm really sorry about that... Next time... next time..."

  "Alright, alright, let's go."

  Ye Shaofeng nodded and hailed a taxi, but he didn't get in himself. Instead, he let Yao Xueqi go first.

  After closing the car door, Yao Xueqi rolled down the window and smiled: "Maple brother, remember clearly, today is my birthday."

  After finishing this sentence, the taxi sped away, Ye Shaofeng watched as the taillights gradually disappeared into the vast night...