Chapter 37: One's Own Perspective

At 8:30 AM on October 3rd, Lu You and Li Yu arrived at Liyu Studio.

Since the National Day holiday bridged into the Mid-Autumn Festival, Li Yu had given his staff time off. Even though he could have earned a tidy sum during the golden holiday, he didn't rely on the business for profit, so he simply gave everyone a break.

The two went up to the second floor. Lu You first opened the pet carrier to let Xiao Bao out, allowing the cat to wander around and leave its scent. After that, he unpacked various items and began to tidy up.

The second floor consisted of a room, a living room, and a bathroom, with an integrated kitchen and living area. It was primarily designed for staff to take breaks; while not as large as their own homes, it was bright and spacious.

The place had been cleaned before the staff left for the holiday, so Lu You only needed to set out snacks and fruit on the coffee table.

Li Yu walked up carrying a large black box, the packaging still intact.

Lu You asked out of curiosity, "What's that? Such a big box."

"Dice Throne Season Two." Li Yu placed the box on the coffee table, took out a pair of scissors, and carefully cut through the outer plastic wrap. "It arrived in August, but I was busy with classes and didn't have time to unbox it, so I waited until now."

"Are you planning to play this later?"

"No, I'm not sure if they’d even be interested. I just wanted to open the box and take a look at the skill panels and backstories of the new characters."

"Well, take your time looking. I'm going to go steam the crabs."

Lu You then walked into the kitchen, turned on the induction cooker, and set a pot of water to boil.

...

Approaching 9:00 AM, Tang Wan and Xu Nian got out of their Didi taxi. They looked at the sliding door with the "Closed" sign hanging on the handle, looking a bit bewildered.

Xu Nian squinted and asked, "Did we find the wrong place?"

Tang Wan shook her head, unsure. She took out her phone, snapped a photo of the entrance, and sent it to Lu You.

At that moment, wearing black gloves, Lu You was in the kitchen breaking down crabs. His phone was already open to the WeChat chat interface, waiting for a message.

The phone vibrated. Lu You paused.

Wan: [Image.jpg]
Wan: Is this the place? It doesn't look like it's open?

He looked up toward the living room and said to Li Yu, "They're here. Go down and pick them up."

"Alright, heading down now."

Soon, Li Yu returned with the two girls.

As soon as Tang Wan and Xu Nian walked up, they saw Lu You in the kitchen wearing an apron, his head bowed as he worked on the crabs. The sight was quite striking.

"Wow, he’s actually busy in the kitchen!" Xu Nian exclaimed, then whispered to Tang Wan, "Are you sure you can't let him go?"

"If you like him, find one yourself. This one is taken," Tang Wan whispered back, then walked toward the kitchen.

Xu Nian pouted, wanting to call her a friend who forgets everything for a boy, but her attention was quickly drawn to the colorful character boards and other items on the coffee table.

"Li Yu, is this Dice Throne?"

"Huh?" Li Yu, who had just sat on the sofa, was surprised. "You know about this too?"

"I played the first season." As she spoke, Xu Nian sat down and picked up the box cover. "I haven't seen these characters before. Is this Season Two?"

"Yeah, I just unboxed it too."

"Can I take a look?"

"Sure, just be careful with it."

...

Lu You glanced at Tang Wan, who was standing nearby, and said, "I was busy with my hands, so I didn't reply to your message. I just sent Li Yu down to get you."

"It's fine," Tang Wan said, indicating she didn't mind. Seeing seven whole crabs left by his side, she asked, "Do you need any help?"

Lu You smiled and said, "If you're willing, I'd appreciate the help."

Tang Wan warned him first, "Just so you know, I've only ever eaten crabs; I've never cleaned them before. Don't go yelling at me if I'm too slow."

"I won't. Just follow my lead and take your time. Cleaning crabs is delicate work; no need to rush." Lu You eased her concerns and pointed with his chin to a cloth bag beside her. "There's a set of tools in there. You can use those."

Tang Wan pulled out a pair of brand-new gloves and a set of "crab eight-piece" tools. She asked with a smile, "Did you anticipate that I'd be helping you?"

"Is that... or is it not? What do you think?" Lu You gave an ambiguous answer.

"I’m not guessing!"

Tang Wan put on the gloves, picked up the tools, and imitated Lu You’s movements. She pried open the crab shell to reveal a mass of roe, swallowing instinctively.

"I didn't realize there was this much roe in a crab!"

"When the autumn wind blows, the crab legs itch; when the chrysanthemums bloom, the smell of crab fills the air," Lu You explained. "This is the perfect time for crabs to be at their fattest, and since you picked a female crab, it's normal for it to have plenty of roe."

Tang Wan used tweezers to carefully remove the heart and stomach of the crab. "This is a hairy crab, right? I haven't eaten one in a long time. The last time was back in seventh grade. They must be expensive, aren't they?"

"I'm not sure. They were a gift from someone my dad knows. I’m the only one here, and I can't finish them all."

"What about your parents? Are they not home for the Mid-Autumn Festival?" Tang Wan asked, finding it strange that they wouldn't be home for a reunion.

"It's an eight-day holiday, so they took my sister back to our hometown to stay with my grandparents."

"And you? Didn't you go back with them?"

Lu You recalled the way they had scolded him and could only sigh. "My grandparents don't like me very much, so they told me not to go back and cause trouble."

Looking at his refined features, Tang Wan whispered in protest, "You look perfectly fine to me."

Lu You didn't catch what she said. "What did you say? I didn't hear you."

"Ahem." Tang Wan quickly changed the subject. "Nothing, it's nothing."

Lu You didn't press the matter and continued, "I'll go back during the Lunar New Year. If I get good grades, they won't have any objections."

Tang Wan nodded. "I'll help you study."

The two of them worked in silence, cleaning four crabs, with only three left to go.

The peace and tranquility of having him by her side, working together on a single task, was an atmosphere Tang Wan found herself deeply immersed in. But then, her mother’s words surfaced in her mind. Her hands stiffened, and her mood plummeted.

Lu You clearly sensed the change in her. With a smile and a gentle tone, he asked, "Did you remember something unhappy? If you'd like, you can tell me about it."

Tang Wan didn't speak immediately. She picked up a crab, hesitated for a moment, and then, while continuing her work, said slowly, "Lu You, what do you think about dating in high school?"

Lu You’s mind raced.

She asked this, so she must have talked to someone about it—someone who had a significant influence on her. It was nine out of ten likely her parents.

Lu You considered how to answer. He had discussed this with Ms. Shen before, and he had pondered it many times over the past few days, arriving at his own conclusion.

"I can only give you my own view; it doesn't represent the popular opinion. Do you want to hear it?"

"Yes," Tang Wan nodded slightly.

Lu You began to express his perspective: "Let me put it this way: I’ll call it dating while in high school. My attitude is not to force it, but to let it happen naturally."

"Falling for someone is hard to control. When you see them, you feel at peace; when you don't, you miss them. Talking to them brings happiness, and being ignored feels like heartbreak. Regardless of whether that person is there or not, they can shake all of your emotions."

"As for those who say high school students should focus on their studies and not think about other things—well, who can’t say that? Who wants someone who can easily distract them? But if you can't do it, you just can't."

"So, I think if you meet someone you like, you should treat it seriously, pursue it boldly, and make yourself better, giving yourself the ability to take responsibility for that relationship."

Tang Wan's movements paused for a second but soon returned to normal. She asked as if it were a casual question, "What if your parents don't agree? They use their own experiences to prove that high school romances rarely have a good ending."

"I understand how parents think. In fact, I even agree that high school romances rarely end well."

Lu You’s first half made Tang Wan feel worse, but then came the second half.

"But I still feel that if I met that person in high school, I could definitely walk a long path with her."

"Why?" Tang Wan looked up at Lu You, her face full of sincerity.

Lu You didn't dodge her gaze, looking straight at her. "Because I like her, and because I'm not willing to give up. Some people go from school uniforms to wedding dresses, so why can't I? Some people manage to get into a good university while dating, so why can't I? Should I give up on someone I like just because of my parents' views or some general consensus? I can't do that."

"Parents' experience as 'those who have been there' shouldn't be ignored, but it shouldn't be treated as a code of conduct either. How things actually turn out depends on the individual. If everyone lived strictly by the experience of those before them, we’d still be living under arranged marriages and matchmakers. The world would never have seen the theory of relativity or quantum mechanics."

"You mean, we should have our own ideas?" Tang Wan’s mood improved slightly.

"Yes," Lu You agreed. "Parents’ intentions are for their children to study well during high school and not get hurt. Coincidentally, romance hits both of those points—it’s time-consuming and prone to heartbreak."

"I understand." Tang Wan had figured it out. Her mindset returned to normal as she said, "I need to study hard."

"That's good." Lu You was relieved to see her come to terms with it. "And then?"

"And then what? High school students just need to study hard; what else is there?" Tang Wan played dumb, refusing to say it.

"Isn't there anything else?" Lu You asked, somewhat eagerly.

"No." After saying that, Tang Wan lowered her head and went back to cleaning the crab.

"Sigh, fine, if there isn't, there isn't." Lu You felt a bit dejected. He had said so much, and it seemed to have been completely useless.

*And walk by your side.*

Tang Wan couldn't say those words—at least, not yet. She could only keep them in her heart for now and tell him one day in the future.

Tang Wan looked at his frustrated expression and chuckled to herself. Not wanting him to overthink it, she said, "The crabs are almost done. What are you planning to make next?"

"Large crab-roe soup dumplings."

"The kind that are full of soup when steamed, the kind you can drink with a straw?"

"Exactly."

Just then, they heard a small meow and looked down simultaneously.

Xiao Bao was sauntering toward Lu You, rubbing its head against his ankle.

Lu You really wanted to reach out and pet it, but his hands were dirty, so he had to resist. He called out to the living room, "Li Yu! Come over and take Xiao Bao out."

"Oh! Be right there!"

"You brought it with you?" Tang Wan's eyes were full of surprise.

"Yeah. I’m planning to take it to the pet shop for a bath and grooming this afternoon."

"Can I come along? I won't be a bother." Tang Wan pleaded.

"Of course, I'd be more than happy to have you."

"Then let's finish the crabs quickly." Tang Wan sped up her movements. "I really want to pet it. The last time I did was back in June."

"No rush, we have plenty of time today."