"'Soupy, it's Sunday today. Let's play basketball together.' No, that sounds insincere."
"Soupy, I was wrong yesterday. I'm sorry. It's Sunday today. Let's play basketball together.' Actually, it's all Coach Yang's fault. What did it got to do with me?"
"Soupy, I was too harsh yesterday. I'm sorry. It's Sunday today. Let's play basketball together.' Well, that should work."
Gao Xinglang practiced his apology in front of the bathroom mirror, searching for the perfect words. When he was satisfied, he stepped out.
"Xinglang, you were in there for quite a while. Is everything alright?" Mr. Gao, sitting on the sofa, looked up from his newspaper and asked with concern.
"Yeah, Dad," Gao Xinglang replied, a bit embarrassed.
"That's good to hear," Mr. Gao nodded and then asked with a smile, "You don't have training today, do you? Any plans? The newspaper says there's an aerospace and navigation model exhibition at the Children's Palace today. Why don't we go check it out after Mom gets back from the wet market?"
"There's a model exhibition at the Children's Palace?" Gao Xinglang thought for a while and said, "Dad, I want to go to the Children's Palace with Soupy - - I mean, Guan Xuchen - - to see the exhibition. Is that okay?"
"Sure. Then I'll go shopping with Mom. Go to the exhibition with your classmate. Mr. Gao smiled and then added, "Be careful."
"Got it, Dad," Gao Xinglang replied cheerfully.
He left his residential quarter and headed towards Guan Xuchen's place. As he walked, he practiced what he was going to say to Guan Xuchen: "Soupy, I was too harsh yesterday. I 'm sorry. There's an aerospace and navigation model exhibition at the Children's Palace today. Let's go together."
"'Of course, Lang. Let's go together.' Soupy will certainly say that," Gao Xinglang thought happily.
But as he walked, Gao Xinglang suddenly stopped. He remembered he had clearly told Guan Xuchen he wasn't available today. But now, he was going to ask Guan Xuchen to go to the model exhibition together. Wasn't that hypocritical?
Gao Xinglang hesitated for a moment, then turned around and walked alone towards the bus stop...
At seven o'clock that evening, after dinner, Gao Xinglang took out his English textbook and exercise book as usual, waiting for Guan Xuchen to come over for his English tutoring session.
While waiting, he thought, "When Soupy comes, I'll thank him for tutoring me and then apologize. He won't be mad at me, right?"
But by eight twenty, Guan Xuchen still hadn't shown up. Gao Xinglang flipped through his basketball comics aimlessly, his mind racing.
Mr. Gao walked in, patted his shoulder, sat on the bedside and asked with concern. "Xinglang, why doesn't Xuchen come over for your tutoring session today? Did something happen when you two went to the exhibition today?"
Gao Xinglang lowered his head and replied softly, "Dad, actually, I went to the exhibition alone. I didn't go with Soupy - - I mean Guan Xuchen."
"Ah? Why? What happened?" Mr. Gao's tone was filled with worry.
Gao Xinglang hesitated for a moment before finally telling the whole story under his father's persistent questioning.
After listening, Mr. Gao said slowly, "Xinglang, I think you were in the wrong this time. What do you say?"
Gao Xinglang responded aggrievedly, "But if Soupy hadn't brought his cousin to Xiaoda, Coach Yang wouldn't have scolded me..."
Mr. Gao sighed softly. "But you knew that students from outside were not allowed to play in the school gym. You shouldn't have promised Xuchen."
YOU ARE READING
Love Me in Another Universe
General FictionIt was such a long time ago that you don't even remember why you fell for that person in the first place. You just remember stubbornly that you were once deeply in love with someone with that name... It's a story about the bond between two Chinese b...
