Running away from the Love-Brain

Forty-Four Seconds

Q: Why can't SpongeBob and Squidward become friends?

A: I think it's because Squidward has a shocking secret that he can't reveal, which only SpongeBob is unaware of—Chi Buyu.

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"You two aren't going to fight, are you?"

Just as the class monitor opened the car door, she suddenly paused. Uneasy, she turned back to glance at the two standing on the street.

Cui Xijin looked at Squidward through his half-mask, speaking calmly, "You're overthinking it."

After a brief pause, she tugged at the corner of her mouth, "Her? Me and her? Impossible."

It seemed she was a bit more sober than two hours ago, and the class monitor tentatively relaxed. She then looked over at Chi Buyu, who was leaning against a lamppost, slightly unsteady, yet curious about the falling snow, swaying back and forth.

"And you?" the class monitor asked.

"Ah?" Chi Buyu looked up blankly, her lashes dampened, densely resting on her slightly reddened eyelids from the alcohol.

She pointed at herself, "Me?"

Dazed, she glanced at Cui Xijin, pondered for a while, and then raised the SpongeBob mask in her hand.

"Do you know how many episodes SpongeBob has?"

She imitated SpongeBob's tone, her voice small and deflated. Before anyone could answer, she wobbled and held up two fingers.

Then, hiding behind the mask, she laughed, her chin buried in a thick, soft red scarf, poking around randomly, saying nothing more.

She didn't answer the question. The class monitor sighed.

At this point, it was already past midnight, the snow was nearly done falling, and the streetlights glowed a yellow hue, a thin layer of snow blanketing the ground. Chengdu never seemed to have heavy snowfall, just scattered small flakes drifting down.

It was as if someone had puffed out their cheeks, desperately blowing into the air, and with each breath, a few snowflakes floated down slowly onto the shoulders of the two.

The class monitor sighed again.

She watched Chi Buyu finish her words, look down and step into the thin layer of snow, giggling as she stomped on it, then raised her hands to catch a few falling flakes, puffing out her cheeks to blow the scattered snowflakes away.

It seemed Chi Buyu was truly intoxicated.

So she looked back at Cui Xijin, who stood straight and calm, unfazed by Chi Buyu's antics.

Even when Chi Buyu attempted to blow snow down her neck, she remained composed, gently pushing her away with her palm against Chi Buyu's forehead.

There was no incessant laughter, no obliging responses. All seemed well. What about Chi Buyu? The class monitor glanced back at Chi Buyu.

She saw Chi Buyu, dissatisfied after being pushed away, pout her lips, then accidentally slip on the snow and nearly fall.

Cui Xijin instinctively reached out to steady her, but missed her grasp.

She touched air.

In the midst of the chaos, an accident occurred. Chi Buyu swayed and managed to regain her balance. Cui Xijin, having swatted at the air a few times, was unwittingly caught off guard by the cold air, bending over to cough several times.