November 16, 1996, Saturday. All the Senior One students of Xiaoda Middle School went on a trip to Xiqiao Mountain in Nanhai County, Foshan City. Among them, Gao Xinglang, Guan Xuchen, Ao Feifan, Shen Yitian and four other boys were divided into one group. After reaching the mountain peak and resting for a while, they decided to head back down the same path to have a picnic at the foot of the mountain.
As they walked, Guan Xuchen suddenly stumbled and let out a cry of "ouch".
"Soupy, what's wrong?" Gao Xinglang, who was nearby, immediately asked with concern, "Did you sprain your ankle?"
"No, I didn't..." Guan Xuchen stood still, lifting his right foot slightly, and replied with a hint of embarrassment, "It's just that the sole of my shoe has come off..."
Gao Xinglang looked closely and saw that most of the sole of Guan Xuchen's right shoe had come loose, barely hanging onto the upper. He couldn't help but laugh, "Soupy, what kind of shoes are these? They're so flimsy!"
By then, the other boys in the group had gathered around to see what was happening, making Guan Xuchen feel even more awkward.
Shen Yitian smiled kindly and suggested, "Why don't you check the kiosk to see if they have superglue to fix the sole? Or just buy a new pair of shoes."
"That's right, Soupy. Wait here for a second," With that, Gao Xinglang turned around, ready to go back to the kiosk.
"Lang, don't bother," Guan Xuchen quickly stopped him. "The kiosk we passed just now seemed to be quite far away. And I don't think they'd sell superglue or shoes here."
Gao Xinglang remembered that when he was buying things at the kiosk at the peak, he had only seen snacks, drinks, and souvenirs.
"Then...then how about I go outside the scenic area and have a look..." Gao Xinglang stopped talking halfway through, as he himself felt that it was not very feasible.
"Yeah, don't waste your time," Ao Feifan teased. "Guan Xuchen, why don't you just take off your shoes and go barefoot like a real man?"
The other four boys in the group burst into laughter.
Guan Xuchen wished he could disappear into the ground. He kept his head down, silent, just staring blankly at his right-foot sneaker with its detached sole.
Seeing this, Gao Xinglang said to the other boys, "Alright, stop making fun of the English rep. Why don't you guys head down first and find a spot for the picnic? I'll walk slowly with Soupy and catch up with you later."
"Lang, Chen, are you sure you don't need our help?" Shen Yitian asked kindly.
"Tian, thank you," Guan Xuchen replied with a smile. "Lang will just walk slowly with me down the mountain."
With that, Shen Yitian, Ao Feifan, and the other four boys trotted down the towards the foot of the mountain.
Watching them disappear into the distance, Guan Xuchen tried to take a few steps with Gao Xinglang's support. But the sole of his right sneaker, still barely attached, caused him to stumble again. If it weren't for Gao Xinglang holding him up, he would have fallen flat.
Seeing this, Gao Xinglang quickly took off his own sneakers and handed them to Guan Xuchen. "Soupy, wear my sneakers and walk slowly. I'll just go barefoot."
Before Guan Xuchen could even respond, Gao Xinglang tried walking forward in just his socks. But after a few steps, he hopped around like an ant on a hot pan and quickly ran to sit under a big tree by the roadside.
Guan Xuchen looked at the scorching stone path under the blazing sun and immediately understood, his heart aching. Limping over to Gao Xinglang, he returned the sneakers and said with concern, "Lang, the path is too hot and there're so many pebbles. You can't just go barefoot!"
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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...
