GU Zhifeng patiently stood beside LIU Fangming with yogurt, waiting for her to finish the phone call.
LIU Fangming saw GU Zhifeng from the Pinkberry store, so she was also looking for an opportunity to end the dialogue with Alex, but Alex was too chatty. LIU Fangming's several attempts were not successful.After about 5 minutes, LIU Fangming saw GU Zhifeng standing beside her looking worse and worse, so she ended the conversation with Alex by force.LIU Fangming said: "Alex, I have something to do here. I have to go now. We can talk later."
Not long after this, LIU Fangming finally hung up the phone.
"Why is there no end to this with Alex? He always calls you when THERE's nothing that needs to be discussed?"GU Zhifeng could not swallow this, he complained.
"In fact, we did not talk too many serious things. It is small talk." Liu Fangming said.
"So what were you thinking?"GU Zhifeng is finally unbearable, began to ask.
"I didn't think anything of it. I just wanted to keep the conversation within a normal friendship. I didn't want to turn my back on him and not be friends. Don't you think that makes me very stingy?" LIU Fangming is rare for the first time to speak so clearly. Normally she is careless, says nothing.
"But can't you reduce the frequency of your conversations or phone calls?" GU Zhifeng complained again.
"I've never initiated a phone call or a conversation with him." LIU Fangming disapprovingly explained.
"We haven't lived together yet, and I see you chatting so often." As soon as GU Zhifeng said this, he regretted it a little.This was a sign of extreme distrust of the other person.But the words had been said, and there was no taking them back.
"What do you mean?So distrustful of me?"LIU Fangming also felt wrong and raised his voice, almost questioning.
GU Zhifeng frowned when he heard the raised tone, for they were on a pedestrian street. People were coming and going, and people who passed by them had begun to look in their direction.
"Well, no more, no more."GU Zhifeng proposed a truce.
LIU Fangming did not answer.
But GU Zhifeng and LIU Fangming both know that the time bomb has finally exploded.
The two of them had lost their interest in a walk on the Santa Monica beach, and now they froze.
After all, today is GU Zhifeng's 21st birthday, so it is indeed inappropriate to quarrel with him, but the cause is really not with me. LIU Fangming still felt some grievance in her heart.
LIU Fangming in the mind of thousands of thoughts. She and GU Zhifeng, together for these three years, is his 19-21 years of the most youthful 3 years, she always split the bills with him when they go out even. She likes GU Zhifeng's kindness, frankness and enthusiasm, as well as his optimism about life.It's just, he's really bad with money, and he is sometimes too dependent on her for too much. That has to do with his background of how he was raised.
"Come on, don't just stand here."GU Zhifeng spoke again.
"Instead of going for a walk, let's go back to the bar. It's almost two hours past, just in time to say goodbye to our friends and that also looks polite."After a moment of pause, LIU Fangming said.
LIU Fangming is always so sensitive, paying attention to everything and is always decent. This is also the character that he likes.GU Zhifeng thought, then nodded.
The two of them went back to the bar, and by this time the party was really coming to an end. When their friends saw them coming back, they gathered around them.
"Come, Zhifeng, I bought a dozen shots from my own pocket. Let's have a toast with you. Happy 21st birthday to you."ChHANG Kuan, GU Zhifeng's best friend, said to Zhifeng, holding two shots and handed one of them to Zhifeng.
The rest of the close friends, LIU Weicheng, ZHANG Zhihong, ChHEN Le, YU Qian, also raised the shot, said "Salute" to Zhifeng.
Zhifeng was touched, he raised his shot,and then drank it down.
May friendship last forever.
After drinking, the party also went on for two and half hours. People also gradually dispersed.The band also put away drums, guitars and bass.
The big 21st birthday party is over. GU Zhifeng goes to the bar and thanks his stepfather, Jack, and brother, Felix.Thank them for helping to run the place and take care of everyone.
Both said "you were welcome."
The bar was almost empty, and GU Zhifeng, LIU Fangming, and his stepfather and brother were left there. GU Zhifeng said to LIU Fangming, then what do we do tonight? You go back to my place, or do I go to your place?"
LIU Fangming thought for a while and said, "You will go back to your place tonight, okay? We'll talk tomorrow."
GU Zhifeng knew that LIU Fangming had done so to avoid the conflict, and said nothing more.It was just a little sad to think that it was still his birthday and she didn't want to come to his place.
"All right, we'll see tomorrow."GU zhifeng said.
GU Zhifeng went to the small room and took a big plastic bag out. Then he went to the small table where the gifts were stacked and put the birthday presents everyone had given him into the bag.
GU Zhifeng and LIU Fangming say goodbye to Jack and Felix.They nodded.
At the door of the bar, GU Zhifeng said goodbye to LIU Fangming.Mr. Zhifeng didn't drive, knowing he would probably drink, so he called an Uber and left.LIU Fangming walked to the parking lot, picked up her car and drove straight home.
About half an hour passed.GU Zhifeng returned to his apartment in downtown Los Angeles.
He pulled out his phone and saw a new Wechat message.It was his mother who sent him the message, "Happy 21st birthday son.It's a bit sad that mom can't celebrate your birthday at your party. Mom will send you a red envelope."
LIU Zhiping, GU Zhifeng's mother, transferred 2100RMB to GU Zhifeng on Wechat.See the mother's message, and received the red envelope. GU Zhifeng doesn't know how to describe his feelings. The family of origin had been a pain in his heart.
"Thank you, Mom. How's grandma?"GU Zhifeng sent this message to his mother on wechat.
Last year, my mother went back to China to accompany my grandparents because my grandmother had not been well in the past two years.Unexpectedly, the outbreak of the epidemic broke out all over the world, and my mother was not convenient to run back and forth, so she took this opportunity to spend more time with the two seniors.
When his mother didn't reply immediately on Wechat, GU Zhifeng put down his phone.
He turned on his phone's Bluetooth, turned on his home stereo, connected to his music APP and started playing songs by his favorite bands.
He leaned against the window and looked out at the streets of downtown Los Angeles, and for a moment he wondered where his future lay and felt a little confused.