The breakfast rush was already over, and only a few people were scattered around the shop. We found a corner table and each ordered a bowl of tofu pudding, along with a few youtiao and two small plates of pickles.
As I ate, I said, "I'm so jealous of people who can draw. With just lines and colors, you can sketch out an entire world!"
He put down his spoon, picked up some shredded pickles with his chopsticks, and tucked them into the hollow center of a youtiao. "I'm jealous of people who write, too. A few sentences can tell a story, a whole life."
With a youtiao in my mouth, I couldn't speak. I just smiled, lips pressed together and cheeks puffed out. After swallowing, I looked at him. "Gu Qingyu, are we just praising each other for business?"
"Hmm, I wouldn't put it that way. Most of us in the arts mean it when we praise someone!" He paused, then added, "Though some people like me do occasionally tell a white lie out of kindness!"
From the clear, smiling light in his slightly long eyes, I could tell that Gu Qingyu was a warm, sunny person with an unshakable resolve. I copied his unhurried tone and said, "Mm, you're right. Writers are like that too!"
Theme: Love is always waiting up ahead
