A Warm Welcome

Su Yudie chose to have a spicy hotpot, a delicious and affordable meal that was very popular among students. Each person had a small pot, about twenty centimetres in diameter, heated on an induction cooker. The bright red broth bubbled enticingly.

Su Yudie pored over the menu, marking items while muttering, "Beef, tripe, enoki mushrooms, potato slices, duck blood, shrimp dumplings, luncheon meat, glutinous rice cakes, pineapple cakes..."

"Can you eat all that?" Ziang asked, slightly concerned.

"I have a big appetite, and besides, you're here too, right?" Yudie replied, focused on the menu.

Ziang sipped his lemon tea, choosing not to argue further. As a guy, having a smaller appetite than a girl would be embarrassing.

Soon, the waiter brought their dishes. Yudie divided everything evenly between their pots and then asked, "Coca-Cola or Pepsi?"

"Coca-Cola," Ziang replied.

Yudie signalled the waiter, ordering two ice-cold Coca-Colas. The dark cola poured into the glasses, creating a frothy fizz.

She raised her glass and clinked it with Ziang's, "Ziang, here's to forgetting all your worries and being happy every day."

Touched, Ziang said, "Thank you, Little Butterfly."

The carbonated cola brought a slight sting as it went down. Yudie placed the first piece of cooked beef into Ziang's bowl before indulging herself. She commented on the food like a true gourmet.

"The duck intestine is supposed to be blanched seven times, but it's overcooked."

"The seaweed is too salty; it needed more rinsing."

"The beef meatballs weren't beaten enough, not springy enough."

…

Her chatter never seemed to stop, always having something to say.

Ziang handed her a napkin, "You have some oil on your mouth."

Yudie wiped her mouth haphazardly, "Thanks."

Beautiful girls usually care a lot about their image, but Yudie, with her angelic face, relished the flavours of life without a care. Such a girl easily invoked a sense of closeness and was truly endearing.

"Why are you always so happy?" Ziang asked.

"Being happy or unhappy takes the same amount of time. Why not choose happiness?" Yudie smiled, countering his question.

Ziang nodded silently.

She had a point that was hard to refute. Dwelling on yesterday's sadness seemed pointless.

"Do you have a nickname?" Yudie asked curiously.

Ziang shook his head blankly. His classmates either called him "Class Monitor" or by his name, except for Huangxuan, who called him "Son."

"Son" didn't count as a nickname, right?

"Then I'll call you Big Fool," Yudie said while cooking some tripe.

"Why? That's awful," Ziang protested.

"Because you lied to me this morning, and it was full of holes," Yudie pouted.

Ziang thought to himself, being the top student for two consecutive years, if that made him a fool, what about the other students?

Their hotpot meal lasted about forty minutes. Yudie savoured the last potato piece from her pot with a satisfied smile.

Ziang signalled the waiter for the bill.

Yudie quickly said, "I'm the one who suggested hotpot, so let me pay."

Ziang smiled, "I'll treat this time, and you can treat next time."

"Okay!" Yudie agreed.

Without realizing it, they had already planned their next outing.

They left the hotpot restaurant around 1 PM. Ziang planned to clean his mom's apartment, where he would be staying for the foreseeable future.

Hearing this, Yudie insisted on coming along to help.

As they opened the door, the neighbouring lady stepped out. Ziang had met her a few times and greeted her politely.

"Oh, got a girlfriend?" The lady's eyes brightened at the sight of the lovely Yudie.

"No, just a friend," Ziang quickly clarified, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"That's fine, no need to hide it from me. It's normal for young people to date," the lady said knowingly.

Yudie blushed, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

The apartment was old but had good lighting. Xu Hui was rarely there, often staying in a nearby hotel when work got busy. The place was sparsely furnished and lacked greenery, giving it a somewhat lifeless feel.

Ziang told Yudie, "For the next three months if you want to hang out, you can come here."

Yudie blinked her large, watery eyes, "What about after three months?"

"We'll see then," Ziang said, dodging the question, knowing he'd likely be in the hospital by then.

Very few people would be saddened by his departure.

Yudie smiled, "If you upset me, I won't come to see you."

Ziang quickly replied, "I won't."

The next three months would be incredibly lonely and filled with physical pain. He didn't want his life, nearing its end, to lose this precious splash of colour.

Despite her delicate appearance, Yudie was a hardworking little helper, probably used to doing chores at home.

Working together, they quickly transformed the apartment into a cosy space.

While taking out the trash, they stopped by a nearby supermarket to buy essentials.

Ziang bought a desk calendar, the kind where you tear off a page each day. He weighed it in his hand; ninety days felt like a thin stack of paper.

Those flimsy pages represented the countdown of his life.

At the checkout, Yudie didn't want to wait in line and went outside to wait for Ziang.

When he came out, he found her holding a round glass fishbowl with some pebbles and plants inside. Two red goldfish swam happily.

"Ziang, this is a housewarming gift for you," she said.

"Why give me two fish? I can barely take care of myself," Ziang muttered.

"I felt bad you didn't catch any fish yesterday. This will add some life to your new home. Promise me you won't let them die," Yudie said seriously.

"Don't let them die?" Ziang was puzzled.

"I mean the fish. If they die, I won't forgive you," Yudie shook her fist.

Ziang gazed deeply into her eyes as if trying to see into her soul.

Having a friend like her was truly a blessing.

But why did I have to meet you when my life is nearing its end?

Little Butterfly, if only I had met you sooner, how wonderful that would have been!