#6 - Close the distance

Taking Peter to a nearby glasses store to get a pair of glasses, Yang Le took Peter and Gwen to a fast food restaurant not far from the glasses store while waiting for the glasses to be made.

Without thinking, Yang Le ordered three signature hamburger set menu, not giving Peter and Gwen a chance to refuse.

"Thank you for your treat, Mr. Yang Le." Peter thanked Yang Le formally, while Gwen just said thank you coolly.

"Peter, I just said, we are friends. In our China, it's normal for friends to treat each other to meals. Your serious look makes me feel like you don't consider me a friend at all."

Yang Le looked at Peter helplessly, and Gwen next to him was also speechless.

"I didn't mean that, it's just that, I think all this is happening too fast, I haven't adapted yet…" Peter explained hastily, speaking so fast that he swallowed some words. If it weren't for the Omnitrix's translation function to fill in the gaps, he might not have understood what Peter was saying. Oh, that's not right, without translation, he wouldn't have understood it in the first place.

"Oh, Peter, what are you talking about?" Yang Le could understand, but that didn't mean others could. Gwen looked at Peter speechlessly.

Hearing Gwen's complain, Peter blushed. In fact, he really wanted to be friends with Yang Le, after all, Yang Le saved him and Gwen, and also paid for his glasses.

However, Yang Le helped him too much, which added to his burden. He felt that Yang Le was his benefactor, which led him to unconsciously use honorifics. He was afraid that his rashness would cause him to lose Yang Le, this hard-won friend.

"Yang Le, it's okay for me to call you that, right?" Seeing his withdrawn friend, Gwen quickly changed the subject, the awkwardness in the air was palpable.

"Yes, that's right. Yang is the surname, and Le is the name. Chinese pronunciation is indeed a bit difficult for foreigners who are new to it. You can just call me Yang." Actually, Gwen's pronunciation was still a bit strange, but Yang Le didn't mind. It's okay to be casual between friends, as long as it's not too outrageous, and he knows they are calling him.

"Yang? Itch?" Gwen murmured a few times, scratching her hair. "It feels like it's still a lot different from what you said. By the way, does your name have any meaning?"

Meaning? Yang Le was stunned by this question. No one had ever asked him the meaning of his name since he was a child. The meaning of this name is obvious to everyone in China.

"Uh, the character ' Le' in Chinese has the meaning of happiness. I guess my parents wanted me to be happy?" Yang Le was also a little unsure, after all, he had never asked.

"Happiness, then I'll call you Happy from now on." After listening to Yang Le's explanation, Gwen immediately settled on Yang Le's nickname.

'Wouldn't that make me a idiot?' Yang Le had black lines all over his head when he heard this nickname, but looking at Gwen's big, watery eyes, his heart softened. Thinking that no one in America would understand it anyway, he nodded in agreement.

"OK, I think this nickname can also make someone who is tongue-tied feel more comfortable." Gwen's words were meaningful, but everyone present knew that the 'someone' was Peter.

"I, I think our set meal should be ready, I'll go get it." Peter felt that he should calm down and offered to leave for a while to get the meal.

"A set meal for three might be too much for Peter to carry alone, I'll go help him. Happy, you can wait here." After speaking, Gwen followed Peter, not giving Yang Le a chance to refuse.

Gwen looked at Peter queuing up to get the meal, walked over and patted him on the shoulder. Peter's body stiffened when he was patted, and he relaxed after realizing it was Gwen.

"Please, don't scare me, Gwen," Peter complained softly.

"Peter, you're too reserved. You're making Happy very awkward," Gwen said, looking at Peter with disappointment.

"I know, but I just don't know how to start. You have to help me, Gwen," Peter pleaded.

"It's not that complicated. Happy isn't the kind of person who nitpicks. You just need to be natural and show your usual level of seemingly introverted but actually very flirtatious, Mr. seemingly introverted but actually very flirtatious."

After receiving guidance, Peter calmed down and returned to his seat with Gwen, carrying the plates.

"Sorry, Happy, Peter and I didn't know what drink you liked, so we chose Coke for you." Gwen explained embarrassedly, and then handed Yang Le his set meal.

"It's okay, I like Coke the most. Coke is one of the greatest inventions," Yang Le raised his hands and made a 'long live' gesture before taking the set meal.

"Provided the Coke is ice-cold," Peter said softly from the side.

"Yes, yes, yes, Coke that isn't ice-cold is just like Captain America without a shield, its strength is greatly reduced," Yang Le agreed.

"Oh, Happy, if you said that sentence decades ago, you might get beaten up." Peter reminded Yang Le after hearing his analogy, after all, Captain America is the idol of many people, but too much time has passed, and most young people now are not very enthusiastic about him.

Hearing Peter's words, Yang Le just laughed and took a sip of Coke, not caring at all.

Suddenly, Yang Le seemed to notice something, put down the Coke and looked at Peter.

"What did you call me just now?" Yang Le said, looking at Peter seriously.

"Uh, Happy…" Peter was startled by Yang Le's sudden seriousness. "Of course, if you don't want me to call you that…"

"That's right!" Before Peter could finish speaking, Yang Le interrupted him, and at the same time stood up and patted Peter on the shoulder. "Friends should be casual, I was so embarrassed just now, brother."

Gwen looked at Peter with gratification, feeling like she was watching her child grow up.

Encouraged, Peter gradually let go of his worries and started chatting with Yang Le, and Gwen also added a few words from the side from time to time. The atmosphere between the three of them became better and better.

Soon the three of them finished their fast food. After checking the time and estimating that the glasses should be ready, they set off for the glasses store.

Sure enough, as soon as they arrived at the store, the clerk took Peter to adjust the already made glasses. After confirming that there were no problems, the three left the glasses store.

"It's getting late, I'll take you home," Yang Le suggested after looking at the time.

"Are you sure it's okay, Happy? Won't you get scolded for going back too late?" Gwen asked worriedly.

"Yeah, it's not far from my and Gwen's home, we can go back by ourselves." Peter also felt that he shouldn't bother Yang Le anymore.

"It's okay, I'm older than you, it's only right for me to take you back," Yang Le waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, it doesn't matter if I go back late, anyway, I don't have any family in this world."

Hearing Yang Le's words, Peter and Gwen were both stunned, and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

"I'm so sorry, Happy," Gwen's voice trembled slightly, her watery eyes filled with apology as she looked at Yang Le.