(1)
Zhu Ying’s home was decorated in the style of an old wealthy family.
Although her father was just an ordinary office clerk, the solid wood furniture in the house was nothing short of plentiful.
At a glance, everything was a reddish-brown, giving off a steady and calm vibe, but it also felt somewhat oppressive.
This reminded her that her father planned to buy a house in H City this year.
She wondered what style he would choose for the decoration.
Would he really decorate the home to look like his office…?
Anjing tugged at the corner of her mouth; she didn’t like this feeling because it always seemed like she couldn’t breathe freely — this was supposed to be a “home,” a place to relax.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, she walked through the solemn living room where a ceramic statue of Chairman Mao was displayed, passed the kitchen, and turned into a narrow hallway until she finally reached Zhu Ying’s bedroom door.
“Will you push it open?”
“Ah, ah? Why do I have to push the door?”
“That’s the only way it feels like a treasure trove is about to be opened.”
“Ahem ahem ahem!! I absolutely wasn’t thinking that just now!”
“Whether you were or not, only you know~”
Zhu Ying said with a mischievous smile, making it impossible to tell if she actually heard Anjing’s inner thoughts.
“Sh-should I open it?”
“Go ahead.”
Zhu Ying rolled her eyes at her with irises like lychee pulp.
“Alright… I’ll open it then…”
Anjing nervously grabbed the handle and slowly pushed the door inward.
Before she could see anything clearly, a wave of warmth rushed at her, carrying a sweet scent reminiscent of milk.
Though she had been to Wang Xinru’s room before, probably because she was too familiar with it since childhood, it felt like visiting a brother’s place — nothing special about the girl’s room.
Of course, a girl’s room and a brother’s room were very different.
Especially in scent. Wang Xinru’s room had almost no smell, but Zhu Ying’s room had not only a milky fragrance but also a faint strawberry scent.
As for the brothers’ rooms — Fang Qiang’s reeked of foot odor, Zhou Chao’s smelled like dust, and Sun Wei’s place… well, that was a whole other story; the smell was like a slightly cleaner public restroom.
Zhu Ying’s bedroom was completely different from the rest of the house’s decoration — it was fluffy everywhere:
The carpet was fluffy, the bedding was fluffy, even the chair was draped in a fluffy “coat,” and a whole row of plush toys was lined up beside the bed.
The furniture was light wood color, the walls painted a creamy beige, creating a warm and approachable atmosphere.
On the computer was a Cantonese audio version of the Jay Chou film , not the Mandarin dub.
“You haven’t rested yet?”
“I slept for half a day, just woke up not long ago.”
Zhu Ying smiled brightly and pushed Anjing down into the fluffy chair, “My parents have engagements tonight, so stay here a bit longer, okay?”
“But…”
Anjing wanted to bring up Sun Wei’s situation, but the words stuck in her throat — that cherubic little face with bright eyes seemed to pull her soul in irresistibly.
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
Zhu Ying turned and walked out of the room, pushing the door behind her, “I’ll go get some snacks~”
Anjing hurriedly checked her phone. It was a message from Zhou Chao: “Enjoy the time together. I’m going to see Awei.”
“Holy crap!!”
Anjing quickly replied.
Sun Wei’s house was still a bit far; if you didn’t bike, you had to walk quite a distance.
Today Anjing had planned to ride with Zhou Chao on his motorcycle to save time.
After all, today wasn’t Friday, just a regular Tuesday.
Zhou Chao hadn’t replied yet — maybe he was already on his bike.
“This kid always does things first and reports later…”
Anjing sighed and covered her forehead, just then Zhu Ying came in carrying a huge pile of snacks, giving the door a playful kick with her pale, rosy feet as she closed it behind her.
“What’s up? Got something to do?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“Uh… yeah… originally.”
Anjing hesitated for a few seconds but didn’t hide the truth, “I wanted to visit Sun Wei. Didn’t he throw up yesterday?”
“Oh~ so you want to go now?”
“Cough, Zhou Chao rode the motorcycle first. I’m walking over; it’s a bit far…”
“If you want to go, there’s still time.”
“Ah, then maybe…”
“Huh?”
Before Anjing finished, Zhu Ying slightly tilted her chin and snorted softly, “You really want to go?”
“No going today. Stay and keep me company.”
Her apricot-shaped eyes locked onto Anjing’s, making it impossible to look away no matter how hard she tried.
“Um… I-I won’t go…”
“Mm!”
This was the first time Anjing saw that kind of smile on Zhu Ying’s face, blooming like a flower.
She was momentarily dazed.
Come to think of it, Zhu Ying had never really demanded anything from her.
Although she seemed proactive, most of the time she was quite casual…
This was the first time she made such a strong and clear request.
Anjing instinctively raised her hand and gently touched Zhu Ying’s forehead, immediately startled, “It’s so hot!”
“It’s not so bad now.”
She smiled softly and sat right on Anjing’s lap, deliberately brushing the back of her head against Anjing’s nose.
“Whoa— I can’t sit still. Don’t move!”
“Mm…”
Her little face blushed as she quietly responded and picked up the cup of milk tea from the table, “Have you seen the movie with Jay Chou?”
“Uh, which one?”
“This one.”
She pointed to the computer screen.
The video hadn’t paused; it had been playing since earlier.
“‘You wanna be a tofu seller instead of a racer?’”
“, yeah, I’ve seen it.”
“I watch it every year.”
“Eh, you like the AE86 too?”
“Because it’s Jay Chou’s movie.”
“Eh—” Anjing suddenly felt a bit jealous, “Do you like him more or me more?”
“It’s not the same kind of like.”
Anjing gave a soft scoff, about to put her restless hands behind her back but was gently grabbed by Zhu Ying and placed on her small stomach.
“Uh!”
“Mm… hold it, I’ll feel warmer.”
Zhu Ying didn’t look back, but her ears flushed visibly — Anjing sitting behind her saw it all clearly.
“You raced up Akina today and beat that GTR…”
Although she had only watched once, the lines from the movie were still familiar.
Of course, it also reminded Anjing of Natsuki’s “very sexy swimsuit.”
Anjing opened her mouth, forgetting what she was going to say, blurting out the words in her mind: “Xiaoying, have you ever worn a swimsuit?”
“You wanna see?”
“Ah, ah…”
“Next summer we’ll wear them together?”
“I didn’t say anything!”
Anjing immediately shouted, “I didn’t! You heard wrong!”
“Geez, Xiaojing, so not straightforward, not cute at all.”
Zhu Ying lightly turned her head and rubbed her ear against Anjing’s cheek, “Mm — the milk tea is strawberry flavor, tastes good.”
“Glad you like it…”
“Is that M&M’s?”
“Yeah…”
“Chocolate, but too sweet.”
“Then I won’t buy that next time.”
“No, I like eating it, just can’t eat too much.”
“Why?”
“Keeping my figure is important, right?”
“Beautiful girls don’t gain weight, right?”
“Pfft, it’s not that easy!”
***
(2)
The sunset finally disappeared completely; the passing of time became unnoticeable.
Anjing gently held Zhu Ying.
At first, her mind wandered, but gradually she got immersed in the story of the movie — although she had seen it before, it was still very good.
“When I have money in the future, I want to buy one too, but I don’t think they’re available domestically…”
“Mm.”
Zhu Ying pinched Anjing’s cheek with the back of her hand, “Want to eat here tonight?”
“Huh? But Huihui must have already finished cooking.”
“Just a little bit.”
“Alright then…”
***
(3)
The spacious kitchen was spotless.
Zhu Ying stood on her tiptoes in front of the fridge, struggling to reach the eggs on the top shelf.
She wore a floral apron, making her seem less distant than usual and more approachable.
“What are you making?”
“Fried rice!”
“Cold rice?”
“No! But our rice cooker cooks really fast!”
“Ah… need help?”
“No, Xiaojing just watch.”
“You seem pretty skilled.”
“Not very skilled, but it should be… okay!”
Actually, Anjing should have been cautious the moment Zhu Ying said “should.”
“Bang bang, splatter splatter —” oil spattered wildly in the non-stick pan.
Zhu Ying used the lid as a shield and retreated clumsily far back, her spatula not looking like a cooking tool but a weapon fighting monsters, wildly swinging around.
“Ah! It splattered!”
“Eggs…”
“Bang bang splatter!”
“Feels like setting off firecrackers.”
“Add two more? Not enough otherwise.”
“You, you should turn it down to low first…”
“Oh oh…”
“Time to add the rice, right?”
“Let me see—”
“Damn, how did the rice turn out like this?”
“Maybe too much water. Hmm! It’s okay, still usable!”
“Too wet though…”
“It’ll dry as we stir-fry.”
“You sure?”
“Mm. Not sure.”
In the end, Anjing stared blankly at the fried rice on the plate.
It looked like some sticky mixture and definitely didn’t seem delicious.
The kitchen was even messier, with bits of egg splattered on the ceiling.
She really shouldn’t have trusted Zhu Ying to cook.
Although Anjing wasn’t much better, she was a country kid after all and could at least make fried rice without such a mess.
“Try it!”
“Okay, I’ll try…”
“How is it? Good?”
“…Good.”
“Then eat it all?”
“Hey hey!!!”
“Pfft, see? Not good, right? Let me try… hmm… too salty…”
“And the texture is weird.”
“Failed.”
“It’s okay, next time will be better.”
“Next time, Xiaojing will just watch me cook again?”
“Sure.”
“Great~”
They’re so cute together 🥹