Zhou Ying’s scolding grew more intense, and Zhai Yu’s expression darkened further.
Shen Yi stepped over, wrapped an arm around Zhou Ying’s shoulder, and pushed her toward the car.
Finally stuffing her inside, he slammed the car door shut with a bang.
He glanced at Zhai Yu, then at Ruan Ning, and said to her, “Ruan Ning, you should get in the car too.”
As Ruan Ning reached to open the car door, Zhai Yu grabbed her wrist again.
The man’s eyes were dark and intense as he repeated, “Get in my car.”
“Let go.” Song Ruannin’s voice was weak and drained.
Her pale lips trembled slightly, her face haggard and worn. Zhai Yu slowly released his grip.
On the way back, Zhou Ying sat beside Ruan Ning, grumbling and cursing the entire time.
“What kind of person is he? Does he think Sister Ruan Ning is easy to bully because she’s alone?”
Zhou Ying spoke with righteous indignation, “Sister Ruan Ning, don’t be afraid of him from now on. If he acts like a jerk again, I’ll help you curse him out.”
Having someone on her side warmed Ruan Ning’s heart.
She smiled faintly, “Don’t worry, I’m not afraid of him.”
It was just that Zhai Yu had become somewhat strange lately, unlike before.
Shen Yi, who was driving up front, spoke up, “Zhou Ying, stop bothering her. Let her rest.”
Zhou Ying obediently fell silent.
Shen Yi first took Ruan Ning to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed her with a common cold and prescribed medication. Then, the two of them drove Ruan Ning back to her apartment.
Zhou Ying helped her into bed, while Shen Yi set down the porridge and cold medicine they had bought on the way, giving a few instructions before they both left.
Ruan Ning remembered that Song Ziyan was still at Chen Wanyue’s place.
She called Chen Wanyue and explained that she had caught a cold and was running a fever.
Afraid of infecting Song Ziyan, she decided to let him stay at Chen Wanyue’s house for the next few days.
Upon learning that Ruan Ning was sick, Chen Wanyue expressed her concern.
She even offered to come over and take care of her, but Ruan Ning declined.
At 10 p.m., after finishing her porridge and taking her medicine, Ruan Ning’s eyelids grew heavy, and she fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up the next morning, her headache had eased. Ruan Ning got up and drank a glass of water.
She packed up two days’ worth of trash, opened the door, and prepared to go downstairs to throw it out.
As soon as she opened the door, a gust of cold wind rushed in.
Ruan Ning looked up and saw a dark figure standing not far down the hallway.
Startled at first, she soon recognized the face in the shadows.
The pale light of dawn fell on Zhai Yu’s shoulders, like the chill of heavy dew in the deep night.
The man leaning against the wall walked over, stepping on a few cigarette butts that had been smoked down to the filter, and stopped in front of Song Ruannin, his body still carrying the cold from outside.
“Zhai Yu, what are you doing at my home?” Ruan Ning’s voice was weak and hoarse.
Zhai Yu exhaled coldly, “Returning a favor.”
Only then did Ruan Ning notice the bag in his hand.
“No need.” With those words, Ruan Ning tried to close the door.
But Zhai Yu swiftly turned and slipped inside her apartment. Ruan Ning, caught off guard, couldn’t stop him.
The man strode purposefully into the kitchen, while Ruan Ning followed, coughing.
“This is my home. Please leave.”
Without even turning around, Zhai Yu began unpacking the ingredients he had brought. “No need to rush me. I’ll leave once I’ve done what I came to do.”
He turned and looked down at Song Ruannin, his eyes unreadable. “Go wait outside.”
As soon as he gently pushed Song Ruannin out, the kitchen’s glass door slid shut.
Not long after, the sounds of a wok heating up and oil sizzling came from inside.
Song Ruannin sighed and sat down nearby, her eyes fixed on the kitchen’s glass door.
The glass was blurry, but she could still clearly see the busy figure of the man inside.
She could even make out what he was doing from the hazy silhouette—how he boiled water, how he washed the vegetables. All of it felt too familiar.
Perhaps because she was sick, Ruan Ning’s consciousness began to drift.
Years ago, when they were still in college, in that shabby little apartment they shared.
Zhai Yu was just like this, wearing an apron and bustling around in the kitchen.
Sometimes, when Ruan Ning returned home after class, she would see him busy in the kitchen.
Back then, he was still quite aloof toward her, but since they had already become intimate, at least he no longer rejected many of her actions.
When he was in a good mood, Ruan Ning would quietly wrap her arms around his waist from behind, and he would say nothing or simply glance at her calmly.
When he was in a bad mood, he would tell her to leave.
Whether it was because of the fever or not, Song Ruannin felt her head throbbing, and her heart gradually swelled with a sour ache.
The clock on the wall showed that less than half an hour had passed.
Zhai Yu pushed open the kitchen door and brought out a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup and a plate of washed and sliced apples.
He took off the pink apron he was wearing. “Come eat.”
Song Ruannin got up and pulled out a chair at the dining table. Zhai Yu returned to the kitchen and brought out another bowl of chicken noodle soup, identical to hers, but without scallions.
Not eating scallions—that was one of his little habits.
Ruan Ning stared at that bowl of noodles.
“What’s that expression on your face? Am I not worthy of eating a bowl of your noodles?” Zhai Yu asked coldly.
Song Ruannin bit her lip. “No.”
After saying that, she hesitated to pick up her chopsticks. Zhai Yu pulled her bowl over and stirred the noodles for her.
“Don’t be nervous. I told you I don’t have any other intentions. I’m just here to repay a favor,” he said without changing his expression. “If you hadn’t found me on the mountain, I would have been the one getting sick.”
“I don’t like owing people favors.” He pushed the stirred noodles in front of Song Ruannin. “Here, eat.”
Song Ruannin nodded without saying anything and began eating the noodles.
Her sense of taste was a bit dulled from the cold, but she could still tell it tasted good—almost no different from before.
Earlier, her heart had ached with bitterness, and now, for some reason, her nose began to sting as well.
She sniffled quietly a few times. Zhai Yu asked, “Did you buy medicine?”
“Shen Yi helped me buy some,” Song Ruannin replied flatly.
After that, the two ate in silence, without further conversation.
As soon as they finished, Zhai Yu took their bowls into the kitchen, and the sound of running water followed.
By the time he finished washing the dishes, it was almost 8 a.m.
Zhai Yu wiped his hands and sat down on the sofa, next to Ruan Ning.
Song Ruannin watched as another half hour passed on the clock, and he still didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. “It’s Monday. Don’t you have to go to work?”
After a couple of seconds, Zhai Yu hummed in acknowledgment.
He slowly stood up and looked at Song Ruannin, who still appeared sickly on the sofa. “I’m leaving.”
Song Ruannin also hummed in response, making no move to see him out.
Before leaving, Zhai Yu packed up the trash that Ruan Ning had intended to take downstairs.
At the door, he turned around. “Song Ruannin, I’ve thought about your proposal from last time.”
Song Ruannin looked confused. “What proposal?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be friends with me?” His gaze fixed directly on Song Ruannin’s eyes. “I agree.”
He took a deep breath, as if making a difficult decision.
“From now on, let’s be friends.”
Ding-ding-ding, the phone on the coffee table rang.
Ruan Ning glanced at the caller ID—it was He Yanxing.
She then looked at Zhai Yu before answering.
A crisp, steady male voice came through: “Hello, Ruan Ning. I’ve transferred this month’s money to you. How are you and Ziyan doing?”