This was Lin Xi’s first time visiting Zhong Xiu’s home, or rather, her first time visiting anyone’s home. During her first year of high school, she only went to the hospital to tutor Zhong Xiu, not her house.
She felt a little nervous.
“What about Shen Zhiqiu? Haven’t you been to her house either?” The streets were dark. Zhong Xiu accidentally spoke her thoughts aloud.
The air suddenly went quiet. Lin Xi didn’t respond.
“Just kidding,” her silence panicked Zhong Xiu, who quickly covered up with words. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.”
“I have never been to Zhiqiu’s house alone.” Lin Xi finally spoke when they reached the entrance of the building.
Gender differentiation had been foreseen long ago. Although the Shen family was interested, Omegas are precious, so they remained cautious. The Lin family’s strict upbringing also meant that sharing a room was something that would not happen.
The reason she followed Zhong Xiu was purely because she wanted to come.
As expected, Zhong Xiu’s house was brightly lit. As soon as they reached the first floor, they heard a door open on the third floor, and Zhong Ruilin’s voice echoed in the stairwell, calling Zhong Xiu’s name.
“It’s me, Dad,” Zhong Xiu answered from below. The motion-sensor lights on all the floors lit up.
Lin Xi felt a pang of envy.
Standing at the entrance to her home, Lin Xi was about to take off her shoes. Zhong Xiu was going to give her her own slippers because the house slippers had been worn by many guests. Although they were washed frequently, she worried Lin Xi might mind.
“Don’t change your shoes; wear the shoe covers.” Zhong Ruilin tossed a stack of blue shoe covers onto the shoe cabinet, his face long and stern.
His demeanor was exactly that of a father-in-law looking at his son-in-law, finding fault with every glance. Ever since Zhong Xiu got “engaged” to her, she had been coming home later and later and often missed dinner.
“Dad, what did you cook today?” Zhong Xiu hugged his arm, even reaching out to cover his eyes to stop him from glaring at Lin Xi.
“Why didn’t you ever ask before?” Zhong Ruilin said testily. “All your favorite dishes.”
“Hehe, but we have a guest today.” Zhong Xiu handed him her school bag and peeked into the living room. “Grandpa and Grandma, have they eaten?”
“Waiting for you.”
As long as she didn’t say she wouldn’t be home for dinner, the elderly couple insisted on waiting for her to eat together.
“Xiu Xiu is back, come quickly and eat.” Her grandpa, seventy this year, was still energetic and had a booming voice.
Following the sound, an elderly man was setting the table. Zhong Xiu’s grandpa’s hair was neatly combed, slicked back and shining, though white. He was wearing a white Tai Chi suit and cloth shoes for practice, walking with a brisk step.
Her grandma was petite and sat quietly in the seat facing the door. When she saw Zhong Xiu, she gave her a wrinkled smile and beckoned.
“Grandma, Grandpa, this is my desk mate, Lin Xi,” Zhong Xiu pulled Lin Xi along, afraid she would feel ignored.
Zhong Ruilin, though clearly displeased, didn’t show it too obviously in front of the elders. He went to the living room and turned on the television, just in time for the familiar news broadcast music—a program the two elders watched every day.
“Hello, Grandpa. Hello, Grandma,” Lin Xi stood by the dining table and greeted them. Her maternal grandparents passed away early, and now only her paternal grandfather was alive, but he was a strict, humorless man.
“Ah, you must be Xiu Xiu’s class’s top student. You look like a bookish child,” Grandpa examined her with a smile, saying with a hint of pride, “As smart as my Xiu Xiu.”
“…”
Zhong Xiu felt ashamed looking at Lin Xi; the last part of that sentence was unnecessary. Lin Xi was nothing like her.
Lin Xi had 109 points in Physics; she had nine.
In his youth, Grandpa was a university Chinese professor. Zhong Xiu’s solid foundation in Chinese was largely due to his early influence.
“Yes,” Lin Xi was unaccustomed to interacting with elders and felt a bit awkward, but she kept smiling.
“Cong Cong, come sit with Xiu Xiu.” Grandma raised her hand to wave them over.
“Grandma, her name is Lin Xi, not Cong Cong,” Zhong Xiu explained to Lin Xi with a little helplessness. “Grandma’s hearing isn’t very good.”
Lin Xi didn’t say anything and voluntarily sat next to Grandma.
“So tall,” Grandma looked even smaller sitting next to her, only reaching her shoulder.
“Grandma, she’s an Alpha,” Zhong Xiu sat next to Lin Xi.
“Cong Cong is so tall, she must be able to eat a lot,” Grandma completely ignored Zhong Xiu and independently scooped a large bowl of rice for Lin Xi, packed tightly.
Zhong Xiu didn’t often bring classmates home for dinner. Her grandpa and grandma were very hospitable, and when they finally had a guest, they showered Lin Xi with all their enthusiasm.
“Thank you, Grandma,” Lin Xi took the bowl without refusing.
“Alright, alright, let’s all sit down and eat.” Zhong Ruilin couldn’t do anything about the elders either.
Lin Xi had never experienced the ritual of eating at the Zhong family before. She saw Zhong Xiu protectively cover her bowl and didn’t quite understand what that meant.
“Cong Cong, come, eat some pork ribs. Your Uncle Zhong’s cooking is excellent,” Grandpa, also calling her Cong Cong like Grandma, stood up and used serving chopsticks to put a rib in her bowl.
When he tried to give one to Zhong Xiu, Zhong Xiu immediately covered her bowl. “No, Grandpa, I can’t finish it.”
“Even a chick’s stomach is bigger than yours,” Grandpa said, transferring the rib to Zhong Ruilin’s bowl instead.
“Dad, eat it yourself. These kids don’t like being served food these days,” Zhong Ruilin tried to persuade him.
“Cong Cong, eat more. The more you eat, the stronger you’ll grow. Don’t be like our Xiu Xiu, who eats this and that reluctantly,” Grandma wasn’t idle either, taking another empty bowl to pour soup for Lin Xi.
“Grandma…”
Zhong Xiu saw that Lin Xi’s bowl of food was already piled up like a small mountain and felt a headache coming on. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought Lin Xi home for dinner. Lin Xi likes quiet; she must not like this.
“It’s delicious,” Lin Xi was being served food by Grandpa and Grandma in turns, a scene she had never experienced in her life.
She usually ate alone at home. Her parents rarely accompanied her, and even when they were home, the three of them meticulously adhered to dining etiquette, never serving her food—which was considered terrible manners at the dinner table. Yet, here at the Zhong family home, Lin Xi actually found the atmosphere very warm.
“You don’t have to force yourself if you can’t eat anymore,” Zhong Xiu said. Although she knew Lin Xi ate a lot, her grandparents’ feeding frenzy was truly fierce.
Seeing her eat everything, the two elders smiled happily and served her food even more enthusiastically.
“I can still eat,” Lin Xi nodded to Zhong Xiu. In this short pause, Grandma put another rib in her bowl.
She was too obedient, seeming completely unable to refuse, letting Grandpa and Grandma have their way. Zhong Xiu held her forehead, silently calculating Lin Xi’s usual food intake.
“That’s enough, Grandma, she really can’t eat anymore,” when Grandma was about to serve her a third bowl of rice, Zhong Xiu couldn’t help but stand up and pull Lin Xi’s bowl away from her hands.
“It’s not good to eat too much at night,” Zhong Ruilin also helped persuade, as the elderly always believed that being able to eat was a blessing, and the more, the better.
“Why don’t you let Cong Cong eat?” Grandma was a little unhappy.
Lin Xi, sitting in the middle, was in a dilemma. She was indeed almost full. This was the most satisfying and delicious meal she had eaten since she turned eighteen, even better than the egg waffles from the snack street. On the other hand, she didn’t want to disappoint Grandpa and Grandma.
“Shall I have one more bowl?” The Alpha wanted to make Grandma happy.
“No, what if you get bloated?” Zhong Xiu adamantly refused.
“I have digestive tablets,” Lin Xi murmured softly.
“No, why would you take those for no reason?” Zhong Xiu was getting a little angry.
“Alright, alright, we’ll just have Cong Cong come over for dinner next time,” Grandpa quickly tried to appease his wife when he saw his granddaughter was upset.
“Yes, yes, Mom, how about we have her come over and eat with you next time?” Although Zhong Ruilin was reluctant, he had no choice. This Alpha was simply too popular.
“Then you promise, Xiu Xiu will bring Cong Cong back for dinner next time,” Grandma held Lin Xi’s hand, reluctant to let go.
“Okay, Grandma, don’t be sad. I’ll bring her back tomorrow, and let her come over for dinner every day from now on, alright?” Seeing that she had given up on serving Lin Xi food, Zhong Xiu went over and held her hand.
“…” Zhong Ruilin’s face was full of reluctance, but he had to agree since both elders had nodded.
“You don’t have to always comply with Grandma,” after dinner, Grandpa took Grandma out for a walk. Zhong Xiu said to the seemingly guilty Alpha, “Grandma… has Alzheimer’s. Sometimes she gets a little unreasonable like this.”
“She started developing this disease slowly after my mom passed away.”
“Even though Dad is a great chef, Mom was very picky about food. Her appetite was never great. She didn’t particularly love anything, and I’m like her,” Zhong Xiu said with some sadness. “But one thing: she especially loved Grandma’s home-cooked meals. That’s why, after Grandma’s memory became confused, she always likes to give people extra food.”
“She is still waiting for my mom to come home.”
“I see,” Lin Xi nodded lightly.
“Message me when you get home,” Zhong Xiu walked her downstairs.
It was dark, and even though she was an Alpha, Zhong Xiu was still worried about her going back alone.
“Okay.”
She was just about to turn and leave when Sherlock leaped down from the balcony above and bit her trouser leg.
“This is…” In the darkness, Lin Xi and the black cat looked at each other.
If it weren’t for its golden-yellow pupils, it would be hard to notice its presence.
“His name is Sherlock,” Zhong Xiu went forward, grabbed Sherlock by the scruff of the neck, and held him in her arms.
She knew he would cling to Lin Xi. The first thing Zhong Xiu did when she got home was lock him in the room, but he still managed to sneak out and follow her all the way downstairs.
“Meow!” Sherlock struggled, scratching Zhong Xiu’s school uniform with his paws. He smelled a pleasant scent.
Zhong Xiu, of course, couldn’t tell Lin Xi that the cat could smell her pheromones and that Lin Xi’s pheromones were highly attractive to him.
“I’m leaving now,” before turning away, Lin Xi took another look at the cat and Zhong Xiu struggling with it.
It’s nice.
Returning once more to her empty house, with the same darkness, the same quiet, and the same solitude, Lin Xi stood in the living room.
Recalling the scene at Zhong Xiu’s house—the lively atmosphere seemed to still be right there, her grandparents’ warm hospitality echoing in her ears—it no longer felt so lonely.
In her hand, she held the milk Zhong Xiu gave her daily, and—
Lin Xi pulled a small bag of cookies out of her school uniform pocket and showed a faint smile. Grandma had secretly tucked them into her jacket when they left.
— Cong Cong, don’t let them know. I know you’re still hungry.
Actually, compared to names like “Academic Genius,” “Prodigy,” or “Top-tier,” Lin Xi found the new name “Cong Cong” quite pleasant.
She really liked the name.