“I want to buy a car. The neighborhood we live in now is quite remote, and it’s a waste of money to always take taxis when going out.”
Shen Zhiyi felt it would be better to discuss this matter with Pei Xu.
“Are you short on money?”
“No, I have money. The two million you gave me is still untouched in the card.”
Seeing that Pei Xu had misunderstood her meaning, Shen Zhiyi quickly explained.
“I just wanted to discuss it with you. Don’t overthink it.”
“I have no objections.”
Ever since losing his sight, Pei Xu had been indifferent to everything.
Regarding buying a car, he had no particular opinion. As long as Shen Zhiyi felt it was necessary, she could go ahead and buy it.
“This is the first time you’ve taken the initiative to discuss something with me.”
“I’ll discuss things with you in the future too. By the way, Assistant Zheng said you have a follow-up hospital appointment this week. I checked the weather forecast for the next few days—it’s supposed to rain tomorrow. How about we go to the hospital the day after tomorrow instead?”
Worried that Pei Xu might overthink things, Shen Zhiyi quickly changed the subject.
“Alright.”
After dinner, Pei Xu went to the kitchen as usual to wash the dishes.
“Put on the apron.”
Every time Pei Xu washed the dishes, he would end up getting his clothes wet.
Losing his sight indeed had a significant impact on daily life.
Because he couldn’t see, sometimes he couldn’t even maintain his balance while carrying things…
Shen Zhiyi hung the apron around Pei Xu’s neck, walked behind him, and helped tie the strings.
“On second thought, I’ve decided not to buy a dishwasher after all.”
Shen Zhiyi’s fingers deftly tied a perfect bow at Pei Xu’s back.
“Why the sudden change of mind?”
“We already have a fully automatic dishwasher at home—why would I spend money on another one? Besides, dishwashers aren’t that smart. Some stubborn stains still leave residue even after washing.”
“Then let’s not buy one.”
Shen Zhiyi wasn’t short on money for a dishwasher.
She just felt that giving Pei Xu something to do would help him better adapt to his future life.
Most importantly, she didn’t want Pei Xu to feel that just because he was blind, he had become someone who couldn’t do anything.
“Pei Xu, I’ve taken all the clothes drying on the balcony. Your clothes are on the left side, and mine are on the right. Can you help me fold them? I’m going to take a nap.”
“Mm.”
Pei Xu continued with his task.
After washing all the pots, pans, and dishes in the sink, he placed them in the sterilizing cabinet to dry.
He had almost reached the living room when he remembered he was still wearing the apron.
Pei Xu untied the apron and turned back to return it to the kitchen.
Shen Zhiyi didn’t make a sound and simply stood nearby, watching him.
“Shen Zhiyi, where should I hang the apron?”
“Huh? How did you know I was nearby?”
Shen Zhiyi’s face showed confusion.
She hadn’t made a sound—could Pei Xu’s hearing have become so sharp that he could even hear her breathing?
“Actually, I didn’t know you were nearby. I was just testing the waters.”
“You tricked me?”
How did Pei Xu’s mind work?
“Go into the kitchen, turn right, and reach up. Do you feel a hook?”
“No.”
Hearing Pei Xu’s response, Shen Zhiyi also entered the kitchen.
“It’s not that high. Reach a bit lower…”
She had to consider the height difference between men and women.
“Found it.”
“Hang it up then. This time, I really am going to take a nap.”
Shen Zhiyi deliberately closed the door with a slightly louder sound.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Pei Xu’s lips.
He had actually heard Shen Zhiyi’s footsteps earlier.
The floorboards in the old house weren’t of the best quality, creaking and groaning with every step.
Perhaps Shen Zhiyi usually didn’t pay much attention to it.
Pei Xu walked over to the sofa and began folding the clothes piled on it, one by one.
He wasn’t sure what brand of laundry detergent Shen Zhiyi used, but the clothes carried a faint scent of pinewood.
He started with his own clothes—just a few short-sleeved shirts.
Shen Zhiyi’s clothes, on the other hand, were a bit more plentiful.
Halfway through folding, Pei Xu suddenly felt a piece of fabric that was slightly different from the rest.
It was short, with shoulder straps…
Realizing what he was holding in his hand, he quickly stuffed it into the middle of the already folded clothes.
Shen Zhiyi had taken a half-hour nap. Seeing Pei Xu sitting on the sofa, she covered her mouth as she yawned.
“The watermelon I bought yesterday was really good—crisp and sweet.”
Shen Zhiyi opened the refrigerator door, took out the chilled watermelon, and went to the kitchen to cut it into small pieces, arranging them on a plate.
Noticing Pei Xu sitting motionless on the sofa, she placed the watermelon on the coffee table.
“Time for fruit. Here’s a fork for you.”
Shen Zhiyi handed the fork to Pei Xu and took a piece of watermelon for herself.
Summer was the perfect season for watermelon.
Shen Zhiyi was indifferent to most fruits, but when it came to watermelon, she could eat it every day.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Pei Xu sat in the middle of the sofa, with a stack of neatly folded clothes on either side of him.
“Do you want me to help you take the clothes to your room?”
“No need, I’ll take them back myself after I finish the watermelon.”
Seeing that Pei Xu still hadn’t moved, Shen Zhiyi picked up a fork, speared a piece of watermelon, and brought it to his lips.
“Open up.”
Pei Xu obediently took a bite of the watermelon. He rarely ate fruit, finding it overly sweet and cloying.
Today’s watermelon was especially sweet…
“Is it good? I really love this kind of crisp, sweet watermelon. I also like crisp peaches. What about you, Pei Xu?”
“I prefer… soft ones.”
Shen Zhiyi frowned. Soft ones?
How could soft ones be any good? Weren’t they just overripe or spoiled?
“Well, our preferences are different then. I like hard ones.”
“Can we change the subject?”
A hint of discomfort flashed across Pei Xu’s face.
Shen Zhiyi didn’t understand why he suddenly looked like that.
“You’re really strange. We’re just talking about fruit, but looking at you, anyone would think we’re discussing something taboo…”
As soon as Shen Zhiyi finished speaking, Pei Xu turned his head away and began coughing.
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop talking.”
Shen Zhiyi pulled the watermelon plate closer to herself.
If Pei Xu wasn’t going to eat it, she might as well finish it all herself.
“I think I’ll have one more piece of watermelon.”
She hesitated, looking at the last piece of watermelon on the plate.
But in the end, she handed it to Pei Xu.
He really was a young master—even after going bankrupt, he was still just as “hard to please.”
Shen Zhiyi gathered her clothes and returned to the guest room, putting them away in the wardrobe.
The wardrobe in the guest room was rather small, so she had to fold the clothes as neatly as possible to save space.
After finishing the last piece of watermelon, Pei Xu picked up the plate.
Listening to the sound of the fork scraping against the plate, Pei Xu slowed his steps.
The fork Shen Zhiyi had given him earlier was still clutched in his hand.
That meant the two times she had fed him watermelon, she had used her own fork.
Pei Xu let out a heavy sigh and turned on the faucet to rinse the plate in his hands.
“Pei Xu, it’s just a fruit plate. You don’t need to wash it for that long, do you? You’ve been scrubbing it for a full ten minutes already. I’m worried if you keep going, you’ll rub off the glaze on the plate.”