Chapter 5: I'll Take Care of You

Liu Cheng recounts:

Aren't you going home for winter break either?

Su Zhiluo: [Okay, you can come back during winter break.]

Su Zhiluo wouldn't let her go back, probably to avoid suspicion and prevent them from running into each other again, but... is Su Zhiluo's desire that strong?

Liu Chengxu replied: 【Okay.】

Su Zhiluo: [I will come to see you.]

Back in her dorm, Liu Chengxu wasn't sleepy. She scrolled through her phone, opening a newly created folder filled with files she'd transferred from Su Zhiluo's old phone.

Liu Chengxu clicked on a video. Due to the low resolution, the picture was a bit blurry. He first heard his sister's voice, "Zhiluo, don't be shy, come over here."

Eighteen-year-old Su Zhiluo sat somewhat awkwardly on the edge of the bed. Liu Jinhuan's phone was brought closer, and Su Zhiluo dodged the camera, hiding the lower half of her face in a soft scarf, revealing only a pair of moist and confused eyes. Her fair skin was highlighted by the red of the scarf, making her look shy and charming.

"Are you done?" Su Zhiluo asked her.

"immediately."

"Clang clang clang".

A bouquet of roses appeared in the shot, and Su Zhiluo's eyes lit up.

"Do you like it? It's for you." Liu Jinhuan said, "It's the first week of our anniversary."

Holding the flowers, Su Zhiluo lowered her head to smell them. "Do we have to commemorate the first week too?"

“…Every week with you is memorable.” Liu Jinhuan smiled as she sat down next to her. At that moment, she raised her phone, and the two of them appeared on the screen together.

The 23-year-old older sister was in the prime of her youth, inheriting the excellent looks of her parents. Her eyebrows and eyes were relaxed, her bone structure was dignified, and she had a bright and composed temperament. Liu Jinhuan gently placed her hand on Su Zhiluo's shoulder, her voice gentle but firm: "Su Zhiluo, from now on, this will be our home."

Su Zhiluo's eyes slowly welled up with tears, but her words remained stubborn, "Who says you can have a family after just one week of dating?"

Her older sister turned her head and touched her head with hers. "Su Zhiluo, didn't you want a home? I'll give you one."

Su Zhilu remained silent for a long time before nodding, "Thank you."

The gentle Su Zhiluo of today was once a willful and spoiled younger sister. Her older sister doted on her, stroking her cheek with her slender fingers, causing a shy blush to appear on her face.

Liu Chengxu pressed his own fingers against hers, as if she were also caressing Su Zhiluo, only her sister's lips fell and touched Su Zhiluo's face...

Liu Chengxu held her phone, her eyes closed, feeling a pang of sadness and a suffocating tightness in her chest, as if she were choking and about to explode. She couldn't tell if it was jealousy or sadness.

She was saddened by her sister's departure, and also saddened that she had become an outsider, unable to enter Su Zhiluo's heart.

Liu Chengxu, shrouded in blankets, repeatedly watched the kiss between Su Zhiluo and her sister. Her sister's recording was beautiful; Su Zhiluo's eyes held expectation, a palpable longing, her gaze shyly fixed on the camera, also on Liu Chengxu. In the darkness, she covered her phone, a burning desire igniting within her and on her lips. She imagined herself as the older sister, Su Zhiluo clinging to her shoulders, taking the initiative to kiss her. Their kiss was deep and intense; she felt hot and breathless, wanting to do more than her sister, to learn everything her sister hadn't done…

Liu Chengxu's body was changing; there was a faint, subtle throbbing, accompanied by a feeling of wetness. Spying on his sister and sister-in-law was supposed to be a painful thing, yet it somehow aroused strange desires in him. How perverted...

A dull pain shot through her heart. She thought, if she could go back in time, she would definitely make her sister leave an hour later, so that her sister could live.

But... what about Liu Chengxu himself?

Will he fall in love with Su Zhiluo again?

Liu Cheng could not explain it clearly.

She lacked confidence in her own moral principles because she also loved her sister-in-law and wanted to be with her.

As he pondered during the day, Liu Chengxu had a dream that night.

In her dream, she traveled back in time and desperately tried to stop her sister from going to the Civil Affairs Bureau. She cried and made a scene, and her sister, softened, finally changed the date to the next day. Thus, the accident never happened again, and her sister survived.

In the freezing snow, the older sister held Su Zhiluo's hand tightly as they went to register their marriage. Su Zhiluo looked at her sister, her eyes sparkling, her whole being illuminated by that light. Only Liu Chengxu himself was curled up on the ground in pain, unable to move.

Su Zhiluo half-squatted down and reached out her hand. As she strained to take Su Zhiluo's hand, her sister returned.

Finally, she was jolted awake from this dream by the pain.

*

After October, there were no holidays, so Liu Chengxu would spend his free time working part-time with Meng Zhenyue.

The service industry is full of part-time jobs; you encounter troublesome customers every day. Especially men, who often lose control when drunk and tend to act out.

Liu Chengxu had only been on the second round when she was harassed by a group of people. The man in the lead grabbed her and made her go get some chairs.

The restaurant was full and there weren't any extra chairs. Besides, Liu Chengxu was just a waitress, so this wasn't her responsibility. She tried to reason with him, but the man grabbed her shoulder and said, "I told you, we're all going to sit together. Is it so hard to get you a chair? Doesn't your restaurant have a few extra chairs?"

Liu Chengxu tried to leave after failing to communicate, but was held back tightly. "Damn it, why aren't you saying anything? What kind of service is this? Call your manager."

Meng Zhenyue rushed over and stood in front of Liu Chengxu, "Sir, there are surveillance cameras here. Please don't make a move. Please be polite."

The moment the topic of physical violence came up, the other party became very agitated and shouted even louder, "Oh, oh, you're bullying me!"

Meng Zhenyue has fans, and as soon as she arrived, someone criticized the man. The man chickened out, gritted his teeth, sat back in his chair, and glared fiercely at Liu Chengxu, saying, "You just wait."

Hearing the commotion, the manager came over and told Liu Chengxu to leave first, as the other party was clearly drunk and about to cause trouble. The manager then went to get two chairs.

Afterwards, Liu Chengxu deliberately avoided them. The man, who had drunk half a bottle, seized the opportunity to pester them again, insisting that Liu Chengxu had touched him.

"Did you take the chair I asked you to get, and now you're coming to report me? Are you that mean?"

Liu Chengxu forced herself not to retaliate with a curse, broke free, went back to the kitchen, took out her phone, and sent a voice message to Su Zhiluo, calling her "sister-in-law".

She started to cry, but immediately stopped.

Su Zhiluo replied quickly: [What's wrong?]

Liu Chengxu felt wronged, but worried that Su Zhiluo would find out, so he replied: "It's nothing."

During halftime, Meng Zhenyue came over and patted her on the shoulder, "If it doesn't work, let's go somewhere else."

"I'm fine." Liu Chengxu rubbed his face and continued working. "I'm used to it."

Until lunchtime, Su Zhiluo replied to several messages and made a voice call to her, both asking what was wrong.

Su Zhiluo: [I'm downstairs from your shop.]

Liu Chengxu immediately went to the French windows. Su Zhiluo was standing below, her hair blowing in the wind. She was looking up at Liu Chengxu's direction. Their eyes met, and Su Zhiluo waved for her to come down.

Liu Chengxu sneaked downstairs and asked, "Sister-in-law, what brings you here?"

Su Zhiluo had a shift that evening, but after receiving her message, she sensed something was wrong and took leave to come over. Su Zhiluo approached her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Liu Chengxu sniffed, his eyes red and sore.

Su Zhiluo asked her, "Have you been wronged?"

Liu Chengxu's cheeks flushed, as if all her grievances had accumulated and were steaming up, making her eyes sting. She lowered her head and rested her head on Su Zhiluo's shoulder, saying, "Someone got drunk and deliberately caused trouble today."

Su Zhilu patted her shoulder and said, "Don't cry, don't cry."

Liu Chengxu tearfully recounted everything that had happened that day. She hadn't remembered that the man had actually spoken to her before.

Once she calmed down a bit, Su Zhiluo took her hand and went up to her, saying coldly, "Let me see who it is."

"Never mind, I'm fine."

Su Zhiluo walked ahead and went upstairs to ask Liu Chengxu to point out which table it was. Su Zhiluo went straight there and said sternly, "You're so arrogant. Try touching my child. You think you're so tough? Why don't we go to the police station and see who's in the right!"

The man chuckled when he saw it was a woman, not taking it seriously, and even sneered at Su Zhi as a stinking old woman, telling her to get lost.

Su Zhiluo wasn't afraid at all and went straight up to pull his hair, startling Liu Chengxu. The man yelled and tried to hit Su Zhiluo, but Su Zhiluo unleashed her full strength, pulling his hair up and pointing her finger at him, saying, "What kind of behavior is this, acting crazy when you're drunk? If you bully her again, I'll fight you to the death. Oh, not only will I fight you, I'll go to your workplace and see who's tougher."

The man was about to punch Su Zhiluo on the shoulder when Su Zhiluo grabbed a bottle and pointed it at his head. "Let's see who's tougher, you old lecher. If you hit me, I'll smash your head open."

Su Zhiluo was shorter than the man, but her tone was extremely fierce, and she glared at him fiercely. The man's girlfriends, who were a little scared, pulled him back and tried to give him various ways to back down.

This was the first time Liu Chengxu had seen his sister-in-law like this. Su Zhiluo was usually very gentle, at most she would argue with people, but this was the first time she had hit someone. By the time he came to his senses, Su Zhiluo had already taken the bottle from her hand.

Su Zhiluo, panting, held her hand and said, "It's okay, don't be afraid. If we get fired, we'll just quit."

The man was yelling that he wanted to see the store manager, and people around him turned to speak up for him. His female companion couldn't take it anymore and left first, and the man, cursing, quickly followed after her.

The commotion was so loud that the store manager came and checked the surveillance footage. He told Liu Chengxu to leave work first, and Su Zhiluo led Liu Chengxu downstairs.

Su Zhiluo led her to the jewelry store next door, took out a bag, and brought over the food she had cooked. She opened the lid of the thermos and found braised chicken with mushrooms and two large chicken legs. Su Zhiluo had specially saved two chicken legs, one for her friend.

Liu Chengxu sent a message to Meng Zhenyue, who was having dinner with Cha Baomei when she received the message. She asked if they were injured.

A gust of wind blew by, and a few strands of hair brushed past Liu Chengxu's eyebrows and eyes.

Su Zhiluo naturally reached out and gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Liu Chengxu's features finally became clear. "If you want to cry, just cry. Your eyes are all red. Why are you holding it in?"

Her eyes were very similar to her sister's—bright and expressive. But Liu Chengxu was young, and those eyes always seemed to be moist and endearing.

Su Zhiluo cupped her face in her hands, "Aren't I your sister-in-law? Can't you cry in front of your sister-in-law?"

"Really, don't work so hard. You should eat properly. I feel like you've lost weight."

Liu Chengxu has indeed lost some weight. He had a lot to do in his freshman year, working part-time on Saturdays and Sundays, and also participating in some extracurricular activities as required by the scholarship.

While others enjoyed university life, she used it to grow rapidly.

Liu Chengxu inhaled the cold air, her nose stinging. These words struck her heart hard, and tears streamed down her face. "It's okay, sister-in-law. I can support myself for four years of university. Go do what you want to do."

Su Zhiluo just smiled at her.

Do you think I haven't done anything all these years and have wasted my life?

To put it more realistically: Do you think you're a burden to me?

Liu Chengxu hesitated but still nodded.

Su Zhiluo said, "In these four years, I raised a child and sent her to a prestigious university. I think I'm pretty amazing. If these achievements could be put on my resume, I would be more outstanding than anyone else."

He touched her face again, "Don't think about it anymore, let's eat, don't get cold."

Liu Chengxu ate slowly, afraid of being separated, and kept glancing at her sister-in-law.

After she finished eating, Su Zhiluo took a black scarf out of the bag, took two ends and wrapped them around Liu Chengxu's neck, tucking it around her slender neck. "I knitted this myself, it might not look that nice. I was originally planning to buy it for you, but after looking around, I found they were all fake wool." She tied it and adjusted it to make it look better. "Is it warm?"

"Hmm." Liu Chengxu lowered his head and smelled the familiar scent of laundry detergent. Su Zhiluo had specially washed and brought it over. She noticed her sister-in-law's long eyelashes and fair face.

She recalled that night again, her sister-in-law covered in a thin layer of sweat, letting out a soft moan—a mature desire, a ripe fruit, its tip dripping with nectar.

She tried to look away, but was drawn to it every time.

After strolling around the neighborhood for a while, Su Zhiluo had to go back, and Liu Chengxu also had to go back to school because he had classes the next day. Su Zhiluo told her to open her hand, and Liu Chengxu did so. Su Zhiluo then took out a palm-sized nightlight from her pocket. "Use this on your way back. Don't walk in places that are too dark."

Liu Chengxu tugged at the scarf around her neck and rubbed it against her chest a couple of times; this was the tenderness her sister-in-law had shown her. She and Meng Zhenyue met at the subway station entrance, and the two of them walked back to school together, shining the lamp back and forth.

Meng Zhenyue was puzzled. Watching her finish making a lantern into a flower, she asked in a low voice, "Did someone you like give it to you?"

Liu Chengxu exclaimed "Ah!" and awkwardly stuffed the lamp into her pocket, illuminating her entire trouser pocket. Was it obvious?

That evening, the store manager sent them a message, asking Liu Chengxu to continue going to work. It wasn't that the store manager was particularly reasonable; it was that if Liu Chengxu didn't go, Meng Zhenyue definitely wouldn't come. Meng Zhenyue sang beautifully and had fans in the store; many people came specifically to listen to her sing.

Su Zhiluo disagreed with her going, fearing that the man would retaliate. Liu Chengxu was reluctant to spend the money and was afraid that he would have to find a job again later. With Su Zhiluo making such a fuss, the man would definitely not dare to come.

Winter break is just around the corner, and Meng Zhenyue has to support herself. She needs to save up for tuition and living expenses in advance. If she quits her job now, she will have a hard time for a while. Liu Chengxu has a sister-in-law, and Meng Zhenyue is all alone. Liu Chengxu wanted to help his friend, so he went anyway.

When they arrived at the store, the manager came and spoke with Liu Chengxu, saying, "Let yesterday go, but don't let this happen again. Try to be lenient."

Seeing that she hadn't had her salary deducted, Liu Chengxu nodded and said okay.

Meng Zhenyue was singing on stage while she was changing clothes and serving dishes backstage. She heard Meng Zhenyue sing: "Winter is coming, my fingers hold the light. I have never openly mentioned my love for you. Hiding, keeping my lack of love in my heart, has become my worst habit. When friends ask, I hold the lamp in my pocket, and I also stuff you into my heart. Panic, palpitations, and finally, regret..."

Liu Chengxu stood to the side listening when Meng Zhenyue covered the microphone and called out to her softly, "Your sister-in-law?"

Liu Chengxu felt a sudden pang of panic. She suspected that Meng Zhenyue had seen through who she liked. Meng Zhenyue raised her chin. The tavern had floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, and passersby could see the performance on the stage from the street.

Liu Chengxu looked down and saw Su Zhiluo reappear, sitting on the opposite bench. She was wearing a red scarf and a black down jacket, her hands in her pockets, and a smile on her lips.

Su Zhiluo said, "What can I do? You don't care, but I do. I swapped shifts with a friend for a few days. If anyone bullies you, just call me. Go ahead and do your work, don't worry about me."

Liu Chengxu thought to herself "hmm," but then shook her head, afraid that she would worry. She asked, "Why don't you go inside? It's warmer in the tavern than outside."

Su Zhiluo said, "Do you think I'll go in and watch you work? Nobody wants to see their own kid working so hard."

As Liu Chengxu went upstairs, Su Zhiluo called her again. Liu Chengxu crossed her arms and said seriously, "I can still support you for four more years and give you living expenses. Don't work anymore."

Liu Chengxu has grown up now. Hearing these words, she was moved and felt sorry for Su Zhiluo. She wanted to say that she wanted to share the burden, but Su Zhiluo said, "I'll take care of you."

“We could afford to raise them before, and we can afford to raise them now. Did you hear me, Liu Chengxu?”

Liu Chengxu nodded vigorously. She didn't turn around, afraid of crying.

Back upstairs, I wanted to hear Meng Zhenyue sing the rest of the song, but Meng Zhenyue said she hadn't finished writing it, only a few verses.

"Then write that they're together, okay?"

Meng Zhenyue frowned. "Is it okay? Don't you like someone else's girlfriend?"

Liu Chengxu felt heartbroken. She was her sister's wife, and she couldn't answer. So she asked, "What's the name of the song?"

Yesterday, Liu Chengxu's appearance inspired her. Meng Zhenyue wrote it down casually, saying, "It's called 'Xu,' the 'Xu' in 'narrative.'"

After that, Su Zhiluo would come to accompany her to work every week. She would sit across from her at a milk tea shop called "Love's Heart." Liu Chengxu would look downstairs while serving dishes and see her, so he would order her a milk tea to warm her hands. Su Zhiluo would hold the milk tea in both hands, feeling angry. One cup of milk tea was more expensive than Liu Chengxu's hourly rate. Liu Chengxu didn't care; she worked hard because she wanted them to have a good life. During this time, she often had the illusion that weekends were her love days.

She sent this sentence to Meng Zhenyue, asking her to write it into the lyrics, so that it would gradually become a song about love that comes true.

The bar was far from home, an hour and a half away by subway. Su Zhiluo would get up early to buy groceries, cook the food, pack it into a thermos, and deliver it to Liu Chengxu for lunch.

Without fail, it goes from the beginning of autumn to the onset of winter with its north winds.

Sometimes, Meng Zhenyue, unaware of the situation, would say to her with an envious tone, "Your sister-in-law is so good to you."

Not only her, but several of her other roommates also often sighed, saying that even their own older sisters were not as meticulous and considerate as her.

Liu Chengxu repeatedly heard people talk about how "good" her sister-in-law had been to her, and she would fantasize that behind this gentleness lay a special affection, that her sister-in-law loved her to some extent. She became immersed in this subtle illusion, and unconsciously sank deeper and deeper into it.

Several times, she looked at Su Zhiluo's profile and couldn't resist kissing her. But they couldn't; Su Zhiluo maintained a perfect distance.

As they passed the flowerbed, Liu Chengxu deliberately pretended to trip over something and fell heavily on it. Su Zhiluo reacted quickly and came over to help her up. She placed her hand on Su Zhiluo's palm, thus holding Su Zhiluo's hand.

Su Zhiluo looked at her worriedly and asked if she was in pain. Liu Chengxu nodded and said it hurt.

Her sister-in-law would never know that in order to hold her hand this winter, Liu Chengxu bruised his leg. It hurt a lot, but it was all worth it.

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[shy][shy] Dinner's served! Dinner's served! [food][food]