Convenience Store on a Rainy Night (Part 3)

Jiang Yichun didn't say anything, but tears streamed down her face. She picked up the insulated box with both hands and moved it to her side.

She opened the insulated box, and the aroma of braised pig's trotters mixed with a faint caramel scent wafted out.

With tears in her eyes, she didn't say a word, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat heartily.

The pig's trotters were tender, the broth was sweet and fragrant, and the cilantro, scallions, and a few drops of chili oil floating on top were exactly the same as the pig's trotters he had ordered with him that day.

"Why does this taste so much like the pig's trotter uncle's?" Jiang Yichun rubbed his eyes, looked at the finished pig's trotter, and asked him, "You didn't buy the pig's trotter and then say you made it yourself, trying to fool me again, did you?"

He Yinxin lowered her eyes and answered softly, "I...I didn't lie to you."

“I learned it from an older man. I… helped him prepare the ingredients, and he told me some methods for cooking pig's trotters.”

"Because I often see you buying things from him."

"We met in a way because of this pig's trotters."

Jiang Yichun chewed on a pig's trotter and snorted, "So, that's how Uncle Pig's Trotter gave you his trade secrets?"

"What did you say to him? It couldn't have been... saying goodbye to a girl you like, could it?"

He Yinxin's cheeks were flushed. He wiped away the tears that had not yet dried from the corners of his eyes and shook his head: "No, it's just that... I asked him for advice on how to make pig's trotters, and then I researched the recipe and made it myself."

“Our graduate student dorm has a student kitchen, and I sometimes try to adjust the recipes there when I have free time.”

"I... am not very good at cooking, but does it taste alright this time?"

As he said this, he slowly moved his hand down from the table.

During the month he was separated from her, whenever he could spare a moment between his part-time job and studies, he would practice making braised pig's trotters in the student kitchen, following the tutorials from Uncle Pig's Trotters and the internet.

He didn't know her attitude towards him, after all, she had only left him with the words "Don't see me for a month".

When he heard those words, his mind went blank, and he even ignored the blessings she said afterward.

What came to mind was the steaming bowl of pig's trotters from their first meeting, and her playful remark, "This pig's trotter has already been eaten, please do not take it."

Pig's trotters, pig's trotters... You can make a bowl of pig's trotters.

You could apologize to her or say goodbye with pig's trotters.

Even if they eventually parted ways, it was a peaceful separation, leaving a brilliant mark on his otherwise structured life.

His upbringing prompted him to take immediate action. He Yinxin contacted the uncle who ran the pig's trotter stall, helping him out while asking him how to prepare pig's trotters properly.

The first time, he didn't remove all the hair from the pig's trotters, making him frown as he ate them; the second time, the syrup was too bitter, resulting in a darker color for the stewed trotters, almost poisoning his roommate Jia Shugui...

He Yinxin patiently prepared the pig's trotters again and again, savoring the broth with each bite.

Occasionally, while making caramel, splashes of water would scald his fair hands, leaving a few sores.

He gritted his teeth, watched the hot soup boil, then took out a burn ointment and casually applied it to the reddened area.

Just a few days ago, he finally managed to make a bowl of fragrant braised pig's trotters and served it to his roommate.

Jia Shugui nodded approvingly: "Not bad, you're already at the chef level."

Another roommate chimed in, "Dude, it's indistinguishable from the pig's trotters vendors outside the school gate."

But he was still terrified, unsure if Jiang Yichun would like this imperfect bowl of pig's trotters.

Tonight, while he was making pig's trotters, he received a call from his cousin. At that moment, he was pouring hot water into the bubbling caramel.

"Grandpa's condition is not optimistic. He has been transferred to Huaxing Hospital, brother."

"Whoosh!"

Along with my cousin's phone call came splashes of soup.

He Yinxin was momentarily distracted and grabbed the edge of the pot.

A scalding, intense sensation ignited on the back of his hand, followed by a burning pain.

He groaned, pulled his hand back, ignoring the pain, and immediately picked up the spatula to stir.

He only turned on the tap to rinse the reddened areas on his hands after the pig's trotters were bubbling in the pot.

At this point, several small blisters had already formed in that area.

He didn't care about the few small blisters, just grabbed some burn ointment and applied it a few times, and that was it.

He packed the pig's trotters into a thermos and went to the hospital to see his grandfather first, then to see Xiaochun.

He looked down at his hands, shook his head, and strode out the door.

It's just a minor injury, nothing serious.

His subtle movements were quickly noticed by Jiang Yichun: "He Yinxin! What's wrong with your hand again? Let me see!"

He Yinxin shook her head and forced a smile: "It's nothing, just a little accident. I got burned a tiny bit, just... a tiny bit."

"Everything went smoothly when I tried to do it before, but today, I was a bit busy and a bit anxious, so..."

"Let me see your hand!" Jiang Yichun persisted, putting down her empty bowl, rushing to his side, and grabbing his wrist.

Those fair, well-defined hands were covered with red blisters and transparent ointment.

There are also some old scars that have faded.

Jiang Yichun's tears flowed like a flood, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist: "Liar, fool, how could this be just a small accident? You, you really think, think..."

She swallowed those sharp words, and could only gently rub against his waist, smearing her tears and foundation all over his shirt.

She stood inside the high walls, watching the gardener walk towards her step by step. He crossed the desolate ancient city, braving the wind and frost as he walked towards her.

The gale blew away the sand covering his body, leaving only his thin, frail body, yet that small body planted a garden around her.

He walked thousands of steps for her, but she remained standing still.

He Yinxin froze, then immediately raised his hand and ruffled Jiang Yichun's hair: "Xiaochun, yes, it was shameless of me to use my burn scar to gain your sympathy."

"So please continue to hate me."

“He Yinxin.” Jiang Yichun raised his hand, his palm hovering in mid-air.

He Yinxin closed her eyes with a wry smile, imagining her fragrant hands slapping down on her face.

Her hand did indeed land on his face as he expected, but there was no crisp "slap" sound.

Her fingertips, warm to the touch, caressed his damp cheek.

"Fool." Her breath brushed against his ear.

"Now that things have come to this, you fool, after doing so much for me, do you still think you're going to leave?"

"Can't you be a little more worthy? You liar?"

Jiang Yichun's fingertips lingered on his cheek, then moved to his earlobe and gently kneaded it: "Can't you trust me even for a moment?"

"I won't just ignore what you told me."

"I'm not going to pretend I didn't see the stupid things you did."

"You did so much, only to say goodbye to me properly in the end?"

"I actually..."

Jiang Yichun's hand moved down, covering the back of his hand that was resting on the edge of the table.

The giantess in the garden finally raised one of her feet.

Love is just like academics.

She has always lived under the gaze of others, forced to make choices in accordance with those gazes.

Because of her father's infidelity, she labels all possibilities of love as "pessimistic".

Because of those unfriendly shots, she always hid her true feelings, always worried that people would point their cameras at her and talk about her at length.

She always confines herself to the label of "fear," content with the status quo, yet deep down she always yearns for happiness.

The person before me, carrying that happiness, is wearing the clothes of lies, and is getting closer and closer to me step by step.

He's despicable; he approached me with lies.

He's foolish; he always tries to care for himself in silly ways.

But stripped of everything, all she could see were those tiny details, and the bowl of steaming pig's trotters in front of her, now empty.

She enjoyed the pain of rejection and rejection, but never grasped the fleeting happiness.

Is it possible to grasp the happiness that love brings, even if we grit our teeth and give it a try?

It wasn't because of my father, nor because of those unworthy people, but simply to feel happiness.

I need to take a step forward, towards him—clumsy, foolish, yet incredibly sincere—toward his warm and genuine heart.

The giantess' foot landed on the grass, and she took a step toward the gardener. In an instant, the high wall collapsed, and spring blossomed before her eyes.

"Fool, I don't want to say goodbye to you."

Jiang Yichun's fingertips slipped through his fingers, and his trembling fingers froze instantly.

She looked up and met his eyes.

She tore off the labels she had attached to him and saw the real him.

Not a scheming and cunning person, not a top student favored by heaven, just a fool like myself, pursuing love and happiness.

She also laid bare her true self before him.

"I want to take things further with you."

Jiang Yichun saw his own disheveled appearance in his tear-filled eyes.

She took a deep breath, gripped his hand tightly, and avoided the wound with her fingertips.

He Yinxin lowered her eyes, her lips trembled a few times, but was quickly interrupted by Jiang Yichun.

Her ears turned bright red: "It's not because I pity you or give you charity because you're injured; it's because I genuinely want to understand you."

"I want to hold you, kiss you, and... see our future together."

He Yinxin could no longer hold back his tears. He wiped them away with one hand, nodded vigorously, and couldn't utter a single word.

He was essentially an abandoned dog that had found its owner.

Jiang Yichun reached out and wiped away his tears that kept falling. The barbed words and tears fell into her palm and turned into a babbling brook.

"I know I've been pushing you away, making excuses to hate you, and avoiding you."

"I'm sorry. I said those hurtful things just now. I thought that would make you leave and hate me, and that would give me a better reason to run away completely."

He Yinxin shook her head and reached out to tidy the strands of hair that were hanging down her cheeks.

Jiang Yichun grabbed his wrist and intertwined his fingers with his other hand.

She shed the last layer of "fear" label, completely dissecting her desires and pursuits.

She was finally able to face her naked and utterly real self, finally able to see herself clearly through the fog, and finally able to present her desires and aspirations to him.

"Because running away and rejection made me feel relieved, but they also made me suffer. I realized that I couldn't live without you anymore."

"Thank you for never leaving me, for always being by my side. You... have sometimes become a source of comfort for me."

"So, thank you, He Yinxin."

Jiang Yichun's eyelashes trembled as she intertwined her fingers with his, their hearts connected.

He Yinxin sobbed softly, already unable to speak, and could no longer suppress his emotions. He leaned on Jiang Yichun's shoulder and cried silently.

"Xiaochun, Xiaochun, thank you for accepting me. I know the real me is terrible... but thank you."

He was panting heavily.

Jiang Yichun gently stroked his back, her tears wetting his shoulder.

She kept pressing her point: "He Yixin, can't you have a little more confidence? What's wrong with you, a top student, besides being a liar and a coward?"

She pushed him away, walked back to her seat, placed the colorful glass jar with the scrawled little rabbit on it on the table, and turned her face away.

"Well, this glass jar is... it's a gift from me. It's okay that the jar is broken; it's just a candy jar I finished eating from."

"The little rabbit on the screen is a little ugly, but please don't mind it."

He Yinxin didn't say anything, but strode over to her and took the glass jar.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he pulled her into a tight embrace: "Xiaochun, I'm really about to die."

"The little bunny is so cute, I love it, it's not sloppy at all... but I like you even more."

"So cheesy."

Jiang Yichun stiffened and gently pinched his back.

He Yinxin gasped, released her, and heard her reproachful tone in her ear:

"But you can't just let it go by saying you lied to me!"

Jiang Yichun paused, grabbed his collar, and met his gaze: "Now it's the other way around. You have to eat with me, go shopping with me, and go to the library with me to atone for your sins!"

"I want to draft a 'Pre-Lovers Agreement'!"

"This time, I'll be the client, and you'll be the service provider!"