Chapter 56 Half-ripe mulberries "Have you ever had a girlfriend?"...

It was already seven o'clock in the evening when we returned to Lincheng.

After leaving the airport, the familiar air rushed over her. Sangfu couldn't help but close her eyes and took a long breath.

Not only the physical discomfort, but also the fatigue from the long journey was relieved.

As March approaches, the wind in Lincheng is not as cold as before.

After driving for another ten minutes, they finally returned to Jinyuan.

The house was dark, and it was exceptionally quiet.

Sangfu felt much better. After getting out of the car, she pushed her small suitcase and walked in front.

The wheels rolled quietly over the flat road, blending with the sound of their footsteps and making no loud noise.

Just as she was about to go up the stairs, someone reached out and grabbed the handle of the box. Before Sangfu could even exert any force, the box went up several steps.

She paused and looked in the direction of Zhuang Mowen.

The combination lock opened with a click. Zhuang Mowen carried her suitcase inside with one hand, then turned back and looked at Sang Fu standing at the bottom of the stairs. "What are you standing there for? Go home first."

The coat she wore in the morning had been vomited on, so naturally she couldn't wear it anymore. While the car stopped in the small town, Zhuang Mowen changed his coat.

The loose-fitting windbreaker with contrasting black and white colors does not make him look bulky at all, but rather casual and upright.

He stood still at the door, his brows and eyes silently stained with a soft glow by the moonlight.

"Okay." Sang Fu looked away and walked into the door.

She stood at the entrance, felt for the living room light switch, and pressed it while subconsciously calling out, "Chuyi."

A sound fell, but there was no response.

In the past, when I went home, Chuyi was always the first one to greet me with his tail wagging.

The living room was brightly lit, but there was no sign of Chuyi anywhere.

"The first day of the new year is at my parents' house."

Zhuang Mowen brought the luggage in and closed the door. "I'll be gone for a week. I won't be bored there on New Year's Day. Let's go pick it up together after a while."

I see.

Sanfu nodded.

Aunt Zhao was away on the first day of the new year, so she had a week off. After changing into slippers, Zhuang Mowen pushed his luggage aside and asked her, "What would you like to eat?"

When Sangfu was in the hospital, she had to eat something to take her medicine, and she couldn't eat anything afterwards. She only took two bites in the airport restaurant and put down her chopsticks.

"I'm not eating anymore," said Sanfu. "My appetite is poor the two days before my period."

"You should eat a little." Zhuang Mowen opened the refrigerator door and looked around.

No one is at home during this period, and Aunt Zhao has cleared away the ingredients that are difficult to preserve in advance. I really can't find anything to cook at the moment.

But even if he did, I guess Sangfu wouldn't be able to eat it now.

He turned his head to look at her: "Sangfu."

"ah?"

In the living room, Sang Fu just took a step forward, and the next moment she silently moved back under Zhuang Mowen's gaze.

"Eat first and then rest." His tone was gentle but unquestionable. He then gave her two choices: "Noodles or porridge?"

If you must eat...

Sangfu compared them in her mind and replied, "Noodles."

More convenient.

"good."

Zhuang Mowen took the noodles and closed the refrigerator door.

In the kitchen, the man's movements were methodical. Sang Fu watched for a moment before looking away and going upstairs.

She had sweated a lot and still felt sticky even after drying herself. Sangfu had endured it all the way, and now the first thing she did was to go back to the bathroom in her room to take a shower.

After she finished washing and changed her clothes, she walked towards the restaurant feeling refreshed.

"Professor Zhuang," she walked into the kitchen, looked at the bubbling pot, and poked her head in. "How can I help you?"

When she was taking a shower, she was afraid of noodles lumps, so she sped up the shower, but it looked like the noodles had just gone in.

"Yes," Zhuang Mowen glanced at her and pointed casually, "Drink that."

Following the direction of his finger, Sanfu turned around in a daze, walked over and picked up a two-eared rabbit mug - that was her water cup in Jinyuan.

But now, the cup does not contain pure drinking water.

She was silent for a moment, then lowered her head and sniffed. The hot air hit her nose, and the taste was sweet, mixed with the spiciness of ginger.

She turned back blankly, holding the mug.

"Did you just cook this?"

Zhuang Mowen said "hmm" lightly, without any intention of explaining, as if this was just a trivial matter not worth mentioning.

"The noodles will take a while, go sit in the restaurant first."

During menstruation, the whole body feels sore and weak. In the past, Sangfu would never sit if she could lie down, would never stand if she could sit, and would never walk if she could stand.

The warmth of the brown sugar ginger tea came through the mug, warming her palms.

Sanfu nodded, her voice soft: "Well, thank you."

…

Sangfu sat in the restaurant, drinking sugar water quietly.

The surroundings were very quiet, without the noisy sounds of Chuyi. The restaurant and the kitchen were separated by only a wall. She could see his tall back by turning her head slightly.

She and Zhuang Mowen were rarely alone in a space like this. Aside from the first night in Tibet, they had always been surrounded by other people during the day. But in Jinyuan, even without Aunt Zhao, Chuyi was always there.

On the first day of the new year, the atmosphere is always lively and bustling, never too quiet. After all, once things become quiet, some subtle factors will unconsciously arise, swirl, and disturb the mind.

After drinking half a cup, Sang Fu wiped off the sweet water stains on her lips, her eyes fell, and the rippling sugar water was reflected in her eyes.

She watched quietly, and there seemed to be a lake in her heart, just like the cup of sugar water, which was gently stirred and caused ripples.

A light fragrance penetrated her nose. Sang Fu raised her eyes slightly and looked up at the bony hand along the edge of the bowl.

Zhuang Mowen put the noodles in front of her. When she looked over, he said, "I didn't give you much. Eat a little."

"Don't drink the sugar water if you can't finish it," he glanced at the cup in her hand again, "There's still some in the pot. Just heat it up if you want to drink it in the evening."

Sangfu put the mug aside. Her portion was indeed not much. The egg on the noodles was fried golden brown, and it made her mouth water just by looking at it.

When she cooked noodles before, she would just add a little salt. It was not to torture herself. Firstly, it was convenient, and secondly, she didn't think plain noodles were unpalatable.

But this bowl must be more delicious.

Sang Fu held the chopsticks and lowered her head to pick up the noodles. Because they were just out of the pot, they were very hot. She blew on them before putting them in her mouth.

Delicious, the noodles are cooked soft, the taste is light and delicious, and there is the aroma of eggs.

She had a poor appetite, but her appetite was aroused and she slowly finished the whole bowl.

I put down my chopsticks and a tissue was handed to me.

Sanfu paused, took it, and wiped the corner of her lips.

Then he stood up with Zhuang Mowen and took the bowl into the kitchen.

"Let me do it." He wanted to take the bowl from her hand.

"It's okay, I'm much better now."

In fact, what Zhuang Mowen said is right. Even if you have a poor appetite during menstruation, you should try to eat something. Having something in your stomach will make you feel more comfortable.

She is an adult with subjective initiative, hands and feet. Zhuang Mowen will not deliberately stop her for the sake of some gentlemanly manners if she can do it. There is actually no need to stop her for such a small matter.

He could tell she wanted to get involved.

He didn't want her to do these things, not because he ignored her value, but because he couldn't bear to let her do it, that's all.

Sang Fu poured out the remaining soup and wanted to wash the bowl in her hand, but just as she reached the sink, Zhuang Mowen raised his hand and took it away.

"This is cold water." He tilted his head to look at her and explained to her, "I'll wash faster."

Sanfu nodded slightly.

She stood by and the dishes were washed quickly. They left the kitchen, turned off the lights in the dining room, and the living room was silent.

Zhuang Mowen asked, "When do you want to pick up Chuyi?"

"It's all fine." Sanfu replied, "I'm free recently."

"good."

I'm not home on the first day of the new year, so I don't have to walk the dog after dinner.

Zhuang Mowen should be preparing to go back upstairs to deal with work matters, and after a while, he will go for a night run.

Sang Fu had nothing to do downstairs, and besides, with her current mindset, it would be difficult for her to concentrate on anything else.

Before she could react, she followed Zhuang Mowen upstairs.

His voice rang out above her head. Sanfu was completely distracted and didn't listen much until she noticed that his voice had stopped for a while, then she said "hmm" absentmindedly.

He was silent for a moment and called her name.

Sanfu raised her head.

"What did I just say?" He squinted his eyes and glanced at her lazily, obviously seeing through her.

Sang Fu frowned. He seemed to have just said a long speech, but she didn't remember a single word of it. She was embarrassed for a moment: "Hmm..."

He sighed and repeated slowly, "I said, I have a group meeting tonight and will probably be in the study for two to three hours. If you feel uncomfortable, feel free to call me. Got it?"

"Know."

He didn't take Sang Fu's distraction just now to heart at all. When she nodded, he raised his lips and smiled.

After going upstairs, the study and bedroom were in two different directions. They were about to separate in the living room on the second floor when Sang Fu suddenly called him.

Zhuang Mowen paused and turned to look at her, "What's wrong?"

However, Sangfu was looking somewhere else, as if behind him, or as if she wasn't looking at any specific place at all.

After a moment's silence, she seemed to have made up her mind. Her beautiful eyes moved and met his gaze.

"I want to ask you a question."

He said, "Ask."

Sanfu's eyes were very dark, and as she stared at him, she looked pure and persistent.

She said, "Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

At the very first lecture, Sheng Weiyao had said that Zhuang Mowen had always been single.

But that is just hearsay after all. Anyone who hears it will just laugh it off and will not believe it.

Until they reached a consensus and got married, Sanfu maintained a good spirit of cooperation and never cared about authenticity.

"No." He was stunned for a moment, "Why do you ask this?"

Sangfu's hands rested on the solid wooden armrest, her fingertips scratching back and forth hesitantly.

He said that she could hold back, but she couldn't suppress the words in her heart. After a brief hesitation, they rushed out of her throat.

"Because it seems like you're very good at taking care of girls. You're very skilled."

Zhuang Mowen's stunned expression relaxed. He felt amused: "Besides you, who else have I taken care of?"

Sanfu shook her head honestly: "I don't know."

Originally, their daily lives only intersected occasionally. How could she know who he had met and who he had taken care of?

Zhuang Mowen took a slight step closer to her, making the expression on his face more delicate and clear. His eyebrows were deep and gentle, and he looked into her eyes without any hesitation.

"I've never had a girlfriend," he said. "Before you, I've never taken care of another girl the way I take care of you."

The distance between them was not far to begin with, and with every step he took closer, Sangfu's grip on the handrail tightened involuntarily.

Until they were only one step away from each other.

Sang Fu looked up at him, feeling that her breathing was not smooth, but her expression remained calm and motionless. Then she replied stiffly with two words: "Okay."

"Yeah." He glanced at her handrail and casually raised his hand to put it on. "I'm glad you know."

"As for my familiarity, it might be because I've been influenced by my dad since I was a kid, or it might be because my mom and my grandparents are all doctors." Zhuang Mo paused, "Besides, menstrual periods and the like are just common sense."

Sangfu said seriously: "Okay."

"Then I'll be leaving first."

She turned around and took a few steps away when she seemed to remember something. She turned back and saw Zhuang Mowen still not moving, looking at her.

Sangfu asked: "Are we going to meet your friend tomorrow? Or..."

Zhuang Mowen said, "Wait seven days."

"Why seven days later?"

"When your period is over and you feel more energetic, it's not too late to see you again."

Sang Fu was stunned for a moment before she realized what he meant by seven days later. She said "OK" again, turned around, and walked into the bedroom without looking back.

Zhuang Mowen stood there until Sang Fu disappeared from his sight, then he looked away.

He moved his fingers slightly, and the fingertips on the handrail slowly crawled forward a distance.

One, two, three, and on the fourth time, the armrest suddenly felt unusually warm under his fingertips.

He sighed silently and pointed at the area.

Let alone kissing, we used to be able to hold hands, but now it’s not even possible.

…

In early March, the spring breeze blew, the winter was gone, and all major colleges and universities started to open one after another.

"You haven't told me yet, what's your friend's name?" After entering the restaurant, Sang Fu followed Zhuang Mowen upstairs.

We're about to meet, but she doesn't even know my name. Wouldn't that be rude when we meet later?

The waiter guided them to the reserved private room and left. Zhuang Mowen said, "His last name is Si."

Sanfu was still repeating the last name silently when suddenly, hot air sprayed on her ear: "Remember what I told you this morning?"

She winced at the itch and nodded.

Before leaving, Zhuang Mowen told her that although his friend was very close to him, he didn't know the inside story, so he hoped they could act a little more intimate in front of him.

"Okay. But what does it mean to be intimate?" she asked.

Zhuang Mowen asked her, "What do you think? What intimate things have we done?"

Sangfu listened to his words, searched in her mind, and her face suddenly turned red.

She stammered, "I can't do that in front of him."

He laughed out loud, "Which one is that?"

Sanfu: "It's just kissing."

Zhuang Mowen said, "If you like, I don't mind."

Sangfu waved her hands frantically: "No, no."

Zhuang Mowen finally stopped teasing her and said, "Just hold hands. Just like on New Year's Eve, remember?"

They were holding hands, but it was not like when they met their elders in the past, but like on New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve was the first time they officially held hands.

He thought that they would pretend less and less in the future, and hoped that even if they had to pretend, she could still recall the sincerity of that day and that night.

"I remember." Sanfu replied.

"Well," Zhuang Mowen said, "every time we hold hands from now on, we must emulate that time."

Outside the box, he gently held Sangfu's hand and stroked it.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, suppressing the heartbeat in her chest.

Zhuang Mowen said that they should hold hands like they did on New Year's Eve.

Do you want a heartbeat too?

As soon as she pushed open the box, Sangfu heard a familiar voice coming from her.

"I've been asking you to meet me for months, but you've been unwilling. Now you're finally willing to do it..." Siming raised his head, his face froze, and he stopped talking. "Sang Fu?"

Sang Fu was also surprised: "Si Ming? What a coincidence."

"Do you know each other?" Zhuang Mowen asked.

"..." Siming was speechless, but Sang Fu nodded in surprise, "He is the producer of our crew."

Siming looked at Sang Fu, then at Zhuang Mowen.

We have known each other for more than ten years, how could he not understand?

Sangfu's shock was real, but that guy's expression was totally fake.

He thought again, on Valentine's Day, he and Zhuang Mowen sent flowers together!

He copied the plan of sending flowers, how could Zhuang Mowen not guess it?

Siming felt that his world was collapsing bit by bit. It was indeed scary that he and his brother fell in love with the same woman, but that was not the scariest thing.

The scariest thing is that he is three.

No, it almost became three.

Sang Fu and Zhuang Mowen sat down in front of him. Zhuang Mowen asked, "Have you ordered?"

Siming recovered from his shock and said, "I ordered two. I plan to let you and... Sang Fu order the rest."

Zhuang Mowen handed the menu to Sang Fu: "Order whatever you want, it's his treat today."

“…”

After ordering the dishes, Sangfu handed the menu to the waiter. It was not until the waiter left the private room that she felt the atmosphere here seemed a bit strange.

"Why... don't you say a word?"

Zhuang Mowen said, "He must be too surprised to see you."

Siming continued, "Yes, Zhuang Mowen never told me your name. Isn't this a huge misunderstanding?"

Sang Fu nodded. She naturally understood this misunderstanding as she and Siming had known each other for a long time but were unaware of each other's identities. "It's okay, it's all cleared up now."

Siming could only grit his teeth and swallow it, staring at Zhuang Mowen with a forced smile: "Yes, yes, who said it wasn't."

Sang Fu enjoyed the meal very relaxedly. She had originally prepared herself to meet a stranger, but when she came in, she found that it was Siming, whom she had known for a long time, which made her feel a little relieved.

Later in the meal, Siming ordered some wine.

After the last time, Sangfu was really scared. She felt that she might not only be nervous when she was drunk, but her mind might also be a little abnormal on the first day after waking up.

Otherwise, why would she agree with everything Zhuang Mowen said?

Give it a try, okay.

Kiss, okay.

She didn't dare drink anymore.

What if something strange happens again and I really have to take responsibility?

Sang Fu was about to refuse, but when she looked up, she saw Zhuang Mowen had drunk her cup and ordered other drinks for her.

She was stunned for a moment.

Then he stopped talking.

Maybe they haven't seen each other for a long time, so Zhuang Mowen will accompany him for a drink.

After drinking, Siming became more talkative.

"Sangfu, really, I never dreamed that the person he would marry would be you."

Zhuang Mowen told her not to respond and said to Si Ming, "Drink less. Are you going to get drunk today? Will you not go to the crew tomorrow?"

Siming ignored him and took another sip. "When are you having the wedding?"

Zhuang Mowen said, "It's still a long way off."

Siming said to Sang Fu, "Sang Fu."

Sangfu, who was named, raised her head from her meal and said, "Huh?"

His face was probably red from drinking, but he was very clear-headed, and his words were just a little erratic. "You know, he and I grew up together, and we're good brothers."

Sang Fu glanced at Zhuang Mowen slowly and said, "I know."

Siming asked in confusion: "Do you believe me?"

Sanfu paused and said quickly, "Believe it."

Although their first meeting was not very friendly, time reveals a person's true character. Siming's decisive handling of the situation, whether at that time or in their daily interactions, shows that he is a person of true character. Sang Fu is also very convinced of Siming's character.

Siming said: "Then believe me, he likes you very very very much——"

Zhuang Mowen: "...Si Ming!"

Sang Fu was also stunned for a moment and didn't speak for a long time.

Siming looked at Sang Fu and said to himself, "Really, Sang Fu, I'm not lying to you. When you were still on the crew, there was a time when you were in a bad mood. He came to see you at night, but damn, he stood me up! I thought the snow that day was falling just for me."

Zhuang Mowen: "..."

Sanfu had heard a little about that incident and she felt very sorry: "I'm sorry."

"What's the sorry?" Siming waved his hands and said randomly, "I mean, he even stood me up, which shows how important you are!"

Sanfu: "..."

Zhuang Mowen supported his forehead and closed his eyes weakly, having given up resisting Siming's nonsense.

He was afraid that if Siming drank too much again, the window paper between the three of them would be completely broken. If it came to an end then, it would not only be the two of them who would be embarrassed, but also Sang Fu.

Thinking of this, Zhuang Mowen was about to ask the waiter to remove the bottle of wine from the table, but the next moment he heard Siming speak again.

His movements also froze the moment he heard those words clearly—

"Sangfu, do you like him?"

-----------------------

The author has something to say: I wrote a little more today when I had some free time [shy]

I have been thinking about whether to involve Xiong Jing, but I think that for Zhuang and Si, their friendship is real. Although Zhuang and Si are sharp-tongued when they get along, they will not really hurt or put down each other just because of love (Si Ming is also sincere, but the feelings are not that deep). Zhuang chose this roundabout way to actively tell Si. It is undeniable that there is an element of declaring sovereignty, but it is more of a maintenance of their relationship, a maintenance of Si's self-esteem, and as mentioned in the last few paragraphs, a protection of Sang Fu.

So Xiong Jing will only compete briefly as a joke, otherwise his character will collapse... [burst into tears]