Non-biological
This was the most comfortable bath Xu Nian had ever taken, so he couldn't help but shower for a while longer. However, he didn't sleep much last night and it was not long after he had finished his meal, so he stayed in the bathhouse for a long time and felt a little dizzy.
She patted her face which was hot from the steam, and quickly rinsed her whole body back and forth under the shower head. Shivering, she walked out of the bathhouse and took out clean clothes from her schoolbag and put them on.
Xu Nian sat on the simple bed frame used for changing clothes for a while before going out. He opened the thick cotton curtain and saw Xu Hongqi waiting in the ticket hall.
Seeing him looking dazed and wondering what he was thinking, Xu Nian walked over and shuddered when he came out. Only then did he realize that it was much colder here than inside.
Xu Hongqi heard the footsteps sound like Xu Nian, so he stood up and turned around to see, "Have you finished washing?" Seeing her hair still dripping with water, he frowned, "Why didn't you dry your hair?"
Xu Nian forgot to bring her own towel. The ones provided here were reusable. The good thing was that they were separated for men and women. She was worried, and her face wrinkled. She didn't dare to speak loudly. She glanced around before whispering, "I'm afraid of infecting others."
After she finished speaking, Xu Hongqi seemed to sigh faintly, then opened his schoolbag and took out a towel, "Use my towel, I've washed it, don't be disgusted."
Xu Nian puffed up her lips. She wanted to say, "No, but it would be a waste of your towel." However, Xu Hongqi seemed to have misunderstood and turned to talk to someone at the ticket counter. Xu Nian was a little afraid to follow him.
After a while, Xu Hongqi came over with a peach-pink towel in his hand, which looked very much like the pillowcases used by newlyweds at their weddings. He handed it to her and said, "Wipe it quickly, or you'll catch a cold. You can't wash your hair so often anymore."
Xu Nian took it and wiped it while looking at him.
Xu Hongqi: "What's wrong?"
Xu Nian licked his dehydrated lips and said, "I don't dislike you, I'm just afraid of wasting the towel..."
After they got to know each other better, Xu Hongqi rarely saw her speak so cautiously. Most of the time, she was arrogant and intimate. Generally speaking, she didn't treat outsiders like that. He actually liked that approach. "It's okay. It's okay to dislike..."
Xu Nian paused for a moment while wiping his hair, then resumed his work without saying anything else.
Xu Hongqi didn't say anything else.
Xu Nian's hair was fine and soft. Although it didn't look as thick as a lion's, it was actually quite thick. She was about to leave after wiping it. Xu Hongqi saw that her hair was still wet but no longer dripping after a while, so he asked her to go into the inner room while he went out for something.
Xu Nian looked out the window and saw that it was dark outside, and there was a whistling sound of wind from time to time, so she didn't want him to go. Besides, the night now was different from the past. People rarely went out at night, and she had no experience of being outside so late.
"Why don't we go back? It's so late, we can do it tomorrow."
Xu Hongqi would never agree to let her go out with her hair wet. "Don't be afraid, just wait in the inner room. It's safe in there. I'll be back soon and we'll leave."
This means disagreement. Xu Nian lowered his head and stepped on the ground, not wanting to agree.
Xu Hongqi just looked at her, which made her feel annoyed. "Hmph, let's go!" He returned to the inner room in a bad mood and sat on the bunk bed.
The night was quiet for a short while before she heard the sound of footsteps leaving. She sat on the bed, nothing happened, so she put the towel on her head again and wiped it unconsciously.
By this point, she had actually almost accepted the fact that she had lice on her head. Apart from helplessness and annoyance, she couldn't feel any other emotions. She also felt a little embarrassed and childish about her out-of-control emotions last night. She shed a lot of tears, which was a big change from her previous self.
She thought that maybe it was because someone cared about her and loved her that she became less strong and soft, but suddenly she remembered that bizarre and somewhat scary dream. She liked her current family life and didn't want any accidents to happen.
In the blink of an eye, it was almost the New Year. After the New Year, she would be almost fourteen years old. There were still two years before she turned sixteen. She should have made some preparations, but she didn't know what to prepare.
The most important core figure, Xu Hongqi, is doing well now. He cares about others and has friends and family. Their family can be considered his family. His academic performance is also good. Anyway, the teacher praises him every day, so it seems that nothing goes wrong.
As the saying goes, a full meal makes one yearn for love. The next thing for Xu Hongqi is the emotional matter. Xu Nian has to admit that she has a good impression of Xu Hongqi now, which is different from before. And since Xu Hongqi listened to the nonsense she made up, he can only say that she is simply... weirdly nice to her.
I never heard him mention Qi Meiyue again, and they had no chance to meet. He didn't seem to have any special feelings for her, so it must be that the relationship hasn't started to develop yet.
In that case, the present situation is perfect. There should be no changes in his and her lives. As long as they grow up step by step, the future will be smooth sailing.
Xu Nian heard the voices of women talking coming from the bathhouse and knew that they should be coming out after bathing. Although there was no watch, he could estimate that they had been in there for quite some time. Now this dime's strength was indeed impressive.
"Girl, why haven't you left yet?" A woman asked after seeing that Xu Nian had finished showering a long time ago and had not returned home yet.
Xu Nian didn't know who she was and didn't want to say anything. After the woman finished speaking, the others looked at her. She grinned and said, "Wait for my brother. He hasn't come out yet."
When she said this, the others seemed to understand, "Then your brother is a man who knows how to live."
Another woman chimed in, "Making money is hard. I finally get to take a bath, but I have to take a long, hard bath to get my money's worth."
“…” The women should all know each other, and when it came to this topic, they were chatting enthusiastically and had no time to talk to Xu Nian.
They were very lively, talking about one topic after another, all of them were very loud and gossipy. Xu Nian was just killing time and found it quite interesting to listen to them.
Person A said, "Hey, did you hear the quarrel the night before last?"
B asked: "What's that sound?"
C said, "There seemed to be a sound. I live in 308, and it seemed like the sound was coming from 304."
A smiled and said, "It's not like, it's 304."
Ding was almost cold, so he put on some clothes and said nonchalantly, "It's common for 304 to be lively."
A didn't buy the mystery any more, "I'm not talking about their quarrel. If they quarreled or fought, it would be Xu Chunling's fault. She didn't listen to her brother and sister-in-law. She chose to marry a country boy instead of marrying a good girl from the county town when there were so many suitable men."
"But I recently heard a big secret, and I don't think it's her fault."
When Xu Nian heard Xu Chunling's name, he felt it was very familiar. He couldn't remember it for a moment, but his ears perked up obediently.
Person B is the most curious. "What's the big secret? Tell me quickly."
A thought for a moment and said, "I told you not to spread it, and if you do, don't tell anyone that I said it. His husband is a scoundrel, and I don't want to get into trouble."
"No, no, hurry up and tell me." The others urged her.
A finally got to the point, "I heard that Xu Chunling is not her biological daughter, but was adopted by the Xu family."
C was shocked. "What do you mean, she's not her biological child?" He digested it for a moment and then said, "No wonder she doesn't look like her brother."
Ding was also surprised, but his thoughts were elsewhere. "If her nephew knew about this, then Xu Chunling wouldn't be the only one without a job. Liu Jun wouldn't be able to take someone else's job, right?"
Xu Nian was so sensitive to the word Liu Jun that she never expected that she could find out such a big secret while taking a shower. Her first reaction was to tell Xu Hongqi immediately.
The women spoke more quietly and picked up their dirty clothes to go into the bathroom. The water was splashing, as if they were washing clothes, and they tried their best to save their water bill.
She had no right to listen, but she had some thoughts. After the first thought flashed through her mind, she regained her sanity. This incident told Xu Hongqi that based on her understanding of him, he would definitely take action, and the current balance would be broken.
Having said this, what about the suffering and humiliation Xu Hongqi has endured over the years?
Also, considering that she has no relatives, no matter how bad Xu Chunling is, she is probably still a relative in Xu Hongqi's heart, and the only living relative. He told Xu Nian that Liu Jun's family is not a good family, but he never said anything about his aunt. It seems that he still has some reservations about his aunt.
If she said it so hastily and carelessly, was it really a good thing for him?
"Xu Nian, I'm back."
Xu Nian was startled when he heard Xu Hongqi's voice. He came back quickly and said, "I heard you. Come out right away."
When Xu Hongqi saw Xu Nian, he first looked at her head. Seeing that her hair was almost dried in the inner room, he said, "There's nothing to pull, let's go."
Xu Nian shook her head, "I have them all." She saw Xu Hongqi running outside. He didn't feel cold but looked warm. He had a few more things in his hands. However, she was keeping a secret in her heart and was feeling uncomfortable, so she didn't dare to ask.
She followed Xu Hongqi out and realized that it was very late at night. The trees were already bare. The wind was strong but calm at night. Xu Nian took a few small steps and moved closer to Xu Hongqi.
Xu Hongqi glanced at her, and the corners of his mouth seemed to curl up. "If it's fast, it will be there in more than 20 minutes."
Xu Nian nodded helplessly. They both started walking fast, but soon Xu Nian couldn't go on. The wind made her face hurt, and she didn't get much rest last night. She was a little tired and couldn't keep up with Xu Hongqi.
But the direction she was walking was getting quieter and quieter. She was a little scared when she fell behind. She didn't even say anything. When there was no space next to Xu Hongqi, she turned her head and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xu Nian said weakly, "Tired."
Xu Hongqi was silent for a moment, then looked ahead. "We're almost there. Can you still hold on?"
Xu Nian wanted to shake her head, but seeing what Xu Hongqi was carrying on his back and holding in his hands, she couldn't say anything else. She took two quick steps to the man's side, and taking advantage of the cover of darkness, she raised her arm and held Xu Hongqi's arm, hanging on him a bit like a rogue.
She knew Xu Hongqi was looking at her, but she didn't look back. She just waved her arm and said, "Let's go!"
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