11
The sunlight was dazzling, and Nian Jinsi's face melted like wax and dripped into Zhuang Xiaodie's eyes. Her eyes were stinging, as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She subconsciously wanted to run, but her feet were rooted and too heavy to lift.
"Where are you going?" Nian Jinsi asked.
"You're coming out?"
"Didn't you say you were busy and couldn't leave?"
"Today is a holiday."
"I haven't heard that dumpling shops are closed at this time."
Unable to bear it any longer, Zhuang Xiaodie spun around and began to run. Panicking, she traversed the squares and alleyways, relying solely on memory. The sound of the wind and the voices of people were all mixed together. At a turn, Zhuang Xiaodie glanced back to see Nian Jinsi, silently pursuing her. She cursed under her breath. During those few seconds of distraction, she stumbled into a dead end and was forced to stop.
Her throat burned like it was being torn apart by the wind. Zhuang Xiaodie bent over, clutching her throat and gasping for air. It had been a long time since she had run like this. Now, suddenly stopping, her whole body was hot, but her spirits were still high. When Danny Jinsi stopped in front of her, Zhuang Xiaodie raised her head and glared at her.
"Why are you running?" Nian Jinsi said, "Can I eat you?"
"Then what are you chasing?"
"If you don't run, I'll chase you?"
"Well, I'm not running now, so go ahead!"
Nian Jinsi remained standing, showing no intention of moving. Zhuang Xiaodie wiped the sweat from her cheeks and slowly stood up.
"Why?" Nian Jinsi asked.
Zhuang Xiaodie didn't answer and wanted to walk past Nian Jinsi, but the other party raised his hand and grabbed his arm, pulling him back. Zhuang Xiaodie fiercely shook off the hand that was clamped on her arm. Nian Jinsi took a step away and raised his hand to indicate that he was harmless.
"Zhuang Xiaodie, why did we end up like this?" Nian Jinsi asked. Zhuang Xiaodie had been staring at her coldly, but her heart trembled at her words and she turned away. This dead end alley was dotted with trash cans, and the air was faintly pungent. Aside from those taking out the trash and collecting scrap, there was basically no one else around. Now it was just the two of them.
"It's been so long, and you haven't told me about him hitting you," Zhuang Xiaodie replied. "It's not the same as before."
Nian Jinsi shook his head and said, "This is different."
Zhuang Xiaodie sneered: "Now you have seen what kind of life I live. Go back. I don't have any extra money for you."
"Come with me. You can work in my studio first. You can stay as long as you want. When you find a job you want, you can leave at any time. How about that?"
"Oh, I forgot you were the boss."
"Zhuang Xiaodie!"
They were silent for a moment. Zhuang Xiaodie took a few deep breaths, hoping to breathe in fresh air, but instead her mouth was filled with a sour and smelly smell. She coughed a few times, waved her hand, and said slowly, "You forgot, when you got married, we both thought it would be best if we didn't see each other again."
"But now that we've met, now that I see you like this, how can I be assured?"
Zhuang Xiaodie's heart moved slightly, and she looked at Nian Jinsi, whose eyes were shining as she stared at her.
"Let me think about it first, okay?"
-
Nian Jinsi left. It was not known whether he went back first or went for a walk nearby. He said something before leaving, but Zhuang Xiaodie was in a daze and did not remember it.
She walked aimlessly, intending to return to the dumpling shop, but now, for some reason, her body seemed to be fixed, forcing her to keep walking. She passed through the residential complex, ignoring the gate, and walked down another street before stopping at a bridge. There was a black car parked on the side of the road. The car was unexpectedly long, and a wisp of smoke was wafting from the rear.
Fire?
Zhuang Xiaodie walked around and saw a man sitting on the curb smoking - it was the old man just now.
“I haven’t driven in a long time.”
"It's nothing. I'll sit in the passenger seat and help you keep an eye on it."
Zhuang Xiaodie stopped arguing, got in the driver's seat, and started the car. However, she hadn't driven in so long that she couldn't even remember which pedal was which, and she only had a vague memory of shifting gears. She instinctively slammed on the brakes.
The old man quickly asked her to get off, drove to a nearby road where there were not many people, and then got off to let her practice.
Getting reacquainted requires concentration, which just blocks out Zhuang Xiaodie's chaotic emotions. Fortunately, she hasn't forgotten everything from the past, so she can get going after a few quick reviews.
Before leaving, the old man introduced himself as Liao, gave her the address of his store, and asked her to go there tomorrow.
Zhuang Xiaodie has been living a single-threaded life for several years, like a bug hiding under a rock, only occasionally basking in the sun. Today was like riding a roller coaster, and she was still smacking her breath until she entered the gate of the community.
But the thought of returning home to face Nian Jinsi and Shentu Hai suddenly overwhelmed her with exhaustion. Zhuang Xiaodie remembered that she hadn't brought back the free dumplings today, so she decided to just make some fried rice for dinner. She'd been under the boss's wing for the past few days, but she hadn't actually been there that long, and the money in her pocket was still pitifully small.
In just a few days, the days of getting up every morning, packing her bedding, and then finding a step in the square to sit and stare blankly seemed so far away from her. She couldn't even remember the feeling of sitting in the square, squinting at the sunlight falling on her hands.
As she walked in, she was startled by the sound of a spatula scrambling. She had always been in charge of the meals, and she had never imagined that the other two could cook. The house was filled with the aroma of food, and Zhuang Xiaodie instinctively tried to identify the dishes. She walked into the kitchen and saw Nian Jinsi cooking from behind. She suddenly remembered that they were playing together in high school and often cooked at home. Back then, Nian Jinsi already had several specialties.
Zhuang Xiaodie remained silent, leaning against the doorway and watching for a moment. Shentu Hai appeared from nowhere and shoved a chair hard, causing the back of the chair to bang against the edge of the table. The noise was so loud that Zhuang Xiaodie turned to look. This time, she met Shentu Hai's gaze. Their gazes met. Despite the loud movements, the other's expression remained calm. Zhuang Xiaodie stared at him for a long moment, wondering if he had overheard her conversation with Nian Jinsi last night.
"You don't have to eat dumplings tonight. Try your sister Nian's cooking." Zhuang Xiaodie said with a smile.
Shentu Hai sneered and sat down on the sofa. Zhuang Xiaodie took a deep breath, walked over, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"She really treats this place as your home, even buying groceries and cooking for you." Shen Tu Hai crossed his arms, "No dumplings today?"
"It's time to change the taste."
"When will she leave?"
"She said she needs to stay for a few more days," Zhuang Xiaodie said. "She's going through a very difficult time right now. Could you please—"
"It's already troublesome enough for me to let you two into my house," Shentu Hai said. "Don't make it more troublesome."
Zhuang Xiaodie narrowed her eyes, somewhat suspecting that she had indeed heard something last night.
"I changed my mind." Shentu Hai said.
"--What?"
"Whether she leaves or not, I have to start doing my work."
Zhuang Xiaodie said: "What should we do if we have no clues?"
"Didn't you say he might be looking for me?"
"I never said anything like that."
"You've expressed something similar."
"So, what do you want to do?"
"I'm going to his house."
Zhuang Xiaodie was shocked, but she didn't show it on her face and just remained silent.
Shentu Hai seemed satisfied with her silence: "Of course, you have to go too."
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