Jiang Zhiran was awakened by the sharp beeping of the alarm clock.
She reached out to turn off the alarm clock, and when her fingertips touched the cold screen of her mobile phone, she realized that she had forgotten to close the window last night - the night wind blew the curtains slightly, and there were still a few drops of undried rain on the edges.
She rubbed her temples, threw off the covers, and got out of bed. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she heard soft noises coming from downstairs—the crisp clatter of a cast iron pan against a spatula, the gurgling of water washing over dishes, and the faint, deliberately subdued sound of footsteps, as if to avoid disturbing someone's dreams.
Jiang Zhiran frowned, grabbed a beige knitted jacket and put it on, then pushed the door open and went downstairs.
In the kitchen, Cheng Xiao was standing in front of the stove with his back to her. He was wearing a simple white cotton T-shirt and black sweatpants, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his well-defined forearms. His skin glowed with health in the morning light.
Eggs were frying in the pan, making a sizzling sound. The aroma mixed with the scent of melted butter drifted through the air, into Jiang Zhiran's nostrils, and caused her stomach to churn slightly.
She stood at the stairs, silent, just watching. Cheng Xiao seemed not to notice her, concentrating on flipping the fried eggs in the pan.
His movements were very skillful. With a slight flick of his wrist and a deft flick of the spatula, the egg was flipped over. The edges were fried golden and crispy, but the yolk was still semi-solidified, trembling slightly with his movements, like a small, flowing sun.
Jiang Zhiran's gaze fell on his hands - slender fingers with distinct joints. The Band-Aid she reminded him to change last night was still on the base of his thumb. The edge was slightly lifted, revealing a shallow scar underneath.
She suddenly remembered the mint candy he stuffed into her last night - the green wrapping paper was slightly softened by his body temperature, and it made a crackling sound when it was torn open. The cool sweetness melted on the tip of her tongue, diluting the bitterness of staying up late to review.
——"Nourish your brain." He said this at the time, his voice so soft that it was almost inaudible.
——"Remember to bring an umbrella." She responded later on the stairs, her tone stiff, but she still said it.
——"Thank you." Earlier, she even thanked him.
These fragmented conversations flashed through her mind, causing a strange emotion to arise in her heart, as if something was gently tickling her chest.
She took a deep breath and deliberately increased the volume of her footsteps.
Cheng Xiao turned around suddenly and saw her standing at the kitchen door, and was obviously stunned for a moment.
The morning light slanted in from the window behind him, giving his features a furry golden edge. The ends of his hair were still damp from fresh washing, with a few strands sticking up unruly.
"……morning."
He whispered, his voice unnaturally tight, his Adam's apple rolling up and down as he swallowed.
Jiang Zhiran didn't respond, but walked straight to the refrigerator. When he opened the door, the hinges creaked slightly.
The cold air hit her face, and she reached out and took out a box of fresh milk. There were fine water droplets condensed on the surface of the carton, and the cold touch made her completely sober.
"What are you doing up so early?" she asked in a flat tone, as if asking about today's weather. At the same time, she used her fingernails to pick open the corner of the milk carton. Her movements were a bit rough and she almost tore the packaging.
Cheng Xiao's eyelashes trembled slightly, his eyes fell on the milk carton in her hand, and then quickly moved away.
"...make breakfast." He turned around and turned off the fire. The fried eggs made a few last subtle sizzling sounds in the residual heat.
Jiang Zhiran sneered: "I didn't ask you to do it."
She tried to sound nonchalant, but accidentally spilled a few drops of milk on the countertop while pouring it, and the milky white liquid slowly flowed down the countertop.
Cheng Xiao didn't respond, but just lowered his head and continued to flip the fried eggs, and the spatula made a crackling sound when it rubbed against the bottom of the pan.
His back looked particularly thin in the morning light, and the outline of his shoulder blades was faintly visible under his T-shirt, rising and falling slightly with his breathing.
The kitchen fell silent for a moment, the only sounds left were the sizzling of omelets and the tinkling of milk being poured into a glass.
Jiang Zhiran leaned against the kitchen counter and caught a glimpse of Cheng Xiao's profile out of the corner of his eye - the morning light shone on him through the window, outlining his clear outline. His eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, the lines of his nose were clean and sharp, and his jaw still had the youthful curve unique to teenagers.
She suddenly discovered that his eyelashes were actually very long and almost transparent in the light, like two small fans.
"...Do you want to eat?" Cheng Xiao suddenly spoke, his voice so soft that it was almost drowned out by the buzzing sound of the range hood.
Jiang Zhiran was stunned and subconsciously looked into the pan - two fried eggs, golden and crispy, with beautiful lace edges, and two slices of toast next to them, the surface was slightly browned and exuded the aroma of wheat.
"...You made two?" Her voice was drier than expected.
Cheng Xiao didn't answer, but silently put one of the fried eggs on a porcelain plate with a strawberry pattern and pushed it in front of her. There was a small crack on the edge of the plate, where she accidentally dropped it when she was a child.
Jiang Zhiran stared at the plate for two seconds, then suddenly reached for her fork, the metal clashing against porcelain making a crisp sound. She pierced the egg yolk, and the golden liquid slowly flowed out, soaking the edge of the toast and forming a small warm lake on the plate.
She took a bite and found it surprisingly delicious—the yolk was fluffy, the egg white was crispy, with the aroma of butter and a hint of black pepper.
Cheng Xiao stood aside, quietly eating his portion. Neither of them spoke, and the only sounds in the kitchen were the soft clatter of cutlery and the occasional bird song outside the window.
The morning light grew brighter, making the water stains on the kitchen counter sparkle.
Jiang Zhiran suddenly felt that such a morning didn't seem so bad.
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