Chapter 17
After being discharged from the hospital, although his left arm was still in a sling, he had resumed his daily routine of visiting "Corner Corner". Lin Xiaotang knew that he lived alone, and given his workaholic nature and indifference to the details of life, he certainly wouldn't know how to or spend the time to make soup that was beneficial for bone recovery.
So every day she would get up early and slowly simmer a pot of rich, white bone broth in a clay pot, adding some yam and corn, skimming off the surface oil to leave only the fresh aroma. When he came in the afternoon, she would quietly heat it up on the induction cooker in the small kitchen and then serve it to him.
At first, he was given the meat in a corner of the bar, but the rich aroma of meat was quite out of place in the shop filled with the scents of coffee and desserts, even attracting curious glances from other customers. Persian himself felt embarrassed and hesitated several times before speaking.
Later, Lin Xiaotang simply called him into the cramped kitchen. The space was cramped, piled high with flour, sugar bags, and various baking tools. The air was filled with the aroma of soup and the lingering warmth of the oven.
"Eat here before you go out." Lin Xiaotang handed him a small bowl of steaming soup, her tone natural, yet carrying an undeniable insistence.
Fu Sinian looked at her, his eyes swirling with emotion, and finally gave a soft "hmm," took the bowl, leaned against the counter, and began to sip his drink. He ate quietly and attentively, carefully finishing every last bit of meat and yam.
Lin Xiaotang stood opposite him, occasionally handing him a tissue or taking his empty bowl to refill it. The space was too small, and the two stood very close. She could clearly smell the faint scent of his aftershave mixed with the aroma of the soup, and hear his soft swallowing sounds. The air seemed to become a little thick; the residual heat from the oven made the small space feel somewhat stuffy, and her cheeks unconsciously began to burn.
As Bai Sinian finished his last bite, he looked up and met Lin Xiaotang's gaze. She seemed a little lost in thought, her eyes soft, filled with a focus she herself was unaware of. Their eyes met, and both of them paused for a moment. The air around them seemed to tighten instantly, and a silent, ambiguous atmosphere quietly flowed in the narrow space.
His arm, bandaged, was right beside her, and the strap of her apron lightly brushed against his suit trousers. They were so close they could see the trembling of each other's eyelashes.
Persian's Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze deepened, and as if drawn by something, he leaned forward slightly.
Lin Xiaotang's heartbeat suddenly became erratic, and her breathing became slightly labored, but she did not dodge.
At this delicate moment—
"Sister Xiaotang! We're out of beans at the front desk! Where did you put the restock?" Xiaowei's clear voice, accompanied by footsteps, came from the outer room, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly breaking the beautiful yet tense atmosphere in the kitchen.
Lin Xiaotang seemed to wake up suddenly, taking a step back abruptly, her cheeks flushed, and hurriedly replied, "Ah? Oh! It's...it's in the outermost box in the storage room! I'm coming right away!"
She almost clumsily took the empty bowl from Percy's hand, turned around, turned on the tap, and pretended to be busy rinsing it, not daring to look at him again.
Persian cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly and said in a low voice, "Thank you... the soup was delicious." Then, he turned and left the kitchen with some unease.
In the days that followed, the subtle ambiguity didn't seem to dissipate; instead, it grew silently between them like a seed that had been planted. They still didn't say much, but when their eyes met, something different always seemed to flow between them.
That evening, as usual, Bai Sinian escorted Lin Xiaotang back to her apartment. The night was perfect, a gentle breeze was blowing, and a few young people were jogging and playing basketball on the roadside court.
The two walked side by side, not too close, not too far. Just as they were about to reach the apartment building, a shout suddenly came from the basketball court, and an out-of-control basketball flew rapidly towards Lin Xiaotang!
Things happened so fast that Lin Xiaotang only had time to see a dark shadow approaching before she froze in place in fright.
"Watch out!" Bai Sinian shouted in a low voice. Almost instinctively, he quickly stepped to the side to block her, and at the same time raised his still-mobile right hand to accurately deflect the flying basketball!
With a muffled thud, the basketball was sent flying.
However, due to the blocking action, Bai Sinian's body swayed slightly, and his brows furrowed unconsciously, as if the movement aggravated his injured left shoulder.
Lin Xiaotang's heart leaped into her throat. Forget about the basketball that had flown away, she grabbed his left arm and anxiously looked up, asking repeatedly, "How are you? Did you hit your shoulder? Does it hurt? Let me see!" Her voice was filled with undisguised worry and tension, and her fingers even trembled slightly with fear.
Bai Sinian looked down at her eyes, filled with panic and concern, at her cheeks, slightly flushed with anxiety, and at her lips, so close to his own, constantly opening and closing in question...
All her attention was on him; that pure, undisguised concern was like a strong light, instantly piercing through all his defenses and restraint.
My mind went blank; all reason and hesitation evaporated in that instant.
He suddenly lowered his head and kissed those soft lips that kept asking about his injuries deeply.
Lin Xiaotang's voice and movements came to an abrupt halt.
The world seemed to have been frozen in time.
All that remained was the slightly trembling yet incredibly hot touch on her lips, and the suddenly amplified, drum-like pounding of her own heart in her ears.
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