Chapter 129 Raising the Big Banner on December 9th
During the first week of school, Luo Yan indeed gained a lot in terms of food.
Zhou Weifang claimed he wanted someone to taste the quality of the fruit, and every day when he came, he would bring a thank-you gift for asking for "help"—a sumptuous lunch or dinner.
Luo Yan enjoyed her meals with fruit afterward, and since it was the beginning of the semester and she didn't have much academic pressure, she was having a wonderful time every day.
Luo Hong was quite "displeased" with this. On Saturday afternoon, seeing his younger sister idly reading books in the shop, he ordered her: "Since you're free anyway, go to Sanfang and see if there's anything you can help with."
He couldn't leave his job; his childhood friend's fruit shop was opening tomorrow, and he was bound to be indebted to his friend, so he decided to send his sister instead.
Luo Yan placed the book face down on the table: "I can go, but I don't think I'm the kind of person who can be of any help."
Putting aside the fact that she can't carry anything, would Zhou Weifang really be willing to let her do any work?
Luo Hong knew this too, and tapped the frame of the car intermittently, saying, "It doesn't matter, as long as you're here."
Okay, Luo Yan thought, then she'll find another place to read. She stuffed her things into her bag and said, "You're the one who asked me to go."
Luo Hong said irritably, "Yes, yes, you were forced into it and coerced by others."
Luo Yan raised an eyebrow and smiled, tucked a stray hair behind her ear, and walked away, clutching the banner.
When she arrived at the fruit shop, it was bustling inside. Zhou Weifang was busy arranging the shelves, darting around as nimbly as a monkey.
Luo Yan found it amusing to watch him run and jump around. Leaning against the bicycle with her arms crossed, she wondered when he would notice her.
It took Zhou Weifang quite a while to notice her.
He was so busy he was dizzy. When he stopped to catch his breath and wanted to drink some water, he saw someone before he could even pick up the cup. He exclaimed in surprise, "When did you get here? Why are you standing outside? It's so hot!"
Luo Yanyi said sternly, "Brother asked me to come and see if there's anything I can help with."
It's as if with that statement preceding it, all actions become reasonable.
My brother always puts my sister's wishes first, and he would never ask her to make the trip if she didn't want to.
Zhou Weifang kept grinning foolishly, wiping his hands on his pants, and picked up the few plums he had set aside earlier: "These must be sweet."
He's definitely an expert at picking fruit now. Luo Yan said, "The fruit you've sent these past few days has been very sweet."
That's good. Zhou Weifang was a beat late in bringing her a chair to sit on, saying, "There's no water here, wait for me for a while."
He ran back to the car dealership, and also grabbed some other snacks, which he placed on the temporarily empty counter.
Luo Yan knew she couldn't do much work, but she felt a little embarrassed by the treatment she received and emphasized, "I'm here to help."
Zhou Weifang coaxed her, "Your arrival is a great help. It gives me energy to work. Just sit for a while, I'll be done soon."
Luo Yan ate the plums he had just washed, then remembered she had a fan in her bag, so she took it out and fanned him.
This gentle breeze was insignificant compared to the afternoon sun, especially since Zhou Weifang was already drenched in sweat.
He didn't even realize it until he turned around to see what she was doing.
Luo Yan instinctively hid her hands behind her back, her eyes darting around awkwardly.
"That's great," Zhou Weifang said, feeling much cooler. "I'll go get you a fan."
He was faster with his feet than with his words, and he darted out the door.
This person was clearly covered in sweat; why didn't they bring a fan to cool themselves down earlier?
When he brought it, Luo Yan asked.
Zhou Weifang plugged in the fan and pointed it at her: "This one is for sleeping, it's annoying to go up and down like this."
The stairs to the attic were too narrow, and he sometimes had to grab onto something to climb them.
No wonder he didn't take it. Luo Yan turned the fan towards him: "I'm not hot."
Zhou Weifang didn't turn back, but said, "I was planning to finish up what I needed to do. What would you like to eat tonight?"
Luo Yan, biting into a plum, said, "I don't know."
Zhou Weifang suddenly had a bold idea, and said, "A new hot pot restaurant has opened in Baiyangtiao. I heard it's especially delicious, but unfortunately you can only eat it in the restaurant."
Luo Yan hadn't really wanted anything to eat, but the mention of it made her a little hungry. She murmured, "It's a real pity."
Zhou Weifang asked cautiously, "How about we go eat?"
"Us?" Luo Yan hesitated.
Zhou Weifang added a handful of firewood, a hint of pity in his eyes: "It just so happens that I didn't have a good roast duck last time."
The last time they ate roast duck, Luo Yan politely declined his advances, but only three months later, things have changed dramatically.
She could tell that Zhou Weifang was just putting on an act, but she still couldn't bear it and simply said, "Then what about my brother?"
Luo Hong is capable of anything; he can eat all sorts of delicacies. Zhou Weifang never even considered this, saying, "He's such a grown man."
Luo Yan bit her lip: "No, I even said I'd come over for dinner when I left."
Now she's a little embarrassed to go back on her word with her brother.
So that's what it was. Zhou Weifang: "It's alright, I'll talk to him."
That's fine, anyway, he's thick-skinned and doesn't care if his brother makes sarcastic remarks.
Luo Yan pinched her face, thinking that she couldn't withstand a few words of "ridicule," but even if no one pointed out the meaning behind her actions, she understood in her heart, and her shoes rubbed against the ground for no reason.
Zhou Weifang was afraid of saying something that would make her regret it, so he watched her smirk but dared not speak.
Even without saying a word, Luo Yan still wanted to find fault with him, saying in a spoiled manner, "Don't laugh."
Okay, I won't laugh.
Zhou Weifang tried hard to hold it in, and in his anxiety, he even pinched his thigh.
Why are you pinching it? It's not like it's someone else's leg.
Luo Yan glanced at him and said, "Hurry up and get to work, I'm hungry."
Zhou Weifang only had some finishing touches left. After he finished, he said, "Yanyan, I'm going to take a shower and change my clothes. Wait for me."
Luo Yan was eating snacks and reading a novel in the corner, grunting "hmm" without even looking up.
Zhou Weifang estimated the thickness and felt there should still be quite a few pages left, and even washed his hair.
He tidied himself up, exuding a faint scent of soap, and stood standing in front of Luo Yan.
Luo Yan looked up and pleaded, holding up her finger: "Can you let me finish reading the last two pages?"
She spoke like that; even if it were the beginning of the world, Zhou Weifang would dare to say he'd give it a try, let alone something as trivial as this.
He said, "Look, I'll go call Luo Hong."
Luo Yan was focused on her book and didn't care what her brother thought. Zhou Weifang, on the other hand, was a little nervous. His heart was pounding as he waited for the call to connect, especially when he heard his childhood friend call his name solemnly.
Luo Hong had no objection to the two of them going out to eat together, but he did warn them, "Zhou Weifang, you only have one sister."
The implication is very clear.
Zhou Weifang: "I'm not kidding, if anything goes wrong, I'll risk my life."
Luo Hong wasn't used to such a serious tone and reminded her, "Try to be less thuggish in front of her."
He hung up right after saying that, then painfully paid the money.
Both the person making the call and the person receiving it wanted money. Zhou Weifang reached into his pocket, but his face froze. He said, "Auntie, I forgot to bring money. I'll leave this watch with you as collateral and come to redeem it right away."
He took a shower and changed his clothes, forgetting to take the money out of his dirty clothes.
"What kind of form is this?" the old lady asked, opening her ledger. "Just sign your name, and you can cross it off later."
Zhou Weifang could tell at a glance that there were quite a few people who hadn't come to cancel their names, but these kinds of public institutions naturally have room for bad debts and non-performing loans every year.
He didn't want to become one of them, so he went back to the car dealership with a lot of money in his pocket, and then went to the fruit shop to find Luo Yan.
Luo Yan had been reading for a while, constantly checking her watch, wondering if he had been scolded for being gone so long. When he returned, she asked, "What did my brother say?"
Zhou Weifang: "He said he would eat it himself."
That's it? Luo Yan was skeptical: "Didn't you say anything else?"
Zhou Weifang: "Even if there is, they won't say it over the phone, or how much it would cost."
"That's true," Luo Yan stood up and stretched her back. "Shall we go eat now?"
Before eating, Zhou Weifang went to cancel his name.
The old lady was quite nice. She was probably bored while eating sunflower seeds, and seeing that the two of them looked like a perfect couple, she added, "This young man is good; he keeps his word."
Hearing the tone of the voice, Luo Yan felt as if it was being spoken to her. She subconsciously smiled politely, but after riding a few steps, she realized that the other person probably thought they were a couple.
I should have explained it, but would I have been able to explain it clearly?
Even Luo Yan thought they looked alike, and wondered: Are we just going to accept it like this?
These days, tacit understanding is commonplace; young men and women who meet privately a couple of times are usually ready to discuss marriage.
Even Zhou Xiuhe never seemed to have seriously said anything like "I like you" before the young boy and girl's hearts automatically drew together.
Thinking about it this way, perhaps Zhou Weifang would do the same?
For some reason, Luo Yan felt something was missing, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was making her uncomfortable, so she could only huff and puff as she rode forward.
What's wrong? Why are you suddenly unhappy?
Zhou Weifang followed behind her: "Yanyan."
Luo Yan turned to look at him, fuming, "From now on, call me by my full name."
Why use reduplicated words? It's like we're all very close.
Zhou Weifang was at a loss: "Wild goose..."
She was glared at and changed it to: "Luo Yan".
Now that she felt comfortable, Luo Yan nodded in satisfaction, even smiling slightly, revealing a subtle confidence she herself was unaware of.
Zhou Weifang was increasingly at a loss, unsure whether she was happy or not, and tentatively asked, "Are you coming to the opening tomorrow?"
Luo Yan pondered how to let him know that she did not accept tacit consent, and said, "Come on, let me support you."
That sounds like a very normal tone.
Zhou Weifang was unsure, but at least he could continue talking along this line. However, he didn't know if he was being paranoid, but he always felt that the gaze she was giving him was too unpredictable.
Luo Yan's emotions were indeed hidden in her eyes, and she didn't try to hide them much. Seeing his anxious expression, she said, "I just have something I haven't figured out yet."
Something's up? Zhou Weifang: "Want me to help you think of something?"
Wouldn't that be letting him off easy? Luo Yan raised her chin slightly: "No need, I want to think of it myself."
From this perspective, it does indeed seem like a normal situation.
Zhou Weifang breathed a sigh of relief and praised her, "Our Luo Yan is the smartest; she'll definitely figure it out."
Luo Yan now realizes that it has nothing to do with whether the words are repeated or not. When Zhou Weifang calls her, it's in a sticky, indistinct way, as if he's whispering in her ear, creating an inexplicable sense of tenderness and ambiguity.
Just like their current relationship, it's a tangled mess that's hard to unravel, yet it's as if this thread is binding them together.
Luo Yan actually liked this feeling a little, and suddenly realized: Regardless of whether he tacitly agrees or not, it only counts if I nod.
She said, "Now you are allowed to call me Yanyan."
Huh? Zhou Weifang had no idea about her unexpected turn of events, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Yanyan."
Luo Yan was immediately in a good mood and readily gave him a big laugh as she spoke to him.
Zhou Weifang finally felt relieved and told himself for the ten thousandth time: Don't rush, take it slow.
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Author's note: Good night!
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