His family
The car came to a smooth stop, and Zhu Shiyi made up her mind: "I'll take you up."
She spoke of it casually.
Pan Yue's pupils suddenly contracted.
"...I'm not that weak."
"Don't mention it," Zhu Shiyi grinned, looking quite nonchalant. "Taking care of the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled is a social responsibility."
Pan Yue burst into laughter.
"Learn from me?"
Zhu Shiyi smiled nonchalantly: "Hmm."
Her eyes gleamed mischievously: "You've got all four today."
Pan Yue: ......
I shouldn't have used that excuse.
They brought this on themselves.
......
After going upstairs and exiting the elevator, Zhu Shiyi turned her head to look around, then confidently and certainly led Pan Yue towards a unit: "We're here, we're here."
Pan Yue silently curved his lips into a smile and sighed softly, "Is your home still my home..."
He was speechless for a moment.
As expected.
"Of course!" Zhu Shiyi proudly raised her head. "I recognized it at a glance. Your house is the only one here that uses a key lock."
She remembered clearly that Pan Yue had once turned back into his office just to get his house keys, and that he had even driven her back to school that day.
Pan Yue's lips froze instantly. He pursed his lips and said, "Actually..."
"To be honest, we just replaced our fingerprint lock a few days ago."
Zhu Shiyi was taken aback: "Oh."
Pan Yue walked towards his front door, reached out to unlock it, and opened the door.
Zhu Shiyi quietly tilted her head and peeked through the crack in the door.
“...I’m home.” Pan Yue said softly.
Zhu Shiyi blinked: "Uh... okay."
Of course she knew; she wasn't blind.
She just couldn't bear to leave.
Accompanying him to the doctor, driving him, and taking him upstairs are all excuses for missing and caring for him.
She just wanted to spend a little more time with Pan Yue, even if it was only for a minute.
Pan Yue didn't speak or move. He held the doorknob but didn't open the door.
A hush fell over the air.
Zhu Shiyi composed herself: "...Are you going to the company tomorrow?"
Pan Yue nodded: "Go."
“Oh,” Zhu Shiyi said hesitantly, trying to force the conversation, “Then… what if your fever doesn’t break? Do you still have to go?”
"It won't affect anything." Pan Yue lowered his eyelids, looking somewhat absent-minded.
Zhu Shiyi secretly scratched his hands.
Does he... not want to talk to her?
After all, he's a patient; it must be tiring for him to stand outside like this.
She should leave.
Zhu Shiyi opened her mouth: "Then..."
Pan Yue looked up at the same time: "You..."
Zhu Shiyi was speechless for a moment.
The man's eyes were deep and alluring, like a bewitching spell; she couldn't look away.
Zhu Shiyi calmed himself down.
"You go first."
“I said,” Pan Yue’s eyes flickered, “why don’t you come in and sit down?”
Zhu Shiyi's pupils dilated. She moved her lips, but couldn't utter a single word.
“You didn’t eat dinner,” Pan Yue said, looking away as he opened the door. “I’ll make you something.”
......
Zhu Shiyi sat on the sofa.
"Have some water." Pan Yue brought over a beige mug.
Zhu Shiyi was slightly flustered, but she reached out and took it, saying, "Thank you."
She sipped the glass.
Just now, she peeked at the room from the doorway; the interior was elegant and tidy.
Driven by desire, Zhu Shiyi simply couldn't refuse in this situation.
Pan Yue sat down next to him and drank water as well.
A lone man and a lone woman are alone in a room.
Zhu Shiyi was restless.
If her mother found out that she had gone into a man's house late at night, she would definitely give her a severe scolding.
"Um," Zhu Shiyi said, her heart pounding in her chest, her fingers digging into the rim of her cup, as she blurted out something random, "It must have been tough riding in my car."
Her eyes darted around, unsure where to look.
Pan Yue looked slightly taken aback: "No."
He glanced at her sideways and looked at her gently: "You drove very well."
Zhu Shiyi felt slightly relieved: "Really?"
“Really,” Pan Yue said firmly, looking very serious. As if afraid she wouldn’t believe him, he added, “It’s better than Lin Changren’s.”
Zhu Shiyi chuckled: "Does Brother Chang know you're making fun of him like this?"
Pan Yue's lips tightened slightly. He pursed his lips and changed the subject: "You drive steadily and never step on the gas or brake suddenly."
Zhu Shiyi was immediately delighted: "I took it seriously, thank you."
Pan Yue smiled slightly and asked, "What would you like to eat?"
A colorful butterfly fluttered by, stirring up a gentle breeze.
"I'm fine with either," Zhu Shiyi said shyly.
“No,” she suddenly stood up, “you are the patient, I should be the one taking care of you.”
“It’s nothing,” Pan Yue put down his cup and stood up. “It’s not that serious.”
“That won’t do either—” Zhu Shiyi raised her hand and forcefully pressed down on Pan Yue’s shoulder. “You haven’t eaten much either, let me make you something.”
With a bit of force in his arm, Zhu Shiyi bent down and pressed Pan Yue down, causing him to fall onto the sofa.
“If you’re sick, just have some porridge,” she straightened up. “I can still cook some porridge.”
Pan Yue stood up again.
"Oh dear!" Zhu Shiyi strode into the kitchen. "It's just something I can do."
Pan Yue followed behind her.
Zhu Shiyi looked around: "Where is your rice?"
Pan Yue pointed to a corner.
“OK,” Zhu Shiyi rolled up his sleeves, “Go and rest for a while, I’ll call you when you’re ready.”
Pan Yue did not move.
Helpless, Zhu Shiyi nudged him, "Go on—"
Pan Yue's brow twitched slightly. He let out a soft breath, took two steps forward, and turned the faucet to the side: "Remember to use hot water."
"knew."
There's fruit in the fridge and some food in the cupboard. Feel free to take some.
"good."
"The water dispenser is over there."
“I saw it,” Zhu Shiyi said, her eyes crinkling. “Don’t worry, it’s just cooking porridge. I won’t blow up your house.”
Pan Yue then gave up.
He adjusted the air conditioner to heat the room and went back to his room.
After taking a quick shower, Pan Yue lay down on the bed, took a deep breath, and relaxed all his strength.
It would be a lie to say that someone who has been battling a high fever and illness all day is not tired or in pain.
Pan Yue felt a throbbing pain in his temples and around his eyes, and his throat was also a little uncomfortable. He raised his hand to rub it for a while, then closed his eyes.
He felt he must be crazy.
How could he possibly ask a young girl to stay in his house?
In the adult world, many unspoken rules are implicit. When a man asks a woman to stay at his doorstep, it's tantamount to him wanting her.
Anyone with a sense of boundaries wouldn't easily say something like that.
But he overstepped his bounds.
This is not in his character.
Pan Yue took a deep breath.
Will she think he's a pervert?
He shouldn't have kept her.
Even if he did not take any actions that crossed the line, it does not mean that he did not have any ulterior motives.
As his thoughts gradually became hazy, Pan Yue uncontrollably drifted into a deep sleep.
And Zhu Shiyi in the kitchen.
She searched online for recipes: [What kind of porridge should someone with a fever drink?]
Baidu (Chinese search engine): [You shouldn't drink plain porridge when you have a fever. Plain porridge is nutritionally limited and not conducive to boosting the patient's immunity. It is recommended to add a variety of ingredients to the porridge to ensure a balanced diet...]
Opening Pan Yue's refrigerator, there were quite a few things inside, so it seems that he does cook often.
Zhu Shiyi finally decided to make lean meat porridge.
She followed the instructions, soaking rice, boiling eggs, chopping vegetables, and cutting meat.
This was Zhu Shiyi's first time handling raw meat. Her cooking skills were poor; the most complex dish she had ever made was scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Previously, she could only cook vegetarian dishes.
Marinate the meat with cooking wine, light soy sauce, pepper, ginger shreds, and sesame oil. Zhu Shiyi boils a pot of water and adds the ingredients according to the time.
The porridge is bubbling and simmering on the stove.
The room was filled with a faint aroma of meat, and the warm steam made Zhu Shiyi feel inexplicably at ease.
The warm fragrance made her hungry.
Zhu Shiyi opened the refrigerator, took out a box of strawberries, thought for a moment, and put it back.
She was a guest, and although Pan Yue told her to eat whatever she wanted, she couldn't really just eat whatever she wanted.
Strawberries are still quite expensive in early January.
In the end, Zhu Shiyi only ate an apple.
During this time, she steamed a bowl of egg custard according to the tutorial, ordered takeout, and bought a box of pear syrup.
Pan Yue's voice was hoarse, probably because his throat was uncomfortable; she thought he might need pear syrup.
While waiting, Zhu Shiyi finally had a moment to quietly wander around.
Pan Yue's house is quite large, with three bedrooms and a living room, but he lives there alone.
She didn't overstep any boundaries, only wandering around the living room for a bit.
On the living room shelf, there was a bunch of instruments. Zhu Shiyi glanced at them and saw eye massagers, neck massagers, and waist supports—you name it. On the sofa, there were also two unidentified instruments that looked like health and wellness devices.
There were a few bottles on the coffee table. Zhu Shiyi picked them up out of curiosity. The bottles were all in English, which she couldn't understand very well. She could only vaguely recognize a few words, such as Vitamin D and something else. She didn't know what they were, but they were health supplements.
Zhu Shiyi silently clicked his tongue.
As expected of him, Old Man Pan.
It seems that if we were to give Pan Yue a gift, we should choose some products from the elderly health care market.
Zhu Shiyi fell into deep thought again.
He seemed to have all sorts of medical equipment; he also had a ton of health supplements, and besides, these things shouldn't be taken indiscriminately, so how would she know what Pan Yue needed?
This gift still won't work.
Zhu Shiyi continued to wander aimlessly, glancing at the other end, his gaze suddenly pausing.
In the corner of the living room, there is a glass cabinet with transparent dark doors, making it difficult to see what's inside from a distance.
She couldn't resist walking forward. The exhibits inside were beginning to take shape, so she simply opened the cabinet door.
A whole new world unfolds before my eyes—
The cabinet is filled with all sorts of Lego toys.
Rockets, locomotives, astronauts, robots, racing cars—all sorts of things are available.
Zhu Shiyi chuckled softly.
It seems that Pan Yue was not a pure-blooded old man after all.
She took out her phone and secretly took a picture.
There's progress on Pan Yue's birthday gift.
......
Zhu Shiyi turned off the fire, ladled out two large bowls of porridge, served steamed egg custard, and soaked pear syrup before knocking on Pan Yue's door.
"Pan Yue?"
A faint voice responded from inside the room.
"Dinner's ready." Zhu Shiyi remained standing.
There were a few muffled kicking sounds from behind the door, and a few seconds later, the door was pulled open.
Pan Yue was tall and slender, wearing a long black pajama set made of a silky fabric that shimmered under the warm light. His shirt collar was slightly open, revealing his defined collarbones, drawing the eye downwards and deeper into his body.
My brain feels foggy at night.
Zhu Shiyi turned around stiffly: "Wear more clothes, don't catch a cold."
"Okay." Behind him, Pan Yue closed the door again.
A minute later, Pan Yue sat down at the dining table.
"Try it and see how it is." Zhu Shiyi rested her chin on her hand, her eyes bright.
Pan Yue scooped up a mouthful of porridge, held it in his mouth for a second, and then swallowed it.
"tasty."
Zhu Shiyi smiled and said, "That's good!"
She also took a bite. The porridge was a little hot, so she couldn't really taste it, but the food she made herself was always delicious.
She looked up at Pan Yue.
He put on a light-colored sweater again. Unlike his usual dark colors, Pan Yue looked homely, approachable, and gentle at this moment.
Anyway, Zhu Shiyi likes it no matter what.
She pushed the cup containing pear syrup towards her: "Drink some of this."
Pan Yue seemed to have not slept well. He squinted slightly, asked nothing, and took a sip.
A light sweetness melts in your mouth and blossoms in your heart.
Pan Yue felt an indescribable tenderness in his heart: "...Thank you."
"It's alright," Zhu Shiyi said with a bright smile.
She took two more sips: "It feels like there's not enough salt."
"Won't."
“Don’t you like strong flavors?” Zhu Shiyi got up and went to get some salt. “Let me add some for you too.”
After finishing their meal quietly, Zhu Shiyi cleared the table.
"Just leave it there." Pan Yue pressed her down with one hand and collected the bowl and chopsticks with the other.
Before Zhu Shiyi could say anything more, Pan Yue quickly packed up his things and put them in the sink.
"You are a patient."
Pan Yue rinsed the plate with hot water: "We have a dishwasher."
Zhu Shiyi then gave up.
She put the dishes and chopsticks into the dishwasher, then took the thermometer and asked Pan Yue to take the temperature again.
The two sat on the sofa.
Five minutes later, Pan Yue took out the thermometer.
“38.2 degrees Celsius,” Zhu Shiyi raised an eyebrow slightly, “still burning.”
She poured another glass of water and got medicine for Pan Yue.
Pan Yue ate it, and she had no reason to stay any longer.
"Well," Zhu Shiyi's eyelids fluttered slightly, and she pointed to the door, "I have to go to work tomorrow, so I'll be leaving now. Can you take care of yourself?"
“…Hmm.” Pan Yue moved his lips but didn’t say anything, only hummed softly.
Zhu Shiyi was a little worried: "If your fever gets high, you can call me and I'll go to the hospital with you."
Pan Yue glanced down at his phone; it was one o'clock.
"I'll take you," he said.
Zhu Shiyi waved his hand: "I'll just take a taxi, you get some rest."
She didn't want to separate from him, but she couldn't joke about the patient's health.
Pan Yue remained silent for a few seconds.
"I'm leaving now," Zhu Shiyi said, picking up her bag. "Goodbye."
"How about," Pan Yue's voice sounded somewhat deep from behind, "you stay here."
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