Chapter 11 Rainy Season "Be my little girl..."
Zhong Shuwen felt that the food at restaurants was too oily and salty, so she took Lin Fei to the supermarket to buy groceries and cook at home.
When it came to healthy living, Lin Fei was in the wrong and didn't argue with Zhong Shuwen. After all, it wasn't Zhong Shuwen who cooked, so she had no right to criticize.
On the way home, Zhong Shuwen asked curiously, "How did you end up overeating and developing fatty liver disease?"
Lin Fei turned his head to look at the scenery passing by outside the window and replied casually, "I'm craving it."
“Binge eating is a mental illness, you should be careful.” Zhong Shuwen found it unbelievable when she heard that she was ill because of it. She seemed carefree and didn’t seem to have any mental problems.
"I understand." Lin Fei clearly didn't want to talk anymore, and closed his eyes to pretend to sleep before returning home.
Lin Fei hasn't taken a vacation since resigning. Rather than working hard to get a job offer, she wants to do something pure, something that will make her happy.
Last month, I saw that the autumn anime convention was about to be held, so I applied for a booth. A few days ago, I received the news that it was approved, and I plan to set up a stall to sell doll clothes this weekend.
This time she prepared forty different styles of clothes, all of which were designed by herself, handmade, and priced on the expensive side.
Although she is somewhat famous in the doll clothing industry, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to sell any items at her first offline event.
To process her anxiety, she picked up a new piece of fabric, the Zhuang brocade she had borrowed from her grandmother, and started sewing.
When Zhong Shuwen came to the room to call Lin Fei, this was the scene she saw—
Her flowing long hair was casually tied up with an unused pencil, with a few strands falling loosely against her neck. When she finished using the pencil, she casually tucked it into her hair. Her bangs were already a mess, and she had no time to care about her appearance. She was completely absorbed in her needlework, measuring the fabric with a ruler and marking it with chalk.
It must be said that Lin Fei, focused on her work, completely shed her usual charm. Under the soft light, she was as quiet as a babbling brook, possessing an inexhaustible vitality that was captivating.
Lin Fei sensed someone behind him, put down what he was doing, turned around to look at Zhong Shuwen, and his eyes flashed with a fierce look: "Why are you standing behind me without saying anything? You must be holding it in!"
"I'm your brother! Can't you think of me in a better light?" Zhong Shuwen retracted her thoughts from a second ago; they were more like a babbling brook or a raging flood!
Lin Fei got up, pushed Zhong Shuwen aside, and rushed to the kitchen: "I'm hungry, I want to eat."
"Go wash your hands first! I'll serve you some rice." Zhong Shuwen stopped Lin Fei from sitting down and starting to eat.
Lin Fei glanced at his palms, which were covered in chalk dust, and obediently went to the toilet to wash his hands.
After dinner, Zhong Shuwen received a call from her grandfather. Lin Fei, who had been relaxing in the living room eating snacks and watching TV, immediately went back to her room.
"Do you really need to? Is it that hard to say hello to your grandfather?" Zhong Shuwen couldn't quite understand Lin Fei's mindset. After all, her grandfather had only suggested that she settle in Hong Kong in the future, and hadn't forced her to go back.
Lin Fei peeked out from the room and blinked: "I didn't mean to upset him, so I'll avoid seeing him unless absolutely necessary."
Zhong Shuwen waved her hand: "Go back to your room!"
Lin Fei quickly slipped away.
The call was again about finding a blind date for Lin Fei.
Zhong Shuwen was completely bewildered, not knowing where her grandfather had gotten so many candidates.
"You're not satisfied with any of the ones I've chosen, so find someone who's good in every way!" Grandpa snapped.
Zhong Shuwen was genuinely dissatisfied. He knew all about the outrageous things these young masters had done, and he couldn't bear to see his sister with them. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung.
"I can't find anyone." Zhong Shuwen couldn't think of anyone who could be worthy of Lin Fei.
Grandpa was furious: "You're too prejudiced against people. I'm not saying anything more. Next time you celebrate a holiday, you'll take Shufei back to the port with you."
"Hmm... I'll talk to her about it later." Zhong Shuwen wasn't sure if she could persuade Lin Fei.
Grandpa sighed and said before hanging up the phone, "I'll find someone else to come find you next time."
It seems I absolutely must find a suitable marriage partner.
Lin Fei pretended not to know about the conversation in the living room, finished making the doll clothes, started taking pictures, and then posted them on her Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).
Before long, more than a dozen people messaged her asking when the set would go on sale, especially the one made of Zhuang brocade, which already had more than fifty collectors.
She then told the customers who inquired about the exhibition. The customers from other places expressed their regret and hoped that she could sell online in the future. Inspired by this, she decided to make all the Zhuang brocade she had on hand, and if she couldn't sell it all offline, she would sell it online later.
Because I included the anime convention tag, I received over a dozen comments saying I would go that day.
With this in mind, she felt more at ease when she lay down to rest, and even considered not looking for a job. There was nothing wrong with making doll clothes at home. She would have more free time and wouldn't feel inexplicably anxious because she didn't have time to sleep, then eat a lot of carbohydrates, and then spend half of her salary on medical treatment if she got sick.
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When Chi Xin heard that Lin Fei was going to set up a booth at the comic convention, he went with him.
I thought no one would buy them, but in just two days, I sold two-thirds of the regular styles and all ten sets of Zhuang brocade, earning a total of more than three thousand yuan.
"Sis, you made money making clothes while in college?" Chi Xin helped calculate the figures and found the total income somewhat unbelievable.
"When I first made money selling underwear, my expression was exactly the same as yours." Lin Fei transferred five hundred yuan to Chi Xin. "Take it, don't be polite with me, this is your hard-earned reward."
Not only did he accompany her to her stall, but he also took photos of the new Zhuang brocade clothes that were about to be launched. Chi Xin's photography skills were much better than hers.
Chi Xin accepted it, then asked, "But this is just a small garment, not clothing for a person to wear. Can it really make money?"
"It may seem like they're buying a small piece of clothing, but they're actually adding new clothes to their beloved characters. It's like choosing new clothes for your grandma or aunt. Even though the object is just a 20-centimeter-long doll, it's a source of emotional support for them." Lin Fei didn't understand when she first started. As long as she could make money through her craft, that was fine. But after meeting more and more owners of cotton dolls and chatting with them, she understood their feelings and felt the purity of their love for something. Gradually, her mindset shifted from making money to feeling happy about creating clothes that people love.
Chi Xin didn't know much about anime and manga, and nodded as if he understood.
“My school is nearby, and there are many places to eat around the university town. Do you want to go?” Chi Xin wanted to use the money to treat Lin Fei to a nice meal.
Lin Fei nodded: "Yes, yes, I want to eat at the school cafeteria, let's go!"
She's been going stir-craving a light diet at home these past few days and desperately needs a high-carb dinner to satisfy her cravings.
Chi Xin felt as if Lin Fei had been starving for a long time; his eyes were shining, and his steps toward the door were incredibly firm.
Jiangdu University is also Lin Fei's alma mater. He is very familiar with the school's canteens. As soon as he entered the school gate, he ran to his favorite canteen, the fifth canteen, and Chi Xin could hardly keep up with him.
Chi Xin handed the milk tea to Lin Fei: "Sister, eat slowly."
Lin Fei took a few sips before slowing down his eating: "It still tastes the same. I'll buy two more grilled sausages before I leave."
"You can't eat anymore. I'll bring you some next time." Chi Xin remembered that Lin Fei had developed fatty liver due to overeating. "Enough is enough."
Lin Fei said a dry "okay" because she was still worried about her illness and feared that she would get sick again. The weight loss process was too painful, especially for someone like her who likes high-calorie foods.
Without the grilled sausages, Lin Fei switched to drinking fruit juice, only stopping when he was full.
Chi Xin had a class meeting at 8 pm tonight, so the two parted ways at the entrance of the cafeteria, and Lin Fei walked alone to the subway station.
She hadn't returned to campus since graduation. With nothing else to do that evening, she took a walk along the tree-lined avenue.
Evening is the liveliest time on campus. The music club is giving a roadshow. Several young people are sweating and singing passionately in front of the music. Students form a semicircle, using their mobile phones to light up the scene and swaying their arms to the rhythm of the music.
Lin Fei stood at the back of the crowd, straining to stand on tiptoe, but still couldn't get a clear look at the band members' faces through the gaps in their arms.
She stood there for a while, then continued walking, passing several buildings. In the open space in front, a dance club was rehearsing. She walked down to the place where she could best feel the atmosphere of university nightlife—the playground with the most people. Everyone spread a picnic blanket on the grass, sat on the ground, chatted, and ate snacks and fruits.
She was one of them during her university years.
Tu Xia went to cheer her on during her roadshow with Liang Yanru. When they had some free time, the three of them chatted on the playground and enjoyed the moon together.
I haven't felt this peaceful since graduation; it's like I'm always tense and never relaxed when doing anything.
Lin Fei stood to the side reminiscing about his campus life for a while, then opened his email on his phone, selected two companies to reply to, and agreed to a pre-employment salary interview tomorrow.
After putting her phone away, she returned the way she came.
It's already October, and while it's cooler in Jiangdu at night, requiring only a light jacket, it's still quite hot during the day.
The extreme weather at night and during the day is nothing compared to the sudden drizzle that can fall even outside the rainy season. As the saying goes, "One autumn rain brings one chill," and that's how the temperature drops.
The rain came suddenly, without any warning.
Lin Fei ran to the nearest teaching building to take shelter from the rain. Looking at the dark sky, he couldn't tell when it would stop. The slanting raindrops under the streetlights reflected light, adding to the gloomy atmosphere unique to rainy days.
She no longer dares to go home in the rain like before. She was sick a while ago and her body hasn't recovered yet, so she doesn't want to get sick again.
If the rain hadn't stopped by 10 o'clock, she would call Chi Xin again, and the class meeting would probably be over by then.
Raindrops splashed as they fell, and Lin Fei stepped back to a safer spot, leaning against the glass door.
She really likes rain, provided she's at home, preferably in bed, so she can take an afternoon nap while listening to the sound of rain.
Aside from university, I rarely have time to relax after starting work.
In the distance, she saw a man walking towards her with an umbrella, his white shoes already dirty with mud.
It was too dark for her to recognize him until he walked under the eaves and closed his long-handled umbrella.
Because he was wearing a loose black jacket, a style she had never seen before, she didn't recognize him at first.
She just stared at him, unsure of what to say to break the awkward silence that had followed their confession.
"Didn't bring an umbrella?" His tone was as gentle as ever, as if he hadn't been offended by her that day.
But she couldn't do it, and looked away: "Mmm."
"I'll see you off, let's go." Liang Yanzhe opened the umbrella, turned sideways, and waited for her to stand under it.
They lived right across the hall, so he must know where she was going. Running away now would be a bit embarrassing, so she braced herself and stood over there.
"You... went to see Shunshun?" Lin Fei breathed a sigh of relief, unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, and took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Shunshun? Is that the tabby cat?"
"Yes, I just came up with the name randomly. It doesn't have a name yet. Its future owner will give it a new name."
"Shunshun is a good name, let's call him Shunshun."
Lin Fei stopped in his tracks: "Then... let's call each other that in private."
Liang Yanzhe just smiled and said, "Let's go, it's getting late."
Lin Fei hitched a ride back to his residential compound with Liang Yanzhe.
In the car, Lin Fei stared at the swaying Momo, and two voices argued in her mind. One told her to play dumb and move on, while the other advised her to apologize to him, forget what she said that day, and that she would still be his friend's sister when they met again.
“I saw Momo in He Jingshi’s car that day, and the materials used were the same.” Liang Yanzhe mentioned in a casual tone, “I thought I received a unique talisman.”
Lin Fei's turning of his head became hesitant, and he gave a dry laugh: "Of course... it's one of a kind. Grandma gives one to me and Tu Tu every year, one for each of us. Yours is mine, so how can it not count?"
The excuse sounded so awkward, but since it was already out there, I could only pretend it was perfectly reasonable.
The car slowly came to a stop at a red light.
Liang Yanzhe turned slightly to face her, his eyes full of smiles: "Yes, whatever you say."
If anyone else had said those words, Lin Fei would have thought it was sarcastic, but when Liang Yanzhe said them, it felt different. It was exactly what he meant, and you could also feel the sincerity in his words.
Lin Fei's eyes darted left and right. Even though he didn't know that his heart was racing uncontrollably the moment he looked at her, he still shrugged slightly, pulled his clothes up to hide his pounding heart, and skipped over the topic, reminding her, "The light's green."
The car arrived at the residential area smoothly. Lin Fei followed behind Liang Yanzhe in silence, waiting to thank him as they exited the elevator before quickly slipping away.
The elevator doors opened, and Lin Fei was about to take action when Liang Yanzhe seemed to have anticipated it.
He said, "Wait a minute, I'll show you something."
Lin Fei couldn't escape, so she followed him to his house. However, after the door opened, she didn't go in but waited outside.
After the password is unlocked, the door opens with a pleasant notification sound.
The door was pushed open a crack, and a cat's head peeked out.
"Shunshun?!" Lin Fei recognized it at a glance, squatted down, and as soon as he reached out his hand, the cat took the initiative to rub against him.
Lin Fei picked up the cat and played with it for a while before excitedly asking him, "Did you adopt it?"
Liang Yanzhe smiled and nodded.
"Shunshun, you're going to be so lucky! With such a good owner, you'll never have to be a stray again." Lin Fei lifted the cat high in the air. "Dr. Liang, you're such a kind person!"
Liang Yanzhe picked up the cat, but Shunshun wasn't used to being held for so long, so it struggled to get down and ran into the house.
Lin Fei's gaze followed him into the house.
"Would you like to come in? Let's talk," he asked.
Lin Fei snapped out of his reverie, probably having a premonition of what he meant by "chatting".
"Um..." She racked her brains to find an excuse to decline.
The sound of the elevator doors opening in the hallway indicated that Zhong Shuwen had returned from get off work.
Lin Fei found a shield, but before he could speak, Liang Yanzhe grabbed his wrist, gently pulled him into the house, and the door slammed shut behind him.
Only the entryway light was on inside, its brightness dim. She was blocked by the door, and he had blocked most of the light. They were very close at the moment, but it was difficult to see his outline, let alone his expression.
A moment of silence, broken only by the beating of two hearts.
Zhong Shuwen, standing outside the door, muttered to himself, "They met but didn't even say hello. They closed the door so quickly. They really have nothing to say."
"Feiwen," Liang Yanzhe called to her, his breath close to hers.
Lin Fei's fingertips trembled slightly: "What...what do you want to talk about?"
"Does what you asked that day still stand?" he asked.
"W-What did you say?" Lin Fei was unable to think straight; her rapid breathing betrayed her.
Liang Yanzhe tightened his grip on her slender wrist, leaned forward slightly, and stopped just before their noses touched.
He gazed at her and chuckled softly. He should have been more formal, but recalling the passionate look in her eyes when she confessed to him that day, he changed his words to the most natural Cantonese: "Be my little girl."
A note from the author:
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[doge] Let's congratulate the newlyweds on getting their marriage certificate soon! Fei still has to focus on his career!
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My new novel is on the new release list! Thank you all for your support, and the position is pretty good!
I'm trying to climb the monthly rankings [let me see] and I'm asking for comments and nutrient solutions from everyone. This chapter will get 66 points!
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