Chapter 48 "Not like a frog, but like my Panpan..."
Chapter 48
While her brothers were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, Yu Pan and Tan Bai sat on the sofa in the living room chatting.
Tan Bai leaned back on the sofa, watching the commercials on the TV screen one after another, and sighed deeply, "It was more comfortable living here."
Yu Pan was engrossed in playing with the pyramid Rubik's Cube that Tan Ming had given him when she heard this. She tilted her head and said, "Oh? But your new house is very big and beautiful."
“What’s the use of a big one?” Tan Bai pouted, glanced at the kitchen, and complained in a low voice, “My brother is such an old-fashioned person, he won’t even install a TV! Staying at home is like being a caveman, it’s so boring, it’s better to live here.”
Yu Pan thought for a moment and nodded seriously. For Tan Bai, who loved television dearly, it was indeed quite difficult to get home without watching TV.
He remembered that when Tan Bai still lived here, he would go back to his room for a nap at noon, and Tan Bai would turn down the volume of the TV in the living room.
After school in the afternoon, he did his homework in the study, while Tan Bai watched two episodes of TV before rushing home before Shen Yanzhou got off work.
Compared to that, Tan Bai is indeed quite pitiful, as his new home doesn't have a TV.
Thinking of this, Yu Pan pushed the remote control next to her toward Tan Bai with great sympathy, "Here you go, press whatever you want to watch."
"You're still the best!" Tan Bai grabbed the remote control and quickly pressed a channel that was playing a martial arts movie. Yu Pan glanced at the screen; a fierce fight was taking place inside.
Hmm... not really interested. Yu Pan continued to play with the Rubik's Cube in her hands.
Tan Bai watched intently for over twenty minutes, and then it was time for commercials. He suddenly leaned closer to Yu Pan and asked mysteriously, "Yu Pan, will you be going to Qingyu with Shen Yanzhou then?"
"?" Yu Pan looked blank. "What Qingyu?"
"You didn't know?" Tan Bai's eyes widened in surprise. "My brother told me a few days ago that he and Shen Yanzhou went to Qingyu last month to bid for land. It seems to be a big project."
Yu Pan tried hard to recall. Shen Yanzhou had indeed gone on a business trip last month, but he rarely asked Shen Yanzhou about work-related matters. "I don't know."
"Oh, okay, anyway, I just heard it casually from my brother." Tan Bai waved his hand. "If your brother goes to work there, will you go with him?"
Without a second thought, Yu Pan said, "Of course I'll go together! Wherever my brother goes, I'll go too."
In his view, this was a matter of course and there was no need to think about it.
"Ah... I really envy you." Tan Bai groaned and collapsed onto the sofa. "My brother told me to stay here and finish my studies, and not to go anywhere else. It's so annoying! They won't even install a TV for me!"
After saying this, the commercial ended, the TV series continued, and Tan Bai immediately became immersed in the plot again.
Yu Pan was already used to Shen Yanzhou arranging everything for him, so he didn't take this little incident to heart.
"Panpan, wash your hands and eat." Shen Yanzhou came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of vegetables.
Upon hearing this, Yu Pan jumped up from the sofa and ran towards the bathroom.
Seeing that he ran off without even putting on his shoes, Shen Yanzhou put the dishes on the table, took Yu Pan's slippers to the bathroom, and said, "How many times have I told you, put on your shoes. Do you want to fall?"
"I know I was wrong..."
While eating, Tan Ming looked at Yu Pan, who had a neat buzz cut and was focused on eating, and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.
He still remembered the first time he met Yu Pan. The little mute girl was timid and hid behind Shen Yanzhou when she saw him. Although Yu Pan still shrinks back when she sees strangers now, she is very different from before.
He can go to school, makes friends, and recently he's even learned to get into fights... Tan Ming couldn't help but laugh as he thought about it.
Yu Pan looked up and met Tan Ming's smiling eyes. After a few seconds of eye contact, Yu Pan cautiously pulled her rice bowl closer to her chest, acting as if she were protecting her food.
"..." Tan Ming was taken aback by his action, then laughed in exasperation, "Hey, you little brat, you think you're underestimating your brother Tan? Who's trying to steal your food?"
“Then stop staring at my bowl!” Yu Pan said matter-of-factly.
"Shen Yanzhou!" Tan Ming shouted, "Look at your brother!"
"Just eat your food. What kind of behavior is it to stare at someone's bowl?" Shen Yanzhou put a piece of pineapple on Yu Pan's plate.
Yu Pan nodded, "That's right, that's right."
"Fine, fine, I won't look at you anymore. I'll look at my own, okay?" Tan Ming picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it in his own bowl, then kicked Tan Bai: "You didn't even say a word to your brother."
"You still won't buy me a TV." After saying this, Tan Bai moved his stool and sat down next to Yu Pan.
Tan Ming: "..."
-
Originally, Yu Pan's school was supposed to have summer vacation in half a month, but after the injury, Shen Yanzhou simply let him stay at home and rest properly.
In addition, he had already handed over most of his work, and apart from some key projects that he had to follow up on, most of his daily affairs could be handled by the person who took over.
After finishing the handover work, Yu Pan's stitches could be removed, and Shen Yanzhou's pace of life slowed down.
He started sleeping in with Yu Pan until they naturally woke up, and if he had to go to the company to handle business in the afternoon, Shen Yanzhou would ask Yu Pan if she wanted to come along.
This rare leisurely lifestyle, where they were almost inseparable, suddenly reminded Yu Pan of the past. He held Shen Yanzhou's hand and said, "Brother, it feels like we're back to when you first bought me the radio."
Shen Yanzhou thought back and realized it was true. Back then, Yu Pan suddenly learned to speak, and he did the same thing, spending the mornings at home with her and the afternoons taking her to work. He couldn't believe that two and a half years had passed in the blink of an eye.
"Panpan has a good memory." Shen Yanzhou praised him with a smile, and casually touched Yu Pan's hair. He wondered if it was because short hair grows quickly, but in just a few days, Yu Pan's buzz cut didn't feel so prickly to the touch.
Upon hearing this, Yu Pan raised her hand and gestured in sign language: "Of course, I have the best memory."
"Hmm, how about Panpan, who has a great memory, recite the sine theorem formula for me?"
"..."
Yu Pan's smile froze instantly. She clutched her temples, her brow furrowed, her expression turning pained. "Brother... I don't know what's wrong, but I suddenly feel very dizzy..."
Chen Yanzhou suppressed a laugh and approached with feigned concern: "Are you feeling dizzy? Do you want to lie down and rest for a while?"
Yu Pan nodded heavily, her voice weak: "Um... I'm so dizzy, I can't even sit up..."
Shen Yanzhou sighed and said regretfully, "Alas... it seems I'll have to eat the big watermelon by myself tonight..."
"!" Upon hearing the word "watermelon," Yu Pan immediately sat up in shock, forgetting all about pretending to be dizzy. She straddled Shen Yanzhou's lap, swaying back and forth, "I'm not dizzy anymore, brother, I want to eat watermelon too."
Shen Yanzhou finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, hugging his waist to prevent him from falling off, and then gently biting Yu Pan's chin, "You're quick to pretend to be sick, and you recover quickly too."
Yu Pan chuckled and snuggled into Shen Yanzhou's arms, already looking forward to the big watermelon that night. As for the sine theorem, she'd worry about that during the exam.
-
That day, Yu Pan was half asleep when she instinctively reached out to touch the person next to her, but she didn't find Chen Yanzhou.
He sat up in bed with his eyes half open, slipped on his slippers and walked out of the bedroom, intending to find Shen Yanzhou, but unexpectedly bumped into his homeroom teacher sitting on his own sofa.
Yu Pan stood frozen in place, his mind blank. His first thought was whether he was still asleep and hallucinating. He didn't really want to go to school, so why was he dreaming that his homeroom teacher came to his house?
"Teacher, please have some water and sit for a while." Upon seeing this, Shen Yanzhou quickly stood up, said to the teacher, and walked over quickly, pushing Yu Pan, who was still wearing a vest and shorts, into the room.
The bedroom door closed, and Shen Yanzhou took out a short-sleeved shirt and trousers that he had prepared in advance from the closet and handed them to Yu Pan, who was still in a daze. "Didn't I tell you that the teacher is coming to visit our home this morning?"
"Did you say that?" Yu Pan looked blank, trying hard to recall. "I don't remember it at all."
Shen Yanzhou did indeed say it, and not only that, he said it several times. He told Yu Pan about it the afternoon he received the call about the home visit, last night, and before he got out of bed this morning.
The problem was that Shen Yanzhou had a relatively easy time at work during this period and was basically at home. In addition, Yu Pan was also on vacation and didn't remember what day of the week it was. Whenever Shen Yanzhou mentioned that the teacher would come to visit on Friday, Yu Pan would just respond with "uh-huh" and "yeah", obviously not taking it to heart.
After changing her clothes, Yu Pan followed Shen Yanzhou out, then slipped into the bathroom to wash up before sitting properly on the sofa with her back ramrod straight.
Before Yu Pan got up, the homeroom teacher had a brief conversation with Shen Yanzhou, mainly saying that Yu Pan's grades were quite good, but she was somewhat unbalanced in math and geography.
After Yu Pan sat down, the teacher remained gentle and did not criticize him. Instead, she encouraged him to put more effort into his weaker subjects and also told his family not to put too much pressure on him, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive attitude.
After seeing the teachers off, Shen Yanzhou closed the door, turned around and looked at Yu Pan, who was clearly relieved, and tentatively asked, "Panpan, would you like to have two teachers come to our house to tutor you, like before?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Pan immediately started whining and whining, twisting the hem of her clothes one moment and rubbing against Chen Yanzhou the next, dawdling for a long time without giving a definite answer.
Shen Yanzhou understood his reaction immediately and didn't press him further. Instead, he found Yu Pan's math and geography textbooks and workbooks. Since Yu Pan had plenty of time, Shen Yanzhou started explaining the problems to him one by one and helping him work through them.
Thanks to Yu Pan, Shen Yanzhou, who had been away from school for many years, still remembered his high school knowledge very well.
Before he knew it, it was August. A commercial street renovation project that Shen Yanzhou had been involved in in Beijing before the Lunar New Year was nearing completion and acceptance, and he needed to go there for the final confirmation.
Just then, Yu Pan's wound on his forehead had almost healed, leaving only a light pink mark, so Shen Yanzhou decided to bring him along as a summer vacation trip.
They stayed at the same hotel as before, and there were more things to do in the hotel in the summer compared to winter.
Upon arriving in Beijing, after a short rest, Shen Yanzhou took Yu Pan to the hotel's outdoor swimming pool to practice swimming.
Xishan Village is right next to a big river, and almost everyone in the village can swim, except for Yu Pan. In the past, Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen were very tolerant of him and resolutely refused to let him go down to the river to play with Shen Yanzhou. After all, Yu Pan couldn't speak, and if he got tangled in the water plants, he wouldn't even be able to shout "help!"
Shen Yanzhou supported Yu Pan's waist and abdomen, teaching him how to relax his body and float. After practicing for an hour, Yu Pan was finally able to float on the water with his face up, his limbs paddling wildly like a little turtle.
"Brother, do I look like a frog that's always sunbathing?" Yu Pan took a deep breath after saying that, making her little belly bulge out.
Shen Yanzhou was amused by his appearance and reached out to poke his round, white belly. "He doesn't look like a frog, he looks like my Panpan."
Upon hearing this, Yu Pan immediately deflated, her eyes crinkling with laughter. After laughing, she playfully scolded, "Couldn't you have cooperated a little?!"
"Okay, okay," Shen Yanzhou took a towel and wiped the water stains around his eyes. "Panpan Frog, Frog Panpan."
"That's more like it," Yu Pan said, lying down again. "Let's do it again...!"
After exercising all afternoon, Yu Pan was sleepy early in the evening. After dinner, she took a hot shower and fell into a deep sleep soon after her head hit the pillow.
The next morning, Shen Yanzhou woke Yu Pan up. The commercial street they were going to visit that day had an antique design, so he was taking Yu Pan there to explore, otherwise he would be bored alone in the hotel.
The summer mornings in Beijing were already sweltering. The commercial streets, paved with blue bricks and covered with gray tiles, did indeed exude a touch of antique charm.
When Shen Yanzhou brought Yu Pan to the project office, General Manager Qin from the partner company was already waiting inside.
After exchanging pleasantries upon entering, Qin Yu's gaze naturally turned to Yu Pan, who was standing to the side and behind Shen Yanzhou.
When Qin Yu saw that Yu Pan had a buzz cut and her face was fully exposed, his heart skipped a beat and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up and said in a friendly tone, "This must be Yu Pan? Long time no see, you look like you've grown a lot taller."
Given Qin Yu's status, it was rather strange for him to take the initiative to greet her, but his attitude was very natural, and he didn't linger on Yu Pan's face when his gaze swept over her.
Yu Pan subconsciously moved closer to Shen Yanzhou and politely replied, "Hello, President Qin."
Seeing that he was afraid, Shen Yanzhou took a half step to the side, shielding most of Yu Pan's body behind him. At the same time, he very naturally reached out and took the half-empty bottle of mineral water from Yu Pan's hand, unscrewed the cap, and then handed it back to him.
Only after doing all that did he continue talking to Qin Yu about the project.
The work process went smoothly; it was just a formality anyway, and it was over in less than two hours.
Seeing that it was still early, Shen Yanzhou planned to take Yu Pan to a nearby well-known university campus to experience the atmosphere.
Just as the group was about to say goodbye, Qin Yu smiled and said, "Chen Gong, we're already at a restaurant. I know a place called 'Chunmanyuan' nearby. The food is very authentic. How about we have a casual meal together?"
Qin Yu was a rather important partner, and it was difficult to refuse him. After a moment's thought, Shen Yanzhou smiled and agreed.
After everyone got into their cars, Qin Yu rubbed his temples. His assistant in the front seat whispered a reminder, "Mr. Qin, we were supposed to talk to Mr. Lin about the land in the development zone at noon..."
"Let's postpone it." Qin Yu leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, his mind still lingering on the boy he had just seen.
During their last meeting in winter, Yu Pan was bundled up tightly, with a woolen hat and scarf covering her face, so her features weren't clearly visible. At the time, Qin Yu only vaguely felt that her demeanor resembled that of the boy next door from his childhood.
Even today, the sight of that person's fully exposed face, especially the shape of their eyes and face, made the feeling of familiarity in his heart suddenly become clearer and stronger...
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Author's Note: Panpan: I've learned to float! So happy! [Cat emoji][Cat emoji][Cat emoji]
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