Chapter 53 "It's just that I miss you."...
Chapter 53
Shen Yanzhou's trip has been delayed for too long; he should leave for Qingyu by the end of this month at the latest.
When Yu Pan woke up, she brushed her teeth and groggily counted the days. She realized that Shen Yanzhou was leaving in about ten days, and her heart sank. After brushing her teeth, she hugged Shen Yanzhou and muttered, "It's all my fault for being temperamental... I wasted so much time."
“It’s not your fault,” Shen Yanzhou lowered his head, sucked on his lips for a while until they regained some color, then released them. “It’s my fault. I’ll ask you to take the day off today. Rest at home, okay?”
This suggestion was exactly what Yu Pan wanted to hear; he didn't want to be separated from Shen Yanzhou for even a second.
Not wanting to be disturbed too much, Shen Yanzhou specifically asked Aunt Zhou not to come over during this period, and he would cook for himself.
Yu Pan is truly clingy. In the morning, she stayed close to Shen Yanzhou when they went out to buy groceries. When they got home, she kicked off her shoes and clung to Shen Yanzhou like a koala, refusing to get down.
After finally getting downstairs, Shen Yanzhou had just tied on his apron and was about to cook when Yu Pan wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and pressed her face against his back.
"Panpan, I'm going to cook now. Be careful of the oil splattering and burning yourself," Shen Yanzhou patted the hand on his waist and reminded him.
"I'm not afraid," Yu Pan's voice came from behind, her arms tightening around him.
Shen Yanzhou had no choice but to act quietly and let him do as he pleased.
It could be said that whenever they were in this house, the two were practically inseparable, with Yu Pan's feet rarely touching the ground.
He needed Shen Yanzhou's help to take a bath, and he needed Shen Yanzhou to hold a towel to dry his hair. Even when he was buttoning his pajamas, he would act coquettishly and ask Shen Yanzhou to button them for him.
Sometimes, when Shen Yanzhou needed to handle work on the phone in his study, Yu Pan would lie on the small bed and quietly watch Shen Yanzhou, who was focused on his work.
Shen Yanzhou was listening to the phone when he noticed. He gave a few brief instructions to the person on the other end of the line, then reached out to Yu Pan and patted his leg.
Yu Pan's eyes crinkled into a smile, and she immediately got up, straddling Shen Yanzhou's lap. She skillfully adjusted her position, resting her head on Shen Yanzhou's shoulder, listening to him on the phone while touching his Adam's apple as it moved up and down.
Shen Yanzhou would usually listen to the phone call while grabbing Yu Pan's mischievous hand and kissing it. But if she teased him too much, he would give Yu Pan a long, wet kiss after hanging up the phone.
When emotions run high, I'll naturally do some handicrafts.
After several days, Yu Pan felt his wrists were sore and weak, but he was still happy to do it and wished he could stick to Shen Yanzhou all the time.
Every day after school, the first thing they do when they get home is hug and kiss. For them, the few hours they are apart at school are torture.
As Shen Yanzhou's departure date drew closer, Yu Pan began to actively help him pack his luggage, carefully stuffing his favorite candies, books he had read countless times and still found interesting, and his treasured trinkets into the nooks and crannies of his suitcase.
He wanted these things to accompany Shen Yanzhou in his place.
On the last night before Shen Yanzhou left, Yu Pan nestled in Shen Yanzhou's arms, clinging to him with both hands and feet.
"Brother," Yu Pan said softly in the darkness, her voice slightly nasal, "Qingyu... what is it like? Tell me about it."
Shen Yanzhou slowly described that land, where tall buildings would be built, where wide roads would be constructed, and where beautiful parks would be planned.
"By the time Panpan gets into university, things should be much better over there. I'll take you there to see it then, okay?"
"Mmm." Yu Pan nodded vigorously in his arms, then asked, "So... what kind of place will you be staying after you go there?"
Shen Yanzhou hesitated for a moment, then selectively described: "It will be simpler at first, it will be a temporary prefab house, but it will have everything you need. I will keep it very clean, and Panpan can stay here if she wants when she has a holiday."
"Mmm!" Yu Pan rubbed her toes against Shen Yanzhou's calf. "Then I'm going! Brother, you have to clean it very well, there can't be any bugs."
"Okay, I'll make sure it's spotless," Shen Yanzhou agreed with a smile. "I won't let a single bug in."
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Yu Pan accompanied Shen Yanzhou to the airport.
The atmosphere in the car was somewhat somber. Yu Pan lowered her head and, using her coat as cover, tightly held Chen Yanzhou's hand underneath.
Upon arriving at the airport terminal, Shen Yanzhou stopped at the security checkpoint, turned around to look at Yu Pan, and brushed a strand of black hair from his forehead. "I'll call you when I get there."
With red eyes, Yu Pan responded softly with a "Mmm".
Seeing his expression, Shen Yanzhou felt a pang of sadness and a surge of emotion. He reached out and pinched Yu Pan's cheek. "Eat well, but don't overeat. Sleep well, and don't stay up late reading."
“Yes,” Yu Pan nodded, her voice choked with emotion, “You too, over there, don’t… overwork yourself.”
Just then, the loudspeaker came on, clearly announcing that Shen Yanzhou's flight was beginning security checks.
Looking at Yu Pan's red eyes, Shen Yanzhou couldn't hold back any longer. He pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, "Panpan, I'm leaving."
After saying that, Shen Yanzhou released his hand, turned around, and strode towards the security checkpoint. Yu Pan stood there, watching the familiar figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared around the corner.
Yu Pan stood motionless, feeling as if her ears were covered by a thick shield, making the surrounding noise of people, the rolling of suitcase wheels, and the broadcast all indistinct.
Yu Pan didn't know how much time had passed when she subconsciously raised her hand to wipe away her tears, only to see Shen Yanzhou standing quietly by the glass partition in the waiting area in the distance, watching him.
Seeing that Yu Pan had finally noticed him, Shen Yanzhou raised his hand, tapped his chest, and gestured: "Good girl, let's go home."
Yu Pan paused for a few seconds, then reacted and responded with gestures.
"good."
-
Shen Yanzhou left on a weekend. Yu Pan got out of the airport and got into the driver's car to go home. When she opened the door, the house was quiet, but the familiar aroma of food filled the air.
"Xiao Pan is back? Perfect timing, dinner's ready." Aunt Zhou came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, carrying a steaming bowl of soup.
Yu Pan looked at the sweet and sour pork ribs and steamed fish that he loved on the table, pursed his lips, and replied softly, "Okay."
He washed his hands and sat down at the dining table. Aunt Zhou served him a full bowl of rice. "The master specifically told me before he left that you've lost weight recently and need to eat more. This fish is very fresh."
Yu Pan silently picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of pork rib, and ate it slowly. The food tasted good, just like usual, but he felt like something was missing. He ate more than half a bowl of rice and then put down his chopsticks.
"Is that all you're eating?" Aunt Zhou asked with some concern. Shen Yanzhou had told her about Yu Pan's eating habits, and she had been careful not to scoop too much rice when she was serving it.
"Yes, I'm full." Yu Pan nodded. "Aunt Zhou, I'm going back to my room now."
After lunch, Yu Pan followed her usual routine, taking a one-hour nap before getting up to read and do practice problems.
After taking a shower that night, Yu Pan looked at herself in the mirror and vaguely felt that Shen Yanzhou would come over in the next second, hug her, and kiss her in front of the mirror.
Yu Pan shook her head and quickly walked out of the bathroom.
When it was time to sleep, Yu Pan lay on the bed in her pajamas, her chin resting on the pillow, her eyes fixed on the telephone on the bedside table.
A few days ago, Shen Yanzhou had someone move the computer from the study to the bedroom so that Yu Pan could make phone calls to him.
The room was quiet. Shen Yanzhou hadn't called yet. Yu Pan turned over and glanced at the small alarm clock on the bedside table.
It's already eleven o'clock.
Yu Pan buried his face in Shen Yanzhou's pillow and took a deep breath. The scent of Shen Yanzhou still lingered on it, faint but enough to make his nose tingle.
He couldn't help but wonder, what is Qingyu like now? Lanzhou is already wearing thicker coats, but what about Qingyu? Are the temporary houses in Qingyu very cold in winter?
Just as he was lost in thought and his eyelids began to droop, at 11:40, the telephone finally rang, startling Yu Pan.
He hurriedly picked up the microphone and immediately said, "Brother."
"Panpan," Shen Yanzhou's familiar voice came from the other end of the receiver, the background was a bit noisy, mixed with muffled voices and the sound of wind, "Have you eaten properly?"
"I ate. Aunt Zhou made pork ribs, fish, lean meat soup, and cabbage for lunch today. For dinner, she made braised pork, stewed chicken legs, chicken soup, and yam cake."
Yu Pan lay back down, snuggled into the covers, found a comfortable position, and held the receiver to her ear, slowly saying, "I didn't eat much. I remember what you said, it's just..."
"What is it?"
Yu Pan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "It's just that I miss you."
On the other end of the phone, Shen Yanzhou chuckled softly, "Yes, I heard you, me too."
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Author's Note: Panpan: [Cat emoji][Crying][Cat emoji][Crying]
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