Chapter 62 "Honey, I didn't..."
Chapter 62
"Brother!" Yu Pan squeezed through the cordon and buried her face in Chen Yanzhou's arms, her voice muffled, "Didn't you say you were busy with work and might not be able to come back?"
“This is such an important exam in your life, I have to come back even if I’m at the ends of the earth.” Shen Yanzhou hugged him back and patted him on the back with his other hand. “It’s over, Panpan, it’s all over.”
Yu Pan nodded vigorously in his arms. Fortunately, there were many parents and students embracing each other excitedly around them, so their hugging didn't seem too abrupt.
Shen Yanzhou put his arm around Yu Pan's shoulder, guiding him through the crowd to the car parked by the roadside. Yu Pan leaned against him obediently, staring blankly up at Shen Yanzhou's profile, as if he couldn't get enough of looking at him.
Once inside the car, Yu Pan asked Shen Yanzhou in a daze, "Brother, am I... really done with my exams? Am I dreaming?"
"Yes, it's true, you really have finished your exams." Shen Yanzhou leaned over, helped him fasten his seatbelt, and then kissed Yu Pan's forehead. "Don't think about anything now, let's go home."
As the car drove along the road, Yu Pan leaned back in her seat, watching the scenery rushing past the window, her eyelids gradually growing heavier.
Yu Pan, her eyes half-open, mumbled indistinctly, "Brother, I'm so sleepy, I want to sleep..."
"Okay, go to sleep, I'm here."
Shen Yanzhou's voice still reassured Yu Pan, and he fell asleep almost instantly. He had no idea when the car arrived home, how Shen Yanzhou carried him out of the car, or how Shen Yanzhou wiped his body.
I don't know how others are after the college entrance exam, but Yu Pan slept soundly for days on end, from the afternoon the exam ended until the evening of the next day before finally waking up.
The curtains were drawn, and the room was dimly lit. Yu Pan turned over and found Shen Yanzhou sitting on the headboard, looking at her tenderly.
"Awake?" Shen Yanzhou touched his forehead. "Would you like something to eat? Aunt Zhou cooked some rice and has been keeping it warm."
Yu Pan nodded, then, like a young master, made Shen Yanzhou lie down, before snuggling into his arms and finding a comfortable position to lie down again.
"I want to hug you first." Yu Pan's voice was still sleepy, sounding soft and sweet.
Shen Yanzhou hugged Yu Pan tightly and patted his back lightly. "Okay, let's lie down for a while longer."
The two nestled together quietly for a long time before Yu Pan whispered, "Brother, during the past six months of preparing for the exam, was I particularly rude to you? Sometimes I even snapped at you..."
“It’s not bad.” Shen Yanzhou kissed Yu Pan’s forehead. “Panpan is under a lot of pressure, I know that. You’ve always been good to me.”
After listening, Yu Pan remained silent for a while, then looked up into Shen Yanzhou's eyes and said, "Brother, thank you."
Shen Yanzhou pinched his cheek and said with a smile, "Silly talk, why would you need to say that to your brother?"
"I have to say it." Yu Pan smiled, reached out and hooked her arm around Shen Yanzhou's neck, and started to act spoiled, "Brother, carry me to dinner."
“Okay,” Shen Yanzhou replied, “but before that, you have to brush your teeth first…”
-
To help test takers estimate their scores, the answer key for the college entrance examination will be published in the Youth Daily three days after the exam.
Although Yu Pan had already filled out her college application after the second mock exam, she still felt uneasy without checking the answers.
So, during the days of waiting for the answer, Yu Pan completely entered "pig-raising mode," eating and sleeping, and spending all her remaining time clinging to Shen Yanzhou, wishing she could grow on him.
At first, Shen Yanzhou was worried that Yu Pan's eating and sleeping routine would cause indigestion, but seeing that Yu Pan was always full of energy and ate heartily every time he woke up, he let him be.
Three days later, the standard answer was published in the newspaper. Yu Pan took the newspaper, nestled on the sofa, and estimated it with a pen in hand, and had a general idea in her mind.
That evening, the two snuggled on the sofa watching TV. Yu Pan crunched on the potato chips that Chen Yanzhou handed her, and thinking about her estimated score during the day, her tone became much more relaxed, "Brother, I feel like I did pretty well on the test."
"Mmm," Shen Yanzhou wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth, "Our Panpan has always been amazing."
"You're always praising me," Yu Pan said, but her eyes crinkled into a smile, clearly pleased.
While munching on potato chips, he restlessly slipped one hand under Shen Yanzhou's clothes and poked and pinched his firm abdominal muscles.
Shen Yanzhou grabbed his mischievous hand, his eyes darkening, his voice hoarse: "Not tired anymore? Hmm?"
Yu Pan tilted her head back with a sly smile, leaned in, and gently pecked Shen Yanzhou's lips, her voice soft and obedient: "I'm not tired anymore."
Shen Yanzhou was so captivated by him that her breath caught in her throat, and she immediately took the initiative, kissing him deeply.
Since Yu Pan began to focus entirely on preparing for the exam, they haven't done this for a long time.
They moved from the sofa to the bedroom, eagerly looking at each other, confirming each other's presence in the most direct way.
Afterwards, Yu Pan pressed her face against Shen Yanzhou's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and lay sweating profusely in his arms, too tired to even move her fingers.
After a long while, Yu Pan spoke softly, her voice hoarse from the experience, "Brother, I'm still a little scared... What if... what if I don't get into Peking University?"
Shen Yanzhou had seen Yu Pan's college application form. His first choice was Peking University, his second choice was a university in Jiangnan, and his third choice was the provincial capital where he currently works.
The reporting strategy itself is not problematic; it's just that anxiety is inevitable.
Shen Yanzhou tightened her arms around him. "It's okay, baby. We did our best. That's enough."
"Um."
-
Shen Yanzhou still had to work, and spending five days with Yu Pan in Lanzhou was already the limit. However, Yu Pan's college entrance examination results would not be released until the 24th, and Shen Yanzhou originally planned to bring him back then.
Yu Pan, however, took it in stride. "The scores have already been set. It won't change whether we find out a few days earlier or later. Why don't we just wait until the end of the month? The earliest batch of admission notices should be mailed out by then, and we can come back then!"
And so, Yu Pan packed a few things and went to Qingyu with Shen Yanzhou.
In just six months, the changes in Qingyu, this seaside town, have been nothing short of earth-shattering.
The most obvious change is the road from the provincial capital to Qingyu. The bumpy dirt road has been transformed into a smooth and wide boulders. What used to take four or five hours can now be reached in just over two hours. And the Qinghu Development Zone, where Shen Yanzhou is located, has seen even more changes.
"How come I remember when I came here last year, that building over there was only one floor built?" Yu Pan leaned against the car window, curiously looking at the somewhat unfamiliar land outside.
I remember that just six months ago, the tallest building here was only three stories high, but now it is full of high-rise buildings and clean roads, looking like a new urban area.
Shen Yanzhou glanced in the direction he pointed, a smile playing on his lips: "Yes, the changes are quite significant. With the roads open, the construction speed has increased."
Because the main road leading out of the development zone has been repaired, Shen Yanzhou no longer lives in the temporary prefabricated house on the construction site, but rents an apartment nearby.
“Tan Ming lives downstairs. You can go down and visit him after he rests.” Shen Yanzhou opened the door.
Yu Pan looked at the clean and tidy one-bedroom apartment and nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, it's pretty good."
In the days that followed, it seemed as if things had returned to the old rhythm. Shen Yanzhou would go out to work during the day, while Yu Pan would stay at home reading, sleeping, or writing.
Fearing that he would get bored, Shen Yanzhou took advantage of the hour and a half of his lunch break to take him out to a spacious, deserted place and began teaching him to drive.
Yu Pan was initially extremely unwilling, clinging to Shen Yanzhou's arm and acting spoiled: "Brother, why don't you just drive? I don't want to learn..."
"Sweetie, there's no harm in learning this skill." Shen Yanzhou coaxed patiently, "When you get into university, I'll buy you a car, so you can go wherever you want."
“But no matter which university I go to, it’s still a long way to drive to Qingyu,” Yu Pan frowned. “You might as well teach me how to fly a plane!”
Shen Yanzhou was amused by him, but he seriously considered it for a moment and then said, "I really can't teach you how to fly a plane, but I'll try my best and see if I can buy you one in the future."
"Oh, I was just kidding!" Yu Pan was so startled when she saw that Shen Yanzhou was actually considering the possibility that she quickly covered his mouth. "Don't waste money! You're not allowed to buy it!"
Shen Yanzhou pulled his hand down, her eyes full of indulgence, "It's money for you, how can you call it wasted money?"
"Nonsense!" Yu Pan glared at him angrily. "You're not allowed to buy it! Did you hear me!"
Shen Yanzhou didn't respond, but just smiled and ruffled Yu Pan's hair.
As the date for issuing admission notices drew closer, no matter how much Yu Pan told herself to relax, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
He repeatedly calculated his estimated score, which should be enough based on the previous years' cutoff scores... But what if the questions are easier this year and the cutoff scores are higher?
To distract himself and avoid getting caught up in unnecessary anxiety, Yu Pan tried to keep himself busy. He brought some old drafts he had written a few years ago with him, intending to revise them and send them to the magazine that liked his style after returning to Lanzhou.
There's always a time when a manuscript is finished. That afternoon, Yu Pan wandered around the house a few times, but there was nothing to do. Her gaze swept over the kitchen and suddenly stopped.
Shen Yanzhou never let him cook, mainly because he was afraid that he would lose control and sneak food.
But since their living conditions improved, and with Shen Yanzhou's conscious guidance and conditioning, Yu Pan has become much more restrained in her eating habits than before, and rarely eats to excess anymore.
Yu Pan glanced at the wall clock; it was only six o'clock in the afternoon. Shen Yanzhou usually got home around seven o'clock.
If we start now and cook two simple dishes before he gets back, the time should be... enough, right?
Once the thought took hold, it was impossible to suppress. Yu Pan felt a mix of apprehension and eagerness.
Shen Yanzhou discussed some details with his partner for a while that day, and it was already 7:20 when he got off work.
As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Yu Pan standing upright in the entryway like a little doorman, a fawning smile on her face. She reached out to take his briefcase and said in a concerned tone, "Brother, you must be tired from work~~~"
Shen Yanzhou raised an eyebrow slightly; something unusual must be going on.
"What's wrong?" he asked casually as he changed his slippers.
"Um... I have something to tell you, but you can't get angry or yell at me." Yu Pan followed him closely.
"When has your brother ever scolded you?" Shen Yanzhou walked into the living room and suddenly smelled a faint burnt smell.
"What do you mean, 'no'? You scolded me last time I came to Qingyu..." Yu Pan muttered softly, quickly bringing up old grudges.
"Hmm?" Shen Yanzhou turned around, reached out and pinched his soft cheek, her face hardening. "Then tell me, should you have scolded him back then? Running that far alone, how dangerous was that?"
"I deserve to be scolded! I deserve to be scolded!" Yu Pan quickly admitted defeat, wrinkling her nose. Thinking of the good thing she had done today, she quickly put on that ingratiating expression again. "Then you have to promise me first, you can't scold me this time!"
“It could have been,” Shen Yanzhou teased him deliberately, glancing toward the kitchen, “but now, I need to see the specifics before deciding.”
Hearing him say that, Yu Pan knew she couldn't avoid it. She gritted her teeth, grabbed Shen Yanzhou's hand, and walked towards the kitchen. "Alright, alright, I'll show you!"
As soon as the kitchen door was opened, the burnt smell became even more pronounced.
Shen Yanzhou frowned as he walked in and immediately saw the two plates on the stove.
One plate contained several charred, unidentified lumps, while the other plate contained dark brown, sticky, unidentified strips.
"What is this?" Shen Yanzhou asked, pointing to the plate of chunks, trying his best to remain calm.
"It's...it's a fried egg." Yu Pan's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
Shen Yanzhou pointed to another plate: "What about this one?"
"Stir-fry, stir-fry vegetables..." Yu Pan's voice was even lower, almost inaudible.
Shen Yanzhou looked at the two plates of food that couldn't really be called dishes, then glanced at Yu Pan beside him, who was looking down with an expression that said, "I'm sorry, don't scold me." He was unusually silent for a few seconds.
Suddenly, Shen Yanzhou chuckled softly, reached out and ruffled Yu Pan's hair, his tone tinged with helplessness, "Our Panpan has really grown up, she even knows how to cook for her brother now."
Yu Pan looked up, her eyes lighting up, and asked incredulously, "Aren't you angry?"
"Angry?" Shen Yanzhou pulled him into his arms and chuckled, "I'm overjoyed."
As he spoke, Shen Yanzhou paused again, looking at the two dishes, and added, "But next time, let's wait for you to come back, brother, and we'll cook together, okay?"
Yu Pan nodded vigorously in his arms and began to tell Shen Yanzhou what had happened while she was cooking.
"Brother, I have something else to tell you, but you're not allowed to laugh at me."
"Okay, I won't laugh at you."
"When I was frying eggs, someone knocked on the door and asked if I was having a barbecue inside. They also said that barbecues are not allowed inside the house and that I should go outside if I wanted to!"
"Hmm, and then what?"
"That's going too far! I was just frying eggs!"
"Hmm...yes, it is a bit excessive."
"Brother, I think I heard you laugh."
"Honey, I didn't..."
"You smiled!"
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Author's Note: Panpan [Cat emoji]: I'm just cooking! Don't laugh! [Angry][Angry][Angry]
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