Chapter 81 "I want to sleep with you..."
Chapter 81
Yu Pan originally thought that dealing with the publishing contract might take a lot of time during her trip to Zhongzhou, so she asked her advisor for four days off. With the addition of the weekend, she was able to make up a short holiday.
He just didn't expect things to go so smoothly on the publishing side. There was still plenty of time left. Yu Pan remembered that she had said she wanted to go back to Lanzhou to take a look. It just so happened that Shen Yanzhou was also free these few days, so the two of them did not stay in Zhongzhou for long.
Before leaving Zhongzhou in the afternoon, Yu Pan made another trip to the magazine office to give Editor Xu the local specialties from Beijing that she had brought back. Only then did she set off back to Lanzhou, completely satisfied.
It was already evening when we got back to Lanzhou, just in time for rush hour. The streets were crowded with bicycles and motorcycles, their bells ringing incessantly.
Yu Pan leaned against the car window, gazing absently at the familiar flow of bicycles outside. It was as if he had returned to many years ago, to the time when he and Shen Yanzhou first came to this city.
They were crammed onto a stuffy bus. Shen Yanzhou shielded him in a corner by the window, while he himself looked out at the rows of bicycles.
Although he couldn't hear at that time, he had never seen so many bicycles on the road before, and he was filled with wonder.
"What are you thinking about?" Shen Yanzhou placed his palm on the back of Yu Pan's hand and asked in a low voice, "So engrossed?"
Yu Pan snapped out of her daze, smiled, and moved closer to him: "Brother, come sit a little closer."
Shen Yanzhou moved over as instructed.
"Come a little closer, next to me." Yu Pan pulled Shen Yanzhou closer to her again.
"Come a little closer," Yu Pan reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him towards her until their arms and thighs were pressed tightly together, almost taking up half of his seat. Only then did she say with satisfaction, "Okay, next to me."
Shen Yanzhou looked down at him, her eyes full of indulgence, "What's wrong?"
Considering the driver in front, Yu Pan didn't say anything. She simply pulled Shen Yanzhou's arm around her waist without saying a word, then raised her chin and pointed to the line of bicycles waiting at the red light outside the window, just like them.
Shen Yanzhou followed his gaze and understood in just one glance.
Yu Pan raised her hand and gestured skillfully: "Shall we go to that restaurant we went to before tomorrow?"
Since he could speak, he has rarely used sign language. He only uses it when he goes out to play with Shen Yanzhou or when he goes to the library, when it is quiet and he doesn't want to disturb others.
This is, after all, his sign language, which he has used for more than ten years. Even when he is half asleep, he will occasionally make a few gestures.
Shen Yanzhou's smile deepened, knowing he was referring to the casual restaurant they ate at after their hospital check-up when they first arrived in Lanzhou. He responded in sign language, "Okay, let's go tomorrow."
The two communicated silently in sign language the whole way until the car stopped in front of their house. Aunt Zhou had already prepared dinner and left.
As Yu Pan savored the familiar taste, she couldn't help but sigh, "If only Aunt Zhou could come to Beijing with us."
Shen Yanzhou raised an eyebrow, "The auntie in Beijing doesn't cook to your liking? Then I..."
"Yes, yes," Yu Pan quickly picked up a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, interrupting him, "I was just saying it offhand!"
Aunt Zhou's home is in Lanzhou. He can't make her travel all that way just for a meal. If she misses this taste, she can just come back and eat it.
Perhaps it was because she had returned to this place that held so many memories, but Yu Pan was unusually clingy that night, so much so that Shen Yanzhou was almost overwhelmed by her initiative.
Shen Yanzhou was so bothered by his persistence that his scalp tingled. By the time the bedroom quieted down, it was already past midnight.
Yu Pan lay limp on the bed, too lazy to even move a finger, yawning as Shen Yanzhou wiped him with a warm towel.
He was lazy and lethargic, readily agreeing to raise his arms and legs as instructed, but he refused to exert any extra effort on his own.
"Go to sleep if you're tired." Shen Yanzhou's voice was also hoarse afterward.
Yu Pan forced her heavy eyelids open, shook her head, and mumbled, "I want to sleep with you..."
After Shen Yanzhou finished getting ready and lay down on the bed, Yu Pan rolled into his arms as if she knew her way around and snuggled up, falling asleep in no time.
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Yu Pan slept soundly, and when she woke up it was already broad daylight, and the seat next to her was empty.
He shuffled around the second floor in his slippers, still half asleep, but couldn't find anyone. So he grabbed the stair railing and called down, "Brother?"
"In the study." Shen Yanzhou's voice came from downstairs.
Yu Pan followed the sound downstairs to the study door, peeked in and saw Shen Yanzhou in front of the computer. He didn't seem to be in an important meeting, so she walked over with peace of mind, straddled his lap, rested her head on Shen Yanzhou's shoulder, and closed her eyes to continue to wake up.
Shen Yanzhou knew he wasn't fully awake yet, so he moved gently, putting one arm around his waist and letting him lean on him.
After a while, the person in his arms stirred, wrapping their arms around his neck. Chen Yanzhou gently bounced his legs and whispered, "Awake?"
"Hmm..." Yu Pan nuzzled against his neck, "I need to brush my teeth."
"Okay." Shen Yanzhou lifted him up by his bottom and carried him to the bathroom on the second floor like a child.
After washing up, Yu Pan ate an egg and drank a bottle of milk before going out with Shen Yanzhou. Their destination was some distance from their current place, so Shen Yanzhou drove them there.
However, there were many cars and people near the hospital, so when they were almost there, Shen Yanzhou parked the car nearby and the two of them walked over.
If you were to ask Yu Pan which road in Lanzhou she was most familiar with, it would undoubtedly be the one next to the hospital. Apart from living there for about half a year before, she would walk this route from her rented apartment to the hospital several times a week, always with Shen Yanzhou by her side.
The two turned into the alley next to the home-style restaurant they remembered, and the small building where they used to rent came into view. The building looked much older than they remembered, and the paint on the walls was a bit mottled.
The room they used to live in had a small terrace with a blue tin canopy that someone had built over it. A few clothes were hanging under the canopy, swaying gently in the wind.
Emerging from the alley, they went straight to the family-style restaurant. The owner had changed; it was no longer the kind-faced, slightly plump auntie, but a slender woman with fair skin.
The two ordered three dishes they often ate. While the proprietress was serving the food, Yu Pan casually asked, "Proprietress, is that... the chubby auntie from before, no longer working there?"
The woman looked slightly surprised, then smiled and said, "Oh, you're a regular customer. I just took over this shop last year. I heard from the neighbors that the man who owned the previous shop had run into debt from gambling and had no choice but to sell it."
"Gambling?" Yu Pan was a little surprised. He remembered the man; he seemed quite honest and upright.
"Yes," the proprietress lowered her voice, "I heard that even after selling the shop, they still haven't paid off their debts, and now they're hiding somewhere from their creditors."
Yu Pan felt a little uneasy after hearing this. He remembered that when Shen Yanzhou was working on the construction site, he would order lunch for him from that aunt's shop when he couldn't come back for lunch.
My aunt's child always delivers lunch to the door. The child looks timid, but he's not afraid of people. After delivering the food, he'll stand there for a while.
At first, Yu Pan didn't understand why the child kept standing at the door staring at him, but later he realized that the child wanted candy.
Later, after he regained his hearing, he often sat on the small terrace to sunbathe, and could often hear the laughter and chatter of the family downstairs.
I never imagined it would turn out like this...
Because of this, Yu Pan was a little down on the way back. When he got into the car, Shen Yanzhou put his arm around him and said gently, "Don't think too much about it. They chose this path themselves."
“I understand.” Yu Pan leaned on his shoulder and sighed. “It’s just that… things have changed.”
"I know, brother." Shen Yanzhou ruffled his hair.
They stayed in Lanzhou for three days before returning to Beijing on Sunday morning.
Just as they settled in, the publishing house officially began its work. As Editor Xu said, the revision and proofreading of the manuscript were put on the agenda.
So the nights at home changed from the usual time when Yu Pan loved to stick close to Shen Yanzhou to the two of them each occupying a desk and working diligently in front of their respective computer screens.
Shen Yanzhou was handling company documents, while Yu Pan was carefully considering the editor's suggestions and polishing his manuscript. Sometimes, when he got frustrated with revising, he only needed to turn his head slightly to see Shen Yanzhou's focused profile.
This feeling of mutual companionship and individual effort instantly dispelled Yu Pan's anxieties, leaving her feeling warm and cozy.
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Author's Note: Panpan [Cat Head]: I'm growing up well [Cat Head]
It should be ending soon.
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