Chapter 215 Jiang Zhuangnai takes advantage of others' misfortune
Dengtangrushi (literally, "entering the hall into the room") refers to the progression of learning or talent from the shallow to the deep. Zhu Yingning felt that this idiom's literal meaning, or its often misused meaning, could be used to describe Xu Sirui. He acted with the ease of a burglar in her home. "Jiuzhanquechaochao" wasn't quite right, as he hadn't driven her out. "Shumenshulu" wasn't quite right either; it sounded too mild, inadequate to describe his humiliation. It seemed as if only this misused idiom could accurately describe the situation.
She was furious, but she couldn't get angry because he was being so virtuous. After finishing the meal, he took out the hot water she had been soaking in from the tap, tested the temperature, and found it was too cold. So he added some hot water from the kettle. When the water temperature was just right, he handed her the cup and said, "Drink some water first."
“…”
She took it because her throat was indeed smoking with thirst.
Xu Sirui didn't bother to be polite with her. He also poured a glass of water, served the rice and dishes, set out the chopsticks, and the two of them sat facing each other at the small dining table to eat.
After putting a mouthful of rice with some side dishes into her mouth, Zhu Yingning decided not to bother with him about the issue of acting first and asking for his consent later. Her stomach, which had been working hard all day, was soothed by the home-cooked food, and all the hustle and bustle was driven away. She looked up at him sitting opposite her and eating quietly - he retained his usual manners when eating, although he ate in large mouthfuls, nor was he slow, but he chewed silently, never opened his mouth until the food was swallowed, and never made a rustling sound when drinking soup. His eating manners were truly pleasing to the eye - as she watched, a warm feeling arose in her heart.
But she still had to ask: "How many days do you plan to stay with me?"
Xu Sirui didn't answer, but asked: "How long do you plan to help here?"
"I'm not sure yet. I might go back to the village when the county has enough people to help."
He nodded, as if saying something that was perfectly natural: "I'll accompany you until you finish what's going on here."
In fact, she wanted to say that she could handle it without him, but for some reason she didn't say anything.
After dinner, because Xu Sirui was staying overnight, she had to register with the person in charge, as per regulations. She was torn when it came to his identity. Friends? What normal pair of friends would live alone with each other? Even saying it made her feel her behavior was deeply problematic. After much thought, the family member identity he'd casually mentioned was the most fitting. As for whether others would speculate on whether he was a relative or a boyfriend, she had no control over it.
She went to register her identity alone. When she came back, Zhu Yingning felt guilty like a thief. Fortunately, Xu Sirui was already taking a shower in the bathroom when she came back, so she didn't have to expose her guilty face in front of him.
She sat cross-legged on the sofa in the living room. The dormitory was small, separated by a wall. The sound of water in the bathroom seemed to be right next to her ears, so constant that it was like some kind of white noise.
She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. The second hand was rushing, the hour hand was slow, and the minute hand was acting as a peacemaker between the two, performing moderation. Time was about to reach twelve - the end of the day.
Night fell, seeping in through the cracks in the windows. The sadness that hadn't been brewing during the funeral that day came back like a cow's digestive clumps.
She performed diligently for the entire day, like the most superb actress, playing the filial daughter and granddaughter at the funeral, playing grief, playing tears without tears, always with a sense of detachment, until the moment of her final bow, she realized that what she had performed on stage was the reality off stage.
It turned out that from then on, she truly had no father or grandmother. Even seeing their frail bodies lying in bed was too much for her to bear. The soft rice she had pounded for so many years no longer needed to be pounded, because no one would eat it. The father she had called for so many years no longer needed to be called, because no one would answer.
Leaving means leaving.
It vanished into thin air.
It is to completely disconnect from this world.
Xu Sirui came out of the shower and dried his hair. Just as he was about to ask Zhu Yingning where the hair dryer was, he turned around and saw her sitting on the sofa, returning to the posture she had in the cave, with her legs curled up, her forehead resting on her knees, and her arms wrapped around her calves.
His heart instantly twisted into a ball, and he walked towards her with light steps. Only when he reached in front of her did he reach out and free her wet cheek from his arms.
He wiped away the tears with his fingertips, and a new warmth appeared on top of the cold. He frowned and laughed softly, but his voice was a little hoarse: "Crying like this..."
Before her mind could register a response, her body had already reacted. She threw herself into his arms, her fingers clutching the hem of his shirt at the waist. His newly changed pajamas were crisp and clean, gently scented with laundry detergent. Through the layers of clothing, she could feel the warmth of his chest, a few degrees hotter than her own.
According to common sense, he should have had a mysophobia attack and complained that her tears and snot were all on his new clothes. She was prepared to hear such complaints, but Xu Sirui said nothing and let her rub him like a tissue, with his arm around her shoulders neither loose nor tight.
After a while, Zhu Yingning heard him ask above her head without thinking, "Do you want to eat ginger milk?"
There were limited supplies in her dormitory, but there were basic ginger and milk, which Xu Sirui discovered while cooking.
He told her that this was a skill he had learned during college. Although ginger milk sounds simple, isn't it just mixing ginger and milk? But there are very few people who can actually do it, and he happened to be one of them.
She laughed at that, but it was a struggle because she was still crying.
Xu Sirui pulled her into the kitchen and started showing her his cooking skills regardless of whether she wanted to watch or not.
He peeled the small yellow ginger, put it into a juicer and ground it into powder, filtered out the scattered ginger juice, then took out the fresh milk from the refrigerator and poured it into the milk pot to heat it.
"Can it really be successful?" Zhu Yingning watched from beside him, a bit skeptical. While she had never made ginger milk, she had seen her college roommate do it, and of course, it didn't work. The steps weren't complicated; the challenge lay in getting the milk temperature right. Too high or too low wouldn't work; it needed to be around 80°C for success. And since she didn't have a thermometer at home, she had to rely purely on experience and intuition.
Xu Sirui hummed: "Wait."
When the milk was heated to the point of smoking, he picked up the milk pan and handed it to her, motioning her to try it.
She slowly poured the milk into the bowl of ginger juice. After pouring it all in, she held the empty pot and looked at him: "Is this okay? I feel like it hasn't formed yet."
"It will take fifteen minutes." He ruffled her hair and said gently, "Go take a shower first."
"oh……"
She took her clothes and walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower head. The hot steam rose up and stung her eyes. She felt a little hot again and knew that her symptoms would probably take a few days to recover.
For her, the death of a loved one was not a cry of grief at the time, but a belated sense of disappointment and loss.
When she came out of the shower, Xu Sirui had already placed the finished ginger milk on the dining table. She walked over and curiously pressed the surface of the milk with a spoon, feeling a soft resistance.
"It worked." She scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth. "Do you want to eat it?"
He shook his head: "Just eat it."
She was no longer polite, pulled out a stool and sat down, silently scooping the solidified milk into her mouth.
I originally thought that ginger-flavored milk would taste strange, but it turned out to be quite good, with a soft and dense texture. The slight spiciness of the ginger neutralized the coldness of the milk, like a low fire simmering her stomach.
Xu Sirui sat opposite her and watched her eat. After watching for a moment, he said softly, "If you don't want to be alone, I can wait in your room until you fall asleep and then go to the guest room."
She was stunned for a moment, paused in the action of scooping milk, and after a long pause, she let out a slight "hmm" sound from her nose.
Then continue to mechanically scoop, chew, and swallow.
He laughed helplessly across from her and reached out to wipe away the tears that had gathered on her chin: "Why are you crying? Are you moved by me?"
Zhu Yingning nodded and shook her head, her voice thick with nasal sounds as she suddenly said, "...I think I'm too bad."
He said with a smile: "What's wrong with you? How come I don't know?"
"Because..." She choked for a moment before continuing, "I clearly told you that I didn't agree to be with you, but I kept hugging you and taking advantage of your kindness to me." The more she spoke, the sadder she felt. She felt that she was morally corrupt, and tears streamed down her face.
Xu Sirui didn't expect this to be the reason. He was stunned for a moment and tried to hold back his laughter. He put his hand on his forehead and tried hard to hold it back, but he couldn't hold it back. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" She was still immersed in sadness, but was a little annoyed and angry by his smile.
"No..." He smiled and sighed, "I just think, if this is considered bad by you, then I am even worse, right?"
"What's wrong with you?"
He propped up his cheek and looked at her with a smile in his eyes. His eyes were lazy, and the arc at the end of his eyes made them look as long as water. "Look, I've been taking advantage of others."
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