Extra 7: Boiling an Iceberg in Warm Water
Ruan Xingmian almost immediately fled back to the second floor.
"Sister, this is not possible. I don't really need a boyfriend," she said, almost biting her tongue in anxiety. "I just want Gu Xing to be my boyfriend."
She spoke incoherently, but she was determined not to go down and talk to anyone.
This is disrespectful to everyone.
Ruan Xingyue reluctantly caught up with her sister, leaned against her dressing table, and lightly tapped the little girl's slightly frowning brows with her fingertips.
"You're such a good sister to me. Every time I mention Gu Xing, you get mad at me." She explained, "I saw you've been feeling down these past few days, so I wanted to play a joke on you. Didn't you see that?"
Ruan Xingmian slowed down the pace of combing her hair, took out her phone to refresh her sister's circle of friends, and after confirming that there was really nothing, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then what are they here for?"
I roughly counted and there were seven boys.
"Today is our team's celebration party. These are all members I carefully selected from University A. Ji Ling and Gu Xing will be here soon."
"Oh." It turns out that Gu Xing is the one who doesn't have a car but looks good and has a promising future.
But she didn't intend to go over and annoy Gu Xing.
Ruan Xingmian casually tied her hair into a bun and said, "I'm not going downstairs. Have fun."
Ruan Xingyue tilted her head, observing her sister's expression, "You really don't want to come downstairs?"
"Um."
She has things to do.
The living room on the second floor was filled with her express deliveries from the past two days. She was about to change into sports shorts and a vest, planning to open the packages first and then take a shower.
After lying down for two days, it’s time to move around.
Ruan Xingyue said dejectedly, "The nanny can't handle it alone, and I wanted to ask you to help prepare the food."
If you don't give her something to do, this little girl will stay at home until college starts.
How could that be possible? She would be the first one to feel distressed if she got depressed.
Ruan Xingmian paused as he bent down to look for his fine brush knife.
"Sister, what are you going to cook?"
It’s not easy to prepare food for ten people. Isn’t it too late to prepare it at this time?
"I've arranged a buffet and asked Sister Qin to prepare the ingredients. How about you go down and make some dessert, little sister?"
After the college entrance examination, my sister studied baking for two months.
"Xingyue..." A crisp call came from the door.
"Sister Yaoyao!" Ruan Xingmian was even more excited than Ruan Xingyue, "Sister Yaoyao is here too!"
"My sister is here too." An exquisite oval face appeared at the door, with round almond eyes that were gentle and bright, and facial features that were steady and dignified. Her every move and gesture exuded the classical charm of natural beauty.
When she's not smiling, her eyes are focused and clear, as if she's ready to dance at any moment.
When she smiled, her eyes were full of sparkling light, like a stream mixed with diamonds.
"I see Sister Zheng is busy in the kitchen alone. Give me an apron so I can help."
"Sister Yaoyao, I'll change my clothes and go down right away!" With Sister Yaoyao around, Ruan Xingmian didn't feel cramped.
She went into the cloakroom to change. Yao Yao turned around and whispered to Ruan Xingyue, "Sister, are you really heartbroken?"
Ruan Xingyue raised her eyebrows but remained silent.
Yao Yao sat on the dressing table, her chin in her hand as she pondered, "Who is so blind as to reject our sister?"
Ruan Xingyue smiled faintly: "They are just two children whose granularity is not aligned. Just give them a little stimulation. You don't need to ask anything. You will know who has no vision after careful observation."
More and more people are helping in the kitchen.
Help in a disorganized manner.
Ruan Xingmian gradually became the head chef.
She divided the kitchen into cold dish area and main dish area.
Ask Sister Yaoyao to prepare the ingredients for the cold dishes, and the nanny Sister Zheng is responsible for the staple food. There are many boys in the group, so fried rice, steamed buns, dumplings, and noodles must all be prepared. We don’t have to worry about leftovers, but we are afraid that there won’t be enough to eat.
Ruan Xingyue is in charge of drinks, and can be asked to run errands for hot drinks, cold drinks, and beer.
The soup was boiling on the fire. Ruan Xingmian came out of the kitchen and went to the bakery next door to concentrate on making desserts.
This is her longest-lasting hobby.
The little girl who loved playing house with her sister since she was young, grew up to own a huge and well-equipped baking room independent of the kitchen.
This was the promise her mother made to her before she was admitted to university.
It had been renovated a long time ago, and this was her first time using it.
Ruan Xingmian combined the ingredients in the refrigerator.
First make the strawberry cream cake roll, then bake the egg tarts, and finally plan to bake some cookies.
"Mianmian!"
She had just finished a round when she heard a familiar voice.
"Zhou Maomao?"
Cheerful footsteps were heard from outside the window, and Zhou Che appeared at the door of the bakery in a green military training uniform.
He had a gloomy expression on his face, his features twitching: "I've changed my name. Call me Zhou Che."
At first he wanted to call himself Che, which means sleepless all night. But when Ruan Xingmian said Che, which means clear and bright, was better and it suited him very well, he accepted his new name in a second.
I changed it after the college entrance examination.
The two were high school classmates and good friends. They were both playful and poor students. They took tutoring classes with the same famous teacher and could be considered comrades-in-arms for three years.
Zhou Che studied business administration at the Business School of the Polytechnic University.
She made a comeback and was admitted to the English major at a normal university.
Both schools are in the university town, almost door to door.
Zhou Che was very satisfied with this.
"Did you succeed in your confession?" Zhou Che washed his hands, tied an apron on himself, and naturally took the fruit knife from Ruan Xingmian's hand and lowered his head to cut the fruit into cubes.
Looking closely, he deliberately slowed down his movements and looked slightly nervous, as if he was waiting for the day when the college entrance examination scores would be announced.
Before he opened his mouth, Ruan Xingmian hummed and sang while making dessert, momentarily forgetting the frustration of failing to confess her feelings.
At this moment, the anger in her heart suddenly disappeared, her pretty face turned into a wrinkled balloon, and she almost cried with Zhou Che in grievance.
But she didn't want to be scolded by her sister as a crybaby, so she raised her shoulders nonchalantly: "It all went wrong. No matter how passionately I expressed my feelings, he rejected me so strongly. It ended in a tragic way."
Out of her sight, Zhou Che was cutting fruit, heaving a sigh of relief, and was about to speak to comfort her.
"So, I'm going to try boiling the iceberg in warm water."
Zhou Che swallowed back all the words in his throat.
"Oh?" He lowered his head and chuckled to cheer her up. "How do you cook it?"
Ruan Xingmian looked up at the ceiling, as if thinking. Finally, she managed to say, "I haven't thought about it yet."
Although it seems like he is sure of winning, he is actually very unsure.
She had previously thought that confessing and agreeing to confession were too simple.
These days, she reviewed her behavior and came to the conclusion that she was too frivolous and did not give Gu Xing the respect he deserved.
It takes time for people to become friends, let alone boyfriend and girlfriend.
She should know more about Gu Xing.
If you extend the battle line and get through three years, you won’t be afraid of catching up for a whole college. If all goes well, you can get married after graduating from college!
The more I think about it, the happier I feel.
Completely unconcerned, the other person in the room was silently sad.
I also had to force a smile to encourage her.
"By the way, there's something I need to confirm first."
Ruan Xingmian didn't even wash his hands. He walked out of the bakery, passed by the garden lake, and found his sister on the flat ground in the backyard.
The long buffet table has been set.
The kitchen was bustling with activity.
Ruan Xingyue was placing drinks on the long table.
"sister."
"Hmm?" Ruan Xingyue didn't turn around. "Did Zhou Maomao find you?"
"Yeah." She looked at her sister, opening and closing her mouth several times.
When he rushed over, he was full of passion, but no words seemed appropriate to his words.
"Tell me, isn't it uncomfortable to hold it in?"
Ruan Xingyue understood her hesitation to speak, tilted her head, and her cold eyes lit up. Her sister's floral apron looked really beautiful, and the hair hat of the same color was worn on her head, revealing her small face, which was the size of a palm.
Even though she looks haggard, her lovely beauty cannot be concealed.
Like a cute little figurine.
I want to buy her a beautiful dress again.
"Sister," Ruan Xingmian swallowed nervously.
"Yeah." Ruan Xingyue raised the corner of her mouth to encourage her.
Ruan Xingmian cut the Gordian knot: "Do you like Gu Xing? Or, does Gu Xing like you?"
The corners of his slightly flirtatious mouth froze, then curled up silently. He tapped his sister's brow with his index finger and said, "What's wrong with your train of thought? We only have a desire to win against each other, not a desire to conquer, let alone a desire for love."
She suddenly thought, "You girl, you wore my skirt and wig to confess your love. Could it be that you always thought that Gu Xing was interested in me?"
"You're so nice," Ruan Xingmian said with a straight face. "It's normal for him to like you."
Ruan Xingyue pointed behind her and said, "Gu Xing, come here and explain it to her in person."
Ruan Xingmian turned around abruptly, pulling at his flour-covered fingers, and looked at the person five steps away, at a loss.
"Ji Ling, let's go cut the cake." Ruan Xingyue took the big cake from Gu Xing's hand and pulled Ji Ling away who was playing games with his head down.
There were only two silent people left in the backyard.
"That day..."
"That day..."
They spoke at the same time.
Gu Xing: "You speak first."
Ruan Xingmian hadn't really thought about what to say, so he humbly said, "You go first."
"I shouldn't have thrown you so hard that day."
His tone was serious, and his eyes were locked on Ruan Xingmian's face like a magnet.
She was nervous when he stared at her, and her face kept feeling itchy, so she raised her hand to wipe it.
My face was instantly covered in flour.
"I shouldn't have said such harsh words to you, Ruan Xingmian."
When he called her, she straightened her back.
Gu Xing took a deep breath, "I only have feelings for you, but I think about more than just love..."
"Really?" Ruan Xingmian blinked her bright eyes in surprise.
She took two steps closer excitedly, almost getting into Gu Xing's eyes.
"Then you said you didn't need a girlfriend..."
Gu Xing also looked into her watery eyes and said word by word: "I am quite greedy. What I want is family."
Ruan Xingmian leaned forward unconsciously, feeling light and fluttery.
She was touched by this sentence.
Family is a closer and more stable relationship than girlfriend.
It is not a momentary affection or companionship, but the desire to include that person in the most core part of one's life and to be bound together for a long time like a family.
"I can!" Ruan Xingmian couldn't wait to grab Gu Xing's wrist, but restrained herself and let go.
Remember not to be frivolous and control physical contact.
Her eyes were blazing: "Gu Xing, give me a chance to be a trainee family member."
He didn't speak for a long time, staring at her face. His features were cold and composed, but his pupils were turbulent.
She waited for a long time, and saw him suddenly raise his hand with long slender fingers, as if he wanted to get closer to her face.
Ruan Xingmian obediently moved closer, wanting to rub against his owner like a kitten.
He pursed his lips tightly and wiped the flour off her face with his thumb gently.
"Gu Shen! Teacher Qin is looking for you!"
After receiving a call from Teacher Qin, Gu Xing left early and did not attend the celebration banquet that day.
Ruan Xingmian was very satisfied and organized the entire banquet with great enthusiasm.
After the party, the housekeeping came to the house.
Ruan Xingmian took a shower and had a good sleep in Sister Lai's room.
Yaoyao and Ruan Xingyue lay in the small rocking chair on the balcony garden, sipping wine and chatting.
"Who coaxed the little girl? I observed for a long time but couldn't figure it out."
Ruan Xingyue smiled gently.
Yaoyao shook her shoulders and said, "Don't keep me in suspense, Yueyue."
"You know him, my high school classmate, Gu Xing. He left early."
"Who?" Yao Yao's euphemistic expression shattered. "That iceberg can coax people? How does he coax people? I remember he was best at making girls cry when they confessed their love to him. You even complained about him being stone-cold and heartless."
Yao Yao suddenly realized after saying this: "My sister's secret crush is Gu Xing."
Yao Yao nodded and thought, and shared the same idea as Ruan Xingyue: the apple of the Ruan family's eye, the sister they raised with love, the little princess who grew up in a honey pot, was about to suffer the pain of love.
…
The day before school started, Ruan Xingmian spent the whole morning sorting express deliveries while listening to music.
Wake up from a nap and pack three suitcases.
Ye Lan sat in her daughter's room and advised her for the third time: "Live with your sister in Jiangli Tianxia. I'll give you a driver."
"No, Mom, I worked so hard to get into college, and I want to experience it completely. What's the difference between living at home and going to high school?"
Ye Lan shook her head and laughed. The little bird she protected under her wings flapped its soft wings, wanting to fly away.
"Then what time do you report tomorrow? Mom will drive you there."
Ruan Xingmian pulled up his suitcase handsomely, put his hands on his hips and said, "I have an appointment with Xu Yanzi."
This time it's true, no lies.
"Sister, please drive us there. I know you have a business trip tomorrow."
Saturday is the time for advertising people to work overtime.
Ye Lan stood up and put her arms around her daughter's shoulders. "Why are you becoming less and less attached to your mother as you grow older?"
In the past, whenever she was on a business trip, this girl would cry for an hour or two on the phone.
"Because I've grown up, I know how hard it is for mom to make money. I'm an adult now, I can take care of my own things, and I want to spend more time with you. You have to work and take care of me at the same time, and you don't even have time for yourself, mom."
Ruan Xingmian hugged her mother's waist and listened to her mother's gentle heartbeat, "I love you so much."
Ye Lan was coaxed into feeling warm all over, and she thought to herself, "Mom is really my little cotton-padded jacket."
September 6th.
At the main gate of A City Normal University, the new student reception desk.
Compared with University A, the entrance of Normal University is filled with beautiful women.
The male-to-female ratio at University A is 10 to 1, and the male-to-female ratio at Normal University is 1 to 10. They are the two schools with the highest marriage success rates in the entire city of A.
So there is a legend that the daughter-in-law of A University is studying at A City Normal University.
Ruan Xingmian saw this topic and was secretly happy even after turning off the lights at night.
The reporting went smoothly. In order to welcome the new students, the senior students from the Normal University even called their boyfriends to help the junior students move their luggage.
As for the younger students, no one cares about them.
The senior sister’s boyfriend would bring his single friends over, so the first day of school at the Normal University was as lively as a market.
Walking on the campus of this century-old normal university, it feels like stepping into the flowing time.
For the first time, Ruan Xingmian felt that it was great to be admitted to university, and it was not just the simple happiness of being able to fall in love after the college entrance examination.
For the first time, she felt proud of herself - three years of hard study had paid off.
This was a feeling she didn't have when she stepped into the campus of University A.
They arrived early and were assigned to the same dormitory with Xu Yanzi as they wished.
It's a six-person room.
She slept on the lower bunk and Xu Yanzi slept on the upper bunk.
We will have military training tomorrow.
Ruan Xingyue made the bed for her and told her to go to bed early after dinner.
Ruan Xingmian nodded obediently without hesitation.
She is happy with everything now.
As soon as her sister left, Ruan Xingmian couldn't wait to call Gu Xing, "Can you come to my school? I want to treat you to a meal. Everyone says the food at the Normal University is delicious."
She offered her reasoning: "A family is one that eats together. That's what makes them a family, right?"
Gu Xing did not let her expectations down.
He was silent for a few seconds, "I might have finished late..."
"It's okay! I'll wait for you! I have snacks, and you can stay as late as you want, as long as you come."
"……good."
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