Qin Ying froze with a sip of tea in her mouth, the bitterness in her throat mixed with anger rushed straight into her nose.
She suppressed her surging emotions, lowered her head and pretended to drink water, her Adam's apple rolling violently between her collarbones.
When Fu Hanting saw him take it, she skipped to the kitchen, her skirt swaying briskly with her steps.
Qin Ying hurriedly withdrew her hand, picked up the cup and shrank back, saying without raising her head:
"Thank you, but no thanks."
Wei Zhuolan slowly withdrew his hand and deliberately brushed past her shoulder as he stood up. The scent of soap nuts mixed with tobacco wrapped in a hot whisper lingered over her:
"Your freedom is what I exchanged for my future."
As soon as the words fell, Fu Hanting's coquettish laughter came from the kitchen, mixed with Xu Jinshu's instructions:
"Zhuo Lan loves sweet and sour pork ribs..."
Qin Ying bit her lip and subconsciously glanced at the kitchen. When she glanced at Wei Zhuolan, she could clearly feel his oppressive feeling that made her feel uncomfortable.
There are also paranoid eyes falling on me.
She quickly stood up and went to the kitchen to help.
Wei Zhuolan looked at her back as she left, and it was clear that she was trying to flee.
It seems that it is not so bad that he agreed to go on a blind date.
That's the way to get close to her, isn't it?
Xu Jinshu enthusiastically placed the last dish of braised fish on the table, the glossy sauce glowing amber in the plate.
The afterglow of the setting sun has already filtered into the restaurant through the window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the dining table.
Fu Hanting turned on the Red Lantern brand radio, which was playing revolutionary songs, and the atmosphere in the living room suddenly became lively.
"Hanting always says the food in the cafeteria is tasteless. Come and try Auntie's new cooking skills."
Xu Jinshu smiled and asked Wei Zhuolan to sit down.
Fu Hanting's cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her head to stir the rice in the bowl and secretly glanced at Wei Zhuolan opposite her.
Wei Zhuolan sat upright with a straight posture. He had taken off his outer Zhongshan suit and was only wearing a white shirt underneath.
"Auntie Xu's cooking skills are superb. I can smell the aroma from far away."
Wei Zhuolan responded politely, his eyes inadvertently sweeping over Qin Ying who was sitting diagonally opposite him.
Qin Ying lowered her eyes and fiddled with the chopsticks intently, as if she wanted to focus all her attention on the tableware.
Xu Jinshu picked up a piece of fish for Wei Zhuolan with his chopsticks:
"Xiao Wei has a heavy responsibility in the Propaganda Department, so he needs to take more care of himself."
"Aunt Lao is worried."
Wei Zhuolan nodded politely, picked up the chopsticks and tasted it carefully, with a look of surprise on his face, and nodded continuously.
"Comrade Han Ting is working the night shift at the hospital, and the smell of disinfectant is strong. She should take care of herself."
When he said this, he suddenly tilted his head, and his Adam's apple rolled under his smooth skin, facing Qin Ying's suddenly constricted pupils.
She was sitting diagonally opposite him, and two buttons on her shirt collar were undone just now, but now they were buttoned all the way to the top.
Xu Jinshu tapped the pickled vegetable dish with bamboo chopsticks, and the crisp sound of the pickled radish startled Qin Ying's fingers.
"This girl..."
She glanced at her daughter's red earlobes:
"I always talk about learning how to make clothes, but I keep pedaling the sewing machine until it's deafening, and I end up wasting a lot of fabric."
Wei Zhuolan smiled indifferently and stirred the kelp soup in the bowl, the spoon hitting the porcelain wall in a regular rhythm.
“Patience is earned through perseverance.”
He suddenly raised his eyes, took a sip of soup, and glanced at Qin Ying's hand holding the chopsticks.
"It's like some skills. Without practicing a thousand times, how can you become proficient in them?"
Before he finished speaking, the tip of his leather shoes had quietly slid across the wool carpet and brushed against the edge of Qin Ying's canvas shoes.
Qin Ying's breathing paused slightly, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
She lowered her eyes and stared at the swaying soup noodles in the bowl, trying hard to straighten her back.
Fu Hanting suddenly knocked over the vinegar dish, and the dark red liquid spread on the tablecloth, just like the blood-stained gauze corners in the first aid kit at the nurses' station.
"The hospital is organizing a Mid-Autumn Festival cultural performance soon."
She wiped it hurriedly, the ends of her hair brushing against the back of Wei Zhuolan's hand resting on the edge of the table:
“I heard the review is much stricter than in previous years.”
Wei Zhuolan stroked the edge of the bowl with his fingertips, and when he unbuttoned the second button on his shirt collar, a faint red mark was faintly visible.
"Mid-Autumn Festival Gala?"
He put down his chopsticks and said seriously:
"What a coincidence! The Propaganda Department just issued a notice that all foreign-related cultural activities will have to go through three rounds of political review in the near future. The process is much stricter than before. Comrade Han Ting must prepare her program carefully and make sure nothing goes wrong."
When he said this, he looked at Fu Hanting with concern, but the implication in his words was like a thorn, causing the atmosphere at the table to suddenly stagnate.
"Special period..."
He cooperated with Fu Hanting's wiping movements and pushed the hot soup in front of Qin Ying. The hot steam blurred the overlapping reflections of the two.
"It's better to hide some inappropriate edges."
The smile on Xu Jinshu's face froze for a moment, then returned to normal.
"With Xiao Wei's reminder, Han Ting will definitely be able to go smoothly. Eat the food quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold."
Fu Hanting clutched the tablecloth, her cheeks flushed, and she stole a glance at Wei Zhuolan. Today was the first day that Teacher Wei came, and he cared so much about them. She felt more and more happy about him.
"Don't worry, Teacher Wei. The program list has been reviewed twice by the director."
"Twice is not enough, but you can show it to me."
Wei Zhuolan looked at her gently, which made her blush even more and her heart beat faster.
He paused and looked at Xu Jinshu:
"I heard that Uncle Fu also has a lot of old things hidden in his room? During this special period, it's safe to keep them in the safe."
Xu Jinshu's hand paused as he was picking up the food, and the food he had just picked up almost fell on the table.
"Old Fu's old stuff has long been locked in the warehouse and gathering dust."
She glanced at Wei Zhuolan, who was drinking soup elegantly with his head down, and always felt that there was a hook hidden in these words.
The mahogany clock suddenly made a clicking sound of gears turning, startling Fu Hanting so much that she knocked over the soup spoon.
Xu Jinshu finally woke up from his dream, forced a smile and picked up the dishes again. The sound of the bamboo chopsticks hitting the edge of the bowl was a little louder than before.
The moment he lowered his head, he caught a glimpse of Qin Ying's clenched fists and Wei Zhuolan's subtle smile.
This meal is really hard to swallow...
During the meal, Wei Zhuolan behaved well and asked and answered questions with Xu Jinshu and Fu Hanting. They talked about ordinary topics such as family matters, work and study.
But whenever Qin Ying spoke, he would always stop what he was doing and look at her intently. The things hidden in his eyes made Qin Ying shudder.
He occasionally moved his legs, and his leather shoes accidentally brushed against Qin Ying's feet, as if it was unintentional, but also as if it was intentional.
Qin Ying moved aside calmly and continued to eat peacefully, but her heart was already in turmoil.
After dinner, Wei Zhuolan left without staying for long. Fu Hanting said goodbye to him at the door and made an appointment to see the art exhibition.
When Qin Ying went upstairs to his room, he looked back and saw that the setting sun had stretched his shadow very long, like a spell that could not be broken.
Wei Zhuolan behaved very well today, being well-mannered and polite. Looking at Fu Hanting's expression, you can tell that the child is very satisfied.
It seems I need to have a good discussion with Fu Qixun later.
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