21. Consider it a thank you for the band-aid.
Mu Jia first came to No. 45 Fengxiang Lane ten years ago, when she was a freshman in high school.
That Friday evening, the two families were having dinner together when Lu Siming suddenly asked her, "Are you going to physics class tomorrow morning?"
She nodded, and Lu Siming took a book out of his bag. "Then could you return this book to Chu Chiyi for me tomorrow? He lives in the same neighborhood as Mr. Liu, the physics teacher in your class. I'll send you the address later."
Mu Jia glanced at the book cover and saw that it was a book called "Differential Geometry".
Seeing her staring blankly at the book, Lu Siming explained, "Now you know why that guy could just skip the school's Olympiad training camp, right?"
Mu Jia turned her head, raised an eyebrow at him, and said, "Are you saying that as long as you're strong enough, you can act arrogantly?"
Lu Siming slammed the book into her hand, "Bingo!"
The next morning, she knocked on the door. Chu Chiyi didn't seem surprised, probably because Lu Siming had already informed him beforehand.
Mu Jia looked up at the boy opposite her, having a lot to say. Like, how was the cake?
But for some reason, as soon as I saw him, I couldn't say a word.
Her gaze lingered on Chu Chiyi's hand, which was resting against the doorframe, for a few seconds. She realized he had no intention of inviting her in or keeping her any longer. A surge of resentment welled up inside, but she could only offer him a bright and obedient smile: "I'll be going now, goodbye, brother!"
However, even if he was willing, she really couldn't stay any longer; she had to go to her physics teacher's house for class later.
The boy nodded, and she turned around.
Unexpectedly, after taking only two steps, someone suddenly called out to him from behind, "Wait."
Mu Jia turned around in surprise. "What's wrong?"
Somewhat confused, she looked up and took a step back in his direction. Suddenly, she saw an expression on his face that she had never seen before, and her surprise and doubt intensified instantly. She subconsciously took half a step back. "Wh...what's wrong?"
Chu Chiyi glanced at her, and the next second, he actually took a step forward and grabbed her wrist.
Mu Jia was stunned for a moment before realizing that the other party was trying to pull her home.
Chu Chiyi pulled her inside, and the door slammed shut behind her.
Mu Jia's back rested lightly against the security door behind her. She didn't know exactly why, but her heart was pounding like a drum, making her chest almost ache.
He was still holding her hand, wondering if he could feel the frantically pounding pulse beneath her thin skin.
She knew his parents were rarely home...
"Chu Chiyi, what... what are you going to do..."
Suddenly I heard him ask, "Do you need to go to the restroom?"
"Huh?" She was completely taken aback by the question and asked, "What restroom?"
"Go ahead." Chu Chiyi released his hand and stepped aside to make way. "Turn right after you enter."
"ah?"
And so, under the other party's inexplicable "unable to refuse his hospitality," Mu Jia was practically half-pushed and half-dragged into the bathroom.
A boy's voice suddenly came from outside the door, "Look in the mirror."
Mu Jia's eyes widened in surprise again. What did he mean? Why was he making her look in the mirror?
Could it be because he also thought the white knitted dress she specially chose for today looked great?
A faint blush suddenly appeared on the girl's face; it seems he wasn't blind after all.
There was a large mirror, about half a person's height, right above the sink. Mu Jia leaned over and looked at her face in the mirror.
After glancing at it a few times, I couldn't help but step back a few steps to look at the whole body.
However, the moment she turned to the side, her gaze suddenly froze.
Behind the white knitted dress, there was a small but striking red stain!
Mu Jia's heart stopped for a moment, then began to pound wildly again without any pause, and her face instantly turned red.
How could this be? When did it start? How could she really not feel anything at all?
And why, why in this particular setting, in front of him?
Her mind was a mess, and all she felt was that if there were a rope in this bathroom, she would willingly put it around her neck.
...
A few seconds later, she frantically rummaged through the hidden compartment of her backpack, her hands trembling with anxiety.
But fate had other plans, and he gained nothing.
Just as Mu Jia was pacing anxiously in the bathroom, she suddenly heard the sound of the outer door closing.
She felt another chill run down her spine. He was leaving? Where was he going?
Was it because he also felt embarrassed that he simply decided to leave and abandon her at home to fend for herself?
A few minutes passed, and just as Mu Jia was in the enclosed bathroom, unsure whether to sit or stand, stay or leave, and almost bursting into tears, she suddenly heard the sound of the door being opened and closed again outside.
For some reason, she seemed to have forgotten about being embarrassed at this moment, and a strange feeling of being granted a pardon arose in her heart.
Then, there was a knock on the bathroom door.
A few seconds later, Chu Chiyi pushed the door open and put a dress on the sink. "Change your clothes."
The boy's voice was steady, calm yet cool and indifferent, just like when he spoke to her before.
Mu Jia stood in another corner of the bathroom, facing him, biting her lip tightly, her eyes red.
Through this thin red "filter," everything she saw seemed to be tinged with a faint red, and in a daze, even the Adam's apple and collarbone that flashed before her eyes when the boy bent down to put away his clothes.
Mu Jia rubbed her eyes, but the boy had already straightened up, closed the door, and walked out again.
After he left, Mu Jia hesitated for a moment, then went over and picked up the skirt.
As soon as the fabric was unfolded, a pack of unopened sanitary napkins fell to the floor with a "thud".
Mu Jia stared at the things on the ground. The next moment, after letting out a sigh of relief, a violent surge of emotions almost forced all the tears that she had been holding back to come out.
A few minutes later, Mu Jia finished getting ready and came out.
She has always been good at self-regulating and managing her emotions, and now she looks perfectly at ease, sitting calmly on the sofa in the living room.
It's just a normal physiological phenomenon that half the population on Earth experiences; there's nothing to be embarrassed about. He should understand, and she should understand even more. She felt justified in her own mind.
Yet the space remained eerily quiet.
Mu Jia couldn't help but look down at her dress. It was light khaki with a houndstooth pattern and a thin, luxurious texture, giving it a very elegant feel.
The clothes had a faint fragrance, and the size was slightly larger than hers, but still a good fit.
But a sense of doubt arose in her heart.
After hesitating for a moment, I couldn't help but ask, "Why do you have girls' clothes in your house?"
She tried to keep her tone relaxed and casual, as if she were just chatting casually to break the awkwardness.
Taking advantage of the fact that her parents were not in the country and that the emperor was far away, she had accidentally stumbled upon Chu Chiyi's "unruly" behavior more than once.
But isn't bringing a girl home a bit too much?
After all, no matter what, he and Lu Siming were born in the same year, and he's still not an adult...
"The clothes were left by my mother."
"Huh?" Mu Jia was stunned for a moment. "Oh... well, then when Auntie comes back next time, please thank her for me. Also, this dress, I'll take it back and wash it, and return it to you next time we meet."
"No need." For some reason, the boy's expression suddenly turned cold, and he uttered those three words directly.
Mu Jia paused for a moment, unsure whether his "no need" meant he didn't need to return it or that they didn't need to meet again.
The space fell silent again. Mu Jia hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, "Brother Chu... can I... can I sleep for a while?"
Everyone's body is different. Some girls experience pain or coldness during their period. Mu Jia doesn't experience pain or coldness, but she gets particularly sleepy during those few days.
As she lay in bed, she realized that the room she was in was the master bedroom, which was Chu Chiyi's parents' room.
Looking around, there were no signs of habitation, but the place was also free of dust.
She pouted, but then she realized it made sense; why would Chu Chiyi offer her his room to sleep in...
But if she just sleeps in his parents' room like that, and they find out later, won't they feel offended?
Before she could think it through, her eyelids started to droop, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep uncontrollably.
For some reason, despite being in an unfamiliar environment and in an unfamiliar bed, Mu Jia slept quite soundly.
When I opened my eyes again, I reached for my phone on the bedside table and was surprised to find that it was already noon.
Before falling asleep, she didn't forget to send a message to Mr. Liu, her physics teacher, asking for leave due to feeling unwell.
She had already received a reply from the teacher agreeing to the terms. Apart from that, there was no new information from her parents. It was probably because her grades and reputation were usually good, and because it was a tutoring session, that the teacher hadn't called Yuan Mei to verify.
She walked out of the room and saw Chu Chiyi sitting on the sofa in the living room, with the book "Differential Geometry" that she had given him on the coffee table in front of him.
When Chu Chiyi saw her come out, he didn't say anything, but he handed her a glass of water.
After a morning of ups and downs, she hadn't had a drop of water. The warm water she swallowed almost tasted sweet to her, so she held the cup and drank a few more mouthfuls.
She put down her cup and said, "Thank you, brother."
"You're welcome. Consider it a thank you for the band-aid you gave me earlier."
"Huh? Oh..."
“And another thing,” the boy looked up from his book, “you don’t need to call me brother.”
Mu Jia opened her mouth, thinking to herself, "Didn't you ask me last time why I don't call you 'brother' anymore?"
She didn't show it on her face, but gave him her standard sweet smile that had captivated countless men, women, and children, and said, "Okay, so how should I call you, brother?"
"Just call me by my name."
"Okay." She smiled again, her dimples clearly appearing on both cheeks, and tilted her head confidently. "Chu Chiyi, I'm hungry."
The boy seemed to pause for a moment, then closed the book in front of him: "What do you want to eat?"
His parents are away from home for many years, so the house has been cold and deserted for years, and the kitchen has not been used for who knows how long.
But Mu Jia pouted, "I don't eat takeout or fast food. I want something hot right now."
It was lunchtime, and the living room window was open, letting in the aroma of food from other residents' homes in the building.
It tastes like pan-fried ribbonfish.
Mu Jia suddenly stood up. "Wait for me."
A few minutes later, she returned, carrying a steamer.
Upon opening the pot lid, the two-tiered pot revealed a generous portion of three dishes and a soup, along with a plate of golden-brown pan-fried saury.
The main dish is brown sugar corn cake...
An eerie silence hung in the air between the two for a few seconds.
After a while, Mu Jia suddenly heard the other person say, "Mu Jia, are you asking me for food?"
Mu Jiatong's pupils suddenly dilated, and then she looked at him speechlessly, thinking that this person was better off saying less.
She took a breath, her face still gentle and kind, and patiently explained the whole story to him: "Brother, I didn't beg for food. It's because my brother wrote down the wrong number in the address I was given, so when I came this morning, I knocked on the wrong door downstairs. The grandpa and grandma downstairs chatted with me for a while. They were very enthusiastic and asked me who I was looking for and what I was doing there. In the end, they even said that it's just the two of them at home, and they always cook more food than they can finish, so they invited me to their home for lunch."
"And I won't eat for free. I've already told them that I'll bring them the little cakes my mom baked next time."
Chu Chiyi's lips twitched slightly. Clearly, this enthusiasm and its boundaries were completely beyond his comprehension, whether it was Mu Jia or the elderly couple downstairs...
He didn't show it on his face, and casually asked, "Really? What did you all talk about?"
The boy glanced at her and asked, "What did you say about me?"
Mu Jia then recounted the story frankly and openly: "They say you're handsome, polite, have a good temperament, and are excellent in both character and academics. Besides having outstanding grades, you can do everything... From childhood to adulthood, all the girls in this compound have liked you."
After listening to a barrage of seemingly endless praise, the boy's expression didn't change much; he simply raised an eyebrow slightly. "Really?"
"Just kidding!" Mu Jia finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What?"
I'll update during the day today~
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