entanglements and choices
On November 29, 2010, during a break on Monday, Ming Xiaoqi grabbed Rao Xiaofeng's wrist and eagerly interrogated her, "Have you accepted Jiang Wenqing's pursuit?"
"Yeah." Xiaofeng felt a little pain when she grabbed him. He frowned slightly and his voice unconsciously rose a few degrees.
"You're so mean!" Xiao Qi said with a hint of grievance. "I heard this gossip from Yao Anni and the others. They said they saw an 'old man' picking you up every day."
Xiaofeng frowned and stared at Xiaoqi with disgust: "What do you mean by 'old man'? It sounds so ugly." She deliberately emphasized the word "old", as if she wanted to chew it up and swallow it.
"That's not the point!" Xiao Qi shook her wrist. "The point is, I'm not the first person to know. You actually hid it from me!"
Xiao Feng couldn't help but laugh, and reached out to pat the back of her hand: "I'm sorry, Miss! How about I treat you to a meal to make amends? Oh... Come to think of it, your words really came true."
"Is it about Brother Zhou Yang?" Xiao Qi reacted immediately.
"Yeah," Xiao Feng nodded, his tone lighter, "Like you said, Zhou Yang and I have only just started a week."
"What did Zhou Yang say?"
"Nothing." Xiao Feng's voice was filled with an inexplicable amount of blame and helplessness. "It seems like everyone leaves me without leaving a single word."
"Won't he try to fight for it?"
"He has his 'family mission'." When these four words floated out from his lips, Xiaofeng subconsciously pinched his arm, as if to confirm something.
"What about Jiang Wenqing?"
"I don't know," Xiaofeng shook his head, "Actually, I don't know much about him."
"Are you aware of his marital status?"
"He has a certificate of being single. Uncle Zhou showed it to me."
"Proof of being single? Then why would he go to the maternity and baby store?" Xiao Qi suddenly asked back.
"I don't know. He never mentioned it."
"You didn't ask?"
"No."
"It's better not to mention this kind of thing now or in the future, so that it won't become a hidden danger." Xiao Qi frowned and reminded.
Xiaofeng blinked her innocent eyes and looked at her with a puzzled expression. But Xiaoqi didn't stop and continued to ask, "Is he living with you now?"
"yes."
"Living together? So how far have you progressed?"
"He sleeps on the sofa on the first floor."
"He's willing to do this?" Xiao Qi exclaimed, then laughed mischievously, "You're too biased. His treatment is far worse than Zhou Yang's."
Xiaofeng looked up suddenly at Xiaoqi's words. Just then, the sun shone in her eyes. She gathered herself and said to Xiaoqi, "After school on Saturday night, can you accompany me to the furniture store? I'll go home and clean up a room for him."
After school on December 4, 2010, Xiaofeng received a call from Wenqing, "You guys go shopping, isn't it inconvenient to take me with you?" Wenqing's rare coquettish tone on the other end of the phone was like a mint candy, which unexpectedly exploded a cool sweetness in Xiaofeng's heart and made her heart tremble.
"Be good and wait for me to come back in the evening, okay?" Xiaofeng tried to comfort Wenqing. She didn't want Wenqing to know her goal in advance.
"You two are so cheesy."
Xiao Feng's ears burned, and she changed the subject, "Let me show you a photo. It's a selfie of the two of us on my birthday."
"You two are such a perfect match! Look at your eyes, they're so sweet. It's true... when you're with the right person, you shine."
"Xiao Qi, you will also meet someone who makes you shine."
"Seeing you guys so happy, I suddenly feel so touched! If I meet that person, I will tell you the first time."
"Thank you!"
The two of them chatted as they walked around, and finally Xiaofeng bought a mattress, bedding, and a few sets of home clothes, and agreed on a time to deliver the mattress the next day.
After arriving home, Wenqing saw Xiaofeng coming in with bags. While squatting on the ground to untie her shoelaces, he said distressedly, "You bought so many things and asked me to pick you up. They are so heavy, and you've been shopping so late..." When Wenqing turned around to get his slippers, Xiaofeng hugged him from behind, "Wenqing, I missed you so much!"
Wenqing seemed enveloped by the power of time standing still. He stood there in a daze, pondering Xiaofeng's words. Wenqing turned around and carried Xiaofeng to sit on the shoe cabinet, resting his forehead against hers. The familiar woody scent penetrated Xiaofeng's nostrils, and she sniffed it greedily.
Wen Qing's honey-sweet voice rang out, "Xiao Feng, I haven't seen you for 15 hours. I miss you too."
Just then, Wenqing's cell phone buzzed on the coffee table. He picked Xiaofeng up from the shoe cabinet, turned around and picked up the phone, "Mom..."
Xiaofeng carried the shopping bags to the sofa and was sorting them when Wenqing walked over to her and whispered in her ear, "Mom asked if we could go home for dinner tomorrow?"
Xiaofeng quickly shook her head, and Wenqing took the phone and walked away again.
When Wenqing finished the call and came over, Xiaofeng took out the top of his home clothes, shook it open, and gestured in front of Wenqing, nodding with satisfaction, "It's the right size."
"Bought it for me?" Wen Qing took the clothes, stared at the Popeye design on the chest, frowned, and said, "It's so cute! Does it suit me?"
Xiaofeng took out another piece of home clothes and shook it out, showing it off on herself. "I like this Oliver."
It turns out that this is not ordinary home clothes, but Xiaofeng’s "cohabitation declaration".
Without hesitation, Wenqing pulled Xiaofeng into his arms and said, "Thank you!"
Xiaofeng put down the clothes in her hand and put her arm around Wenqing's waist. "I hope you like it."
Wenqing placed his chin on Xiaofeng's head and nodded, "Xiaofeng, go home when you feel the time is right."
December 5, 2010, a Sunday morning, was a perfect time to stay in bed, listening to the melody of my heartbeat echoing in unison with the wind outside. It was also a perfect time to slowly sit up and watch the curtains lift a corner in the breeze... There was plenty of time anyway. Wenqing and Xiaofeng leisurely prepared breakfast. The sizzling of omelets, the aroma of milk, and the occasional whispers and smiles marked the beginning of this sweet day with the simplest of everyday life.
After breakfast, Xiaofeng sat at her desk, doing her homework, her mind wandering. She would occasionally pick up her phone, swipe at the clock, and unconsciously poke at the pages of her book.
"Is there anything wrong?" Wen Qing walked over with a cup of water and asked softly.
"It's okay." Xiaofeng blinked several times as if to blink away his wandering thoughts, then lowered his head and pretended to concentrate on continuing to write the questions.
"Ding Dong—" The doorbell rang suddenly. Xiao Feng jumped up from the chair like a spring with the trigger pressed, and rushed to the door. He opened the door and saw the person coming, then quickly turned around to get his shoe covers, his steps light and cheerful.
Wenqing then saw that it was the staff who delivered the mattress. He quickly pulled Xiaofeng aside and worked with the staff to move the new mattress to the room on the second floor.
By the time Xiaofeng came down from the second floor, Wenqing had already sent the staff away. She pointed upstairs and explained, "The new mattress has a bit of a smell, so you might have to spend a few days on the sofa. The bedding I bought yesterday also needs to be washed before you can use it. I'll clean up the room in the next few days."
Wenqing smiled, calmly sat down on the sofa, and patted the seat next to him. Xiaofeng pursed her lips, walked over obediently, and sat down next to him.
Wenqing leaned slightly closer to her. Xiaofeng subconsciously moved aside, and Wenqing immediately followed suit, still maintaining a close distance. Xiaofeng sat down to the side again, trying to create some space, but Wenqing didn't give up, and once again pressed closer... This repeated several times, until Xiaofeng was squeezed against the armrest of the sofa, with no way to retreat. Then, with his neck stiff and a look of "ready to die," he asked, "What do you want to do?"
Wen Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you want from me?"
One sentence instantly made the sweetness in the air soar, and it was filled with an ambiguous factor.
Xiaofeng froze there, like a little mouse waiting to be "executed" by a cat, even her breathing slowed. Wenqing suddenly leaned over and threw her onto the sofa, his upper body gently pressing against her. He gritted his teeth and sighed with a raspy voice, "I want to...eat you, little demon."
Xiaofeng suddenly closed her eyes, her breathing becoming heavy, her heart pounding in her chest, as if it would burst out at any moment. But a moment later, Wenqing gently let her go, helped her sit up, and carefully smoothed her wrinkled shirt. His voice was as gentle as a feather: "Thank you. Actually, I never felt wronged."
Wenqing's gentle love, like a gentle rain that moistens everything, quietly permeates Xiaofeng's daily life. This love is not as blazing and flamboyant as a raging fire, but it leaves its mark in every ordinary moment—perhaps the perfectly sweet and salty porridge on the table when she wakes up, or perhaps a glass of warm milk before bed, allowing Xiaofeng to feel a sense of certain warmth in the trivialities.
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