"What are you 'ah-ing' about? I cooked these dishes all afternoon, and while the soup was simmering, I was afraid your little pot wouldn't hold it all without spilling over, so I stood by it for an hour, not daring to move an inch. Do you understand?"
"Why didn't you just get a stool…"
"Is that the point?!"
Xia Xinyu's face turned red with frustration from Chen Yuan, and for a moment, she didn't know how to continue.
No, I say I can kill a man without blinking.
You ask me if my eyes are dry?
"It's delicious, I love it, I'm very grateful… Is there a problem with that?"
Seeing Xia Xinyu like this, Chen Yuan felt inexplicably nervous; even if she jumped up, she might not reach his head, but he had a strange fear that this girl would smash his skull.
Moreover, the[0.07]that originally hovered above her head suddenly changed to[0.11]. That is, her life span went from an hour and a half to a whole kun hour.
This extra hour… it's not planning to take me along, is it?
No, are you expecting me to be a burial companion?
"Sit down properly."
Xia Xinyu, like a preschool teacher, ordered Chen Yuan seriously.
"Okay."
Chen Yuan didn't dare to move and sat upright on the stool.
Next, Xia Xinyu reached out her hands in front of herself and began pinching, as if she was playing with clay.
But it wasn't random pinching; she had a system.
The business smile that oozed from her lips was suppressed.
The eyes that were intentionally opened wide out of politeness were also manipulated to reflect her usual languidness.
Finally, the proper sitting posture was adjusted. Her shoulders were uneven in height, and one elbow rested on the table, exuding an untroubled vibe of an old man drinking morning alcohol.
"I always feel it's not natural enough… The eyes aren't dismissive enough, the despair isn't strong enough," Xia Xinyu analyzed.
"Let me think."
Resting his chin on his crossed hands, Chen Yuan reflected for a moment and then sighed, looking at her with a lackluster expression.
"That's it."
Although they hadn't known each other for long, as the familiar Chen Yuan returned, Xia Xinyu's brows gradually relaxed.
The time on her head also returned to [0.07].
No, so you can't rest easy before your death because of me?
You feel comfortable when I pull this typical bureaucratic face?
"Is it good?"
At this point, Xia Xinyu asked again.
"Not bad, all of it is at a level good enough to make money," Chen Yuan nodded and commented.
Indeed, this was the kind of cryptic expression that might be misunderstood, and this time Chen Yuan meant it sincerely.
"You should have said so earlier. I thought you had no appetite and couldn't eat, scared me." Seeing Chen Yuan's genuine reaction, Xia Xinyu no longer worried that her efforts would be wasted.
Originally, she wanted to express her gratitude to Chen Yuan for introducing her to high-end cuisine before passing away. If she couldn't enjoy this last meal, she wouldn't be able to rest in peace, even in death.
Even if she turned into a fierce ghost, she would secretly cook a table of three meals and a soup for Chen Yuan, just to see his genuine approval.
In this way, her life would be complete.
She wouldn't owe anything to anyone who had been kind to her.
Wait, there's still Aunt…
But that was beyond her control.
You've always got to hurt some people, and the closer they are to you, the easier it is to mentally forgive yourself.
"You must have realized, I'm not in a good mood," Chen Yuan explained about his earlier behavior.
"Mmhmm," Xia Xinyu nodded in understanding, speaking directly, "you became so polite all of a sudden, and you liked to say thank you to people, even smiling gently. Your way of showing you're in a bad mood is really extreme."
"But I don't want to talk to you about it."
Chen Yuan's face showed an offended expression like that of a pouting foreign child in a jpg.
"Go on, tell me, I am sorry," Xia Xinyu hastily apologized and served Chen Yuan some ribs.
After being coaxed like this, Chen Yuan opened up: "Actually, I feel like nothing I do goes right lately."
"School-related?"
"That's showing up as one part of my bad luck. Today, for some mysterious reason, the English teacher dragged me into the office to write vocabulary, but that's not the main reason I'm upset."
"So what's bothering you?"
"Interpersonal relationships aren't going well, that's… well, it's not really a big deal."
The new girl who had transferred to the row behind him had been paying attention to him at first, but in the past two days, she began to treat him like a total stranger. Although Chen Yuan didn't have a people-pleasing personality, and wouldn't give his attention to someone he disliked a second time, it still felt like he did something wrong, as if he had completely fallen out of her favor.
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Inexplicably.
"This, isn't this the most important thing?"
"Yes."
Chen Yuan nodded and raised his Rio; across from him, Xia Xinyu also cradled her Rio, clinking glasses with him.
After a light sip, Chen Yuan elaborated, "It's like this, remember that day I told the teacher's wife that Doggie might be sick? I was actually certain that he was ill. But I didn't know whether the teacher's wife had taken Doggie to the hospital or not, and I was too embarrassed to ask Lao Mo, the dead proud beast, lest I receive another scolding. So now, Doggie belongs to the Schrödinger's category, existing in a superposition of being both dead and alive..."
"Are you troubled by this kind of thing?" Xia Xinyu knew Chen Yuan was kind-hearted, but she didn't expect it to be this concerning.
Appearances can be deceiving indeed.
"What, you look down on Doggie, right?"
Warning for Doggie's life.
"No, I didn't mean that. I'm just saying that you've done all you could; even if the head teacher's daughter's puppy died, it wouldn't be your fault," Xia Xinyu consoled.
"It definitely wouldn't be blamed on me, but if it really died..." Chen Yuan lamented, "I was so close to saving it."
"As long as you've tried your best, wouldn't you be at peace…"
Halfway through her words, Xia Xinyu paused.
No, is he hinting at me?
Just for not saving a dog, Chen Yuan showed a kind of extreme, aberrant gentleness in his distress.
Yet he had saved her from the toxic gas that day, and tonight, she was contemplating suicide next door to him...
Her life might not be more valuable than that of the puppy, which still had its loving young owner, and she had already lost the person she loved most, but in Chen Yuan's heart, Xia Xinyu was certain she was at least more important than Little Mo's dog...
Could it be that he guessed I wanted to die, and this is my last meal before execution?
That, that's impossible, right?
If he could guess even this, it'd be too miraculous...
"Then, think of it this way," Xia Xinyu suddenly flashed a brilliant smile.
"Think of what?"
"Since there is no bad news, let's treat it as good news."
"The Spirit of Ah Q?"
"No, didn't you say the head teacher is very proud? That suggests he might've really sent the teacher's wife to the animal hospital, and the doggie might've been saved. It's just his teacher's dignity... He doesn't want to say thank you to you, that's all?"
"Optimism, yes?"
"Yes."
Half cup empty, half cup full.
It's just a matter of attitude towards the problem.
Xia Xinyu had made up her mind.
She couldn't be so selfish as to die next door to Chen Yuan.
She would find another place to leave this world.
Then, faced with her sudden disappearance, Chen Yuan could still harbor two imaginations.
One, the pessimistic version—she died.
Two, the optimistic version—she moved away. The reason for not contacting him anymore could be due to her parents finding out she had a premature romance with the neighbor boy, resulting in a ban on further contact.
Or to say, based on option two, a bit more optimistic, and a bit sillier.
Xia Xinyu had developed feelings for him, but she had resolved not to engage in romance before college, so she planned to get in touch with the boy who had shared a roof with her for a few days, after she got into university.
When that time finally came...
Chen Yuan would have forgotten about Xia Xinyu.
Guilt, unease, and regret would gradually fade away.
She would completely disappear like a ghost.
"Chen Yuan, I'm going back home tomorrow and transferring to a school in my hometown," turning a strand of hair behind her ear and forcing a bashful smile, she suddenly said, "The bus is at six in the morning; it's a bit rushed, so I won't have time for goodbyes."
[0.2]
Time had changed again; now it was five hours.
In other words, she would leave stealthily in the middle of the night and then silently pass away.
And she, who had just pick-up artist-ed herself, hoped he would understand it this way—think positively, your last rescue was not meaningless.
Xia Xinyu existed in an unknown superposition state.
She was not only alive but also began to busily and optimistically go about doing things.
As long as he didn't ponder it too deeply.
"Indeed, it does seem a bit rushed."
Chen Yuan looked up at the girl whose face could no longer hide any more worries, and could not maintain her disguise any longer, and proactively suggested, "Tonight, do you have any plans to do something with me?"
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