The next day at the follow-up appointment, after another blood test, the doctor said there was no need for more IVs; she just needed to rest at home. It was still early when they left the hospital. Lu Heng wanted to spend more time with Xiang Yu but was worried she might be too tired, so they decided to see a movie. Since it wasn't the weekend, the theater was almost empty, and they picked a Stephen Chow film.
"Can't I quit my jobs?"
"Are you going to support me if I do?"
"Hey!"
"What now?"
"I'll support you!"
"Take care of yourself first, dummy."
As they walked out of the theater, they repeated the lines playfully.
"I'll support you!"
"Take care of yourself first, dummy."
Lu Heng, laughing, grabbed Xiang Yu's hand. "I don't care."
"Don't care about what?" Xiang Yu looked at him, puzzled.
"I don't care. I want to support you in the future."
Xiang Yu couldn't help but laugh. "There's no need. We should both work to be our best selves, support each other, and work together."
Lu Heng looked at her. "Xiang Yu, you're really not like a typical girl."
Xiang Yu rolled her eyes at him. "What should a typical girl be like?"
Lu Heng scratched his head. "A typical girl would be moved to tears and hug me." He suddenly remembered that Xiang Yu had never cried in front of him. Except for that unexpected time at the dance, he'd never seen her cry, so he looked at her nervously.
Xiang Yu wasn't angry; she thought seriously for a moment and said, "I don't like crying."
Lu Heng couldn't help but sigh, hugging her, "Alright then, I'll hug you and cry. Is that okay?"
Xiang Yu didn't pull away but lightly hugged him back. Everything was very quiet, and everything was just right.
On their way home, they made plans to visit their high school the next day. Lu Heng wanted to see Xiang Yu all the time, but since she hadn't fully recovered and needed rest, he reluctantly left after giving her several hugs. The house was very quiet; her grandmother was probably out playing her usual afternoon mahjong game. Xiang Yu felt a bit restless. After sleeping for days, lying down any longer felt uncomfortable, so she decided to cook.
Xiang Yu was quite good at cooking. Her grandmother had taught her when she was in middle school. Xiang Yu believed it was wonderful to have various skills; the more you learn, the more you can rely on yourself. Ultimately, one should rely on oneself to walk steadily on the long journey of life.
After dinner, the grandmother and granddaughter watched TV together. Since starting high school, such cozy moments had become rare. Xiang Yu brought out two basins of water for them to soak their feet while watching. Her grandmother couldn't help but ask why the boy from a few days ago hadn't come today and why a different one had come instead.
Xiang Yu didn't know how to explain, but she was closest to her grandmother and never kept secrets from her. So, she asked, "Grandma, between the two, which one do you like more?"
"Both seem quite good. I like them both. The boy who came last time, isn't he staying at your aunt's place?"
"Yes, he's return from the rural area according to the government policy , so he's temporarily staying at his aunt's house." Xiang Yu initially wanted to praise Xiao Zhanyuan, mentioning his academic excellence, but considering their current situation, she stopped herself.
"Grandma sees that he cares about you a lot, though his family's circumstances aren't good. The young man is decent, and Grandma thinks he's suitable for you."
"Grandma, he's just a classmate. We've known each other since we were little. We've been friends for many years, like Si Ping and Han Xing."
"Oh, I see. So, you fancy the boy who came today?"
Xiang Yu didn't deny it, "Grandma, what do you think of him?"
"He looks fine, quite tall, but his skin is a bit dark. Our beautiful little girl is fair-skinned, and he's so dark."
Xiang Yu couldn't help but laugh, "He's not that dark! He plays soccer at school and spends a lot of time outside, so he's tanned."
"Grandma didn't say anything, and you're already defending him."
That night, Xiang Yu slept soundly, hugging her grandmother's arm, feeling especially at peace.