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墨書 Inktalez
I originally thought she was above me, but at this moment, I realized that she felt as humble towards me as I did towards her.
Materially, I relied on her, but emotionally, she probably needed a friend too much.
We reconciled calmly like this.
Around midnight, I couldn't shake off my thoughts about Xiao Shan as I tossed and turned in bed. The villa area was far from the bustling city, with a serene environment where I couldn't hear the sound of cars rushing by on the road or the noisy chatter of patrons in the small restaurant nearby, which only made me feel more restless.
It was too quiet.
Therefore, when I heard the sound of stumbling footsteps coming from downstairs, it was so clear and pleasant to my ears.
Mr. Xu was back.
I was in my pajamas, pretending to be drowsy as I rubbed my eyes and walked out of my room. I saw Mr. Xu sprawled across the sofa, looking like a young man in his thirties. With a voice that had a unique husky quality typical of youth, he mumbled, "Uncle Xu, you're back." Since Mr. Xu was younger than my father, at least in appearance, I had taken the liberty to call him "Uncle Xu" shortly after moving in, and he had no objections, nodding in agreement.
"Oh, why are you still awake?" He struggled to lift his eyelids and sat up with difficulty, leaning against the back of the sofa and staring blankly for a while.
"I'm going to the bathroom."
"Go ahead."
When I came out of the bathroom, Mr. Xu was gulping down cold water. As I walked down the stairs and caught a whiff of the strong smell of alcohol, I playfully scolded him, "How can you drink cold water?"
"It's fine; it's mineral water."
"That doesn't matter," I said "sternly." "Uncle Xu, you shouldn't drink so much alcohol; it's bad for your health."
He managed to curve his lips into a slight smile.
"I'll help you make some porridge; it will be easier on your stomach." Without waiting for Mr. Xu to stop me, I headed towards the kitchen.
The housekeeper didn't live here; she came in the morning and left at night. This was a good opportunity for me to please Mr. Xu.
The ingredients were all ready and top-notch; all I had to do was add water and rice. As long as it didn't burn, it wouldn't taste too bad.
After finishing everything, I returned to the living room and naturally sat beside Mr. Xu, speaking softly, "It'll be ready in about ten minutes; don't sleep yet; you'll have a headache tomorrow."
"You can cook at such a young age?" Mr. Xu forced himself to engage in conversation with me.
"It's nothing special; back home, I always cooked." I replied, "But I'm not very skilled; if it doesn't taste good, Uncle Xu mustn't say anything."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Um—because it would be embarrassing." I lowered my head and shyly stuck out my tongue.
Mr. Xu smiled lightly, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at me. Even though my heart was pounding, I bravely pushed my long hair behind my ear, exposing my slender and delicate neck, along with my flushed earlobes. In romance novels, there are many similar scenes where a young girl's neck holds a fatal attraction for men.
Sure enough, Mr. Xu inhaled sharply and quickly turned his head to look at the ground. "It's getting late; aren't you going to sleep?"
"The porridge isn't ready yet, and I can't sleep anyway. If Uncle Xu doesn't mind me being a bother, I'll keep you company for a while," I said playfully, tilting my head.
"How could I mind?" He picked up the glass again to drink some cold water, but I grabbed the cup, maintaining a forward-leaning posture that brought me within audible breathing distance of him. I said stubbornly, "I've told you before, don't drink cold water."
His gaze was deep as he locked eyes with me. I pretended not to notice and took the water cup back to the marble table. "Are you really that thirsty? I'll go see if there's any hot water."
Just as I was about to get up, he stopped me with his words. "No need."
"Alright then." I shifted back a bit to distance myself from him. He smiled at me and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from under the table, took one out, lit it, and quietly exhaled smoke without saying a word.
The porcelain pot on the gas stove bubbled softly. To make soft and delicious porridge, it would need a little more time. I rested my chin on my hand while sitting on the sofa, gazing at his charming profile.
He was truly handsome; his deep-set eyes and long, thick eyelashes made me suspect that Xu Wenmo inherited those lashes from him. The pale blue smoke surrounded him in an especially mysterious way. Perhaps it was due to the alcohol; his lips were tinged with an unusual crimson hue, his chin smooth without stubble, and his Adam's apple moved up and down with his actions. His collarbone was well-defined, exuding an alluring temptation... I couldn't help but swallow nervously as my heart raced with an unfamiliar feeling.
He was so mature and imposing, radiating masculinity from every inch of him. Compared to him, Xiao Shan seemed too youthful; even though he had youthful energy and a radiant appearance, every charming wrinkle on Mr. Xu's face minimized the age gap between them.
Such a man... wouldn't it be a pity for him to be a mere elder?
Mr. Xu must have sensed my infatuated gaze; the corners of his mouth subtly curved upward in satisfaction at my admiration. I could feel it.
A soft sound echoed from somewhere in the villa; I looked up toward the second floor where Xu Wenmo's door had opened at some point or perhaps she had forgotten to close it before sleeping.
"Is the porridge ready? I'm feeling a bit hungry," Mr. Xu said as he extinguished half of his cigarette in the ashtray, breaking the ambiguous atmosphere.
"It should be ready; let me check." I hurriedly got up, running toward the kitchen while tousling my hair, fully embracing the shyness of youthful infatuation.
As soon as I reached the stove, Mr. Xu called out loudly, "Once you've served the porridge, go to bed; you have class tomorrow."
"Oh, okay."
I then held the steaming porcelain bowl and leaned down to place it in front of Mr. Xu. The ends of my hair brushed against his cheek; he must have caught a whiff of my fragrance. Before he could get lost in it, I stood upright like the wind and dashed toward the stairs. Halfway up, I paused and turned back while holding onto the railing, smiling brightly. "Then I'm off to bed; goodnight, Uncle Xu."
"Mm, goodnight."
I tiptoed into my room with my heart racing like a startled deer and my legs trembling so much that I could barely stand.
Another soft sound echoed—this time reminding me to quickly turn around and close the door.
Tonight, Mr. Xu's Adam's apple replaced Xiao Shan's cruel smile in my dreams.
"Xiao Ye, are we friends?"
At noon, the classroom was once again left with just the two of us. Xu Wenmo took out her lunchbox and placed it on the desk, unusually asking me.
"Why are you suddenly asking this?" I didn't look at her, perhaps out of fear, and opened the lid of my box, picking up a crispy shrimp to eat.
Like before, Xu Wenmo stubbornly asked again, "Are we friends?"
I didn't understand. Was she simply naive or foolish? Did she think that by asking a few more times, she could uncover the truth that others were desperately trying to hide? Or did she believe that if I just nodded, it would resolve the doubts in her heart?
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