BSS - Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Yang Jing ignored the blatant threat in Xu Wei's words and carried on, excitedly asking what Xu Wei planned to get for dinner.
Xu Wei put her phone away and turned to look out the window, rubbing her wrist. "What do you want to eat?"
"Let's have something light. It's so hot here," Yang Jing said casually, craning her neck to look at Deng Chuan in the driver's seat. "Is the kid joining us?"
Xu Wei remained silent, but then she heard Deng Chuan agree from the front seat, her tone steady with a slight upward lilt.
Xu Wei breathed an inward sigh of relief, but then shot an annoyed glare at Yang Jing.
Oblivious, Yang Jing held up her phone and showed Xu Wei the screen. "Which of these is near your place?"
The screen was filled with options like copper pot shabu-shabu, congee-base hot pot, and coconut chicken hot pot-all looking very light and brothy. Xu Wei studied it for a moment. "These are all pretty far from my place. But it would just be a small detour. It's fine."
"No way. I've had enough running around for one day. I can't go anywhere far."
Yang Jing shook her head and leaned back against the seat with a heavy sigh. "I've been so exhausted lately. Now that I'm finally on vacation, I need to rest properly for a few days."
After a moment's thought, she added, "Or... how about we go to the supermarket, buy some ingredients, and have hot pot at your place?"
A thought occurred to her, and she asked Xu Wei uncertainly, "Do you even have a pot?"
Xu Wei answered without a hint of hesitation. "No."
"..." She watched Yang Jing's speechless expression for a moment before adding slowly, "We can also stop by the supermarket and buy one."
Deng Chuan knew the way to the supermarket near Xu Wei's place, so she turned off the navigation as they got close. The roadside trees were lush in the midsummer heat, casting a wide swath of green shade. It was past three in the afternoon, and though the heat hadn't faded, the asphalt road looked exceptionally cool. Deng Chuan was clearly familiar with the area; the car expertly turned at a fork, and the mall's billboard came into view in the distance.
Staring out at the passing scenery, Yang Jing praised her. "Deng Chuan is a very good driver."
She couldn't resist taking a jab at Xu Wei. "I just love riding in a car that feels steady. You've been in Teacher Xu's car, haven't you? It's absolutely terrifying."
Xu Wei said nothing, looking down at her phone and ignoring Yang Jing's little jab.
It was Deng Chuan who spoke up from the front. "Teacher Xu drives with flair. It's not scary."
That was clearly a statement made through rose-colored glasses. Yang Jing chuckled. "Xu Wei once drove my niece to tutoring for me. We were running late, and she somehow turned a thirty-minute drive into ten. Truly lightning fast. We made it on time, but my niece has refused to get in her car ever since."
Xu Wei couldn't resist swatting her. "Tsk. You've told that story a million times. Stop it."
"I've said plenty of other things a million times, too. What's the use? Nothing seems to faze you."
"What was that? I didn't catch it."
"I don't get it either. I never would have guessed you'd turn around and find a high schooler. High schoolers are great, though. So young and full of vigor..."
"Shut up..." Xu Wei gripped Yang Jing's wrist, staring at her and hissing through clenched teeth.
Yang Jing wisely fell silent. Following Xu Wei's gaze to Deng Chuan up front, she reassured her, "It's fine. She can't hear."
"..."
While the two in the back seat were having their tense exchange, Deng Chuan pulled the car into a temporary parking spot under the shade of a tree and unlocked the doors with a click. Xu Wei was the first one out, and she went to stand beside Deng Chuan.
"What's wrong?" Deng Chuan asked, taking her hand.
Xu Wei shook her head and, for once, took the initiative to gently trace her fingers against Deng Chuan's palm. Seeing how flustered she was, Deng Chuan coaxed her softly, "Be good. Go keep Sister Yang company. She came all this way to see you."
Xu Wei stared at her, looking displeased, though it was hard to tell if it was because of Deng Chuan's coddling tone or something else.
Deng Chuan didn't overthink it. Once Yang Jing was out, she locked the car and led Xu Wei forward to join her.
Yang Jing was already chatting with Deng Chuan as if nothing had happened. "Deng Chuan, which university are you going to?"
"P University."
"Wow, that's so impressive! I often travel to Beijing for work. I'll come visit you then."
"Sure. I'll treat you to a meal when you do."
Xu Wei, who had been listening to them in silence, finally reacted. "Eat what? You're not allowed to have a meal with her."
Yang Jing glanced at Xu Wei's face, then down at their clasped hands. She drew out her words. "Teacher Xu, aren't you a bit too possessive- Not even one meal?"
"No."
It was rare to see Xu Wei act this way, and Yang Jing wanted to tease her more, but Deng Chuan deftly changed the subject. "Sister, do you want a spicy or non-spicy hot pot base?"
Yang Jing considered it carefully for a moment. "Let's go with spicy. I remember you can handle spicy food."
"We could also get two kinds. Tomato and beef tallow."
"That works."
The three of them headed to the produce section first, buying lettuce, potatoes, lotus root, sweet corn, and other things they needed for the hot pot. While Yang Jing and Deng Chuan selected the vegetables, Xu Wei held Deng Chuan's hand and intently studied the neatly shucked corn kernels for a long time.
Deng Chuan chatted with Yang Jing, all while holding Xu Wei's hand.
The simple pleasure of wandering through the supermarket improved Xu Wei's mood slightly. So much so that when she saw Yang Jing put a six-pack of beer into the shopping cart, she didn't object.
Next, the three of them went to the meat and seafood section and bought plenty of shrimp, fatty beef slices, and hand-cut lamb chops. Knowing that Xu Wei didn't cook, Yang Jing also took the opportunity to buy some pork bones to make soup for her.
After they checked out, Deng Chuan took the two heaviest bags, her slender arms tensing with the weight. Xu Wei reached out to help, but Deng Chuan shook her head. "No, I can manage. You go get the car. The key's in my pocket."
Xu Wei hummed in agreement and reached into Deng Chuan's pocket for the car key.
Deng Chuan was wearing cargo pants, and the pockets were deep. Xu Wei had to fish around for a moment before she pulled out the key, along with a tissue that came out with it.
"You never organize your pockets properly," she chided Deng Chuan before quickening her pace to get to the car.
Xu Wei drove on the way back, and Yang Jing could clearly feel her vengeful retaliation. She was on the verge of getting carsick.
Fortunately, the drive back from the supermarket was short. From the car to the elevator, Deng Chuan carried all the heavy bags, while Xu Wei helped with the suitcase. It had been a long time since Yang Jing had seen Xu Wei, and she wanted to chat about random things, but one look at Xu Wei's face made her hold her tongue.
Once inside, Deng Chuan took the groceries to the kitchen. She sorted out the ingredients that needed special prep and the vegetables that needed washing and cutting, arranging everything neatly on the counter.
She was so focused on her task that she didn't notice Xu Wei approach.
The air conditioning was on, but the apartment hadn't cooled down completely yet. A thin sheen of sweat had formed on Deng Chuan's forehead, a bead threatening to fall. Xu Wei dabbed it away with a tissue, then tucked the used tissue into the collar of Deng Chuan's shirt. "Returning this to its owner."
Deng Chuan gave her a good-natured smile, then playfully tried to rub her sweaty forehead against her. Xu Wei swatted her away. "Wash the vegetables properly. No slacking."
With that, she left, returning a moment later in a change of loose-fitting clothes with a glass of water for Deng Chuan.
Deng Chuan drank a few sips as Xu Wei held the glass. She leaned against her naturally, feeling that Xu Wei's body was cooler than her own.
"Why aren't you hanging out with Sister Yang?" Deng Chuan asked after her drink, lowering her head to wash the dirt from the roots of the cilantro.
Xu Wei reached for the bean sprouts beside Deng Chuan. "She's in the shower."
"Those are already washed." Deng Chuan shifted to block her hand. "Go rest. I'm almost finished."
Hearing that, Xu Wei didn't insist. She relaxed against the sink and watched Deng Chuan work.
The water rushed from the faucet.
When Yang Jing emerged from her shower in a set of comfortable pajamas, she saw Deng Chuan carrying the washed vegetables out of the kitchen. Xu Wei trailed behind her, not helping or saying a word.
Both of their faces were a little flushed. Deng Chuan arranged the vegetables in a large bowl. Xu Wei opened the refrigerator, took out the meat and shrimp, and after a moment's hesitation, grabbed two cans of beer.
After a busy afternoon, the hot pot base, which they had started heating up as soon as they got home, was now bubbling away on the table.
Deng Chuan cooked some meat and placed it in the other two's bowls. None of them liked sesame paste, so their dipping sauce was a simple mix of chopped chili, minced garlic, cilantro, and soy sauce.
Yang Jing was flipping through channels with the remote. Xu Wei stopped Deng Chuan's chopsticks as she was about to cook some tripe for Yang Jing. "Just eat your own food. Let her get it herself."
Yang Jing paused for a second, then smiled. "That's right, you eat. We can get our own."
Deng Chuan hesitated for a moment before adding the slower-cooking potatoes and lotus root to the pot.
Yang Jing finally settled on a show. She took a casual sip of beer, popped some food in her mouth, and asked, "Deng Chuan, do you know how to cook?"
Deng Chuan glanced at Xu Wei and shook her head, embarrassed.
"Oh, you're doomed then. Neither you nor Xu Wei can cook. You'd starve without food delivery."
Deng Chuan quickly added, "I can learn."
"It's fine," Xu Wei said. "If you don't want to cook, you don't have to. If there's no delivery, we can eat out. You don't have to force yourself."
"It's not forcing myself. I want to cook for you," Deng Chuan said, her expression earnest and sincere.
Xu Wei met her gaze, and her expression visibly softened.
"Ah, youth is a wonderful thing," Yang Jing sighed, her gaze growing distant. As she looked at Deng Chuan, it was as if she were seeing the ghost of someone else's youth.
Xu Wei placed a slice of lamb into her bowl, interrupting her reverie. "Just eat," she said softly.
After they finished eating and tidied up, Yang Jing, tired from the day's travel and a little tipsy from the beer, took the blanket Xu Wei gave her and went to her room to sleep.
Xu Wei was in the kitchen washing the pot. She scrubbed it intently, her lips pressed into a thin line as if she were tackling a difficult problem. Amid the sound of running water, Deng Chuan dried her hands, crept up behind her, and wrapped her arms around her waist.
Xu Wei felt a sudden warmth against her back. She ignored Deng Chuan nuzzling her neck as she gave the pot a final rinse and dried it with a paper towel. Only then did she squirm slightly. "Let go- I have to put the pot away."
Her tone was soft, almost like a pout.
Deng Chuan loosened her grip slightly, following close behind as Xu Wei put the pot away in the cabinet under the stove. Then, she wrapped her arms around her again.
They were pressed tightly together, their bodies flush against each other.
Xu Wei had had a little to drink, and her breath smelled of alcohol and hot pot. Deng Chuan pressed her nose against Xu Wei's and chuckled, prompting Xu Wei to push at her shoulder. "You have to drive later. Don't kiss me."
Deng Chuan's hand slid along Xu Wei's cheek, her fingers brushing lightly against her skin. She leaned down and whispered in Xu Wei's ear,
"Teacher Xu..."
"That conversation you two had in the back seat today... I heard everything..."
Comments
Post a Comment