BSS - Chapter 108

Chapter 108

They went to pick up Zhou Liu after they got home.

It was much colder here than in Chaoshan. As soon as they stepped off the plane, a gust of cold wind hit them. Xu Wei wrapped her coat tightly around herself, burying her nose and mouth in her scarf. She also casually pulled up the zipper on Deng Chuan's jacket, all the way to her chin.

Deng Chuan let her do it, but insisted on clingily holding her hand. Xu Wei simply put her hand in Deng Chuan's pocket. They weren't in a hurry to get anywhere; their time was leisurely. Once inside the airport terminal, Xu Wei went to get their luggage while Deng Chuan queued up for coffee, treating it as a break for breakfast.

Deng Chuan came back with two cups of coffee, a sandwich held in her mouth as she turned around. Her mask was pulled down to her chin, revealing a sharply defined face in the morning light. To Xu Wei's eyes, she looked very much like an obedient puppy.

She waved, and Deng Chuan immediately spotted her and walked over.

That morning, Xu Wei had woken up as usual, only to open her eyes and realize she was crying. Deng Chuan was turned on her side, looking at her with concern.

Her face was wet; she must have been crying hard. Xu Wei couldn't help but rub her furrowed, aching brow. When she spoke, it was as if she'd lost her vocal cords. "...Did I wake you?"

If a gaze could have a speed, then Deng Chuan's was watching her slowly, very slowly. There was a solemn quality to Deng Chuan's eyes. Xu Wei saw it, and strangely, she had no desire to act tough or explain anything. Instead, she rather enjoyed the weight of Deng Chuan's gaze, waiting to see what she would do. As expected, Deng Chuan didn't speak. She just sat up, got a tissue to wipe away her tears, and then reached out to hug her.

Xu Wei fell into her embrace. Deng Chuan held her tightly, her lips brushing against Xu Wei's face. She took a deep breath. They were so close that Deng Chuan's breathing seemed to make Xu Wei tremble along with her.

She kissed her again, preciously, this time on the tip of her nose.

Their arrival in Chaoshan had been unhurried, and their departure would be just as calm.

While waiting for their flight at the airport, Xu Wei called her younger brother. On the phone, Xu Cheng's voice sounded like he had just been woken up. "Hello? Sis, what's up?"

"We're leaving," Xu Wei said.

The just-awakened voice immediately became a little flustered. "Huh? You're not staying a few more days? Dad was saying..."

"No." Xu Wei cut him off. She was no longer willing to fight for their expectations. Those expectations hadn't been important to begin with, so she had no intention of hearing what the "Dad" Xu Cheng was talking about had to say. "Our flight is this morning. I'm just calling to let you know."

"Okay." Her brother sounded a bit hesitant. "Is your address still the same? I can mail you some beef meatballs and stuff..."

"Don't bother if it's too much trouble. We can't eat that much anyway."

"It's no trouble," her brother said, sounding a little regretful. "The New Year is in a few days. Are you sure you won't stay a little longer?"

"No. I'll be in touch."

Deng Chuan leaned on Xu Wei's shoulder, listening to her phone call, her eyes fixed on Xu Wei's moving chin as she spoke. She shouldn't have been able to understand a single word, but her gaze was still very serious, as if she were trying to study every sentence.

Xu Wei touched her ear; it was cool. Deng Chuan gave her a faint smile, and Xu Wei smiled back. She remembered her brother's words and thought in a daze, Oh, it's almost the New Year.

Around this time last year, she must have been at this very airport. And a few days later, on New Year's Eve, Deng Chuan would call her and, amidst the sound of fireworks, summon the courage to ask her that question.

Frequent reminiscing might not be a good thing. But Xu Wei was happy to do it.

She thought that Deng Chuan must remember, too.

Sure enough, after they got home and dropped off their luggage, on the drive to pick up Zhou Liu, the kid mentioned, "Time flies. The New Year is in a few days."

Xu Wei shot her a quick glance while driving. Deng Chuan was looking at her phone, casually scrolling through a webpage. A moment later, she added, "My parents probably don't know I'm back home yet. I can spend the New Year with you."

She meant she would pretend to go home after the New Year. Xu Wei's heart stirred, but she remained rational and added a few words of advice. "You should go back to your hometown to see your elders for the New Year. Don't worry about me. You should go with your family."

"It's fine," Deng Chuan said. "I have a big family. They won't miss one person."

"You have a big family?"

"Mhm." Deng Chuan put her phone away and looked at the road ahead as well. "Careful... there's someone at the intersection."

"I see them." Xu Wei tapped the brakes and turned the steering wheel to make the turn.

"We have a lot of relatives. My paternal grandmother has four children, and my mom has an older brother. Their kids are all older than me, and some are already married with children, so it gets even more crowded during the holidays."

"Mhm," Xu Wei hummed softly in response.

They arrived and parked. The pet shop looked like it had just opened. Deng Chuan pushed the door open and went inside. The woman at the front desk was eating breakfast.

There was hardly anyone in the shop yet. She led Deng Chuan to get Zhou Liu. Zhou Liu had been sleeping, but upon seeing Deng Chuan, he started pawing frantically at the cage door, meowing impatiently.

The cage was opened, and Zhou Liu rushed headlong into Deng Chuan's arms. His claws hooked tightly onto her clothes, and he refused to come down no matter what.

His meows softened Deng Chuan's heart. Zhou Liu's pitiful, abandoned look made her feel a bit guilty. "I'm sorry... for leaving you here for so long. We're going home now..."

Xu Wei, waiting outside, had anticipated this and hadn't brought the pet carrier. She gave Zhou Liu's head a good scratch and went to the front desk to pay.

On the way back, Zhou Liu kept up his pitiful meowing, drawing out the sounds so long that the two of them couldn't even talk. Deng Chuan had no choice but to be quiet and stroke his head soothingly.

Xu Wei didn't bring up the matter of Deng Chuan's New Year plans again. It was a tacit understanding between them. Deng Chuan sent a message to her family, saying she was spending the New Year with friends. Her dad didn't ask much, only for her location and flight details. Deng Chuan sent him a screenshot of her previous flight and a photo taken in Chaoshan, and everything fell into place logically.

That evening, the two had planned to have barbecue at home. But Zhou Liu was being very clingy, insisting on staying in Xu Wei's lap and refusing to move. Xu Wei had no choice but to hold him and watch Deng Chuan pan-fry pork belly and mushroom slices for herself. The kid had changed into comfortable, loose clothes at home, her hair tied back, which made her expression look even more serious as she stared at the pan.

They stayed at home for a few days. Deng Chuan's cooking skills improved. She was smart; for dishes she'd never made before, she could follow a tutorial step-by-step and get it about seventy or eighty percent right. Xu Wei developed a habit of browsing fresh grocery delivery platforms before bed every night. She would place an order before sleeping, and the next morning, the groceries would be delivered to their door.

Deng Chuan also cooked the New Year's Eve dinner. They even bought some beer to drink, choosing Budweiser for the occasion. After their afternoon nap, Deng Chuan was in the kitchen frying peanuts over low heat, the aroma filling the entire apartment. Xu Wei woke up, walked out groggily, and hugged her from behind.

Deng Chuan kept her eyes on the pan, squeezed Xu Wei's hand to make sure it wasn't cold, then let go, relieved. She turned off the heat and scooped the peanuts into a small dish on the side. "I have a mission for Teacher Xu: sprinkle salt on these."

Teacher Xu was uncharacteristically nervous. "How much should I add?"

"It's up to you, just sprinkle some on. Don't stress about it." Teacher Xu looked very cute, frowning as she stared at the peanuts. Deng Chuan boldly patted her on the head and said with a grin.

Absorbed in the salt problem, Teacher Xu didn't notice her action. Deng Chuan turned around, took the chicken wings she had marinated the previous night out of the fridge, and when she returned to the kitchen, the peanuts were still in the same spot. Teacher Xu hadn't moved at all.

"Is it too hard? Why don't you chop the vegetables then?" Deng Chuan took the plate of peanuts, poured in some salt, and mixed it.

"We're having braised eggplant. Just cut the eggplant into strips."

Teacher Xu completed this task very well. Although she wasn't very efficient, the final product was quite impressive. Every strip of eggplant she cut was roughly the same length, showcasing the meticulous thinking of the person wielding the knife.

All in all, their New Year's Eve dinner preparations went quite smoothly. Not many takeout places were open on New Year's Eve. While Deng Chuan was in the kitchen stir-frying the last dish, Xu Wei sat in the living room holding Zhou Liu and ordered some grilled skewers for two.

The CCTV New Year's Gala was playing on the TV. Deng Chuan opened a can of food for Zhou Liu and sat down next to Xu Wei. "Alright, let's eat."

She twisted the cap off a red Budweiser and tapped it against Xu Wei's bottle. "Happy New Year's Eve, baby."

Xu Wei only dazedly remembered that one word, "baby," and didn't even stop her from downing half the bottle of beer in one go.

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