Cheng Kou was late, but Du Lanshan was not unhappy. On Cheng Kou's seat was placed Blue Mountain coffee and cherry cake, both of which Cheng Kou liked in the past.
She smiled apologetically, "Something happened on the way. Did you wait long?"
Du Lanshan shook her head and said, "Cheng Kou, I should have asked you out to reminisce about the past a long time ago."
"It's my fault." Cheng Kou asked, "I heard you are doing well now."
"It's not bad. A career that relies on youth won't last for many years." Du Lanshan smiled bitterly. "Are you in Nanshan now?"
Seeing Cheng Kou nod, she continued with emotion, "Nanshan is pretty good, after all, the foundation is there."
Cheng Kou never paid attention to these things and just smiled without saying anything.
The two chatted about recent events. Du Lanshan looked straight at Cheng Kou and talked about her main purpose today. "Cheng Kou, are you familiar with Su Yan now?"
Cheng Kou was stunned, not knowing how to answer for a moment. Familiar? She was not sure. After thinking for a while, she said, "Not very familiar, I guess. I have met him a few times at work."
For some reason, she subconsciously concealed the fact that they were neighbors.
Du Lanshan took a sip of coffee. She performed the simple action very gracefully. She asked again, "Do you still like him?"
As Cheng Kou's best friend in high school, she naturally knew about Cheng Kou's secret crush.
Cheng Kou was embarrassed and didn't say anything, which was considered as his agreement.
"I advise you not to continue associating with him, so as not to get too deeply involved." Du Lanshan hinted at something, her eyes full of sympathy, "I heard from a friend that Su Yan is getting married."
The surrounding sounds seemed to have disappeared, and the silence was unbearable. Cheng Kou ate the cake in front of her silently. Her hands were shaking, and the fork fell on the cake, getting covered with cream. She had no appetite and didn't want to pick it up.
Cheng Kou felt uncomfortable all the way, with a swollen and painful lower abdomen. She returned to Yurenyuan, took the elevator upstairs, and stood in front of the carved wooden door of Room 702, but couldn't find the key. She knocked on the door irritably, but Xia Linchen and Shen Yinran were not at home.
Cheng Kou squatted against the door, holding his abdomen. His body was in pain, but another part of his body was even more painful.
Is there anything more depressing than hopeless love? She tried her best to curl up her body and bury her face, as if this would stop her from being sad.
The door opposite suddenly opened, and Su Yan stood in the entrance hall, holding the door handle. He had clear features and a tall and graceful figure. He was not wearing his usual suit, and his hair was not as neat as it was at work. He was wearing home clothes, with a few strands of hair on his forehead, and a pair of glasses, looking a bit like a college student.
Su Yan looked at her staring at him blankly, her face pale, tears still lingering in the corners of her eyes. He walked forward, squatted in front of her, and spoke in a very soft voice, as if he was afraid of scaring her.
"Cheng Kou, what's wrong?"
"Su Yan... I'm in so much pain..." Her tears fell, and she had no idea what she was saying. She was just repeating those two sentences unconsciously.
Maybe only a few seconds passed, maybe a century, Cheng Kou felt a pair of warm hands touching her back, patting it gently. Then her body was lifted into the air, and was firmly held by a pair of strong arms. Soon, her body fell on the soft bed.
She must have been hallucinating, because she could vaguely hear Su Yan talking to her in a soft voice and hear a warm towel brushing against her eyes and cheeks.
When Cheng Kou woke up again, she thought for a long time before realizing where she was. The curtains were half-closed, revealing a little light. She squinted her eyes for a few seconds to adjust, then sat up and looked around. There were not many things in the room, but most of them were placed meticulously. There were suits hanging in the open cloakroom. Obviously, this was Su Yan's bedroom.
His stomach still ached dully, and Cheng Kou hugged the quilt. There was a clean and fresh scent between the bed and quilt, very similar to the smell of Su Yan.
"I'm causing him trouble again." Cheng Kou smiled bitterly. Even if he didn't like her, she didn't want to leave him with a bad impression that she was troublesome.
Cheng Kou got up from the bed, trying to find her backpack to call Shen Yinran. She opened the curtains to let the sunlight in. Cheng Kou turned around and saw a dark mark where she had just lain.
How should she go out and face Su Yan? Let her run into a wall and die!
Cheng Kou knocked her head in frustration. Oh my God, let her escape with the bed sheet! Wait... The balconies of the two houses are connected, she could just climb over the railing and go home...
Cheng Kou nodded and felt that she was very smart - it would not be too late to apologize to Su Yan after she washed the sheets!
She moved the pillow and quilt away, and then lifted a corner of the bed sheet. Then she heard Su Yan's clear voice, asking with a little confusion, "What are you doing?"
Cheng Kou was startled, and his first reaction was to sit down on the dirty area and cover it with his body.
"Hi, Su Yan." Cheng Kou forced a smile and said, "I'm helping you tidy up the sheets."
A corner of the bed sheet was still clenched in her hand. What she said was really not convincing. Su Yan raised his eyebrows, obviously not believing it. He took a few steps closer and looked down at her.
"Okay, I admit it." Cheng Kou said with a sad face, "Well... my... came to see me."
"Which one?" Su Yan didn't understand.
Cheng Kou didn't dare look at him, his eyes wandered left and right, and he whispered, "Relatives."
Su Yan understood now, his handsome face flushed slightly, he didn't look at her again, coughed lightly, and said, "Wait for me here, I'll go out for a while."
Cheng Kou didn't dare to move. Fortunately, Su Yan came back soon and handed her a bag. "The bathroom is over there. Go take a shower."
Cheng Kou went into the bathroom and opened the bag. Not only were there her current necessities, but also some clothes for changing. Her face suddenly turned red.
Cheng Kou washed herself obediently. The hot bath made her stomach feel much better. After she changed her clothes and came out, she saw a cup of steaming brown sugar water on the bedside table.
The bed sheet had been taken away by Su Yan and replaced with a new one. Cheng Kou did not dare to sit on it again and left the bedroom with the water cup. She looked around and found Su Yan in the study, so she walked over quietly.
Su Yan was working in the study, with a thick stack of documents on the table. After he finished typing a document, he looked up and saw Cheng Kou standing at the door, feeling uneasy like a primary school student who had made a mistake. She was wearing the clothes he bought. The quality of the clothes bought in the supermarket was naturally not very good. The style was simple and looked a bit childish. With her bangs, she looked like a child who needed care.
He pushed the notebook away, stood up and stretched his body, then gave her a faint smile, "Let's go to the living room to eat."
Su Yan ordered takeout while she was taking a shower. They were all very healthy food. Cheng Kou drank the porridge mouthful by mouthful. The rice porridge tasted very good, sweet and soft. Occasionally, she looked up at Su Yan's angular and smoothly lined profile.
After finishing her porridge, she asked, "Where's Little Cuttlefish? Why isn't he at home?"
Su Yan also put down the spoon and replied, "Xiao Qi took it."
Speaking of Shen Lifeng, Cheng Kou said, "Do you have many children? I see that you brothers have a good relationship."
Su Yan nodded, "I have four older brothers and a younger brother, Xiao Qi—you have met him."
"Is there another girl?" Cheng Kou asked curiously.
"Well, Xiaoliu is a very troublesome sister." Su Yan smiled helplessly. Cheng Kou found that whenever he mentioned his family, he would become particularly gentle, especially when talking about this sister, there was even a hint of doting in his tone.
There was no sign that a woman had lived in Su Yan's house. Cheng Kou guessed that he and Little Moyu's mother had been separated for a long time, and couldn't help but feel sorry for this well-behaved child.
Cheng Kou called Xia Linchen. After hearing what happened to her today, the man on the other end laughed a few times and then said, "Don't bother Yinyin. I will finish my work in an hour. You should wait at Su Yan's place before I go home."
"..." What were she and Su Yan doing together? Acting in silence
Fortunately, Little Squid came back soon. When Shen Lifeng saw him in, he saw Cheng Kou dressed so strangely, raised his eyebrows and smiled with interest.
Cheng Kou was so embarrassed that he didn't know where to put his hands and feet. Su Yan didn't bother to pay attention to him. He took the little squid and helped him take off his coat.
Shen Lifeng shrugged, accustomed to his attitude.
"Uncle Xiaoqi, are you going to stay here today?" Little Squid had a lot of fun playing with him today, so he didn't want him to leave.
"Baby, Uncle Xiaoqi is going home to be with his wife and kids." He said meaningfully with a half-smile on his face, "And I don't want to stay and be a light bulb for your Xiaowu."
After he left, Little Inkfish asked innocently, "Xiaowu, why is Uncle Xiaoqi a light bulb?"
Cheng Kou was embarrassed, but Su Yan acted as if he hadn't heard anything. He squatted down and touched the little squid's head, and said seriously, "Where's your uncle Xiaoqi? He had too much fun playing with you today, so his mind is not very clear. Don't pay attention to him."
Before the poor little cuttlefish could understand the connection between "having too much fun" and "not being clear-headed", Su Yan carried him to wash up and then took him to the bedroom to sleep.
Cheng Kou stood aside, watching the father and son enjoying such a harmonious family life, and felt deeply moved.
—Maybe one day this feeling will disappear completely, but I will not regret these ten years. I have loved you wholeheartedly, you who are so strange and yet so familiar.
Cheng Kou received a call from Du Lanshan, who said that Cheng Kou left her keys in the cafe at noon and that she was almost at Yurenyuan, so she asked her which building she lived in.
"Building A, 7th floor." After Cheng Kou told her, he sat on the sofa and waited for her to come up.
Soon the cell phone rang again. Cheng Kou ran to open the door, smiled apologetically at Du Lanshan, and blamed himself for being careless.
There was some noise in the living room, and Du Lanshan saw the handsome and tall figure walking out of a bedroom.
Du Lanshan took a deep breath, looked straight at Cheng Kou, and asked slowly, "You live with Su Yan?"