Luo Jingyu was in the kitchen sorting out the vegetables that Zhan Xi had bought: a bag of ribs cut into small pieces, two white radishes, a sweet corn, and a handful of spinach.
What should he do? He pondered and opened the refrigerator to check the inventory. He had hardly cooked in the past half month, and there were few fresh foods at home, just a few eggs, a few sausages, and some dried seafood.
Just as he was thinking, someone suddenly hugged him from behind, with his arms around his waist, his body pressed against his back, and his head resting on his right shoulder.
She used to sneak into the kitchen to scare him, but now she has become even worse. She bullies him because he can't hear and directly "gets physical" with him.
Luo Jingyu stood up straight, closed the refrigerator door, lowered her head, put her hands on the back of her hands, and moved her right index finger slowly.
Zhan Xi hugged the man's warm body contentedly. At first, she didn't notice anything, but later she felt something wrong on the back of her hand. She closed her eyes and felt it carefully. Ah! It was Xiaoyu writing on the back of her hand with her fingers!
He wrote it several times. What did he write
The back of the hand is not as sensitive as the palm. If the blind guessing range is too wide, Zhan Xi will make a few assumptions in his mind first, and then move the words written by Xiaoyu upwards.
I like you? No.
The first character seems to be "又", Mr. Egg? Not really.
She guessed it right the third time. The two words were the same. Xiaoyu wrote: Huanhuan.
Joy, joy, joy...
He wrote her nickname over and over again. When he finished, Zhan Xi put his hand on the back of his hand and wrote on the back of his right hand with his index finger: Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu.
He didn't have to guess, he could just look down and see it. After seeing it clearly, he would understand. Zhan Xi knew what he had written.
Luo Jingyu finally turned around, Zhan Xi still hugged his waist, looked up at him, and smiled proudly. Luo Jingyu's mouth corners also curved up, and raised his hand to pinch her cheek.
Zhan Xi said, "You haven't taught me yet, how to sign for 'Huan Huan'?"
Luo Jingyu thought about it, "Huanhuan" is not a word. If it is expressed in sign language, it can only be expressed in Chinese pinyin sign language. "Huan" needs to be composed of four hand gestures. "Huan" can only be typed once, without having to type it twice stupidly.
He showed Zhan Xi how to do it one by one. Coincidentally, Zhan Xi had just learned the Pinyin sign language in the sign language class that morning, but she hadn't memorized all of it yet. But when she saw Luo Jingyu stretch out her index and middle fingers, put them together, and the rest of them were the same as the scissors hand gesture, she knew that this was an "h", and naturally guessed what the following gestures were. Especially "a", which was the easiest to recognize, just put a thumbs up.
"It's the pinyin." Zhan Xi asked knowingly, "It's the pinyin of 'Huan', right?"
She was secretly happy in her heart. She was using cheats today. Xiaoyu must think she is awesome again, right
Luo Jingyu was really surprised. Teacher Jidan was so smart. He hadn’t even explained it yet!
He smiled and nodded, and gestured "huan" again. Zhan Xi imitated it and finished it, pouting and saying, "I think it's too complicated. If you call me, I have to do so many movements. Why don't we make a deal that if you make one movement, I will know you are calling me, okay?"
Luo Jingyu thought Zhan Xi's suggestion was good, but what should they compare? Eggs
He was still thinking, Zhan Xi said: "'Like', is it better than 'like'? 'Like' is a word, there must be a sign language for it, right?"
Like? Her name is Zhanxi, and her nickname is Huanhuan, which is better than "like", both are her names!
So, Luo Jingyu slightly bent the thumb and index finger of her right hand, and bent the other three fingers to the palm, making a small 'c', with the tips of her thumb and index finger resting on her chin, and nodded her head slightly, which meant "like".
It really is just a gesture! Zhan Xi imitated it and Luo Jingyu smiled and nodded, giving her a thumbs up.
Zhan Xi immediately let go, pointing at himself, making the "like" gesture, and finally poking Luo Jingyu's left breast with his index finger. It was obviously a small force, but it made him sway a little, and his back leaned against the refrigerator.
Luo Jingyu was really a little dizzy after seeing Zhan Xi say "I like you" in sign language.
This was the first time she said "I love you" to him in his native language, and it had more impact than if she had said it with her mouth and he had read her lips.
Seeing her say "I like you" so naturally with her hands, which was so intuitive and didn't require any translation or thinking, really touched and warmed him.
He likes her too! Very, very much, and wants to say to her, "I love you," in her native language, Mandarin, with his mouth. It's just four words, and it would be nice if he could say it.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t pronounce a single word, not even the word “I”.
Luo Jingyu even began to envy Chen Liang. Chen Liang could hear a little sound and would definitely say this sentence. No matter whether it was good or not, he knew how to say it and could say it boldly. Unlike him, he could only open his mouth in vain and had no idea at all.
Compared to normal people, his mouth can only be used for eating, drinking and breathing. He can't speak, can't speak... It's really angry, his vocal cords are obviously fine, but he can't speak.
He can't speak, he can only eat, drink and breathe, so does his mouth have any other uses
Ah, yes! There are other uses for it, which I just learned last night.
Zhan Xi's fingers were still poking at his left chest, his big eyes looking at him brightly. Luo Jingyu's Adam's apple moved, and he lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Her mouth tasted sweet with cherries, and so did his. He had just washed a bowl for her, and she had fed him a few cherries.
Luo Jingyu's kiss was gentle and lingering, not as violent and stormy as last night. He seemed to want to savor the feeling. After all, he had lived for twenty-six years and now was the first time he had the chance to experience it.
The two of them stayed in the kitchen for quite a while, and Zhan Xi suddenly felt a pair of eyes scrutinizing them. She hummed and pushed Luo Jingyu, and the man reluctantly let go of her lips and opened his eyes to look at her.
Being so close, Zhan Xi could see his distinct eyelashes and his black and bright eyes. She blushed and turned her head to see that it was Liwu squatting at the kitchen door, staring at them motionlessly.
"You are peeping." Zhan Xi made a face at the gift, and the gift turned around and ran away.
Luo Jingyu also saw the kitten, and then looked down at Zhanxi. He was so handsome, so liked him, no matter how he looked at him! Such a good girl actually liked him, how could he be so lucky? Was it the good luck brought by the pot of "Good Luck"
Zhan Xi left Luo Jingyu's arms, saw the dishes on the counter, pointed at them and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Luo Jingyu pointed at the spareribs, then at a red seasoning jar, and Zhan Xi said, "Braised spareribs!"
Correct answer.
Luo Jingyu picked up the radish and corn again and shook them. Zhan Xi said, "Radish and corn soup?"
Ah, I got it right again! This is what tacit understanding is, right
You don’t have to guess about the rest, just stir-fry some spinach. Huanhuan likes to eat eggs, so you can also cook a few tea eggs for her and keep them as snacks.
Luo Jingyu pushed Zhan Xi out of the kitchen with the back of her right hand under her chin. Zhan Xi knew that he wanted her to go and play by herself until dinner was ready, so she nodded with a smile and made a sign language to surprise Luo Jingyu - her right thumb was on the tip of her little finger, and the middle three fingers were bent to the palm of her hand. Then, her palm swam in a wave-like shape for a few times, like the tail of a fish, and finally pointed at Luo Jingyu.
"Xiaoyu, right? I'll call you that from now on." Zhan Xi said as he did it again, "Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu, it's really interesting! You never taught me."
She learned it from a sign language book, and the first word she looked for after returning home was how to sign “little fish.”
Luo Jingyu naturally didn't know where she learned it from, and thought it was probably from the Internet. He laughed, rubbed Zhan Xi's head, and also put his thumb against the tip of his little finger, then shook his hand, swung his right hand like a fishtail, and finally raised his thumb.
Zhan Xi understood immediately: "Oh! When calling you, there is no need to use the gesture of 'small', right? Just use the gesture of 'fish'? Then you will know that I am calling you?"
Luo Jingyu nodded.
Zhan Xi made a complete sign language statement and kept his mouth shut: I understand, Xiaoyu, I am Huanhuan, your girlfriend, I like you, please give me your guidance in the future.
Luo Jingyu: “…”
His eyes became hot and he almost cried, but he forced himself to hold it back and smiled. He waved to Zhan Xi and turned back to the kitchen.
Zhan Xi heard the sound of running water in the kitchen and thought, how come this man didn't respond when she expressed her feelings so seriously in sign language? Alas... Men really don't understand romance.
After dinner, Zhan Xi refused to let Luo Jingyu wash the dishes. His left hand was so badly injured that if it weren't for the huge gap in their cooking skills, she would not have been willing to let him cook.
After cleaning up the kitchen, Zhan Xi walked into the living room and found Luo Jingyu already working at the workbench.
He would make a plan for the day every morning and make peonies in batches according to the types and colors of hair accessories. The peonies on the combs and hairpins are definitely different, with pink, purple and blue colors. There is also a gradient color from pink to warm orange, which is not popular because it costs extra.
At this time, Luo Jingyu was making a batch of blue peony hairpins. They had been dyed before dinner. Now that they were dried, she was just in time to use gauze to smooth out the wrinkles. Zhan Xi also saw how the wound on Luo Jingyu's left hand came about.
Wrap the petals with gauze, press them on the table with your left hand, and pull them hard with your right hand. After finishing, Zhan Xi saw dense wrinkles appearing on the petals.
She looked at Luo Jingyu's left hand again. Sure enough, after being rubbed several times, the area on the palm of her left hand had turned red. If it was pulled a few more times, the skin would definitely break again, but the scab next to the wound had not healed yet!
Zhan Xi announced that from now on peony was the flower she hated the most, no doubt about it!
"Oh my God..." She was so distressed that she grabbed Luo Jingyu's hand and said, "How about I hold it down for you, and you can just pull it. There's no place left on your left hand that can be healed."
Luo Jingyu refused to agree. She shook her hand and patted her head, telling her not to worry.
Zhan Xi had no choice but to stay on the sofa and not disturb him.
The living room became quiet, with only the intermittent sound of Luo Jingyu working. Wenwu was curled up in the third-level space capsule of the cat climbing frame, taking a comfortably nap.
Here, it has a cat bed, a litter box, food and water bowls, and some cat toys. The place is big and warm. Compared with 802, it is like a five-star hotel pk guesthouse.
Zhan Xi picked a variety show to watch. Although it didn't matter if she played it out loud, she was still used to wearing headphones. She leaned on the sofa and watched it absent-mindedly. Occasionally, she would go to the bathroom to drink some water, and then see what Luo Jingyu was doing.
When he was using the trowel to emboss the flowers, Zhan Xi didn't dare touch him, but just watched carefully. When he was adjusting the petals and assembling them, she would sit beside him and put her head on his shoulder.
Luo Jingyu would sometimes look at her on the sofa and find it amazing that there was a new girl and a cat in his family, and everyone was doing their own things, but it wasn't boring at all.
Zhan Xi fell asleep at some point and was woken up by Luo Jingyu. She was covered with a thin blanket. He was kneeling beside the sofa, supporting his elbows with his chin and looking at her with his palm.
"What time is it?" Zhan Xi opened his mobile phone to check the time. It was a little after 10 o'clock, but fortunately, it was not too late.
Luo Jingyu pulled her up, pointed at the door and told her to go home and sleep.
Zhan Xi rubbed his eyes and asked, "Where's the gift?"
Luo Jingyu took her arm and went to the bedroom. Liwu had actually fallen asleep on his big bed, snoring happily.
Zhan Xi: “…”
Luo Jingyu typed on her mobile phone: I'm at home every day, I'll take care of the gifts, you go home and sleep.
Seeing her pout, he typed again: I'll finish work on the 4th, next weekend, can we go out? Date.
Zhan Xi raised his head to look at him. Luo Jingyu smiled with her lips pursed, looking very shy. Zhan Xi also became shy and said, "Okay, next Saturday. I have classes on Sunday morning."
Luo Jingyu nodded, pulled her into the living room again, handed her her coat, and sent her back to the eighth floor.
After Zhan Xi returned home, she did not take a shower immediately. Instead, she took out the sign language teaching materials Zhou Lian gave her and her notes, and reviewed the content of the morning class.
She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, talking and signing at the same time. Zhou Lian said that learning sign language requires more practice, just like memorizing English words, speaking and listening more. Zhan Xi made a plan for herself, practicing for at least an hour every day, and she could also preview the textbooks on her own, which all had pictures and texts. She started with simple words and sentences, and slowly, she tried to understand Teacher Zhou's long sentences.
"a, b, c, d... zh, ch, sh... "
After practicing the pinyin signs many times, Zhan Xi pointed at the toothpaste: "ya, gao." He searched for five gestures from his memory, and then pointed at the hand sanitizer: "xi, sh-ou, ye." Yes, that's seven gestures.
After looking at each daily necessities and practicing using pinyin finger language, Zhan Xi felt a little tired.
Chinese must first be converted into pinyin, which must then be broken down and then converted into sign language. Although Chinese sign language is not used much by Xiaoyu, Zhan Xi still understands the hardships of the hearing-impaired people.
Just like Xiaoyu, he knew how to spell her nickname but couldn't pronounce it at all so he memorized it by force.
Zhan Xi looked at himself in the mirror and opened his mouth to speak, but his lips moved without any sound.
She wondered, is this how Xiaoyu's world works? In his eyes, is this how she speaks
Now she is talking and reading by herself, so she knows what is being said. If it were someone else, she would definitely not be able to read lip language, but Xiaoyu can almost understand it. When she talks to him, sometimes she even forgets that he can't hear, and feels that he can understand everything she says, he just can't speak.
The fact is, he couldn't hear anything at all.
Zhan Xi covered her ears with both hands, and a buzzing sensation appeared. She stamped her feet, released her hands and covered them again, stamped her feet, released her hands and covered them again... No matter how tightly she covered her ears, she could still hear the stomping of her feet.
But the little fish couldn't hear anything.
How could this happen
Her little fish has lived in a silent world for twenty-six years.
—
On Wednesday noon, Fang Xu came to Luo Jingyu's house on time and took away the last batch of jewelry.
Luo Jingyu had just stayed up all night. After Fang Xu left, she was too tired to take a shower and just rolled onto the bed to sleep.
In the past few days, Zhan Xi came to eat dinner with him every day. He cooked on Monday, and on Tuesday, he was on a deadline, so Zhan Xi volunteered to cook. The food he cooked was really bad, and the two of them had to grit their teeth to finish the dishes. Zhan Xi himself felt embarrassed.
She said she would not come to dinner on Wednesday, so that Luo Jingyu could have a good sleep and rest. She also considerately took the gift away the night before so that it would not disturb her father from meeting the deadline.
Zhan Xi went to get off work and came home every day and did not behave unusually in the company.
She thought it through very carefully. Since her mother had a history of calling Wenqin, she must not let Wenqin know about her relationship.
Yuan Sichen and Qian Yun have met Xiaoyu. Zhan Xi talks to them separately and asks them not to tell anyone about Xiaoyu.
She did not say that she and Xiaoyu were in love, she just said that they were good friends and did not want the other party to be disturbed by gossip. Both colleagues agreed.
Yuan Sichen chatted with Zhan Xi for a few words and asked if the boy was deaf-mute. Zhan Xi said yes. Yuan Sichen then asked if she liked the guy. Zhan Xi said ambiguously: "I have a crush on him, but we are still in contact. I haven't confirmed it yet."
Yuan Sichen did not ask any more questions. He just felt that although Zhan Xi looked gentle and introverted, what he did was really earth-shattering.
Qian Yun thought differently. He discussed it with Yuan Sichen in private. He couldn't understand what Zhan Xi was thinking. How could a healthy girl be related to a deaf-mute? It was obvious that there would be no result. How could Lin Yan be inferior to her
Yuan Sichen still advised her to mind her own business, even though she agreed with Qian Yun in her heart.
—
After a sound sleep all day, Luo Jingyu went back to his parents' home on Thursday. He had not been home for almost a month. Yan Yajuan felt that her son had lost weight and felt very distressed. She asked him what he wanted to eat in the evening. As a result, Luo Jingyu said that he would only eat lunch and go home for dinner.
He spent the whole day in the supermarket, chatting with his parents and helping them with their work. When he had free time, he sat behind the cashier counter, looking down at his phone.
Luo Mingsong walked in and out from behind him several times, secretly watching what his son was playing. As a result, he saw Luo Jingyu looking at restaurant information, opening each one to read the details, studying the menu, and reading the reviews.
Luo Mingsong: “…”
Yan Yajuan found an opportunity to ask her husband: What is he doing
Luo Mingsong thought about it and signed: I think he is arranging a date.
Yan Yajuan was so excited: He has a new girlfriend again
Luo Mingsong: Not necessarily, maybe he is still chasing after her? He didn’t catch up with her last time, and we don’t know what’s going on with this one. Don’t ask him, my son is sensible, if he is sure, he will definitely tell us and bring it to us.
Yan Yajuan couldn't stop laughing. She secretly glanced at Luo Jingyu who was not far away, and signed to Luo Mingsong: How many pickled ducks do we have left at home
Luo Mingsong was speechless: There are only two left, and it’s already March. The pickled duck doesn’t taste good anymore, so I can’t give it away.
Yan Yajuan sighed: "The pickled duck from last time was wasted. Why don't you go get some Mingqian tea later? Let the silly boy give it to others?"
Luo Mingsong: Who wants to drink green tea, little girl? Everyone likes to drink milk tea!
Yan Yajuan slapped her thigh: Really? That's fine too!
In the afternoon, when Luo Jingyu left, Yan Yajuan gave him a big bag containing more than a dozen cans of instant milk tea in various colors and flavors.
Luo Jingyu: “?”
Yan Yajuan: If you buy too much, you can take it home and drink it. If you don’t like it, you can give it to your friends.
Luo Jingyu: “???”
He took the bag and wondered whether Huanhuan liked to drink it or not, so he decided to take it back first. As he thought about this, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Yan Yajuan and Luo Mingsong looked at each other and thought, there might be hope for this!
Luo Jingyu had arranged her dates for Saturday. In the morning, she would visit the Natural History Museum, have a simple meal at noon, go to the mall to watch a movie in the afternoon, play in the video game arcade or go shopping for clothes, and have a big dinner in the evening.
He can watch movies as long as there are subtitles. He has watched one with his classmates before. It was a European and American special effects blockbuster, and it was 3D. The visual effects were dazzling, but unfortunately the sound effects were zero for them.
Luo Jingyu thought it was boring. The subtitles sometimes read so fast that he wouldn't even finish reading them.
Of course, this is also because his reading level is too poor. Chen Liang said it was very good and he often went to the movies with Maomao.
Luo Jingyu told Zhan Xi about her date plan. Zhan Xi expressed his anticipation and even went to look for introductions to recent movies and discussed with Luo Jingyu which movie to watch.
Everything was arranged, but on Friday afternoon, Zhan Xi received a call from Zhan Jie.
Zhan Jie's tone was very depressed: "Huanhuan, I need your help. Weiwei will go to the Children's Palace for class tomorrow. After I send him there, I have to go to the company to work overtime. Come over and hand over to me. Then send him back after class in the afternoon. You can leave when I get home."
Under any other circumstances, Zhan Xi would definitely agree, but she had already made an appointment with Xiao Yu to go on a date, and this was their first date!
She asked unhappily, "Where's my sister-in-law? Is she working overtime too?"
Zhan Jie was silent on the phone for a long time before he spoke: "Qin Fei and I have had some problems recently."
"What's the problem?" Zhan Xi asked.
Zhan Jie sighed deeply: "She filed for divorce from me."
Zhan Xi was shocked: "What?! What did you do to make your sister-in-law angry?"
"What do you mean I made her angry?!" Zhan Jie was very dissatisfied, "She is obviously the one who is being unreasonable! I don't understand why she is so mad! She has been sleeping in the study for a while, and she doesn't respond when I talk to her. Yesterday she suddenly said she was going on a business trip and would be back next week. When I asked her what to do with Weiwei, she said, 'His father is not dead'. I am so drunk! I even suspect that she has a man outside!"
Zhan Xi asked tentatively: "Brother, don't you think there is something wrong with you?"
Zhan Jie yelled, "What's wrong with me? I have a clear conscience towards this family, her, and Weiwei! She wants a divorce? Then let her divorce happen! Who's afraid of who?"
"..." Zhan Xi said, "Okay, brother, don't be impulsive. I will go to the Children's Palace to take over from you tomorrow."
In the evening, Zhan Xi told Luo Jingyu about this and apologized to him. Luo Jingyu naturally did not blame her, saying that it was okay, it was a date, any day was fine, even Sunday afternoon.
Zhan Xi thanked him for his understanding, but he still felt depressed when he thought about his brother and sister-in-law.
She was just surprised at first, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that Zhan Jie and Qin Fei's marriage actually had a lot of problems. Her brother was not a bad person, but he was just... To quote someone on the Internet, he was so ordinary, yet so confident.
Zhan Xi didn't understand where the confidence like Uncle Zhan Jie came from.
The guy was very handsome when he was young. Now he is a little fat, but he still looks OK. He has a house, a car, a job, a wife and a son. Does he think he is a winner in life
Qin Fei loved him very much before. Even though her mother opposed the relationship and they broke up, she turned back after Zhan Jie begged her. They were definitely in love when they got married. They both cried at the wedding, which moved Zhan Xi, who was only 14 or 15 years old at the time.
Why has it become like this now
Zhan Xi felt that he could write a 20,000-word article to help Zhan Jie analyze the situation, but the old man probably didn't need it because he still hadn't realized what was wrong with him.
This was not something Zhan Xi could control. In her heart, she could even understand Qin Fei. If her brother and sister-in-law really divorced, Zhan Jie would have deserved it. It was just a pity for Wei Wei, as her nephew was not even seven years old.
Therefore, Zhan Xi thought that he should have a talk with his brother the next night, hoping that Zhan Jie could reflect on himself and perhaps there was still hope.
—
On Saturday morning, Zhan Xi arrived at the Children's Palace, and Zhan Kaiwei was already in class. Zhan Jie was in a hurry to leave, and had no time to talk to his sister, so he left in a hurry.
Zhan Xi sat on an open-air bench outside the classroom and waited.
In March, more than a month has passed since the beginning of spring, and even the Waking of Insects has passed. The weather is gradually warming up, and down jackets can no longer be worn. Zhan Xi is wearing a grass green wool sweater, jeans and white shoes, sweeping away the bloatedness of winter, and wearing light and casual clothes.
She sat outside in the sun, surrounded by parents waiting in groups of two or three. Zhan Xi watched the originally bare trees sprout new buds, a few flower trees also formed buds, and the children laughed and played beside the recreational facilities, feeling the prosperous scene of winter passing and spring coming, and all things reviving.
The spring breeze was blowing, and everything was so beautiful. Zhan Xi suddenly didn't want to worry about Zhan Jie and Qin Fei's marriage. They were all adults in their thirties and should be responsible for their own lives and their own choices.
She should protect her own feelings.
When I thought of Luo Jingyu, a soft, sweet and reassuring feeling grew from the tip of my heart, making me feel tingling.
They have been together for a week, meeting almost every day and having dinner together. Chatting still requires both of them to be very patient, but Zhan Xi doesn't find it troublesome at all.
She was reluctant to part with Xiaoyu every day.
I really like him, such a gentle and considerate Xiaoyu... Ah! Zhan Jie is so annoying! Originally, she was already dating Xiaoyu at this time!
Just then, someone patted her on the right shoulder.
Zhan Xi turned her head to the right, and there was no one there. Then someone patted her left shoulder. When she turned around again, the person stopped teasing her.
Zhan Xi looked up blankly at the young man standing behind the bench. He was not wearing a down jacket either. He was wearing a dark grey hooded pullover that she had never seen before. There was a group of white abstract patterns printed on the chest. He was wearing black sweatpants and black sneakers underneath. He looked so young! So fashionable! And, it was finally not a black jacket!
The sky above his head was clear blue, the air was fresh, and the children were still chattering.
Luo Jingyu took off her mask, her beautiful eyes slightly curved, clear and bright, the smile on the corners of her lips was so gentle. He reached out to rub Zhan Xi's hair, and pinched her cheek, and seeing that she still didn't respond, he simply bent down and kissed her forehead.
"Xiaoyu!" Zhan Xi came to life at this moment, jumped up and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
He showed her a set of sign language: exchange the positions of the palms and clap each time, symbolizing "agreement"; extend the thumb and little finger of each hand, with the tips of the little fingers facing each other and moving closer to the middle, symbolizing "meeting".
This is what Zhanxi had just learned the night before: dating.
Luo Jingyu smiled and pointed at herself, then touched Zhan Xi's cheek, and finally, made a heart shape with her hands on her left chest.