009
For me, who was starving, the place Wen Li brought me to was indeed a paradise. The famous night market in the city was now bustling.
I don't know what Wen Li knows, but the fact is that before I was eight years old, I was a loyal supporter of the night market. At that time, I was young and my family was in financial difficulties. I was always fascinated by sneaking out at night to eat spicy skewers from the stalls. I have forgotten the taste of my youth, I only remember the happy mood at that time.
Relaxed, joyful, with a little indulgence and rebellion.
"Come with me." While I was reminiscing, Wen Li had already taken my hand and was walking through the crowded crowd with familiarity. What's wrong? Wasn't Wen Li's purpose to bring me to eat the snacks here
As if knowing what I was thinking and feeling, Wen Li turned around and showed a row of white teeth.
"I'd love to, but your stomach might not be able to handle it right now."
Wen Li took me through the bustling night market and finally to a quiet alley.
Avoiding the piles of garbage and the underwear that fell from somewhere, Wen Li's hand kept holding me, warm and strong. I should let go of his hand, but maybe tonight I really need someone to hold me up so that I don't fall into the dark abyss.
So I indulged myself, held Wen Li's hand tightly, and walked forward slowly.
When I arrived, I was in a daze.
I don't know when Wen Li let go of me, and said loudly to the boss who was packing up the chairs and stools as if preparing to close the shop: "Boss, give me two bowls of porridge."
The boss was a bit old, with a face full of wrinkles from time, but that didn't affect his hearing. Wearing an apron that was washed white, the elderly boss strode up to us with a unfriendly look on his face.
“We’re closed.”
Is this the attitude of doing business? I didn't think so, but I didn't expect that Wen Li would apologize seriously.
"Sorry, my friend and I are hungry... Please..."
Wen Li's voice was as gentle and polite as his name. The elderly boss still showed no sign of compromise, but instead stared at my face with a sharp gaze.
"Are you her girlfriend?"
I quickly shook my head. This was a huge misunderstanding.
"That's good." The elderly boss suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, then turned around and said to Wen Li in an angry tone, "What flavor do you want?"
"..." I reacted and was about to order, but the elderly boss had already walked back, rubbing his apron and cursing. As he walked, he kept saying, "I was just asking, I didn't ask for your opinion. Just eat whatever you have. Why are you so picky..."
"… "
Looking at Wen Li again, he looked as if he was used to it, as if he was accustomed to the attitude of this elderly boss.
The porridge came up quickly. The elderly boss served me a large bowl of it, which was white and smooth, with a few big red dates floating on top. Wen Li's bowl was a small one, a bowl of white porridge.
What is this? I don't understand.
Wen Li has already started eating with a spoon.
"The boss treats you well. He saw that you didn't look well, so he made you some red date porridge." Wen Li scooped a mouthful of porridge and sighed with satisfaction, "It's delicious."
Before eating it, I didn't have high hopes for this porridge, but after eating it, I immediately changed my opinion of this weird old man. His cooking skills are really good, this may be the best porridge I have ever eaten.
Sweet, tender, the best adjectives I can use are not enough to describe it.
My appetite was whetted, and I became interested in this weird old man. Sorry, please forgive me, I decided to call this boss with a bad attitude - weird old man.
The strange old man was busy in the kitchen, looking up at us from time to time. I stared at Wen Li for a while, then said slowly: "I found that he doesn't like you."
Wen Li nodded and gave the strange old man another gentle smile. Even though the strange old man rolled his eyes in return, he didn't care.
"Strictly speaking, it's not that he doesn't like me, nor that he doesn't like any man. His daughter was deceived by a man and ended up jumping off a building and committing suicide."
That day, I took a last look at the small porridge shop standing at the end of the alley. It was very small, with a faint light slowly coming through. So lonely. Just like that strange old man, after his daughter died, he kept holding on to one thought, waiting for her to come back day after day, year after year.
I suddenly understood why the old man asked me if Wen Li and I were boyfriend and girlfriend, because he must have seen the tears on my face and my pale complexion. He thought Wen Li had bullied me, just like that man had bullied his daughter. What he may not have done for his daughter before, he now wanted to do for me.
I turned around and walked slowly behind Wen Li.
"Why not tell him about his daughter? His daughter will never come back?"
Wen Li stretched out his hand and sighed with satisfaction, "I told her... But he firmly believed that his daughter was just lost and would come back one day."
I don’t know why, but I really wanted to look back at the porridge shop, but I was afraid that if I turned around, I would burst into tears again.
I smiled for a long time before I managed to utter a word.
“It’s good to have hope.”
Wen Li smiled, nodded, and looked at me encouragingly, "That's what I wanted to tell you, too."
At this moment, I looked at the man who looked more and more handsome in the dim light, and I suddenly felt extremely grateful to him.
This man saved me when I was in the most dangerous time, comforted me when I was most scared, and gave me firm faith when I was most sad.
I stopped and nodded sincerely. Some things don't have to be done, but some words have to be said.
"Thank you, Wenli."
"It's okay. I just..." Wen Li smiled, didn't say anything, just came over and touched my head affectionately.
I once discussed with Mrs. Chen how a man could be nice to a woman for no reason. Mrs. Chen always told me calmly that I was just overthinking.
I wondered if Wen Li was interested in me, but when his big hand fell on my head, I suddenly understood.
Mrs. Chen is right. Wen Li's kindness to me has nothing to do with love. I can feel that he treats me as a friend, or even a family member.
I think that without Zhuo Yang, who I thought was my family member, it’s not bad to have Wen Li, a man who is like a brother and a friend.
Wen Li took me to his home.
It was a three-story building. The first floor was a gym, with a lot of fitness equipment that I had only seen on TV. The second floor was a Taekwondo gym. Wen Li said I could be a registrar here, registering every student, etc. It sounded like a very easy job.
Wen Li took me upstairs to the third floor. There were several rooms, and Wen Li opened one and told me that this was where I would live from now on.
I joked, is this considered a staff dormitory
Wen Li was stunned, and then he started to laugh foolishly with me. Actually, I really thought this joke was very dull.
However, just like that, I officially settled down in this city.
Wenli gave me a job, a place to live, and even helped me get a salary card. Although there was no money in it, I was still moved to tears.
Sure enough, this is how life should be lived.
As for Zhuo Yang, that seemed to be a thing of the past life.
I'm used to my job now. I thought it was easy, but it's actually busier than I thought. After living with Wen Li, I realized how bad his food tasted. I watched other members swallow the burnt vegetables with expressionless faces, and I suddenly realized something.
This job, cooking, should be mine from now on. Speaking of cooking, I have been a rich wife for seven years, and I can say that I have everything I want, but thanks to Zhuo Yang, I have tried everything to please him. Especially in cooking, in order to please Zhuo Yang, I boast that I can catch up with the level of restaurants outside.
Wen Li was full of praise for my cooking skills, and the other members of the company looked at me as if they saw the Virgin Mary, with the glory of the Virgin Mary emanating from my body. I felt very relieved, so I silently took on their breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I was very attentive and took time out every day to study the menu. Zhuoyang said that I didn't need to work so hard because those people could digest stomach stones. The implication was that no matter what I cooked, they would eat it all up.
But despite saying this, I still think that seeing their sincere smiles is the happiest thing in my day. I am finally recognized, right
Gradually, Wen Li stopped talking and even laughed at me for fattening them up. Because of this gratitude, Wen Li treated me even better and there was a little more tenderness in his eyes when he looked at me which was not there before.
To be honest, his gaze made me feel a little uneasy. I always thought that Wen Li treated me as a friend, or a sister... If I broke the rules, I really couldn't imagine how I could get along with him in the future.
I have been worried about the distance between me and Wen Li, because the young intern in the company has been hesitant to speak several times.
When I gave her the freshly baked low-fat and sugar-free cookies, she burst into tears, held my hand and told me what happened.
"Sister Yueyue, don't like the boss. The boss already has a girlfriend."
Honestly, I shouldn't be disappointed. Wen Li is good-looking. Although he says he is a fitness coach, his lifestyle and attitude show that he has received good family education and has a good family background.
Overall, he is outstanding and rich, while I am just a second-hand, yellow-faced woman who is almost thirty years old.
However, when the intern girl said this, I felt my heart being struck. Gently, subtly, as if a breeze swept across the quiet lake.
I shouldn't have this kind of emotion. At least, I shouldn't become dependent on another man so quickly.
Maybe because I didn’t look very good, the intern girl felt a little guilty. She pinched her fat fingers and said, “Sister Yueyue, I think you are better, but... I don’t like third parties very much...”