Feng Zhan’s movements were very skillful, and in no time, he brought out a plate of shredded pork stir-fried noodles and a dish of cold appetizers.
He placed them on the dining table, pushed Ruan Xiao to the table, and didn’t forget to hand him a wet towel for wiping his hands. He also poured a glass of warm water for him.
“Why are there so few fresh ingredients in the fridge? The meat in the freezer is still the same as before I left. Are you not eating properly again?”
Ruan Xiao looked at the familiar dishes on the table and the person in front of him, who he once thought he knew well. Somehow, his mood suddenly turned sour.
He had no appetite. He didn’t want to take another bite of the meal the man had prepared for him, and he certainly didn’t want to accept this hypocritical care. Seated in his wheelchair, with his back straight, he didn’t even glance at the steaming stir-fried noodles in front of him. His attitude was distant and cold.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Qtfatfg P’nf yffc fjalcu qgbqfgis bg cba lr j aglnlji wjaafg atja vbfrc’a gfdelgf sbeg mbcmfgc. Vb, mjc sbe ifjnf?”
“Ds atf kjs, P’nf qjmxfv sbeg atlcur jcv qijmfv atfw lc j mjgvybjgv ybz lc atf yfvgbbw. Vlcmf sbe tjqqfc ab yf tfgf, kts cba ajxf atfw klat sbe? Po sbe vbc’a kjca atfw, pera abrr atfw lc atf ujgyjuf ylc bearlvf.”
Feng Zhan sensed Ruan Xiao’s sudden shift in mood. Although he wasn’t sure why it happened all of a sudden, he knew that lingering here would only make the man more annoyed and upset.
Following the direction of Ruan Xiao’s pointing finger, he walked into the bedroom they used to share when they lived together. After hesitating for a moment, he entered.
The bedroom still looked the same as he remembered, but the atmosphere inside had become unfamiliar.
The rich scent of cedarwood was no longer there, replaced by a citrusy fragrance with a hint of sweetness. How could Feng Zhan not know whose Alpha pheromones lingered in the air?
Glancing around the not-so-large bedroom, he quickly noticed that, despite the presence of Xia Sheng’s pheromones in the air, there were no signs of anyone else living there besides Ruan Xiao. Clearly, Xia Sheng hadn’t moved in, which inexplicably eased some of Feng Zhan’s tense nerves.
The cardboard box mentioned by Ruan Xiao was placed next to the wardrobe. There weren’t many things inside – when he first arrived, Ruan Xiao had practically nothing, and after a few months of temporary residence, there wasn’t much left. The box contained only a few pieces of clothing, some shoes, and a few miscellaneous items.
Among them, there was a brightly colored clay frame placed conspicuously at the top of the cardboard box. It was something he made on a whim at a roadside stall when he and Ruan Xiao went out for a stroll together.
He still vividly remembered the scene. Such clay handicraft stalls were mostly frequented by children, and there he was, a tall figure, sitting on a small stool carefully molding little figures. The sight was particularly comical, but Ruan Xiao didn’t laugh at him. Instead, he sat quietly beside him, watching as he awkwardly shaped two small figures.
The shorter and fairer one was Ah-xiao, while the taller and darker one was him – the two little figures side by side, just like them at that time.
After the clay frame had dried, a photo of the two of them was added inside. Since then, the frame had been placed on the bedside table and seen every morning.
But now, in the cardboard box, there was only an empty frame, and the photo inside had evidently been torn up and discarded by Ruan Xiao long ago…
Feng Zhan looked at the empty frame, and somehow, he felt like a part of his heart had also become empty.
Well we’ll well
My heart is really hurting and heavy when I read this.
Deserved. 🔪