Chapter 2. ☆ Put Him To Bed

The first step was to sprinkle salt on the almost-cooked jade-white loofah [1], then squeeze out the loofah juice and top with chopped green onion. Then a small bowl of water should be added. All that was left was to let the soup boil for a few minutes before serving. 

Ruan Mengmeng then stir-fried two more dishes. She washed her face, applied a generous amount of sunscreen, and put on a round hat with a bright yellow bow. She lifted her food box and exited with a whimper. 

She rang the bicycle bell, calling, “Dad,” when she arrived at the Furong supermarket chain. 

“Here she is, eh?” 

Ruan Hai tapped the last bill on his calculator and calculated the total. Then he walked outside, greeting his daughter.

　　

“I told you not to deliver the food,” Ruan Hai said as he looked at his daughter’s sunburned face. “Go inside and get some cool, air-conditioned air. There’s AD milk in the freezer that you love to drink.”

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Swyd Yldtxldt’p lulp okeldle, “Pye! R fwpv alxlxclale R eked’v cakdt ydu aknl okvb xl obld usw pyke “qallgla”!”

“Gbbb, R vbswtbv psxlvbkdt oyp oasdt,” Swyd Tyk pyke pssvbkdtzu, “Rv’p bsv, fwpv vbl vkxl vs pjkr ekddla.”

“Elzz, R byhl y alyzzu cye xlxsau. G alyz tszeqkpb caykd.” Swyd Yldtxldt rwdnble blaplzq kd vbl blye kd nbytakd.

Swyd Tyk pxkzle yde fsjle, “Rv nspvp caykdp vs tlv kdvs bktb pnbssz kd vbl plnsde byzq sq vbl ulya, ps esd’v jdsnj kv ytykd.”

“Dad~”

Ruan Mengmeng lowered her head in shame and embarrassment; she had given her best to get at least the minimum requirement at the senior high school so she could enter. The prospect of three years of monthly exams and entrance exams was terrifying to think about.

With her brain, would she really be okay?

“Don’t worry, Mengmeng,” Ruan Dahai reassured her, “Just take the local university exam. Dad can afford you regardless. “

There was only one 211[2] university in the area, and the others were below average. Her father had to be talking about the ones that barely met the average. As always, he was asking so little of her.

She smiled, then boxed her little fleshy face and shook her fist to vote, “I’ll study hard when I go to high school!”

“It’s alright. It’s alright. Just be casual about it. Your health is important.”

Ruan Dahai opened the food box and the aroma was overwhelming.

*

Red billboards could be seen in the larger neighbourhoods, and his company had opened fifteen supermarket chains in C City.

Unlike the years when his daughter’s mother had just left, Ruan Hai worked day and night, from morning to night, and a fat man of 180 pounds had slimmed down to a hundred and one, which was nothing, and nothing was sadder than seeing his daughter hungry and miserable on the sofa.

Ruan Hai had worked day and night, from morning to night, unlike the years when his daughter’s mother had just departed. During this time, he had slimmed down from 180 pounds to a hundred and one.

It was nothing. To him, nothing was sadder than seeing his daughter hungry and miserable on the sofa.

There was no one to bring anything for the children at that time. The rice buckets were often out of food, but the house had managed to make ends meet thanks to the kindness of the neighbours. 

Ruan Dahai had grown a little wealthier as time passed, regaining the meat he had lost, and gaining a better understanding of the world around him.

He was most proud of the fact that his daughter was also covered in meat, and he could afford for her to eat more.

“The most important thing is that my daughter has lost her chin. Quickly make up for it. It’s a blessing. You can’t lose it by advocating weight loss. Eat more. “

He Yiyang, following behind his grandfather, heard those refreshing words as soon as he entered.

Heh, not unexpected from the big fat Uncle Hai he knew.

“Hai Hai, Meng Meng, look who’s back.” He Zhenhua said.

“Uncle He? Have you eaten yet? Come and sit down. ” Ruan Dahai got up and pulled He Zhenhua over to sit at the table. He looked at the handsome teenager next to him and wondered aloud, “This is?”

“Brother Yiyang!”

Ruan Mengmeng stood up excitedly. She was the first to recognise the teenager. The hand holding the chopsticks wanted to applaud enthusiastically.

He Yiyang grimaced coldly and fiercely pointed his hand, “Put it down.”

“Gah?”

Ruan Mengmeng was stuck. He Yiyang had splashed the enthusiasm that came from seeing him after a long time with cold water. Only when she followed his finger did it dawn on her and she put her chopsticks down embarrassedly.

He was still the same as before. The same nitpicky obsession with cleanliness.

He Zhenhua said, “Mengmeng, get a bottle of ice water for your brother.”

Ruan Mengmeng immediately turned around and took out a bottle of mineral water from the freezer.

Looking at the height difference between them, she was surprised, “Brother Yi Yang, how tall are you now?” She put the mineral water on top of her head, “I’m not as tall as you even when I add the bottle of mineral water.”

Ruan Mengmeng tilted her head slightly. The water bottle above her head was unstable and fast falling. He Yiyang quickly fished and grabbed the mineral water.

He snorted. The little fat girl was still so silly.

He Yiyang said, “I’m 185. How about you?”

“Huh? I’m…”Ruan Mengmeng hesitantly put her finger to it and whispered, “1…160.”

“Is that so?”

He Yiyang raised his eyebrows and gestured at the top of her head and his own shoulder.

Ruan Mengmeng hung her head sheepishly, “159.3 rounded up.”

The little girl was so shy that she was embarrassed to raise her head. He Zhenhua rounded off with, “Mengmeng is still young. She can still grow taller in the future.”

“Yes,” Ruan Mengmeng regained her confidence, “Brother Yiyang, I’m a year younger than you. I still have room to grow.”

Ruan Mengmeng’s lips were slightly puffy, her round face was white and pink, and her almond eyes were dark and shiny.

He hadn’t seen her for three years, but she looked exactly as he had imagined.

He screwed the cap on the bottle, smiled lightly, and pinched Mengmeng’s cheek while she was dazed, rubbing his thumb over it.

The smooth, soft touch was better than it had been three years ago!

Ruan Dahai took two packs of salted peanuts and a bottle of white wine from his shop and looked at He Zhenhua. “Uncle, we haven’t seen each other for a long time. Let’s have a drink?”

“Sure,” He Zhenhua said, “This spicy fish piece is made by Meng Meng, right? I’m drooling from the smell of it.”

“Haha, Meng Meng likes to make homemade food,” Ruan Hai rubbed his big belly, full of pride, saying, “Yiyang, sit down. Let’s have a drink and eat together. Meng Meng is always thinking about you.”

Grandpa and Uncle Hai were chatting happily, and He Yiyang silently took out his phone and ordered ten pounds of lobster using Meituan.

For a while, the four of them ate and drank. After a few more drinks, He Zhenhua and Ruan Hai were both drunk and snoring as they lay on the sofa.

Ruan Mengmeng helped her father adjust his position to sleep more comfortably, and then went to clean up the table again.

After some thought, she walked up to him and said carefully, “Brother Yiyang, are you okay? What are your plans for the future?”

He Yiyang’s dark eyes stared at Ruan Mengmeng for a long time, so long that Ruan Mengmeng uncomfortably wiped her face several times to make sure there was no dirt.

She timidly asked, “What, what’s wrong?”

He Yiyang said calmly, “I transferred back to my second year of high school, the same school as you, and now I’m being taken to see a house.”

“Eh?” Ruan Mengmeng’s face was dumbfounded. He was transferring schools?

“Isn’t my house opposite yours?”

“Huh? You live across the street from my house, too! Oh oh, I’ll take you there. “

Before He Yiyang could react, she lifted the curtain and led the way out. It was only on the way to his home that she came back to her senses; He Yiyang’s parents had passed away, and he was the only one left. He had come back home to follow Grandpa He.

So, she was going to be in the same school as Brother Yiyang? He would be her senior?

*

He Yiyang had drawn up his own design for the renovation to provide a comfortable living environment for the next three years.

The living room and the second bedroom were opened up to nearly 100 square feet, and the entire wall was replaced with floor-to-ceiling windows to bring in the best natural light. The oversized bookcases were filled with large books and English originals, as well as the boy’s favourite figures, such as Batman and Captain America. A set of wooden benches, a group of enclosed sofas, and a TV backdrop made of nostalgic red bricks painted grey were also additions he made.

Ruan Mengmeng turned around the large living room with a slightly X-cool style and wondered, “Brother Yiyang, where’s your favourite SpongeBob SquarePants? Why isn’t there one?”

He Yiyang glanced at her in a high-handed manner and said, “Do you think I’m still as childish as you? I stopped liking it a long time ago. “

　　

“Ah……” Ruan Mengmeng was stunned for two seconds before taking out her phone and hastily unlocking it. “Then I’ll hurry and return it to the merchant. I won’t waste any money.”

He Yiyang’s eyes narrowed as he walked over and pinched the little fleshy face, angrily saying, “No returns!”

“How come?”

“Ruan Mengmeng, this is the gift you gave me. Saying it out loud shows that you already know that. Whether I accept it or not, you can’t return it either!”

The domineering character was the same as before.

Ruan Mengmeng’s heart softened looking at the anger in his long, narrow, deep eyes and the blue colour under his eye sockets. “I won’t return it. Is brother Yiyang tired? Go to sleep. “

He Yiyang let go of her hand. It was strange. As soon as Ruan Mengmeng said “sleep,” he really felt a bit sleepy.

“You go back, I’ll take a nap.”

“Oh,” Ruan Mengmeng nodded, “should I call you for dinner?”

You just finished eating, didn’t you, little fatty! He Yiyang resisted spitting. He nonchalantly turned around and waved his hand, signaling that she could go.

Ruan Mengmeng had not seen him for three years. She was worried that he would be lonely and sad since his parents died, so she wanted to take care of him a little more. She put her hands on the back of He Yiyang’s waist and pushed him to leave quickly, but to her surprise, He Yiyang jumped forward with a start.

He yelled, “What are you doing? Don’t touch me!”

Ruan Mengmeng was confused and looked at her hand. What had she done? It was just a touch. Lowering her head in disappointment, she grabbed her little skirt and went back across the street to her house.

It wasn’t until the door was closed that the tingling and trembling sensation in He Yiyang’s waist disappeared, and he cursed in chagrin, “I’ve really fallen for the little fatty’s evil.”

*

She had heard that good-looking people have bad tempers, and it turned out to be true. Ruan Mengmeng bit into her cheek and thought about He Yiyang in her mind.

He had a deep, three-dimensional face now that he had grown up, and his two long legs were straight. He was so cold that it added to the fact that he was breathtakingly handsome just standing there without speaking.

But Ruan Mengmeng was immune to He Yiyang’s looks. Instead, she felt that his personality was not as approachable as before. She didn’t even dare take the initiative to talk to him like before.

“What a change,” Ruan Mengmeng said as she bit off the last bit of the egg cone tip and picked up the little turtle doll on the sofa. “Is it because Uncle and Auntie have gone to heaven that you’re so hot and cold with me?”

She squeezed the little turtle’s two paws and swung them around, answering herself. “Yes, He Yiyang is just too sad. He doesn’t hate Mengmeng. “

“Little turtle, you’re right.”

Ruan Mengmeng came full circle, covering her mouth and yawning as she nestled into the sofa for a nap.

Next door, He Yiyang lay on his custom-made super king-size bed, tossing and turning for half an hour, but still unable to sleep.

He felt like his entire person was in a tense state of irritability. He was caught between wanting to sleep but not feeling like it.

He took his mobile phone from the bedside and tossed it around in his right hand before finally pressing Ruan Mengmeng’s number.

Ruan Mengmeng drowsily answered the phone, “Brother Yiyang?”

He Yiyang’s hand tightened as he held the phone. The soft, delicate female voice in the receiver was tender and crisp.

He didn’t say anything for a while until Ruan Mengmeng gave a puzzled hello again. Only then did He Yiyang say, “Mengmeng, come over and put me to sleep.”

His voice was hoarse and aggrieved, with a hint of petulance.

This was He Yiyang, wasn’t it?

Ruan Mengmeng’s eyes widened in shock. She looked at the phone on the line and could not speak for a long time.

[1] Loofah – also known as luffa, angled luffa, Chinese okra and silk squash.

[2] A 211 school refers to a school that is a part of project 211. Project 211 is a Chinese government endeavor aimed at strengthening 100 institutions of higher learning as a national priority. There are only 112 schools involved.