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- Chapter 31 - Christmas Sweets (1)
Chapter 18 (1)
Christmas Sweets
Towards the end of the semester, Bo Ziren began to carefully prepare for her exam while continuing to translate her tutor’s work. The weather was also getting colder and colder, causing extra strain on her. She found herself needing to eat more food to replenish her energy, and when she looked into the mirror one morning, she noticed she had definitely gotten a little fatter, especially around her chin area which had gone a bit rounded.
She had planned to cook her own food, but it was easier said than done. One evening, after a day of hard mental work, she snuck off to a street vendor to buy some dried stir-fry powder, and happened upon Zhou Dou buying something as well.
“Wait for me,” Zhou Dou called out, and quickly paid for his packed, Hong Kong style, pot roast rice. He joined her, and asked how her studying was going, and if she had finished.
Bo Ziren simply answered, “Almost.”
“I know that the exam is a piece of cake for you.”
“No, I review the material for it every night.”
“What are you being modest for? You’re already fat. It’s only when a person is broad minded that they can be fat. It’s obvious that you’re not stressed.”
Bo Ziren was at a loss for words.
Zhou Dou continued, “I saw you wearing a dress at school one day.”
“Yes, yes.”
She had worn a skirt once, causing many people to throw sideway glances at her. They had almost asked her, in their shock, if she was actually wearing a skirt. The experience had left her embarrassed and she didn’t wear it again.
“You looked great,” said Zhou Dou.
“Thank you.”
Zhou Dou inwardly shook his head. He had never met a girl more confusing than her. She didn’t give him a happy smile or a reserved gaze, or even sound enthusiastic while thanking him.
“I like to see you change up your style,” he added after a moment of silence.
This time, Bo ZIren turned to look at him, her expression a little surprised at this comment.
“I’ve never seen you laugh. When we were in elementary school, I thought you were mysterious. I also suspected that you had an alien friend hidden in your room.”
“I don’t have any alien friends. I’m just used to being alone.”
“Don’t you feel lonely without a companion?”
“No, I have a lot of fun alone.”
“If you stay like this, how are you going to get married in the future?” he asked.
She was quiet for a moment, before answering, “If I have someone dear to me, I will learn how.”
Zhou Dou stumbled, catching himself in time by grasping the street lamp in front of the dormitory gate. The light from the lamp fell upon her face like a veil. He couldn’t believe he had caught the fleeting tenderness that had shone in her gaze, before it quickly dissipated, and her expression returned to normal.
“Goodbye,” said Bo Ziren, and she walked into the dormitory.
Zhou Dou stayed where he was, replaying that look on her face over and over in his mind. He was finally certain that in that instant, he had recovered the good impression he had had of her as a child.
She had always kept her distance from him, making it very hard to get close to her. He had always been curious to know what she thought of him. He wanted to know if she thought he was good or bad, smart or stupid, admired or despised?
However he’d never received a clear evaluation from her, and now in this moment he had an almost ridiculous thought. Could it be that she had never even thought about him to begin with?
Zou Dhou stood thinking about this question until the food in his hands grew cold.
💖
There were three days left before the exam week began. Christmas was right around the corner, and the students of the translation team had finally completed their task. They had originally wanted to go out and celebrate at the end of the day, but the imminent exam leached away their excitement, replacing it with a heavy feeling of pressure. No one was in the mood anymore, and they all went back to studying instead.
Bo Ziren took this time to take a trip to the cafe in the lighthouse. She pushed open the door, and found that it was filled with people.
Xiao Ji, who was wearing a Santa hat, was so busy he seemed to barely touch the ground. When he saw Bo Ziren, he smiled in pleasant surprise.
“Merry Christmas,” she said.
“It’s a pity that Teacher Cheng has been too busy these past few days to come.”
Bo Ziren had an intuition that he wouldn’t be there today, but she still couldn’t help the disappointment that coursed through her upon hearing her suspicions confirmed.
“The students have their final exams, and his friend is still seriously ill and preparing for surgery. He doesn’t have time to look in on us anymore.”
Xiao Ji kept an eye on Bo Ziren’s expression as he spoke, and was unsurprised when her eyes dimmed.
Bo Ziren nodded, “Yes, I know.”
“But..” Xiao Ji reached behind the bar and pulled out a small gift. “He left this specifically for you!” he said, quickly handing it to her.
“Ah?” Bo Ziren exclaimed in surprise.
“He came over a few days ago to explain the Christmas activities we would be doing. He brought with him a box of gifts and prepared them for the guests, and instructed me to give this one to you if you came.”
The gift was a small Christmas stocking filled with wrapped candy, a very delicate gift.
“Your gift is the only different one. None of the others have the few extra chocolates yours has.” Xiao Ji smiled. “You must keep yours a secret.”
Bo Ziren took her gift and returned back to her dorm. She unwrapped the ribbon and poured out the candy, finding a variety of sweets, amongst them five round chocolates, the same brand she had given him before. She unwrapped one, and popped it into her mouth. It was very sweet and crisp. She couldn’t bear to finish them all at once, so she gathered them back into the stocking and hung it beside her bed.
She took her phone to send her Christmas wishes to him, only to find had already beaten her to it.
[Cheng Jingbo: Merry Christmas.]
[Bo Ziren: Merry Christmas. Thank you for your little gift. Please take care of yourself and eat more], she replied earnestly.
He called her a minute later.
“It should be me telling you to take care of yourself and eat more. Don’t stay up too late reading.”
Due to the winter weather, his voice was slightly hoarse, making her feel like a cluster of flames had just risen inside her, giving warmth to her whole body.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“Hospital.”
“Is your friend alright?”
“He’s currently undergoing chemotherapy and has a surgery scheduled two weeks from now.”
“It will definitely go well. Don’t worry too much.”
He went silent for two seconds.
“Mm,” he said, his voice turning gentle.
Hearing this tone, Bo Ziren had a sudden desire to see him.
“Bo Ziren, do you have free time after the exam?” he asked, as if reading her thoughts.
“Huh? Yes.”
“Last time, you said you wished you had more time to talk to me about the books. When the exam is over, we can talk.”
“…alright.”
“Take care of yourself. Don’t sleep too late.”
He told her goodnight, his voice tender and pleasant.
The tone of that goodnight made her ears feel like they were being gently coaxed and caressed. It had an almost hypnotic effect on her, allowing her to sleep peacefully all night.
will this ever be updated?
is this novel dropped ?
Awww
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Stupid mother
I know right.
Foreshadowing!!
hehe