The Unreturnable Refrigerator - Chapter 26.2
Chapter 26.2
She wasn’t ordinary at all. Lu Yin had just wanted her to not be so arrogant. She thought she was ordinary? How could she be ordinary…
Lu Yin looked down at the large bowl of fragrant tomato and dough drop soup in front of her. At the very least, she was the best person in the world at making this kind of soup…
That wasn’t ordinary at all.
Lu Yin couldn’t help but remember the first time she ate Sheng Xiali’s tomato and dough drop soup. It was the first day they moved in together after graduation.
Lu Yin remembered that they had moved all their things in and organized a “home.” She was so hungry her eyes were seeing stars.
Sheng Xiali said they should go out to eat, but she wanted to eat their first meal of cohabitation in this new “home” with Sheng Xiali, who felt more like “family” to her.
Lu Yin suggested: “Let’s cook at home~”
Sheng Xiali smiled and looked at Lu Yin, whose stomach was already rumbling: “Aren’t you hungry?”
Lu Yin covered her stomach and smiled happily: “It just started rumbling. It can hold on for a while. Making some noodles or something will be quick.”
Sheng Xiali glanced at the kitchen, which was only roughly organized, and hesitated: “We don’t have any noodles or a pot.”
Lu Yin had looked around the area while she was downstairs looking at the luggage: “There’s a supermarket across the street.”
Sheng Xiali looked at Lu Yin’s bright eyes, supported herself with her hands, and sat up from the bed: “Okay, I’ll go buy some.”
She also grabbed her backpack from the nearby chair and handed a small bread to Lu Yin: “Eat this first. I’ll be back soon.”
Lu Yin smiled, took the small bread, and tossed it aside. She reached out and grabbed Sheng Xiali, who was already standing up: “Together.”
Sheng Xiali’s hand was held. She bent her legs, which were propped on the bed: “Didn’t you say you were too tired to move?”
Lu Yin immediately nodded, her face sincere: “Yeah, so, give me some strength~”
She said this as she shook their clasped hands, pouted, and her eyes sparkled.
Sheng Xiali looked at the person on the bed, let out a low laugh, and leaned in. With Lu Yin looking at her with anticipation—she picked her up from the bed.
Lu Yin wasn’t wearing shoes. Sheng Xiali held her and stepped on her feet. Lu Yin was a little unhappy. Her lips were straight, and her eyes were filled with accusation as she looked at the person who had misunderstood her meaning.
But when she saw the smile on Sheng Xiali’s lips, she realized it was intentional.
She knew what she meant by “strength,” and she was deliberately not giving it to her!
Lu Yin was a little disappointed and a little unhappy.
There were only two of them in the room. Why couldn’t they just have a kiss?
She was about to question her when she felt a warmth by her ear.
A very light kiss landed.
“Time is a bit uncontrollable. I was afraid you’d pass out from hunger.”
The soft voice was filled with a laugh and a repressed desire mixed with a warm breath that went straight into Lu Yin’s ear.
Lu Yin’s neck tingled, and her mind was like it had been electrocuted. In an instant, she understood what Sheng Xiali was talking about.
All her unhappiness from earlier was gone!
The little deer in her heart happily wagged its tail, and its antlers rubbed against her heart one by one. Sheng Xiali said that kissing her would make her lose control (#^.^#)
Lose control to do what? Actually, it wasn’t so bad~
Lu Yin looked at the bread she had tossed on the bed. Would eating that be enough to last half an hour?
Sheng Xiali looked at the person in her arms who was daydreaming, and followed her gaze to the bed. The curve of her mouth deepened uncontrollably. She gently flicked her forehead: “Put those thoughts out of your mind and think about what you want to eat.”
Lu Yin was led out of the door and into the supermarket. She just wanted to eat quickly and then do some “exercise” to digest. When Sheng Xiali asked her what she wanted to eat, she only had one request: something that could fill her stomach as quickly as possible.
The taste wasn’t a priority because there was something better waiting for her (#^.^#).
In the end, what Sheng Xiali made was the same tomato and dough drop soup as the one in front of her now. The process was simple. Lu Yin had been a wallflower and watched the whole thing while pressed against Sheng Xiali’s back.
Cut the tomatoes into cubes, sauté them until they were soft and juicy, add water and bring to a boil, then evenly sprinkle in the prepared dough drops, add seasoning, put the lid on, and it would be ready in five minutes.
It was sweet, sour, soft, and fragrant. Lu Yin fell in love with it and, for a long time afterward, whenever Sheng Xiali asked her what she wanted to eat, she would reply with tomato and dough drop soup.
It wasn’t until one day when Sheng Xiali asked her if this was the only thing she loved to eat that Lu Yin started to “spread her favor” and give Sheng Xiali more room to show her skills.
But after all these years, Lu Yin still thought that bowl of tomato and dough drop soup was the best thing she had ever had.
Actually, Lu Yin had tried to make it herself later, but she could never get the taste right.
The dough drops she made were all different sizes—some were very big, others were very small. She was nothing like Sheng Xiali, who was so meticulous and patient. She could add water little by little, slowly stirring the flour, all in an orderly manner.
That was just the kind of person she was. She was serious about everything she did.
Lu Yin looked at the soup in her bowl, which was slowly cooling down, and her heart was startled. This couldn’t go on. As soon as she got close to Sheng Xiali, the memories she had pushed into the corners of her mind would start to pour out.
Memories, as long as they became memories, carried emotions…
Lu Yin swallowed the food in her mouth with difficulty and spoke: “When are you leaving?”
She had already made dinner, and it was dark outside.
Sheng Xiali turned to look at Lu Yin: “Do you really want me to leave?”
Lu Yin didn’t look at her but nodded: “Yes.”
“Oh.”
Lu Yin couldn’t help but look at her. What did “oh” mean? What was she “oh-ing” about? This person was even harder to understand than before. Oh, and the key.
She almost forgot to ask about it.
“What did you mean by the key you gave me?”
Sheng Xiali didn’t look at her, eating her food calmly: “Your stuff.”
“Huh?” Lu Yin was confused.
Sheng Xiali said indifferently: “The apartment we rented together. One key for each of us. That one is the key you left behind. The landlord changed the lock but didn’t take it back.”
Lu Yin was surprised: “That’s it?”
Sheng Xiali looked up and gave her a sideways glance: “What did you want?”
Lu Yin looked down at her bowl. She had thought there was some special meaning…
Sheng Xiali smiled: “What, did you think I bought the apartment and was giving you the key?”
“I didn’t!” Lu Yin said emphatically. She hadn’t thought that at all. How could Sheng Xiali guess that? It was a slander!
Never mind that. Lu Yin went back to the previous topic: “When exactly are you leaving?”
Lu Yin was prepared to argue back and forth, but to her surprise, she got an answer.
“When you’re better.”
But this answer didn’t feel appropriate for their current relationship. Lu Yin was surprised, not only by Sheng Xiali’s idea but also by the fact that she had said it out loud.
She was clearly saying she was going to take care of her…
“I don’t need it.” Lu Yin rejected her directly.
Sheng Xiali put down her bowl: “What, you want the person you like to take care of you?”
Lu Yin hesitated for a second, then realized who she was talking about. Before she could answer, Sheng Xiali spoke again: “So where is she? Doesn’t she know you’re sick?”
Lu Yin was embarrassed. How could she possibly know…
“She’s very busy.”
One lie would require countless other lies to cover it up. Lu Yin was starting to regret it. It felt like this lie would be uncovered sooner or later.
Sheng Xiali just “oh-ed” after hearing her.
Another “oh”!
Lu Yin felt that communicating with Sheng Xiali was like hitting a cotton wall. And the cotton would also “oh, oh, oh” and annoy her.
“I don’t need anyone to take care of me. You can leave after you finish eating.”
Lu Yin saw that Sheng Xiali had already put down her bowl and was ordering her to leave.
Sheng Xiali sat sideways on the sofa, her long legs crossed, looking as casual as if she were in her own home. There was a little emotion suppressed in her eyes as she looked at Lu Yin.
“Don’t you like to call it even?”
Lu Yin raised an eyebrow. What did she mean?
“When I was sick before, thanks to you taking care of me. Now that I see you’re alone, I can’t just ignore you. Coincidentally, I also like to call it even.”
Lu Yin opened her mouth. How could every sentence that came out of Sheng Xiali’s mouth tonight be more surprising than the last?
In the past, it was true that Sheng Xiali got sick more often than she did. She looked strong, but she was actually fragile.
It might have been due to work stress. When they were together, Lu Yin was almost never sick, but Sheng Xiali had even been to the emergency room in the middle of the night.
So she was now repaying her? Trying to call it even with her? But back then, with their relationship, wasn’t it a given for her to take care of a sick Sheng Xiali? Wasn’t it a part of being together to take care of each other? Did she owe her for this, too?
While she was thinking, her forehead felt warm. A hand was on her forehead.
Lu Yin was surprised. When had Sheng Xiali gotten to her side? Did this person walk without making a sound?
“You’re still very hot. Take some fever medicine after you eat.”
The muffled voice from inside the mask sounded above her head. By the time Lu Yin reacted, Sheng Xiali had already let go and left. Lu Yin’s gaze followed her back into the kitchen, watching her turn on the faucet and wash her bowl.
A little while later, she came out with water and a box of medicine. She put the items on the table, picked up the laptop, and went back to the same spot on the sofa where she had been sitting.
“Your things need to be organized properly. The cost of a full house custom order will be much higher.” Sheng Xiali said this, looking down at the computer.
Lu Yin knew she was talking to her. The thing she was looking at was probably the table she had shown her earlier, the table that seemed to have no end…
And so many of her things had been moved to the apartment next door.
“Give me my stuff back first.” Lu Yin turned to look at Sheng Xiali.
Sheng Xiali didn’t look back: “How about this? You give us a full renovation contract for the design studio, and I won’t charge you for luggage storage.”
Lu Yin was speechless. Did she ask her to store her luggage? And she hadn’t planned on working with Sheng Xiali.
“I didn’t plan on finding your—”
Before she could finish, Sheng Xiali interrupted her: “Do you have any other companies in mind?”
Lu Yin: “I’m looking.”
Sheng Xiali’s gaze finally moved from the computer to Lu Yin’s face: “That’s good. It’s good to compare. Wait for the other companies to give you their designs and quotes, then compare them before you make your choice.”
“I’m definitely not choosing you.” Lu Yin said emphatically.
Clap. Sheng Xiali closed the laptop, stood up, and walked to Lu Yin. She touched the back of her hand to the cup and then moved it closer to Lu Yin.
“Take your medicine.”
Lu Yin: … It felt like she was saying she was crazy.
Lu Yin looked at the water shaking in the glass cup, her gaze trembling with it.
When she looked up at Sheng Xiali, she missed the fleeting gloom in the other’s eyes.
Sheng Xiali’s eyes were as black as ink, so dark they could suck a person in. After staring at Lu Yin in silence for a long time, she finally spoke.
“You will choose me.”