Chapter 10
Yu Le didn’t really take Lu Yao’s words to heart. It wasn’t that he doubted Lu Yao’s sincerity, but he had already decided not to accept his compensation.
Anyway, no matter what Lu Yao wanted to give him, he would just refuse. He thought to himself that even if he didn’t want it, could Lu Yao force it on him?
Now that the issue was out in the open, Yu Le felt less awkward when he was around Lu Yao.
In the afternoon, Lu Yao came up to change the mosquito repellent liquid. When Yu Le saw him making a hand gesture, he obediently walked over and squatted beside him.
“What’s up?”
“Smell this,” Lu Yao said, placing the mosquito repellent liquid in front of him.
“Is there any smell?”
Yu Le leaned in and moved his nose around. “No, I can’t smell anything.”
“Hmm.” Lu Yao removed the old mosquito repellent liquid and replaced it with a new one.
The dampness outside contrasted sharply with the dryness inside, and the quiet wrapped in the commotion made people feel safe or even induce laziness.
Yu Le, with a hint of childishness, rested his chin on his knees and asked Lu Yao, “How long will the rain last?”
It had been raining nonstop since he arrived, and there had been no sign of clear weather.
“A few more days,” Lu Yao said, glancing at him. “Feeling bored?”
Yu Le scratched his neck. “It’s okay.”
Just as he finished speaking, his face was gently pinched and turned slightly. Lu Yao’s hand was large, warm, and dry. Yu Le could clearly feel the calluses on his fingertips.
Lu Yao was examining the area Yu Le had just scratched.
“It’s not the allergy spot.”
Yu Le was a bit surprised. He had only scratched himself because his collar was itchy and hadn’t paid much attention. Lu Yao’s reaction was too quick.
Lu Yao released his hand. “If you’re uncomfortable, tell me right away.”
The notion that the person in front of him was precious was deeply ingrained in Lu Yao’s mind. He was concerned about not paying enough attention, holding him properly, and worried that he might encounter some unknown allergen in the unfamiliar environment and suffer.
“Okay.” Yu Le’s gaze followed Lu Yao’s hand.
Lu Yao noticed and curled his fingers. “What’s wrong?”
Yu Le said, “I want to ask you a question.”
Lu Yao replied, “What?”
Yu Le asked with genuine curiosity, “Do you have an AK at home?”
Lu Yao wasn’t lying to him. The rain had continued for two days, intermittently but never stopping.
Yu Le’s cold was better, but whether it was due to the weather or his body not fully recovering, he still felt listless and had a poor appetite.
When Guan Zheng came downstairs to eat, Yu Le remembered there was such a person at the inn.
It wasn’t that he had ignored Guan Zheng; it was just that one was on the second floor and the other on the third. Since Guan Zheng had stayed locked in his room since he checked in, not many times coming downstairs, they hadn’t run into each other.
“Hey, long time no see.” Guan Zheng ordered a claypot rice from the aunt and then sat down to greet Yu Le.
It sounded a bit strange at first, but thinking about it, it wasn’t that weird. Yu Le replied, “Long time no see.”
“Ah, I’ve been busy with reports these past few days. My advisor needs them urgently.” Guan Zheng poured himself a glass of water. “I’m Guan Zheng, Zheng as in ‘proof’. And you?”
“Yu Le.” Yu Le casually chatted with him. “Still working on reports while out for fun?”
Guan Zheng waved his hand. “Fun? Forget it, I’m not that lucky. I’m actually here to look for homework references.”
“Homework?”
“Yeah, I’m majoring in geology.”
Yu Le took a deep breath before sneezing, quickly turning his head to the side.
Guan Zheng then noticed his pale complexion. “Are you sick?”
“Just a cold from a few days ago,” Yu Le said, sneezing again. “Lucky me.”
His nose turned red, adding a bit of color to his pale face.
The aunt brought a steaming claypot rice and placed it on the table. Guan Zheng looked through the steam at Yu Le, his gaze lingering on his face.
“You…”
Suddenly, a phone call interrupted him. He quickly snapped out of his brief distraction, took out his phone, glanced at the caller ID, and his expression immediately darkened.
“Hello, what’s up?” His tone was not friendly.
Yu Le accidentally bit into a peppercorn, his lips numbed. He took a big gulp of cold water and watched Guan Zheng lose his temper over the phone.
“Why should I help you? Can’t you figure things out on your own? Are you brainless or just clueless???!!!”
“Listen! Don’t use that sarcastic tone with me. If you don’t want to do it, just don’t. It’s bad enough that I’m already in a group with you. I’m warning you, don’t provoke me!”
“Fine, if you’re so capable, go and complain to the advisor to extend my graduation. If you can’t, then shut your mouth and stop bothering me!”
He had quite a temper.
Yu Le quietly ate, feeling a bit of spice, and took another sip of soup.
Lu Yao came over with two bags of groceries just as Guan Zheng finished his call.
“Damn fool,” Guan Zheng muttered angrily, then suddenly turned to Lu Yao. “Boss Lu, let me give you a heads-up.”
Lu Yao began sorting the groceries into the fridge. “What’s up?”
Guan Zheng asked, “Is there a group of two men and one woman who booked two rooms, but can only check in after the 8th?”
Lu Yao nodded. “Yes.”
Guan Zheng continued, “You’d better put them in the most remote corners, like in the nooks and crannies, away from everyone else. Otherwise, they’ll be a pain. I’m not exaggerating; every single one of them is extremely annoying!”
Lu Yao glanced at him, “Are they your classmates?”
“Yes, and I have no idea what I did in my past life to deserve this.”
As he spoke, he received another message, presumably from his advisor. Guan Zheng clicked his tongue in frustration, stood up with his bowl, and said, “I’ll take this upstairs to eat. I’ll wash the bowl myself later.”
He was indeed quite the whirlwind.
Yu Le withdrew his gaze and continued eating his meal slowly.
Lu Yao, having closed the fridge, noticed that Yu Le was eating in small bites. After scanning the table, he said, “If you can’t eat anymore, just leave it there.”
Yu Le really had lost his appetite. He didn’t want to waste food, so he forced himself to eat a few more bites before finally putting down his chopsticks.
Lu Yao took the plate after Yu Le went upstairs.
Yu Le appeared to have a bit of an obsession with his eating habits. By the time he was done, not a trace of soup remained in the rice bowl. The chili peppers were heaped on one side of the plate, and the table and floor were immaculate, with not a single grain of rice left.
Lu Yao emptied the leftover food into the trash and placed the dishes in the sink, “Aunt Zhang, if he orders spicy dishes again in the future, try to use less chili.”
Without a suitcase, no computer, no manuscript paper, and no sewing machine, Yu Le only had his phone to pass the time.
The hallway railing resembled a long bench. In the afternoon, he had been lying on the handrail chatting with Yan Jia.
When Lu Yao came upstairs, Yu Le’s attention was drawn to the small burlap sacks in Lu Yao’s hands. “What’s this? Specially made pouches?”
“Quicklime,” Lu Yao said, showing it to him but not letting him touch it.
The door to Yu Le’s room was open, so he watched as Lu Yao placed the small burlap sacks in various corners of his room. “What’s this for?”
“Moisture absorption,” Lu Yao explained. “The mountain area is damp; you might not adapt well.”
Yu Le said, “I don’t feel uncomfortable.”
On the contrary, he actually liked the cool, humid climate; it made even breathing feel comfortable.
“People are more attuned to their surroundings in a new environment than their minds realize.”
Lu Yao closed the door behind him, and Yu Le looked up, a lock of hair near his neck fluttering in the breeze.
With the large flowering tree behind him, it was hard to tell who was giving the compliment.
Lu Yao’s fingers, hanging by his side, twitched slightly. He gently brushed Yu Le’s hand with his knuckles before quickly withdrawing.
“If you’re cold, go back to your room.”
It wasn’t until Lu Yao disappeared down the stairs that Yu Le felt something was off.
Did he really think of him as a child? Did he need to be reminded to go back to his room when it got cold, like a little kid running home in the rain?
There were still two hours until dinner. With Yan Jia busy and unable to talk, he had disturbed everyone he could and was left staring listlessly at the flowers in the garden.
Many of the flowers had passed their peak; now, the garden was dominated by hydrangeas, some in pots and others planted directly in the soil. The colorful blooms nearly took over the entire garden.
Yu Le, with limited knowledge about flowers, only recognized Endless Summer hydrangeas.
He counted each type of flower to see how many colors there were. Just as he was counting a cluster of pink ones, the wind suddenly picked up.
Without time to react, large raindrops started pouring down heavily.
The rain was really intense, stronger than any previous showers. The sound of countless beads of rain hitting the ground was deafening, and the water quickly accumulated in the low spots, creating a series of bubbles.
The flowers in the garden swayed perilously in the storm.
Is it really okay for them to be battered like this in the garden?
As Yu Le’s worry grew, he saw Lu Yao swiftly come out of the hall, braving the rain to move the pots of flowers near the garden wall under the eaves.
The rain soaked him through quickly.
When he reached the pink pot, Lu Yao’s right hand seemed to suddenly lose strength. The pot, which had just lifted a few inches off the ground, fell back down. The flower ball shook, and many petals fell.
Yu Le sprang up in alarm.
By the time he ran downstairs, Lu Yao was no longer in the garden. The pink pot was left alone, far from the flower bed, beaten and swaying in the rain, looking forlornly isolated.
Without hesitation, Yu Le dashed into the rain, his eyes nearly shut.
When he picked up the pot, he realized it was much heavier than he had thought. It wasn’t plastic but sturdy ceramic, and with the soil soaked, he struggled to lift it, finally succeeding on the second try.
Yu Le felt a moment of exasperation, marveling at how history always seemed to repeat itself.
The moss on the flagstones was very slippery. Yu Le slipped twice while trying to turn back, and as soon as he steadied himself, he was lifted along with the pot by a pair of strong arms and carried under the eaves.
“What are you doing?”
Lu Yao’s voice was stern and controlled.
Yu Le was stunned into silence by the scolding, holding the pot without even thinking to put it down. When he looked up, a dry towel was wrapped around his head.
His final view was Lu Yao’s solemn face.
The aura was a bit intimidating.
Yu Le swallowed hard, feeling like a kitten being held by the scruff, unable to move as the towel covered his head and was rubbed roughly.
