A camera shutter startled me. Turning, I saw Ye Zhengchen by the bridge railing, camera in hand.
“Senior Brother? What are you doing here?”
“Enjoying the scenery, looking at beautiful women,” he replied with a laugh.
But when his gaze met my damp eyes, his smile faded. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling down?”
“Mm,” I wiped the corner of my eye. “I just arrived and I’m a bit homesick.”
“Homesick…” He thought for a moment, then held my hand. “I’ll take you to see the stone tablet with our premier’s inscription. After seeing it, your mood will improve.”
My face flushed, and I wanted to pull back, but his warm, strong hand made me feel dependent. Without giving me a chance to hesitate, he led me towards the bridge’s end.
As we walked through bamboo forests and mountain paths, my mood truly brightened, giving me a sense of coming home. When we got tired, we found a patch of grass and sat down to eat the lunch I brought.
A maple leaf fell on my head, and he leaned over to pick it off. Later, I pressed that red leaf between the pages of a book.
That night, he treated me to conveyor belt sushi, a semi-self-service dining style where plates pass in front of customers, each costing 100 yen. It was my first time, and I tried everything, giving the things I didn’t like to Ye Zhengchen, who helped me without complaint.
He probably ate too many indigestible raw seafood, and Ye Zhengchen had a stomachache for a week afterward. To make amends, I cooked light meals for him daily, made soup, and soothed his poor stomach. Eventually, he became addicted to it and would come to my place to mooch meals whenever he could. Having someone appreciate my cooking and occasionally fill my refrigerator made me happy to have company while eating and chatting.
Over time, I realized that although Ye Zhengchen was flirtatious, he was still a good man.
Author’s note: I chose to set the story in Japan because the plot requires it!
Warm Feelings: A promiscuous handsome guy and a reasonably good-looking single girl were both studying in the same medical department while living under the same roof, separated by a not-so-soundproof wall.
