Anxi’s phone rang too. She looked at the screen; it was an unfamiliar caller. “Hello, this is Anxi.” Anxi pressed the answer key and spoke politely. “Anxi? I’m Yan Xin… do you still remember me?” The other party’s voice seemed somewhat anxious, but that anxiety appeared deliberate. “Yes! Sister Yan Xin, long time no see!” Wow… Yan Qing’s sister! Anxi immediately sat up straight, looking like she was awaiting orders. “Are you… free these next few days?” The other party seemed unable to maintain her act, asking with a hint of laughter. “Yes!” Well, yes… Anxi answered quite firmly. “Here’s the thing, Yan Qingqing has been working so hard recently that… she’s fallen ill…” It was easy to imagine Yan Xin on the other end of the phone, tilting her head and cupping her face. “Fallen ill?!” Anxi immediately became anxious. “So… I hope you could come take care of Yan Qingqing in the evening, okay? My husband gets jealous easily, and staying overnight at my brother’s place isn’t allowed!” Yan Xin’s tone had completely returned to being smiley. If one thought about it calmly, it was basically possible to deduce that Yan Qing probably wasn’t seriously ill. “…Sister! I’m here! Let Anxi go, let me take care of Yan Qingqing!” Yan Jin’s voice suddenly erupted from the phone, making Anxi twitch her mouth. Then, sounds like “bang, dong” were heard, and the phone went quiet again. Yan Xin’s gentle voice came through again: “Just a mosquito, already killed… So, Anxi, you’ll come, right?” “…Okay…” Although she didn’t know what happened to that “mosquito”, she remembered how Yan Qing had carried her to the infirmary when she had a fever last time… Now, it was her turn! ——Isn’t this how spending a lifetime with someone you love begins, with such small things?
★ Chapter Thirty-Seven
Right during the “rush hour”, Anxi slung a shoulder bag with some daily necessities and went out. When she was squeezed so tightly on the subway that she felt “completely thinned out”, she finally reached her stop. This was her second time at the building where Yan Qing lived. The security guard was indeed still there. Although sitting in a chair with his eyes firmly locked on Anxi, he didn’t try to stop her… probably because Yan Xin had already told him she was coming and not to block her. When she reached Yan Qing’s door, she pressed the doorbell just once, and the door immediately opened. Yan Xin smiled and let Anxi in, then quickly gathered her things, saying “I’m leaving Yan Qingqing in your care” before hurrying away. The door closed with a “bang”, leaving only Anxi with her bag, standing blankly in the living room. It was a bit too quiet, to the point where she could hear her own accelerating heartbeat… Anxi covered her chest, took a deep breath, and decided to put down her bag and check on Yan Qing. “Knock knock… Yan Qing, I’m coming in.” Anxi still politely knocked twice, waited a moment, and when there was no response, she directly turned the doorknob and entered. Yan Qing lay quietly on the bed, seemingly sleeping soundly. Anxi pulled up a small stool and sat beside his bed, silently watching him… Without the glasses usually perched on his nose, he looked less scholarly and cold, and more soft. Such attractive features… Anxi propped her chin with her left hand, and her right index finger gently brushed his bangs… She discovered that even with a middle part, Yan Qing was still very handsome… OTZ… Anxi suddenly came to her senses, covered her eyes, her face turning red… What was she doing! She wasn’t fulfilling her duty of caring for Yan Qing at all. Oh right! Maybe… while Yan Qing is sleeping, she could cook a few light dishes and make a cup of milk! This was a great opportunity to show her “virtuous wife potential”! Anxi, who only knew how to cook noodles and fried rice, took her phone, opened Baidu, and excitedly went downstairs.
In fact, Yan Qing, who was just tired and lacking rest, had already noticed Anxi entering the room. Having slept almost all day, he was no longer sleepy and had no dizziness… Yan Qing sat up, shook his hair, and his bangs returned to their usual style… He put on his glasses, put on a jacket, and prepared to go downstairs to see what Anxi was doing. “…Then add tomatoes… and then…” Anxi, wearing an apron, was frantically throwing tomatoes into the pot. At this moment, she was fully equipped: wearing glasses, gloves, an apron, and even a pointy little hat. She was standing a bit far from the pot. Her stance looked like she was about to “battle” with the dishes in the pot. Just as the pot was getting lively, the boiling water was ready, the kettle spout releasing white steam and making a sharp whistling sound… “…Oh!” Anxi hurried to turn it off, but Yan Qing had already beaten her to it. “Huh? Yan Qing, why are you up? Weren’t you sick? Go back to bed!” Anxi, holding a spatula, looked quite imposing, with a total queen-like attitude. “It’s not that serious… just tired and lacking sleep… Are you cooking?” Yan Qing picked up the kettle and poured hot water into the thermos. “That won’t do… go sit on the sofa. Today you don’t need to do anything!” Anxi said forcefully, her stir-frying speed not as quick as before…
