Qin Du walked over to the warehouse. There was only an elderly gatekeeper on duty, wearing a military greatcoat with his hands tucked into his pockets. He cast a sideways glance at Qin Du.
Qin Du saw an open warehouse. It was quite large, storing some goods, with a mattress and some daily necessities placed in one corner.
"Sir, do you live in that warehouse?" Qin Du walked up and asked.
The old man sized Qin Du up but didn't say a word.
Qin Du didn't press the matter and quietly left.
A little while later, he returned carrying two wild hares and a fish. He hadn't completely recovered from his illness, so his face was still somewhat pale. "Could I stay here for the few days of the college entrance exams? I'll be bringing my younger sister."
The old man's eyes immediately lit up. He hurriedly took the items from Qin Du's hands and led him into the warehouse.
The old man opened the door. The warehouse was massive, with only a scattering of goods piled inside. Once inside, not a single draft of wind could be felt. It was dry, but most importantly, it was quiet.
"This should be enough space for you to sleep, right? We just cleared out the stock a few days ago, so it's very empty." The old man rubbed his hands together, his breath forming puffs of white vapor in the cold air. "It's big enough for dozens of people to sleep in. You gave me a lot of things, so I won't shortchange you."
He led Qin Du back outside and closed the warehouse door, their footsteps crunching in the snow.
"It's also close to the school here, so you won't have to wake up too early in the mornings."
The old man took him to the boiler room. There was another elderly man there. The gatekeeper handed the fish over to the boiler room man, who gave Qin Du a look.
"If you need hot water, we have it here. You're quite smart, knowing there were no rooms left and finding your way here," the gatekeeper said cheerfully.
The boiler room man asked, "Students for the college entrance exam?"
Qin Du nodded.
The old man huddled in his coat, warming himself by the fire. "Then sleep here. If you need hot water, just come straight over. Just lay out some mattresses or whatever. It's only for two or three days. This is the county's warehouse, after all."
Qin Du decided they would stay here for the couple of days of the exam.
But he still felt deeply guilty. If he were just a bit more capable, Ji Zhaoxi would be staying in the state-run guesthouse these next few days instead of living in a warehouse.
He went out and found a lot of dry wheat straw, spreading it across the warehouse floor in several thick layers. When he returned a second time, he laid a thick mattress over it.
The gatekeeper saw this and was full of confusion. "You're only staying for two or three days. Why are you making it so fancy?"
In this kind of weather, finding a place that wasn't cold and had hot water was good enough. It wasn't like they were here to enjoy themselves.
It wasn't until he saw the person Qin Du led in by the hand that everything made sense.
When Ji Zhaoxi saw the warehouse door open, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. It was so big.
Qin Du set their things aside and had her sit on the makeshift bed he had prepared. Ji Zhaoxi poked the thick mattress. "Brother Qin Du, did you set all this up?"
Qin Du gave a low hum of agreement as he organized her belongings. "Xixi, I'll have to ask you to rough it here for the next few days."
Ji Zhaoxi lay back on it and smiled. "I'm not roughing it at all. I really didn't want to sleep in a communal bed with so many other people anyway."
When she was little, she had slept in a communal bed with her sister once. The whole room had reeked of stinky feet, and neither she nor her sister had slept a wink all night.
Qin Du placed a metal hot water bottle in her hands and then brought over a bucket of hot water for her to wash up. The boiler room could be used to heat up food, so Qin Du took a tin box from their bags, preparing to go warm up a meal for her.
Ji Zhaoxi quickly grabbed his clothes. "Brother Qin Du, stop bustling about. Sit down and rest for a bit. Aren't you tired?"
Lately, Qin Du had been constantly running around taking care of her affairs.
Finding a vehicle, helping her pack her luggage, and even helping her organize all those study materials. Even her own father had never treated her this well.
Qin Du crouched beside her, patted her head, and said softly, "I'm not tired. You rest for a while first."
Ji Zhaoxi refused to let go of him and directly threw her arms around him. Qin Du's heart softened for a moment. He steadied her and let her lean against his chest.
"Brother Qin Du, don't be so nervous, okay? I'm the one taking the exam. Next time you take an exam, I'll take good care of you too." Ji Zhaoxi's hands rested against Qin Du's body.
Qin Du's throat tightened. He looked away and gave a low hum of response.
Seeing that Qin Du had finally settled down, Ji Zhaoxi was satisfied and began chattering away about her future plans.
"Brother Qin Du, other than my sister, you're the person who treats me best. In the future, I will definitely honor and provide for you both. Then you won't have to work so hard anymore."
Qin Du grasped her cold hands and pressed them against his own face. He said softly, "Xixi, it's enough for you to honor your sister. I haven't done much for you."
Ji Zhaoxi huffed and pulled her hands back. Qin Du instantly felt as though a piece of his heart had gone empty.
She leaned against his chest, her forehead pressing against the side of his face. Their breaths intertwined, and neither of them spoke. This was not a normal distance for a man and a woman to share, but both were indulging in the other's closeness.
Sometimes, Qin Du would fall into a daze, wondering if someone saw them, would they be reported for moral corruption, or perhaps the crime of hooliganism?
Qin Du eventually went to the boiler room to heat up the food. He didn't forget to heat up a few extra hot water bottles to tuck into Ji Zhaoxi's blankets.
Ji Zhaoxi slept in the innermost part of the warehouse, while Qin Du slept near the very front. The two were separated by several meters, with boxes acting as a barrier between them.
Ji Zhaoxi felt a little scared, and just then, her eyes met Qin Du's gaze.
Qin Du paused for a moment, then smiled at her.
"Don't be afraid. I'm right here keeping watch."
The next day, Qin Du escorted Ji Zhaoxi to the examination site.
He kept checking to make sure she had brought all her things. Qin Du didn't want to put any pressure on her, only saying that once the exams were over, they would go home and have a huge feast.
The two stood at the school gates. Ji Zhaoxi handed the hot water bottle to Qin Du, then looked up at him with eager eyes.
"Don't be nervous, and don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Even though Qin Du said this, he was incredibly nervous himself, his face pulled tight.
Seeing that Ji Zhaoxi was still looking at him, Qin Du lowered his head and whispered, "Xixi, we'll hug when we get back. It's not very convenient here."
If they were to embrace right here in broad daylight, they might be arrested by the patrol team the very next second.
Ji Zhaoxi had been extremely nervous in the days leading up to the exam, but on the actual day of the test, she surprisingly didn't feel nervous at all.
She had studied everything she needed to study, and memorized everything she needed to memorize.
Although the two hadn't done anything out of line, their clinginess looked odd no matter how others viewed it.
As soon as Ji Zhaoxi went inside, a man walked over curiously. "Who is she to you? Your younger sister?"
The smile on Qin Du's face instantly faded. He looked at him quietly. "My sister. Why?"
The man gave an awkward smile. "Nothing, it's just that you two don't look very much alike."
"There are plenty of siblings who don't look alike."
Qin Du's gaze remained fixed on him.
The man felt a bit embarrassed under Qin Du's stare. He waved his hand. "It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just asking."
From the moment Qin Du and Ji Zhaoxi had stood there, the probing stares hadn't ceased, and the patrol team not far away was also keeping an eye on them.
The county town was much more sensitive than the village.
A village was only so big; if someone casually reported another person, they had to be prepared to be reported by others in the village in return.
But the county town was different. Most people were strangers to each other, and the patrol teams were much more concentrated than in the village.
