After Yan Heng finished speaking, Zhu Yaya asked, "Yan Heng, why did you come to my house?"
Yan Heng's face was expressionless, but his left hand was tightly clenched into a fist. "You, you haven't been coming these past few days?"
"Oh!" Zhu Yaya looked as if she had suddenly realized something. She slightly opened her arms, gesturing for Yan Heng to look at the apron she was wearing. "The New Year is coming up soon, and I have to clean the house. You know, my parents are both very busy."
She said this, but she still felt a sense of guilt in her heart. She actually hadn't gone because she was just too lazy!
So, Zhu Yaya added a couple more sentences, "Besides, drinking milk tea every day isn't very good for you either. Look, my face has even gotten puffy!"
Her tone was pitiful, and she even reached out a hand to pinch her own cheek.
Yan Heng nodded. "Yes."
Zhu Yaya: !!!
Are you saying I got fat?
Smiling death stare.
Yan Heng sensed Zhu Yaya's dissatisfaction and coughed lightly a few times. "It's quite cute."
Zhu Yaya gave a haughty little hmph.
"Do you want to come in and sit for a bit?" Zhu Yaya still understood basic hospitality.
Yan Heng's Adam's apple bobbed, but he still refused, "I still have work to do."
"I see, then go ahead and get busy! I'll go back to cleaning the house."
Yan Heng nodded. Before leaving, he carefully reminded Zhu Yaya to be safe.
Zhu Yaya muttered in feigned dissatisfaction, "Why do I feel like you're getting more and more nagging? Just like my mom."
Yan Heng pursed his lips and said nothing.
"However," Zhu Yaya's lips curled up into a sweet smile at him, "I know you're doing it for my own good. You too! Be careful on the road!"
"Okay."
Zhu Yaya leaned against the doorframe, watching Yan Heng's retreating back as he walked further and further away.
During the New Year, Yan Heng... would probably be home alone! No, he might go look for another temp job.
"Yan Heng," Zhu Yaya suddenly called out to him.
Yan Heng stopped in his tracks and looked back at Zhu Yaya.
"Come to my house for New Year's Eve! Let's celebrate together!" Zhu Yaya smiled with gentle eyes, her little dimples faintly visible.
Yan Heng stared blankly at the girl leaning against the doorframe with a bright smile, unable to speak for a long time.
"...Okay." After a long time, he heard his own voice.
It was very soft, carrying a hint of disbelief and tentativeness.
Zhu Yaya's eyes curved into crescent moons.
Yan Heng turned and left, walking very fast, as if something terrifying was chasing him from behind. When he walked out of the apartment building, a piercingly cold wind blew right into his face. Only then did he feel as if he had just awakened from a dream. He stopped in his tracks and stood there motionless. The conversation just now was so beautiful that he felt it was somewhat unreal.
He mulled over the eleven words Zhu Yaya had said again and again in his mind, feeling as if he were having a wonderful daydream. But he didn't dare to go back and confirm, afraid that he would receive a negative answer.
The phone in his pocket vibrated.
Yan Heng thought it was about his temp job, but when he checked his phone, he found it was a QQ message from Zhu Yaya—
"Yan Heng, I haven't even asked you yet, what do you like to eat? Do you have any dietary restrictions? So I can prepare. Also, on New Year's Eve, come to my house early. I won't let you eat and drink for free. Such good labor, I won't let it go to waste. You have to help me with some chores!"
She even attached a smirking yellow emoji.
Yan Heng felt a sudden sting in his nose.
He typed, deleted, and revised his text in the chat box for a long time, and finally just replied with a simple "Anything is fine."
He put the phone back into his pocket, wrapped his padded jacket tightly around himself, and continued walking forward against the cold wind. Ahead could be a bottomless abyss, or it could be a beautiful Eden, but no matter what it was, he had the courage to keep moving forward, because he was no longer alone. No matter what, there was still a girl who loved to smile following behind him.
He wanted to carve out a path for her.
Zhu Yaya's invitation for Yan Heng to come to her house on New Year's Eve was also blurted out without thinking. She hadn't even asked Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing yet, but when she saw the somewhat disbelieving look in Yan Heng's eyes when he looked back, her heart softened. After he left, she even typed a whole bunch of words in the QQ chat box and sent them to him.
Whatever, she would definitely convince Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing!
In the evening, after Zhao Jing and Zhu Jianjun returned, the family sat at the dining table eating dinner.
While shoveling rice into her mouth, Zhu Yaya pondered how to bring the subject up to Zhu Jianjun and Zhao Jing.
Zhu Jianjun was always the life of the dining table. One moment he was putting a chicken drumstick into Zhu Yaya's bowl, saying he wanted to reward Yabao for her hard work cleaning; the next moment he was showing off his affection in front of Zhu Yaya, clingingly feeding Zhao Jing all sorts of food. He threw out sweet words as if his life depended on it.
Zhu Yaya rolled up her sleeves, looking at the goosebumps on her skin with a disgusted expression.
Zhao Jing knew Zhu Jianjun's typical behavior and gave him a sidelong glance. "Spit it out, what is it?"
"Hehe." Zhu Jianjun scratched the back of his head foolishly and said, "It's nothing, my dearest wife. I just have a tiny, insignificant request."
"Speak!"
"Well, you see, that kid Yan Heng has it so hard! It's the New Year, and he doesn't have anyone at home. So I was thinking, could we invite him to our house for New Year's Eve dinner? Besides, with our line of work, we probably can't stay with Yabao the whole time. If Yan Heng comes, just in case something comes up at work, we can have him keep Yabao company."
The moment Zhu Yaya heard Zhu Jianjun mention Yan Heng's name, her ears perked up. She paid close attention, secretly rejoicing in her heart.
Heaven is on my side!
After Zhu Jianjun finished speaking, Zhu Yaya nodded frantically. "Yes, yes, Yan Heng, cough, Senior Yan Heng is also the top student in the sophomore year at our school! I can even ask him for advice on my studies."
"Alright then!" Zhao Jing thought for a moment and sighed. "That child Yan Heng is indeed pitiful. It's just a matter of adding another set of bowls and chopsticks. Having one more person will also make it livelier."
Zhu Yaya was overjoyed and pretended to say casually, "Then I'll go tell Senior Yan Heng! I added his QQ."
"Okay. You youngsters are more familiar with each other," Zhao Jing said. "Remember to ask what he likes to eat! So your dad and I can go buy groceries and prepare!"
"Got it." She had already asked him.
But that guy Yan Heng only replied "Anything is fine," as if he had no desires or demands.
However, fortunately, she had been following Yan Heng around, so she could somewhat guess his preferences.
He liked to eat sweets. He also liked slightly spicy things.
Haha, this was discovered by Zhu Yaya through her own keen observation skills. Although Yan Heng was somewhat stoic, his face would still show some subtle expressions.
Zhu Yaya chased after him on QQ and asked several more times before that somewhat reserved guy finally named a few dishes.
Zhu Yaya reported the names of the dishes one by one to the head chef, Zhu Jianjun, successfully completing Commander Zhao's mission.
