On a Saturday afternoon, Zheng Xinmei was leisurely preparing dinner in the kitchen.
For her, cooking was not a chore but a beloved hobby.
Footsteps sounded from the living room, and a slight smile touched Zheng Xinmei's lips. "What, here to help?"
Her son had come back specifically during the summer break to spend time with her. Coupled with her friend's daughter, who often came over for meals and cheered her up, Zheng Xinmei had been in very high spirits lately.
Xie Zhiyan gave an "mm" of acknowledgment. "What can I do?"
Zheng Xinmei's hands kept moving as she said gently, "These prawns are tricky; I'd better handle them. If you want to help, you can wash some vegetables for me after I finish with the prawns."
Xie Zhiyan replied, "Actually, I'd like to learn how to prepare prawns too."
Zheng Xinmei finally looked up from the ingredients in her hands, giving her son a surprised glance. "Since when have you been interested in these things?"
It had to be said, her son had never been particularly concerned with culinary pleasures, which was why Zheng Xinmei had never felt much sense of achievement in this area with him.
Xie Zhiyan did compliment her cooking, but his tone and expression were always too flat. It simply couldn't compare to that girl Ning Yuxuan, whose every word of praise seemed to hit the spot perfectly.
Curious, Zheng Xinmei observed her son's expression, trying to detect any clues.
Xie Zhiyan's expression remained calm. "Learning now means I can help you out in the future."
Zheng Xinmei's brow twitched slightly. "Alright then, come closer. I'll show you."
Her son had rarely given her cause for worry since childhood and had always been a quick learner.
Zheng Xinmei demonstrated only once before handing the kitchen shears to her son. Xie Zhiyan then began preparing the prawns with practiced ease.
Though, being his first time, his technique was still somewhat unskilled, and his movements were rather slow.
Zheng Xinmei had an impatient nature. Seeing him work so slowly, she wanted to take over. "Let me do it. At your pace, who knows how long it'll take to finish this whole bowl of prawns."
A look of helplessness crossed Xie Zhiyan's face. "Mom, I've just started. You have to let me practice a bit. It's not like we're in a hurry to eat today. Why don't you go rest for a while?"
Zheng Xinmei hesitated. "...Fine."
Before leaving, she scrutinized her son for a long moment, still feeling puzzled. "What's so special about today? Why the sudden interest in learning this?"
Xie Zhiyan just smiled without answering.
Zheng Xinmei glanced at her son again. In just a few short minutes, his movements had already become much more deft than at the beginning.
Well, that's good, she thought.
That girl Ning Yuxuan loved eating prawns the most. With her son's help in the future, preparing ingredients would be easier for her.
Usually, Zheng Xinmei would specifically make prawns when Ning Yuxuan came over for dinner. However, she had learned a new recipe from a friend a couple of days ago and couldn't wait to try it out over the weekend.
The result turned out quite well. Zheng Xinmei tasted one herself and was very satisfied. She then asked for her son's opinion.
After tasting it, Xie Zhiyan gave a brief, four-word evaluation: "The flavor is excellent."
Zheng Xinmei didn't expect her son to say anything more elaborate.
She took a photo of the finished dish and sent it to Ning Yuxuan: [Auntie tried a new way of cooking prawns, and it tastes really good. I'll make it for you next time you come over.]
A reply came quickly: [Yes, please!! Auntie, you're amazing! I can't wait! How about I come over Monday evening?]
Zheng Xinmei's lips curved into a smile. [Of course, I'll be waiting for you.]
After replying, she said casually to her son across the table, "Xuanxuan said she's coming over for dinner the day after tomorrow. I plan to make this prawn dish for her. Can you help me prepare the ingredients then?"
Xie Zhiyan replied, "Okay."
Looking at her son's quick agreement, a thought suddenly flashed through Zheng Xinmei's mind: Could it be that her son suddenly wanted to learn how to prepare prawns because that girl Ning Yuxuan liked eating them?
But soon, she dismissed the idea herself.
If her son really had that kind of awareness, he wouldn't still be single.
...
On Monday evening, after finishing her internship, Ning Yuxuan came to the Xie family's old house as promised for a meal.
Dinner was as pleasant as ever. Ning Yuxuan showered endless praise on Zheng Xinmei's new recipe, and the plate of prawns was completely cleaned out.
Everyone enjoyed themselves, but Xie Zhiyan sensed that Ning Yuxuan's mood seemed somewhat different from usual.
It wasn't very obvious. It was just that usually, when peeling prawns, she would be completely focused, as if wishing to peel and pop them into her mouth at the fastest speed possible.
Today, however, something seemed to be slowing her down. Midway through peeling, she would occasionally space out for a second or two before continuing.
Xie Zhiyan hadn't even realized he had come to understand Ning Yuxuan to this extent, that he could so quickly detect such a subtle difference.
After dinner, Zheng Xinmei went to take a call from her friend.
Ning Yuxuan didn't leave immediately. Instead, she sat on the lounge chair on the balcony, chin in hand, gazing out the window.
Occasionally, she would put a grape into her mouth, but the rest of the time she was lost in thought.
In the past, in such situations, Xie Zhiyan wouldn't have chosen to initiate a conversation.
What she was thinking about, what mood she was in—none of it concerned him.
But at this moment, it was as if he couldn't control his own feet, walking over to her side.
Hearing the footsteps, Ning Yuxuan turned her head. "Xie Zhiyan?"
Xie Zhiyan gave a slight nod.
Meeting her slightly puzzled gaze, he quickly found an excuse for himself. "Besides grapes, we also have fresh peaches at home. Should I bring you some?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked her lashes and shook her head.
Xie Zhiyan said, "That doesn't sound like you."
Ning Yuxuan chuckled. "What do you mean? Can't I be full? The prawns today were too delicious; I'm stuffed and can't eat any peaches."
Xie Zhiyan remarked, "Given your personality, even if you couldn't eat them right away, you'd take a few home to eat later."
Ning Yuxuan gave a light humph. "Talk as if you know me so well."
Then she turned to look out the window again, lost in thought for quite a while.
Xie Zhiyan was certain she was indeed different today.
But he didn't ask anything either, just stood silently in place, watching the outside view with her.
After who knows how long, when Ning Yuxuan turned back and saw Xie Zhiyan still standing there, she seemed to be slightly startled.
But she quickly regained her composure, her beautiful, bright eyes clearly swirling with some intense emotion.
She has very beautiful and bright eyes, Xie Zhiyan thought.
Ning Yuxuan pressed her lips together slightly and suddenly spoke. "Xie Zhiyan, I... have something I want to ask you."
Xie Zhiyan's breath hitched slightly.
A moment later, he spoke with a calm expression. "What is it?"
Ning Yuxuan seemed to hesitate, probably considering something.
But in the end, looking at him, she said, "I've fallen for someone. His name is Gu Yunhao. Do you know him?"
...
For the entire following week, Ning Yuxuan did not come to the Xie house for dinner again.
Zheng Xinmei mentioned it several times, saying that without Ning Yuxuan, the house felt too quiet.
"I asked Xuanxuan what was going on. She just said there was too much work at the company this week and she'd come over another day," Zheng Xinmei said. "I also asked Fei. It seems Xuanxuan hasn't been going home for dinner much lately either."
Zheng Xinmei looked at her son. "What kind of help could a young girl like her possibly need all of a sudden? A company that big won't grind to a halt just because it's missing one intern, will it?"
Truth be told, she wasn't really expecting an answer from him, just making casual conversation.
Xie Zhiyan's tone was flat. "Perhaps she's gotten a boyfriend."
Zheng Xinmei was taken aback for a moment, then it dawned on her. "Oh, right. That girl Yuxuan is at the age where she should be dating."
She gave her son a reproachful look. "It's also your fault. I've never seen you with a girlfriend, so I completely forgot that possibility."
Xie Zhiyan didn't respond, his eyes lowered slightly, lost in thought.
Zheng Xinmei was long used to her son's reticence and continued, "I wonder which lucky young man it is. Do you know who it is, Zhiyan?"
Xie Zhiyan remained silent.
Zheng Xinmei called his name again. "Zhiyan? What are you spacing out about?"
Only then did Xie Zhiyan snap out of it. "What?"
Zheng Xinmei: "Never mind, it's nothing."
Her son wasn't particularly close to Ning Yuxuan. If even Ning Fei didn't know, he certainly wouldn't.
Zheng Xinmei mused to herself, "If she really is in a relationship, then it all makes sense. The girl is probably rushing off on dates right after work, of course she wouldn't have time to come here for dinner."
"It looks like it'll just be the two of us at home again for a while," she said with a sigh and a smile, turning to her son. "You should talk with me more. Always reading or staring at the computer, don't you think this house is quiet enough already?"
...
Xie Zhiyan's messaging app was purely a communication tool. He almost never looked at social media feeds and never clicked into anyone's profile page.
He had no interest in prying into other people's lives.
Only tonight, Xie Zhiyan clicked into Ning Yuxuan's profile.
She loved posting updates, averaging at least two a week.
Most were records of mundane life, carefully curated photos paired with captions.
A selfie at her desk holding a bouquet: The gorgeous girl is off to work! [Fighting]
A photo with a mascot outside a store while shopping with friends: The mascot got a new outfit, and I just happened to wear a new dress today! We're totally on the same wavelength!
The day he brought her lunch at the company, she had also posted: Thought I was going to miss out on my beloved shrimp fried rice, but thankfully there are still good people in this world!
In Xie Zhiyan's view, these things didn't seem worth documenting, and the captions were somewhat childish.
But for some reason, he kept scrolling through them, one after another.
He and Ning Yuxuan had never been the same kind of person; their life paths had merely intersected briefly for this one month.
Two lines that briefly cross will inevitably diverge and grow apart.
He only saw her as a little girl who hadn't grown up yet, and would absolutely never entertain any other thoughts.
Xie Zhiyan had never doubted this.
Therefore, during this week of Ning Yuxuan's "disappearance," even when he sensed a faint, peculiar feeling within himself, he attributed it to a normal reaction to a sudden change in routine.
However, the moment he scrolled to the bottom of her updates, Xie Zhiyan finally realized.
He had been deceiving himself all along.
