My childhood friend is in her mature, sophisticated form again today. - Chapter 12

Xiaoyu and Xiaoyi gave us two potted plants, which we placed on the coffee table. Azuo watered them every morning, wiping the leaves until they shone. A new doormat appeared at the door—Chengran put it there, saying “shoes get too dirty on rainy days,” but Ayou thought it was because Lin Jiqiu had walked in barefoot through the mud and water last time, and Chengran had mopped the floor three times before buying it.

Xiaoyu came once, bringing homemade cookies. She stood at the door for a while, looking at everything in the office—the counter, the filing cabinet, Ahua on the windowsill, Amo squatting in the corner—then handed the paper bag to Ayou, said thank you, and left.

“She seemed hesitant to come in,” Ayou said.

“Maybe it’s because I’m not used to it,” A-Zuo said.

“What are you not used to?”

A-Zuo glanced at him but didn’t say anything.

Ahua jumped down from the windowsill, walked to the door, squatted there, and looked at the closed door.

She was looking in the direction Xiaoyu had left.

——

Lin Jiqiu stayed upstairs for most of the day.

It wasn’t that she had something to do, she was just too lazy to move. In male form, dressed in dark gray loungewear, she lay on the bed reading. Ahua came up once, jumped onto the bed, curled up at her feet, and took a nap. Amo also came once, squatted on the windowsill and watched her for a while, then left.

Ah Ju didn’t come—Ah Ju was sneaking food in the kitchen.

Around 3 p.m., Lin Jiqiu put down her book and went downstairs to get some water.

As she passed the second floor, she saw that the door to Cheng Ran’s studio was closed, and she could hear a faint metallic clanging sound coming from inside.

She paused for a moment, then continued downstairs.

Ah You is wiping the table, and Ah Zuo is organizing the files.

“Boss, would you like some water?” Ah You asked.

“Um.”

Ah You brought out a glass of warm water from the kitchen and placed it on the coffee table.

Lin Jiqiu sat down on the sofa, picked up a water glass, and took a sip.

“Is Cheng Ran upstairs?”

“Yeah, he’s been here all day,” Ayou said. “I called him for lunch, but he said he wasn’t hungry.”

“What are they doing now?”

“I don’t know.” Ayou thought for a moment, “It seems to be something new. When I went in to serve tea, I saw a… little gadget on the table. It was metal and not very big.”

Lin Jiqiu did not press the matter further.

She finished drinking the water, put the cup down, and stood up.

“Boss, what would you like to eat tonight?” Ah You asked.

“casual.”

“‘Whatever’ is the hardest thing to do…”

Lin Jiqiu did not answer and went upstairs.

Instead of going to her own room, she walked to the door of Cheng Ran’s studio and knocked twice.

“Come in.”

She pushed open the door.

Cheng Ran sat at his workbench, on which were scattered some parts. He held something in his hand—metallic, about the size of a fist, and irregularly shaped, like some kind of unfinished component.

Lin Jiqiu glanced at it but didn’t ask what it was.

“Ah You said you didn’t eat lunch.”

I’m not hungry.

What would you like to eat for dinner?

“casual.”

Lin Jiqiu leaned against the door frame, looking at him.

Cheng Ran didn’t look up; his fingers were fiddling with something on the metal component.

“What is that?” she finally asked.

“Something new.”

“What is it used for?”

“It’s not finished yet. We’ll talk about it when it’s done.”

Lin Jiqiu did not press the matter further.

She stood there for a few seconds, then turned and left.

“Sweet and sour pork ribs,” she said as she reached the top of the stairs.

“What?” Cheng Ran’s voice came from behind.

“Dinner. Sweet and sour pork ribs.”

“……good.”

A shout came from downstairs: “Boss! You say ‘whatever,’ but Brother Cheng says sweet and sour pork ribs. Who should we listen to?”

“Listen to him.”

Ah You muttered something, but Lin Jiqiu heard it clearly—”You listened to him again…”

She smiled slightly and went back to her room.

——

evening.

A-Zuo closed the door and drew the curtains. A-You was busy in the kitchen, the hum of the range hood and the clanging of the spatula mingling together.

Ahua, Amo, and Aju squatted in a row at the kitchen door, waiting for food.

Lin Jiqiu sat on the sofa, flipping through a magazine.

Cheng Ran came downstairs and sat down opposite her.

Neither of them spoke.

Ah You came out carrying a plate of sweet and sour pork ribs and placed it on the table.

“Dinner’s ready!”

Ah Zuo stood up from behind the counter. Ah Hua was the first to rush to the table, but Ah You gently pushed her away.

“It’s not your turn yet.”

Ahua meowed and squatted down to wait.

Lin Jiqiu put down the magazine and picked up his chopsticks.

“Is your new thing finished?” she asked, picking up a piece of pork rib.

“Soon,” Cheng Ran said.

“Show it to me then.”

“……Um.”

The two continued eating.

The sky outside the window darkened. The flower shop across the street closed, and the lights in the café came on.

Ah You carried a bowl of soup over, placed it on the table, looked at the two people sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, and then looked at Ah Zuo.

A-Zuo ignored him.

Ah You chuckled to himself and went back to the kitchen.

Ahua finally got her share and ate it earnestly with her head down.

Amo appeared out of nowhere and squatted down next to Azuo’s feet.

Ah Ju was still in the kitchen—Ah You said he would confiscate dinner if he ate again, so he came out.

Everything is as usual.