Chapter 81
◎Coconut Bread + Candlelight in a Rainy Night (Revised)◎
“I’m so sorry, so sorry!”
Lu Youxin looked at the little bit of coffee left in her cup, her two eyebrows furrowed, her eyes misty. “I’m so sorry, my coffee spilled on your clothes.”
Zhou Shunian’s lips were tightly pursed. He looked at the large coffee stain on his chest, his face cold. He didn’t take the handkerchief that Lu Youxin handed him. “It’s okay. Please watch where you’re going in the future.”
…
Lu Youxin blinked, the mist in her eyes trembling. “I’m so sorry… How about this, my name is Lu Youxin, and I’m in the management department of our school. You can take off your clothes, and I’ll take them back, wash them, and return them to you.”
Zhou Shunian lowered his eyes, his eyelashes casting a cold, hard shadow on his eyelids. “No need.”
After saying that, Zhou Shunian turned and left.
Lu Youxin stood there, staring at the mess on the floor, and couldn’t help but blush. This was the first time she had been rejected after taking the initiative to strike up a conversation. So this was the male lead of the novel. The novel hadn’t described his appearance in detail, only mentioning that he was a handsome young man. She hadn’t expected him to be so handsome in person.
Zhou Shunian had originally planned to go to the library, but he had unexpectedly run into this. He could only go back to his dormitory and take off his dirty clothes. He lowered his eyes and stared at the coffee stain on his shirt. The dark gray fabric was stained with an irregular brown liquid. He didn’t hesitate for long and threw it directly into the trash can.
…
On Sunday morning, just as the morning light was spreading across the wooden lattice windows of the shop, a gray, dusty line of people had already formed in front of the state-run pastry shop at the corner of Tonghua Lane. The coconut bread in the tin oven had just come out. The golden-brown, shiny crust was cracked, and the aroma of toasted coconut mixed with the fragrance of wheat seeped out from the crack in the door, making the queuing crowd swallow their saliva again and again.
Yao Baoqin looked at the long queue and then at the few coconut breads left in the oven. “Youxin, I think we should come back next time. It probably won’t be our turn this time.”
Lu Youxin bit her lower lip, looking aggrieved. “But I really want to eat the coconut bread from this shop.”
“Why don’t… why don’t we ask the people in front if they can let us go first? My feet are already numb from standing…”
“Oh my, look, my feet are all red…” Lu Youxin pouted. Although it was a complaint, the end of her sentence trembled, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
“That’s not a good idea.” Yao Baoqin was in a dilemma. She saw that there were also women holding children in the crowd.
“What’s the big deal? We’re not buying much, just two.” Lu Youxin caught a glimpse of a figure, and a cunning look appeared on her face. She said with a profound look, “I have a way. You wait here for me.”
Zhou Shunian was originally queuing in the crowd when his shoulder was lightly patted. A young girl’s face came into view.
“Classmate Zhou Shunian! We meet again. What a coincidence. You’re also here to buy the coconut bread from this shop. Their coconut bread is so delicious, but they don’t accept reservations, and they only bake a little bit every day.” Lu Youxin pouted. “My friend and I have been queuing in the back for a long time. My feet are all red. Classmate Shunian, for the sake of us being schoolmates, please be kind and let my friend and I cut in line…”
Zhou Shunian turned sideways, his voice cold. “Didn’t the school teach you? Cutting in line is an immoral act. I’m sorry, I can’t let you cut in line. There are also old people and people holding children queuing in the back. You should just queue up slowly.”
The old woman in front heard the words “cut in line” and turned to glare at her.
Lu Youxin bit her lower lip, her eyes red. She hadn’t expected Zhou Shunian to reject her so mercilessly. She stomped her foot and could only return to the back of the queue, aggrieved.
…
Tangtang had just finished washing the clothes she had accumulated over the past week and was hanging them on the balcony when she heard the dormitory administrator say that someone was looking for her downstairs.
“Brother Shunian.”
Zhou Shunian’s eyebrows crinkled with a smile. “This is for you.”
“What is this?” Tangtang’s eyes couldn’t help but light up. She said in surprise, “Coconut bread? Brother Shunian, how did you know I wanted to eat this coconut bread?”
Tonghua Lane was only one street away from Capital University. There was a state-run pastry shop on the street whose coconut bread was said to be particularly delicious. Tangtang had wanted to eat it for a long time, but she and her roommates had gone twice and hadn’t been able to get in line.
“I’ve heard you mention it several times. Isn’t it Sunday today? I was thinking of going out for a walk and happened to buy it. Hurry up and try it.”
“Where did I mention it several times? I only said it once.” Tangtang remembered very clearly.
The bread was still warm. The caramel-colored crust was baked until it was shiny and crispy. The cracks were filled with white coconut shreds. The heat made her eyes a little warm. The two of them found a quiet corner and sat down, opening the paper bag with the bread.
Just as Tangtang picked up the bread, the coconut shreds sprinkled on the surface fell into her palm, revealing the honeycomb-like texture inside. The coconut filling inside trembled slightly, and a rich, milky fragrance mixed with the toasted aroma of coconut wafted over.
Tangtang took a bite of the bread. The filling inside was still warm. The fine coconut shreds stuck to her lips and teeth, and the sweetness spread from the tip of her tongue to her limbs.
“How is it? Is it delicious?”
“Delicious.” She nodded seriously, her eyes sparkling. “This bread tastes different from a sponge cake. A sponge cake is soft and sweet. This bread is toasted and crispy. When you bite it, it’s crispy at first, and inside is a fragrant and delicious coconut filling, with chewy coconut shreds. The sweetness is mixed with a hint of toasted fragrance… It’s really delicious.”
Tangtang picked up another piece and stuffed it into his mouth. “You should try it too… Is it delicious?”
Zhou Shunian swallowed the bread in his mouth. “Delicious.”
The sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the camphor tree, casting flickering specks of light on Zhou Shunian’s shoulder. The shadow of the tree swayed with the gentle breeze, and the oil paper bag in his hand was also blown. The fresh wind mixed with the sweet fragrance of the bread, making the afternoon air particularly thick.
The sweet fragrance of the bread still lingered between her lips and teeth. Tangtang looked at the young man’s face in front of her, and a smile couldn’t help but appear on her lips.
So besides her parents, there would be another person who would take her casual words to heart.
…
In December, a flu broke out in the capital. At first, no one took it seriously, but the flu quickly swept through. More than a hundred thousand of the ten million people fell ill. In an instant, everyone was in a state of panic.
It was already nine in the evening when Tangtang came out of the library. A light drizzle was falling. She waited for a while, but there was no sign of it stopping. She didn’t have an umbrella, so she simply covered her head with her schoolbag and ran towards the dormitory.
On the way back to the dormitory, the rain became heavier, and she was drenched from head to toe.
That night, she had a slight cough. She thought it would be fine after a sleep, but the next day, not only did it not get better, but it got worse. There were a lot of classes these few days, and Tangtang didn’t want to ask for leave. She planned to wait until Sunday, when it was the holiday, to go to the clinic to get some medicine for her cold.
Until she fainted in the laboratory and was carried to the hospital on a stretcher.
A fever of 38 degrees, almost developing into pneumonia.
After seeing off the visiting teachers and classmates, Tangtang sat on the hospital bed, looking at the three people standing in front of her, and lowered her head guiltily.
Su Juesheng roared with anger, “Su… Xintang! I’m going to write home and tell Dad and Mom right now. You really don’t take your own body seriously! Just you wait, I’ll write as soon as I get back to school!”
“Brother, brother, brother, you’re my real brother. I’m begging you. Please don’t tell Dad and Mom. They can’t see the real situation at home, and they’ll definitely be very worried.” Hearing this, Tangtang’s face wrinkled into a bitter gourd. She bit her lower lip, her eyes pleading.
“If you hadn’t fainted in the laboratory and been discovered, were you planning to just keep dragging it on?” Wani was also angry. This was simply too reckless.
“I didn’t expect it to be so serious… I thought it was just a cold and a couple of coughs. I’d go to the clinic on Sunday to get some cough medicine and it would be fine.”
Tangtang also hadn’t expected that just from being in the rain, it would almost develop into pneumonia.
Zhou Shunian didn’t speak. He silently used a warm, damp handkerchief to wipe her other hand, which had a needle in it.
“Brother Juesheng, what will it take for you to agree not to write to Dad and Mom?” Tangtang tugged at his sleeve.
Su Juesheng snorted. “Then you swear that you won’t treat your own body so carelessly in the future.”
Afraid that they wouldn’t believe her, Tangtang specially raised her hand and swore, “I swear, there will be absolutely no next time!”
“Sister Wani.” Tangtang blinked her wet eyes at Wani.
Wani’s anger dissipated. She ruffled her head. “Fortunately, you were discovered in time after you fainted. If it had developed into pneumonia, it would have been a big problem.”
When Wani had come from the medical school, she had passed by a non-staple food store and had gone in to buy two bottles of canned fruit. The canned fruit was now on the bedside table. The plump fruit was soaked in sugar water, looking quite tempting.
Tangtang swallowed her saliva. She had only had the patient meal provided by the hospital today. “I want to eat canned food…”
“Can you eat this?” Zhou Shunian asked.
“Logically, you can. I’ll go and ask the doctor.” After saying that, Wani went out.
“The doctor said you can eat it.”
There was no can opener in the hospital room. Hearing this, Zhou Shunian found an iron spoon and, with a lot of effort, finally opened the can. He wiped the sugar water from the handle. “Eat up.”
Tangtang’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Brother Shunian.”
She held the handle and carefully scooped a mouthful of the canned oranges. The cool and refreshing taste spread on her tongue. It was sweet, and the fruit fragrance of the oranges was very rich. After one mouthful of the canned food, the heat from the fever was quickly relieved.
Tangtang still couldn’t be discharged from the hospital. Wani and Su Juesheng had both taken leave and were discussing who would stay here to accompany her at night.
“I’m a grown-up. I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I can eat and drink now, and the IV bottle is almost empty. I can take care of myself. You can’t help much here anyway. You should go back to school.”
Wani said, “But you’re still on an IV drip. How are you going to eat and go to the toilet at night?”
The rain outside the window was falling. Tangtang coughed twice. “The nurse said it will be fine after this bottle of medicine is finished. Isn’t there still a call bell? The nurses’ station is right next door. They’ll come if I press the bell. Brother Shunian brought me a thermos. It’s also convenient for me to drink water. The courses at the medical school are so important. You said last time that you had to memorize the entire spinal cord atlas. If you miss a class, how much time will it take to make it up… Brother Juesheng, you can’t delay your school’s courses either.”
The medicine in the IV tube dripped down. She curled her lip. “This companion chair is so hard. I’ll get a stiff neck if I sleep on it for a night. I can’t bear to let you suffer this.”
“The doctor said that a blood test tomorrow morning will show that the fever has gone down. I’ll sleep well tonight. You can rest assured.”
“This…” Wani and Su Juesheng looked at each other, their expressions a little hesitant.
“Oh my, you can rest assured!”
Su Juesheng was still hesitating. Wani sighed. Remembering something, she took out a bun wrapped in oil paper from her bag. “Then you can eat this if you’re hungry in the middle of the night. Don’t just eat canned food. I’ll bring you some millet congee tomorrow morning.”
“Alright.” Tangtang nodded in agreement.
Su Juesheng glared. “Sleep well at night. If I find out you’re not sleeping well, I’ll really send a telegram to Dad and Mom.”
“I know.”
“Then we’ll go back first. We’ll come and see you tomorrow.”
Tangtang nodded.
The hospital room instantly became quiet. Tangtang was still not used to having too many people in the hospital room. Now that everyone was finally gone, she breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to rest for a while, she saw Zhou Shunian, who had already left, turn back.
“Brother Shunian?” She was a little confused. “Didn’t you leave with Juesheng and Wani?”
Zhou Shunian sat down in front of the chair. “I never said I was going back.”
“Then you…”
“I’m here with you.” His personality had always been gentle, and he rarely spoke with such a firm attitude.
Tangtang looked outside. The light drizzle had now turned into a heavy rain. She nodded. “Alright then.”
The glass window was covered with rain and fine, fluffy snowflakes, hazy and blurry. A cold wind howled and swirled in front of the inpatient building.
After Tangtang fell asleep, Zhou Shunian tucked her in tightly.
When she woke up, it was already night. It was dark outside the window, and the hospital room was lit with a dim yellow light. Zhou Shunian was still sitting by the bed, reading a newspaper in his hand.
His hands were very beautiful. The knuckles of his hand flipping the newspaper were well-defined, and the joints were a faint bluish-white, like the thin frost that condensed in winter.
From her lying down angle, she could just see Zhou Shunian’s chin. The cold, hard jawline sank into the collar of his inner sweater along his Adam’s apple. His features were sharp, and he exuded a jade-like, clear and moist aura. Tangtang rarely looked at his appearance so seriously. The half of her face that was covered by the quilt was slightly flushed.
It took a few seconds for Zhou Shunian to notice the movement on her side. “You’re awake?”
She nodded. With his help, she got up from the hospital bed. “Mhm, what time is it?”
“It’s almost nine. Do you want to eat something?”
Now that he mentioned it, she felt a little hungry. But besides the buns and canned food, and some fruit that the teachers and classmates had brought, there was nothing else to eat in the hospital room. “Then let’s have some canned food.”
“Canned food is too cold. How about some congee?” As Zhou Shunian spoke, he found a clean porcelain bowl, then unscrewed the lid of the thermos and poured the congee inside into the bowl.
“Congee?” Tangtang’s eyes lit up. In fact, she also wanted to eat something hot, but the canteen had long been closed at this time. “It’s still warm. Brother Shunian, when did you buy the congee?”
“I went out to buy it while you were asleep.”
The congee was a golden millet congee. Every grain of rice had bloomed, and the rice fragrance was rich. She took a sip of the warm congee and felt her internal organs all settled.
After sleeping for two hours, Tangtang was not sleepy at all now. After finishing the congee, she had Zhou Shunian give her a copy of the newspaper he had brought and read it to pass the time.
This rain had been falling all day with no sign of stopping. It was the most uncomfortable to have rain in the winter. Not to mention it was cold, it was also damp and sticky. In a flash, a bolt of lightning came down from the sky, tearing a dazzling crack in the sky. After a second or two, a huge, rumbling clap of thunder fell on their ears. From the sound of it, it seemed as if it was going to split the hospital room in two.
Tangtang was not afraid of thunder and rain, but such a big commotion was still quite scary.
The hospital room was equipped with electric lights. Perhaps because of the thunder, the voltage was unstable. The light of the electric lamp quickly became weaker and weaker, and the whole hospital room was plunged into darkness with a click.
She was now glad that Zhou Shunian had stayed with her. This powerless hospital room was eerie and quite scary.
The door, which was not tightly closed, was blown open by the wind. A gust of wind and rain rushed in. The rustling sound of the leaves being blown by the wind fell on her ears. Hearing Zhou Shunian get up, Tangtang called out nervously, “Brother Shunian…”
“Don’t be afraid.” A broad palm covered her hand.
Zhou Shunian got up from his chair, closed the door tightly, and then opened a drawer and took out a candle and a lighter. With a click, the warm light of the candle rippled in the dark hospital room.
The thunder lasted for a while and finally stopped. The pouring rain came down. The sound of the raindrops hitting the glass became the background sound, becoming distant and blurry, which in turn made the hospital room particularly warm and quiet.
After lighting the candle, Zhou Shunian sat back down by the bed. “Do you want to continue reading the newspaper?”
Tangtang shook her head. “I’m not reading anymore.”
She shrank back into the quilt and sized up the person in front of her. Zhou Shunian was four years older than her. When she was in the fifth grade, he was in the first year of high school. Her big brother, Su Juesheng, had brought Zhou Shunian back to their house for a temporary stay during an agricultural learning activity. Counting on her fingers, it had been ten years since they had met.
Tangtang looked at the shadow his lowered eyelashes cast in the candlelight. The images of Zhou Shunian from many different periods suddenly appeared in her mind: the Zhou Shunian she had first met, the Zhou Shunian who had treated her to an Arctic Ocean soda to comfort her, the Zhou Shunian who had given her a crabapple blossom, the Zhou Shunian who had bought her sanitary napkins, the Zhou Shunian who had taken her to see a doctor, the Zhou Shunian who had been drenched in the rain with her, the Zhou Shunian who had left her a pouch, the Zhou Shunian who had written to her, the Zhou Shunian she had reunited with at the Western restaurant, the Zhou Shunian who would order a portion of vanilla ice cream for her alone…
Many of the virtual images in her mind all converged on the young man in front of her.
When Zhou Shunian sat back down by the bed, his knee brushed against the edge of the bed. Tangtang subconsciously shrank her feet, but he reached out and held her ankle. He swallowed his throat and asked, “Are you cold?”
“I’m not cold.”
Zhou Shunian tucked the slipped quilt in for her. When his fingertips brushed past the side of her neck, he could feel her trembling pulse from nervousness. The whining sound of the wind blowing through the crack in the window gradually softened. There was only the occasional crackling sound of the candle wick and the slow breathing between the two of them.
After a long while, a gentle and lingering kiss lightly landed on her forehead.