Chapter 23 No Choice

Lin Xingjie stared blankly at the glass pane beside her, which was covered in a layer of white mist. She reached out, touched the dense curtain of tiny water droplets that were layered upon each other on the tiles, as hot water flowed down the girl's smooth skin.

The sound of trickling water in her ears, the steam rising all around, the warmth that enveloped her wet body, and the silence of the bathroom so profound that you could hear a pin drop, all combined to form a haven that unconsciously soothed the mind.

This was the first time in her life that she had stayed over at a classmate's home.

Until now, she had never had such an opportunity, Lin Xingjie thought. Could this be a sign that her life was slowly getting on the right track?

Lin Xingjie was initially a bit nervous; but unlike at home, where she had to be constantly on edge, she discovered she had the rare opportunity to enjoy taking her time in the shower, without the need to hurriedly finish and run back to her room to lock herself in, or to simply run away from home.

So, she emptied her mind, and a whirlwind of thoughts came rushing to the forefront.

Because she didn't want Xu Xiangyang to know about her family's situation, Lin Xingjie always said goodbye to her friends at the alleyway and avoided this topic whenever they chatted.

Lin Xingjie told herself that there really was no need to be so sensitive. After all, it wasn't as if she hadn't lost face in front of him once or twice. The most embarrassing moments had all been witnessed by him; was there really any point in being pretentious?

This self-consolation wasn't without reason, but for some reason, she still couldn't bring herself to speak openly.

So much so that after her circumstances were revealed, not even the rare leisure time after school could improve her mood, which remained gloomy, like the heavy sky before a downpour.

After changing into a slightly oversized garment, Lin Xingjie came out to find that he was no longer in the living room.

She looked around curiously, their school bags were neatly placed on the chairs. At the same time, the fragrance of stir-fry was wafting from the kitchen.

...He really is like a "good wife and wise mother," Lin Xingjie thought to herself.

Hearing movement, the boy in the kitchen called out, "Take a seat. The meal will be ready soon."

"Do you need any help?"

"No need."

After a while, Xu Xiangyang, wearing an apron, came out with the food on a plate, got juice from the fridge, and took out two sets of bowls and chopsticks from the cabinet. He carefully set everything up and then sat down.

"...Thank you."

Lin Xingjie said softly.

"Are you feeling okay? You looked very tired when you came back earlier."

"I'm fine now."

"Is it because of Xiao An?"

"Probably."

Xu Xiangyang could tell she wasn't in high spirits. He thought for a moment and decided to speak frankly.

"Let's eat first," he said, pointing to the food on the table with his chopsticks, "after we finish, we can talk. If you don't want to talk, you can just go back to my sister's room."

"Can I go to bed early?"

The girl blinked.

"Of course not."

Xu Xiangyang furrowed his brow, replying without hesitation.

"You still have homework to do."

"Eh..."

"Let me know before you rest, I have to check it."

"Do you think I'm a primary school student?"

"No use arguing, just be obedient."

Whenever it came to studies, he adopted this uncompromising tone.

"Alright, alright, I got it."

Lin Xingjie raised her hands in surrender with a sense of resignation.

*

A dim yellow light was lit in Xu Xiangyang's sister's room.

Lin Xingjie was at the desk, concentrating on her writing.

When she finished the last math problem she knew how to do, she exhaled softly and stretched her wrists. At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

"I made you a bowl of red date soup; drink it while it's hot."

Xu Xiangyang's voice came from behind her.

"...You don't have to be so nice to me." Turning her head to see the boy carefully entering with the bowl, Lin Xingjie couldn't help but laugh and shook her head, "It feels like you're really my guardian."

Admonishing the child to study, helping check homework, and preparing a nutritional supplement for night study... the things Xu Xiangyang was doing gave her that illusion.

Of course, Lin Xingjie had only occasionally heard about his family's circumstances from others, and she herself had never had such an experience.

"I normally have to cook something to eat while studying every night, or else I get hungry and can't concentrate. I just made a little extra today," he said.

He set the steaming bowl on the table.

"All done?"

"Yeah."

Xu Xiangyang sat on the bed checking the workbook; Lin Xingjie, still sitting in the chair, cradled the bowl and sipped slowly with a spoon.

The bedroom quieted down for a while. The dim light from the desk lamp touched the white walls and the deep windows, casting a serene and silent atmosphere. Xu Xiangyang bent his head, absorbed in checking, while the girl couldn't take her eyes off the boy's face for a moment.

"Not bad," he said after a while, handing back the workbook with an involuntary smile on his lips. Lin Xingjie could tell he was genuinely happy for her.

"All correct?"

"No, quite a few mistakes. But the fact that you completed everything, it's a clear improvement over last week, and it's evident you didn't just scribble answers down – they were well thought out."

"Hmph, as if I'd cheat," she said, taking it back.

Lin Xingjie then made a suggestion, smiling.

"Then why don't you correct them for me?"

"No way."

Xu Xiangyang was firm in his response.

"Ah, that's just something you won't budge on..."

"The answers themselves don't matter. After being reviewed by the teacher, knowing where you went wrong and correcting it based on that is the most important part of learning."