ebookland Chapter 272 Did the neighbors come over for dinner today? 10
Chapter 272 Did the neighbors come over for dinner today? 10
"Lu Yan, don't you think this plate of stir-fried vegetables looks exceptionally green today?" Jiang Shuwan picked up a piece with her chopsticks and examined it intently under the light, as if she were studying some rare treasure.
"It's just a matter of timing and heat control." Lu Yan didn't even look up, and put a piece of pork rib into her bowl.
"...Oh." Jiang Shuwan pouted, stuffed some vegetables into her mouth, and mumbled, "Maybe it's just that I'm in a good mood today, everything looks pleasing to the eye. Sure enough, after handing in my homework, even the air feels sweet~"
"Oh?" Lu Yan finally looked up, his gaze slowly sweeping over the corner of the balcony. "So you're in such a good mood that you even find that succulent on the balcony, which you've practically neglected to death, pleasing to the eye?"
The succulent on the balcony was something she bought on a whim a month ago. Its pink leaves were all rolled up in a ball. She brought it over saying she wanted to add some "vibrant life" to this house that was full of black, white and gray.
As a result, under her "meticulous care," its "vitality" did indeed gradually weaken, and the leaves began to soften and turn yellow.
"It's just entering dormancy! Dormancy! Not dying! Can't you respect the life cycle of plants?!"
Jiang Shuwan protested, puffing out her cheeks, and lightly kicked the tip of his slipper under the table.
Lu Yan glanced at her, not looking away, his tone slightly mocking: "Respect the laws of life. I wonder who watered it three times last week and almost drowned it?"
"...I was afraid it would get thirsty!" Jiang Shuwan's voice didn't soften, but her ears turned slightly red as she lowered her head and picked at the rice in her bowl.
Similar conversations happen almost every day at the dinner table.
Seasons quietly change, the wind outside the window grows increasingly fierce, the sycamore leaves have all fallen, and the bare branches pierce the gray-blue sky, and the air gradually carries the scent of the year's end.
That evening, I was halfway through my meal when my cell phone, which was resting on the corner of the table, suddenly rang.
Jiang Shuwan glanced at the caller ID and her eyes lit up instantly.
"My mom!" She answered the phone almost excitedly, her voice rising an octave, the last syllable of her voice brimming with undisguised joy, "Hello, Mom!"
A gentle, laughing female voice came from the other end of the phone, faintly audible in the quiet restaurant.
"Really?! You can really come back this year?" Jiang Shuwan's voice was full of surprise.
"Dad's coming too? That's great!... Hmm! I know, I've been eating well... Okay, okay, I'll wait for you to come back!"
Her voice was sweet as honey, her eyebrows curved into two crescent moons, and her cheeks were flushed with excitement.
After hanging up the phone, he still held it, the smile on his face lingering for a long time.
“My parents!” She looked at Lu Yan, her voice almost overflowing with joy. “They’re working on a joint design project overseas, they’re super busy, I thought they wouldn’t be able to come back again, but the project finished ahead of schedule, so they can come back to spend the New Year with me this year!”
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, like a small cluster of dancing flames, inadvertently illuminating the calm eyes opposite her.
Lu Yan watched her undisguised joy, and unconsciously rubbed the chopsticks with his fingertips, as if they were also soothed by the warmth.
He gave a soft "hmm" in response.
"I haven't seen them for... a long time." Jiang Shuwan rested her chin on her hand, her tone tinged with emotion.
"The last video was half a year ago."
She blinked, as if remembering something, and asked in a light tone, "By the way, Lu Yan, what are your plans for winter break?"
Lu Yan's face remained calm and expressionless, and his voice was also flat: "My parents can't come back for the time being, so they asked me to go over there to celebrate the New Year with them."
"Oh..." Jiang Shuwan's smile faded slightly.
"You're going abroad... Doesn't that mean we won't see each other for over a month?"
The elation in her voice deflated slowly, like a punctured balloon.
She unconsciously poked at the rice in her bowl with the tip of her chopsticks, her voice lowering slightly: "So... have you booked the plane tickets? When are you leaving?"
Lu Yan looked at her long, drooping eyelashes and slightly pouting lips, a faint ripple passing through his eyes.
He paused for a moment, then inexplicably changed his mind: "However, I refused."
"Huh?" Jiang Shuwan blinked, a little confused, her long eyelashes fluttering.
“The algorithm optimization project I’m working on still has a ton of data to run in the lab,” Lu Yan added. “It’s more convenient to stay here at the university.”
"Really!" Jiang Shuwan blurted out, her eyes instantly lighting up again.
Realizing her reaction was a bit too obvious, she quickly cleared her throat, trying to suppress her overly obvious smile, but the corners of her mouth still couldn't help but turn up.
“What I mean is… the project is indeed important. But I remember you said before that it was already finished?”
"I'd like to further optimize the key parameters, and I'd feel more at ease if I supervised it myself," Lu Yan replied calmly, avoiding the overly bright light in her eyes.
The decision was made suddenly, without much thought, but once the words were out, he even felt... that it didn't seem so bad.
"You're so serious about curling your hair."
Jiang Shuwan muttered softly, then asked again, her voice filled with cautious probing and a hint of barely concealed anticipation, "So you'll be here all by yourself for the New Year?"
"Hmm." Lu Yan watched her brighten up instantly, then try to remain calm, and almost imperceptibly shifted his gaze to the deep night outside the window. "It's close to the lab here, so it's convenient."
"Oh..." Jiang Shuwan nodded, but her heart inexplicably clenched.
She remembered that he had mentioned by chance before that he didn't have much contact with his parents' family.
It must be so lonely to be alone in an empty house during the Lunar New Year.
"So you'll be spending the New Year alone?" She blurted out without much hesitation, "Why don't you come to my house? Aunt Wang is on leave for the New Year, so it's just my parents and me at home! It'll be more lively if you come along."
Lu Yan paused in his chopsticks, then looked up at her.
The warm yellow light fell on her face, making her eyes sparkle with sincerity.
He shifted his gaze almost imperceptibly, but a faint, subtly mocking smile curved his lips.
"What," he said slowly, "is the young lady addicted to treating this place like her own cafeteria? Even wanting to book her New Year's Eve dinner in advance?"
Jiang Shuwan was taken aback by his "interpretation," then bristled like a cat with its fur standing on end: "I only invited you because you were all alone! Who asked you to be the chef! Humph, come or don't come, it's up to you!"
Seeing her eyes widen in anger, a faint smile flashed across Lu Yan's eyes.
"Alright, I know you mean well." He picked up his chopsticks again, his tone softening. "But I'm usually alone when I'm abroad, I'm used to it. Just have a peaceful New Year and let me have some peace and quiet for a few days."
Let him sort things out properly again.