Chapter 6: Let’s Go Get Pedicures Together
Gan Yan Yu had no idea how long she had slept.
All she could remember was that she had this incredibly long dream.
In her dream, there were lots of voices calling out her name.
“Yanyu, learning this has no future! Don’t you remember what your grandfather’s final end was?!”
“Yanyu, you’ve probably just been hanging around with that old coot too much; now you’re as stubborn as him!”
“Pity to say, Miss Gan Yanyu, our contract ends here. Please don’t come looking for us anymore.”
“Rain, you can’t put off going to the UK to get better. Grandpa is waiting for you.”
Gan Yan Yu jolted awake and sat up from the sofa.
Everything around her felt completely alien.
Morning sun shone through the sliding glass door on the balcony, casting its light across the ground. The sound of water splashing in the kitchen brought her back to reality, and seeing the cleaned table made everything hit her.
She had actually fallen asleep in Lin Tian’s house last night.
Gan Yan Yu propped her head up with her hand.
This must have caused him so much trouble!
d*mn it, getting drunk really screws things up!
Almost instinctively, she tugged off the blanket covering her body and gave herself a quick once-over.
Her halter dress, undergarments, and hair were all neatly arranged, showing no signs of disturbance.
Just her head ached, and her thighs felt a bit sore.
Probably from all the outside activities and the drinking last night, she thought to herself.
The young girl put on her shoes, following the sounds towards the kitchen door.
She poked her head in and saw Lin Tian, wrapped in an apron, cooking with a spatula in hand.
“Woke up?”
“Yeah.”
She walked into the kitchen to stand beside him.
“What are you making?”
“Egg noodles.”
Lin Tian stretched out his hand. “Soy sauce.”
Gan Yan Yu got the Haitian soy sauce from the table, opened it, and handed it to Lin Tian.
He poured some in, then said,
“An egg.”
“How many?”
“Two.”
“Alright.”
She passed over the eggs.
“Clop!” “Clop!” “Clop!”
They plopped into the pot.
Lin Tian handed her the spatula and moved to the cutting board nearby.
“Snip!” “Snip!”
He chopped up a bunch of green onions and tossed them into the pot; Gan Yan Yu swiftly flipped them with the spatula.
It was like they had been a well-oiled duo for years—effortless and perfectly synchronized.
Soon enough, the noodles were done.
They sat facing each other, enjoying breakfast.
Gan Yan Yu picked up her chopsticks and nudged an egg slightly; the yolk oozed out from the center.
She took a bite of the runny yolk, savoring the burst of salty flavor in her mouth.
Her eyes widened in delight.
“Do you like it?” Lin Tian asked.
“Yeah, yeah!”
Gan Yan Yu nodded vigorously, then dug into two more hot bites of noodles.
Afterwards, she held her face, instantly looking blissful.
“It’s delicious!”
Making such a simple dish taste so good really requires some skill.
“Lin Tian, I didn’t realize you were this good at cooking.”
She gave an honest compliment.
Who would have thought the biggest emotional swing would revolve around a bowl of egg noodles?
Lin Tian chuckled, “Living alone means I usually make egg noodles. At least, that’s a skill I’ve honed.”
“When do you go to school?”
“Soon.”
“Are you coming back for lunch?”
“Not usually.”
Even though Lin Tian went to school by public transport, it was a hassle going back and forth every day.
During his lunch breaks, he’d often head to the library near his school or nap on a table at a nearby milk tea shop.
But then,
Lin Tian looked at the young girl before him.
Though the system had successfully bonded with her, he still worried she might attempt something drastic when he wasn’t around.
“Guess I won’t be coming back for lunch.”
Hearing this, Gan Yan Yu bit her lip in thought.
“What’s wrong?”
“I want to thank you before I go. We can get food, milk tea, or just hang out. Whatever, you decide.”
Gan Yan Yu said seriously.
“I’ve been a nuisance since yesterday, I can’t just leave like this.”
As if dying isn’t exactly what you’re referring to as ‘leaving’?
As long as you don’t go commit s*icide, that’ll be considered repayment to me.
“You can’t make it today, but tonight?”
“Tonight… uh…”
Gan Yan Yu bit her finger, deep in thought.
For a moment,
“I’ll just give you money instead. Eat whatever you want, drink whatever you like, I still have some savings.” the girl said.
Using ‘savings’ to describe a meal and milk tea…
Looks like she’s just as broke as me.
Of course, Lin Tian couldn’t accept money, or else Gan Yan Yu would slip away.
At this very moment, he noticed her posture while eating seemed quite off.
“What happened to your arm?”
“Huh?”
Gan Yan Yu was stunned.
Lin Tian suddenly reached out and pinched her shoulder.
“Ouch…”
“Did you overexert yourself yesterday?”
“My legs are still sore.”
“Want to go get pedicures?”
“Pedicure? Where are we going? Are my feet smelly?”
With that, Gan Yan Yu bent down and wiggled her toes.
She looked at Lin Tian innocently.
“No, that’s not what I mean!” said Lin Tian, “A spa place, know what I’m talking about? A massage. It can help relax you.”
“They cost a fortune, right?”
Lin Tian grinned widely.
From his pocket, he produced a coupon as if by magic.
—Golden Impressions Foot Bath 399 RMB Coupon!
“How about this, after I finish my classes tonight, you treat me to dinner, and I take you for a foot massage. How about that?”
Gan Yan Yu stared blankly at the coupon in Lin Tian’s hand.
She glanced down at her toes.
Stuttering slightly,
“I guess… it’s not impossible.”
“Just settled then!” Lin Tian stood up and declared happily,
“Don’t run off today, wait for me tonight. I’ll take you for a massage!”
Finished with his statement, he grabbed his bag from the sofa.
Gan Yan Yu had barely processed it when he whipped out his phone, opening the WeChat app and holding it out in front of her.
“Add me on WeChat.”
Lin Tian continued, “In case you need to talk to me during school hours.”
“Okay.”
Gan Yan Yu pulled up her QR code; Lin Tian scanned and added her contact.
Her name was [‘Sunshine After Rain’].
Her profile picture was a sunflower.
This is how a modern female high school student would use WeChat?
Lin Tian suddenly felt like he was crossing a time barrier.
Even the woman who dressed like a high school student last night was 24 years old. And her WeChat handle was [‘Qingqing Grassland, I’m the Chickest’].
No wonder classical music folks always seem so old! Lin Tian thought Gan Yan Yu fit right in.
“Well, I have to go.”
Lin Tian shouldered his bag and opened the door.
Looking back at Gan Yan Yu one last time,
“Don’t hesitate to message me if anything happens!”
Bang!
The door closed behind him.
Walking toward the subway station,
Lin Tian drew in a deep breath and took out his phone.
Recalling Gan Yan Yu mumbling in her sleep last night,
He switched browsers and tapped into the previous night’s search history.
He had searched for, ‘Gan Yan Yu’.
The first article, however, wasn’t about Gan Yan Yu, but someone else.
[“Tragic Defeat! Retracing the events 16 years ago, the first cello player of China, Gan Hua, lost in the international Ke’er Cup, what should we reflect upon…]”
(End of Chapter 6)
