Yan's mother tactfully left the two alone, excusing herself to rest and closing the door behind her.
After Yan Xixi finished washing up, she dried her hands. Just as she was about to turn around, Huang Xiaojue embraced her from behind, his chin resting on her hair. "Xixi, you've lost so much weight. Have things been very hard for you lately?"
"No. This month, I've had it much easier. Now that my mom is out of the hospital, I plan to find a job after the New Year."
"Don't rush to find a job. Take care of your mother first. Xixi, you also need to look after your own health..." He turned her thin shoulders towards him, noticing her chin had become even sharper. Because of this, her dark eyes looked especially large and crystal clear, as if they sparkled.
His tone was very serious. "Your mother's treatment will need to continue next year. You can't possibly manage a job and all the hospital visits; you can't be in two places at once... Look at you, you've worn yourself down to skin and bones. It truly breaks my heart..."
Yan Xixi rubbed her hands, a little embarrassed. "That's an exaggeration, isn't it? I'm not skin and bones."
"Xixi, this can't go on."
Yan Xixi lowered her lashes. She had considered this issue before. Hiring a caregiver wasn't cheap, and she couldn't find a high-paying job on such short notice. Truthfully, hiring a caregiver didn't seem any better than looking after her mother herself. Moreover, she harbored an unspeakable secret. Now that Huang Xiaojue was back, she couldn't bring herself to go back to being a tea or liquor shill, deceiving men. But with no income, they'd just be eating through their savings. What was she to do?
"Xixi, my transfer back here came with a promotion, so my salary has increased considerably. I've decided, starting this month, I'll give you five thousand yuan each month for living expenses. That should cover your and your mother's basic needs, including food, clothing, housing, transportation, and essential medical costs. I'll save the rest. That way, if your mother needs a significant sum for hospitalization or if there's any other emergency, we won't be caught unprepared. What do you think?"
Yan Xixi stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide. It took her a long moment before she let out a soft sigh. "Xiaojue, with you doing all this, I really don't know what to say... I... I don't know how I can ever repay you..."
Huang Xiaojue could almost see his own reflection in her large, dark eyes. They were so familiar, yet his heart pounded erratically. He gently put an arm around her shoulder, his voice unusually tender. "Of course, I'll want you to repay me. Xixi, you'll have to pledge yourself to me..."
Her face flushed, and his heart beat even faster. "Once your mother's condition stabilizes, we'll get married."
"But, I'll be such a burden to you like this..."
He dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Silly girl, what are you talking about, a burden? It's just a matter of two or three years, isn't it? At worst, we'll be frugal for these few years, not save money, not buy a house."
"A bare-bones wedding, then?"
"Plenty of people who don't have a mother with a serious illness also have bare-bones weddings, don't they? What's the big deal about that?"
Yan Xixi buried her head in his chest. Though she rarely cried, she couldn't help but sob at this moment. "Xiaojue, you're just too foolish. If you had chosen another girl, you certainly wouldn't have to go through such grievances..."
He held her tightly, also feeling a wave of profound emotion. Back then, it must have been love, he mused. He hadn't felt any hardship at all, only an infinite sense of comfort.
Huang Xiaojue's phone rang. It was his mother, urging him to hurry home. His mother's voice was so loud over the phone that even Yan Xixi could hear her clearly, "Xiaojue, didn't you say you'd be home by ten this morning? How come it's almost evening and you're still not back? Where on earth have you been? Honestly, child, don't you know I've been waiting for you for lunch since midday?"