I rested my chin on my hand and looked at the boy sitting in front of me, my voice soft:
"Let me introduce myself again, I am Xie Ningxuan, 16 years old this year."
That boy – who was sitting still, looking up at me with his clear, unadulterated eyes – hesitated slightly, then softly replied:
"My name is… Ye Yuan, 15 years old."
The moment I heard that name, I was stunned for a few seconds. My heart was pounding. A thought flashed through my mind:
Eh… isn't this the person the system told me to reform?!
My eyes lit up like headlights, I could barely contain my emotions, I grabbed the boy in front of me by the shoulders, my mouth stammering:
"I… my name is Ye Yuan?!"
He was a little stunned by my actions, but then he nodded lightly.
"Yes… that's right."
After I heard that, my heart felt like fireworks were exploding in celebration. Oh my god, I found the target! So just taking good care of this kid is enough to complete the mission? Great!
I was still laughing like an idiot when Ye Yuan looked at me with a questioning look. He gently shook me, his voice soft:
"Are you...are you okay?"
I was startled back to my senses, quickly coughed a few times and scratched my head, smiling wryly:
"Ah...it's okay. Have you eaten yet?"
Ye Yuan heard that and lowered his head, mumbling:
"I ate..."
Gruuu~~
His stomach growled right after his answer, in the silence that was so... embarrassing. His small face immediately turned red. I was speechless. But then I chuckled softly and stood up.
Ye Yuan thought I was about to leave, so she panicked and grabbed my sleeve, her voice trembling:
"You… where are you going? I'm sorry, I… I won't bother you anymore. It's just… just… can you… not leave me alone… okay?"
I froze.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed. How many times had this kid… been left behind? Why did just the act of me standing up make him panic like this?
I turned around, bent down slightly, and smiled gently:
"I just went out to buy food to cook, I'm not going anywhere. Don't worry."
As I spoke, I patted Ye Yuan's head as if to comfort him. He looked up at me, still a little uneasy:
"Really… really?"
I smiled softly, my heart softening:
"This kid… is too cute."
"Really. I just went to the supermarket nearby. There's nothing in the dormitory. Besides, aren't you hungry? I'll buy some food and cook for you."
Ye Yuan shook her head slightly:
"But… that's too much trouble for you. I… I can just not eat…"
I froze for a few seconds. Looking at his thin face and dry lips, an indescribable feeling of discomfort suddenly rose in my heart.
I sighed and frowned:
"No! You have to eat to grow up quickly. Why do you say you can just not eat? There's no patience at all!"
Ye Yuan was about to object, but I turned around and walked out the door, waving my hand:
"There's no 'but'! Stay there and wait for me to come back!"
Then I picked up my bag and walked out. I had already secretly planned the menu in my heart: I must cook some nutritious dishes today to make up for this little guy.
After buying the food, I hurried back. In my head, I kept thinking:
> "I wonder if she's waiting for me? If I come back late, she'll think of something else…"
I opened the door to my dorm room and saw that it was dark inside.
Before I could turn on the light, bang! – a small figure rushed in and hugged me. I lost my balance and fell backwards onto the floor, my bags falling all over the place. I panicked:
"Hey! Who…?"
I quickly turned on the light. As soon as the light came on, I was stunned. The person hugging me tightly, trembling, was Da Uyen.
"You… why didn't you turn on the light? Are you okay?"
The boy didn't answer, he just held me a little tighter. A long while later, a small voice rang out:
"You… where have you been for so long? I… I thought… you left me alone…"
I was a little stunned. My eyes blinked a few times.
"Leave me…?"
Ye Yuan continued in a low voice:
"Because I… I was afraid you would find me annoying…"
I took a deep breath, and gently patted his back:
"How could you find me annoying? I just went shopping for a while. I promised, right?"
I gently wiped away the tears that were forming at the corners of his eyes. This kid, why did he make others feel so heartbroken.
"Okay, okay. Don't cry anymore. Come sit here, be good. I'll go cook."
I had just turned around when I felt my sleeve being pulled.
I turned around and saw Ye Yuan looking up, her eyes sparkling, softly saying:
"I… I also want to help…"
I burst out laughing.
"Okay. Come help my head chef, Xie Ningxuan."
That night, in the small kitchen of the dormitory, the sound of knives and chopping boards mixed with laughter. The warm yellow light covered two figures – one awkwardly cutting vegetables, the other smiling until her eyes were curved.
Da Uyen quietly watched me cooking, then smiled slightly.
"If this moment... could last forever, how nice would that be."