Chapter 7: A Bowl of Mutton Soup
"Just my luck... It took me forever just to get the bed a little warm..."
Shen Jiannan, shuffling to open the door, complained silently. He swore to himself that no matter who was knocking, if they didn't have a good reason, he would make them regret it.
But when he opened the door, Shen Jiannan forgot the oath he had just made.
At some point, the world outside had turned a silvery white. Snowflakes like goose down drifted from the sky, blanketing everything in sight.
It was beautiful, and it was freezing.
A girl he had never seen before stood at the door.
A very beautiful girl.
Her delicate features were as flawless and pure as the snowflakes, her black hair was scattered over her shoulders, and her eyes shone like stars in the snowy night.
Shen Jiannan, who had never believed in love at first sight, suddenly felt something remarkably like it.
The girl wore a crimson coat, but even its bulky fabric couldn't conceal the impressive figure beneath. With her perfect face, a body that was already showing its womanly curves, and a height of 1.5 meters, it would be hard for any man with an ounce of taste not to be captivated.
"Did God actually hear my thoughts?" Shen Jiannan couldn't help but wonder.
He didn't know the girl. She wasn't from his class, nor was she any teacher he recognized.
But for a girl like this to suddenly knock on his door in the dead of night, with snow falling in the freezing cold... anyone's imagination would run wild.
After staring for a few seconds, Shen Jiannan spoke.
"You..."
*Who are you?*
*What are you doing here?*
*Who are you looking for?*
Shen Jiannan subconsciously wanted to ask one of these questions, but the moment he opened his mouth, he realized how inappropriate that would be. A woman—a beautiful woman—knocking on his door in the middle of the night... there was no other possibility except that she knew him.
Could it be...
"You... why are you here?"
"It's cold today. I brought you some mutton soup."
The girl at the door—no, it should be said that Song Xiaodan's eyes flashed with a strange light as she raised the stainless steel thermos in her hand.
Yes, the visitor was Song Xiaodan.
Although this new Shen Jiannan had never met the girlfriend his predecessor had left behind, the moment he stopped himself from asking who she was, he suddenly knew.
He was surprised, and deeply puzzled.
From what he'd pieced together from others, Shen Jiannan had concluded that Song Xiaodan had dumped him. She had gotten a visa to the United States, and he hadn't.
This was a common story in this era. Parting for a foreign country was no different from saying goodbye forever. But now, the woman who had supposedly dumped him was here, bringing him mutton soup.
*A clear conscience fears no knock at midnight.*
In his previous life, Shen Jiannan, who had his share of misdeeds, was never afraid of a late-night visitor, let alone a beautiful woman.
Mutton soup... *yáng ròu tāng*. His mind couldn't help but make a dirty pun. Was she using the soup to imply he was feeling... *itchy*?
Shen Jiannan's thoughts went straight to the gutter.
"Come in and talk."
The room was dim under the warm yellow glow of the tungsten bulb. Song Xiaodan stepped inside before Shen Jiannan could properly greet her and placed the thermos on the table.
"I just made the soup. Drink it while it's hot, before it gets cold."
"..."
Soup?
She brought mutton soup?
What the hell was this about? Bringing mutton soup in the middle of a snowstorm...
Shen Jiannan didn't know what to say.
His predecessor and Song Xiaodan had been together for four years. He had no idea how far their relationship had progressed in that time.
But one thing was certain: they must have known each other better than anyone. Women were terrifying creatures; their intuition often defied all logic. Especially when it came to their own man, a woman's intuition could seemingly transcend time and space.
Just now, outside the door, Shen Jiannan had keenly noticed his own instinctive hesitation. It had caused a strange look to flash in Song Xiaodan's eyes, though she quickly concealed it.
If he had asked, "Who are you?" any fool would have known something was wrong.
Silence.
A silent, awkward pause.
For the first time in his life, Shen Jiannan avoided someone's gaze. He was worried Song Xiaodan would see the unfamiliarity in his eyes.
They were both adults. Since they both knew that parting for a foreign country was like a final farewell, there was no need to get entangled again. As for the mutton soup, it was clearly just an excuse.
Human psychology was like a chemical reaction; different elements always produced different results.
Shen Jiannan didn't know if he was overthinking things, or if he'd just become overly cautious because he had already died once for his recklessness.
From Song Xiaodan's perspective, however, his reaction seemed normal. She had been hiding things from him, worried that he wouldn't be able to accept the truth. She never imagined that her initial concealment would become a knot in her heart that could never be untied.
Looking at the silent Shen Jiannan, a flicker of pain crossed Song Xiaodan's eyes. At the door, she had already noticed it: he looked at her as if she were a complete stranger.
Regret, sorrow... four years of feelings!
In the end, Song Xiaodan pushed aside her chaotic thoughts. She unscrewed the lid of the thermos as she spoke again.
"Drink it, quickly! It'll get cold."
It really was a bowl of mutton soup.
A handful of green garlic sprouts were sprinkled over the milky-white broth, making it look and smell incredibly fragrant. This wasn't the artificial white color created by additives in later years; the taste was bound to be excellent.
Shen Jiannan's nose twitched, and his eyes couldn't help but dart toward the thermos. He'd never felt that a simple bowl of mutton soup could be so alluring—even more alluring than the beauty right beside him.
*Every meal, cabbage. Every meal, clear broth.*
It was just...
To drink or not to drink?
"Jiannan, my dad originally said we would leave next year, but for some reason, we're leaving next week..."
"Gulp..."
Shen Jiannan swallowed hard.
"The plane ticket is already booked..."
"..."
"Shen Jiannan, can you please put down your male pride? It's not my fault my family is rich! You..."
Suddenly, Song Xiaodan exploded.
Male pride... not my fault my family is rich...
What the hell was going on?
Shen Jiannan could no longer focus on the tempting bowl of soup. He looked up and saw her tear-streaked face.
Song Xiaodan, who had been so composed since she walked in, was now crying. Two trails of tears glistened on her delicate cheeks under the lamplight, making her star-like eyes seem even brighter. Her cherry-red lips were pressed together tightly.
*They must be sweet, right?* Shen Jiannan thought, staring at those lips.
"Shen Jiannan, kiss me..."
"..."
Shen Jiannan was stunned by her sudden plea.
It was too abrupt. To him, Song Xiaodan was no different from a stranger—at best, a very beautiful stranger.
But a moment later, he had no time to think.
A pair of delicate hands wrapped around his neck, and a pair of soft, warm lips pressed against his...
"What the hell," he thought. "This mutton soup must be poisoned."
As Confucius said: food and desire are both parts of human nature.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Shen Jiannan let his actions make the decision for him.
No feelings?
Shen Jiannan never believed in feelings. He only believed in affection that grew over time.
Sweet. Very sweet.
That was the first taste of Song Xiaodan's delicate, sweet lips.
But soon, Shen Jiannan tasted something else.
Salty...
"Mmm..."
"..."
"Hah..."
Skin as white as silk, as smooth as jade...
"..."
Outside, the wind howled, whipping the snow into a blizzard that grew heavier by the minute. The campus fell silent under the storm, and the deep chill of winter permeated the air.
But for the two people in the room, the winter cold couldn't dispel the heat radiating from their bodies. Their frenzied, racing blood seemed to warm the entire room, as if spring had arrived.
The beauty of spring lies in its blooming flowers—peerless, elegant, delicate, and fragrant. The sight of a thousand blossoms vying for the east wind is a portrait of pure vitality.
In spring, some write fairy tales, some describe love. Some sing, some are quiet; some are wild, some are joyous...
Spring is the fusion of all the world's beauty, the sum of all its colors. The spring rain is gentle and continuous. It softly calls to the earth, quietly moistening the soil. It merges into small streams, accumulates in deep pools, and flows into rivers, lakes, and seas...
An hour later, Shen Jiannan lay spent, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He had rehearsed countless scenarios in his head for what he would say when he finally met Song Xiaodan. But it seemed God had a twisted sense of humor, arranging for him to have such an... in-depth communication with her instead.
"What are you thinking about?" Song Xiaodan asked, her rosy cheeks resting against his chest.
"Nothing."
"Really?"
"Haha... well, before you came, I was just thinking how great it would be if God sent someone to warm my bed on such a cold night."
"You rogue!"
"Haha..."
"Drink the mutton soup first, before it gets cold," Song Xiaodan said with a slight frown. She turned over, grabbed the thermos from the bedside table, and handed it to him.
Shen Jiannan thought he knew women well, but he suddenly realized he didn't understand them at all.
Who drinks soup at a time like this?
In the end, he gave in. Facing those starry, stubborn eyes, he succumbed.
"Alright."
The soup was just as tempting as before, the white broth and green garlic sprouts still fragrant. The thermos had kept it at the perfect temperature, despite the freezing weather.
After chewing a few slices of meat and taking a sip of the soup, Shen Jiannan felt a wave of heat spread through his body, replenishing his energy.
A warm, satisfying feeling...
Shen Jiannan quickly finished the soup and slipped back into bed.
There was no problem between a man and a woman that couldn't be solved with a bowl of spicy hot pot... no, he corrected himself, a bowl of mutton soup.
"Mmm... your mouth is oily."
"Don't..."
"Turn off the light."
"It wasn't off before."
"..."
...
At the crack of dawn, Shen Jiannan was awakened by a faint noise. He opened his eyes and couldn't help but smile.
Not far away, Song Xiaodan was gently tidying up his room, wearing his old yellow coat. Sensing his gaze, she turned and said, a little embarrassed, "You're awake?"
"Mm. It's still early. Why are you up?"
"I have to get back soon, or my mom will find out."
"You snuck out?"
"Yeah. I made the soup after my mother fell asleep."
"..."
*What an idiot you were,* Shen Jiannan thought, mocking his predecessor.
*You and Song Xiaodan aren't suitable. She got a visa to go to the United States, but you didn't.*
Based on the information he'd gathered, Shen Jiannan had assumed he'd been dumped. But now, after hearing Song Xiaodan's side, he realized he'd guessed wrong.
Song Xiaodan was a classic "rich and beautiful" girl. From the moment he saw her, Shen Jiannan knew her family must be well-off. Her expensive coat and the subtle aura of someone raised in wealth and privilege gave it away. And his predecessor? A pauper with a monthly salary of only 55 yuan.
In later years, it would be considered a respectable achievement for a poor guy to land a rich, beautiful woman. As for being a kept man, well, being able to live off a woman was a skill in itself.
But his predecessor clearly hadn't wanted to be that man.
Shen Jiannan wasn't sure what had happened between them to give everyone around them that impression, but it didn't matter now. If he had the chance to be a kept man, he really wouldn't mind at all.
"It's been so cold recently. Why don't you buy some new bedding?" Song Xiaodan said, snuggling up against his chest after tidying the books on his desk.
"Too expensive."
Expensive was an understatement.
Shen Jiannan had considered buying a new quilt, but after asking for the price on the street, he'd abandoned the idea.
Cotton was two yuan and eighty fen per catty.
Sound cheap?
No, it was incredibly expensive. In the year 2020, cotton from northern Xinjiang cost the exact same: two yuan and eighty fen per catty.
It was a price Shen Jiannan simply couldn't afford. He had searched his entire dorm room and found only 28 yuan, which also had to cover his food for the next half a month. As for his passbook, it held only a few cents.
"I'm sorry," Song Xiaodan apologized quickly after he said it was too expensive.
Sorry? Shen Jiannan smiled to himself. The man she knew, the one with such ridiculous pride, was gone.
"Then... could you lend me some money?"
"Huh?"
Song Xiaodan suddenly lifted her head, her crystalline eyes wide with disbelief.
Borrow money?
Shen Jiannan was actually asking to borrow money.
In four years, Song Xiaodan had come to know him all too well, which was why she had never dared to tell him about her family background. Shen Jiannan was poor, and his pride was fragile. She was worried that revealing her family's wealth would provoke him and their relationship would fizzle out. But who could have known that the lie would create an even bigger rift? After Shen Jiannan found out the truth, he became a different person.
But now, he was actually asking her for money.
*Thump, thump.*
Shen Jiannan's heart skipped a beat as her clear eyes stared at him. Asking a woman for money before he'd even put his pants on... he felt a pang of guilt.
"I'll pay you back fast..."
Before he could finish, a slender finger was placed on his lips.
"I know you'll pay me back quickly. How much do you need?"
Shen Jiannan, unable to speak, held up one finger.
"Okay. I'll wait for you at the school gate after class this morning."
"..."