For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 14
by Little PandaYou crying made my clothes even wetter.
At six-thirty, the alarm had barely given a soft vibration when Xiao Wanqing keenly sensed it and instantly woke, silencing it. She looked toward Lin Xian with concern—fortunately, Lin Xian was sleeping soundly, undisturbed.
Xiao Wanqing straightened up and gently pressed her own neck, easing the muscle soreness from holding the same position for too long. Then she reached out and softly felt Lin Xian’s forehead, confirming that Lin Xian’s fever had broken.
She studied Lin Xian’s clean, docile sleeping face, and a look of relieved, gratified joy involuntarily spread across her features. She murmured softly, “Little Rascal.” Though her lips couldn’t help chiding Lin Xian, her hands moved with gentle, affectionate tenderness as she adjusted Lin Xian’s quilt and tucked in the corners. Only then did she set her mind at ease and go out to prepare breakfast.
At eight o’clock, Xiao Wanqing had finished simmering a light corn and mushroom congee. She ladled it into bowls and left them on the table to cool before gathering a washbasin, towel, toothbrush, and tooth cup and returning to Lin Xian’s room to wake her.
Lin Xian opened her eyes to find Xiao Wanqing standing at her bedside, toothbrush in her left hand and tooth cup in her right. A washbasin sat on the nightstand. She was momentarily bewildered.
She scrambled upright and greeted Xiao Wanqing with puzzlement. “Good morning, Auntie Xiao. What’s all this…?”
Xiao Wanqing pressed her lips together in a gentle smile and handed the tooth cup and toothbrush to Lin Xian. “Still feeling unwell? Brush your teeth, wash your face, and have something to eat.”
Lin Xian obediently took the toothbrush and cup, shaking her head. “Much better.” She habitually stuffed the toothbrush into her mouth and, gripping it between her teeth, prepared to get out of bed—only to see Xiao Wanqing pick up the washbasin from the nightstand and hold it out in front of her, looking as though… she meant to catch the water she spat out?
Lin Xian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She pulled the toothbrush from her mouth. Toothpaste smeared across her cheeks made her words a bit muffled, but her meaning was perfectly clear: “Auntie Xiao, I can just go to the bathroom to wash up myself. I’m fine now.” Without waiting for Xiao Wanqing’s reply, she hopped out of bed, grabbed the tooth cup, and pitter-pattered out of the room.
Xiao Wanqing watched her retreating back, her eyes curving in helpless fondness. She set down the washbasin, grabbed a towel, took a thin jacket from Lin Xian’s wardrobe, and hurried out of the room toward the bathroom as well.
At breakfast, Xiao Wanqing noticed that Lin Xian’s movements were not as brisk as usual—she ate with some difficulty—and guessed her appetite was poor. She pursed her lips, set down her spoon, and drew Lin Xian’s attention. “Xianxian, have you noticed that today’s bowl is different from the ones before?”
Lin Xian paused, then looked down to examine the white porcelain bowl in front of her, puzzled. “They look… pretty much the same to me.”
Xiao Wanqing blinked mysteriously. “They’re different. When I heard you were coming over the summer break, I had this specially made. I originally meant to give it to you as a welcome gift, but then I kept forgetting. The bottom of the bowl has a special design.”
Lin Xian’s interest was immediately piqued. She picked up the bowl and peered at the bottom, but saw only blank space—nothing at all. Unwilling to give up, she pressed Xiao Wanqing. “I don’t see anything!”
Xiao Wanqing watched her little eyebrows twitching up and down—absolutely adorable. Her smile deepened as she explained, “It’s on the inside bottom of the bowl. You have to finish your congee before you can see it.”
Lin Xian let out a soft “Oh” and said no more, burying herself in serious eating.
Xiao Wanqing gazed at Lin Xian with soft eyes, a glint of mischievous amusement flashing through them.
Before long, Lin Xian finished the congee and finally saw the design at the bottom of the bowl as she’d hoped—a cute chibi version of herself, with fresh orange-yellow-green gradient lettering beside it that read: “Welcome Lin Xiaoxian.”
Lin Xian’s lips curved upward almost instantly. Her eyes sparkling bright, she looked at Xiao Wanqing and exclaimed, “It’s so cute! Did you design it?”
Xiao Wanqing blinked and nodded. “Mm, does the drawing look like you?”
Lin Xian nodded vigorously, then couldn’t help asking with puzzlement, “But during summer break, you didn’t even know what I looked like.”
Xiao Wanqing gave a snort and teased, “How do you know I didn’t know what you looked like?” Then she couldn’t resist quirking her lips and adding, “After all, you’re the Little Cutie who said she was going to marry me since she was little—I had to keep an eye on whether the Little Cutie was growing up right.”
Lin Xian’s face flushed instantly, and she protested with a soft, coquettish whine. “Auntie Xiao, you promised me you wouldn’t bring this up anymore! Whoever brings it up is a dog, and you broke your promise!”
Xiao Wanqing had spoken on a momentary impulse. Reminded by Lin Xian, she realized she had gone back on her word. She immediately dropped her smile, lowered her gaze, and apologized sincerely. “I’m sorry. I forgot for a moment. I broke my word.”
Lin Xian was taken aback, not expecting Xiao Wanqing to take it so seriously. She quickly scrambled to reassure her. “It’s fine, it’s fine! Auntie Xiao, I was just joking. I didn’t really mind. Don’t take it seriously—you don’t need to apologize.”
Xiao Wanqing studied Lin Xian carefully, and only when she was sure Lin Xian wasn’t genuinely upset did she breathe a sigh of relief. Her eyes curved warmly. “But I did go back on my word. We said whoever brings it up again is a dog, and I accept defeat in a bet.”
Lin Xian stared at Xiao Wanqing, still puzzling over what she meant by “accept defeat in a bet,” when she suddenly heard a few warm, pleasant sounds beside her ear: “Woof woof woof…”
Lin Xian’s eyes went wide. The next second, she broke into a wide grin, and a laugh as clear and bright as silver bells rang through the dining room. Her big eyes crinkled into crescent moons. In her peripheral vision, she noticed a faint blush creeping across Xiao Wanqing’s fair face, and blurted out, “Auntie Xiao, your face seems to have gone red… so cute…”
Xiao Wanqing hadn’t expected such a big reaction from Lin Xian. Hearing Lin Xian’s laughter, she was, for once, a little flustered. And after hearing her words, her face grew even redder.
She cleared her throat to cover it up and protested, “That’s from the hot food. ‘Cute’ doesn’t suit someone my age anymore.”
Lin Xian insisted stubbornly, “Who says? I think you’re super cute. No one is cuter than you.” The words had tumbled out before she could think. Only after saying them did Lin Xian feel something was off. All at once, her cheeks were burning and her ears felt hot.
Xiao Wanqing’s sharp eyes caught the red of Lin Xian’s earlobes, and she immediately turned the tables with a laugh. “Lin Xian, you’re blushing too. Your ears are practically cooked.”
Lin Xian bit her lip and tried to explain as casually as she could. “That’s probably from the fever.”
The words had barely left her mouth when she saw Xiao Wanqing’s smile vanish in an instant. Her eyes darkened, and she stood up and walked toward her. Only then did Lin Xian realize what she’d said. Seeing that Xiao Wanqing seemed to take it seriously, she hurriedly explained, “I was just saying that casually. Auntie Xiao, I’m fine.”
But Xiao Wanqing wouldn’t easily trust her self-assessment. She insisted on reaching out to check Lin Xian’s forehead temperature herself.
Lin Xian, still unconcerned, reassured her. “See? I’m fine, right?”
But Xiao Wanqing’s voice came from above her, low and grave. “Lin Xian, you have a fever. You’re hotter than yesterday.”
Lin Xian’s smile froze.
Xiao Wanqing fetched a thermometer and took Lin Xian’s temperature again. Sure enough, the fever was worse than yesterday—39.3°C.
How could this be? Xiao Wanqing’s expression instantly darkened. Looking at Lin Xian, who was still acting as if nothing were wrong and even trying to comfort her, she felt as if something had pierced her heart—both aching and panicked. She couldn’t resist touching Lin Xian’s face and chided her gently. “How can you be so silly? Burning up like this—don’t you even know you’re unwell?”
Lin Xian couldn’t bear seeing Xiao Wanqing so worried and hurriedly reassured her. “I really don’t feel bad. I’m fine. Don’t worry—it’ll probably pass in a bit.”
Burning up like this—how could she truly not feel unwell? Xiao Wanqing gazed at her with worry, frowned, and said decisively, “This won’t do. Wait for me at home. I’ll go check if the pharmacy near the complex is open. At the very least, I need to get some fever medicine.”
Lin Xian jumped up immediately and objected. “No! The wind and rain are so bad right now—how can you go out? And with a typhoon this severe, everything’s definitely shut down. What pharmacy would be open?” She pulled Xiao Wanqing to the balcony’s floor-to-ceiling windows, wanting to make her see the situation outside and dispel this terrible idea.
Outside the window, wind and rain raged wildly, swallowing clouds and blotting out the sun. Even as they spoke, a large tree in front of the building across the way had a branch snapped off, scattering twigs and leaves across the ground.
But Xiao Wanqing seemed not to mind at all. She simply turned around, reassuring Lin Xian in a soft, calm voice as she walked toward the entryway. “I have to at least try. You never know—one might be open. Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.” She opened the closet, pulled out a raincoat and rain pants, and started putting them on.
Lin Xian clutched Xiao Wanqing’s hand tightly, tugging at her rain gear, refusing to let her go out no matter what.
Xiao Wanqing had no choice. Still in her rain gear, she walked back to the living room and compromised. “All right then. Lin Xian, go to the bathroom and wipe yourself down with warm water. See if that brings your fever down. If it works, I won’t go out. Okay?”
Hearing Xiao Wanqing’s compromise, Lin Xian agreed without a second’s hesitation. She didn’t know if it would bring the fever down, but any delay was worth it. “Okay. Don’t leave. I’ll go right now.”
Xiao Wanqing walked toward Lin Xian’s bedroom and said gently, “I’m not leaving. You go wipe yourself down, and I’ll go look for medicine in the room. All right?”
Lin Xian was a little uncertain whether she meant it, afraid she would leave. But seeing that Xiao Wanqing’s expression held no trace of a smile—serious and earnest in a way that was rare for her—she set aside her suspicion and nodded. “Okay.” With that, she turned and headed for the bathroom.
But the moment she stepped into the bathroom and had just finished undressing to get warm water for wiping down, a crisp, sharp click of a door reached her ears. Lin Xian panicked. She didn’t bother putting her T-shirt back on—she grabbed a tank top, pulled it on, and immediately turned and ran out.
The living room was empty—Xiao Wanqing was nowhere to be seen.
She twisted the door handle, wanting to chase after her, but found that Xiao Wanqing had locked it from the outside. Xiao Wanqing’s warm voice came through from beyond the door, slightly muffled by the thick security door. “Be good and wait for me at home. I’ll be right back. If you’re tired, go sleep for a bit. When you wake up, I’ll definitely be right beside you. Don’t worry.”
Lin Xian felt herself breaking down. She couldn’t open the door, couldn’t find the keys, couldn’t stop Xiao Wanqing. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she shouted toward the door. “Auntie Xiao, come back! Auntie Xiao… Xiao Wanqing, come back! I told you I’m fine! How could I not worry? How can you tell me not to worry? Come back!”
But there was no sound from outside. Xiao Wanqing had clearly already gone far…
Lin Xian ran back to the bedroom to get her own keys, but the keys that had always been on the nightstand were gone—Xiao Wanqing had taken them.
She gnashed her teeth in anxious frustration, ran back to the living room, and stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down.
She saw Xiao Wanqing’s frail, slender figure gradually appear in the wind and rain, entering her field of vision. The gale whipped Xiao Wanqing’s usually smooth, tidy hair into a wild tangle. Torrential rain leaked through the raincoat and soaked into her clothes. Even from this distance, Lin Xian could see that Xiao Wanqing’s clothes were clinging to her body—completely drenched. She was like those pitiful trees, lampposts, and billboards, tossed about in the wind and rain, swaying unsteadily this way and that. Just as she was about to reach the complex gate, Xiao Wanqing seemed to slip, stumbled, and fell to her knees—but she quickly got back up.
Lin Xian’s tears finally broke free, pouring from her eyes…
Xiao Wanqing was soaked to the skin. Rain pelted her face, making it hard to even keep her eyes open. She struggled to the pharmacy outside the complex, and just as Lin Xian had predicted, it was closed and shuttered.
Not just the pharmacy—every shop on the entire street was tightly locked. The street was completely empty. Water had already risen past Xiao Wanqing’s calves.
Xiao Wanqing bit her lower lip tightly, standing in the wind and rain, somewhat at a loss. The pharmacies were all closed, and the hospital was impossible to reach now. What should she do…
Her phone suddenly rang—it was Wen Tong.
Wen Tong urged her, “This typhoon made direct landfall in our city. When it hit yesterday, the center had force 16 winds. The whole city’s shut down for three days. Are you okay? Your windows and everything holding up? Lin Xian’s school is definitely closed too—just make do with whatever food you have for the next few days, and don’t go out if you don’t need to.”
But Xiao Wanqing replied in a low, heavy tone. “I’m already out. Lin Xian has a high fever. I came out to buy fever medicine, but the pharmacies are all closed. I can’t get any medicine…”
Wen Tong immediately grew anxious and exasperated. “You went out to buy medicine at a time like this? Do you think everyone’s as fearless as you? Xiao Wanqing, are you stupid? Can’t you be flexible for once and rely on someone else? Every household keeps fever and cold medicine stocked—just pick a neighbor, knock on their door, say thank you, and wouldn’t they lend you some?”
Before she could even finish, a suddenly enlightened Xiao Wanqing cut in. “Wen Tong, thank you for the reminder.” And then came only the beep beep beep of the dial tone…
Wen Tong was so angry she nearly threw her phone.
When Xiao Wanqing returned with the medicine, bedraggled, the moment she opened the door, Lin Xian, who had been waiting in agony the whole time, rushed over and crashed into her arms, wrapping her own tightly around Xiao Wanqing’s waist.
She tried to pull free, worried, and reminded the girl. “I’m all wet. Don’t get your clothes wet and make your illness worse…”
But Lin Xian didn’t hear a word she was saying. She suddenly burst into loud sobs, crying so hard she couldn’t catch her breath, her voice hoarse. “You lied to me, Xiao Wanqing, you liar… do you know how worried I was… you liar, you bad person, you fool…”
Xiao Wanqing looked at the fluffy head nestled against her and listened to the girl’s sobbing accusations. All at once, her heart melted and melted again.
She reached out and loosely wrapped her arms around Lin Xian, coaxing her. “Don’t cry. You crying made my clothes even wetter.”
The next second, Lin Xian looked up at Xiao Wanqing, at once wanting to cry and wanting to laugh.
Xiao Wanqing lowered her eyes to meet hers, her expression gentle, her tone utterly sincere. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I made you worry.”
The author has something to say:
Auntie Xiao raised an eyebrow: So, are you happy now that I was a little cheeky?
Lin Xian: Sniffle, who’s the real Scorpio here anyway?
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