For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 7
by Little PandaHow’s Jiejie? Is She to Your Liking?
After hanging up Zhou Qin’s call, Lin Xian returned to her bedroom and booted up the computer. She logged onto QQ while she was at it, then opened her email to check the materials Zhou Qin had sent her.
Thirty minutes later, she had finished listening to an audio comprehension exercise and completed two reading passages. She stretched, and from the corner of her eye noticed a boy’s avatar bouncing in the QQ message bar.
Lin Xian recognized the sender from that same ancient system avatar that never changed—it was Xu Chengjun—and a smile crept onto her face.
Lin Xian and Xu Chengjun’s families lived across the hall from each other. His mother was Zhou Qin’s colleague, and the two had known each other since childhood. Though Xu Chengjun was four years older, and boys tended to be more mischievous, he’d always looked after Lin Xian, unafraid of being teased by his buddies for bringing a younger girl along to play. Lin Xian liked playing with him too and thought of him as a real older brother. After high school, Xu Chengjun had gone to study in the US, but he and Lin Xian had kept in touch online.
All summer long, it had been Xu Chengjun leading Lin Xian through games—grinding materials, running dungeons, tearing through the arena.
Lin Xian’s first reaction to seeing Xu Chengjun message her was: her abysmal arena ranked matches this week were saved. How could she not be happy?
Xu Chengjun had already heard that Zhou Qin was entrusting Lin Xian to the care of an auntie she didn’t know well, so tonight he’d come specifically to check in on how her first day settling in had gone.
Lin Xian herself had been calling Xiao Wanqing “Auntie Xiao” left and right. Once she’d gotten used to it, she didn’t think anything of it anymore. But the moment she heard Xu Chengjun ask, “How’s that auntie of yours? Easy to get along with?”, the word “Auntie” suddenly struck her as terribly grating—excruciating to hear.
She pouted and corrected him: “Don’t call her Auntie. At most she’s a Jiejie—she’s only a few years older than you. If you call her Auntie, I might as well call you Uncle.”
Xu Chengjun laughed. It seemed Lin Xian had a good impression of this auntie. He said good-naturedly, “Then let’s go with Jiejie. How’s Jiejie? Is she to your liking?”
The thought of Xiao Wanqing brought an involuntary sparkle to Lin Xian’s eyes. Chin propped on one hand, wearing a radiant smile she didn’t even notice herself, she replied half-jokingly, “She’s more to my liking than my mom, anyway.” After a moment’s thought, she asked Xu Chengjun, “Chengjun-gege, do you have time right now?”
Xu Chengjun knew Lin Xian’s habits well—whenever she called him “Gege,” she was definitely about to ask him for a favor.
Sure enough, Lin Xian pleaded: “Chengjun-gege, carry me in the arena? My win rate this week is down to 20%, wuwu.”
Though Xu Chengjun thought Lin Xian should be collecting herself and preparing to study hard since school started tomorrow, he couldn’t withstand her relentless wheedling and eventually caved, taking Lin Xian into the arena.
By the time Lin Xian emerged from the arena with an 80% win rate, thoroughly satisfied, an hour had already passed. She said goodbye to Xu Chengjun, rose from the computer, and stretched.
She rolled her neck, turning left, then right, when she suddenly felt a vague niggling in the back of her mind—something she couldn’t quite pin down, a sense that she’d forgotten to do something.
She pondered what she might have forgotten while bending down to loosen her muscles. Then it hit her. Lin Xian bolted upright and dashed out of the room, sprinting for the bathroom.
She’d remembered what she’d forgotten—she hadn’t washed her clothes!!
Zhou Qin had told her again and again: wash your clothes right after you shower. Don’t wait until Xiao Wanqing can’t stand it anymore and ends up washing them for you.
But Lin Xian stared at the empty dirty-clothes bucket in the bathroom and covered her forehead. Qin-jiejie, I’m sorry. I let you down.
She heard what sounded like running water from the balcony off the living room, punctuated now and then by the scrub-scrub-scrub of washing. Hope flared in Lin Xian’s heart, and she pitter-pattered toward the balcony.
She rounded the corner into the living room and looked toward the balcony. Xiao Wanqing was there in a sheer nightdress, her lovely hair gathered up slightly, bending forward to wring out the last piece of clothing from the basin.
Hearing Lin Xian’s footsteps, Xiao Wanqing turned to look at her, her eyes curving warmly. “What is it? Why are you running so fast?”
Lin Xian had already drawn close. She looked at what Xiao Wanqing held in her hands—her own denim overalls—then at the items already hanging on the rack: her white T-shirt, her bra, her underwear…
Lin Xian’s face flushed scarlet. Mortified and ashamed, she stammered, “I’m sorry, Auntie Xiao, sorry to trouble you. I forgot… forgot to wash my clothes right after my shower. I didn’t leave them there on purpose…”
Xiao Wanqing smiled gently. “I wondered what had happened. It’s fine—I just washed them along with everything else. If anyone should apologize, it should be me, for washing your things without asking. I hope you don’t mind.”
Lin Xian waved her hands frantically. “No, no, I couldn’t be more grateful!”
Xiao Wanqing chuckled softly and said in her warm voice, “Then from now on, I’ll wash all your clothes when you change.”
Lin Xian shook her head, refusing immediately. “No, no, I can wash them myself. I’m old enough—I can handle washing a couple pieces of clothing. No need to trouble you, Auntie Xiao.” As she spoke, her gaze couldn’t help drifting to her underwear drying on the rack. She felt thoroughly awkward no matter how she looked at it.
Xiao Wanqing noticed Lin Xian’s line of sight and understood. She rinsed her hands clean and said considerately, “Then from now on, I’ll only wash your outer clothes. You can wash your intimates yourself. How does that sound?”
But Lin Xian still declined. “Really, it’s fine. I can wash them myself.”
Seeing her insistence, Xiao Wanqing’s long lashes fluttered twice. She smiled and didn’t press the matter further. She changed the subject: “What time do you plan to head to school for registration tomorrow morning?” University registration had no hard deadlines, and since Lin Xian wasn’t boarding, she didn’t need to set up a dorm or buy supplies—things were much more relaxed.
Lin Xian answered without hesitation: “Around eight thirty, I think.” Zhou Qin had specifically reminded her to go early—better to be ahead than behind.
Xiao Wanqing offered, “Then let me drive you tomorrow. Since you’re not staying in the dorms, you probably just need to show up, pay tuition, and pick up your military training uniform. But a university campus is much bigger than high school, and it being your first time, you might not know your way around. I happen to be free tomorrow, so let’s go together. I can point out your regular commute route along the way.”
In the past, it had always been Zhou Qin who drove Lin Xian to school on the first day, because registration meant distributing the new semester’s textbooks. Too many books to carry on a crowded bus without a seat—getting home would be miserable. But university without dorm living wasn’t so different from high school in that regard, and the books wouldn’t be handed out that day anyway. Zhou Qin and Lin Zhan both had new student orientation at their own schools tomorrow and couldn’t get away. Knowing that Lin Xian could take a direct bus from Xiao Wanqing’s place, they’d let her go entirely on her own without any worries. Still, it was different from high school in some ways. Faced with a completely unfamiliar new environment, Lin Xian actually did hope someone could go with her that first time. Xiao Wanqing’s offer was tempting, but she still hesitated. “Would it be too much trouble for you?”
Xiao Wanqing reached out and lightly tapped Lin Xian’s nose, a touch of doting fondness in her gentle scolding: “I told you not to be so formal with me. What trouble? Silly.”
Lin Xian watched Xiao Wanqing without blinking. In the dim light, Xiao Wanqing wearing only her thin dress was elegant yet all the more captivating—nearly enough to make Lin Xian forget to respond.
Xiao Wanqing raised her hand and gently touched the tips of Lin Xian’s hair. Still faintly damp. She said softly, “Your hair is still a little wet. It’s not good with the AC on. Go dry it.”
Lin Xian looked away and nodded obediently. “Okay.”
Not long after, the clock had just struck ten when a knock came at Lin Xian’s door from Xiao Wanqing. At that moment, Lin Xian was half-reclined on her bed with earbuds in, listening to music.
Xiao Wanqing brought in a cup of warm milk and set it gently on the bedside table.
Lin Xian pulled out her earbuds and heard Xiao Wanqing’s soft reminder: “Starting tomorrow, you’ll need to wake up early. Get to bed earlier tonight.”
Lin Xian nodded dutifully.
Xiao Wanqing leaned forward slightly, and a strand of hair slipped down beside her ear. She tucked it back gently, picked up the digital alarm clock from the bedside table, and with eyes soft as water, asked, “Would you like me to set your alarm for you?”
Lin Xian thought briefly and nodded. “Mm, set it for six thirty. That should be enough time, right?”
Xiao Wanqing paused to consider, then suggested, “Let me set it for seven. If you need to be there by eight thirty, I’ll drive you, so there’s plenty of time. Sleep a little more.” She blinked, a faint smile spreading from her eyes, and teased, “Sleep too little and you won’t grow—it won’t be good.”
Lin Xian frowned and feigned a grumble: “Tell me about it. All these years studying hard, waking up earlier than chickens and sleeping later than dogs—who knows how many centimeters that’s cost me. So sad. Forget it, I’m not studying anymore. Need to sleep early and wake late. Any more studying and I won’t grow at all.”
Xiao Wanqing looked at her dramatic, flailing little act and couldn’t help laughing. “Nonsense.”
She carefully set the alarm for Lin Xian, placed the clock gently back on the bedside table, and said, “Get some sleep. Good night.”
Lin Xian dropped her mischievous act and smiled, her expression softening. “Mm. You should sleep early too. Good night.”
It was only after Xiao Wanqing closed the door and her back disappeared from view that Lin Xian slowly looked away.
Whether it was the new environment, or her mind too excited, or something else entirely, Lin Xian couldn’t say. But after finishing the milk, brushing her teeth, turning off the lights, and getting into bed, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
After suffering through half an hour in the dark, Lin Xian decided to get up and use the computer for a while, waiting for sleepiness to claim her. But perhaps because she’d just promised Xiao Wanqing to “sleep early,” she couldn’t shake a twinge of guilt. So she tiptoed to her door, carefully locked it from the inside, then—without even daring to turn on the light—crept to the computer and powered it on.
Not long after the clock struck midnight, Xiao Wanqing finally finished her work plan and topic directions for the coming week in the study. She rolled her shoulders, stood, and went to the living room for water.
Lin Xian’s bedroom wasn’t far from the study, directly on the path to the living room. As Xiao Wanqing passed by Lin Xian’s door, her sharp ears caught what sounded like the clack-clack-clack of keyboard keys, unmistakably clear in the silence of the dark night.
Xiao Wanqing paused, startled, her footstep faltering. She thought she must have imagined it. But when she stopped and listened carefully, she found it was no illusion. The sound of keys being struck was indeed coming, unmistakably, from Lin Xian’s room.
Xiao Wanqing’s always-gentle eyes gradually darkened, her brows drawing slightly together. After a few seconds, she slowed and softened her steps, walking past Lin Xian’s door without stopping, on toward the living room.
The author has something to say:
Lin · drowning-in-beauty · feels-hollowed-out · can’t-grow-taller · Xian
Seriously though, do you still grow taller in college?
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