Genshin Impact: Please don’t bully me, fellow stragglers

A week before running away from home, Nan Ke was in a state of fear, worried that her parents would come looking for her.

As time passed, nothing happened and Nan Ke felt relieved.

Judging from the attitudes of those two people, they probably think so.

Nan Ke has never lived independently, and sooner or later he will not be able to bear the hardship outside and will go home by himself.

It’s also a good thing for Nan Ke.

"Sister, it's time for a shift change."

The colleague who took over came out of the changing room, straightening his collar.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the convenience store was deserted. The store manager was in the monitoring room sorting out documents. Nan Ke was guarding the cash register. Hearing this, he calmed down and said, "Okay, thank you for your hard work."

A colleague supervised Nan Ke as she printed out the first half of the day's turnover: "You got the hang of it quickly, sister. I think you can run the store by yourself next time."

"I'm not very good at cooking," Nan Ke shook his head and pressed the computer methodically, "The store manager probably won't be reassured either."

After a while, when Nan Ke had finished his account,

"Hey, sister, is your handsome boy coming today?"

Nan Ke was startled and looked up to meet his colleague's mischievous eyes.

This colleague is a female college student who stayed on campus during the summer vacation and, like Nan Ke, worked part-time in a convenience store.

Nan Ke thought for two seconds: "A Liu?"

"He picks you up after get off work every day," the colleague approached Nan Ke and asked ambiguously, "Are you two dating?"

"The house I rented was his. He was attending a cram school nearby and happened to be passing by, so we went back together."

Nan Ke stepped back and asked his colleague after explaining, "Why are you asking this?"

My colleague smiled and said, “You know what I mean.”

Nan Ke didn’t quite understand.

But from the moment the convenience store door opened automatically and A Liu walked in, his colleagues' eyes were glued to the boy, which seemed to indicate they had some ill intentions.

"A Liu is going to high school soon," Nan Ke said casually before leaving the cashier counter, "he probably doesn't have time for a relationship."

My colleague was stunned and couldn't believe it: "What? Junior high school students are so tall now?!"

When Nan Ke changed his clothes and walked out, A Liu was sitting in the dining area of ​​the convenience store, doing his homework in a notebook.

The boy's eyebrows were knotted, and every brow showed his unhappiness.

Hearing Nan Ke coming out, Ah Liu looked up and smiled: "Nan Ke, are you off work?"

He closed the homework book.

Nan Ke glanced at it inadvertently.

I didn't write many words at all.

"Yeah." Nan Ke smiled back and put his bag on the chair next to him. "A Liu, you don't have to come and wait for me every day."

"You know, my cram school is nearby," Ah Liu propped his hands on his cheeks as he watched her sit down beside him, his eyebrows curved, "It just happened to be on my way after class."

Convenience stores operate on a shift system, and Nan Ke’s get off work hours are not fixed like his classes at a cram school.

He just happened to be going his way today, and he was also going his way yesterday and the day before yesterday.

What a coincidence.

Nan Ke smiled and said nothing.

Nan Ke didn't say anything, but asked carefully: "How is your tutoring going?"

"Eh?" Ah Liu's smile froze visibly. "Why is Nan Ke asking this?"

"Miss Ying asked me to take care of you."

"Uh..." The boy looked away.

Nan Ke considers himself a man who keeps his promises.

I promised to take care of A Liu, and I won’t go back on my word.

"You just came back from abroad, so it's normal for you to have difficulty with your studies," Nan Ke pointed at the homework book in his hand, "If there are any areas where you can't keep up, I can give you some advice."

The person you like should help you with your homework.

It is undoubtedly a great opportunity to narrow the distance.

however.

Nan Ke watched as A Liu pursed his lips again and again, and the homework book under his hand was deformed by his tightened fingers.

After a moment, he squeezed out a few words: "It's not that I can't keep up..."

"Hmm?" Nan Ke didn't hear clearly.

"I mean," Ah Liu turned his head to look back at her face, his cheeks reddened suspiciously, "I will learn the language of this country as soon as possible. When that time comes, I will ask you for advice."

Nan Ke was quite surprised.

I never expected that A Liu, who is about to go to high school at the beginning of the school term, would have to start by learning to read.

Ah Liu packed up his things and stood up, saying hurriedly: "Nan Ke, let's go home!"

The next afternoon.

A female college student colleague was on duty with Nan Ke.

"Isn't the handsome boy coming today?" the colleague looked anxiously.

"I don't think he will come." Nan Ke was studying how to cook a good pot of oden.

My colleague started to moan, but halfway through he saw a customer coming in, so he stopped and shouted welcome.

Nan Ke often tutors Nan Yi with his homework.

As he grew older, Nan Yi's condition was gradually under control, but his body became increasingly weak, so he could only study on his own in this way.

Nan Yi would always complain about questions he couldn't answer, then push Nan Ke away and tackle the problem alone.

According to Nan Yi, she felt ashamed because Nan Ke could solve the same questions easily but she couldn't.

It is normal for sisters to compete with each other.

Nan Ke didn't expect that it would have the same miraculous effect on A Liu.

Or maybe it was because Ah Liu didn't like studying to begin with, and she wanted to see his homework, which made him unhappy?

The broth began to boil, and the hot water droplets splashed down the spoon onto the back of his hand. Nan Ke frowned and then relaxed, and turned down the heat.

"What's wrong?" The colleague was watching the customers picking things out of boredom when he suddenly heard the sound of running water and looked over.

"nothing."

Nan Ke withdrew his gaze from the slightly swollen back of his hand, turned on the faucet and asked, "Is it okay to cook oden like this?"

A colleague came over and said, "Let me see..."

Nan Ke got off work late today, and it was already dark when he got home.

Ah Liu's door was ajar. Nan Ke stood in front of the door and knocked softly: "Ah Liu?"

"Come in." The young man's voice came from inside.

Nan Ke stepped back and leaned over to put the oden he brought back next to his door: "I packed some food after get off work and left it outside your door."

A Liu didn't respond for a while, so Nan Ke turned around and went back to his room.

A few minutes later, Nan Ke went out to take a shower in her pajamas and ran into A Liu standing at her door, holding an open textbook in one hand and a cup of oden in the other.

"Thank you for your gift, Nan Ke." A Liu said with sparkling eyes.

"You're welcome." Nan Ke smiled faintly, closed the door and went into the bathroom.

The sound of water splashing could be heard.

The exceptionally clear tone is like the patter of spring rain pouring into the heart.

In order to avoid suspicion, he even agreed with Nan Ke to wash at different times so as not to cross the line.

The boy stared at the bathroom door for a long time, then looked down at the still hot oden in his hand, with the corner of his lips raised.

"…Does this mean we can take it a step further?"

……

There have been thunderstorms in recent days.

The water pipe in the home of an employee who lived far away burst, so Nan Ke took the initiative to switch two night shifts with higher hourly wages.

Nan Ke took a nap during the day, and when he went out to work in the afternoon, A Liu had not yet finished school, so the two of them rarely met.

There were few people walking on the road. The strong wind brought raindrops that crackled on the umbrella cloth. There were constant flashes of lightning among the thick dark clouds, and the cold and white light was creepy.

Nan Ke hid under the eaves of a street house in advance, put away his umbrella, looked at the scene and let out a long sigh.

What bad weather.

It's like God is angry.

Nan Ke's partner tonight was a taciturn male employee, whom Nan Ke had never met before. After a brief greeting, they each went about their own business.

In the first half of the night, the male employee was guarding the cash register while Nan Ke was counting the goods.

In the late night, the convenience store's restocking was delivered, and Nan Ke took over as the cashier. The male employees and workers moved the goods into the warehouse together.

It's inevitable to feel sleepy when you have nothing to do.

Nan Ke was standing inside the cashier counter, wondering whether she should eat something to refresh herself, when the glass door suddenly opened and raindrops as big as beans flew into her face with the wind.

A man and a woman came in.

"Welcome." Nan Ke pulled down the wet mask and silently wiped the water off his face.

The two men looked at her, hung their wet umbrellas at the door, and walked straight into the shelf room.

At night, especially on rainy nights, there are hardly any guests.

Nan Ke originally thought that these were the last two for the night. Before the couple paid the bill, the glass door opened again.

Nan Ke tactfully stepped back a few steps to prevent being hit by raindrops again: "Welcome... eh?"

Nan Ke looked at the person who ran in and opened his eyes wide in surprise.

Who else could this young man, who is soaking wet and has purple hair and purple eyes, be but A Liu?

"A Liu?" Nan Ke hurriedly handed him the towel behind the cash register. "It's the middle of the night, why are you outside?"

Ah Liu seemed to have run all the way here, panting and anxiously grasping her hand: "Nan Ke..."

Drops of water gathered and dripped down the young and handsome face of the boy. Halfway through his words, he suddenly pursed his lips tightly and turned to look behind him.

Nan Ke looked in the direction he was looking.

The night was pitch black, and a flash of lightning came from the sky, contrasting with the shattered lights of the street lamps in the rain.

Nan Ke calmly pulled back his hand, stuffed the towel into his palm, and asked, "Is anyone chasing you?"

Ah Liu trembled slightly, and stared at the towel in his hand with his eyes downcast: "...No, I came out to buy something."

Nanke:?

There are also convenience stores in the community, and if all else fails, you can order takeout.

What did he need to buy that required him to run all the way here in the rain?

With respect.

Nan Ke only asked: "What do you want to buy?"

"Nan Ke, can you come with me?" A Liu pointed to the shelf.

Nan Ke glanced at the customer who was still picking out things, nodded, and walked out of the cashier counter.

What surprised Nan Ke was.

A Liu came hurriedly in the middle of the night.

He actually took her directly to the sanitary napkin section inside the convenience store.

The couple was also choosing sanitary napkins here.

The woman among them had pale lips and was leaning against the shelf with her head down, holding her stomach.

The men squatted in front of the shelves, holding a large bag of nightshades in each hand and comparing prices.

"Are you sure you want to buy this?" Nan Ke put away his unnecessary sympathy and looked back at A Liu's face.

"That's right," the boy said calmly, scanning the rows of sanitary napkins in front of him, without any embarrassment of buying intimate products for the opposite sex in the middle of the night. "This is my first time buying this, can Nan Ke recommend it to me?"

Although I don't know what's so special about this large package of tissue paper.

But seeing that the couple had not yet made their choice since he entered the door, it must be something that would take time to select.

The boy looked determined.

It seemed that the various doubts that arose in Nan Ke's mind at this moment were very rude.

"What day is it?" Nan Ke bent down and picked up a pack of daily use and a pack of night use, "Are you allergic?"

The person who took the opportunity to look back at the situation outside the convenience store was stunned: "...I don't know."

That would rule out the possibility that A Liu had a tryst with someone in the middle of the night when no one was at home.

Maybe a neighbor needs it urgently and asked A Liu to buy it for him?

It was none of Nan Ke’s business, so he didn’t speculate too deeply. He changed the cotton combination pack and stood up: “Then let’s take this one.”

Ah Liu's pupils trembled: "... so fast?"

"Huh?" Nan Ke was confused.

Ah Liu glanced at the man and woman who were still choosing and frowned, "Nan Ke, I think we can choose again..."

A young man’s heart is as deep as the sea.

Nan Ke pondered his unnatural reaction and was about to say something else when a hand suddenly reached out from the side and rubbed her chest.

There was a loud thunder outside.

Nan Ke's scalp also exploded.

His body reflexively suppressed the evasive movement, and Nan Ke stiffened all over, slowly moving back five centimeters.

The man who was squatting on the other side of her just now stood up, took out a pack of sanitary napkins that was displayed in front of Nan Ke, and waved it in front of her: "Is this on sale?"

The man was tall and dark, with thick and long eyebrows. When he looked down at Nan Ke, his eyes were filled with subtle interest and scrutiny.

It clearly says that what happened just now was not an accident.

Nan Ke felt as if his entire back was being soaked by the cold.

She controlled her facial expression, lowered her eyes to find the price tag, and calmly replied, "25% off, sir, that's 10.5 yuan after the discount."

"What about this in your hand?" The man touched the combination pack in her hand with his finger.

"This one is not discounted, it's 18 yuan."

Nan Ke had never been so fortunate that he had memorized the promotional price list in advance.

The man asked a few more questions. During this time, other guests came in. Nan Ke was blocked by him, and A Liu was blocking him from behind, so he was in a dilemma.

The guests who came in sounded like a young girl and two boys.

The girl yelled and stamped her feet: "Damn it, where did that boy go!"

"Misaki-nee, did he run the other way?"

"Sister Mitsuyo, do you want to buy an umbrella before chasing me?" asked another boy.

The three of them said a few words at the door, then left quickly without coming in.

"...Okay," the thick-browed man picked and chose, weighing the sanitary napkin he had finally decided on, and glanced at Nan Ke and said, "Pay me the bill."

Having said that, his body took up most of the aisle, and if Nan Ke wanted to go out, there would inevitably be more physical contact.

Nan Ke looked towards the cashier counter and saw that the male colleague who was moving goods in the warehouse had finally finished his work and walked out of the warehouse along the workbench.

Nan Ke breathed a sigh of relief and said to the man, "Sorry, I have customers here. My colleague is at the cashier, you can just go and pay."

The man frowned slightly, turned around and saw a male employee standing at the cashier counter where there should have been no one. He snorted in dissatisfaction, turned around and helped the pale-faced woman.

"I've bought it, let's go, honey."

Watching them leave, Nan Ke's whole body went limp. He supported himself on the shelf with one hand and pressed his chest, which was almost suffocating, with the other hand.

what happened?

Are there people like this everywhere?

She thought that as long as she left home, she wouldn't have to...

“Then I’ll buy this.”

The voice of the opposite sex suddenly sounded behind my head.

Nan Ke almost screamed and turned around in panic. Only when she saw the boy's handsome face did she react.

It’s A Liu.

"Nan Ke?" A Liu called her in confusion.

"I'm fine." Nan Ke hid his hands behind his back, pinched his knuckles secretly, and relaxed. "Go and pay the bill when you've made your selection. I'll clean up."

Ah Liu nodded, turned around and carefully glanced outside before he felt at ease to go out.

Nan Ke listened to his receding footsteps and took a silent, deep breath.

It doesn't matter.

She said to herself in her mind.

Still have to go to work.

cheer.

Take another deep breath.

Nan Ke stood up straight and walked out from the shelves.

The couple had already paid the bill and left.

A Liu was standing in front of the cashier counter, seemingly waiting for her to come out.

"Goodbye, Nan Ke," the boy waved to her reluctantly, "I'll wait for you to come home."

"Family?" The male colleague asked curiously after A Liu left.

"Roommate." Nan Ke said absentmindedly, "Can I go to the lounge to have a drink of water?"

"Go ahead." The male colleague took out his phone and slacked off. "If you can't stand it anymore, just take a nap. I'm used to working the night shift, so I can do it alone."

"Thank you."

Nan Ke dragged his feet back to the small lounge.

The water cup was at the corner of the table. When she was twisting the cap, she felt it slipping. She turned her palm over and discovered it.

Her palms were wet, and cold sweat seeped down her blue knuckles from being pinched by herself, almost dripping along the blue veins on her wrists.

Nan Ke frowned, closed his eyes, tilted his head back and took a big gulp of cold water.