Siheyuan: Cooking journey

Zhou Xiaobai looked at him, her slightly flushed face looking a little shy: "There are many types of dormitories here. Both boys and girls can live in the same building."

"Fortunately there are some separate dormitories for girls, otherwise I really don't know how I would live there."

"However, the management of the girls' dormitory here is very lax."

"I heard from that overseas Chinese classmate that girls often bring their boyfriends home to spend the night, which is very embarrassing."

"When I heard the news, I immediately told her to let me know in advance if she was going to bring her boyfriend back; I would rather stay up all night in the classroom."

"Honestly, when it comes to this kind of thing, the rules in our country are better. They're not as free as here."

"I also heard something even more shocking. A female classmate changes her boyfriend every three days, as if it's not important to her at all."

"Some students seek novelty and secretly use some prohibited substances in their dormitories."

"After being abroad for a few months, many of my ideas have been shattered."

"Forget about studying. During this time, I just tried my best to adapt to the various strange situations here..."

As Zhou Xiaobai walked and talked, the two arrived at the dormitory on the second floor.

This is a double dormitory. The decoration is simple and elegant, with two wooden beds placed next to the window and a writing desk.

There is also a small living room. Overall, the living environment is quite good.

"This is my dormitory, how is it?"

Zhou Xiaobai asked with a smile.

“It’s much better than I thought.”

He Yuzhu nodded, put the things in his hands in the small living room, and did not move the bed.

"Sit down, you're welcome."

Zhou Xiaobai smiled and pushed him to sit on the sofa. He continued, "There are single and double rooms to choose from. Most of them are for two people, and some of the boys' rooms are for four or six people."

"My roommate is still in class. It's okay. It won't interfere. You can stay a little longer!"

"By the way, do you want some water? I'll pour you a glass."

As he spoke, Zhou Xiaobai walked to the desk, picked up the cup, poured him a glass of water and brought it over.

He Yuzhu was stunned when he took it. It turned out to be a small object produced by a steel rolling mill and engraved with a red star mark. He had given this gift to Zhou Xiaobai before, but he didn't expect that she would bring it to America.

Seeing that he was silent, although Zhou Xiaobai didn't know what he was thinking, he also felt that the atmosphere was a little weird.

The two tried their best to find topics to chat along the way.

But at this moment, there seems to be nothing to talk about.

"Hey, look what delicious food my mom sent me..."

To ease the embarrassment, Zhou Xiaobai smiled playfully, turned around, squatted down, and opened the cloth bag that He Yuzhu was carrying. The bag was full of items.

As soon as Zhou Xiaobai opened it, he saw a beige sweater. He picked it up happily and tried to put it on.

"My mother loves me so much that she knitted me a new sweater!"

She couldn't let it go for a while, then put the sweater down and continued to search.

Her face brightened even more when she saw an aluminum lunch box.

“There are delicious foods.”

I picked up the slightly warm lunch box and opened it. Inside were a few golden sweet potatoes, emitting an enticing aroma.

The sweet smell spread little by little, warming her heart.

Zhou Xiaobai's hands trembled a little and his eyes began to moisten.

These candied haws and sweet potatoes were once such wonderful memories.

Is this the end of this beauty?

She wasn't sure what he meant.

But now, I can no longer hide my true feelings.

I can't pretend to be indifferent.

I dare not even look into his eyes.

What I fear is that I cannot stop the attachment deep in my heart.

I was afraid that I would give him a hug on impulse.

Afraid that he would reject her coldly again.

I was afraid that we would drift further and further apart, and eventually we would not even have the courage to meet each other. The dormitory was very quiet.

He Yuzhu hesitated for a moment, then took a final look at the cup in his hand.

Now that everyone has seen it and sent the things over,

Although I want to stay a little longer,

But he knew in his heart that there was no point in doing so, and leaving early would be the best option.

He stood up and said calmly:

"I still have a lot of things to deal with, so I'll take my leave now."

"Take care of yourself!"

"If you have any problems later, you can ask the embassy for help."

"Can you...can you stay with me a little longer?"

Zhou Xiaobai's voice trembled slightly, and he seemed to want to turn around, but he stopped.

She didn't want her tears and nostalgic feelings to be seen by the other party.

"No need, I am satisfied to see that everything is fine here."

After saying that, He Yuzhu's gaze stayed on her for a few seconds, and then he slowly walked across the porch from the side.

As she lowered her head, tears kept falling on the back of Zhou Xiaobai's hand, with a hint of hope and helplessness: "Then will you come again tomorrow?"

"Sorry, we will leave tomorrow." He Yuzhu stopped and paused for a moment at the door.

Thinking about returning home soon, Zhou Xiaobai raised his head involuntarily.

Her crystal clear eyes were filled with tears and her delicate little face was filled with fear. She suddenly stood up and hugged the man behind her tightly.

We are parting now, and I don’t know when we will be together again in the future.

Zhou Xiaobai knew it very well in his heart, but he just didn't want to accept the separation.

"Please stay, even for just a little while..."

He Yuzhu froze, as if he had lost the ability to think. He only felt a pair of delicate arms around his chest.

My mind went blank and I couldn't find the right words for a long time.

Slowly raising his hand, he gently but firmly removed the fingers that were tightly wrapped around his body.

In this silence, the two of them finally gradually distanced themselves from each other.

Tears blurred Zhou Xiaobai's vision, and at this moment he seemed to have returned to that powerless farewell long ago.

However, this time, Zhou Xiaobai decided not to passively endure it.

Even though I knew the result was bound to be sad, "He Yuzhu, I actually never told you the truth. I came here not because I am happy."

"I thought I could completely forget everything about you, but in reality I miss you every minute and every second. Every day is so difficult that I feel like a walking corpse."

"I never blame you or hate you, I only blame myself for why I can't completely erase your shadow after traveling across the ocean. I have thought about giving up my life countless times to prove something to someone, but I am afraid that if I leave like this, I will never see you again, the only person I care about in this world."

"I can't help but think of you, but my mind always reminds me to let go of it all. You are like a love-hate existence, making my mood fluctuate like a roller coaster. In foreign countries, people's attitudes are much more open. You can have Lou Xiao'e and you can have Ran Qiuye, so why can't I be one of your choices?"

"I don't expect you to make any promises to me, and I've never thought about becoming your significant other. I just want to remember you, miss you, and love you. Can you please not avoid me?"

"You don't have to be attracted to me, and you don't have to care about me in particular, but at least don't stay away so that I can see you."

There is nothing to say but silence.

He Yuzhu's hands were shaking slightly.

Zhou Xiaobai hugged him tightly.

Take a deep breath.

He Yuzhu used all his strength to slowly separate her hands.

Feel your fingers loosen inch by inch.

Zhou Xiaobai's heart was filled with despair and powerlessness, and the scene before her made her feel even more sad.

This is the answer!

"you…"

He Yuzhu's voice was hoarse, and many of the words he wanted to say were stuck in his mouth but he couldn't utter them.

With mixed emotions, he held her hand and then held her in his arms.

There is a fresh smell in the air.

Zhou Xiaobai was a little dazed and dazed, and hugged him again instinctively.

A faint fragrance slowly spread throughout the room.

For a long time,

He Yuzhu raised his head slightly.

Zhou Xiaobai leaned softly on his chest, unwilling to move away.

They hugged each other tightly like this, and no one knew how much time had passed.

There was a slight squeak.

The dormitory door was gently pushed open.

Standing at the door was a girl with short, neat hair.

Looking at the couple hugging each other in the room, she was surprised, her cheeks slightly red, and then she closed the door.

"You guys go ahead, I didn't see anything."

"what…"

Zhou Xiaobai was very shy and subconsciously pushed him away a little, but then immediately hugged him tighter, hiding her warm face in his arms and not wanting to lift it up.

This sudden visitor also made He Yuzhu a little distracted. He gently stroked her hair and asked gently:

"Is that your friend?"

"uh-huh."

Zhou Xiaobai nodded shyly: "Her name is Lin Qingqing, and her English name is Selena..."

We were chatting.

There was a bang on the door.

"Xiaobai, I'll come see you later."

Zhou Xiaobai pursed her lips and hesitated for a while, but still followed him out.

The room became quiet again.

He Yuzhu waited quietly.

for a while,

Zhou Xiaobai returned to the room and looked at him, with two blushes on her snow-white cheeks.

As he got closer he said,

He Yuzhu checked the time and gently stroked her back, "It's getting late. I'll leave first and come see you tomorrow."

Zhou Xiaobai hugged him tighter and whispered, "Are you going back tomorrow?"

"No."

He Yuzhu said calmly, "We'll leave the day after tomorrow."

It makes no difference to her whether they leave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Although the man she loved finally responded, Zhou Xiaobai was still reluctant to let him go but she had no other choice.

After all, this is just a short visit, not a long-term solution.

He has a wife and children waiting for him at home; it is almost a luxury to expect him to stay in the United States.

"How about you stay tonight?"

Zhou Xiaobai blushed and buried her head in his chest and whispered,

"I've talked to Lin Qingqing, and she has no objection to letting you rest here for one night."

He Yuzhu was slightly surprised, then thought about it and seemed to understand her intention, but after careful consideration, he realized that there was another girl living in the dormitory.

It was impossible for something to happen. Maybe I was just overthinking it.

Maybe Zhou Xiaobai really just didn't want to separate so soon, and there was no other meaning.

"Ok."