Endless Fall

  Chapter 28 Unintentional spoiling

   "I'm not hungry." Pei Zhi stared at the LCD screen.

   He watched TV with Xue Jing for a while, then got up and walked to the window, slowly lighting a cigarette.

  Torrential rain fell outside the window, and the lightning that hit the sky bloomed like fireworks, but there was a terrifying aura.

   The raindrops that floated into the window tapped his shoulder.

   In just a few breaths, the piece of clothing on his shoulders was soaked by the rain, leaving a faint trace.

   "Uncle, the rice is ready..." Lin Jiao came out with a bowl and plate, and when she caught a glimpse of his lonely back, her smile suddenly disappeared.

   She thought he was still feeling sad about the past, so she put down the dishes and walked over lightly.

   Pei Zhi turned his head back with a sense of observation.

   Before he had time to utter a syllable, there was a warm touch on his forearm.

   The window that was pouring in the wind and rain was closed by her, and she dragged him back, isolating all the coolness from the outside.

  Lin Jiao looked away from his shoulders, looked up at him for a few seconds, and said with a smile, "Uncle, the meal is ready."

   "Well." Pei Zhi threw away the long-extinguished cigarette.

   He patted the raindrops on his arm, and as soon as he walked to the dining room, he was about to open the chairs by the table when a towel was handed over from behind him.

   "Wipe it first." Lin Jiao was afraid that he would catch a cold, so she poured another glass of boiled water and placed it in front of him.

   Seeing that he hadn't wiped his hair for a long time, she was obsessed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, so she simply grabbed the towel and gently stroked the jet-black hair.

   Pei Zhi enjoyed the whole process.

   He leaned against the back of the chair, sniffing the fragrance that lingered on the tip of his nose, as if feeling her embrace, immersing him in it.

   "Sister, can you eat?" Xue Jing ran over with short legs and stared at the two interacting with each other without blinking.

   "Immediately." Lin Jiao withdrew her hand.

   She brought out the remaining two dishes, and waited for Pei Zhi to pull out the wine cork before taking a seat: "Uncle, you should try it first."

   Pei Zhi picked up a garlic shrimp and put it in his mouth.

  The fresh and tender prawns are wrapped with just the right amount of garlic, and the soft and smooth texture instantly opens his taste buds.

   "Delicious." Even though he had been looking forward to this delicious meal before, at this moment, he still felt like he was hit by a surprise.

   Pei Zhi swallowed the piece of shrimp and looked at her with praise besides surprise: "Who did you learn such a good craft from?"

   "My grandfather." Lin Jiao chewed on the corn kernels.

   She said vaguely: "I started living with him when I was fourteen. Sometimes he was too busy to take care of me, and he was afraid that the food outside was not clean, so he simply passed on that skill to me."

   "Is he a chef before?"

   "Forget it, he's done a lot of business."

   Pei Zhi nodded clearly.

   He tried other dishes one after another, and the more he tasted, the more curious he became about the old man: "I have a chance to visit, how about it?"

   "Yes." Lin Jiao deserved it quickly.

   She held up the red wine glass and shook it twice: "But he lives in the country now, it's a bit far."

   "It's fine." Pei Zhi was afraid of appearing too eager, so he didn't say the exact time: "Let's find a weekend to go over."

"it is good."

"I also need to go!"

  Xue Jing raised the hand holding the chopsticks.

   After a while, his neckline was covered with corn dregs, and the corners of his mouth were also stained with oil, like a cat.

  Lin Jiao couldn't even wipe it off with a tissue, so she had to wait for him to finish before taking him to wash: "You eat well, we'll take you there."

   "Yeah!" Xue Jing nodded heavily.

   He held the bowl firmly, ate the dishes she brought, and stared at their wine glasses: "Sister, where's my wine?"

  Lin Jiao forgot about this.

   She took out two bottles of white wine that had been replaced with soda water from the kitchen and poured him a glass: "Drink less, this is powerful."

"I'm not afraid."

  Xue Jing gulped down a drink.

   He followed his father's example and turned the cup upside down to show them, proudly saying, "It's your turn to drink."

  Lin Jiao didn't dare to be bored.

   She touched Pei Zhi, took two sips, and picked up chopsticks to serve them dishes: "Eat first, and drink slowly after eating."

  Xue Jing has always been obedient and stopped making trouble.

   He put rice in his mouth while listening to their speeches, occasionally taking a few words to make the atmosphere more lively.

  Three rounds of wine and five flavors of food.

   It was already half past eight after a meal, but their chatter and laughter continued.

  The rain was still falling outside the window, and silver-white lightning flashed across the curtains, leaving a frightening reflection.

  Xue Jing covered her ears and hid behind Lin Jiao.

   He withdrew his gaze from the window and did not dare to go to the living room alone. His voice was glutinous: "Sister, I want to watch TV."

   "I want to wash the dishes, can you let my brother accompany you?"

  Lin Jiao stacked the tableware and chopsticks together.

   As soon as he was about to leave the table, he was stopped by the thin arm: "You accompany him, I will wash."

   Pei Zhi didn't wait for her to refuse, turned around and walked into the kitchen.

   He put on his apron, first put away the cutting board on the cooking table, then blocked the slot in the sink, and put the tableware and chopsticks in.

   "Uncle, let me do it." Lin Jiao asked Xue Jing to wait in the dining room, strode over and unbuttoned his apron.

   As soon as she got close, Pei Zhi's back froze.

   He didn't care about the water stains on his hands, he grabbed her hands and stopped her from moving: "Don't make trouble."

  Lin Jiao was slightly startled: "Are you ticklish?" She retracted her hand and did not delve into his doting tone.

   "Hmm." Pei Zhi let out a turbid breath.

   He took out a tissue and handed it over, and pushed her out of the kitchen like she did before: "Wait for me, it will be fine soon."

  Lin Jiao watched the door close and had no other choice.

   She wiped off the water stains on her wrist bones, moved the red wine to the coffee table, and led Xue Jing, who was afraid of thunder, and sat beside the sofa together.

   "Sister, you still have a lot left." Xue Jing pointed at the wine bottle, his eyes filled with confusion: "I've already drank one bottle."

   "You can't drink this too fast."

"why?"

   "It's easy to get drunk." Lin Jiao drank the two sips of red wine in the glass and said, "Do you see my sister's face turning red?"

   "A little." Xue Jing touched her flawless cheek: "Are you drunk?"

"No."

   "Then why is it red?"

   "Because of the heat." Lin Jiao yawned.

   She hugged Xue Jing to watch the bears come and go. Under the devilish and hypnotic accents of the two bears, she couldn't open her eyes after a while.

   When Pei Zhi came over, she fell asleep.

   He leaned down, his palms covered her side waist and slowly moved back, when he felt the softness of her waist, he paused for two seconds.

   "Brother, are you going to bed?" Xue Jing looked up at him with a serious expression.

  "..." This sounds strange.

   Pei Zhi suppressed her splendid thoughts in time, and picked her up effortlessly: "I don't sleep, only your sister sleeps."

   "Then are you leaving?"

"What's wrong?"

  Xue Jing grabbed the corner of his clothes, showing a pitiful look: "I would be afraid alone."

   (end of this chapter)