Wen Shaoyu stood up straight, lifted the strap of his school bag over his shoulder. He turned his head to see Ji Shuhe standing dumbfounded and silent, and let out a long sigh.
He didn't stop. As he passed Ji Shuhe, he raised his hand and tapped her forehead, neither hard nor soft, as if venting his grievance at being treated unfairly.
"Ji Shuhe, you can't take care of everyone."
"If you still can't bring yourself to refuse requests that make you uncomfortable, then you'll experience this kind of dilemma many times in the future."
"Think it over yourself."
Wen Shaoyu's back disappeared into the darkness. The words drifting back with his footsteps were somewhat ethereal, but the content was enough to make Ji Shuhe think deeply.
...Refuse requests that make her uncomfortable?
Ji Shuhe covered her forehead, staring blankly. Her mind was a mess, unable to sort anything out.
She walked home absentmindedly, ate dinner, finished her homework, and only when she lay down on her small bed did the solitude of being alone allow her to think clearly.
But the result of her thinking was that Wen Shaoyu was right.
She had always been afraid of causing trouble for others, so naturally she didn't want to get involved in others' troubles.
It was just because the one asking for help was An Qing, her only friend at the moment. She was afraid that refusal would affect their short and unstable friendship, so even though she was reluctant inside, she agreed to try.
Wen Shaoyu said she should learn to refuse.
But in her life, only acceptance had appeared. For example, accepting her parents' arrangement to come to Xinhai, or accepting a friend's request and helping to the best of her ability.
If it was uncomfortable, she just had to endure it.
She knew Wen Shaoyu was right, but refusal would only lead to worse results that she couldn't accept.
So Ji Shuhe didn't want to choose.
In the face of the stability she needed, her own feelings could be placed at the very end.
It was just that toward Wen Shaoyu... it seemed like she didn't appreciate his kindness.
So after that day, Ji Shuhe, who had already been avoiding Wen Shaoyu, seemed to dodge him even more.
She left early and came home early, and didn't even look at Lizi. After a while, even Ji Shulang found it strange that he couldn't see his sister. On the way to school, he pulled Wen Shaoyu to wonder if his sister was having teenage girl thoughts.
Wen Shaoyu, who was in the know, snorted coldly. Seeing Ji Shulang's puzzled look, he wanted to tell him to stop thinking. With his sister's thoughts, this blockhead would never figure it out even in his next life.
This Friday was a day when even senior three let out early.
Ji Shulang went straight to Wen Shaoyu's room as soon as he got home, booted up, and logged into the game. The room's owner was already used to it. He bent down to touch Lizi, who was rubbing against his leg, and put a leash on the little one.
Lizi was almost three months old. Wen Shaoyu had raised him to be chubby. Although he was a mixed-breed dog, he faintly showed signs of a golden retriever. In this increasingly cold weather, he was perfect for hugging to warm hands.
However, given that Ji Shuhe provided the living expenses, Lizi's diet had evolved from pure goat's milk to goat's milk-soaked dog food. He ate until his belly was round and grew quickly. Now Ji Shuhe could barely hold him.
The little one knew that putting on the leash meant going out. He excitedly chased his own tail several times, obediently wore it, and then didn't wait for Wen Shaoyu at all. He rushed out of the room and ran toward the attic.
Seeing this, Wen Shaoyu quickly stepped on the end of the leash. The little one was constrained by the length, and had to return to the person's feet.
Standing here, he could actually see the closed attic door. Wen Shaoyu squinted, maintaining this posture as he slowly spoke. "Since she doesn't want to see you, don't be tactless and show up."
Lizi didn't understand. He sat down with droopy ears, his dark eyes fixed on Wen Shaoyu, occasionally tilting his head.
"I'm talking to you. Do you understand?" Wen Shaoyu looked down at the stupid little dog sitting there staring at him. He lifted his foot and nudged the dog's butt with the tip of his shoe. "Get up. Let's go out to poop."
Wen Shaoyu carried Lizi downstairs. The little one wasn't good at stairs, often rolling halfway down. He had been stunned twice before, so Ji Shuhe always carried him down afterward.
With this habit formed, Wen Shaoyu had no choice but to accept it.
The sound of the TV in the house couldn't cover the footsteps coming down. Ji Shuhe was hiding in her grandparents' room. She only dared to show herself when she heard Wen Shaoyu go out.
These past two days, feeling guilty, she avoided Wen Shaoyu and also avoided Ji Shulang, who was inseparable from Wen Shaoyu. Fortunately, An Qing had a slip on the weekly test and wasn't in the mood to pester Ji Shuhe for updates, giving her a chance to have a weekend buffer.
But the problem had to be solved, or it would always weigh on her mind.
But how to solve it...
"Xiao Shu! Ji Shulang! Come quickly!"
Ji Shuhe was resting her chin in her hand, daydreaming, when she saw her uncle Ji Chenghai coming quickly toward her, his jacket seeming to hold something.
"What is it?" Aunt Chu Yue came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with a cloth as she leaned in to look. "Did you find a treasure?"
Ji Chenghai mysteriously pulled out a white foam lunchbox wrapped in a plastic bag from his chest, with bamboo skewers sticking out from one end.
"On the way back, I saw a barbecue stall with a long line. It smelled great, so I bought some." Ji Chenghai took out a skewer of lamb and held it to Chu Yue's mouth. "Doesn't it smell delicious? Try it!"
"I'm not eating. Give it to Xiao Shu and the others while it's hot." Chu Yue laughed and pushed it away, then took vegetables from the fridge and headed back to the kitchen. "Keep an eye on them. Tonight, Dad made sweet and sour spare ribs with fresh meat that hasn't been frozen. Don't let the kids eat too much before dinner."
"Got it, got it." Ji Chenghai carried the lunchbox inside. The strong aroma of cumin and chili powder immediately filled the room. He waved to Ji Shuhe. "Xiao Shu, come quickly! It's best while hot."
Ji Shuhe sniffed and smiled. "It smells so good. My brother is upstairs. I'll go get him!"
"You eat first. I'll go get him." Ji Chenghai looked around and, not seeing Ji Shulang, clearly knew. "Is that kid next door playing games?"
Ji Shuhe pursed her lips and said nothing. Confirming Chu Yue wasn't around, she nodded to the relatively easygoing Ji Chenghai.
Ji Chenghai understood. He pointed to the skewers near Ji Shuhe. "These are just right. Eat quickly. I'll go up and catch him."
Ji Shuhe watched her uncle go upstairs and smiled genuinely.
It was nearing dinner time. As oil pans heated up, the sounds of various households preparing dinner started.