Chapter 35 : Eyes Getting Darker

On the fifth day of Fan Yanxing’s hospital stay, the rain gradually lessened and eventually stopped. The dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight filtered through the gaps, illuminating the long-damp earth.

“The rain has finally stopped.”

Someone in the cafeteria remarked, and Liang Qingqing, who was in line, quickly followed the conversation and looked outside. She indeed saw a hint of sunlight, and it was rare for people coming out of the gate not to be holding umbrellas.

Yes, the rain had finally stopped.

“Comrade, what would you like to order?”

A staff member interrupted Liang Qingqing’s thoughts. She turned to the window with a smile and replied, “Three bowls of plain noodles, no meat, no egg. Thank you!”

It was the first time that the staff heard of such a shabby way of buying things. In the countryside, people rarely bought plain noodles, and in the city, people wouldn’t just order plain noodles. He couldn’t help but glance at Liang Qingqing, and that single glance almost made him unable to look away.

She was wearing a deep indigo top and black pants. Her black hair was braided into a loose pigtail and hung on her shoulders, adding a touch of relaxed laziness. Her delicate, bright features softened with a smile.

He had worked in the cafeteria for so long and had never seen such a beautiful young woman. He couldn’t resist looking at her a few more times. When he put more noodles into the pot, he smiled and said, “Please wait a moment, comrade. The noodles need to be cooked through before I can serve them to you.”

“Alright.” Liang Qingqing didn’t mind to wait. She handed over the money and meal box and stepped aside to make room for others in line.

The cafeteria was small, with only two or three windows and a few tables in the dining area. There wasn’t much else to see. Liang Qingqing withdrew her gaze from the cafeteria and continued to look outside, unaware that most of the cafeteria’s attention had shifted to her.

The past few days of rest had completely cured her cold, and having been cooped up in the hospital room for too long, she had taken over Liang Junqiang’s task of fetching meals from the hospital cafeteria. However, the reason was not so simple…

Her family didn’t have any food coupons for noodles. These were given to her by Fan Yanxing before she left, asking her to buy something good to eat.

Fan Yanxing had also given Liang Junqiang some food coupons, but with Liang Junqiang’s unwillingness to take advantage, he wouldn’t accept them. He felt that Chu Qi’s visit and the gifts brought as a friend were already quite generous and didn’t want to accept more coupons from Fan Yanxing . Even if he did, they would need to be repaid eventually.

So, he worried that Fan Yanxing might use up the few coupons he had generously provided and wouldn’t be able to repay them later. He kindly invited Fan Yanxing to share the food brought by Ma Xiuzhi, and even visited the cafeteria less frequently.

Good intentions were good, but there was always a risk of them leading to unintended consequences!

Even eating sweet potatoes left her mouth dry, let alone Fan Yanxing . Although he didn’t show it, she was sure he must have scolded Liang Junqiang internally for being so clueless.

In this world, who doesn’t have money? Fan Yanxing certainly wouldn’t be out of money!

Liang Qingqing touched the money in her pocket, feeling a pang of unfairness. She couldn’t help but click her tongue. It seemed that fate was not on her side!

Thinking of this, she glanced back at the plain noodles that had already been placed in the pot and suddenly regretted why she had bothered to buy something here, sticking to the “virtuous and frugal” principle!

If Fan Yanxing money was available, she should have gone straight to the state-run restaurant. The sweet and sour ribs she had that day still made her mouth water, and she wished she could have had a few more pieces.

Moreover, Fan Yanxing was recovering well, but he was still a patient.

And for a patient, How could his stomach not need some oil and water?

A smile suddenly curved at the corners of Liang Qingqing’s lips.

Just then, the people who had been in line at the window had finished buying and left. She bent down and asked, “Comrade, is there still chicken soup?”

The staff member, who had been surprised by Liang Qingqing’s modest order, widened his eyes in shock and replied, “Yes, there is.”

“Then I’d like a serving.”

After a moment, she added, “Also, add an egg to the noodles.”

Soon, Liang Qingqing, satisfied, carried the meal box back. The portions were quite substantial, and the box was heavy, making her arms ache after a while. She had to stop and rest frequently.

When she returned to the ward, she saw Liang Junqiang and Fan Yanxing talking together. They were both smiling, and when they heard the noise, Liang Junqiang came forward to take the meal box from her hands. Noticing how tired and out of breath she was, and seeing her rubbing her arms, he frowned and said, “Next time I’ll go buy it.”

“You’re still sick. Why are you running around?”

Liang Qingqing curled her lips and cast a doubtful glance at Fan Yanxing . She didn’t see any expression on his face blaming her for making trouble. She couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, she felt a little regretful. She really didn’t know why she had to run outside for such a long time.

Fan Yanxing met her gaze and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve almost forgotten? The doctor said you’d be able to go home in a couple of days.”

“How could I forget?” Liang Qingqing’s tone was slightly defensive, and her eyes darted around. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten.

She quickly changed the subject, asking, “What were you two talking about just now? You seemed to be having such a good time.”

With one hand, Fan Yanxing easily picked up the lunch box that had troubled Liang Qingqing for a long time, he subtly guided her towards the ward by pushing her back.

The warmth radiating from his large hand through the thin fabric made her shiver involuntarily. She grabbed his hand awkwardly and then obediently walked towards the table.

Fan Yanxing lips were pressed tightly together, and his gaze deepened.

These small actions were just out of Liang Junqiang’s line of sight. He didn’t notice anything unusual and continued excitedly explaining to Liang Qingqing, “We were talking about how the rain has stopped. The village will surely resume work now.”

During this period, only those involved in the village’s rescue work received work points, while others earned nothing. This had caused a lot of distress, but there was no way around it, heavy rain had impeded work, so no work meant no points.

With the rain stopped, there would be a lot of work waiting in the fields—draining floodwaters, replanting crops… the workload would be immense. Moreover, to pacify the villagers, the commune would likely issue a directive to the team leaders to increase the work points for everyone.

For villagers who depended on work points to make a living, this was undoubtedly good news, which explained Liang Junqiang’s excitement.

However, Liang Qingqing wasn’t feeling cheerful. The rain had given her a rare break from work, and now that it had stopped, she was expected to return to labor. She remembered how sore and tired she had been for days after a day’s work in the pumpkin field.

Biting her lip, she asked, “So we have to go back to work?”

“Yes,” Liang Junqiang confirmed.

Upon receiving this confirmation, Liang Qingqing slumped, wordlessly taking the meal box from Fan Yanxing hands and opening it with him.

Fan Yanxing noticed Liang Qingqing’s low spirits and, linking it to her earlier conversation with Liang Junqiang, realized the reason behind it. “Don’t you like working?”

“Who likes working?” Liang Qingqing didn’t hide her feelings. “I’ve hardly ever done it before. It’s so unfamiliar, tiring, and hard, plus it can make you tan and look unattractive. It’s really worrying.” She ended by touching her face, her eyes full of concern.

Seeing this, Fan Yanxing recalled a similar question she had asked him when they were at the youth station. He had realized then that people who are beautiful tend to be more concerned about their appearance.

He didn’t think there was anything overly delicate about her concerns and found them quite understandable.

Thinking that a surprise might be better than waiting and risking disappointment, Fan Yanxing  decided to give her a pleasant surprise instead.

However, seeing her pitiful and distracted state, he decided to reassure her, “When we get back, I’ll help you with the work.”

His voice was quite loud, and not only Liang Qingqing heard it, but Liang Junqiang did as well. He looked at the two of them with a complex expression, feeling as if things were gradually slipping out of his control.

“Really? But you also need to earn work points yourself. Won’t that be too much trouble?” Liang Qingqing’s eyes brightened. She hadn’t expected such good news, but she didn’t immediately agree. Instead, she asked a few probing questions to see if he was genuinely willing to help.

If he wasn’t sincere, she might as well do the work herself rather than risk having to be at his mercy.

Fan Yanxing raised an eyebrow and held his forehead helplessly. Liang Qingqing’s concerns were too easy to read. When she didn’t want to hide her thoughts, her emotions were all written on her face. He wasn’t sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

His voice grew a bit serious as he said, “When have I ever lied to you?”

That was true.

Liang Qingqing pressed her lips together and gave a sheepish smile, “Naturally, you’ve never lied.”

“Glad you know!” Fan Yanxing snorted and pressed his lips together. He suddenly leaned closer to her, his cold and deep voice almost whispering in her ear, “Your affair are never a bother to me.”

This statement added a layer of intimacy to the atmosphere. Liang Qingqing almost choked and coughed lightly, trying to hide the blush that had appeared on her ear by adjusting her hair. Then she reached out and pushed him away.

Why come so close just to talk?

She quickly glanced back at Liang Junqiang and saw him swiftly avert his gaze as if he hadn’t seen or heard anything. But Liang Qingqing knew he must have noticed the oddness between her and Fan Yanxing, as neither of them had made any attempt to hide it.

For some unknown reason, Liang Junqiang didn’t interfere or seem particularly concerned about their behavior, even though it seemed a bit over the line. This was quite different from his usual protective nature towards his sister.

Liang Qingqing wondered about this change. She had no idea that Liang Junqiang didn’t want to interfere but actually thought it would be better not to. Originally, he wanted to matchmake his sister with Chu Qi, but he soon realized that something was wrong between Fan Yanxing and his sister.

After much consideration, he abandoned the idea and decided to choose Fan Yanxing as his prospective brother-in-law.

As for the reason…