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Chapter 2
update icon Updated at 2025/7/19 18:10:12

"Mom has already boarded the plane to Hawaii, and before switching my phone to airplane mode, she wanted to tell you: 'Listen to Zhiye and don't mess around.'"

Around seven o'clock, the sun rose, illuminating the earth. I was lying in bed when the sound of a text message woke me up. It was a message from my mother.

"Yes, yes... Do they think I'm a child? Why am I so annoyed early in the morning?"

"You idiot... You're probably still asleep. Another day will pass once you wake up. I really worry about your life... It's no wonder you can only be a waste without any sense of crisis... Never mind, I'm already on the plane and don't have time to talk to you. We'll discuss it when I come back."

There was also a message from Su Yuqian. After reading it, my brows furrowed. "So unhappy, really unhappy!"

Everyone is going abroad one by one. Is it really that great abroad? Fine, go if you want to. Why do you have to hurt my fragile heart?

I covered myself with a thin blanket and said with a hint of crying, "I don't care, I don't care!"

"Jie... Jie..."

"I can have a great vacation at home too, having so much fun."

"It's morning... I've prepared breakfast."

"Hehehe... I won't be defeated by this unfair treatment."

I burst into fits of laughter.

"Jie... what happened?"

I faintly felt like someone was speaking. I quieted down and listened carefully.

"Why did the voice suddenly disappear? Did Jie..."

Zhiye grabbed the thin blanket covering my head and uncovered it. I saw Zhiye's panicked face.

When our eyes met, Zhiye quickly lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Jie. I thought something life-threatening had happened to you."

"Why did Zhiye come here?"

"To wake Jie up... Did I come too early? It's seven o'clock and I've already prepared breakfast. Maybe I shouldn't have come to wake you up without thinking it through. Maybe I could have come at noon... It's all my fault for not considering well. I shouldn't have come to wake Jie up without permission."

Zhiye muttered in regret.

If I sleep until noon, will I really become useless like Su Yuqian said? Besides, I don't want to spend my summer vacation just sleeping. I want to make full use of it.

This firm idea arose in me after being stimulated by my mother and Su Yuqian.

I stood up, ready to get out of bed.

"Is Jie getting up?"

"Yes... I'll get up."

I walked to the wardrobe to change out of my pajamas.

"Do you need help?"

"Help?"

"Like helping you change clothes..." Zhiye said calmly.

"No... It's okay... Zhiye, just stay away for a bit..."

"Then I'll stay away. After Jie changes, I'll go wash up and prepare breakfast."

Zhiye said as he retreated. While changing, I caught a glimpse of the slightly ajar bedroom door from the corner of my eye.

It seemed like someone was peeking, but when I approached the door after changing, I didn't see anything. It was really eerie.

With a touch of chill running up my spine, I went to the bathroom for a quick wash and then arrived at the dining room.

On the table was a nutritious breakfast that seemed more fitting for mornings in a foreign country: milk, bread, and oatmeal.

This nutritious breakfast left me speechless, except for staring in astonishment.

"Do you not like it?" Zhiye asked worriedly, seeing that I hadn't reacted for a while.

"It's not that... It's just too formal that I forgot how to eat," I replied.

"Well then, let me feed Jie. Let's start with some bread... It should be nice with a little honey," Zhiye said as she operated skillfully.

In just a few seconds, Zhiye handed me two slices of bread with honey in between.

Ah, I should respond politely, but I guess there should be some premise for such a response.

"I'll do it myself," I said as I took the bread from Zhiye's hand and took a bite. "It has a unique flavor."

"Aren't you going to eat, Zhiye?" I noticed that Zhiye hadn't touched her own portion while focusing on mine.

"Ah... um..." It seemed like Zhiye was pulled back to reality. She awkwardly spread honey on her own bread and then ate it gently.

Without realizing it, there were crumbs on her face. Because I had a bit of OCD, I reached out and wiped the crumbs off her face.

"You had crumbs on your face..."

"Th-thank you," Zhiye shyly thanked me.

"You're welcome..." Zhiye's shy expression made me a little embarrassed.

After finishing the meal, I said, "Thank you for the hospitality."

"Don't mention it." Zhiye started to clean up, and I returned to the bedroom, contemplating how to spend the first day of summer vacation. I didn't want to waste my time, so I took a book from the bookshelf.

Since I rarely read books, it was difficult to find light novels or any enjoyable, relaxing reading materials on my bookshelf. Besides some textbooks from military service, there were only a few obscure and difficult-to-understand books that I bought impulsively.

As I opened the book, a bunch of mysterious characters appeared before my eyes, making it extremely difficult for me to digest. I reluctantly flipped through a couple of pages and closed the book. Reading really is torturing oneself.

I slumped on the chair, feeling powerless against the passage of time.