chapter 8

Chen Wei looked like she’d rushed over; there were tiny beads of sweat at her temples.

In the moment I froze, Zhou Mu had already walked up. “Xiao Jin…”

“Zhou Mu!”

The second Chen Wei saw him standing behind me, her tears fell.

“Where did you go?”

“You got discharged and didn’t even tell me. Do you know how worried I was?”

I turned to look at Zhou Mu.

He kept up a façade of calm and cleared his throat lightly.

“Zhou Mu.” I looked at him. “Who is she?”

Zhou Mu didn’t answer.

Chen Wei pushed me aside and hurried toward him.

My father-in-law and mother-in-law at the dining table had seen her too.

I watched Aunt Song’s face change in an instant.

“You…”

But Uncle Zhou, who was sitting beside her, immediately clamped a hand down on her shoulder.

“She’s a friend’s daughter.”

“She used to be good friends with Little Mu.”

“Is that so?” I smiled.

I’d grown up with Zhou Mu as childhood sweethearts for more than ten years.

“I’ve never seen her before.”

“Ah… we met her in those years when you were studying abroad.”

I smiled again and didn’t expose his lie.

“Since you’re here, stay and eat with us.”

As he spoke, Uncle Zhou scooped her a bowl of rice and pulled over a chair for her.

A day meant for a family reunion had, out of nowhere, been barged in on by an outsider.

Chen Wei sat down next to Zhou Mu.

Right in front of Aunt Song, she kept picking food into his bowl, her manner overly intimate.

When she picked up another piece of mushroom, about to place it into Zhou Mu’s bowl, I blocked her hand.

“He doesn’t like this.”

I looked at Chen Wei, my expression calm.

I also smoothly took away the carrot she’d been about to give him.

“He’s allergic to carrots.”

The smile on Chen Wei’s face froze at once.

The air around the table solidified with it.

“It’s fine.”

Zhou Mu suddenly spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

As if to prove he really didn’t mind, he picked up a poached shrimp and put it into Chen Wei’s bowl.

The kind mentioned in that post.

The one W loved most.

Chen Wei’s embarrassment vanished completely, replaced by delight.

“You still remember my favorite-”

As if suddenly realizing something, Zhou Mu also picked one up and put it into my bowl.

“Xiao Jin, try this. It’s good.”

But I don’t like it.

I like salt-and-pepper, like rich braises, like smoky barbecue.

Poached is the one thing I don’t like.

I watched Chen Wei dip the shrimp in sauce and bite into it in one mouthful, her face filled with happiness.

And it suddenly hit me: the favored are always fearless.

Just like Zhou Mu with Chen Wei.

Just like me with Zhou Mu.

The food in my mouth turned hard to swallow, and even looking at the rest of the dishes, I lost my appetite altogether.

I put down my chopsticks and bowl. “I’ve got something else on tonight. I’ll head out first.”

“Where are you going? Want me to take you?” Zhou Mu asked.

I looked at him, but out of the corner of my eye I caught Chen Wei’s hand under the table slowly covering his.

“No need.”

I stood up and left directly.