Dim light, a woman’s faint vomiting sounds, followed by the sound of running water.
The lock clicked open.
Lin Zhexia met Lin He’s somewhat tired face.
“Mom, are you feeling unwell?” she asked with concern.
“It’s nothing,” Lin He was a bit surprised to see her and smiled, saying, “I must have eaten something recently that didn’t agree with me. I’m not digesting well. I’ll take some medicine and I’ll be fine.”
Lin He used to work while raising her alone, often not eating regularly, and her stomach had indeed been weak for a period. Even though she had been taking care of it since then, there hadn’t been an obvious improvement.
Lin Zhexia didn’t think too much of it and poured a cup of hot water for Lin He, too, instructing: “Make sure you take your medicine, and if you still don’t feel well, I’ll go with you to the hospital tomorrow.”
Lin He showed no unusual symptoms in the following days.
Lin Zhexia reminded her a few more times, then continued going to Chi Yao’s house to prepare the gift.
Only now, the scene at Chi Yao’s house was completely different from a few days ago.
Lin Zhexia had knitted two rows, but found that the subsequent steps became increasingly difficult, especially with the pattern stitches. She really couldn’t do it, so she resolutely gave up, curled up on the sofa with a bag of chips, and became the supervisor: “Those two rows you knitted are not bad. Maybe you really could work in a textile factory in the future. Keep up the good work.”
Chi Yao had several balls of yarn beside him, needles in hand, with a cold expression: “Have you rested enough?”
Lin Zhexia: “Not yet, I might need to rest a bit longer. You continue knitting for me first.”
“You need to rest for three days? Did your hand break?”
“…”
“Internal injury,” Lin Zhexia said. “I need to recuperate.”
Chi Yao slightly turned his head: “Whose gift is this anyway?”
Lin Zhexia: “Mine.”
Chi Yao: “So why am I the one knitting it?”
Lin Zhexia carefully answered: “…Because the capable should do more work?”
“…”
“But I really can’t learn how,” Lin Zhexia, afraid he might throw the needles at her, explained, “I want to knit it myself. And I’ve thought about changing the gift, but there’s not enough time now, and express delivery might not make it in time.”
And also.
Chi Yao’s teaching method.
She didn’t dare to try a second time, subconsciously wanting to avoid it.
Before Chi Yao could firmly refuse, she tore a piece of paper from the homework notebook on the coffee table, wrote two lines on it, and handed it to him: “Here, payment.”
Chi Yao thought the paper would have words like “one million yuan” written on it.
Lin Zhexia had fooled him with such “checks” many times when they were young.
But when he took it, he found that it said “Wish Card.”
The line below read: You can make one wish to me.
After that line was a parenthesis: Murder is illegal and not allowed, and unreasonable demands are also not allowed.
He snorted lightly but still kept the wish card.
Lin Zhexia finished her chips and started browsing her phone.
She saw several messages from her female classmate.
Female classmate: What are you doing
Female classmate: Have you done that set of papers from the winter break assignments? I want to compare answers with you.
Lin Zhexia wiped her hands and was about to reply: I’m at Chi Yao’s house watching him knit a scarf, the test papers aren’t with me.
Halfway through typing this message, she thought for a moment and deleted it.
Chi Yao’s persona at school was the type that no one dared to approach.
If she said she was watching him knit a scarf.
For this classmate, it might seem quite terrifying.
Lin Zhexia thought about this as she looked up at Chi Yao.
Indeed, his face was hard to associate with the words “knitting a scarf.”
Even while knitting, the young man appeared nonchalant, with an undisguisable sharpness hidden in his eyes and brows. Those hands that had beaten people, broken faces, and left scars were now holding knitting needles.
She felt as if burned by the sight, withdrew her gaze, and replied: I’m at a friend’s house, I’ll take photos for you when I get back.
After replying to the message,
Chi Yao noticed her gaze: “Stop looking, you won’t learn just by watching anyway.”
Lin Zhexia reflexively retorted: “Who’s looking?”
“Not looking at the scarf,” Chi Yao’s tone paused slightly, “so you’re looking at me?”
Lin Zhexia was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: “Don’t be so narcissistic. Your face, I’ve seen it for so many years, it’s not fresh to me anymore.”
Chi Yao finished the row he was working on and placed the yarn aside to take a break. He leaned back like a boneless creature, pinched his finger joints, and said: “Sorry, I forgot you’re blind.”
“…”
“For the blind, having eyes but not seeing is quite normal.”
*Author’s note: Today it’s scarf-knitting Xiao Chi!*
*PS: The knitting tutorial sentence is from Baidu Encyclopedia.*