AHEM.
"You've caught a cold!" Zhou Li said, looking at the just-awakened Brother Nan.
"Why did you come here so early in the morning to sit around?" Brother Nan rubbed her eyes, her speech unclear.
"I came to see how well you were sleeping in the car."
"You just wanted to mess with me..."
"I'm not as bored as you are," Zhou Li said with some disdain. "Aren't you going back to the dorm to wash your face, brush your teeth, and catch up on sleep? If you slept well last night, I'll write my name backward."
"I slept well."
"I don't believe it."
"See? You're just being stubborn. You wouldn't believe me anyway; the right to explain is yours." Brother Nan continued to rub her eyes. "I'm sleeping here again tonight."
"You're not allowed to sleep here anymore," Zhou Li said.
"Why not?"
"You almost caught a cold."
"Nonsense!"
"Tonight, this car is mine."
"..."
Brother Nan muttered under her breath, You're not going to sleep anyway, while fiddling with her messy hair, a tuft sticking out stubbornly. Then she balled up the blanket, held it in her hand, opened the car door, and got out.
Zhou Li also got out of the car.
Brother Nan eyed him suspiciously. "I felt like someone was taking photos of me while I was sleeping."
"Was it me?" Zhou Li was astonished.
"As if you'd dare. But you have been getting bolder recently." Brother Nan pondered. Perhaps that's why I've already foreseen Zhou Li's future audacity in my dreams.
"You have a persecution complex," Zhou Li said.
"Nonsense! By the way, we're riding around Dian Lake this afternoon. Are you going?" Brother Nan yawned, pressed the key to lock the car, and walked towards the dormitory.
"Not going." Zhou Li followed.
"Hm?"
"I'm going to see my sister," Zhou Li said. "What do you want to eat? Preferably something you normally can't have or can't afford."
"Baked snails."
"What kind of dish is that?"
"A dish I've never eaten."
"Got it."
Zhou Li accompanied Brother Nan to her dormitory entrance. They saw a couple hugging, looking reluctant to part, so the two of them tacitly stopped and watched for a while.
"TSK TSK!" Brother Nan grinned. "Look, that girl is crying. Long-distance relationships really are frustrating, huh?"
"Right."
"It's good we two... SMACK!" Brother Nan slapped herself, muttering as she walked towards the dormitory, It's all over, my brain's got problems...
...
West Mountain was like a sleeping beauty, though there were indeed quite a few mountains likened to sleeping beauties and reclining Buddhas.
Hong Ran wore a black Hanfu today, which made her appear less gentle and more dignified and carefree. She stood with a soft smile, as stunningly beautiful as ever. Strangely, although there were quite a few visitors on West Mountain, they only gave her a casual glance and then looked away.
Before her, Zhou Li stood at the highest point of West Mountain, looking down and taking in the entirety of Dian Lake.
Cars came and went on Huanhu Road. Those closer were blocked by branches, while those in the distance were blurred by mist. Knowing he wouldn't find Brother Nan, he still harbored the thought of spotting Brother Nan's car passing below, but such a coincidence was hard to come by.
Not until Hong Ran joined him did she ask gently, "You wouldn't be failing any classes, would you?"
"I shouldn't be."
"Good boy." Hong Ran's lips curved into a beautiful smile, teasing him. "So when are you going home?"
"In a few days," Zhou Li said honestly. "I made plans with a classmate to go to Xishuangbanna for a trip."
"Have you bought your ticket home yet?"
"No." Zhou Li shook his head. "I got my driver's license recently, so my classmates and I pitched in to buy a secondhand car to drive home."
"You bought a car?" Hong Ran burst out laughing, reaching out to pinch his arm. "You really are all grown up!"
"Hey, don't pinch!"
"You're amazing. I don't even know how to drive."
"Uh..."
"Shy now, HAHA!"
After laughing, Hong Ran added, "But if you wanted to buy a car, you should've told me. I could've given you one. Whatever car you like, even a limited edition that others collect, I could get it for you."
"That wouldn't be right," Zhou Li said, embarrassed.
"Alright."
After thinking for a moment, Hong Ran continued, "You really have grown up... The classmate you mentioned, is it a girl?"
"How did you know?"
"Just a guess. Am I right?"
"Yes."
"So you really are in a relationship." Hong Ran's hand was still on Zhou Li's arm, her teasing more pronounced. "Have you fallen for another girl and are going to forget about your big sister?"
"I won't."
"Is the girl pretty?"
"We're not dating..."
"But you will be soon, huh?"
"Maybe, I don't know," Zhou Li hesitated.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as a pale golden sedan passed below. His gaze followed it until it was blocked by the mountain beneath them.
Hong Ran still wore a faint smile. "That car was carrying four young ladies. The driver was very pretty."
Zhou Li didn't know how to respond, so he just chuckled awkwardly.
Instantly, Hong Ran covered her mouth with a hand, her voice tinged with laughter. "They turned into a cemetery at the base of the mountain. Tourists often mistake this cemetery for a park and go in for a look."
Zhou Li laughed as well.
「Two hours later.」
He left Hong Ran's place and said to her, "I'll come see you again after I get back from Banna."
Hong Ran nodded slowly, her traditional attire making her look quite striking. "Next time, bring your little girlfriend along. Treats don't taste as good taken home as they do fresh from the kitchen."
Zhou Li was terribly embarrassed.
Yet, it was precisely this that made Hong Ran happy.
That evening, while eating baked snails, Brother Nan recounted to Zhou Li how the four of them had accidentally stumbled into the cemetery.
She said the cemetery had lovely scenery right from the entrance: golden Ginkgo leaves blanketing the ground, flowers blooming profusely, every plant a picturesque sight. It was so quiet and devoid of people that it was like a photography paradise. So, they took lots of photos and short videos. Baozi even set up a tripod to take a group photo for them as a souvenir. But it wasn't until they reached the farthest end and went up a slope that they saw the dense array of tombstones.
Brother Nan was practically dying of laughter.
Zhou Li pretended not to know, playing along as he listened.
「January 12th.」
Brother Nan drove Zhou Li and Baozi, along with all of Baozi's luggage, to Baozi's Home.
Uncle and Auntie were as warm as ever. They filled the coffee table with fruits and snacks, chatted with them for a bit, then retreated to the kitchen to get busy.
Zhou Li felt somewhat embarrassed and pretended to offer help, but as expected, Auntie pushed him back.
"Let Xiao Ran show you around!"
"Alright then."
Reluctantly, Zhou Li sat back on the couch and faced Little Cousin's disdainful and contemptuous gaze. He didn't mind, though, peeling a banana as he asked her, "Does Auntie always cook at home?"
"Yes," Little Cousin nodded calmly.
"Uncle doesn't cook?"
"He can only help out."
"I see."
"What about it?"
"Nothing," Zhou Li waved his hand.
In Yi Province, it might have been the other way around.
Especially in the apartment buildings, with their identical layouts and kitchens facing the same direction. Weekdays were fine, but as soon as the weekend arrived and it was time to cook, the busy figures in the windows from top to bottom were all rugged men.
Sometimes they would look at each other, ostensibly sharing sympathy and camaraderie, but the moment they turned away, they'd scorn each other's culinary skills as inferior to their own.
Dish after dish was placed on the table, a real feast.
Auntie called out, "Xiao Ran, bring the bowls and chopsticks!"
Baozi quietly got up and headed to the kitchen.
Brother Nan leaned over to Zhou Li and whispered with a giggle, "Do you think when we're not around, your uncle and auntie call your little cousin 'Little Bao'?"
Zhou Li shot her a look.
The five of them quickly took their seats.
Compared to last time, Auntie was less restrained. She looked at Brother Nan with a beaming smile. "Xiao Ran told me you like sour and spicy food, so I went out of my way to learn how to make Dali sour and spicy fish from Auntie Zhang next door. She's from the Bai Clan. Unfortunately, I didn't quite capture the essence."
Brother Nan quickly took a bite, her eyes instantly shining. "Delicious!"
She took another bite. "It even tastes better than what I had in Dali! Honestly, when I first met your auntie, I thought her cooking would be so-so. But after tasting it—WOW, so good!"
She glanced at Zhou Li.
Zhou Li showed curiosity at the right moment. "Why did you think Auntie's cooking was average when you first met her?"
Brother Nan, looking a bit embarrassed, scratched her head, appearing incredibly honest. "Well, because Auntie is so well-maintained, young, and beautiful, it was pretty obvious she doesn't cook often, right...?"
Auntie was already beaming. "I'm still learning. Tell me what else you like to eat, and I'll learn how to make it from those ladies."
Uncle chimed in, laughing, "Those women your auntie dances with at the square, they're incredibly resourceful. They can get their hands on Xining yak meat, Qingjiang Hami melons, and Hainan coconuts—anything, really. They're proficient in all sorts of life skills; there's nothing they can't do."
Zhou Li chuckled lightly in agreement.
After the meal, Uncle and Baozi were sent off to do the dishes while Auntie stayed with Brother Nan and Zhou Li in the living room, mainly keeping Brother Nan company.
Saying it like that sounds odd, but that's the reality—I even feel that Brother Nan is more like Baozi's cousin, and I'm just a classmate who happened to come along for a free meal.
Brother Nan kept praising Auntie's cooking with professional flair. She could even name the spices used in the dishes. Then, feigning ignorance, she asked Auntie about the proportions, all the while striking a perfect balance: flattering Auntie's vanity without overdoing it and causing embarrassment. She even said she wanted to learn how to make the sour and spicy fish from Auntie next time.
Auntie gladly agreed.
Then she complimented Brother Nan on being beautiful and graceful.
Brother Nan, in high spirits, praised the flowers on Auntie's balcony. She mentioned she had recently started gardening herself and sought advice. Every balcony at Baozi's Home was filled with flowers, including some rare species, all blooming marvelously. Clearly, the elderly couple loved plants. Brother Nan's flattery was a precise strike at their passion. During their conversation, even Uncle in the kitchen couldn't help but interject occasionally.
When the two returned from washing dishes, the elderly couple and Brother Nan chatted even more enthusiastically, without a hint of awkwardness.
Zhou Li stared at Brother Nan, searching intently, but couldn't find a trace of discomfort or reluctance on her face. It seemed she was naturally familiar with Uncle and Auntie, and they were discussing topics she genuinely found interesting.
Baozi, however, sat quietly to the side.
The cousins exchanged glances, everything understood without words.