A Whirlwind of Panic

Ding Dong!

When Yukiwara Rinzi heard the doorbell, her first thought was…

‘Chen Ran has arrived!!’

She hurried to the door and, peeking through the peephole, saw the familiar, composed, and slightly jaded expression on the handsome young man’s face.

‘Just a moment, Chen Ran, Auntie just woke up…’

‘Okay.’

Chen Ran replied nonchalantly.

But Rinzi was in a panic!

She wasn’t just waking up; she had been so comfortable at home that she completely forgot Chen Ran might visit her early that morning!

In fact, she should have remembered! Chen Ran had mentioned he would come over if he had time, and today being the weekend, he was bound to have the time.

How could she have forgotten something so obvious?!

Rinzi rushed back to her bedroom, catching a glimpse of her disheveled reflection in the full-length mirror. Her silver-white hair was a mess, with several strands sticking up chaotically. Her usually vibrant blue eyes were dulled by dark circles from years of late nights.

She was wearing a loose, ordinary nightgown with nothing underneath, and her figure was almost entirely visible.

‘…’

This was a disaster! She usually didn’t care about her appearance when she was alone. If Chen Ran saw her like this, her life would basically be over.

Having been single all her life, living alone for so long, she had finally found someone she liked – even though liking a boy younger than herself by more than a decade was already unusual.

But if she didn’t seize this opportunity, who knew if there would ever be another chance? She had been single for thirty years and finally found someone she liked.

So, no matter what, she couldn’t let this chance slip away!!

Rinzi rushed to the bathroom, quickly washing her hair and wrapping it in a towel. She then decided to act as if she had just finished bathing, wrapping a towel around her body as well. But this seemed too intimate, making her worry that Chen Ran might think she was a promiscuous woman.

After some hesitation, she changed back into her nightgown, applied light makeup to cover her dark circles, and put on a pair of glasses.

Perfect!

With her appearance finally fixed, Rinzi hurried downstairs, eager to open the door for Chen Ran, hoping he hadn’t waited too long.

But suddenly, she remembered something. What reason had she given Chen Ran for asking him to come over? Rinzi tried to recall, but nothing came to mind.

Was it an appliance that broke down? The air conditioner? No, that was fixed last time. The computer? No, that was the time before last. Maybe the washing machine? Or was it the television? Or the sofa? She couldn’t remember at all.

In a panic, Rinzi spotted the rice cooker in the kitchen. She quickly plugged it in and pressed various buttons randomly.

‘This should do it…’

But it didn’t seem to break. So, she unplugged it and, being careful not to leave any visible damage, hit it a few times on the floor until it was damaged beyond repair. She plugged it back in and turned it on. No response; it was definitely broken now.

Rinzi quickly tidied up the ‘crime scene’ and returned to the door.

‘Hey, Chen Ran, sorry to keep you waiting. I was just taking a bath~’

‘It’s okay.’

Chen Ran nodded, seeming unconcerned. But he looked at Rinzi with a puzzled expression. Her hair was wrapped in a towel, with wet, dripping strands peeking out. Her pale, almost translucent skin was slightly flushed, and her loose, flesh-colored lace nightgown clung to her body, revealing her curvaceous, mature figure almost entirely.

Chen Ran wondered if anyone would take a bath so early in the morning. He pressed his lips together and followed Rinzi into the living room.

Rinzi’s house was similar to the Jiang family’s, a standalone house with two floors, spacious but without a yard. The first floor had a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. The second floor had bedrooms and a study converted from a balcony.

Chen Ran was familiar with the layout since he had visited several times before.

‘Chen Ran, you’re so kind to come. Would you like something to drink? Soda, tea, or coffee?’

‘Tea, please.’

Chen Ran replied, thinking that drinking cold soda in the morning felt strange.

‘Of course.’

Rinzi happily agreed and went to prepare the tea. But when she turned around, she saw Chen Ran walking towards the television, asking,

‘Rinzi, what’s wrong with this television?’

‘Television? It’s not…’

Wait, had she told him the television was broken?!

Rinzi couldn’t remember. But Chen Ran had. He stood in front of the television, turned it on with the remote, and looked at her with a confused expression. Rinzi felt her heart race, afraid that Chen Ran might think she was a strange woman who made up excuses to invite younger men to her house.

‘Um… I think I might have made a mistake… It’s actually the rice cooker that’s broken…’

‘The rice cooker?’

Chen Ran looked curious but walked over to the kitchen to check the rice cooker. Fortunately, Rinzi had just broken it, and it showed no response when plugged in.

‘It is broken…’

Chen Ran murmured to himself.

‘Yes…’

At that moment, Rinzi was preparing the tea, but her attention was entirely on Chen Ran’s back. Her hands tightened around the teapot as she felt her heart rate and breathing quicken.

If… if she pushed Chen Ran down right here… her life would probably end instantly.

Pant… Pant… Pant… ‘Gulp…’

****

As the doorbell rang, Yukiwara Rinzi’s heart raced with anticipation. Chen Ran had arrived, and she couldn’t believe how disheveled she looked. Her silver-white hair was a mess, and her usually vibrant eyes were dulled by dark circles. She rushed to the bathroom, quickly washing her hair and applying light makeup to cover her flaws. Wrapping herself in a towel, she hesitated, worried that it might seem too intimate. After changing back into her nightgown, she hurried downstairs, eager to open the door for Chen Ran.

‘Hey, Chen Ran, sorry to keep you waiting. I was just taking a bath~’

‘It’s okay.’

Chen Ran nodded, seeming unconcerned, but his gaze lingered on Rinzi’s appearance. Her hair was wrapped in a towel, with wet strands peeking out, and her nightgown clung to her body, revealing more than she intended. Chen Ran wondered if anyone would take a bath so early in the morning. He pressed his lips together and followed Rinzi into the living room, familiar with the layout from his previous visits.

‘Chen Ran, you’re so kind to come. Would you like something to drink? Soda, tea, or coffee?’

‘Tea, please.’

Chen Ran replied, thinking that drinking cold soda in the morning felt strange.

‘Of course.’

Rinzi happily agreed and went to prepare the tea. But when she turned around, she saw Chen Ran walking towards the television, asking,

‘Rinzi, what’s wrong with this television?’

‘Television? It’s not…’

Wait, had she told him the television was broken?!

Rinzi couldn’t remember. But Chen Ran had. He stood in front of the television, turned it on with the remote, and looked at her with a confused expression. Rinzi felt her heart race, afraid that Chen Ran might think she was a strange woman who made up excuses to invite younger men to her house.

‘Um… I think I might have made a mistake… It’s actually the rice cooker that’s broken…’

‘The rice cooker?’

Chen Ran looked curious but walked over to the kitchen to check the rice cooker. Fortunately, Rinzi had just broken it, and it showed no response when plugged in.

‘It is broken…’

Chen Ran murmured to himself.

‘Yes…’

At that moment, Rinzi was preparing the tea, but her attention was entirely on Chen Ran’s back. Her hands tightened around the teapot as she felt her heart rate and breathing quicken.

If… if she pushed Chen Ran down right here… her life would probably end instantly.

Pant… Pant… Pant… ‘Gulp…’

****

Chen Ran’s visit had turned into a whirlwind of panic and desperation for Rinzi. Her initial excitement at seeing him quickly turned into a frenzy of self-consciousness and worry. As she rushed to fix her appearance, she couldn’t help but wonder if her actions were making her seem too forward or desperate. The confusion over the broken appliance only added to her anxiety, and she found herself struggling to maintain her composure in front of Chen Ran.

Despite her best efforts, Rinzi couldn’t shake the feeling that her life was hanging in the balance. Every interaction with Chen Ran felt like a potential turning point, and she was acutely aware of the delicate nature of their relationship. As she served him tea, she couldn’t help but imagine the worst-case scenarios, her mind racing with thoughts of rejection and embarrassment.

Yet, amidst all the chaos, there was a glimmer of hope. Chen Ran’s presence, calm and composed, offered a sense of stability that Rinzi desperately needed. His nonchalant attitude, though sometimes confusing, also provided a strange comfort, making her feel that perhaps her feelings weren’t as one-sided as she feared.

As the day unfolded, Rinzi found herself torn between her desire to be close to Chen Ran and her fear of pushing him away. Each moment felt like a precarious balancing act, and she was constantly on edge, unsure of how to navigate the complex emotions that surfaced with his visit. In the end, despite her anxieties, Rinzi couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment in simply being in Chen Ran’s presence, even if it meant facing her deepest insecurities.