The Escape and the Delivery

In the warm and humid South, late December could still be quite chilly. While it couldn’t compare to the snowy expanses of Harbin, the moisture in the air made everything feel bone-chillingly cold, no matter where you went.

Furthermore, there was no central heating in the South.

Indoor temperatures relied solely on electric heaters.

Despite this, a thin layer of sweat had broken out on Ye Nanzhi’s forehead after working in the kitchen for half the day.

This honey toast looked simple, but it was actually quite troublesome to make—especially hollowing out a square hole in the toast without damaging the outer crust.

Several times, Ye Nanzhi felt the tip of her knife was about to pierce the golden surface, but fortunately, she pulled back in time, barely managing to keep the bread intact.

Next came the egg wash. To make the bread sweeter and more fragrant, she added a bit of honey—locust honey, to be precise. The moment it came out of the oven, a faint floral scent drifted from the plate along with the sweetness of the bread.

Once plated, the original toasted cubes were laid at the bottom, topped with various fruits. Finally, a scoop of ice cream was placed right in the center.

Ye Nanzhi didn’t forget to add two chocolate sticks as decoration.

After taking a photo, she immediately skewered a piece and handed it to Chu Ran. “Try it.”

During their time living together, she had lost count of how many times this gesture had happened. Yet, even so, Chu Ran felt that the sweetness in her heart was far more intense than what was in her mouth.

In the kitchen, the temperature of the oven had warmed the air around them. It was as if the bleak, cold moonlight outside the window had nothing to do with them.

This was a warmth she had rarely experienced since she was twelve.

At twelve, she had been afraid, but as time passed, she grew used to spending the long, lonely nights alone.

She had even gradually forgotten what warmth tasted like.

After dinner, Ye Nanzhi proactively took on the task of washing the dishes.

Seeing the girl so diligent, Chu Ran brought her laptop and sat at the dining table opposite her, reading recent academic literature while listening to the bubbling sound of the water in the kitchen.

Seeing that Chu Ran was in a good mood, Ye Nanzhi brought it up as if casually. “Um… my Professor is coming back. The flight is scheduled for the day after tomorrow.”

The day after tomorrow was Friday, December 25th—Christmas Day.

“Mhm, I know.” Chu Ran’s expression was flat, as if she had no intention of continuing the discussion.

“Are you still having a meeting this Friday?”

“No. Is something up?”

“Oh, nothing.” Her hands didn’t stop working as Ye Nanzhi began calculating her arrangements for Friday. Because of the second defenses, the school-wide meeting on Friday afternoon was suspended for a week. Fortunately, she knew Chu Ran had classes in the morning, so she would have to start executing her plan before noon.

As she was thinking, a pair of arms suddenly encircled her waist. Chu Ran pressed against her from behind.

“What are you thinking about?”

Because she was harboring a secret, Ye Nanzhi appeared somewhat nervous. Using the gap while putting away the washed dishes, she skillfully slipped out of Chu Ran’s embrace.

“Nothing, just thinking about what to eat the day after tomorrow.”

The little rabbit’s dodging tactics were always so clumsy, but fortunately, she had agreed to spend Christmas with her.

As long as she could keep the person from leaving, Chu Ran wasn’t in a hurry. Besides, after living together for this period, the little rabbit clearly had less guard up against her.

After some thought, Chu Ran proactively suggested, “How about roasted fish? I didn’t do a good job last time; give me another chance.”

“But, isn’t the lychee we bought last time all used up?” Ye Nanzhi liked sweet and spicy flavors and enjoyed using lychees to season the roasted fish sauce.

Actually, canned lychees could be used, but Chu Ran always felt they weren’t as succulent as fresh fruit.

“No.”

“Is it too late to order now?” It was currently winter, not the season for lychees. That box from last time had cost Chu Ran a high price to have air-freighted from out of town.

“We can go to the supermarket,” Chu Ran said. “Shen City is so big; if we visit a few more stores, we’re bound to find some.”

“Don’t bother. I’m fine with anything.” Ye Nanzhi wiped her hands and retreated to her room to continue reading literature.

As the presence of people vanished, the temperature in the air dropped bit by bit. The empty living room left only Chu Ran—along with the bouquet of lilies on the coffee table.

The tea on the table had gone cold, just like her world.

By the time Chu Ran finished washing up, Ye Nanzhi was already lying obediently in bed with the giant carrot in the middle.

Previously, Chu Ran had liked this carrot because its presence made Ye Nanzhi willing to share the bed. Every night, after the little rabbit fell fast asleep, Chu Ran would toss the troublesome thing off the bed, then gently move beside Ye Nanzhi, pulling her into her arms before slowly drifting off to sleep.

But today, Chu Ran didn’t want to go through the trouble.

She proactively grabbed the carrot and threw it directly onto the sofa in the living room. She used so much force that the carrot rolled twice on the sofa before falling onto the rug.

When she went back, Ye Nanzhi was still awake. “Where is the carrot?”

Chu Ran turned off the light, then slipped under the covers, moving closer to Ye Nanzhi’s side.

The sudden contact shattered Ye Nanzhi’s sleepiness. What was she doing!

“Didn’t you say you were going back to school to check things out the day after tomorrow? Why—”

“I can’t sleep like this!”

If she couldn’t sleep like that, they would change positions.

With undeniable strength, Chu Ran forced Ye Nanzhi to lie in her arms. No matter how much she struggled, the strength in the arms restraining her didn’t diminish in the slightest.

“Chu Ran, stop messing around! You promised me, you said you wouldn’t cross the line…”

Before she could finish, scalding breath fell as Chu Ran kissed Ye Nanzhi’s forehead.

Having just showered, Chu Ran smelled of body wash and shampoo—a faint scent of jasmine, different from the aggressive scent Ye Nanzhi had smelled on Chu Ran’s clothes last time.

It was the most familiar scent in her memory.

Her struggling hands stopped. Chu Ran took the opportunity to tighten her arms around Ye Nanzhi.

Chu Ran’s voice was soft, sounding devoid of strength. “Let me hold you for a bit, okay? Just for a bit.”

Today, the little rabbit’s repeated avoidance had completely unsettled her. She desperately needed something to steady her heart right now. Clearly, holding a sleeping rabbit wouldn’t achieve that goal.

Chu Ran wanted to hold this little rabbit while she was awake, kiss her forehead, and scent the fragrance between the strands of her hair.

It seemed only this could prove: Look, this rabbit isn’t avoiding you; she’s still by your side. Everything was just your imagination.

“Zhizhi.” Chu Ran called her name softly, her voice sounding like a plea. “You’ll be back the day after tomorrow, right?”

Ye Nanzhi turned her face away and gave a faint, indistinct “Mhm.”

Having received a satisfactory answer, Chu Ran’s tense nerves finally relaxed. Her arms no longer held Ye Nanzhi so tightly, switching instead to a way that was relatively comfortable for her.

But despite being freed from the restraint, Ye Nanzhi still suffered from insomnia.

For the first time since they had lived together, Ye Nanzhi fell asleep later than Chu Ran.

Through the white gauze curtains, Ye Nanzhi watched the hazy moon outside the window. Her eyes didn’t close for a long time.

Friday morning, the first thing Professor Song did after returning was rush back to the university without stopping.

Firstly, today was Guo Peng’s second defense, and Professor Song was anxious to check on him beforehand and help him organize. Secondly, he had been worried about Ye Nanzhi’s foot injury; having heard she had recovered, he was eager to see if it was truly as good as the messages said.

Seeing Ye Nanzhi standing healthily before him, Professor Song was very relieved.

“It’s good that you’ve recovered, child! Speaking of which, we really have to thank Teacher Chu! I heard she’s been taking care of you this whole time. I must thank her in person. Xiao Ye, I have to go see Guo Peng’s defense in a bit; help me take this to Teacher Chu. They’re mushrooms I picked myself.”

When Ye Nanzhi stood at the door of Chu Ran’s office holding the gift box, the door was slightly ajar. Through the gap, Ye Nanzhi saw Chu Ran focused on writing something.

Just as she was about to raise her hand to knock, the person inside spoke without looking up: “Come in.”

“How did you know I was at the door?”

Today, Chu Ran was wearing an ink-blue silk shirt. The brooch on her collar was in the shape of a swan, with a pearl embedded at the wing, giving off a soft, faint luster, just as gentle as the smile on her face at this moment.

Her jet-black long hair was draped behind her, an expression of endless elegance and poise.

Seeing Ye Nanzhi standing there in a daze, Chu Ran’s long fingertip lightly tapped the other’s forehead. “Why did you come over all of a sudden? Did you miss me?”

Only then did Ye Nanzhi remember the purpose of her trip, and she offered the gift box with both hands. “Here, my Professor brought this specifically for you.”

Chu Ran opened it and took a peek. “Mushrooms. Take them back with you; we can put a few in the roasted fish tonight.”

“You take them back.”

“It’s inconvenient for me. I still have things to do this afternoon.”

Ye Nanzhi knew that today Chu Ran had the second class of the morning. Everything should be finished by noon, and with the afternoon meeting canceled, she should be going back early.

“What are you going to do this afternoon?”

“Buying lychees. Didn’t we agree to make roasted fish? I’ve already found where there are fresh lychees in Shen City. Although it’s a bit far, I can definitely make it back before four o’clock.” Chu Ran packed up the things on her desk and checked her watch, preparing to head to her classroom.

“By the way, when you’re home this afternoon, remember to take the sturgeon out to defrost so I can cook for you when I get back.”

While Ye Nanzhi was spacing out, Chu Ran urged her again: “Did you hear me?”

“Oh, oh!” Ye Nanzhi felt a bit guilty. “I got it.”

After leaving the teaching building, Ye Nanzhi was distracted.

Holding the bag of mushrooms, a feeling of guilt filled her chest.

To be fair, Chu Ran had been truly good to her during this time. It could be described as meticulous; if something could be done perfectly, she would never settle for less.

Just moments ago, she was still full of anticipation for tonight, busy preparing.

But… after what happened last night, Ye Nanzhi didn’t dare stay by Chu Ran’s side anymore.

Especially when she thought about how, in the apartment where they lived, there was a room filled with Chu Ran’s feelings for another woman.

Before this, Ye Nanzhi had comforted herself. But after getting to know her, the senior who had originally been cold and distant seemed completely unrecognizable in her habits and behaviors.

The Chu Ran of the past would never have been like this—proactively trying to please, proactively expressing her feelings.

It seemed that other woman had truly changed Chu Ran a lot.

So what about now? Because she had returned to the country, she and that woman were separated, so she had become a substitute?

Ye Nanzhi was unwilling. Why should she… she didn’t want to become the shadow of another person.

Steeling her nerves, Ye Nanzhi rubbed the bridge of her nose.

She returned to Chu Ran’s home, placed the mushrooms on the dining table, and looked in the fridge. In the end, she didn’t touch the sturgeon in the third drawer of the freezer—after all, since Chu Ran would be alone tonight, she probably wouldn’t need it.

Chu Ran didn’t like sweets, didn’t like spicy food, and didn’t like fish.

Now that she was gone, Chu Ran could finally eat according to her own tastes.

Ye Nanzhi briefly tidied up the few things in the house that belonged to her, then called a taxi and headed straight for Zheng Xiaorou’s home.

That day, she hadn’t just promised to help Xiaorou look after the cat on Christmas; she had proactively taken over all the subsequent tasks.

Xiaorou was extremely happy and proactively suggested that if Ye Nanzhi didn’t mind, she should just stay at her house.

Ye Nanzhi calculated that since Professor Song had just returned from his trip, he would surely take a few days off. Plus, with the end of the year approaching, the university shouldn’t have any other business. So, she could hide at Xiaorou’s house for a long time.

Long enough for Chu Ran to completely give up on her, and long enough for this awkward, unspeakable relationship to end completely.

Xiaorou’s place was easy to find. The moment she entered, she saw a note left for her, saying the toiletries in the bathroom were new and she could use them directly. Another note listed precautions for taking care of the cat; the amounts of medicine and cat food to be fed each day were clearly marked.

Inside the room, the kitten had originally been sleeping but poked its head out upon hearing a sound. After seeing Ye Nanzhi, it meowed twice at her, then proactively walked over to her side, purring as it rubbed its body against her ankle.

“Oh, you’re so good!” Ye Nanzhi picked up the kitten and, following the instructions on Xiaorou’s note, served it a small bowl of freeze-dried cat food.

“I heard your name is Patrick? Patrick, for the next few days, it’ll just be the two of us! Today is Christmas; let’s give you an extra treat!”

Seeing the extra snack, the kitten forgot about the cat food and pounced into Ye Nanzhi’s arms, refusing to let go of the small dried fish.

While Patrick was eating happily, Ye Nanzhi’s stomach began to growl.

The kitten heard the sound too, looking around for the source before finally looking at Ye Nanzhi, who was holding it.

“What are you looking at? You’ve got your Christmas feast, but I’m still hungry!”

Patrick seemed to understand Ye Nanzhi’s words and pushed the dried fish in its arms toward her.

At the sight, Ye Nanzhi burst out laughing and rubbed Patrick’s fluffy head. “You keep it for yourself!”

As she spoke, she gave another piece of dried fish to Patrick. “Here, thank you for sharing with me.”

Finding such luck, Patrick gnawed on the fish happily, but Ye Nanzhi was in a bind.

She didn’t know how to cook, and the restaurants on Christmas were likely to be overcrowded everywhere. Ye Nanzhi didn’t want to go out and squeeze in with all those couples; it seemed that takeout was her best bet.

But on this holiday, which takeout place could deliver relatively quickly?

Meanwhile, having crossed half the city, Chu Ran finally got the fresh lychees and rushed back in her car.

When she arrived downstairs and noticed the lights in the window upstairs weren’t on, a bad premonition clouded her mind.

After entering, the house was indeed empty. Chu Ran discovered that all of Ye Nanzhi’s things in the house were gone.

“I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.” From the other end of the phone, a mechanical voice came through. In the message box, the last message was from the morning; Ye Nanzhi hadn’t replied to her for a long time.

Very good. The rabbit had run away again. Chu Ran didn’t think much of it; she grabbed her car keys and headed out again.

Shen City was huge, but Ye Nanzhi had no friends or family, and there weren’t many places she could go. First was the university dorm. But the people in the next room said they hadn’t seen Ye Nanzhi in a long time.

Chu Ran called Li Huan, but Li Huan didn’t know Ye Nanzhi’s whereabouts either; she was out on a date with her boyfriend.

As for hotels—the room rates for Christmas had more than doubled. Based on her understanding of Ye Nanzhi, that kind of reckless spending was not something she would do.

Chu Ran checked every place Ye Nanzhi could possibly go, one by one, but still found no trace of her.

Fine. After four years apart, the little rabbit had really learned how to be formidable.

Following the river, Chu Ran saw a familiar place.

It was the malatang place Ye Nanzhi had taken her to before. Ye Nanzhi had said that whenever she was homesick, she would go there to eat.

With the intent of giving it a try, Chu Ran drove toward the shop.

There weren’t many people inside. On Christmas, it seemed there weren’t many people willing to choose malatang as their holiday dinner.

Chu Ran took a look around the shop but didn’t see Ye Nanzhi’s figure.

This was the last place; if she wasn’t here, Chu Ran really had no options left.

Standing dejectedly at the door, Chu Ran dialed the number again. Sure enough, it was still the same robotic voice.

“I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable.”

It seemed she really had run away.

Chu Ran froze at the door, momentarily not knowing what to do. Her face was a picture of helplessness and bewilderment.

Beside her, the voice of the shop owner called out to her: “Hey? Aren’t you the friend of that little girl named Ye from last time?”

The owner had a very deep impression of Chu Ran, who had come to his small shop in a luxury car.

“?”

“Look, this phone tail number is her, right? Medium numbing, medium spicy, no vinegar. Oh, I’m telling you, the takeout orders exploded today, and there hasn’t been a rider picking up the order the whole time. You’re friends, so why don’t you take the trouble to deliver it to that little girl? I’ll treat you both to a soda!”

Inside the room, Ye Nanzhi was teasing Patrick with a cat teaser wand, on and off. Perhaps because she hadn’t fully recovered, Patrick’s liveliness soon faded. Her originally bright eyes grew heavy-lidded, and her reactions slowed.

She must be tired.

Seeing this, Ye Nanzhi carried her back to the cat bed and gently smoothed her fur. “Go to sleep.”

She raised her head to check the time; over an hour had passed since she ordered her takeout. Why hadn’t it arrived yet?

Just as she was about to reach for her phone to check the delivery information on the app, a hurried doorbell rang.

Talk of the devil—it seemed she was very lucky today!

“Coming, coming!” Ye Nanzhi didn’t want to disturb Patrick, who had just fallen asleep, so she rushed to the door.

The door pushed open, and the bag containing the food container was offered before her eyes.

Just as she was about to reach out to take it, she heard a familiar voice: “Miss Ye, is it?”

Looking up, Chu Ran’s somber face was right in front of her.

“Your meal has arrived.”