Chapter 26.1 - Red Bean 红豆
Her apartment wasn’t large, but it was very tidy.
Shen Xifan dropped her bag and explained, “My roommate went to eat with the host family, and there’s chicken soup in the rice cooker. There might still be some dishes in the fridge, or if not, we can go to the student cafeteria, but I’m not sure which ones are open.”
He smiled silently, making her feel a little nervous. Just as she was about to ask, his hand gently pinched her cheek, and he teased, “You’ve really gained some weight, little girl!”
Flustered, she turned her face away, only to fall back into his warm embrace. She tried to struggle out, but his deep voice whispered in her ear, “Be good, don’t move, let me hold you for a while. I’m really tired.”
He had a faint lemon scent about him, yet there was an unmistakable exhaustion in his demeanor. She couldn’t help but lift her head to look at his face. It was even more gaunt than it had been six months ago, with faint dark circles under his eyes.
She sighed lightly and unconsciously tightened her arms around his waist. The question that had been nagging her finally escaped her lips, “How did you get here?”
He smiled softly, “Came to see you. I’m currently at the CVI Institute at UPenn.”
“When did you come? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I came to the U.S. in August. I wanted to see you right away, but I got a project, and it’s been so exhausting that I couldn’t find the time. That’s why it’s taken this long.”
She mumbled, “So this really is ‘wife and husband follow the same path’?”
His hand gently touched her long hair by her ear, and he chuckled softly, “Yeah, I suppose it is.”
They made dinner together, and when the oil pan started heating up, Shen Xifan suddenly became worried, “Oh no! I forgot to bring my apron; I lent it to the roommate next door. Forget it, I’ll just stir-fry the dishes myself!”
He stopped her hand, “It’s okay, I’ll do it. It’s been a while since I cooked, so I’m not sure if my skills have gotten worse.” As he spoke, he cracked an egg into the pan, and immediately, smoke and oil splattered, some splashing onto his white shirt.
Shen Xifan gasped, “Oil! Oil! Aren’t you going to save your shirt?”
“You’re such a drama queen,” he laughed as he picked up the diced tomatoes. “It’s just a little oil splatter. Who doesn’t get a bit of oil on them when cooking? Go check on the soup in the rice cooker.”
She obeyed and scooped a bowl of chicken soup, adding a pinch of salt before offering it to him, “Taste it and see if it’s salty enough.”
Holding a spatula in his left hand and still adding soy sauce with his right, he turned and raised the spoon to his mouth. He took a bite, “Hmm, it’s just right. You can serve it.”
She suddenly smiled but quickly pursed her lips and turned her face away. He, unaware of her thoughts, asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and didn’t answer, her heart warmed as she felt her eyes welling up. She carefully tasted the chicken soup, the saltiness just perfect. The freshness danced on her tongue, leaving her wanting more. This man in front of her truly loved her—he was willing to cook for her, even taking on all the tough chores himself.
The phrase “old husband and wife” had suddenly flashed in her mind, and she couldn’t help but smile.
It really felt that way. Back when she was with Yan Heng, they acted like two naïve children, thinking only about making each day romantic and exciting. Their love felt like fireworks in the sky, dazzling and beautiful, but fleeting. The moment the rain fell, the spectacular streaks were gone, and the wind blew them away.
But life was life, and romance and passion could never sustain love forever.
The most suitable form of love was the kind that grew in simplicity and tranquility, like the warmth of this man. He was her cup of tea.
They made three dishes: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, oyster sauce lettuce, and stir-fried beef with green peppers.
Shen Xifan sighed as she picked up her food, “This might be the most authentic Chinese meal I’ve had since coming to the U.S. I’m too lazy to cook, so I always go to the student cafeteria, and before I realized it, I gained weight.”
He picked up a piece of beef and gave it to her, “Eat more. You haven’t changed at all. Where did you gain weight? Your face looks pale and unhealthy. I bet you’ve been staying up late!”
“You just said I gained weight!” She retorted angrily, then turned to serve him a bowl of chicken soup, “He Suye, I think you’re the one with a bad complexion. You’ve got panda eyes! How can a doctor be a role model like that?”
He took a sip of the soup and smiled, “I was wondering why it tasted so familiar. You added dangshen, didn’t you?”
Shen Xifan pursed her lips, “I brought it from home. My mom said it helps with energy, nourishes the blood, and replenishes fluids. After every course ends, I make a big pot of chicken soup to reward myself.”
“Is it tough for you over there?”
“Of course it is. My advisor is nice, but very strict. I’ve got the Career Track coming up. My work experience is fine, but my theory is always behind that of the more formally trained students. What about you?”
“I’m okay. It’s not hard for me, and the project is going well.”
“I don’t believe that. Studying medicine in the U.S. is tough. Just look at you, you’ve lost weight.” Shen Xifan felt a pang in her heart, but she didn’t dare to look at his thin face. She scooped another bowl of soup for him, forcing a smile and teasing, “Drink up, this opportunity won’t last forever!”
The warmth from the bowl lingered on her fingertips, and suddenly, Shen Xifan felt an urge to cry. She could only think of one thing—she wanted this long year to end quickly, and no matter what, she would never leave him again.
After dinner, her craving for something sweet kicked in. Smiling, she said, “It’s so nice to eat at your place. After dinner, there’s dessert, it’d be perfect!”
He checked the cupboard and smiled, “Don’t we still have some red beans? I’ll make some sweet red bean soup.”
She jumped up happily, “Let me help you! The rock candy is in the small box in the corner, I’ll get it.”
After preparing the red bean soup and washing the dishes, Shen Xifan called her family. Meanwhile, He Suye was chatting with Qiu Tian online, but Qiu Tian’s typing speed suddenly slowed down to a crawl. After a long delay, only a short sentence appeared, no more than ten words.
Frustrated, He Suye casually clicked on a bookmarked website. To his surprise, it was a blog, and upon a closer look, it was Shen Xifan’s personal space.
He silently read the URL and memorized it. Looking at the date, he saw that she had started writing a long time ago. Curious, he clicked on the most recent post.
“Later, I slowly learned to be more tolerant and understanding, to be kind and compromising.
There are only two kinds of romantic feelings in the world: one is mutual support through thick and thin, and the other is forgetting each other in the world. What we should strive for is to be with our true love through thick and thin and forget the others.
Mutual support through thick and thin is such a beautiful phrase. It means endless tolerance and patience, infinite care and protection, boundless forgiveness and love, and long years of supporting each other. Only then can it truly be called mutual support through thick and thin.”
“Mutual care” — this is truly a beautiful and happy phrase, He Suye silently repeated it in his heart, staring at the screen in a daze. It wasn’t until he heard a noise from behind that he hurriedly closed the webpage, only to find Shen Xifan standing by the window, smiling at him.
Suddenly, a wave of joy and impulse surged in his heart. He wanted the whole world to know that he had her, that he was truly happy now.
