We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Cluck cluck—cluck!

Why is there still a rooster crowing this morning?

Xie Shu opened his eyes groggily and subconsciously reached for his pillow, wanting to pick up his phone to check the time, but his fingers found nothing.

She slowly sat up, and after a moment of stunned silence, she realized that she was now in Li Mubai's house.

She still had a dull ache in her chest, and the box she had been holding last night had been thrown to the other side of the bed.

She picked up her watch and glanced at it in the dim light filtering through the curtains. It was 5:30. Still early, she thought she'd sleep a little longer.

Just as I lay down and closed my eyes, I heard a soft rustling sound outside the door. Someone was moving around, their voices very low, as if they didn't want to wake anyone. If you didn't listen carefully, you could hardly hear them. Were they Li Mubai's parents?

Is this Li Mu Bai's daily life?

Xie Shu tried to fall asleep again, but couldn't. It wasn't because she found it noisy, but because she had gone to bed too early the night before, closing her eyes at nine o'clock.

She got up, quietly put on her dress, and then slowly drew back the curtains. The daylight in July came early, and there was a touch of pale gold on the horizon.

The clucking of chickens seemed to be coming from downstairs. Who would raise chickens in their own yard? Xie Shu found it rather strange.

Her gaze shifted from the window to Li Mubai's desk, an old-fashioned desk with a built-in cabinet. It didn't have as many books as the entire wall of books in her house, but the signs of being read were obvious; every single one was a classic.

Xie Shu picked up the copy of "Pride and Prejudice" that Li Mubai had given her. She had actually already read the book, but since it was a gift from him, she would read it again—no, once wasn't enough…

dong dong dong.

A very soft knock came at the door. She glanced at her watch; it was already 6:40.

"Xiaobai, get up and wash up." It was Li's mother's voice.

Li Mubai opened the door, his face still showing signs of sleeplessness: "Why are you waking me up so early?"

"Hurry up and wash up, then ask..." Li's mother paused for a moment, "Has your classmate gotten up yet? Tell her to have breakfast together."

"No, maybe they haven't woken up yet?"

"You think everyone is like you? In the countryside, you have to get up at five or six in the morning to work."

Alright... Li Mubai, who was treated to good food and drinks during the first few days of his vacation, is now starting to be disliked.

He quickly washed up, tidied himself up, and straightened his collar, not knowing whether Xie Shu had woken up yet.

Reaching the door, he knocked lightly twice and asked in a low voice, "Xie Shu, are you up? If you are, come and have breakfast."

The room was quiet, and Li Mubai thought she was still asleep when the door clicked open.

He glanced at her. Xie Shu had a small wisp of hair sticking up from her forehead, her eyes were clear, and she looked to be in good spirits. She must have slept well.

"Shake it off first?" Li Mubai pointed to the bathroom.

"Um."

Fearing Xie Shu might feel awkward, Li Mubai walked over beside her.

As Xie Shu passed by the living room, he saw Li's mother busy in the kitchen.

"I... need to use the restroom," Xie Shu said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Oh, okay." Li Mubai tactfully walked away.

The bathroom door closed gently. Xie Shu looked at herself in the mirror; her hair was a little messy…

Li Mubai stood at the door, like a guardian deity, while the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

After a while, the door opened.

A scent of shampoo wafted out; it was the brand their family usually used. Li Mubai turned his head and saw Xie Shu's hair, wet and hanging over his shoulders, with water still dripping from the ends.

"Do you have a hairdryer? I just washed my hair." She didn't look at him, but looked elsewhere.

Yes, yes.

He pulled out a hairdryer and handed it to her. According to the novel, shouldn't he offer to dry Xie Shu's hair at this point?

Li Mubai glanced at the kitchen out of the corner of his eye. His mother was still busy, and his father was probably still in the bedroom. His courage immediately grew.

"Shall I blow it for you?" he asked tentatively.

Xie Shu looked up at him and softly replied, "...Okay."

She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, and Li Mubai stood behind her.

call--

Scalding hot air gushed from the hairdryer as Li Mubai carefully cradled Xie Shu's damp hair...

"It's not dry yet." Xie Shu raised his hand and pointed behind him.

"it is good."

"And this side too."

Under her guidance, Li Mubai blew inch by inch, occasionally inserting his fingers into the strands of hair to manipulate them, and finally he gently touched Xie Shu's head.

Don't get me wrong, he just wanted to use his sense of touch to check if his hair was completely dry.

Xie Shu suddenly turned around and stared straight at him, making Li Mubai's heart skip a beat.

In the cramped bathroom, the steam had not yet dissipated, and a thin layer of fog covered the mirror.

"Are you done washing up? It's time for breakfast."

Li's mother's voice came from the living room, like a needle piercing the delicate atmosphere.

"Let's go have breakfast." Li Mubai was the first to look away.

"Mmm." Xie Shu responded cheerfully, his voice slightly upturned, indicating that he was in a good mood.

Four bowls of tomato and egg noodles were already set on the table.

Li's mother glanced at Xie Shu, then turned to Li Mubai and said, "Xiaobai, go and call your father to come for dinner."

"it is good."

After Li Mubai left, Li's mother immediately turned to Xie Shu, her face beaming with a warm smile: "Classmate, what's your name?"

"Auntie, my name is Xie Shu. Xie means thank you, and Shu means sparse." Xie Shu chose the two most commonly used words to explain.

"Xie Shu, come, sit down quickly." Mother Li pulled out a chair.

"Auntie, please have a seat." Xie Shu stood still, politely offering the seat.

"Oh, don't be so polite when you're at our house! Make yourself at home!"

Xie Shu still declined, but Li's mother couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she had to sit down first.

"Xie Shu, where are you from?"

"My registered residence is in Jiangnan, but my permanent residence is in Pingyang."

"Oh—" Li's mother drawled, then asked, "What do your parents do?"

"Mom, hurry up and eat, or the noodles will get soggy."

Before Xie Shu could answer, Li Mubai and his father had already returned to the dining table. He sat down next to Xie Shu, while his father sat down next to his mother, glanced at Xie Shu, and quickly looked away.

"Then hurry up and eat, your dad and I are going to a restaurant in a bit." Li's mother ended the conversation.

Li Mubai picked up a mouthful of noodles and put it in his mouth, only to find that it tasted surprisingly good.

According to Yang Kun, he was also enjoying the good life thanks to Xie Shu. Before Xie Shu came, he would make his own breakfast. Today, contrary to his usual behavior, he was eating heartily and laughing heartily again.

He glanced at Xie Shu beside him; she was chewing slowly with her head down, her movements still somewhat restrained.

"Take your time eating." Mother Li brought over two cups of hot milk and placed them in front of Xie Shu and Li Mubai.

"What's the occasion today? Breakfast and milk are served. I don't usually get this kind of treatment," Li Mubai muttered to himself.

"Hurry up and drink the milk while it's hot. It's been said on Douyin that a glass of pure milk a day is good for your health," Li's mother said, changing the subject.

It's TikTok again...

"Hurry up and drink it, don't let my mother's good intentions go to waste," Li Mubai said to Xie Shu in a low voice.

"Um."

He picked up the cup and gulped down a big mouthful, while Xie Shu held the cup with both hands and took a small sip.

Li Mubai put down his cup and noticed that his parents, who were sitting opposite him, were staring at them. He silently lowered his head and continued slurping his noodles.

"Xiaobai, your dad and I are going to a restaurant. Remember to wash the dishes and tidy up the kitchen. Don't wait for your classmate to help you."

"Okay, I understand."

"Xie Shu, why don't you and Xiao Bai come to the restaurant for lunch? It's just a matter of having an extra set of chopsticks and bowls," Li's mother said to Xie Shu.

"Yes, thank you, Uncle and Aunt."

With a click, the door closed, and the room fell silent again, leaving only the two of them.

Xie Shu turned to look at Li Mubai, who was leisurely drinking his milk, and suddenly asked, "Xiaobai, what should we do in the morning?"

When she called out "Xiaobai," the last syllable rose slightly, carrying a hint of mischievous laughter.

She really has a wicked sense of humor...