HBWnovel Chapter 474 I want to stay and see if there's anything I can do to help you.
Chapter 474 I want to stay and see if there's anything I can do to help you.
The thermos contained a thick, dark broth, with tender, fall-off-the-bone pork bones at the bottom, and a few plump red dates and easily recognizable medicinal herbs floating on top.
This is the nourishing and bone-strengthening medicinal soup that is often drunk in my hometown in southern Fujian to treat sprains and bruises, especially after fractures!
That unique aroma, a blend of rich meat and slightly bitter-sweet herbs, instantly evoked deep-seated taste memories and homesickness.
She actually managed to get this... Ye Fan felt a slight warmth in his heart.
He eagerly scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and carefully put it into his mouth.
The warm broth glides down your throat, and the rich aroma of bones instantly fills your mouth. This is followed by the unique, slightly bitter taste of the herbs, which is not astringent at all, but rather brings out a deeper level of deliciousness.
Seriously, this tastes amazing!
He squinted his eyes contentedly, savoring the familiar, comforting sensation that seeped into his very bones.
To be able to enjoy such authentic local medicinal cuisine in Nanjing, far from my hometown, is a sentiment and kindness that speaks volumes.
He certainly knew how difficult it was to find this soup in Nanjing.
Authentic herbal ingredients, long and careful stewing... these are not things you can easily buy at an ordinary breakfast shop.
Where did she get it from? Did she ask someone from her hometown to send the medicinal herbs? Or did she find an authentic Minnan restaurant in Nanjing and specially ask someone to cook it for her?
A question flashed through his mind, but he ultimately did not pursue it.
Some sentiments, if understood and remembered, are the best response.
He ate bite after bite, savoring the flavor that had traveled thousands of miles and was filled with care, until he had eaten it all up, feeling warm and cozy inside and out.
As for the other two insulated bags sent by Xian Zuling and Su Luming, they contained more "conventional" but equally heartfelt breakfasts.
Xian Zuling's meal consisted of soft, sweet white porridge paired with crisp pickled vegetables she had made herself; Su Luming's meal was much more refined, with a sandwich, fried egg, and milk, a balanced combination of nutrients.
Clearly, the two must have made an appointment early in the morning, using the key in Xian Zuling's hand to enter the kitchen of the bamboo grove courtyard, and prepared these heartfelt gifts for him in the dim morning light.
Looking at the three breakfasts, each with a distinct style yet equally heartwarming, Ye Fan couldn't help but smile with a complex yet warm expression.
This "sweet burden" is truly hard to bear.
......
The satisfaction from breakfast hadn't completely faded when everyone in dormitory 208 packed their books and prepared to go to class.
Ye Fan, leaning on his crutches and "protected" by Li Yifeng and Shi Kai, awkwardly made his way out of the dormitory building.
The morning sunlight streamed down the tree-lined path. Just as Ye Fan stepped out of the dormitory building, a slender, quiet figure emerged from the shade of a nearby tree, walked straight up to him, and spoke in a soft but exceptionally clear voice:
"I'll get your textbooks for you."
Ye Fan turned around upon hearing the voice, somewhat surprised: "Ancestral Spirit? Why are you still here? Waiting for me on purpose?"
He noticed that quite a few boys on their way to class were casting curious glances at him.
"Yes." Xian Zuling nodded vigorously, her gaze meeting Ye Fan's without flinching.
She seemed completely oblivious to the stares she was being given.
Ye Fan couldn't help but laugh at her "taken-for-granted" attitude.
He lowered his voice slightly and reminded me with a hint of joking, "You've got some nerve! You just delivered breakfast and you're still 'staking out' here waiting for me? Aren't you afraid people will gossip if they see you? That old saying about 'men and women not touching each other' has become a monster that can drown people if it's passed down."
He deliberately used some literary language, trying to tease her.
However, Xian Zuling simply shook her head firmly. There was no hesitation or retreat in her clear eyes, but rather an almost stubborn determination: "I'm not afraid. I don't care what others say."
She paused, her voice soft, yet it struck Ye Fan's heart like a heavy stone:
"I know you're good to me, and good to...my family too. You're injured, so it's only right that I take care of you. It's only natural."
"Okay." Ye Fan's smile deepened.
Without saying another word, he turned to Li Yifeng, who was watching with amusement, and said, "Old Li, give her the book. You and Old Shi go first, I'll follow her and slowly move over."
Li Yifeng, with a mischievous "I knew it" expression, deftly stuffed Ye Fan's book into Xian Zuling's arms.
He leaned close to Ye Fan's ear and whispered quickly and slyly, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I'm so impressed with you, I can't believe it!"
After saying that, before Ye Fan could raise his cane to tap him, he grabbed the still clueless Shi Kai like a rabbit and darted into the crowd heading to the teaching building, leaving behind a string of gloating chuckles.
Ye Fan shook his head with a helpless smile as he watched the two figures disappear quickly.
When he turned around again, Xian Zuling had already firmly held his books and stood quietly a little behind him, like a silent yet resilient sapling, ready to set off at any moment.
And so, this scene unfolded on the tree-lined path of the campus.
Ye Fan, leaning on his crutch, walked ahead with a limp. Xian Zuling, carrying books, followed closely behind, maintaining a perfect half-step distance, like a most loyal shadow.
He quickened his pace, and she immediately followed with small, quick steps; when he stopped to adjust his posture due to his injury, she immediately stood still, waiting quietly, her gaze always fixed on his injured foot that needed support.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled, dancing light spots on the two of them.
The curious, inquisitive, and even slightly jealous gazes around them seemed to be shut out from their small, quiet space.
Ye Fan looked ahead and suddenly found this silent companionship somewhat interesting, so he casually asked, "Weren't you delivering breakfast with Su Luming earlier? She left, why didn't you go back with her?"
Xian Zuling's voice came from behind, still calm: "Yes, it was breakfast made at the bamboo grove courtyard we went to together."
She paused, as if stating a simple fact: "She's gone. I want to stay and see... if there's anything else I can do to help you."
Ye Fan didn't stop walking, but a silent smile crept onto his lips as a thought clearly surfaced in his mind: Not bad, really not bad. This girl, I didn't spoil her for nothing.
This clumsy yet incredibly sincere act of protection, like the morning sunlight, brings a reassuring warmth.
It is currently the peak time of morning hours on campus.
The tree-lined path leading to the teaching building was bustling with people, filled with the sounds of backpacks rubbing together, hurried footsteps, and bursts of laughter.
Among them were many couples walking side by side, especially sophomores and juniors, whose behavior was characterized by familiar intimacy.
Ye Fan and Xian Zuling blended in, yet their figures stood out conspicuously, instantly becoming an eye-catching "sight".