A childish threat

In the end, Yuan Su accepted the bowl of rice porridge.

The moment the lid of the insulated lunch container came off, a wave of steam fragrant with rice washed over his face, spreading into a small cloud of warmth in the cold, gloomy room.

He held it in one hand and picked up the spoon with the other, his fingers still trembling slightly after his high fever.

"Drink it slowly. It's still a little hot."

Pu Yu sat on the little stool, her eyes, which had been sleepy just moments ago, now remarkably bright as she watched him without blinking.

Her stare made Yuan Su uncomfortable all over, and he lowered his head to take a mouthful.

The warm porridge slid down his dry throat, finally easing some of the stinging discomfort.

"Stop staring," he said hoarsely, keeping his gaze on the bowl. "Do you think I don't know how to use a spoon, or are you worried I'll choke to death?"

"Of course not."

Pu Yu's eyes curved into a smile, her voice soft. "I'm worried you won't have the strength to hold it and will drop the container."

Yuan Su gave a faint scoff, then scooped up another generous spoonful and put it in his mouth, as if to prove he wasn't that fragile.

This seemed to be the first proper hot meal he had eaten in months.

Usually, he ate either cold steamed buns or instant noodles. He had long since forgotten what homemade porridge tasted like.

"Is it good?" she asked.

"...It's all right."

"Grandma simmered it for ages. The rice grains have all split open, and she added a tiny bit of salt."

Yuan Su paused mid-mouthful.

He looked up at the girl in front of him. She wore a loose school uniform, her hair casually gathered into a bun, with a few stray strands hanging beside her fair neck. There was something clean and pleasantly fragrant about her.

In this room filled with dust and the smell of mildew.

She was an unexpected touch of beauty.

"Pu Yu."

"Hmm?"

"Don't just walk into strangers' homes from now on." Yuan Su put down his spoon, his tone suddenly turning colder and harder. "Especially boys' homes."

Pu Yu blinked. "But you're not a stranger."

"I am."

Yuan Su leaned against the headboard, his dark eyes fixed on her, the emotions in them unreadable. "You don't know what kind of person I am, or when those debt collectors might come back. If they turn up and corner you here..."

"I'm not scared," Pu Yu interrupted, explaining softly, "Besides, you got sick because you helped us fix our house. It would be awful of me to just leave you on your own."

Yuan Su stared at her for a few seconds, then abruptly turned his face away, his voice a little strained.

"Don't do this again. It's not safe."

"We can talk about next time when it happens."

Pu Yu glanced at the clock on the wall and only then realized it was nearly one in the morning. "We have school tomorrow. I'd better go home."

Watching her gather her things, Yuan Su gave a quiet murmur of acknowledgment.

At the door, Pu Yu looked back at him, as though she were looking at an injured, prickly little puppy. "Oh, right. I left the medicine on that wooden chest. The instructions and doses are all written on the paper. I've closed the doors and windows for you, too, and there's warm water in the kettle."

"Good night, Yuan Su." She smiled at him.

The door closed gently behind her.

Silence settled over the room again.

Yuan Su sat quietly for a moment, then raised a hand to his forehead, where the faint coolness of her fingertips seemed to linger.

A long time later, he fell back onto the bed, covering his eyes with his arm as a bitter, self-mocking smile touched his lips.

A stranger?

He couldn't push her away anymore.

The next morning, Pu Yu woke to the aroma coming from the kitchen.

Rubbing her eyes, she came out of her room and saw her grandmother busy at the stove. Porridge simmered in the pot, and steam rose from the steamer beside it.

"Grandma, why are you up so early today?"

Li Suhua glanced back at her. "Go wash up, then take breakfast over to Yuan Su. Any later, and that boy will probably have run off to the repair shop again."

Pu Yu blinked in surprise. "Grandma, you..."

"What?" Li Suhua lifted the steamer lid, revealing plump white steamed buns and a few boiled eggs. "If it weren't for him, who knows how badly this house would be leaking? We ought to be grateful."

Warmth filled Pu Yu's heart, and she nodded eagerly. "Okay!"

She had always thought her grandmother disliked Yuan Su. Every time she saw him, she either frowned or looked impatient. Now it seemed that her grandmother and Yuan Su were actually alike: cold on the outside, warm on the inside.

Pu Yu quickly finished washing up, ladled out the porridge, and packed two piping-hot eggs.

When she left, dawn was only just breaking.

Wind Chime Alley was still quiet, with only the early birds chirping in the branches.

Bang, bang-

Pu Yu knocked on Yuan Su's door. This time, footsteps sounded inside almost immediately.

The door opened.

Yuan Su was already up and had changed into clean work clothes. His hair was still a little damp, as though he had just showered.

"Morning." Pu Yu lifted the large floral bowl in her hands, her cheeks a little red from the morning breeze. "Grandma sent me over with breakfast."

Holding a ceramic bowl like this for too long burned her hands, and Pu Yu was almost at her limit.

Yuan Su glanced at her and silently took it.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo..."

Pu Yu instinctively blew on her hands, then pinched her earlobes in embarrassment, explaining quietly, "It was too hot. Eat it while it's warm. Oh, and Grandma asked me to bring yesterday's container back."

Yuan Su was silent for a few seconds before stepping aside. "Come in."

The room had been given a quick tidying. The medicine boxes on the wooden chest were neatly arranged, and a faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air.

Pu Yu spotted the container that had held yesterday's porridge, washed spotless and sitting on the table in the main room.

"Did you take your medicine?" she asked softly.

"Yes."

"What about your temperature? Do you still have a fever?"

"No."

A question, an answer. Brief and plain.

But Pu Yu could tell that Yuan Su was doing much better than yesterday.

She picked up the container, ready to head home, then seemed to remember something and hurriedly pulled the two round boiled eggs from her pocket.

"Oh, right. These, too!"

"Grandma said you need extra nutrition after a fever, so you have to eat both eggs."

Yuan Su didn't take them. He only frowned. "I don't like them."

"You have to eat them even if you don't like them." Pu Yu grabbed his hand and placed the eggs in his palm. Then, as if an idea had struck her, she smiled, her eyes curving. "If you don't eat them, I'll tell Sui Sui later."

Yuan Su looked up, puzzled.

"Sui Sui's working at the school radio station today."

With a perfectly straight face, Pu Yu threatened, "I'll have her call you out on the lunchtime broadcast: 'Yuan Su of Senior Class Two, please eat your meals on time and don't be picky. Your friend Pu Yu has requested "Listen to Grandma" for you.'"

"..."

Her childish yet vivid description made Yuan Su laugh.

"How childish can you get?"

Pu Yu was genuinely delighted to see that his fever hadn't returned. A lovely smile lit up her eyes as she said softly, "As long as it works. I'm going home for breakfast. Get some proper rest, and don't push yourself by going to work."

With that, she turned and jogged off, disappearing into the morning mist beyond the doorway.

Yuan Su stood where he was as the warmth of the boiled eggs seeped into his palms, flowing through his blood to every part of his body.

He took one egg and tapped it gently against the table.

He peeled it and took a bite.

It was just an ordinary egg boiled in plain water.

Yet he thought it might be the best thing he had ever tasted in his life.