The liquid boiled and churned in the pot. The girl pressed the power button and, imitating her mother, used a slotted spoon to scoop up the noodles.
Finally, lift the bowl of noodles with both hands.
"Hiss..."
The intense heat emanating from the bowl made her jerkly pull her hand back, and the bowl, which had been held in mid-air, fell to the ground and shattered.
Scalding hot noodles, mixed with broken ceramic bowls, lay scattered on the ground.
Like the last straw that broke the camel's back, Hela's pent-up emotions suddenly erupted like a tidal wave.
Hela crouched down, curled up, hugged her legs, and cried helplessly.
"Waaah... Mom... what should I do..."
Large tears streamed down the girl's pale face, wetting her sleeves.
Helplessness and loneliness were like two enormous hands, constantly kneading Hela's fragile heart, shattering it into pieces.
In the empty room, apart from the sound from the television, only the girl's helpless sobs could be heard.
Thump thump thump...
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Hela's sobbing stopped abruptly, and she looked towards the doorway with a puzzled expression in her red eyes.
Knock knock knock.
The knocking sounded again. Hela wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve and slowly walked towards the door.
Squeak--
Hela opened the door a crack and cautiously peered outside.
What came into view was a somewhat anxious young man.
When the boy saw Hela open the door, his face lit up with joy, but then he became somewhat reserved.
Hela recognized the person in front of her at a glance; it was her deskmate Zhao Rui.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that the other person was just an acquaintance, Hela breathed a slight sigh of relief and opened the door completely.
Zhao Rui scratched his head, looking down at Hela.
"Yeah, it's that... I figured you hadn't eaten, so I brought you some food."
After saying that, he handed the bag he had been carrying to Hela, who immediately felt a warm current coming from the bag as she took it.
Hela looked down and saw three steaming hot boxed meals in the bag, clearly freshly made.
She glanced at Zhao Rui, who was covered in sweat and panting heavily, and immediately understood.
"That's all, I'll be going now. Take your time eating."
After saying that, Zhao Rui turned to leave, but Hela called him back.
"Wait a moment."
Zhao Rui's heart skipped a beat, and he turned around with a slight tremor.
"What, what's wrong?"
"Come in and sit down for a bit, you look quite tired." Hela said, her head bowed, her voice barely audible.
"Ah, uh, well, okay then."
Zhao Rui wanted to refuse, but his mouth betrayed his true feelings and he agreed.
Hela gave a soft "hmm" and went into the house with him.
Sitting on the sofa, Hela, who was already starving, opened her lunchbox and prepared to eat.
But upon seeing the food inside, he was slightly taken aback.
Because these are all foods I like to eat, and there aren't even any spicy or pungent seasonings like chili peppers added.
She glanced at the boy sitting opposite her, who quickly looked away.
"Thanks..."
Hela lowered her head, uttered those two words, and then quickly began to eat.
Zhao Rui appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.
Suddenly, his gaze drifted to the kitchen, where he saw a mess. He quickly got up and went to clean it up.
Hela wanted to stop her, but watching the other person's retreating figure, she continued eating.
The feelings of helplessness and loneliness seemed to vanish completely at that moment.
Hela was like a shipwrecked person adrift at Ocean who found a raft where she could rest.
Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face again.
"Okay, I've taken care of that for you. I also took out the trash for you. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Zhao Rui, carrying a trash bag, quickly said a few words to Hela before hurriedly leaving.
"Okay, goodbye."
Hela looked at the closed door and suddenly felt that she wasn't so lonely in the room anymore.
After that, Zhao Rui visited Hela almost every day, bringing lots of delicious food each time.
Even if Hela wanted to visit her mother in the hospital, Zhao Rui would confidently pat his chest and ride his family's old bicycle to take her Hela.
Over time, Hela's gratitude towards him grew stronger, and their relationship improved.
Inside the hospital, Hela sat by the bedside, handing her mother a hot meal.
Thank you, baby...
Please bring me food every day.
Hela's mother smiled as she accepted the food. Due to chemotherapy, she had lost all her hair and eyebrows, and her face was extremely pale, but she still had a gentle smile on her face.
"It's okay, Mom. It's mainly because Zhao Rui helped us." Hela smiled sweetly.
Hela's mother's expression changed slightly, and she turned to look at Zhao Rui outside the door.
Zhao Rui hurriedly pulled his head back.
"Sigh, Zhao Rui, if only he could study a little harder..."
Hela's mother smiled and shook her head, then waved to Hela.
"Honey, you should go back and rest too. Mommy has recovered a lot and can eat by herself now."
Upon hearing her mother say that she had recovered enough to eat, Hela smiled with joy.
"Okay, Mom! See you tomorrow!"
Hela picked up the easel and paints that were placed beside her and happily walked out of the ward.
"Let's go, Zhao Rui. Please take me home this time too!"
Hela smiled and said to Zhao Rui, who nodded and led Hela away from the hospital.
Upon reaching the hospital entrance, Zhao Rui skillfully mounted his old bicycle, with Hela sitting behind him.
"Hold on tight, let's go--"
With a powerful pedal stroke, the old bicycle rattled along, heading off into the distance.
As soon as they rode out of the hospital, a black dog ran after them.
"Hey! Xiaoheizi, stop chasing us!"
Seeing the black dog running towards them from behind, Zhao Rui quickened his pedaling pace.
This dog's name is Xiaohei. It's a stray dog that Hela and Zhao Rui raised together, and it likes to chase after them like this.
But he was clearly more excited today, and in the blink of an eye, he was about to catch up with the two of them.
Zhao Rui pushed the bicycle to its limit with all his might, and the whole bike began to sway slightly due to the excessive speed.
The swaying of the car made Hela sway precariously. In a panic, she reached out and grabbed the boy in front of her.
Zhao Rui froze instantly, his face, which was turned away from Hela, turning bright red.
Hela realized her lapse in composure and quickly withdrew her hand, blushing.
The bicycle gradually slowed down, and the Xiaohei behind it seemed tired too, quietly following behind.
Under the sunlight, two bewildered young people pedaled their bicycles, their faces flushed.
"Um, I'm going to paint today, you... just take me to that tree."
Hela buried half her face under the easel and said shyly.
Zhao Rui nodded slightly and drove onto a grassland.
squeak--
The bicycle slowly came to a stop, and Hela and the other person got off at the same time.
"Thank you for bringing me this far, I'll be going now..."
Hela smiled sweetly, carrying a pile of painting supplies, and slowly turned towards the lawn covered with a layer of golden yellow.
The orange-yellow sunlight shone through Hela's white hair, her pure figure complementing the sunset, making her seem like an angel fallen to earth, captivating Zhao Rui.
Without realizing it, he reached out and grabbed Hela's wrist, pulling her back.
Hela paused, and a blush rose on her face again.
She turned around and looked at the bewildered boy in front of her, whose face was also flushed.
Xiaohei sat between the two, sticking out its tongue as it observed them.
"Are you... being so nice to me because I'm good-looking and you like me?"
After a moment of eye contact, Hela suddenly asked.
Zhao Rui was taken aback, then quickly waved his hand in realization.
"No, no, that's not why I helped you!"
Hela touched her wrist, which he had just gripped, then lowered her head and turned to walk away.
"Hey, Hela, let me explain..." Zhao Rui reached out to explain.
But Hela didn't stop; she continued walking towards the big tree.
He slowly lowered his hand, his body slumped, and let out a heavy sigh.
Then he shouted at Hela, "I'm going to buy you groceries! Call me when you're back!"
Hela paused, then reached out and waved at him.
Zhao Rui smiled slightly, got on his bicycle, and rode towards the nearby supermarket.
Xiaohei followed Hela towards the grove of trees.
A gentle breeze swept across the lawn, leaving its shape in the wind.
The girl sitting by the tree, drawing, had her hair gently blown by the wind. She tucked the stray hairs behind her ears.
Hela thought of her mother, whose condition was slowly improving, and then of the boy who had stirred strange feelings in her.
A slow smile crept onto his lips.
But at the same time, whether it was because of some shyness or something else, her hands trembled slightly, and she couldn't even hold the paintbrush steady.
Suddenly, she noticed that Xiaohei was slowly walking towards her.
Hela smiled slightly, her face as beautiful as an angel's.
She slowly extended her hand...