Loneliness

Chapter 8

Chen Dong Lan also laughed and looked down. Whenever he saw Yuan Yuan laughing, he didn't dare look for too long.

"Do you want some water?" Chen Dong Lan asked as if he was an official eager to present a treasure to the emperor.

Yuan Yuan glanced around critically at his shabby place. "I don't need to drink any water. Are you hungry?"

Since he had asked, Chen Dong Lan realised they had hurried back from the forest park and had yet to have any dinner.
So, he said, "Are you hungry? I'll cook now."

"You don't even have any gas. How are you going to cook?"

Chen Dong Lan had forgotten about that. He had moved over for so long but never cooked once. The kitchen was empty, except for the kitchenware that had not been used.

Yuan Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked, "What have you been eating?Have you been eating out?"

Chen Dong Lan, suddenly remembering that below his bed was a box half-filled with instant noodles and some packets of biscuits in the cupboard, vaguely said, "Yeah...more or less. After work, I'lI conveniently eat out."

"Really?" Yuan Yuan questioned closely.

"Really..." Chen Dong Lan felt that Yuan Yuan had seen through him and replied without any confidence. He hadn't meant to eat badly, just that when he was alone, eating was just to satisfy the requirements of his body and it lacked any other interest. Even if he spared no effort to prepare a sumptuous dinner for himself, it wouldn't taste better than biscuits or
noodles.

Of course, Yuan Yuan knew that Chen Dong Lan was lying. Chen Dong Lan would buy large packs of biscuits and keep them in the cupboard. He remembered once when they had only lived together for a short while, his clothes had been kept in the wrong place and he was searching for them in Chen Dong Lan's room cupboard. There were two cupboards. One of them contained all his clothes for all the four seasons, filling only half the space. The other cupboard was empty, but in the corner, there was a bag of biscuits-a family bundle, the biggest type that could be bought from the supermarket.

Chen Dong Lan's glance over at the cupboard was too obvious.
"Then let's go out to eat." Chen Dong Lan was eager to extricate himself from the crisis of almost being exposed.

"That's fine as well." Yuan Yuan played it down and said, "Since you've been eating out previously, what can you recommend? We'll go there now."

Chen Dong Lan started then stammered, "Those...those shops shouldn't be open this late."

"Let's go and see."

Chen Dong Lan's hands were intertwined behind his back. Yuan Yuan must know that he had been eating biscuits at home every day. Why was he still being like this?

To punish him?

Chen Dong Lan intended to honestly come clean. "Actually, I.."
"Forget it." Yuan Yuan revealed a funny expression. "Let's go back to where we lived and cook."

Chen Dong Lan couldn't understand why he was being so repetitive, but as long as Yuan Yuan suggested it, he would consider the possibility. "There should be no ingredients at home and it's not easy to buy any now...

At this point, he paused. Words always failed. He had moved out from there for so long, but still subconsciously thought of it as his home.

This was just a square. He ate and slept here, repeating every day mechanically.

He had thought that he would never have a home again.
Yuan Yuan didn't care. "Eating noodles isn't bad."

Chen Dong Lan refused without thinking. "Let's eat out instead. It'll be my treat...okay?"