Rose in No-Man's Land

38 Feed Me

At Jining University, it was the week of final exams, and students hurried across campus, clutching pencil cases and books, trying to cram a semester's worth of missed material into their minds. Zhou Xifan was one of them, walking with a microeconomics textbook in hand, with nothing but a pen in her pocket.

Next to her walked a tall boy, the class monitor. They had come from the dorm area and, since they were headed in the same direction, had decided to walk to the exam venue together, discussing potential test topics as they went.

With 30 minutes before the microeconomics exam, Zhou Xifan checked her watch and, seeing there was still time, decided to sit on a bench outside the teaching building to review. But as she looked up, she spotted a familiar figure near the entrance: Xia Huaimeng, with her daughter in tow.

Standing quietly with a paper bag in hand, Xia Huaimeng's presence caught Zhou Xifan off guard. The bag bore the gold-embossed characters of "Master Zhao," a traditional brand of pastries she and Xia Xingmian had loved a decade ago.

"Sorry to show up like this," Xia Huaimeng approached with a slight, apologetic smile, offering the paper bag to Zhou Xifan. "I brought this for you."

Zhou Xifan accepted the bag without a word and asked the class monitor to go on ahead. He grinned sheepishly, said "okay," and reminded her to keep track of the time before heading off.

Once he was out of earshot, Xia Huaimeng's gaze followed him briefly before returning to Zhou Xifan. "How about grabbing a drink?" she asked.

"I don't drink milk," Zhou Xifan frowned.

"I wasn't suggesting milk," Xia Huaimeng chuckled. "I know Xifan is an adult now. How about a bar?"

Feeling a surge of irritation, Zhou Xifan snapped, "You're here to ask about Xia Xingmian again, aren't you?"

"..." Xia Huaimeng fell silent.

Zhou Xifan sighed heavily, realizing it was time to address the issue. She tried to find the right words. "I guess we could talk, but at least let me finish my exam..."

She had intended to bring this up a few days earlier, but Xia Xingmian had left the country with Lu Qiurui. Zhou Xifan thought she'd wait until Xia Xingmian returned to discuss it.

"I didn't come to talk about Xingmian today," Xia Huaimeng said softly.

Zhou Xifan was momentarily stunned, "Then why are you here?"

"I passed by this bakery, remembered how much you liked it, and decided to bring you some. I was planning to drop it off and leave, but then I thought... maybe we could catch up?"

Zhou Xifan scoffed, "You think there's something between us worth catching up on?"

Xia Huaimeng smiled. "Our connection isn't just about Xingmian, right?"

"..." Zhou Xifan's fingers clenched as she looked down. "To you, I'm just some insignificant little sister, aren't I?"

"Of course not," Xia Huaimeng replied gently.

The little girl, who had remained silent until now, timidly tugged on Zhou Xifan's sleeve and called, "Sister..."

Zhou Xifan softened as she looked at Xia Huaimeng's daughter, a child with her blood.

"Call her Auntie, not sister," Xia Huaimeng corrected.

Zhou Xifan frowned, "Am I really that old?"

Xia Huaimeng smiled, not answering directly, but continued, "Auntie..."

The little girl obediently called out, "Auntie!"

Xia Huaimeng added, "Now, ask Auntie to accept Mom's invitation."