Chapter 4: Cooking

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◎ Baby bowl, suitable for children aged three to six ◎

Cen Mo was very afraid of cats, especially black ones.

This fear came from deep within her heart, uncontrollable and spreading like poison throughout her entire body, even invading her dreams.

Lying on the upper bunk in the dormitory, half asleep and half awake, she seemed to be back in that dark, cool room again.

Such rooms were mostly used by rural families to store food supplies, built in shaded areas without windows, shrouded in darkness, cold even in the summer.

For a six-year-old girl, it was undoubtedly a haunted house.

The wooden door was locked from the outside, with only a thin line of light seeping through the crack at the bottom, casting a narrow bright strip on the cold cement floor.

The girl sat by this line, curling her small body tightly, biting her lower lip, too afraid to move.

Not far away, in the darkness opposite her, a pair of glowing animal eyes appeared, crescent-shaped with vertical golden pupils.

It was a cat, pitch black and ravenous.

Pain, sharp and intense—teeth piercing her skin, claws scratching her body repeatedly—the pain was so real she could barely breathe. Cen Mo suddenly opened her eyes.

Before her was the dim dormitory ceiling; it was only early morning, but her normally precise sleep schedule had failed.

...

Huang Zhi went to bed at one in the morning.

She was naturally easygoing; even in this graduation season when everyone was anxiously job hunting, she remained unhurried.

Apart from occasionally sending out resumes, her routine was to lie in the dormitory watching shows and reading.

Tonight was no different. After lights out, she pulled the curtains tight, put on her headphones, and binge-watched three episodes of a Korean variety show before contentedly pulling up her blanket.

Night owls were like this—yawning all day but lively at night. She tossed and turned on the narrow bed for a long while before drifting off to sleep.

After an unknown length of time, she was awakened by a soft rustling sound, like someone quietly eating.

She switched on the small light and rested her chin on the bed rail, pulling aside the curtain to look out, surprised: "Cen Mo, are you hungry?"

On the small table in the middle of the dorm, a phone illuminated the space. Cen Mo, in her pajamas, sat upright on a chair beside it, eating a bag of sliced bread.

The bread looked a bit dry, and she didn’t have water to accompany it, but she ate it bite by bite very seriously, as if completing a task.

“What’s wrong with you?” Huang Zhi rubbed her eyes and couldn't help but ask.

“I’m going to drink later, so I’m eating something to line my stomach,” Cen Mo looked up at her calmly, then took another big bite.

“Oh, that makes sense, otherwise your stomach would hurt...” Huang Zhi yawned and fell back onto her bed, only after a while realizing, she suddenly poked her head up: “What? You’re drinking alcohol in the middle of the night? Where’s the alcohol?”

Sure enough, Cen Mo bent down to retrieve a bottle of foreign liquor with Russian writing from the cabinet and slowly placed it on the table.

Huang Zhi almost doubted her own eyes: “Where did you get this? You drink alcohol?”

“It was left over from when I was promoting for the hotel,” Cen Mo said, already opening the bottle. A faint alcohol scent quickly filled the dormitory; the proof must be quite strong.

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She had so many part-time jobs that Huang Zhi couldn’t keep track of which one left the alcohol behind, but she felt a bit worried.

Having shared a dorm for four years, she had hardly ever seen Cen Mo drink, nor stay up late. Cen Mo’s self-control was so strong—what was going on tonight?

“Hey, sister, if something’s bothering you, talk to me,” Huang Zhi said warmly, pulling back the curtain and climbing down barefoot. She slid a chair up to the table and quietly observed.

But if there was any unusual emotion, Cen Mo didn’t show it—at least not outwardly. She was never a cheerful person, only quieter now.

Under the phone’s dim light, she sat with her eyes lowered, long lashes drooping, lost in thought. After a moment she said, “Did I disturb you? Sorry.”

“No, I’m awake anyway. How about I keep you company and drink a few with you?” Huang Zhi crossed her legs on the chair and suggested.

Cen Mo shook her head slightly. “It’s too strong, forget it.”

Huang Zhi was not convinced. She took the bottle and sniffed it, frowning, then chuckled awkwardly: “I’ve only ever drunk beer, this stuff…”

“Mm.” Cen Mo responded, listening to Huang Zhi chatter, feeling a little better.

She reached for the bottle, tilted her head back, and drank one sip, two, three.

“Hey, hey, you can’t drink like that!” Huang Zhi exclaimed.

Fortunately, when Cen Mo put the bottle down, she still looked normal, only her cheeks flushed and eyes a bit red.

“It’s fine,” she waved her hand and took another few sips. Half the bottle was gone in no time.

Huang Zhi watched helplessly, surprised—was Cen Mo really a good drinker? She never expected this from her.

The burning liquid slid down her throat, setting her stomach ablaze. She drank quickly, and soon she would feel the effects of the alcohol.

Cen Mo glanced at the time, got up and went to the bathroom, pouring the remaining liquor down the drain. Then she lifted the toilet seat, bent over quietly, and waited.

A minute later, her head grew dizzy and her stomach churned with nausea. Half-sitting on the floor, she bent over and began to vomit.

After a while, she steadied herself against the wall, flushed the toilet, brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth at the sink. Then, carrying the empty bottle, she slowly returned, tossed it in the trash by the door, grabbed the windowsill, and climbed back up to her bunk to lie down and cover herself.

The whole process took over ten minutes. Except for forgetting to turn off her phone on the table, she handled everything herself without bothering anyone.

Huang Zhi stood by, blinking for a long time, wanting to help but unable to. Was she really drunk? She shook her head, unable to believe it.

Doesn’t being drunk reveal a person’s truest self? How could someone remain so disciplined?

After thinking, Huang Zhi still felt uneasy. Leaning over the bed rail to look up at the top bunk, she saw Cen Mo had fallen asleep in her usual posture, hands neatly folded on her chest, her expression calm.

Only her brows were slightly furrowed, looking unhappy.

...

Xu Xudong finished work at nine that evening. Past events had left a shadow on his heart, so he kept thinking about spending more time with his child these days.

Despite the many inconveniences at the hospital, he put aside his pride and asked the on-duty nurse to watch his son for a while.

Soon, the boy became familiar with the nurses, chatting and laughing cheerfully, charming everyone who said he was adorable.

Xu Xudong came to pick up his son after surgery and felt relieved seeing this lively scene. He rarely had time for the child, who must have felt lonely alone at home.

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Children from single-parent families often lack a certain kind of affection, but as a father, Xu Xudong felt powerless.

After eating out together, father and son returned home.

As soon as Xu Lang entered, he looked around: “Teacher Cen didn’t come today?”

“Yeah, she’ll pick you up from school tomorrow,” Xu Xudong replied, then remembered the favor he had asked Cen Mo.

After settling his son down to do homework, he took out his phone and called.

It took a long time for the call to be answered. A man’s voice came through: “What’s up?”

“Still have a fever? How are you feeling?” Xu Xudong frowned, a bit helpless with this friend. “Can you answer your phone earlier? I kept thinking…”

“Thinking I’m dead?” Su Xingzhi’s tone was indifferent. He casually closed the laptop on the table and walked downstairs barefoot.

In the living room on the first floor, the crystal chandelier blazed brightly. The air carried a faint unfamiliar scent, something never before in this house.

On the luxurious European-patterned carpet, a black kitten was running circles around the sofa, low meows in its throat. Suddenly it leapt up, landing comfortably on the sofa.

“Has little Cen gone over? I asked her to cook porridge for you; eating something helps with recovery.” Xu Xudong felt like a nagging mother.

“Yeah, she came.”

“She’s young, you didn’t trouble her, right?” Xu Xudong asked again, though he knew it was unlikely. He just wanted to be sure.

He always worried that his aloof friend might offend others.

“No, she sent me off properly.” Su Xingzhi raised an eyebrow, unusually explaining once. He glanced at the black furball on the sofa and stepped over.

The kitten lay there kneading softly, its plump little paws alternating rhythmically, back stretched comfortably, purring quietly.

Suddenly the skin on its nape was pinched and lifted. The kitten opened its mouth in surprise, a soft “ha” sound.

After recognizing who it was, it meekly stayed silent, clearly afraid of the stronger.

Another hand held its hind legs, inspecting it closely. Su Xingzhi then set it down and raised his handsome brows.

Why would such a tiny creature scare people so much?

“How’s the porridge? Suits your taste?” Xu Xudong’s voice came through the phone again.

Thinking of this, the scent in the house was indeed from food. Su Xingzhi walked to the kitchen counter and saw the porridge sitting there.

Not knowing his preferences, three types were prepared: on the left, white glutinous rice with red dates and goji berries; on the right, savory century egg and lean pork congee; and in the middle, plain congee with thoroughly cooked rice grains.

The porridge had been cooked some time ago and was now just warm. Su Xingzhi lifted the lid, scooped a spoonful of the lean pork congee, and tasted it. The rice was soft, the meat and century egg well prepared, with a fragrant aroma from the scallions.

He ate another spoon slowly, then looked at the container holding the porridge.

It was sturdy stainless steel, somewhat heavy in hand, with handles on both sides for grip. The bright yellow exterior was decorated with a charming cartoon image of a pig rolling playfully on the grass.