After a moment, Song Qingchun saw Su Zhinian even pull out his phone and start to play on it.

Song Qingchun knew Su Zhinian had always been a man of few words. Even when he was with his mother, one would think he was a mute or something. Even though she had gotten used to him acting this way, it didn't mean that she was immune to the awkwardness that arose from the complete silence. So, it fell on her to initiate a conversation lest it became uncomfortable.

When Song Qingchun said the first word, Su Zhinian placed his phone down and looked at her.

"If you're eating at home, steaming or making stews are very easy. Don't keep relying on take-outs, they are not good for you."

"Hmm." Su Zhinian nodded.

When he used to live alone, Auntie Sun would cook for him. However, when she moved in, he paid Auntie Sun a great deal of money for the old woman to retire. After Song Qingchun moved out, he didn't call Auntie Sun back or hire a new homemaker because he wanted to keep the place exactly as she left it. That way, he could at least pretend that she had never left.

This afternoon, when he was waiting for the drip, his eyes had been closed as he lay in bed. It seemed like he was sleeping, but he was actually focusing on her every movement downstairs.

The sound of running water, the sound of a knife on the chopping block, the sizzling sound of cooking, the bubbling sound of the soup boiling on top of the constant whirring of the exhaust fan

There were endless noises, but in his ears, they were like a melody from the heavens. Only he himself would know how much he had missed these daily noises since he had returned from Yun Nan and stayed in the house alone.

He didn't need her to talk to him, didn't need her to smile at him, didn't need her to even be by his side; as long as he could close his eyes and listen to her move around the house, he was satisfied.

After Doctor Xia left, he could focus on her movement even more. He could see his inner conviction crumbling.

At the time, he had been thinking about what he should do. He couldn't bring himself to tear her away just like that. He wished desperately for this happy and peaceful relationship between them to last.

He really wanted to be selfish, just a little for once in his life. He didn't need much; he just wanted to be her normal friend.

When he heard her call him "Take-out Su", that wish had grown many times over.

She hadn't created a new nickname to mock him for a very long time, and he missed even that desperately.

When he heard her footsteps heading toward the door, he finally couldn't hold it in anymore. He rushed downstairs and grabbed at her arm when she said she was going to leave.

Seeing that Su Zhinian wasn't responding to her conversation topic, Song Qingchun quickly switched to another.

Su Zhinian returned from his thoughts and continued to pay Song Qingchun the attention she deserved.

As the conversation continued, Song Qingchun was suddenly reminded of the wound she had seen earlier, and she couldn't help herself from asking, "When you did suffer the wound to your stomach?"

Su Zhinian's expression visibly shook because he wasn't anticipating this question.