Chapter 39
Finally finishing a day's work, seeing off the last customer, pulling down the shutter—I had just sat down to catch my breath when Ma Ting came out from the back carrying two plates. My face immediately turned green.
"Well, aren't you going to come help?"
I hurried over and wasn't surprised to see food on the plates that was absolutely impossible to identify... if it could even be called food.
I'm not picky. As long as it's edible, I won't complain, but the prerequisite is that it has to be edible. And Ma Ting's cooking is a considerable distance from that standard. What's even more terrifying is that she's extremely interested in cooking, so the unlucky me has become the direct victim.
"Hmph, what's with that look? Do you really think I could poison you?"
I勉强 pulled at the corners of my mouth and didn't dare say anything more, because past experience has proven that resistance is useless. Well, it's food after all—no matter how unpalatable, it can fill the stomach.
I shoved the stuff into my mouth while trying my best to imagine the food before me as gourmet dishes, as things Shangguan made... I paused, suddenly feeling irritable. I've been trying so hard to seal away my memories, so why does the name Shangguan keep surfacing?
"A Yi, if you keep making that face, even I would want to photograph it."
I startled, looking at her blankly.
"That helpless, pitiful, dazed expression that's so thought-provoking—嘿嘿, if I were a man, I'd want to collect you too."
My heart lurched. I stared at her in alarm. I've been staying with Ma Ting for almost a month now, and I'm very grateful she took me in, but what I'm even more grateful for is that she never asked questions. After I told her not to notify anyone, she never brought up the topic again—not even to ask why.
At first, I was a bit terrified, afraid she would contact Chen Zhongyang. If I'd had the strength to even lift my arm at that time, I would have fled again without hesitation. It wasn't until she casually mentioned that she'd broken up with Chen Zhongyang that I finally relaxed.
Of course, I felt guilty about that afterward. A couple about to get married breaking up—it's painful for both sides, and from my observation, the problem was on Chen Zhongyang's side. But I have to admit, I was relieved, otherwise I never would have dared to stay.
I stayed, and we formed an unspoken agreement not to ask about each other's past. But now, she suddenly brought it up, and right to the core?!
Ma Ting smiled slightly: "Boys might be slow on this, but girls have a natural sensitivity, besides, he made it so obvious—anyone who thinks about it a little can guess."
"Guess—guess what..." I勉强 held myself together.
She smiled again: "This is something I shouldn't really be saying, and I certainly welcome an employee who doesn't need pay, but even if you've fooled yourself, what's the point?"
I lowered my head and crammed more of that barely-edible stuff into my mouth. What's the point? Of course there's a point. As long as I can fool myself, I can pretend it never happened. Haven't I been doing well enough? That kind of thing, I managed to deceive myself about. This time, this time I can too...
"But can you really fool yourself?"
Her voice came floating again, and I froze. My body started trembling uncontrollably, and a massive panic spread through my entire being.
My memory is so poor. So many things I can forget. I can't remember people's names, can't remember dates, can't remember what happened a few days ago. I can even forget my parents' faces, but why, Shangguan... why can't I forget you? Why does this name keep surfacing in my mind? Why does everything remind me of him?
A hand covered mine—warm, soft, full of strength. My heart gradually calmed.
Ma Ting sighed: "If this matter troubles you so much, then pretend I never said anything."
I looked up at her, then looked down. After a while, I finally spoke: "Love... is so troublesome..."