Chapter 6: A Curious Little Guest

Chen Lin led Yan into his living room. Seeing how defenseless she looked, he coughed to remind her, “Don’t forget what Big Brother just told you.”

“My memory isn’t that bad, but Big Brother, why is it dangerous for me to enter a strange man’s home?” Yan retorted.

Chen Lin’s face reddened. He coughed again. “Because a cute little girl like you might get… into some strange situations with strange adults…”

“What kind of strange situations?” Yan pressed.

“Ahem… It’s hard to explain…” Chen Lin knew exactly how to explain, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. It felt too early to tell her. “Anyway, it’s very dangerous. Just be careful.”

As he spoke, he pulled out an old tablet and handed it to her. Only grandparents would use a TV remote nowadays; even high schoolers knew TV shows were boring. “Feel free to download any games or apps you like. Wait thirty minutes, and dinner will be ready.”

“Mhm~” Seeing Yan nod, Chen Lin turned and busied himself in the kitchen.

Originally, he had planned just to make a simple meatball and winter melon soup. But with a guest now, he added a scramble of eggs. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make something better; the fridge only had eggs left. Living alone, he never stocked up on groceries—spoiled food was too wasteful.

Seeing Chen Lin disappear into the kitchen, Yan got up from the sofa. She had no interest in the tablet. Since the apartment was small, she quickly found Chen Lin’s modest bedroom. The old-fashioned desk and wardrobe looked dated but were spotlessly clean.

“This is Big Brother’s smell… such a nice smell… I can’t get enough of it…” She threw herself onto his bed, rolling around, pressing his pillow to her face. “When I was following him to find his address, I was so scared he’d catch me. Luckily, Big Brother is so kind…” she murmured blissfully. Her fox-like narrowed eyes drifted involuntarily toward his wardrobe, where his underwear was stored.

When the rice cooker clicked, Chen Lin’s dishes were done. He brought them to the dining table, only to find Yan wasn’t on the sofa. Had she gone to the bathroom? Even an angelic little girl had to pee—she couldn’t just turn into orange soda. Noticing his bedroom door ajar, he walked over.

There, Yan lay sound asleep on his bed, her skirt hiked up, clutching his pillow, and tangling his sheets. Her breathing was steady. Chen Lin shook his head helplessly. Her sleeping posture was a bit messy, but she was only a kid. It was understandable. Seeing her angelic sleeping face, he hesitated to wake her. But if she didn’t get up, the food would get cold. So he leaned in and poked her cheek with his index finger. Her skin was smooth, soft, and warm. When she didn’t stir, he brought his mouth close to her ear to call her. His warm breath brushed her ear. Her temperature spiked—she was jolted awake.

“Mew—!” Like a startled kitten, she sprang up, her head bumping into his forehead. Startled, Chen Lin stumbled back.

“A-are you okay?” Yan asked, her cheeks flushed crimson. She covered her mouth with her small hands, trying to hide her shy face.

“Of course I’m fine. Don’t worry, you’re awake now. Dinner’s ready—come eat.” Chen Lin rubbed his forehead, unconcerned. He was more worried about her. After all, physics taught action and reaction. But since she asked, she probably wasn’t hurt.

At the dining table, Chen Lin gave Yan half a bowl of rice. “Is that enough?” he asked.

“Yes, I can’t eat that much.” So he scooped some rice from her bowl into his own. Wasting food was shameful; he rarely did it.

Yan looked at the meager spread—only two dishes—and didn’t pick up her chopsticks.

“Sorry, I don’t have much food today. Can you make do? If you want something else, you can tell Big Brother, and I’ll order takeout.” Chen Lin felt apologetic. For a guest, meatball soup and scrambled eggs were certainly shabby. But it couldn’t be helped—if he’d known Yan was coming, he would have bought more at the store.

“It’s fine. Big Brother’s cooking is delicious.” Yan started eating, very politely.

Soon, they finished everything. After washing the dishes, Chen Lin prepared to see her home.

As they descended the stairs, Yan asked, “Big Brother, do you always eat so simply?”

“Of course. I live alone. If I made too much, I’d waste it.”

“That won’t do. You’re a high schooler still growing—you need balanced nutrition.” Yan was lecturing him! Chen Lin scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He was used to this lifestyle; it was hard to change. “I do eat fruit often,” he said.

“That’s not enough. Big Brother, if you don’t mind, can I cook for you in the future?”

“You cook for me?” Chen Lin was baffled. He couldn’t believe this little girl could cook. She seemed more like someone to be taken care of.

“Is it not okay?” Yan’s pitiful gaze made it impossible to refuse. Thinking she might just be indulging a whim, he agreed. After all, he could treat it as a child’s joke. “Sure, but don’t overdo it,” he cautioned.

“Mhm, not at all.” Yan looked delighted, wrapping her arms around his right arm. Feeling such an adorable little girl cling to him was very healing. Chen Lin’s mood lifted. “How should I see you home?” he asked.

“Just take me to the subway station. I already called my family—my mother will pick me up by car.” She didn’t want to trouble him further.

‘You had a phone?!’ Chen Lin wanted to retort but kept it to himself. For some reason, he felt something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint what.