Even after entering the apartment, Xiao Zhi Ren didn't let her wrist go and she had to remind him, "I'm not planning on running away. Ergo, you can let my hand go now." If she wanted to run away, who would dare stop her?
Xiao Zhi Ren looked down at his own hand wrapped around her wrist which seemed willowy to him. He let her hand drop to her side rather reluctantly and said, "Sorry! I didn't realize it that I was still holding your hand."
"Heh? How can someone forget they are holding something?" Ru grumbled to herself with a confounded look.
Xiao Zhi Ren smiled at her query and said, "Perhaps, I forgot because I don't like the cold feeling which a warm hand leaves behind." Ru gave him a baffled look and her adorable expression made him lift his rugged hand to tousle her fluffy hair. "Letting go of a hand gives me the feeling that someone is leaving me behind."
"So, are you still looking for that hand?" Ru asked with a quirk of her brow as she felt curious.
"Which hand?" asked Xiao Zhi Ren.
"The one which slipped away from your hand... Because I'm sure someone must have slipped away from your hand to leave that kind of feeling behind." She tapped her chin with her index finger and added, "Almost like PTSD. Your mind subconsciously is looking for that hand."
Xiao Zhi Ren didn't know how but she had managed to guess his emotions precisely as if she had seen it herself. He really was looking for that hand which slipped away from his grip. And the freezing void that hand left behind was still unbearable for him. Oddly, when he held Ru's wrist earlier, he felt his own body relaxing as if it had found what it had been yearning for.
"So, shall we begin?" Ru broke his reverie as she gestured towards his kitchen. Xiao Zhi Ren nodded and went straight towards the open kitchen. "What are we making?" She asked looking around at the kitchen which seemed exactly like it did the first time she was there; sophisticated and well-managed.
After Xiao Zhi Ren told her about the three dishes they were going to make, she couldn't help but say, "Can I add chicken and tomato spiced curry? It'll go perfectly well with rice." Her eyes gleamed as her mouth had watered at the thought of eating this curry and she even licked her lips as if she could taste it right now.
"If you're the one making it then why not?" Xiao Zhi Ren's reply made her frown a bit but it eased up after she thought for a second.
"Okay..." He was surprised that she had readily agreed but what he didn't know was that she wasn't just fond of eating, she was fond of food as a whole; cooking and eating combined. She had been avoiding cooking for a while now since it was rather odd to cook for just one person. Or perhaps, it was pitiful. She always liked to feed people and since now, Xiao Zhi Ren gave her the chance, she'd gladly make the curry because she won't be the only one enjoying it.
Both of them wore the apron and got busy with their own thing. Ru was focused on cutting the ingredients for him which she did efficiently. Even Xiao Zhi Ren couldn't help but praise her knife skills.
Both of them didn't notice when Xiao Zhi Yuan had come back home and was leaning leisurely against the glass partition to watch the harmonious scene in the kitchen. He felt strange seeing both Xiao Zhi Ren and Ru working in sync with each other.
"Did you start reading the books?" Xiao Zhi Ren asked while she was stirring her curry in the pot.
"I read all of them." She answered plainly.
"You read them in a day?" He was surprised to know that.
"Yup... They were interesting. So, I had to finish them in one go."
"Tell me what did you find interesting in them?" He inquired turning to face her this time.
"Haven't you read the books yourself?" Ru asked him instead of answering him.
"I have read the books but I still want to hear your opinion."
Ru found his answer reasonable and answered, "From the first book, I learned that we as human have no right to abhor our past since we are the ones living in the present where shadows of our past are lurking around. If we had forsaken our past, we wouldn't be living in agony but if we really had forsaken our past, we wouldn't be where we are or who we are."
Xiao Zhi Ren already knew that her view of seeing a book would be different than his own. And he was glad he actually gave her the books. Her nature was different and it allowed her to see everything differently.
"As for the second book, I learned that when time starts to slip away from our hand like sand through our fingers that's when we realize that it was worthless to hide our pain behind a mask of calmness." The more Ru spoke, the more Xiao Zhi Ren questioned himself whether they had read the same book or not? "Oh, by the way, where is my little squirrel?"
Before Xiao Zhi Ren could answer, both of them heard Xiao Zhi Yuan's voice.
"Right here, seemingly forgotten and ignored." Ru titled her head to look at him and smiled sincerely.
"Since when were you standing there?" Both of them asked simultaneously and took a moment to glare at each other. "You should have made a sound." Again they said simultaneously and huffed at each other.
Xiao Zhi Yuan chuckled at them and said, "I have been here long enough. Anyway, I just didn't want to disturb you both." He came close to the kitchen counter and inhaled deeply taking in the delicious aromas lingering around in the air. "What did you make? Why is it making me drool?" He tried to open the lid from the pot but his hand was swatted away by Ru.
"Change your uniform. Otherwise no food for you!" Seeing her acting all bossy, Xiao Zhi Yuan didn't mind at all and happily went to his room. She turned to look at Xiao Zhi Ren giving her strange looks and asked, "What?"
"Nothing..." He shook his head and added, "Let's wrap up here." Ru nodded her head and hastily cleaned up the counter before serving the food.