Chapter 23: Gentle Summer Snow

  Xia Xue listened and curled her lips, looking at Xiao Lin as if she were a monster, saying: "What's this about eating freely? Did no one ever give you enough to eat before?"

  Xiao Lin smiled, recalling the times when she went on missions and sometimes didn't drink a drop of water for an entire day and night. Sometimes meals were eaten by the clock, eating as much as possible within three minutes. Xia Xue had never experienced that kind of life, so she didn't know what it was like to enjoy the freedom of eating a full meal, let alone such delicious food.

  "Yes, I used to be very poor, and couldn't even afford three meals a day. When I was hungry, I would go out on the streets and ask others for something to eat!" Xiao Lin said jokingly.

  "Can't you be more ridiculous!" Xia Xue burst out laughing: "But bragging doesn't require paying taxes, go ahead and keep bragging!" Xia Xue also picked up on Xiao Lin's joking tone.

  Xia Xue felt at ease from the first conversation with Xiao Lin, and she knew that chatting with him was a very relaxing thing. Xia Xue enjoyed the feeling now, it seemed that escaping from home to live outside was the most correct thing she had done in recent years.

  "Now if I had a cup of clear tea, this life would be perfect, even if I were to become an immortal, I wouldn't want to change it!" Xiao Lin said with a smile to Xia Xue.

  "You're still climbing up the pole!" Xia Xue gave Xiao Lin a white eye, but she still got up and said: "It's okay, I just happened to bring a few packs from home. Usually, I like drinking tea, not coffee. So, this messy table, you'd better take care of it!" Xia Xue also felt strange in her heart, why did Xiao Lin say something and she would go do it, without any feeling of resentment at all.

  "No problem!" Xiao Lin said with great satisfaction, then got up and put away the bowls and chopsticks. This little thing was still not a challenge for Xiao Lin.

  Xia Xue returned to the room and picked up two small packets of tea leaves, just as she was about to brew them. Suddenly, a loud clattering sound came from the kitchen, making Xia Xue look over at the kitchen with a mixture of annoyance and resignation. The kitchen door was open, revealing a mess of broken ceramic bowls on the floor. With a bitter smile, Xia Xue walked towards the kitchen and saw Xiao Lin standing there, looking like a child who had done something wrong, his head hung low in shame. Xia Xue couldn't help but laugh in exasperation: "I don't know how you managed to live before, but washing dishes is clearly not your forte - you're making such a big fuss over it! And by the way, these bowls aren't even ours, they belong to Teacher Qi!" Xia Xue's words sounded like those of a wife scolding her husband for being useless around the house.

  Xiao Lin awkwardly laughed twice, her face slightly flushed as she said: "This... once you're born, twice you're familiar, I guarantee it'll be better next time!" After finishing speaking, she went to the balcony of the bathroom to fetch a broom and dustpan, and swept the kitchen clean.

  Xia Xue couldn't help but wash the remaining bowls and chopsticks, which made Xiao Lin even more embarrassed. However, in his heart, he had an increasingly good impression of Xia Xue. This girl had a great personality, a good temper, and was diligent with household chores. Although Xiao Lin might not be good at doing housework himself, he was quite perceptive when it came to judging people. From Xia Xue's attire and demeanor, it was clear that her family was of high social standing. Yet, despite having such a prestigious background, she didn't have the usual flaws of those spoiled rich girls. Instead, she was even more down-to-earth, understanding, and reasonable - a truly rare find.

  "Xiao Da Shao, from now on I dare not ask you to do any household chores again, you have completely conquered me!" Xia Xue helplessly looked at Xiao Lin carefully sweeping the fragments on the ground, afraid that if she applied a bit more force, she would break the fragments on the ground again. In fact, at this time, Xiao Lin was thinking about Xia Xue's goodness, and her mind was not fully focused on sweeping.

  "Don't say that, at least I have a hardworking heart!" Xiao Lin said with a hint of guilt, not daring to look into Xia Xue's eyes.

  "I'm just your roommate, not your nanny, remember that!" Xia Xue said irritably, then ignored Xiao Lin and went straight to the living room to make tea.

  Xiao Lin couldn't help but smile wryly to herself, wondering when she had become so easily distracted. It seemed that Xia Xue really did have a kind of charm that even she couldn't resist.

  Xiao Lin finished sweeping and put the trash in the kitchen garbage can, which was already full. Xiao Lin packed it up directly, otherwise when Xia Xue saw it later, who knows how she would scold herself.

  Back in the living room, Xia Xue was already lying on the sofa, with two cups of clear tea on the coffee table, and the tea bag still on the table. Xiao Lin looked at the tea bag and exclaimed in surprise: "This is good tea!"

  "Nonsense, tens of thousands of yuan for just one or two, my dad collected them, this time I snuck out and stole a few packs!" Xia Xue said casually.

  Xiao Lin chuckled and teased her, "So you're a rich girl, huh? Not afraid that I, a poor guy who can't even afford to rent a room, would kidnap you?" Xia Xue was increasingly annoyed with Xiao Lin's words. At this moment, she felt a twinge of regret. If she had eaten with Xiao Lin last night, who knows what the situation would be like today? But thinking about it, she should still be grateful that she didn't eat with him last night. Otherwise, given Xia Xue's attitude towards him last night, today she might have turned around and left as soon as they met. Although Xiao Lin hadn't known Xia Xue for long, he had some understanding of her personality.

  As soon as Xia Xue heard Xiao Lin mention last night's events, her face turned slightly red. She had done something so embarrassing in her life, but Xia Xue was not an ordinary strong-willed person. When she needed to be gentle, she was gentle; when she needed to be tough, she was tough. Hearing Xiao Lin bring up last night's events, she couldn't help but tease him: "Are you regretting it?" After speaking, she even fanned herself with her open collar, looking extremely alluring.

  Xiao Lin had lost the momentum of hooking up with Xia Xue last night. If he hadn't drunk some wine and recalled some sad past events, Xiao Lin would have been calm as usual, and at most would have just talked about it. But now, Xia Xue's strong counterattack had left Xiao Lin speechless.

  "This tea is really good!" Xiao Lin didn't dare to look into Xia Xue's eyes, the more he knew Xia Xue, the more he felt that Xia Xue was a stunning beauty of a demonic level, every frown and smile could move men's souls, it's no wonder there were so many rumors behind her back, let alone Xia Xue herself deliberately created them.

  "You're as slippery as an old man, always changing the subject!" Xia Xue looked at Xiao Lin with a smile, seeing that Xiao Lin didn't dare to meet her eyes, Xia Xue felt quite pleased with herself.

  At this time, it happened to be the CCTV News Broadcast, and Xiao Lin inadvertently saw a very brief news report about the HTC4 variant of the infectious virus in Jingliang Province.

  Xiao Lin's face suddenly turned serious, to ordinary people, this was just a very ordinary news item on the News Broadcast, but anyone with a bit of status knew that the news on the News Broadcast wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface, but rather an omen.