MGTSSSR Chapter 8

The senior year came quickly, and amidst a balance of classes and rest, Xiaoci soon rented a house near her school.

 

However, it was a shared apartment: a two-bedroom, one-living room space divided into three small individual rooms, each with its own security door besides the main entrance, and shared bathrooms and kitchens.

 

When Xiaoci video-called Gu Nan, he seemed content with her living situation.

 

After adjusting her phone’s front camera, Xiaoci resumed their conversation. Gu Nan had been busy recently. “It’s just a bit lonely. The two girls next door are working, so I’m by myself during the day.”

 

Gu Nan relaxed his tie a little and looked at his phone with affection. “Haven’t you gone out for food recently?”

 

“I don’t really feel like going out. I just went to Wuzhen last week.” Xiaoci calculated that they had only seen each other last month when they celebrated their birthdays together. The silver tie around Gu Nan’s neck was a gift she bought with her manuscript fee, but now she really missed him.

 

“Well, you should rest and write some more for your light meals column. You haven’t updated much lately. Your best friend privately messaged me, complaining that I’m taking up too much of your time.” Gu Nan smiled, lowered his head, and signed some documents.

 

Upon hearing that her best friend had complained about Gu Nan, Xiaoci pouted. “It’s not like that! My best friend is too busy with her boyfriend to even reply to me.”

 

“Well, little lazy bug, hurry up and write that column.” Gu Nan teased, though Xiaoci was feeling a bit frustrated. Gu Nan was always so attentive, even though he was the busiest one.

 

“Alright, I’m going to write now. You remember to eat properly. I had onion pork slices for dinner. You figure it out.”

 

“Understood. Onion pork slices, I’ll order takeout right away!” This was a little tradition between them after Xiaoci moved out. They were free to eat whatever they wanted for breakfast and lunch, but dinner always had to be something they both agreed on. She didn’t like eating dinner much because she thought it would make her gain weight, while Gu Nan often skipped dinner due to his busy work schedule.

 

After they made this arrangement, they often ate dinner together via video call, eating the same dishes, as if they were right there with each other.

 

But this tradition didn’t last long before Gu Nan broke it! And it wasn’t because he was out socializing.

 

During dinner time, Xiaoci’s voice messages and video calls went unanswered, and his phone was off. Worried something had happened to Gu Nan, she called his colleagues, who told her that Gu Nan had left work on time and they had thought Xiaoci had arrived.

 

Xiaoci felt a little frustrated. They had been together for so long, and Gu Nan had never been like this before. She realized how risky long-distance relationships could be.

 

And yes, Xiaoci had been feeling anxious lately. Part of that anxiety came from her best friend’s incessant chatter and a long-distance relationship analysis book she recommended.

 

“Old Gu (yes, he’s that old, several years older than Xiaoci) has all his work and connections in Xi’an. Oh, and his parents and relatives live there too. Even if you meet frequently because of the long-distance relationship, it’s only temporary. Have you thought about it? Uncle and Aunt won’t let you leave Zhejiang, and Old Gu will never move to Hangzhou to start over from scratch!”

 

Sometimes Xiaoci wondered if she was being selfish. Gu Nan’s roots were in Xi’an, and she couldn’t leave Zhejiang. Could their relationship really survive on the bond created by sweet and sour spare ribs?

 

Thinking about this made Xiaoci feel sad. Could their long-distance relationship really be one of the exceptions, like those happy endings? Tears unexpectedly welled up, and in her blurred state, her phone rang. She didn’t even check the caller ID before picking it up.

 

“Xiaoci, open the door for me.” Gu Nan was standing outside Xiaoci’s door, a little cold. The rain in Hangzhou had come suddenly, catching him off guard since he was only wearing a shirt.

 

Hearing his nasal voice, Xiaoci didn’t think twice. She jumped out of bed, barefoot, and rushed to the door. When she opened it, a drenched Gu Nan stood there, holding a cat carrier with a little British Shorthair inside.

 

“My phone got damaged during the flight… so I couldn’t call you…”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Xiaoci threw herself into his arms. Gu Nan hesitated slightly, as he was cold and wet, but still let her hug him.

 

“Don’t move. Let me hold you for a moment.”

 

“Mm.”

 

“Why did you suddenly come?”

 

“I guessed you missed me.”

 

“Mm, I missed you.”

 

“I also guessed you needed some sweet and sour ribs.”

 

Gu Nan shook the cat carrier in his left hand, signaling Xiaoci to let go. Seeing the little British Shorthair inside, Xiaoci was touched. When she first moved in, she had told Gu Nan she felt lonely at home.

 

She hadn’t expected that he had listened carefully to her words and found the perfect cat for her, a British Shorthair with white fur.

 

Without saying anything more, Xiaoci took Gu Nan’s hand and led him into her room. She was about to turn to grab a dry towel when Gu Nan stopped her, gently pushing her onto the bed. He went to the other side of the room, picked up her slippers, knelt down, and put them on for her. Afterward, he found a towel to dry her hair.

 

“Gu Nan.” Xiaoci spoke quietly, her eyes devoid of emotion.

 

Gu Nan felt a little anxious inside. After he landed, he had hurriedly bought a new phone. When he saw the WeChat messages and missed calls, he wanted to hit himself.

 

What was this surprise? Now Xiaoci was… he didn’t know what was going on! He almost wished she would be angry so he could comfort her.

 

“I’m here. Let’s go downstairs for dinner later. Have you found any good places to eat since you moved in?” Gu Nan said calmly, though he wasn’t as composed as he appeared. The moment Xiaoci mentioned feeling lonely, he had already contacted a friend to get a British Shorthair cat for her. Getting it to the airport was a whole process, but on Friday, he could finally bring it to her.

 

“Gu Nan.” Xiaoci called his name again, as if she hadn’t heard his previous words.

 

This time, Gu Nan couldn’t remain calm. He immediately knelt beside her. Just as he was about to comfort her, Xiaoci hugged him tightly.

 

“Thank you for always being so good to me, for always caring about me.”

 

“Silly Xiaoci.”

 

Hearing these words, Gu Nan finally relaxed. He patted Xiaoci’s back soothingly before pulling away. He looked into her eyes with a quiet satisfaction, and then proudly said,

 

“I also have a spotted dog in Xi’an that I’ve been raising for you. Its name is Spare Ribs. Now, we’ve got both sweet and sour spare ribs to keep us company.”

 

Xiaoci looked at Gu Nan, who was still wet and proudly boasting, his eyes shining with excitement. She believed that they would definitely make it to the end, all because of their shared bond over sweet and sour spare ribs. She was certain, because she saw herself in his eyes, and it was only her.

 

Oh, don’t misunderstand. Just to clarify, Gu Nan was sleeping on the floor, so nothing inappropriate happened. The next morning, Gu Nan caught a cold, and after arranging everything for the cat, he fell into a deep sleep.

 

Meanwhile, Xiaoci secretly took a few selfies with him while he was asleep. Gu Nan never liked selfies, so he always took pictures of her instead.

 

Xiaoci posted the pictures with Gu Nan on her social media.

 

[Sweet and Sour Cat, Spare Ribs with a Dog — With you, I have both you and my favorite things.]