NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59
Chapter 59 Just Like Playing House When They Were Kids
After returning home, the first thing Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi did was to clamor for a bath.
“I’m all sweaty, I’ll go first!”
Xia Yuan poked her head out of the bathroom again and said, “You Xi, since we’re spending the night together, why don’t we bathe together?”
“Eh? Well…”
Lin You Xi, feeling a bit embarrassed, tugged at her hair. “Ah Fang’s bathroom is a bit small, wouldn’t it be too crowded?”
“No big deal, come on!”
In the end, Xia Yuan dragged Lin You Xi into the bathroom.
Lin You Xi quickly ran to the bedroom to get clothes, then met Mei Fang in the hallway and gave him a fist gesture.
“If you dare peek, you know what will happen, right?”
“Is there anything to see?”
Mei Fang looked disdainful.
I am a gentleman.
While the two were in the bathroom washing up, Mei Fang took out the discs and tried them out.
All of them could play, but the only downside was that The Crisis of Shenghua 2 and The Calamity of the Mad Snake 2 both had Chinese dubs.
The Chinese dubs of this era were mostly pirated recordings. Due to technical issues, whenever characters spoke, the background sounds and sound effects would be lowered, making it uncomfortable to watch. It was better to watch them in their original language.
However, as long as Lonely Ridge was in its original audio, it would be enough to fully immerse them.
After adjusting the DVD player, Mei Fang took out the snacks Xia Yuan had collected and cut up the watermelon soaked in the refrigerator, arranging them neatly. He brought over the cola and added ice cubes to chill it.
Though Mei Fang’s living room didn’t have an air conditioner, it wasn’t too hot as it was past four o’clock, and the large fan provided a refreshing breeze.
Outside, the vendors were already calling out their snacks, while laughter from the girls could be heard from the bathroom.
Girls really take their time bathing.
Yawning, Mei Fang ate the watermelon, leaning back on the sofa, ready to rest a bit more when the girls emerged from the bathroom one by one.
“Oh, Ah Fang, you stink! Don’t dirty the sofa! Get up, get up!”
Xia Yuan’s hair, still wet and curly after the shower, smelled of shampoo even from afar.
Mei Fang was urged to get up and take a shower by Xia Yuan.
He took only five minutes to finish his shower. By then, Xia Yuan had just finished drying her hair and was now blow-drying Lin You Xi’s hair. She sat behind Lin You Xi, carefully brushing and combing her hair with motherly affection in her eyes.
“You finished so quickly?”
“In summer, it’s like this.”
“Mmm… Whatever.”
After finishing with Lin You Xi’s hair, Xia Yuan called Mei Fang over, “Let me dry your hair.”
Mei Fang patted his newly buzzed hair, “There’s not much on my head, it’ll dry soon.”
“Wet hair can cause headaches, listen to me!”
Forced to sit in Lin You Xi’s spot, Mei Fang let Xia Yuan use a low-power hair dryer on him. He couldn’t help but reflect:
“It’s just like playing house when we were kids…”
“Hmm…”
Xia Yuan didn’t respond, focusing solely on drying Mei Fang’s hair.
At this moment, Lin You Xi started fiddling with Mei Fang’s DVD player, carefully wiping The Calamity of the Mad Snake 2 disc before inserting it.
“Are we going to start? We’re running out of daylight.”
“Just a moment, just a moment!”
Xia Yuan pressed down on Mei Fang’s head, instructing Lin You Xi to pull the curtains.
“Turn off the lights and start watching, it’ll create a better atmosphere!”
“…”
Lin You Xi hesitated for a moment but complied.
The Calamity of the Mad Snake 2 was a disaster thriller, not a horror film. These Hollywood movies generally followed a similar formula: to change the current dire situation or advance science, the team must venture into ancient forests to find treasures. The members would be introduced briefly, Xiao Mei, Xiao Shuai, Da Zhuang, and there would always be a hidden mission, leading to the team’s crisis, usually caused by the antagonist Lao Liu.
The plot began with everyone exploring happily, then things turned eerie. Da Zhuang would suddenly be swallowed by a giant python, and the group would start escaping, facing more dangers, uncovering Lao Liu’s secrets. In the end, Lao Liu would be killed by the python because of his greed, but Xiao Shuai would also sacrifice himself. Xiao Mei would barely survive without getting the treasure, but at least the giant python would be defeated. However, just when everyone thought it was over, the python would open its eyes or release its offspring from its cave, setting up the next installment.
Since it was their first time watching a movie together, Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan were quite engaged. Each time the giant python appeared, they would scream and hug each other tightly. Only Mei Fang sat aside, silently eating chips and paying attention to the plot.
These are all movies I’ve seen; it’s not interesting at all…
The highlights of the movie were the special effects in the latter half. But just as it should have been the scariest part, vendors outside kept interrupting with their loud, rhythmic calls, announcing their presence through amplifiers.
“Tofu pudding, little steamed buns, flower rolls, rice cakes, pickled eggs, sesame seed buns, black fungus soup, white fungus soup, lotus seed porridge, eight-treasure porridge, glutinous rice dumplings, soy milk, milk.”
“Tofu pudding, little steamed buns, flower rolls, rice cakes, pickled eggs, sesame seed buns, black fungus soup, white fungus soup, lotus seed porridge, eight-treasure porridge, glutinous rice dumplings, soy milk, milk.”
The vendor’s loudspeaker penetrated the street, the neighborhood, and even reached Mei Fang’s house. Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi watched the gruesome scene calmly but eventually lost their patience.
“How noisy outside! Why does it keep stopping here!”
“This happens every day at this time…”
Mei Fang helplessly paused the movie. “Shall we watch later?”
“Sure…”
Xia Yuan rubbed her growling stomach, looking at the few snacks left on the coffee table. “Ah Fang, let’s buy some snacks from the vendor! I want pickled eggs.”
“Then I’ll go. You Xi, what do you want?”
“I’ll go too,” Lin You Xi said. “The pancakes from this snack vendor are the best, but they’re not mentioned in the call.”
“Both of you are going? Then I’ll go too… But let’s not buy too much. We still need to eat dinner. I promised Aunt Mei to supervise Ah Fang’s meal.”
The three went to the snack vendor near the entrance of the neighborhood, buying pickled eggs, tofu pudding, and the pancakes recommended by Lin You Xi. They finished the pancakes on the way back to the elevator.
After watching The Calamity of the Mad Snake 2, the three started preparing dinner.
There were vegetables stored by Mom in the fridge, so they didn’t need to buy any. Mei Fang washed the rice, Xia Yuan washed the vegetables, and Lin You Xi chopped them and handled the cooking, despite being only 12 years old, they acted like mature young adults handling tasks independently.
As they cooked, they chatted about the details of the movie they had just watched and discussed what they would watch next.
“The way Ah Fang was sleepy earlier, but this time, the movie I chose won’t be like that.”
Xia Yuan looked confident, holding her waist with one hand. “I’ve been following this movie for a long time. It’s scarier than the zombie game we played in the arcade! Ah Fang, you might be scared like you were as a kid, peeing your pants, hahaha!”
(End of Chapter 59)