My Family Is Very Odd

Actually, more than feeding Li Xiao Gui, Shen Chen wanted to reach into her blanket and rub her belly, maybe even roll a warm egg on it for her.

But after thinking about it, the composed Shen Chen held back. 'It's not the right time,' he thought, 'I can't just take advantage of the situation because she needs help eating.'

Shen Chen sighed inwardly, looking at Li Xiao Gui's profile. He recalled the cool, soft touch of her cheek when he had touched it earlier. His fingers, still holding the egg, twitched, longing to feel that softness again.

The contrast between her cool skin and his warm fingers in the summer heat was almost unbearable. To avoid crushing the egg, Shen Chen's fingers tightened until they almost cramped.

He thought he might have developed a 'need to touch Li Xiao Gui' syndrome. This symptom had become increasingly apparent after the college entrance exam, now that he had nothing holding him back.

Shen Chen quietly watched Li Xiao Gui pecking at the food in his hand, her cuteness softening his gaze. 'For now, feeding her is good enough,' he thought.

Li Xiao Gui was very well-behaved, taking small bites from Shen Chen's hand with a natural ease. When she got to the yolk, she closed her mouth and tilted her head back. Shen Chen, ever timely, handed her the warm water he had brought upstairs. The water had cooled down a bit, and the temperature was just right as Li Xiao Gui touched the rim of the cup with her lips and drank like a small animal.

Shen Chen, looking at her, suddenly said, "Next week, there will be a meteor shower at Phoenix Mountain. Want to go?"

"Meteor shower?" Li Xiao Gui's eyes lit up. If it weren't for the game she was playing, her bright eyes would have been glued to Shen Chen. "Yes, yes!" she exclaimed.

The corners of Shen Chen's mouth curved into a slight smile.

xxx

That night, Li Xiao Gui returned to her room and picked up her phone. She immediately received twenty messages from Chen Yuanyuan, half of which were her expressive emojis.

Yuanyuan: Are you okay?

Yuanyuan: Your brother said you weren't feeling well?

Yuanyuan: Your brother was so worried!

Yuanyuan: How are you now?

Yuanyuan: I heard you're okay?

Yuanyuan: Feeling better?

Yuanyuan: How are you feeling?

Yuanyuan: How are you feeling now?

Yuanyuan: Are you sleeping?

Yuanyuan: Text me back when you wake up?

"…"

Yuanyuan: Hello, are you still alive?

Yuanyuan: Sending hugs to our little ghost!

Li Xiao Gui couldn't help but laugh as she read the messages. She typed back: I'm fine. I'm alive and well!

Then, with a light tap of her finger, she sent two cute emojis.

As soon as Li Xiao Gui sent the message, Chen Yuanyuan's reply popped up instantly.

Yuanyuan: You're finally alive! Are you really okay?

Li Xiao Gui: Yes!

Li Xiao Gui thought about Shen Chen, who had accompanied her all afternoon. It wasn't the first time she had been fed. Her parents, brother, grandparents, and even Yuanyuan liked to feed her.

It wasn't even the first time Shen Chen had fed her.

But Li Xiao Gui started to think, 'Has he ever fed anyone else?'

She was startled by her own thought, feeling ashamed for thinking such a thing. But then she honestly admitted to herself, 'No, he hasn't fed anyone else.'

Thinking about her observations and tests over the past few days, Li Xiao Gui felt a little lightheaded. Whether it was due to childhood familiarity or something more, she found herself adapting quite well to his care.

Li Xiao Gui had always thought that if she ever liked someone, she would definitely share it with her parents. But thinking about Shen Chen, who was right outside her door, made her hesitate.

Whenever she thought of Shen Chen, her actions felt magnified, as if they were being broadcasted to the world.

Li Xiao Gui thought for a moment, staring blankly at her phone for a few seconds, before her eyes lit up. She quickly typed on her phone.

Li Xiao Gui: Yuanyuan.

Li Xiao Gui: I think I like Shen Chen.

After typing, her hand trembled with nervousness, and the phone fell onto the table.

Silence. There was no instant reply. Li Xiao Gui stared anxiously at the phone on the table, waiting. After more than ten seconds, the phone suddenly vibrated violently, the ringtone blaring.

Li Xiao Gui's light brown eyes widened. She picked up the phone in a hurry. To her surprise, Chen Yuanyuan didn't reply on WeChat but directly called her!

Caught off guard, Li Xiao Gui carefully put the phone to her ear. "Hello?" she whispered.

Chen Yuanyuan's voice on the other end of the phone was frighteningly excited. "Amazing, Xiao Gui! You finally realized!"

Li Xiao Gui panicked a little. "…Ah? Um."

Chen Yuanyuan: "Amazing, amazing! You finally realized that Shen Chen likes you? I was wondering when you'd figure it out! I've been waiting for this!"

Chen Yuanyuan was so excited, it was as if her favorite fictional couple had just confessed their love. After years of watching their slow-burn romance unfold, there was finally progress! Amazing!

Speaking of which…

Chen Yuanyuan asked curiously, "How did you know Shen Chen likes you? Did he confess? I didn't expect it to happen so soon! I thought he would wait for the meteor shower!"

Li Xiao Gui was a little dazed, even bewildered. "Yuanyuan?"

Chen Yuanyuan: "Huh? How did he confess?"

Li Xiao Gui hesitated before saying, "What I just said… was that I like Shen Chen."

Li Xiao Gui's small voice traveled through the phone, distorted, and reached Chen Yuanyuan's ears.

Chen Yuanyuan froze: "…"

"Um… you just said," Li Xiao Gui's soft voice continued from the phone, "that Shen Chen likes me? Meteor shower?"

Chen Yuanyuan felt like she was suffocating, as if a giant hand was squeezing her heart. She frantically exited the call interface and returned to the WeChat chatbox, her eyes fixed on the last message.

Xiao Gui: Yuanyuan.

Xiao Gui: I think I like Shen Chen.

'I think I like Shen Chen.'

Chen Yuanyuan's eyes widened. She looked up and thought for a moment before looking down at the message again.

'Xiao Gui: I think I like Shen Chen.'

Not 'Shen Chen seems to like me'.

Chen Yuanyuan: "…"

Chen Yuanyuan froze, her nostrils flaring as she gasped. What… what did she just say? She frantically replayed the conversation in her head, realizing with horror that she had spilled everything. She had revealed all the secrets, including the meteor shower plan!

'Did Shen Chen tell Xiao Gui about the meteor shower? Or was he waiting for the right moment?'

'Did Shen Chen plan to confess? Was he going to do it during the meteor shower?'

'Would he? Wouldn't he?'

'Whether he would or wouldn't, it didn't seem good! Shen Chen's entire plan might have been ruined by her!'

'Why did Xiao Gui have to be so oblivious all this time, only to suddenly become so aware?'

Chen Yuanyuan felt a wave of awkwardness and anxiety wash over her. She swallowed hard, thinking, 'At least try to salvage the meteor shower situation. Can't reveal anything more!'

Li Xiao Gui, however, sounded delighted, her eyelashes fluttering. "So, Shen Chen likes me? Did he tell you that?"

Chen Yuanyuan stammered, but inadvertently confirmed Li Xiao Gui's words.

Although Li Xiao Gui had her suspicions, nothing compared to actual confirmation. It was as if all her guesses and anxieties had found their mark.

Chen Yuanyuan said, "It's obvious! He's always treated you differently. You're just so slow, you never noticed."

Li Xiao Gui: "I noticed. After observing, I noticed."

Chen Yuanyuan snorted, noncommittal. "Why did you suddenly start paying attention to Shen Chen? I thought you'd never realize without someone pointing it out!"

Li Xiao Gui said honestly, "After I realized I liked him, I started noticing. I can't help but look at him, think about the things he said, every gesture he makes."

Chen Yuanyuan: "Are you confessing to me, about Shen Chen? Great, just say that to him when you confess! And make sure I'm there! I'll be your witness."

Li Xiao Gui grinned, laughing so hard that her stomach started to hurt again. She climbed into bed and lay down.

Chen Yuanyuan: "Speaking of which, I was really shocked. I thought I was blind. How did you realize you liked Shen Chen? You always exceed my expectations, in the worst way possible. Every time I thought you were about to figure it out, you wouldn't. And when I gave up hope, you suddenly did!"

Chen Yuanyuan continued, "Remember that time in high school when we were on the rooftop and saw that girl run out crying? It was obvious she had confessed to Shen Chen and got rejected. I thought you'd react after seeing someone confess to him, that you'd feel at least a little possessive. But you didn't!"

Li Xiao Gui tilted her head, recalling the incident. Chen Yuanyuan only needed to mention it, and the memory would resurface. It was the first time she had witnessed someone confessing to Shen Chen.

Chen Yuanyuan: "And another time, someone confessed to me, and I suddenly asked you if you had anyone you liked. Remember?"

Li Xiao Gui nodded.

Chen Yuanyuan: "That time was a little better. You actually thought about it seriously instead of immediately shaking your head. I thought you were finally becoming aware! But after thinking about it, you still said no! At that time, Xu Li was always hanging around you. I was so anxious for Shen Chen."

Li Xiao Gui asked curiously, "What does Xu Li have to do with this?"

Chen Yuanyuan: "That guy liked you! He even looked for you on graduation day, right? Did he say anything to you?"

Li Xiao Gui's eyes widened. "No! Impossible, he hates me!"

Chen Yuanyuan snorted. "That childish, chuunibyou scaredy-cat! He totally liked you! It was so obvious!"

Li Xiao Gui was a little embarrassed but still unconvinced: "…"

"I'm starting to doubt if you even have a nerve for romance!" Chen Yuanyuan knew Li Xiao Gui didn't believe her. She complained before dropping the subject. Li Xiao Gui had always been oblivious, never noticing the meaning behind people's actions. In a way, she was quite cruel in that aspect.

Li Xiao Gui protested, "Of course I do! I like Shen Chen, don't I?"

Chen Yuanyuan: "Amazing! The most amazing thing is that your incredible romance nerve finally activated, and it activated for Shen Chen! Otherwise, that guy would be doomed!"

Although she said that, based on her understanding of Shen Chen, Chen Yuanyuan knew he wouldn't end up like Xu Li.

Shen Chen was always calm and collected, with a plan. Unlike Xu Li, who was childish and thought that bullying was a way to show affection. He deserved to be single!

Thinking of Shen Chen, Chen Yuanyuan immediately thought of the meteor shower. She carefully considered the situation and decided it was time to end the call. They had talked for so long, and the meteor shower hadn't been mentioned again. She had successfully avoided the topic! Xiao Gui probably didn't notice or had forgotten about it. Once she hung up and turned off her phone, the matter would be completely over!

Just as Chen Yuanyuan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Li Xiao Gui suddenly said, "Wait, Yuanyuan, the meteor shower! Didn't you mention a meteor shower just now? Do you know about it too?"

'It's not over?' Chen Yuanyuan's heart skipped a beat. "Um… well… that…"

Li Xiao Gui: "Is it the Phoenix Mountain meteor shower that Shen Chen told me about?"

Chen Yuanyuan: "…"

Li Xiao Gui: "Do you think he'll confess that day?"

Chen Yuanyuan: "Cough." She coughed awkwardly. "I… I think it's a good idea. But I'm not sure, because he thinks you don't feel the same way…"

As Chen Yuanyuan spoke, she felt a sense of despair. It was as if both she and Shen Chen had been completely exposed by Li Xiao Gui.

Li Xiao Gui nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief, as if she were harboring a big secret. "Oh. I'm so excited."

At that moment, Shen Chen pushed the door open and walked in.

Chen Yuanyuan, hearing the smile in Li Xiao Gui's voice, wanted to cry. "D-don't get your hopes up too high."

She had a feeling that whether or not something happened that day, she was done for. If Shen Chen found out… Chen Yuanyuan shuddered. "Don't… Don't let Shen Chen know about this!"

Li Xiao Gui, her eyes fixed on Shen Chen as he approached, smiled and said, "Okay."

As she agreed, she finally hung up the phone.

Shen Chen walked closer and asked softly, "Excited about what?"

Li Xiao Gui looked up and beamed. "The meteor shower!"

Author's Note:

Shen Chen: fine :)

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