It was already late, and Chen Yin was sent back to the guesthouse by Meng Xinian, as he had to take the early train back to Capital City tomorrow. After all, with the New Year approaching, staying at the guesthouse would save his grandparents the trouble of waking up early to prepare breakfast for him.
And his grandparents had also not rested well last night, and they were somewhat worn out today, having already gone to their room to rest.
Chu Liang, perceiving Meng Xinian’s gaze, wisely decided to go to sleep as well, so in the living room, with only one lamp left on, only he and Chiang Xiao remained.
"With you having to go up and down , it’s really inconvenient; what if you fall?"
Chiang Xiao continued to plead with him, helplessly.
But once Meng Xinian had his mind set on something, he was determined to see it through.
He truly used his left foot and right hand to leverage himself against the handrail, hopping on one leg to make it upstairs step by step.
"Put the wheelchair down, turn off the lights downstairs, and come up to give me a tour of my room." And yours.
Meng Xinian called from above.
Chiang Xiao was, frankly, speechless, but she had no choice but to turn off the living room lights and quickly go upstairs.
Because before, the upstairs was just her boudoir; Chu Liang and the others hadn’t been up there.
Ascending the stairs was a corridor with quite a large space, so Chiang Xiao did not waste that space when she had Xu Lin make furniture. She had set up a lazy zone in this area, building a solid wooden platform, covering it with a blanket, and adding a low table with several throw pillows she’d made herself on the side.
Whenever she had nothing to do or when there were too many people downstairs, she could completely cuddle up in this spot with a book and enjoy some tea.
Alternatively, she could tinker with some crafts there.
After setting up this lazy zone, Chiang Xiao quite liked it herself.
And now, Meng Xinian also quite liked it.
"If it’s too cold downstairs in the future, you can make tea for me here," he told Chiang Xiao.
Chiang Xiao might have come over to support him, but Meng Xinian’s act of draping one arm around her shoulders, shifting half his weight onto her, still made her look down on him.
"Why can’t it be you making tea for me?"
"I don’t know how, but if you’re willing to drink, I’ll make it – every day, year-round, for a lifetime if need be."
Within the warm glow of the light, Meng Xinian’s voice was magnetically intoxicating.
Flushed, Chiang Xiao quickly changed the subject. "This one is your room; the bed hasn’t been made yet, but there’s nothing inside. You can add whatever you like later."
"You must have prepared some things for me, Little," he pushed. "Now make the bed for me."
Ever since she had taken out his overcoat, Meng Xinian was convinced that she had surely bought many other things for him throughout the year. Now she was just too shy to bring them out.
Make the bed for him...
Chiang Xiao, with a dark expression on her face, reluctantly took out a brand-new quilt from the wardrobe and carefully laid it out for him.
Then Meng Xinian sat on the bed, examining his room.
The style was very minimalist, but it looked new and clean.
All the furniture was made of solid wood in its natural color: a wooden bed, a wardrobe that reached the ceiling, a simple table, and a square stool. Indeed, there wasn’t much else, but the attention to detail was evident.
For instance, on the wall next to the table, there were three shelves with a small potted spider plant with gold-rimmed leaves, and a wooden picture frame. Inside the frame was a painting, clearly Chiang Xiao’s work, depicting a deep autumn scene with ginkgo leaves. The golden leaves brought a splash of color to the room.
"Little, paint a self-portrait for yourself," Meng Xinian suddenly said. "Then we’ll buy another picture frame to put on the table."