When Xiao Xun woke up again, it was already afternoon.
The bright red sunlight filtered through the thin curtains and fell on his face, bringing an indescribable sense of desolation and loneliness.
If it weren't for the pain in his left arm and his stomach protesting with hunger, he could have lingered in bed until sunset.
He finally managed to struggle out of his covers, boiled a kettle of water, and prepared a bowl of instant noodles.
Without checking the time, he felt it was about ready and lifted the lid.
Although he had stooped to eating instant noodles, he hadn't added any of the "science and ruthlessness" that came with it. He only added a little vinegar and soy sauce, which served as his "breakfast."
Xiao Xun washed his own clothes once a week, but his cousin's clothes were washed almost every day, with strict adherence to washing light colors with light colors and dark colors with dark colors, and washing underwear separately.
It was usually Xiao Xun, as the younger cousin, who washed underwear, sheer stockings, and intimate items like bras and panties.
However, the items washed most frequently were white shirts and black skirts, as these were his cousin's daily work attire.
His cousin had been a trainee at the company for only three months before being promoted, and after a year, she became the assistant to the financial director in her second year.
The director was an "old woman," appearing to be a "virgin" type, always serious and never dressing up. She was extremely demanding of her subordinates, overseeing almost everything visible, especially insisting on absolute adherence to work attire standards – not just clean and neat, but even requiring specific heel heights for high heels and brands for black stockings.
This person was like someone with a phobia of dirt; she would even stand in front of subordinates to smell their body odor.
Faced with such a demanding supervisor, the employees could only grumble in private, daring not to speak out. This was because the supervisor was genuinely capable; although she nitpicked, following her truly allowed one to learn useful things and avoid many detours in their future careers.
Those she trained were highly sought after by other companies, with some even being headhunted to become financial directors at other firms.
It was for this reason that his cousin chose to "endure humiliation for the sake of a great cause" and "serve" this supervisor, treating her as if she were her own mother.
This was because his cousin also wanted to establish herself in this city through her own efforts, carving out a niche for herself.
Xiao Xun carried a full basin of clothes to the washing machine, picked up a clean white shirt, and examined it from front to back, "This isn't even dirty!"
But Xiao Xun still threw the clothes in, then picked up a pair of stockings, sniffed them, "They don't smell either! Has my sense of smell gone bad? Why do they have to be washed every day? I'm not going to wash them today."
As if in defiance, he took the clothes out of the washing machine again and hung them directly on the drying rack.
As for tidying the room, there wasn't much to do, just simple sweeping and wiping the table.
After all, it was a rented apartment, and neither of them had added any major furniture. The bed, tables, chairs, sofa, and refrigerator were all provided by the landlord when they rented the place.
Many communities here offered rental apartments, and without these facilities, it was difficult to rent them out.
After laboriously mopping the floor, it was gradually getting dark.
Playing a game with one hand was too boring, so Xiao Xun lay on the sofa and watched dramas. It was past nine o'clock in the evening, and his cousin still hadn't returned.
Xiao Xun wondered if he should order takeout.
But looking at his balance, he suppressed the idea, as his family only gave him money once a month, and it was even less than his living expenses when he was in school.
It was barely enough for food, but he had to pay for his phone bill!
So, he stayed up all night every day, which made him feel less hungry. He would basically wake up in the evening, his cousin would buy some food, cook some, leave some, and he could last another meal the next day.
Logically, even with this, he should have had some money left, but he couldn't resist buying peripherals and lottery draws for games.
Even so, he was unwilling to go out and find a job, and he ignored all the urging from his family and the sarcastic remarks from his cousin every day.
For reasons unknown, his current situation had come about. In any case, he disliked going out, even interacting with people.
Finally, close to ten-thirty, the lock clicked, and his cousin finally returned.
The first thing she did upon entering was look towards the balcony to see if the clothes had been washed. Seeing the clothes hanging, she nodded with satisfaction.
Then, she began to scan for her cousin's whereabouts, "Xiao Xun, where are you? Have you eaten?"
Seeing that his cousin was carrying a briefcase, he knew she hadn't bought any groceries.
"You specifically asked me to cook, so I was waiting for you to buy groceries. I wouldn't dare eat by myself."
Hearing Xiao Xun's words, his cousin patted her forehead, "Oh! I was too busy today, I forgot. Anyway, I'm too lazy to go out, let's order takeout!"
Saying that, she took off her high heels, put on slippers, and went into her room.
An hour later, she put on the familiar camisole pajamas again, tossed the clothes she had changed out of into the basin by the bathroom door, then returned to the living room and looked at her cousin lying on the sofa.
"What do you want to eat? My treat."
Looking at his cousin's demeanor, Xiao Xun guessed that she probably hadn't been scolded today, so she was in a particularly good mood.
If she wasn't scolded for a day, it was considered praise.
Employees in other departments of the company joked that one-third of the finance department's salaries were for being scolded.
To avoid his cousin nagging him again, Xiao Xun ordered a cheap rice bowl.
His cousin nodded contentedly, saying nothing, as if afraid that if she asked another question, he would go back on his word.
After ordering takeout, his cousin went back to her room to organize documents. Before closing the door, she said to Xiao Xun, who was sprawled on the sofa, "Remember to call me when the food arrives."
Xiao Xun placed his index fingers on his temples and then waved forward, "Yes, ma'am!"
His cousin shook her head helplessly and closed the door.
Over an hour later, the doorbell rang.
Xiao Xun pushed his feet down, and the soft sofa bounced him up. He quickly walked to the door, opened it, and took the takeout with one hand.
Turning back, he kicked the door shut with his foot, placed the takeout on the coffee table, and the entire sequence was executed smoothly and flawlessly.
He walked over and opened his cousin's door, "Sis, the takeout is here."
Perhaps exhausted from work, Liu Shijia leaned back in her computer chair, her eyes closed tightly, and the left shoulder strap had inadvertently slipped down halfway.
Xiao Xun covered his mouth, afraid of making a sound, and carefully backed out of the room, gently closing the door.
He then looked at the takeout on the coffee table, and his stomach protested with a grumble.
Picking up the takeout, he returned to his room. The images in his mind lingered, constantly replaying before his eyes.
He opened the takeout and lightly slapped himself, "Xiao Xun, what are you thinking? That's your sister."
After a fierce internal battle, reason ultimately lost to temptation.