System Update
875 Words
Cheng Jian woke up at 3:17 AM.
There was no thunder outside, only the soft hum of the air conditioner. Lu Wan’s arm still lay across her waist, her breath warm and steady against Cheng Jian’s neck. Carefully, Cheng Jian slid out from under her arm and got up, walking quietly to the desk.
The computer screen lit up in the darkness, casting a pale blue glow on her face. She opened the code editor and began typing quickly, her fingers dancing over the keyboard.
「Error: Connection failed.」
The red error message blinked on the screen. Cheng Jian frowned and double-checked the network settings.
"Try again."
「Error: Connection failed.」
A rustling sound came from behind. Cheng Jian turned to see Lu Wan rubbing her eyes in the bedroom doorway, hugging her pillow.
"Can't sleep again?" Lu Wan's voice was drowsy, soft like cotton.
Cheng Jian closed the laptop. "Hmm."
Lu Wan walked over and naturally took her hand. "Come here. I have an idea."
Cheng Jian let herself be led back to bed. Lu Wan reached for a small bottle on the nightstand, poured two drops of essential oil into her palm, and rubbed them together gently.
"Lavender," she whispered. "It helps you sleep."
Warm fingertips pressed lightly against Cheng Jian’s temples, moving in slow circles. Cheng Jian closed her eyes and breathed in the faint herbal scent.
"Do you do this often?" Cheng Jian asked.
"Yeah," Lu Wan’s voice was close. "My mom used to do it for me when I was little."
Cheng Jian didn’t respond. She remembered being sixteen, pulling three all-nighters to finish a program, and falling asleep at the keyboard. No one had noticed.
Lu Wan’s fingers were warm.
---
The next day was Saturday. When Cheng Jian woke up, she was alone in bed. The clatter of pans came from the kitchen, along with Lu Wan’s off-key humming.
She walked to the kitchen doorway and saw Lu Wan wearing an apron, frying eggs with her hair messily tied back, a smudge of flour on her forehead.
"Morning!" Lu Wan grinned without turning around. "I made pancakes!"
On the table sat a plate of irregularly shaped pancakes, alongside sliced fruit and maple syrup. As Cheng Jian sat down, Lu Wan immediately pushed a steaming mug of milk toward her.
"A bit of honey," Lu Wan winked. "Good for your stomach."
Cheng Jian took a sip. Too sweet — but she didn’t say anything.
"What are your plans today?" Lu Wan asked, poking at the pancakes with her fork.
Cheng Jian glanced toward the study. "Work."
Lu Wan pouted. "It's the weekend."
"The project needs to go live."
"At least eat lunch first?" Lu Wan’s eyes lit up. "Let’s go to that new noodle place downstairs!"
Cheng Jian wanted to refuse, but Lu Wan had already jumped up to clear the dishes, humming as she dropped them into the sink. Sunlight caught the tips of her hair, outlining her in gold.
"Twelve o'clock okay?" Lu Wan asked, turning back.
Cheng Jian nodded.
---
The noodle shop was tiny, squeezed between two convenience stores. Lu Wan greeted the owner like an old friend and ordered two bowls of beef noodles.
"I found it last week," Lu Wan whispered. "The broth is super fresh."
The steaming noodles arrived, and Cheng Jian watched as Lu Wan expertly added vinegar and chili oil, her nose soon glistening with sweat.
"You don't eat spicy?" Lu Wan noticed Cheng Jian hadn’t touched the condiments.
Cheng Jian shook her head. "My stomach can't handle it."
Lu Wan paused mid-bite. "Oh… Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you here then..."
"It's fine." Cheng Jian took a sip of the soup. It really was delicious.
Suddenly, Lu Wan reached across the table and lightly brushed Cheng Jian’s wrist.
"You're too thin," she said.
Cheng Jian stiffened slightly, but didn’t pull away.
"My grandma says if your wrist is thinner than your thumb, you’re not eating properly." Lu Wan wrinkled her nose. "From now on, I’m going to make sure you eat well."
Cheng Jian almost said she’d survived like this for twenty-eight years — but looking at Lu Wan’s determined expression, she simply murmured, "Okay."
---
On their way home, Lu Wan stopped in front of a flower shop.
"Wait a second!" She ran inside and came out holding a small succulent plant. "For you."
Its thick, plump green leaves stood out against the white ceramic pot. Cheng Jian took it, her fingers briefly brushing Lu Wan’s.
"Put it next to your computer," Lu Wan said. "To block radiation."
Cheng Jian knew there was no scientific basis for that — but she still placed the succulent beside the monitor.
At ten o’clock that night, Cheng Jian was still debugging code when Lu Wan knocked and came in with a cup of warm milk.
"Don’t stay up too late," she said softly.
Cheng Jian looked at the skin forming on the surface of the milk and suddenly asked, "Why are you so good to me?"
Lu Wan tilted her head thoughtfully. "Because you deserve it."
Cheng Jian’s fingers hovered over the keyboard for a few seconds.
「Error: Connection failed.」
She hit Enter.
「Connection established.」
- Writer
