Chapter 70: The Love-Brain Female Lead Awakens 13

Life is rarely clearer than when you let yourself be a little muddleheaded.

For Sang Ruo, being able to sit quietly with Yi Chen’an and share a meal like this was already a kind of happiness. Why bother picking apart what was real and what wasn’t?

Smiling, she handed him a pair of chopsticks.

The man eagerly took a bite of the cold dressed shredded celtuce, then raised his thumb without the slightest hesitation. “This is talent. I’ve heard that even a master chef who’s deeply experienced in the kitchen can’t necessarily make a perfect cold dish every single time. This is no simple thing.”

Sang Ruo’s eyes curved into happy crescents. She picked up another slice of lotus root for him and said, “It’s not just cold dishes I’m good at.”

“Everything’s good.” The man picked it up and ate it straight away.

Yi Chen’an was very encouraging, and Sang Ruo was delighted. The two of them finished every dish on the table.

Just as expected, Yi Chen’an really didn’t care much for zongzi, but after asking Sang Ruo about it, he polished off all the cold noodles. He was extremely astonished that cold noodles could actually be made at home. The way he looked at her made Sang Ruo feel as if she’d built a rocket in the kitchen.

“How did you make the noodles turn such a golden color without getting sticky?” Yi Chen’an clicked his tongue in admiration.

“Maybe that’s the mystery and charm of cooking?” Sang Ruo said smugly.

Yi Chen’an agreed.

A satisfied tongue and a full stomach naturally put people in a good mood.

Probably because he was so pleased with the meal, Yi Chen’an talked much more than usual during dinner.

As for the post-meal kitchen cleanup, it naturally fell to the man who hadn’t contributed much while cooking. Yes, the habit of sharing housework had to be cultivated from the very beginning.

Curled up on the sofa, Sang Ruo scrolled through Moments¹ for a while. Her dad, Old Sang, had posted a new update. It was a picture of zongzi, with the caption: My daughter’s cooking. Below it was a string of likes, and most of the comments said things like Old Sang was really lucky to have such good food. Old Sang replied to them all in one go: The taste is only so-so. The kid was just having fun making them.

It looked modest enough, but Sang Ruo could already imagine the grin splitting his face and the restrained bragging hidden between the lines.

Clutching her phone, Sang Ruo rolled around on the sofa once and giggled, then opened her contacts and sent her dad a voice message: “Comrade Old Sang, it’s enough for our own family to know how outstanding Little Miss Sang is. We should keep a low profile!”

That photo had been taken an hour earlier. Her dad had messaged her on WeChat asking whether she’d eaten yet, and the zongzi had just finished steaming, so she’d casually snapped a picture and sent it over. In the end, Old Sang had prettied it up with editing and posted it to Moments. With that caption of his, everyone would definitely assume that plate of zongzi had been wrapped by Sang Ruo especially for him.

At the thought of that, Sang Ruo felt just a tiny bit guilty and sheepish. She sent another voice message: Don’t miss me too much. Summer break is only a month away. When the time comes, I’ll definitely fly back home.

Old Sang very reservedly sent back an “OK” hand gesture.

After setting down her phone, Sang Ruo went to the kitchen doorway to watch Yi Chen’an wash the dishes. He really was a qualified dishwasher. The counter and the floor were all tidied up in perfect order.

Yi Chen’an must have heard her laughing just now. As he squeezed hand soap onto his hands, he looked up and asked, “What’s got you so happy?”

Sang Ruo chattered away and told him all about Old Sang’s Moments post. Yi Chen’an dried his hands with a kitchen towel, walked over, and patted her on the head. “Your parents love you very much.”

Sang Ruo gave a little humph. “Of course they do. And I love them very much too.” Then, a beat later, she realized Yi Chen’an had just patted her on the head. By the time she reacted, he had already crouched down and was tidying the trash can by her feet.

She lowered her head to look. The cuffs of the man’s shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and because he was crouching, the fabric was pulled taut. From her angle, she could see the lines of muscle outlined along his arms and the breadth of his shoulders and back.

Lower still, a few droplets of water clung to his firm forearms. His long fingers swiftly tied up that night’s garbage and lined the bin with a fresh bag.

He was ridiculously handsome!!!

He suddenly stood up, nearly bumping into Sang Ruo’s chin.

“Ah!” Sang Ruo took a step back.

“Did I hit you?” The man set down the garbage bag and stepped closer as he asked.

Sang Ruo leaned back. “N-no…” Looking at the tall man before her, a blush slowly crept across her cheeks. Her eyes darted everywhere. “I… I… am going to get some water. Do you want any?”

“No,” he said, lifting the garbage bag again. “I’m going downstairs to throw out the trash.”

“I’m going too!”

“I’m taking out the trash. What are you going for?”

Sang Ruo ran to the door to change her shoes, snatched the keys from the shoe cabinet on the way, and said, “For a walk. A walk after meals helps you live to ninety-nine.”

The man, meanwhile, was completely unhurried, looking at her with a smile. “I thought you were going to drink water.”

…She forgot… It had just been an excuse to begin with.

But she couldn’t exactly say that it was an excuse, so she put on an enlightened expression. “Oh, right…” She started to take off her shoes again to go back for a drink.

The man pointed at the floor beneath her feet. “Stay right there. I’ll bring it to you.”

So Sang Ruo watched him pour a glass of water and bring it back. Only after taking it into her hand did she realize she really was a little thirsty. She drained the whole glass in one go.

“Want more?”

“No.” Sang Ruo shook the keys in her hand, urging him to hurry up.

Yi Chen’an put the cup away, then went to tidy the trash can in the living room. Perhaps because he felt the girl was being too impatient, he became even slower and more deliberate.

Watching him, Sang Ruo nearly had the urge to rush inside and finish everything in a few swift moves.

Yi Chen’an strolled out at a leisurely pace, shaking his head with a sigh. “You really can’t keep your composure.”

The weather was lovely, and there were even stars. In the city, that was something rare.

Summer had already begun, and crickets chirped one after another from the shrubs in the residential compound’s greenbelt. Last night while she was trying to sleep, she thought she’d even heard a nightingale singing.

Yi Chen’an took a phone call. From the sound of it, it was about work. Sang Ruo happily trailed behind him, not even walking properly as she played by stepping on the shadows beneath the streetlights. Every now and then, the man would look back at her, as if checking to make sure she was still following.

They had only spent a few days together, yet she had already started to feel the illusion that they were an old married couple. She was no longer like she had been at the beginning, when silence made her feel awkward. Now, she was quite used to it.

Of course, that was only an illusion. She knew perfectly well that, at present, the two of them still fell under the category of “taking care of a friend’s daughter while away from home.” Even though, given the way they got along now, that description felt a little strange.

Come on, Xiao Sang. You have to do your best. Win this man over as soon as possible and stuff him into your pocket!

“What are you doing?” The man walking ahead had somehow already ended his call and was turning back to look at her.

“Uh…” She let go of the fist she had clenched against her chest to cheer herself on. Awkward. That pose was pretty cringey.

Then she’d just pretend it never happened and start a new topic instead. “The weather’s so nice, and it’s rare for us to be home. Wouldn’t staying indoors all day be a waste of such a lovely time? Let’s go hiking tomorrow.”

“You sure?” The man raised a brow.

With Yi Chen’an staring at her, she suddenly felt the terror of being dominated by a five-kilometer morning run all over again. Still, she stubbornly argued, “This is different from morning running. If you really can’t keep going, you can stop and rest. Besides, there are some little scenic spots along the way. If your attention’s distracted, you won’t feel as tired.” Yi Chen’an simply watched as she chattered on. “Let’s climb Liyun Mountain. It’s not far from here. We can take a cab to the foot of the mountain, set out early, go up to watch the sunrise, and after that, I know a place up there that makes especially delicious vegetarian noodles.”

Watching the sunrise was definitely not going to happen. After the start of summer, sunrise was usually around five to five-thirty. By the time Sang Ruo struggled out of bed the next morning, it was already almost six. Still, for a hike, that wasn’t too late. Mm, today was still going to be a wonderful day.

The vegetarian noodles on the mountain were still worth looking forward to.

Yi Chen’an hadn’t even called to wake her, so he must have overslept too. Later, if he asked, she’d just argue that they got a late start because she was waiting for him!

But once she stepped out of the bedroom, Sang Ruo gave up on that plan to shift the blame.

Yi Chen’an had changed into sportswear and was working at the dining table. This was very awkward…

The man glanced at his watch. “Earlier than expected. Go wash up.”

Sang Ruo fled in disarray. She even seemed to hear the restrained sound of the man’s laughter behind her.

What an annoying man. Why couldn’t he follow the script she had in mind? He was way too hard to bully.

After fixing her mood and makeup, she went back out. Yi Chen’an had already shut his laptop and was sitting on the sofa waiting. There was also a black backpack beside him.

“Should we bring some water or something?” she asked cautiously, because the burden-bearing task definitely wasn’t going to fall to her.

The man patted the bag next to him. “Already packed it. Water, fruit, wet wipes, and sun hats too.”

Reliable!

Beaming, Sang Ruo stuffed a tube of sunscreen into the bag. Then she took the lead and strode outside. “Let us set off into the morning sun.”

At the foot of the mountain, quite a few people had gathered to climb. Most of them were silver-haired old men and brightly dressed aunties, plus a few middle-aged men. There weren’t many young people.

Even so, Sang Ruo charged ahead in one burst and soon left the aunties’ ringing mountain songs behind.

As she walked, she explained to the man who followed calmly at her side, “When it comes to hiking, no matter how good your stamina is, you should always stay at the front. The people behind you will push you to keep climbing. But if you trail at the back, you’ll only get slower and slower, and lose more and more motivation.”

She really had the air of, “I have experience, so you need to listen to me.”

The man gave an occasional response now and then to show he was listening. As for how much he had actually taken in, that was anyone’s guess.

At that moment, Sang Ruo was still full of energy. Breathing in the high-quality mountain air mixed with the fragrance of soil and plants, she felt very talkative. Even if Yi Chen’an didn’t answer, she could still chat away on and off by herself.

She continued sharing her hiking wisdom. “You’re right not to talk. Staying quiet helps keep your breathing steady. I saw some science article before that said talking is actually a pretty oxygen-consuming activity when you’re climbing.”

The man beside her turned and looked at her steadily. His expression was easy enough to read: If you know that, why are you still talking nonstop?

“Hahaha, I got up early, so I’m full of energy and in a great mood. When I’m happy, I want to talk. Is that a problem?”

It wasn’t a problem.

Walking behind her, Yi Chen’an lifted his chin, signaling for her to keep going.

However, sometimes people really shouldn’t be too happy. That’s how joy turns to sorrow.

Sang Ruo regretted not fully applying the strategic principle of “sustainable development” from her political theory class to this hiking trip. As she kept stopping to rest, the vigorous uncles and aunties passed her and Yi Chen’an one after another, and some even seemed to cast disdainful looks their way, as if expressing the older generation’s disappointment in the nation’s new generation of youth.

Sigh, little Sang sighed.

She had accidentally dragged down the successors of socialism².

Yi Chen’an sat down beside her as well and said, “Mm, your theoretical knowledge about hiking is all correct.”

Looking at his profile, it was easy to spot the upturned corner of his mouth.

Sang Ruo said, “Are you laughing at me?”

Translator’s Notes