Chapter 88

Because he had run too fast, Xi Junjie’s cheeks were slightly flushed. Normally he wouldn’t even break a sweat during his morning jogs, but now a few beads of sweat clung to his forehead.

Zhenzhen looked at Xi Junjie’s slightly nervous yet expectant expression and suddenly smiled as she let go of his hand. “Do I not seem like a girl?”

“No,” Xi Junjie replied as he picked up the bucket. The weight in his hand made him frown slightly, then he looked at her with a bit of helplessness. “But really, things like this—you can leave them to me in the future.”

Zhenzhen looked at him hesitantly, unsure if this counted as a confession. Xi Junjie’s actions in the past had clearly shown that he liked her, but whether it was due to shyness or some other concern, he’d never officially said it. The two of them had been stuck in that ambiguous phase—tentatively feeling out each other’s hearts, but never daring to take the next step.

A gentle breeze brushed past, carrying the faint scent of flowers from the garden. Zhenzhen suddenly lifted her head to look at Xi Junjie. “But how can I keep asking for your help when we’re not even official?”

Xi Junjie was stunned for a moment. Before he could react, he saw the beautiful and sweet girl before him blinking her big eyes at him, her tone both bold and firm: “Xi Junjie, I really like you. Will you be my boyfriend?”

Xi Junjie stared at Zhenzhen in surprise, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. So she liked him too? The tips of his ears quickly turned red. He put down the bucket and gently stroked Zhenzhen’s hair with a tender smile on his face. “That kind of thing… should’ve been said by me first.”

Zhenzhen smiled proudly. “Who says it matters who says it first? What matters is the result. So, are you saying yes or not?”

Suppressing the swirling thoughts in his mind, Xi Junjie quickly gathered himself, then slowly knelt on one knee and looked up at Zhenzhen. “The first time I saw you was on the first day of school. You walked into my sight in that red wool coat, and at that moment, I realized—I was born to meet you. I don’t know when I started liking you, but the day I noticed I was always unconsciously following your figure, I knew I had already fallen for you. But you’re so pretty, so sweet, so passionate about everything you do—I was afraid I wasn’t your type. I feared my love wouldn’t be as perfect as you’d imagined. But that won’t stop me from pursuing you. If you’re willing to give me a chance to be your boyfriend, I’ll do my best to love you the way you deserve.”

Listening to his confession, Zhenzhen, who hadn’t blushed earlier when asking him out, suddenly felt her face burning. She didn’t need to touch her cheeks to know they must be bright red. Blinking her sparkling eyes, Zhenzhen felt shy for the first time. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she teased, “No wonder you grew up in France. Your confession sounds more like a marriage proposal. You’ve got me feeling all shy now.”

Unbothered by her lighthearted teasing, Xi Junjie looked at her gently and asked seriously, “So, Miss Li Mingzhen, would you give me a chance—let me be your boyfriend?”

Zhenzhen covered her face, feeling like she could hear her heart pounding in her chest. “Okay. From now on, you’re mine!”

In that instant, Xi Junjie felt like he’d just heard the most beautiful sound in the world. He couldn’t help but look at Zhenzhen with a blissful smile on his face. Zhenzhen looked at him and couldn’t resist reaching out to touch his cheek, grinning with satisfaction. “You’re way too good-looking.”

The moment her skin touched his, Xi Junjie felt like the whole world had gone quiet. Everything around them seemed to fade into the distance—only Zhenzhen remained in his eyes and in his heart, and the sensation of her hand on his face lingered. He couldn’t help but close his eyes, quietly savoring the soft touch of her palm.

In this era, Zhenzhen’s actions were undeniably bold. But Xi Junjie, accustomed to the straightforwardness of Western society, didn’t have any old-fashioned or conservative thoughts about it. Instead, he liked the closeness between lovers. He covered the back of her hand with his own, and the softness of her skin sent a jolt through him.

Zhenzhen flipped her hand to hold his and used the motion to pull him up. “Alright then, now that we’ve cleared the air, how about helping me take these fish to the kitchen? If we’re much later, lunch is going to be delayed.”

“Okay.” Xi Junjie smiled and agreed. Seeing that Zhenzhen had no intention of letting go, he clasped her small hand in his and picked up the bucket with his other hand.

Though she talked about rushing to cook, the two of them still strolled leisurely, savoring their time alone. Knowing the girl he’d liked for so long was now his girlfriend, Xi Junjie kept stealing glances at Zhenzhen, afraid that all of this was just a dream.

Noticing him looking over at her from time to time, Zhenzhen lifted her head and smiled at him. “You like looking at me that much?”

“Yeah.” Xi Junjie’s ears were still red. “I really do.”

“I like looking at you too. You’re too handsome,” Zhenzhen said with a mischievous, cat-like grin. “I really got a good deal this time.”

“Zhenzhen…” It was the first time he called her by her nickname, but Xi Junjie didn’t feel awkward—on the contrary, it felt perfectly natural. He looked at her eyes curved into crescents from her smile, his own lips curling into a doting smile. “You’re always welcome to take advantage.”

They didn’t let go of each other’s hands until they arrived at the kitchen. Xi Junjie reached out to help tuck a stray strand of hair behind Zhenzhen’s ear and asked softly, “What are you planning to cook? Can I help?”

“Huh? You can cook?” Zhenzhen looked at him in surprise. In the Li household, her older brothers could hunt, fish, and chop firewood, and they could help light the stove—but asking them to actually cook was like asking them to embroider.

“Yeah, I often cook at home,” Xi Junjie said. Seeing no one around the kitchen, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I want you to try my cooking.”

His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, sending a tingling sensation spreading across her cheek in a soft blush. Looking at Zhenzhen’s fair skin tinged with red, Xi Junjie quickly looked away, afraid that if he stared any longer, he wouldn’t be able to resist kissing her cheek.

As the warmth near her ear faded, Zhenzhen couldn’t tell if she was relieved or disappointed. She unconsciously rubbed her ear and looked up at him—four eyes met, and their gazes entangled again. Just looking at each other like this brought them a sense of peace.

“Zhenzhen, what are you staring at? Come over and check on the duck.” Mingbei came out of the kitchen and shouted casually when he saw them standing nearby. He didn’t seem to notice anything unusual and went right back to turning the duck on the spit using a hook.

Zhenzhen and Xi Junjie exchanged a smile and walked quickly into the kitchen. Zhenzhen scanned the duck from inside out with her spiritual awareness and immediately shook her head. “Not ready yet—add some more firewood.”

“Got it!” Mingbei responded and threw in a dozen sticks of pearwood kindling Zhenzhen had prepared, then came over to take the bucket from Xi Junjie’s hand. “You caught that many fish again? What about the carp from yesterday?”

“Keep those alive for now,” Zhenzhen replied. Just as she was about to head into the kitchen, she suddenly stopped and slapped her forehead in frustration. “I forgot to bring back the shrimp traps in the water!” She tugged at Mingbei’s arm and flashed a sweet smile. “Be a good fourth brother and go get them for me?”

“You little rascal.” Ming Bei shook his head helplessly. He was just about to habitually reach out and ruffle Zhenzhen’s hair when a sharp gaze suddenly swept over. Instinctively, he pulled his hand back. Glancing around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Scratching the back of his head in confusion, he brushed the moment off and shouted toward the kitchen, “Second Brother, come kill the fish,” before hurrying off to the garden.

Although Ming Bei didn’t notice anything strange, Zhenzhen had clearly seen Xi Junjie’s actions. She made a face at him and mouthed three words: “Pet…ty…man…”

Even though it wasn’t the first time Zhenzhen had called him that, Xi Junjie’s heart still skipped a beat. Smiling warmly at her, he took the chance—since Ming Xi hadn’t come out yet—to quickly pat her hair.

“Fishing again?” Ming Xi came out of the kitchen hurriedly after washing the pigeons. “How do you want these cooked?”

Since they already had nourishing duck soup, Zhenzhen decided not to make pigeon soup. After washing her hands, she inspected the soaked pigeons—each weighing a little over half a jin. She pressed the meat over the breastbone—it was soft and tender, perfect for crispy-skinned fried squab.

After rinsing off the blood, Zhenzhen poured the marinade broth into the pot and set it over the stove. Ten blanched squabs were pressed down into the broth, bubbling gently as it simmered.

With several dishes cooking at once, all four gas burners in the kitchen were lit, and even the stove was in use. Luckily, the house had once been a prince’s residence, and the kitchen was large enough that even with so many people bustling around, it didn’t feel cramped at all.

Just as Ming Xi brought in the cleaned fish, Xie Yanan—who had just finished washing vegetables—was overwhelmed by the fishy smell and suddenly dry-heaved, covering her mouth as she ran out. Ming Xi quickly set the fish basin aside and rushed after her to pat her back.

Zhenzhen hurried out to check on her and, seeing that Xie Yanan was still nauseous and burping up acid, quickly said, “Second Brother, help Second Sister-in-law back to her room to rest. There’s not much left to do here. I can handle the rest.”

Ming Xi nodded and carefully helped Xie Yanan back to their room. When Zhenzhen returned to the kitchen, she saw Wang Xinwen chopping vegetables and said quickly, “Fourth Sister-in-law, you should rest too. If you stand too long, your back will start aching. When Fourth Brother brings in the shrimp, I’ll send him to keep you company.”

Wang Xinwen’s lower back was indeed starting to ache, so she didn’t insist on staying. Just as she walked out, supporting her waist, Ming Bei came back carrying a basket of shrimp. Zhenzhen said promptly, “You two go back and rest for a bit. I’ll call you when the food’s ready.”

With both the Ming Xi and Ming Bei households gone, only Zhenzhen and Xi Junjie were left in the large kitchen. Xi Junjie smiled at her and asked, “Which dishes do you need me to make?”

Zhenzhen glanced at the various ingredients on the counter, then looked back at him. “Just make whatever you’re good at.”

She had thought Xi Junjie could only handle simple dishes like salads, but to her surprise, he was equally skilled in Chinese and Western cuisine. He even looked quite professional as he worked the wok.

Turning off the burner, Xi Junjie quickly plated the oil-braised prawns and, not forgetting Zhenzhen, set a few aside in a small dish just for her. He handed it over. “I haven’t cooked in a while. Not sure how it turned out—taste it for me and give some feedback.”

Just from the color and aroma, she could tell the prawns would be delicious. Clearly, Xi Junjie was just using this as an excuse to let her try it first. Eagerly, Zhenzhen grabbed a pair of chopsticks, picked up a prawn, and popped it into her mouth. She sucked the savory-sweet juices clean off the shell, bit through the head, and pulled the tail gently. The shell slipped right off, leaving only tender, juicy shrimp meat in her mouth—it was heavenly.

“So good!” she exclaimed, already reaching for another prawn while giving him a thumbs-up. Her eyes were glistening with emotion. “How can your cooking be this good?”

While she was eating, Xi Junjie cut the freshly fried squab in half and plated them. Seeing that she’d already finished five prawns in just a few minutes, he placed a pair of squabs on her plate, using the same excuse: “Taste it for me.”

The squab was still hot. Zhenzhen picked one up with chopsticks and carefully pinched the wing with her fingers. She bit into the meat along the back—crispy skin, tender meat, and perfectly seasoned. Juices burst from the squab, and there wasn’t even a hint of dryness. She was soon covered in rich, oily goodness.

Each time Xi Junjie finished a dish, Zhenzhen was right there to try it. In forty minutes, they’d made twelve dishes—and she was nearly full. She wiped her mouth with a napkin while Xi Junjie added the final decorative touches, carefully placing fresh flowers he’d picked outside onto each dish. The presentation was lovely and pleasing to the eye.

With her belly round and full, Zhenzhen went to the main hall to set up the table and chairs. Ming Xi helped bring out the dishes, and Ming Bei went to call everyone to eat. The table was completely packed with food. Aside from the roast duck and chicken stew with mushrooms that Zhenzhen had made, all the other dishes were Xi Junjie’s handiwork. Zhenzhen glanced at him a little sheepishly. “You’re a guest, and we still made you cook. I really feel bad.”

“What’s there to feel bad about?” Xi Junjie looked at her gently, his tone full of fondness. “I’d be happy to cook for you for the rest of my life.”

Author’s Note: Zhenzhen’s boyfriend skills are off the charts (?ω?) hiahiahia.