"Are you done packing? Time to eat."
Jiangg Yao came to the bedroom, leaned against the doorframe, and urged him in a quiet voice.
After folding the last few pairs of pants and placing them by the bed, Chen Yuan straightened up, turned his head, and said, "Okay."
Jiangg Yao immediately grabbed his arm with glee, like a little kid, and dragged him to the coffee table to show off the results of her work.
"Ta-da!"
A dazzling array of ingredients covered the coffee table, making for a magnificent feast. She spread her hands, her eyes twinkling, her expression seeming to say, ’Praise me! Go on, praise me a lot!’
"Looks pretty good."
"Of course! I picked out my favorite hot pot place, you know." She pouted, feigning cuteness, but there was one more thing she left unsaid in her heart.
’My favorite hot pot, paired with my favorite person.’
’This just makes me feel even happier.’
The two sat down. Jiangg Yao eagerly picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of tripe, and began swishing it in the hot pot. With just a few deft movements of her fingers, she pulled it out, now coated in glistening red chili oil and exuding a fragrant aroma.
She didn’t start eating right away, though.
Instead, she picked up her small dish of prepared dipping sauce, dipped the tripe lightly, and moved closer to Chen Yuan.
"Young Master, please enjoy your meal."
At this very moment, the power dynamic in the household was crystal clear.
A smile slowly crept onto Chen Yuan’s lips. Looking at Jiangg Yao, he thought this kind of treatment was really something else.
If anyone else saw this—the dream girl of so many male students, Teacher Jiangg, being so gentle and considerate toward him—they would probably grind their back teeth to dust in jealousy.
He swallowed the tripe and nodded vigorously.
"Delicious."
It was an overcast day. Outside the window, the sky was gloomy, and a cold north wind swept fallen leaves along the street. Inside, however, the living room was filled with warmth, bathed in the soft light from the ceiling.
The scene was more than just cozy.
Jiangg Yao stuck close to Chen Yuan, actively feeding him so much that he barely had to move his own chopsticks.
’Damn, anyone who didn’t know better would think she was taking care of a disabled person!’
"That’s enough, I can get it myself." Chen Yuan was starting to feel a little embarrassed. He picked up his dipping dish and used his chopsticks to cook a slice of snow-white lotus root in the pot.
Just as he was about to pop it into his mouth, he suddenly noticed something.
Jiangg Yao was staring at him with wide, expectant eyes.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blinked, and said in a soft, aggrieved voice, "Don’t you think you should return the favor after being fed?"
She parted her moist lips, opened her mouth wide, and pointed.
"Let me eat yours... the one on your chopsticks."
"Uh, I’ll cook another one. I’ve already taken a bite out of this one," Chen Yuan mumbled.
"No, I want this one!"
"But it has my saliva on it."
"It’s fine, I don’t mind," Jiangg Yao said, her cheeks slightly flushed. She was indignant on the inside. ’You’ve already kissed my sister! Your first kiss is gone, and I’m not even holding that against you, so what’s the big deal about an indirect kiss?’
’We’re not kids anymore.’
Chen Yuan stared at the crisp lotus root on his chopsticks, his brow furrowed slightly.
’This...’
’Is this appropriate?’
"Are you going to feed me or not? If you don’t, I’m going to get mad!" Jiangg Yao’s expression cooled instantly, the lively and cute side from moments ago gone. In that split second, her aura became strikingly similar to Jiangg Ning’s.
It was reminiscent of a teacher in a classroom, arms crossed, looking displeased by noisy students.
Chen Yuan was taken aback by her expression. He thought that Jiangg was indeed quite scary. This contrast wasn’t just an ordinary mood swing; sometimes, he even felt like Jiangg was two different people. How else could she change so completely?
Of course, that was impossible.
He swallowed, having been afraid of teachers since he was a child.
He had no choice but to agree, murmuring, "I was just worried you’d find it gross."
"Hurry up and feed me, or your teacher will give you homework as punishment!" Jiangg Yao crossed her arms, a gesture that accentuated her ample chest. She looked like she was about to slam the table.
"Okay, okay, I’ll feed you! Just don’t bring that school attitude home."
"Ahh~"
Chen Yuan extended the chopsticks. She took a big bite—*chomp*—and chewed the food very deliberately, her mouth moving slightly.
In reality, she couldn’t taste any saliva at all.
But after being fed, Jiangg Yao was clearly happy again. The coldness on her cheeks instantly melted into tenderness. She pursed her lips and gave a shy smile.
"Delicious. It feels like you filled my mouth..."
"Hey! Don’t say things like that."
"I didn’t say anything," she said, leaning in even closer, her sparkling eyes fixed on Chen Yuan. "Why is your face so red? Are you hot?"
"I’m not hot."
Jiangg Yao studied Chen Yuan’s completely flustered state and laughed mischievously to herself.
’Looks like I’ve found my little boyfriend’s weak spot.’
’It really is his first time in a relationship. So young, and so easily flustered by a single sentence.’
’So pitiful, and so cute.’
Jiangg Yao’s mischievous mood didn’t fade. As they continued eating, an even more dangerous idea popped into her head.
A moment later, Jiangg Yao picked up her phone and stood up.
CLICK. CLICK. CLICK.
She snapped a few photos.
Then, she opened her chat with Jiangg Ning. She scrolled through the photos she had just taken, her fingers trembling and her eyes glinting with a wild light!
[HotPot.JPG]
[Sis, the hot pot is sooooo good.]
[Aren’t you jealous?]
After hitting send, Jiangg Yao felt the exhilarating thrill of someone who was courting death. She knew perfectly well that the consequences would be severe if Jiangg Ning found out, yet she still showed off covertly, her heart full of malice.
The photos didn’t reveal any information about Chen Yuan.
Of course, Jiangg Ning would have no idea that her wretched little sister was in the same room with their mutual ex-boyfriend, brazenly flirting with him.
Playing with fire was so thrilling.
Jiangg Yao felt like she had completely won. That feeling of secretly gaining the upper hand... it was simply the best!
’Sister, you wouldn’t even let me wear the ring once, huh?’
’Sister, the person you’ve kissed? I can kiss him whenever I want... I can even pin him to the ground and kiss him.’
’Sister, isn’t that just infuriating?’
A smile hung on her face. Beside her, a somewhat puzzled Chen Yuan asked, "Who are you chatting with? You look so happy."
"No one important. Let’s keep eating."
"Okay, but I have a question. Can you stop stepping on me with your foot?"
Chen Yuan pulled back a little. At some point, Jiangg Yao had taken off her shoes, and her small, soft, smooth feet were rubbing against his leg.
It wasn’t that he found them dirty.
Her feet didn’t smell at all. Her toenails were rounded and neatly trimmed; they almost looked like little popsicles.
It was just a little distracting while he was trying to focus on eating.
"You don’t like it...? I’m just rubbing a little, not doing anything else."
Chen Yuan silently picked up another piece of tripe and said nothing more.
Eating together, the atmosphere between them was both intimate and warm. If a couple has a private space where they can spend a lot of time alone, it’s almost like getting a preview of domestic life.
This kind of domestic atmosphere is potent; in a daze, it could give one the illusion of already being married.
Coming "home" after a long, busy day.
Eating together, cuddling together, talking nonsense together.
Such an experience is unforgettable. It fills one’s heart with boundless tenderness, especially for someone like Jiangg Yao, who hadn’t experienced much of a family atmosphere.
She would turn her head from time to time to gaze at Chen Yuan.
At this very moment, love was swelling uncontrollably in her heart.
’If only it could be like this for the rest of our lives...’
...
"Oh, right, I was just looking for the remote. I want to watch TV!" Jiangg Yao said suddenly.
"Sure. I think the remote is in the drawer."
Chen Yuan opened the drawer and found the black remote lying inside.
Full of excitement, Jiangg Yao immediately snatched it and started fiddling with the TV.
When she was little, she wasn’t allowed to watch TV during meals, let alone talk. Not only did she have to use honorifics when addressing her mother at the table, but she also couldn’t leave early after finishing. She had to wait obediently for her parents to finish eating.
She’d even get scolded for being a picky eater!
Back then, she felt that even the most delicious dishes tasted like wax.
As a result, she now felt that watching TV while eating was a special kind of happiness.
Chen Yuan didn’t understand why Jiangg Yao was so happy. He watched as she browsed through one movie after another, finally and unexpectedly settling on a childish cartoon.
"Ratatouille"
"I want to watch this one!" she exclaimed excitedly.
Once it started playing, Jiangg Yao held her dipping dish and stared at the TV with intense focus, unable to hide the joy on her face.
Chen Yuan thought Jiangg Yao was unbelievable. She didn’t seem twenty-six at all.
He ate in silence, not paying much attention to the cartoon. Instead, his gaze was locked on Jiangg Yao.
Jiangg Yao must have been completely engrossed, because other than the sounds from the TV, the living room fell silent.
Until a scene flashed on the screen where the ghost of the fat chef asks the little mouse, "Do you want to be a cook?" The little mouse hesitates for a moment before nodding, and to his surprise, Jiangg Yao couldn’t help but nod emphatically as well.
She raised her hand. "I do!"
Chen Yuan stared, dumbfounded. He was stunned by such an adorable side of Jiangg Yao.