Last night, while Jiangg Ning was forcing a smile at a coffee shop, facing the blind date her uncle had set up for her.
In Lanjing, Jiangg Yao was forcefully tugging at Chen Yuan’s shirt, sticking her head inside and muttering, "These aren’t pink, either?"
"Are you crazy?"
She was giving Chen Yuan a headache. He had just finished his homework and was exhausted. The moment he lay down on his bed to rest for a bit, Jiangg Yao, who had been on her phone in the living room, must have heard him. She scurried over with light, quiet steps.
She peeked her head in from the doorway, and seeing that Chen Yuan hadn’t noticed her, she snuck right to his bedside and pounced like a hungry tiger.
Caught completely off guard, he was nearly knocked senseless.
Then, Jiangg Yao started wriggling around in his arms, messing up her hair. She claimed she wanted to "study his anatomy," saying she’d just seen a short video about the anatomical differences between men and women, and that some men—one in ten thousand—had pink nipples.
"Let me see yours."
"?"
’Jiangg, seriously, is this the kind of thing you can just ask to see?’
Chen Yuan, of course, was not willing. He pushed Jiangg Yao’s hands away.
But the more he resisted, the more excited she became, like an arrogant young master from a costume drama harassing an innocent maiden.
Chen Yuan was afraid of using too much force and accidentally throwing her off, so he didn’t dare to push hard. But Jiangg Yao took advantage of his gentleness and grew bolder. Before long, she had actually managed to stuff her head inside his shirt.
After a bout of playful struggling, both of them were panting.
A button on Jiangg Yao’s blouse had popped open, but she sat on the bed, panting, completely unaware.
A flash of pure white was revealed, wrapping around an astonishingly full curve. The fairness of her skin was bewitching. Chen Yuan only glanced for a second before he froze. A few moments later, his cheeks flushed crimson, and he hurriedly turned his head away.
"Your shirt..."
"What about it?"
Jiangg Yao paused, then followed the direction Chen Yuan was pointing and glanced down.
She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, covering herself up completely.
But when she noticed Chen Yuan’s blushing reaction, a sly look suddenly appeared in her eyes.
’Oho, look at this hopeless Chen. He blushes this much from just one look? Seriously!’
She instantly felt how irresistible her charm was. She scooted closer to Chen Yuan, tilted her face up, and said softly, "Don’t be shy. I’m your girlfriend. It’s okay if you see a little."
"That’s not... a good idea..."
Jiangg Yao slowly lowered her arms. She knelt with her legs apart in a V-shape, deliberately tensed her shoulders, and placed a finger on her lips, feigning a cute and innocent look. "Big sister is very... broad-minded. I won’t mind such trivial things."
Chen Yuan’s heart instantly accelerated. He turned his head back for a look.
And his mind went completely blank.
He was eighteen, after all. With just one simple move, Jiangg Yao had him completely wrapped around her finger.
「One minute later.」
Jiangg Yao was now wearing Chen Yuan’s hoodie, a preventative measure against her using any more "cheating" tactics.
Only then could they have a normal conversation without any incidents.
After going to the bathroom to wash his face, Chen Yuan felt as cool as a refrigerator when he came back.
...
"So, what’s for dinner?"
"Let me see what time it is... It’s already seven," Jiangg Yao said, hugging her knees. The oversized hoodie was pulled down over her legs, with only her two feet sticking out, creating a rather comical sight.
This was Chen Yuan’s punishment for her illegal use of a Charm Attack.
She glanced out the window. At some point, the wind had started to pick up. Even inside, she could hear it whining and sobbing, and the thick glass of the window was even vibrating slightly. It looked like a storm was brewing.
Usually, she was terrified of this kind of weather; it felt like the end of the world.
But today was different. She glanced at Chen Yuan and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of peace, with no trace of fear.
At that moment, Jiangg Yao had no idea that a downpour was imminent.
She clapped her hands with a SMACK. "I saw you have a bunch of ingredients in your fridge. How about I show you my culinary skills!"
"You know how to cook?"
"Of course! Let’s have stir-fried tomatoes and eggs with rice. Simple and easy. Just you wait!"
Jiangg Yao pulled up the hoodie, slipped on some slippers, and wore an expression of utmost confidence. She rarely cooked at home, but she had made stir-fried tomatoes and eggs with her sister once on a whim, which made her, of course, "vastly experienced." Now that she had the chance, she had to show Chen Yuan what she was made of.
As she left the bedroom, she passed by Chen Yuan, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a kiss on his cheek.
She gave him a wicked smile, a corner of her mouth curling up. "Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll make your belly big."
"..."
...
Jiangg Yao rolled up her sleeves and entered the kitchen full of drive. After tying on an apron, she really looked the part.
She washed the scallions and tomatoes, cracked four eggs into a bowl, and beat them with a whisk.
Then, with a CHOP, she sliced the round tomato in half... Wait, how was she supposed to cut it again?
Jiangg Yao bit her nails, recalling her sister’s fluid, graceful motions. ’Was it an irregular cut?’
’Forget it, that’s too difficult. I’ll just dice the tomato.’
Jiangg Yao gripped the kitchen knife with a solemn expression. With every slice, her confidence grew.
’Look at this! Look at these knife skills!’
’Finished dicing one tomato in just two minutes. In a restaurant, that would practically make me a veteran chef, right?’
Next, she deftly chopped the scallions. They weren’t uniform at all, but they were passable.
Just then, Chen Yuan walked over and leaned against the glass door.
Having prepared all the ingredients, Jiangg Yao turned and shot him a proud look, but Chen Yuan didn’t praise her.
Instead, after she finished chopping everything, Jiangg Yao came to a strange halt.
She was lost in thought.
A minute later, she posed a question to Chen Yuan. "Let me test you. Do you stir-fry the eggs first or the tomatoes?"
"The eggs."
"Ha, you got it right!"
Without batting an eye, Jiangg Yao gave Chen Yuan a thumbs-up and turned to get the beaten eggs, almost failing to keep a straight face.
"Next, time to light the stove," she muttered, taking a few steps back.
To Chen Yuan’s utter disbelief, Jiangg Yao took a deep breath as if gathering Chakra in her throat. Her hands flew through a series of rapid hand signs, and she yelled with gusto, "Katon—Fire Escape: Great Fireball!"
"What are you doing?" Chen Yuan laughed in exasperation. He could tell from the sound of her "hacking" at the tomato earlier that Jiangg Yao didn’t actually know how to cook.
’Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was dismembering a body in the kitchen...’
"Giving you a little anime-style shock and awe, hehe~"
Jiangg Yao pouted her moist lips, obediently took a few small steps forward, and twisted the knob. With a CLICK, she turned on the gas, and a cluster of fluorescent blue flames flickered to life.
"See? I know how to use the gas stove."
CLICK—
CLICK—
She turned it off and on again, repeatedly. "I turned it on!"
"I turned it off."
"I turned it on..."
She was proving that she really knew how.
"If you’re not going to cook, then get out and go to the living room," Chen Yuan said, his face expressionless.
"Heeheehee..."
Being scolded by a stone-faced Chen Yuan seemed to strike a nerve, and Jiangg Yao clutched her stomach, doubling over with laughter.
Suddenly!
RUMBLE—
A deep clap of thunder echoed from outside without any warning, making the two people in the kitchen jump.
Heavy rain had quietly arrived in Lanjing.
Pedestrians on the street hurried home as a fierce wind shook the tree branches. The dark clouds in the night sky brewed with thunder. Before long, cold raindrops began to fall, pattering relentlessly against the hard stone flowerbeds in the residential complex, making the verdant holly leaves tremble nonstop. In the darkness, the light from the streetlamps was faint. As the mist between the raindrops merged into a sheet, the soft glow of the lamps seemed even more lonely.