“How was it?”
After seeing that Mu Nanqiu had finished the food in her bowl, Su Yao finally asked if the dishes suited her taste. Although she’d sneaked a few glances now and then and always saw Mu Nanqiu eating quietly and normally, she still felt a little uncertain if she didn’t ask, so Su Yao chose this moment to speak.
Mu Nanqiu had just put down her chopsticks and bowl when she heard Su Yao’s voice.
She looked over. Su Yao was staring back at her with wide eyes, her face full of expectation. Mu Nanqiu smiled and said, “Yaoyao, your cooking is pretty good.”
“Oh, that’s great then.”
Su Yao grinned foolishly, while Mu Nanqiu quietly watched her bury her head in her food, picking up more from the dishes.
Suddenly, a question rose in Mu Nanqiu’s heart, and she asked, “Yaoyao, do you often cook and eat by yourself at home?”
“Not all that often? If I have time and I’m not too tired, then I’ll cook for myself and eat.”
“And when you don’t feel like cooking, you eat Instant Noodles?”
She’d looked around Su’s room before and seen a whole box of Instant Noodles stacked inside.
Neither of them had a particularly big appetite. Aside from the Fried Egg, there was enough of everything else for a second meal and still some Earnings left over. With just three bowls and two pairs of chopsticks, washing them didn’t take long, but Mu Nanqiu still insisted on cleaning up.
“Use these gloves, and that’s the Dish Soap.”
Su Yao directed from the side, watching Mu Nanqiu’s long, fair hands slip into the bright yellow Rubber Gloves and pick up the dishcloth at the sink. She still couldn’t quite believe it. Mu Nanqiu glanced back at Su Yao with a hint of grievance, saying, “Do you really see me as that kind of soft, helpless young lady with no ability to take care of herself?”
“Ah, no………”
Maybe she did subconsciously think that way, but how could Su admit it?
She turned away, pretending to look at the stove, hands in her pockets, rocking her body slightly, trying to play it cute and gloss over the question.
Mu Nanqiu didn’t give her any trouble for now. She finished washing the dishes first, then led Su Yao into the room she’d just rearranged. Most of the original things in the house had been stowed by Su Yao into the storage room, leaving the whole place quite empty. Even though Mu Nanqiu had brought a lot of her own things, it still felt impossible to fill the space, making it seem rather lifeless.
Now that there was someone else in the house, Su Yao felt a little melancholic. It was a strange feeling—nostalgia for the past, recalling those times she’d zone out at the end of the Corridor or crouch somewhere picking at tiny pearls alone, mixed with an anxious uncertainty about a future so full of unknowns.
“Yaoyao?”
Suddenly, a girl’s voice called out beside her ear. She flinched and came back to her senses, realizing that she and Mu Nanqiu were already sitting on the bed together. At that moment, Mu Nanqiu was staring at her curiously, making Su Yao shyly turn her head away, not daring to meet her gaze.
“It’s just the two of us here. Yaoyao, is there something you want to do?”
“Something to do?”
That line was full of ambiguity, making Su Yao’s breathing grow rapid. What exactly did Nanqiu mean? Was it what she was thinking? She wanted to, of course she wanted to, but she didn’t have the guts.
Finally summoning her courage, she turned to hug Mu Nanqiu—only to hear her say, “Yaoyao, it’s been ages since we played games together.”
Su Yao let go, feeling lost, awkward, flustered—her mind went blank. But soon Mu Nanqiu hugged her tightly from behind, moving so quickly and tightly that Su Yao was startled.
Mu Nanqiu grinned mischievously, leaning close to Su Yao’s ear and whispering to tease her, “What was Yaoyao thinking about?”
“Ah… nothing, games, right, let’s play games.”
“So, what game does Yaoyao want to play?”
“Um, that new Double Player Puzzle Game that just came out?”
At that moment, she felt her brain spinning at full speed, instantly remembering a new, well-reviewed Double Player Puzzle Game. This kind of game was perfect for two people to play together.
It’s not that Online Games weren’t an option, but Su Yao was pretty bad at them. Since she wasn’t good, if she suggested playing an Online Game, wouldn’t that just mean waiting to be carried?
So, Single-Player is best!
Well, mostly because she had no one to play with—so she rarely touched those high-competition games.
Mu Nanqiu watched Su Yao getting excited as she prepared, giving her the gentle, fond gaze reserved for silly girls. She could easily misunderstand when idle, but the moment she got worked up, her mind would become weirdly upright.
What an odd little cutie.
Mu Nanqiu had come well prepared this time. She’d brought everything she needed, even some things she probably didn’t need, packed deep in her suitcase, ready to pull out at any moment.
But it didn’t look like those would be necessary for now. Mu Nanqiu watched Su Yao take the Game Controller from her hands, her face lighting up with curiosity at the new toy, and Mu Nanqiu felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
“How do you use this?”
Su Yao had never used one before. She thought plugging the USB Port in would be enough, but apparently, there were some settings to adjust. Mu Nanqiu taught her hand-in-hand. Once they started, Su Yao played very seriously, holding her breath, her attention focused entirely on the screen.
She was clumsy at first, running all over the place and not sure where to go.
Luckily, Mu Nanqiu helped her out, expertly guiding Su Yao through the stages. Occasionally, she’d even make things difficult on purpose, setting up a few obstacles. Mu Nanqiu had already played through once, so clearing the game was no problem for her. If she played alone, she’d probably finish much faster, but waiting for Su Yao to slowly catch up took time.
But that was part of the fun—waiting for Su Yao ahead. When Su Yao just couldn’t beat a jumping level, Mu Nanqiu would grab her hand and teach her step by step how to make the jumps. Watching the little cutie’s eyebrows bounce up and down was an entertaining sight.
Seeing the time she’d wasted on the Scoreboard, Su Yao felt a little defeated, but still insisted in front of Mu Nanqiu, “It’s just that I’m not used to Handle Operation.”
“But it’s just a directional pad and two function buttons.”
Mu Nanqiu was teasing on purpose. Sure enough, Su Yao was riled up, turning away and deciding to ignore Mu Nanqiu for a few minutes—only to suddenly be tackled onto the bed.
Mu Nanqiu: “Angry?”
Su Yao: “…………”
“Don’t be mad, okay? Yaoyao played really well! It’s just your first time, so of course it’s like this, right?”
Su Yao struggled, but Mu Nanqiu’s strength was real—she couldn’t break free. All she could do was bury her face in the blanket and hide herself with her long hair.
She pouted with a spoiled complaint.
“I don’t like you~ Let me go!”