Another fresh morning arrived, with bright and warm sunlight evenly spilling over every corner of the city, casting its glow upon each hurried passerby.
Ji Qingchan had risen early to prepare breakfast.
Tied in a cute little apron with her hair in a high ponytail, she carefully arranged millet porridge, steamed buns, and side dishes on the table.
She even playfully wiped nonexistent sweat from her forehead before rubbing her slightly sore waist.
As she massaged her back, Ji Qingchan silently cursed Jiang Chi in her heart, wishing him eternal impotence and a lifetime of loneliness.
After her failed seduction attempt last night, Ji Qingchan had temporarily abandoned that plan, intending to get a good night’s sleep.
She had thought she would get her own room, but to her surprise, Jiang Chi emerged from the bedroom carrying a blanket and walked straight toward her.
Just as she began to think he was showing some gentlemanly courtesy by offering her his room—
That little bastard Jiang Chi shoved the blanket into her arms and told her to sleep on the sofa!
Damn him!
The mere memory made Ji Yuenian’s blood boil, her fists clenching so tightly she could barely contain the urge to pin Jiang Chi to the ground and “treat” him to a round of pepper spray, chili water, and a stun gun.
“Did you make this?”
A familiar male voice suddenly sounded beside her.
Hearing this, Ji Qingchan instantly brightened, flashing a sweet smile.
“Good morning, Senior Jiang!”
“I made breakfast-you should eat while it’s hot. Instant noodles every day aren’t good for your health.”
She then pushed Jiang Chi into a chair and handed him a bowl and chopsticks.
Jiang Chi blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting her to be so familiar, but after a brief pause, he accepted them.
The two began their meal.
“By the way, Senior Jiang, are you free today?”
Ji Qingchan asked between bites, looking up at him.
“Could you come shopping for clothes with me later?”
Jiang Chi fell silent for a moment.
Under the hopeful gaze of the apron-clad girl, he finally nodded.
“Alright.”
The morning sun was gentle and warm, the streets bustling with hurried pedestrians.
Coffee shops on the corners, food stalls along the roads people came and went in an endless stream.
Unlike Ji Yuenian, who would simply notify her family’s company for custom-made clothes whenever she wanted something new, Ji Qingchan’s persona as a “working orphan” demanded frugality.
She dragged Jiang Chi through various street stalls before finally stopping in front of a nearly deserted women’s boutique with a “Clearance Sale” sign plastered across its entrance.
Dresses, skirts, miniskirts, maxi skirts, princess gowns…
Sexy, cute, edgy, sporty, risqué…
Eclectic, hip-hop, vintage, bohemian, modernist, Victorian, gothic…
And that was just the skirts. Ji Yuenian’s eyes glazed over.
As the heiress of a fashion business, this was her first time realizing just how many types of clothing existed for girls.
Of course, these were all cheap knockoffs—the epitome of “down-to-earth.”
Ji Qingchan didn’t mind at all, leading Jiang Chi through the store, pausing now and then to pick up something eye-catching.
With the same sharp-tongued haggling skills she used during her livestreams, she began negotiating prices with the shopkeeper.
Gradually, a few red bills disappeared from Ji Qingchan’s wallet, while Jiang Chi’s hands became laden with numerous shopping bags.
It was unclear what the shop owner was thinking, handing the packed items directly to Jiang Chi after wrapping them.
If Ji Qingchan hadn’t paid swiftly, the owner probably would have asked Jiang Chi to settle the bill.
After leaving the clearance sale store, Ji Qingchan bit her straw, sipping the brown liquid mixed with black pearls as she chatted with the blue-eyed boy beside her, who remained expressionless:
“Senior Jiang, the clerk just asked if you were my boyfriend. Do we really look that compatible?”
“Senior Jiang, thank you for carrying all these things for me.”
“Senior Jiang, do you want some lemon water?”
* * *
Ji Qingchan chattered on, but Jiang Chi seemed to treasure his words, responding only with vague “Mm-hmms” while keeping his head down as he walked.
By 11:30 in the morning, after a round of shopping that left them both exhausted, the two sat down on a bench by the roadside to rest.
Ji Qingchan bought two cups of lemon water-one forcibly shoved into Jiang Chi’s hand, the other for herself.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on them, softening the scene.
Jiang Chi held the lemon water without taking a sip, letting the condensation drip onto the table as his gaze drifted into the distance.
“Senior Jiang, do you have a dream?”
Suddenly, Ji Qingchan’s voice, clear as a nightingale’s song, reached his ears.
Her tone was light and gentle, carrying a hint of nervousness and anticipation.
A dream?
Jiang Chi turned his head slightly, meeting a fair and delicate face with refined features.
Her obsidian-bright eyes sparkled with curiosity, her lips slightly pursed in eager expectation of his answer.
“Yes,” he replied flatly.
“What is it? Can you tell me?”
Delighted by his response, Ji Qingchan beamed like a little rabbit, her eyes curving into crescents, her smile so radiant it seemed to overflow.
Then, she quickly waved her hands.
“Wait, no-I should go first. Dreams are something girls should share before boys do.”
“My dream is to have a home-not just a house to live in, but a warm home.”
“Someone to cook with me, someone to watch TV with me, someone to bicker with—a home that belongs to just two, three, or four people.”
The more she spoke, the brighter the light in her eyes grew, her entire face glowing with excitement.
Her voice was sweet, as if she were describing the happiest thing in the world.
Perhaps infected by her emotions, Jiang Chi-who had always been as cold as an iceberg-paused after she finished, then softly revealed the secret he had long kept hidden.
“My dream is for my illness to be cured.”
“Senior Jiang is sick? What illness? Is it serious?”
Hearing his words, a flicker of panic flashed in Ji Qingchan’s eyes, her face filling with concern.
Unconsciously, she shifted a step closer to him.
For some reason, Jiang Chi didn’t show his usual resistance this time.
As he looked at the girl’s worried expression, a warmth flowed through his heart, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
“Obsessive cleanliness. Severe.”
“Severe obsessive-compulsive disorder?”
The boy’s answer left Ji Qingchan stunned for a moment before she finally understood, lightly covering her mouth.
“So when Senior Jiang said ‘afraid of getting dirty,’ this is what you meant… No wonder Senior Jiang can neither cook nor clean his room…”
Jiang Chi remained silent, merely lowering his head as a shadow of sorrow flashed through his eyes.
As expected… she couldn’t accept it.
A burden like him…
Just as Chen Mengrou had said, beneath Jiang Chi’s cold and aloof exterior lay a heart that was sensitive, fragile, and filled with self-doubt.
Because he lacked the ability to take responsibility, he resisted it.
“Senior Jiang, how about we play a game?”
Suddenly, the girl raised her eyes to look at him, her gaze as bright as the stars.
“A game about you and me.”
“What?”
The boy’s voice remained calm-perhaps overly guarded.
“Let me see your heart~”
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This guy is too relatable wtf
Obviously besides the genius stuff