In the end, dinner was simply settled with a bowl of instant beef noodles each.
After finishing his meal, Jiang Chi still felt uneasy and reminded Ji Qingchan once more to remember the details he had just explained about the different areas of the room.
Then, he turned and went back to his bedroom.
“So hungry~”
“Not full at all~”
“Does Jiang Chi have such a small appetite?”
Ji Qingchan lay on the sofa, poking her fair and slightly rounded belly, which showed no signs of being full, completely ignoring the two plump “white rabbits” that slightly obstructed her view.
She pursed her lips in dissatisfaction and muttered under her breath, “That Jiang Chi is so irresponsible—can’t even cook a proper meal, truly the worst of the worst! No wonder he’s seventeen and still hasn’t had a single girlfriend.”
“I was hoping to freeload some good food here, but all I got was instant noodles. He could’ve at least ordered takeout. Doesn’t he know how to treat a girl right?”
“Ah well, guess I’ll have to do it myself. Might as well earn some goodwill.”
Having made up her mind, Ji Qingchan started moving.
She carefully selected some ingredients from the fridge, carried them into the kitchen, rolled up her sleeves, and began busily preparing a meal.
Before long, a rich aroma wafted from the kitchen, gradually filling the entire apartment.
Bedroom.
After editing and uploading another fan-made video, switching accounts to post it across various short-video platforms, and spending money to boost its visibility, Jiang Chi stretched lazily as he watched the view count of his latest creation skyrocket.
Suddenly, an enticing fragrance hit his nostrils, making them twitch involuntarily and his mouth water.
Following the delicious scent, he stepped out of his room and into the living room, where he bumped into Ji Qingchan, who was wearing a cute little apron and a playful ponytail.
At that moment, she looked like a little chef, carefully carrying a steaming bowl of tomato and egg noodles.
“Senior Jiang, perfect timing! I was just about to call you,” Ji Qingchan said sweetly, placing the bowl on the living room table before nudging Jiang Chi to sit down.
Then, she turned back to the kitchen and brought out an even larger bowl of tomato and egg noodles, setting it firmly in front of Jiang Chi.
“Come, try my cooking. I’ve heard boys who eat instant noodles every day won’t grow tall~”
“I—”
Gurgle~
Before he could finish, his stomach interrupted him. Jiang Chi fell silent for a moment, then picked up his chopsticks, muttered a thanks, and dug in.
Hmph! What a tsundere!
The aloof school heartthrob is just a hypocritical jerk!!
Yet, witnessing this scene, the corners of Ji Qingchan’s lips curled upward without her even realizing it. She sat across from Jiang Chi and began eating her noodles as well.
For a while, the spacious living room was filled only with the soft slurping sounds of the two eating, blending together like a warm, domestic symphony.
Suddenly, Ji Qingchan looked up, her eyelashes fluttering as she stared at Jiang Chi’s fair face, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Senior Jiang, is my cooking good?”
“It’s good,” Jiang Chi nodded.
“Which is better-instant noodles or my cooking?”
“Yours is better.”
“Do you want me to cook for you every day?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Eating the same thing every day gets boring.”
“……”
Damn it! What a perfectly reasonable excuse!
Ji Qingchan gritted her teeth in frustration.
She was starting to doubt whether Jiang Chi was even a man.
Couldn’t he understand a simple innuendo?
Couldn’t he recognize a junior’s romantic advances?
Who said it was easy for women to pursue men?
With Jiang Chi’s blockhead personality, she might have to keep trying until college!
According to Ji Yuenian’s original plan for the “Ji Qingchan” identity, she was supposed to win Jiang Chi over within one semester, play with his emotions, humiliate him in front of the whole school, and then erase all traces of the “villainous woman” Ji Qingchan.
But at this rate…
Ji Qingchan suspected that even if she ran naked toward him in the snow, Jiang Chi would probably just think she had a fever and needed cooling down, then quietly turn away.
Determined, Ji Qingchan played her trump card. She pushed her noodle bowl toward him.
“Senior Jiang, I’m full. Can you finish the rest for me?”
Jiang Chi looked up.
His gaze fell on the half-eaten bowl of tomato and egg noodles, and the heart-shaped fried egg with a small bite taken out of it.
Then he turned his eyes to Ji Qingchan, whose cheeks were flushed like ripe apples, exuding an irresistible charm.
* * * * * *
In the bathroom, water cascaded noisily, washing over every inch of skin.
Ji Qingchan stood under the showerhead, letting the hot water flow over her fair, delicate body—a sight that could easily stir the imagination.
But her thoughts drifted back to what had just happened.
After she had subtly expressed her feelings, Jiang Chi had remained expressionless.
Then, without a word, he picked up the noodle bowl, left the table, and retreated to his room.
This left Ji Qingchan utterly baffled and frustrated, even making her question Jiang Chi’s sexual orientation.
The hot water washed away her exhaustion and irritation.
As she dried herself with a towel, her reflection in the mirror caught her eye—her sparkling, dewy eyes and damp hair adding to her allure.
When her gaze landed on her ample, cherry-like curves, her cheeks flushed involuntarily.
“Not bad at all,” Ji Qingchan murmured to herself.
Though Ji Yuenian claimed to prefer mature women, deep down, he was a sucker for innocent, petite, and easily flustered girls.
Of course, despite his appreciation for beauty, he would never act inappropriately toward his own body.
She might be twisted, but not that twisted.
Suddenly, Ji Qingchan’s eyes sparkled with mischief as an idea struck her.
She quickly grabbed the showerhead and sprayed a few drops of water onto a certain garment hanging on the wall.
“Jiang Chi… Senior Jiang, could you bring me my underwear? The black lace one-it’s in my suitcase.”
“I-I-I… accidentally got mine wet.”
Ji Qingchan deliberately spoke in a flustered, urgent tone, as if genuinely panicked, with a hint of shyness mixed in.
In the living room, Jiang Chi, who had just come out of his bedroom after putting the dishes in the dishwasher, paused briefly at her request.
Then, in his usual calm voice, he replied, “Mm. Got it. Be right there.”
Receiving Jiang Chi’s reply, Ji Qingchan looked at her reflection in the mirror, a smug smile curling at the corners of her lips.
“One more try, and I refuse to believe any man isn’t lustful!”
Jiang Chi walked to the corner of the living room and crouched down to open Ji Qingchan’s suitcase.
It was packed full of personal feminine items, along with a stun gun, pepper spray, and a short iron rod.
At least she has some basic sense of caution, Jiang Chi thought to himself.
Ignoring the miscellaneous items, his gaze fell upon a black and pink piece of clothing.
He reached out and picked it up.
Just then, a vibration came from his pants pocket.
Jiang Chi pulled out his phone-it was a video call from his mother, who was currently attending a class reunion in another province.
“A-Chi, have you missed your mom? Have you been eating properly at home lately? Can you cook now that Auntie Chen is gone? Should I come back early—”
Chen Mengrou’s face appeared on the screen, her words brimming with maternal affection, but her speech suddenly cut off.
“Huh? A-Chi… what’s that in your hand…?”
At the same moment, a sweet and clear voice called out.
“Senior Jiang, are you done yet~~”