“Huh?”
Huang Qingchuan froze instantly.
She never expected that just stopping by her best friend’s place for a short rest would result in being grabbed by a young girl calling her “Mom” the moment she stepped inside.
And why did that tone sound so much like her most troublesome second son??
This is bad! This is terrible!
Alarm bells rang loudly in Ji Qingchan’s mind!
Right now, she wasn’t Ji Yuenian but “Ji Qingchan” – whose backstory included being orphaned with no car or house.
If her true identity was exposed here, she might as well die from embarrassment.
No! Absolutely not! She had to come up with an excuse quickly!!
Just as Ji Qingchan’s little brain was spinning rapidly to fabricate a reason, a breathless female voice came from outside the door, followed by a beautiful woman dragging a suitcase and wearing identical sunglasses, rushing in energetically.
“Little Huang, wait for me! Don’t walk so fast.”
Chen Mengrou placed the suitcase in the living room and caught her breath, waiting for her heaving chest to calm down.
Then she noticed Ji Qingchan in the living room, her eyes lighting up as she immediately approached.
“You’re already calling her ‘Mom’? Little Chanchan, I heard it from far away. Seems like you and A’Chi have made rapid progress this month. But I really should thank you for taking care of my A’Chi this past month – he’s been kept fair and plump, hasn’t lost any weight at all.”
As she spoke, her delicate hands pinched Ji Qingchan’s cheeks twice.
“Chen… Mom, it’s what I should do.”
Ji Qingchan quickly seized the opportunity to play along, putting on a shy expression while thinking to herself: No wonder people say mother-in-law relationships are important – turns out it’s true.
At that moment, Jiang Chi walked out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of rice, noticing the three in the living room with slight surprise.
“Mom, Aunt Huang, you’re back so soon?”
“Of course, to give you a surprise,” Chen Mengrou said with a beaming smile.
She pushed her best friend to sit down while muttering “Let me show you my future daughter-in-law’s cooking skills,” taking the rice bowls to place on the table while instructing Jiang Chi to fetch two more sets of chopsticks.
Thus, the two beautiful women who had just gotten off the plane had dinner with the “couple” who had been cohabiting for just a month.
During the meal, Chen Mengrou praised Ji Qingchan’s cooking skills profusely, saying how lucky her A’Chi was to have such fortune across lifetimes, while criticizing Jiang Chi: “How could you let a girl sleep alone on the sofa?”, “Why are you so inconsiderate?”, “What a blockhead,” and so on.
However delicious the food was, a meal prepared for two couldn’t satisfy four people, so the still-hungry group ordered takeout after dinner.
Soon, the delivery arrived.
At the table, Ji Yuenian took a bite of a grilled skewer, clearly sensing three different gazes simultaneously falling upon her.
One carried faint suspicion and scrutiny, one brimmed with strong approval and satisfaction, and the last held a trace of melancholy and… reluctance?
Huang Qingchuan: So similar, really, too similar! Even the little eating mannerisms are identical!
Could I really have a “god-daughter” I’ve never met before?
Chen Mengrou: My future daughter-in-law is amazing! Presentable in public, skilled in the kitchen, and she pursued the guy first – what incredible fortune A’Chi must have accumulated over eight lifetimes!
Jiang Chi: If Mom comes back, does that mean she has to leave…
Damn it!
Stop staring at me, all of you! There’s nothing on my face!
Keep looking and I swear I’ll turn into the “Desk-Clearing Master” like that viral guy!!
Ji Yuenian thought angrily, taking a fierce bite of grilled meat.
Beside her, Jiang Chi, under Chen Mengrou’s meaningful gaze, handed her a skewer of grilled broccoli.
Ji Qingchan glanced at it, her brows furrowing slightly as she declined with a smile, pushing it back toward him.
“Senior Jiang, I don’t like broccoli.”
Jiang Chi nodded and was about to set the broccoli aside, but a sharp glare from Chen Mengrou seemed to make him realize something.
He stood up, went to the kitchen, and returned with a bowl of warm water.
After rinsing the broccoli and removing it from the skewer, he ate it with his own bowl of millet porridge.
Meanwhile, Huang Qingchuan watched the two engage in this bizarre “couple’s interaction” orchestrated by her best friend.
* * *
Her confusion deepened as she observed the broccoli in Jiang Chi’s bowl, now rinsed clean of red oil and restored to its original green hue.
At dawn, just as the sky began to lighten, Jiang Chi was awakened by a strange noise.
Following the sound, he walked out of his bedroom and saw Ji Qingchan—already awake and bustling around the living room-packing her luggage.
Hearing the movement, Ji Qingchan looked up.
Their eyes met mid-air, and she froze for a second, surprised to see Jiang Chi up so early.
Then, she waved cheerfully.
“Good morning, Senior Jiang.”
Jiang Chi pressed his lips together, his gaze lingering on the suitcase on the floor before his brows knitted slightly.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes, it’s time to go back to my place.”
“Not staying a few more days?”
Ji Yuenian rolled her eyes internally.
You should be grateful I played along with this “fake couple” act for a whole month.
Did you really expect me to keep it up forever?
No way. I’m Ji Yuenian, not “Ji Qingchan.”
Besides, my mom’s back now. If I don’t return home soon, what if she starts questioning me?
And it’s been a month-the hype’s died down. It’s time for me to go back to school.
“No. The labor ruling came through, and my boss had to compensate me quite a bit. It’s time to head back.”
“Besides, it’s not good to overstay my welcome. No matter how luxurious someone else’s home is, it’s never as comfortable as my own little nest.”
“After all, this is your home, Senior Jiang, not mine.”
As she spoke, she zipped up her suitcase and slung her backpack over her shoulder.
Suddenly, she stepped closer to Jiang Chi, rising slightly on her tiptoes to gaze into his deep, starry eyes.
Her breath was warm, her tone teasing.
“Senior Jiang… are you reluctant to see me go?”
“Hehehe~ Looks like I hit the mark.”
Seeing the tips of his ears flush red, Ji Qingchan couldn’t help but giggle.
“If you really don’t want me to leave, then you should act on it.”
She leaned in even closer, her bold teasing intensifying.
“It’s not very gentlemanly to always let the girl take the lead, you know~ I’d love to see you step up, Senior Jiang. Show me some of that boyfriend energy -come chase me properly~~”
“For example…”
A slender, jade-like finger lightly tapped Jiang Chi’s left chest.
Ji Qingchan smiled brilliantly.
“Give me a home.”
Since it was early morning, Jiang Chi wasn’t wearing his mask-meaning the blush spreading across his face was completely visible to Ji Qingchan.
Hahaha! He’s blushing!
Sure enough, he’s such an innocent little guy!
Wait… does this count as indirectly completing the mission of teaching Jiang Chi how to pick up girls?
Well… in this case, I am the girl.
“Goodbye.”
“Bye~”
With Jiang Chi’s help, the suitcase was effortlessly carried downstairs by the young man.
When they reached the neighborhood gate, Ji Qingchan waved goodbye before slowly walking away, pulling her luggage behind her.
Just as the girl was about to disappear from sight, Jiang Chi suddenly called out to her.
“Ji Qingchan.”
Hearing his voice, Ji Qingchan stopped and turned around, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Jiang Chi took a deep breath, as if steeling himself, and finally mustered up the courage.
“I don’t know if I like you right now, but if one day you were to disappear from my world, I would be really sad.”
Under the gaze of the young man’s deep blue, resolute eyes, Ji Qingchan waved with a gentle smile and responded loudly, “Senior Jiang, I know. I’ll stay by your side… until forever.”