“Why did you buy so many?”
Watching Song Qiuyu return to the rental apartment with a big bag of Red Apples, Jiang Xiao blinked in confusion.
“Because Christmas Eve is coming! I also bought some Paper to make Boxes!” Song Qiuyu replied with a beaming smile.
Hearing this, Jiang Xiao glanced at the sheets of Paper she took out, frowned, and tilted his head, “Are there a lot of people you need to give gifts to?”
“Mhm!”
Song Qiuyu nodded.
“Let’s not worry about the apples for now—Christmas Eve is still eight days away.”
Jiang Xiao tugged at her sleeve, unabashed about acting spoiled, all because someone once said—A man who acts spoiled toward his girlfriend will have good fortune!
That someone could only be Shen Xi.
“I’m hungry!” His voice was full of energy.
Song Qiuyu glanced sidelong at the big guy next to her, so self-assured while acting spoiled, and a trace of disdain flashed across her eyes.
Ugh, just who taught Haki Xiao to talk like this?
“Someone said this morning they’d take responsibility and take care of me, and now, barely half a day later, they’re already complaining.”
Jiang Xiao sat beside her, deliberately heaving a sigh.
“Looks like you really are hungry, getting all passive-aggressive. Fine, fine, I’ll cook you some Noodles!” With that, Song Qiuyu got up from the sofa and headed toward the Kitchen.
After a short while busying herself, the person who had been resting followed her into the Kitchen, staring at the two Bowls she had prepared, frowning.
“I can’t hold Chopsticks with my Left Hand.” “Yeah, I know.”
Song Qiuyu pursed her lips.
That meant she’d have to eat her own Noodles and also feed Jiang Xiao at the same time.
“But if the Noodles are split into two Bowls, you’ll be really busy by yourself. And it’s winter, the Noodles will get cold quickly.” Jiang Xiao looked at her seriously.
There was some selfishness, but he was mostly considering the practical situation.
Song Qiuyu furrowed her brows, clearly troubled.
“Why not just eat straight from the Iron Wok!”
Jiang Xiao said, “I mean, leave the Noodles in the wok, carry the wok to the table, and just use one small Bowl and one pair of Chopsticks.”
Upon hearing this, Song Qiuyu’s eyes lit up at once.
Just one pair of Chopsticks, huh.
“Uh, are you disliking me right now?” Jiang Xiao looked at her and said.
“Yeah.”
Song Qiuyu nodded.
“You actually admit it?”
Jiang Xiao squinted his eyes.
“Mhm, because I’m honest.”
After speaking, Song Qiuyu glanced sideways at the obviously a little hurt person beside her, thinking, even if she needed to make amends, it wouldn’t be to such an extent.
No matter the past, present, or future, she’d never planned to use the same pair of Chopsticks as anyone else.
Well, although strictly speaking, the two of them had already kissed.
Not exactly innocent.
“So what now? If you go hungry or eat cold Noodles just to take care of me, my conscience will be tortured.”
Jiang Xiao pressed his Left Hand over his heart, looking even more wounded.
Seeing this, Song Qiuyu pursed her lips in distress.
When she saw the Noodles in the wok were already cooked, she didn’t hesitate any longer and made up her mind.
“If you don’t mind sharing Chopsticks with me, then fine.”
“We’ll only know if I mind after I try.”
Jiang Xiao smiled and at once put both big Bowls away in the cupboard, took out a small Bowl, then washed the Bowl and Chopsticks, carrying them to the Living Room.
“But the Iron Wok is heavy, need help?” “Are you looking down on me?”
“Yeah.”
Song Qiuyu fell silent, picked up the Cheng Peng, and carefully wrapped it around the handle of the Iron Wok.
She tried with all her might to lift it, but after a long struggle, the Iron Wok barely budged.
Brother, you really don’t give me any face at all…
Jiang Xiao made it look so easy when he picked it up.
Tsk.
Well, she was used to calling Jiang Xiao for help with heavy things before, but now she’d overestimated her own strength!
Help! She wanted to act tough, but ended up embarrassing herself.
“Jiang Xiao~”
Song Qiuyu could be flexible; she simply turned to the Living Room.
“Come help me, I can’t lift it!”
Jiang Xiao seemed to have expected this.
Almost the moment she finished speaking, he happily walked into the Kitchen.
Seeing Song Qiuyu pout, her expression complicated and eyes eager for him to help, but also a little annoyed about it, Jiang Xiao couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
“I can only use my Left Hand. You’d better use both hands, or it’ll be hard to keep it balanced.” He strode over and directly wrapped his large palm tightly over her two small hands at the bottom of the wok.
After all, carrying the wok took both skill and strength; a slight slip and someone could get burned.
He didn’t want anyone to get scalded, so he held on as tightly as he could.
“Mhm.”
Her hands tightly wrapped in his, Song Qiuyu pressed her lips together and held her breath.
She’d long noticed, but…Jiang Xiao’s hands really were huge.
And so warm.
And strong.
With perfect coordination, the Noodles were brought to the table.
Song Qiuyu plopped herself into the seat beside Jiang Xiao, picked up the small Bowl, and fished some Noodles from the wok.
Then she picked up a few strands from the Bowl, brought them to Jiang Xiao’s lips, “Here, open up. Remember to blow on them first.”
“You eat first.”
Jiang Xiao stared at the steaming Noodles on the Chopsticks, then spoke.
Song Qiuyu was taken aback.
“I need to try first, to see if I mind or not.”
Jiang Xiao looked completely serious.
Seeing him like that, Song Qiuyu suddenly got a bit nervous.
They’d already kissed, so how could Jiang Xiao possibly mind sharing Chopsticks with her?
From the start, she’d had a bad feeling about this.
She could only hope this patient would behave.
“Fine.”
She took a shallow breath, pushed down her unease, lowered her head, stretched her neck, and brought her lips to the Noodles on the Chopsticks.
Jiang Xiao lowered his eyes.
Maybe because of his gaze, Song Qiuyu felt shy, her cheeks flushing, expression awkward as she parted her lips, a glimpse of her pink tongue showing between her teeth.
“Huff…huff…”
She pursed her lips and blew on the Noodles a few times, then lowered her gaze and ate the steaming Noodles.
Her cheeks moved up and down, just like a hamster eating.
“Is it good?”
Jiang Xiao’s gaze darkened slightly, asking softly.
“Of course! How could…mm…Noodles not be good when I made them!”
After swallowing the Noodles, Song Qiuyu puffed out her chest.
As if eager to prove herself, she quickly fished more Noodles from the wok into the Bowl, then used the Chopsticks to pick them up and brought them to Jiang Xiao’s lips.
Jiang Xiao’s lips moved slightly. Deliberately not blowing on them, he opened his mouth to eat the Noodles.
At that instant, Song Qiuyu froze, hastily withdrawing her Chopsticks; the hot steam brushed lightly past Jiang Xiao’s lips but didn’t burn him.
“Forget it, I’ll do it myself.”
Song Qiuyu gave up—Haki Xiao just wanted to eat the Noodles she’d blown on! Really…so infuriating!
They were just roommates, good buddies, classmates, but the way he acted, he definitely saw her as a girlfriend—already a little over the line.
But then again, looking at his arm in the Plaster Cast, recalling how he’d rushed without hesitation to save her, she couldn’t help but waver.
Besides, in a way, wasn’t she shamelessly enjoying Jiang Xiao’s care, being treated like a girlfriend?
Song Qiuyu felt she was really shameless, and Jiang Xiao was even worse.
For some reason, she suddenly felt Jiang Xiao knew she’d let him off, so he kept pushing.
From the start, the line between proper and improper had never really been defined… After some hesitation, she chose to turn a blind eye.
So, she bowed her head, blew on the Noodles, and, feeling awkward, brought the Noodles over to Jiang Xiao again.
Jiang Xiao, noticing her heartbeat speeding up, smiled and ate the Noodles she’d fed him.
The temperature was just right.
“Mhm, tastes really good!”
Jiang Xiao finished eating and immediately commented.
“Hmph~”
A smug smile flashed on Song Qiuyu’s face, but it faded quickly—Did this count as an indirect kiss?
Watching the Chopsticks leave Jiang Xiao’s lips, she suddenly realized it, feeling uncomfortable all over, gripping the Chopsticks tightly.
Being with Jiang Xiao, this winter felt more and more like a sweltering summer.
It was getting hot.
“What’s wrong?”
Jiang Xiao asked knowingly.
“Don’t talk, keep eating.”
Song Qiuyu avoided his face, quickly grabbed more Noodles from the wok into the Bowl, and lowered her head to eat.
Just then, the person beside her let out a soft chuckle.
After laughing, his tone became solemn and slow, as if reciting scripture, “I guess I really don’t mind you using these Chopsticks.”
At these words, Song Qiuyu’s hand trembled and nearly dropped the Chopsticks.
She had an intense feeling—this was karma, karma! Was her younger self giving Jiang Xiao all sorts of weird ‘boyfriend bibles’ again?
Maybe Jiang Xiao didn’t mind as the boyfriend, but sorry, as the girlfriend, Shen Xi would mind it to death.
Ah…
Jiang Xiao, you jerk!
Her younger self had probably seen all those internet couples sharing one straw for a drink and had wanted to try the same.
It happened in real life, too, but—whatever, it’s all in the past…none of it matters anymore…
Thinking of this, she sighed inside, despondently clutching her Chopsticks and lowering her head, tears in her eyes as she ate.
Seeing her eating, Jiang Xiao’s lips curled into a few extra pixels, but he dared not smile too openly.
And so, one bite after another, they fed each other Noodles, and the atmosphere in the Living Room gradually turned subtle, almost ambiguous.
Song Qiuyu did her best to ignore this change, inwardly praying Jiang Xiao wouldn’t pay too much attention to it.
“You got some on you.”
Just as Song Qiuyu was focused on eating, she suddenly saw Jiang Xiao reach his fingers toward her face, gently wiping the remnants from the corner of her lips instead of using Paper.
“Uh…”
The spot he touched burned, Song Qiuyu’s body tensed up, and she felt the atmosphere turn dangerous.
This was too intimate; she really should warn Jiang Xiao!
He was getting way too bold!!
Before she could get the words out—
She saw Jiang Xiao staring at her lips, slowly reaching out again.
She had no idea what he wanted to do, and panicked.
Her mind went blank, she stuck out her neck and opened her mouth.
She bit his finger, but didn’t dare bite hard, only gently enough to serve as a warning.
Jiang Xiao: “……”