This time, Shen Shuyue showed a little conscience.
Qiu Chengyue hadn’t come back, so she didn’t go to bed either.
Instead, she sat on the sofa and waited for him.
She waited all the way until midnight.
Qiu Chengyue still hadn’t returned.
Shen Shuyue began to feel restless.
Everyone in the family compound had already gone to sleep. She went outside, thinking about driving out to look for Qiu Chengyue, but then she worried that they might miss each other if he came home while she was gone.
So she returned to the sofa and sat down again.
She had no idea how much time passed before she gradually fell asleep.
It was a little chilly on this rainy night. Curled up on the sofa, she instinctively wrapped both arms around herself.
At the door, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock could be heard, but Shen Shuyue didn’t notice.
A moment later, Qiu Chengyue walked inside.
It was already two in the morning.
When he entered and saw Shen Shuyue curled up on the sofa, his expression froze for a moment.
He had already noticed from downstairs that the light in their home was still on.
When he learned that Shen Shuyue had returned and had even left the light on for him, his heart, which had finally settled back into place, felt strangely warm.
It was enough that she had come back.
And now, seeing her curled up on the sofa waiting for him was something he had never expected.
Qiu Chengyue stared at Shen Shuyue for a long time before instinctively slowing his footsteps as he walked over.
Seeing the exhaustion on her face, he knew she hadn’t been able to hold out any longer and had only just fallen asleep.
He bent down, intending to carry her into the bedroom, when the woman curled up on the sofa suddenly opened her eyes.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.
After a few seconds, her gaze finally cleared.
“You’re back?”
Her voice was slightly nasal, gentle and obedient, lacking the usual arrogance and confidence she displayed during the day.
Qiu Chengyue’s heart tightened.
His expression remained as serious as ever.
He straightened up and stood in front of Shen Shuyue, clearing his throat before saying, “There was a lot to deal with at the unit, so I came back late.”
Shen Shuyue: “?”
There was a lot to deal with at the unit? That’s why he came home late?
If that woman next door hadn’t told her that Qiu Chengyue had gone to see her, Shen Shuyue might actually have believed him.
But Shen Shuyue didn’t expose him.
“You sure are troublesome…”
She stretched lazily. “I’m a little hungry.”
She slipped on her slippers and went into the kitchen to look for something to eat.
Qiu Chengyue: “…”
Qiu Chengyue hadn’t eaten dinner either.
And after spending so long outside looking for Shen Shuyue, he was already starving.
Shen Shuyue rummaged around the kitchen for quite a while but couldn’t find anything good.
She asked Qiu Chengyue from inside the kitchen, “Why are there only noodles at home? Isn’t there anything else?”
I’m so hungry.
Qiu Chengyue walked into the kitchen and glanced at the bag of noodles.
“You didn’t buy anything.”
Shen Shuyue: “…”
“Can’t you buy it yourself?”
Waking up in the middle of the night really did make her hungry.
Qiu Chengyue said, “I’ll buy some tomorrow.”
Shen Shuyue: “?”
Why wasn’t he arguing with her anymore?
Why was he actually going along with her?
It felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Forget it. I’m not eating.”
Shen Shuyue walked out of the kitchen.
Qiu Chengyue glanced at her and spoke again.
“Do you want some noodles?”
Shen Shuyue: “?”
What?
Was Qiu Chengyue going to cook noodles for her?
She turned around and looked at him.
“Are your noodles even edible?”
Qiu Chengyue: “…”
The noodles Qiu Chengyue cooked were genuinely terrible.
More than ten minutes later, when he placed two bowls of noodles that looked completely unappetizing on the dining table, Shen Shuyue began regretting staying behind to eat his cooking.
There really was nothing but noodles in the bowl.
She couldn’t even see any oil. She wasn’t sure whether he’d added any at all.
“That’s it? Just noodles?” Shen Shuyue stared at him incredulously.
Qiu Chengyue looked at Shen Shuyue, then turned around and went back into the kitchen.
He came back with a bottle of soy sauce and a jar of chili sauce.
Shen Shuyue: “…”
After mixing the sauces into the noodles, Qiu Chengyue noticed that Shen Shuyue still wasn’t eating. He tapped the table.
“Eat.”
Shen Shuyue suddenly felt like she wasn’t hungry anymore.
“I’ll go to bed first.”
“You eat.”
How could perfectly good noodles end up looking like that after Qiu Chengyue cooked them?
They were so soft and limp that they looked like a pile of… well, something unpleasant.
Couldn’t he at least cook them so the noodles remained separate?
They were all stuck together and mushy. They were completely unappetizing.
Qiu Chengyue: “…”
Shen Shuyue stood up and was about to return to her room when Qiu Chengyue spoke again.
“I can agree to your proposal.”
Shen Shuyue: “?”
He agreed to do her laundry?
Why?
Just what had changed?
Two days ago, he’d been so adamant about refusing.
And today, he’d suddenly changed his mind?
“From now on, you cook. I’ll cover the household expenses. I’ll be responsible for doing the laundry and cleaning the house.”
“I’ll also wash the dishes and clean the pots.”
Qiu Chengyue had said considerably more tonight than he usually did.
In the past, he couldn’t be bothered to speak to Shen Shuyue. In fact, Qiu Chengyue hadn’t even been willing to spare her a second glance.
Shen Shuyue thought about it, then looked down at her hands.
Her hands really were beautiful.
She had said before that she wouldn’t cook easily.
But then she thought about it again. It wasn’t practical to keep eating outside all the time.
She could hire a maid, but they were currently living in the family compound. Hiring someone to come cook for them would probably be inconvenient.
The compound was some distance from the city. Even if she hired a maid, she doubted anyone would be willing to travel all the way out here every day.
Fine. She would buy a few pairs of gloves later.
Special cooking gloves.
And a few bottles of hand cream.
From now on, she’d wear gloves whenever she cooked and apply hand cream afterward. That way, her hands would stay beautiful.
“Fine.”
Shen Shuyue nodded in agreement.
She had somewhat slapped herself in the face, but it didn’t hurt at all.
She was too lazy to do laundry, and she was too lazy to hang up the clothes.
But she actually didn’t mind cooking.
After all, she only cooked the food she liked.
And it suited her own taste.
…
After Shen Shuyue returned to her room, Qiu Chengyue finished the bowl of noodles he’d cooked for her.
Afterward, he stared at the two empty bowls and had to admit that his noodles really were awful.
They were even worse than the food in the army cafeteria.
Shen Shuyue quickly fell asleep.
Since she hadn’t gone to bed until the middle of the night, she slept until almost noon before waking up.
After getting enough sleep, she felt refreshed.
When she walked out of the bedroom, she saw the table piled high with things.
There was pork, fish, fruit, vegetables, rice, eggs, and all kinds of other groceries.
Shen Shuyue: “…”
Did Qiu Chengyue buy all of this?
So he hadn’t just been saying it casually yesterday?
Beside the groceries were steamed buns, soy milk, boiled eggs, and lean pork congee.
That was breakfast.
Had Qiu Chengyue bought all of this for her?
Shen Shuyue was slightly stunned.
How had this Qiu Chengyue suddenly become so nice?
The breakfast had already gone cold. Qiu Chengyue must have bought it early in the morning.
She glanced at her watch.
It was almost eleven.
After hesitating for a moment, Shen Shuyue picked up some of the groceries and carried them into the kitchen.
In the most conspicuous spot in the kitchen was a pair of pink plastic gloves.
They looked brand new, as if Qiu Chengyue had just bought them.
Shen Shuyue looked at her hands, then at the pair of gloves.
They had clearly been bought specifically for her.
Had that man… undergone a personality transplant just like she had?