Chu Yu went back to the bedroom.
Not long after she finished drinking the ginger tea, Chu Yu had hurried away.
She had no time to detain her, and in truth, she had no reason to detain her.
After all, given their relationship, it was already the utmost benevolence for Chu Yu to take her in.
Ci Wenjun was not so lacking in self-awareness as to not realize this.
Yet she still could not help feeling a sense of loss.
Did she really want to stay away from her that much?
Before she could think too much about it, Chu Yu came walking back in a hurry, holding a hair dryer. She stopped in the living room and plugged it into the socket.
Her tone was calm and concise.
“Dry your hair.”
When she came out of the bathroom, Ci Wenjun had only draped a towel over her shoulders.
By now, the towel was thoroughly damp.
Ci Wenjun walked over in a daze, accepting the hair dryer handed to her by Chu Yu.
After a moment, she suddenly looked at Chu Yu with excitement, as if she had just remembered something, just in time to meet Chu Yu’s expressionless face.
Ci Wenjun’s little face froze, and she managed an awkward, sheepish smile, hastily retracting the hair dryer she had raised in her excitement.
She suddenly remembered that in novels, the female lead always dries the other female lead’s hair. That was supposed to be the prime time for ambiguous flirting and taking their relationship a step further; sometimes they would even end up blowing it all the way to the bed and getting intimate.
However, the idea was wonderful, but reality was harsh.
Only when facing this iceberg did she remember the phrase “times have not remained the same.”
Asking Chu Yu to dry her hair, she really had quite the nerve to think of it.
Realizing the cruel reality, she pouted slightly, forced a smile, and quietly dried her hair herself.
Still, the same old saying applied: she wanted to, but she dared not, nor could she.
Endure, endure, endure! Ci Wenjun.
Ci Wenjun cheered herself on silently in her heart.
Chu Yu watched Ci Wenjun’s actions in silence, saying nothing. Watching her dry her hair with a sense of loss, she seemed to understand something.
Yet she remained silent.
Things being as they were, what else could she say?
Amidst the humming wind, Ci Wenjun faintly heard Chu Yu ask.
“What do you want for dinner?”
“Click!”
Startled, Ci Wenjun shut off the hair dryer switch and stared at Chu Yu in a daze.
Assuming Ci Wenjun hadn’t heard clearly, Chu Yu repeated herself with infinite patience.
“What do you want for dinner?”
The sourness in her heart surged into her nasal cavity, and her eye sockets inexplicably stung. A tear fell unexpectedly, catching her completely off guard.
Chu Yu’s pupils dilated, her mind going blank for a split second.
“You, what are you crying for?”
She was flustered, yet desperately trying to conceal that panic.
She had asked that simply because she didn’t want to see Ci Wenjun looking so dejected, but now, it seemed to have produced the exact opposite effect.
A wave of irritation flared up inside her, though not directed at Ci Wenjun.
Her tone was somewhat stifled and disgruntled.
“Are you planning to eat rice mixed with tears?”
Ci Wenjun hurriedly shook her head and spoke up.
“No, not at all!”
She knew it must be strange for her to suddenly burst into tears like this, but she truly could not control herself.
This scene, which she had repeatedly relived only in her dreams, was finally being spoken aloud in reality by the owner of those dreams, right here in front of her, eight years later.
She asked herself if she was dreaming.
She must be dreaming, otherwise how could this be so wonderfully unreal?
If it were a dream, she would gladly live in it for the rest of her life.
Watching the tears continuously fall from the person across from her, Chu Yu felt a sour, twisting pain in her heart.
She did not understand.
How could her heart be so unreasonable, always hurting for someone else?
Softening her tone, she offered words of comfort.
“Alright, stop crying. Your eyes are going to swell up if you keep crying.”
Who would have thought that the moment she offered comfort, the person in front of her would cry even harder?
The next second, a soft, fluffy bundle rushed into her arms.
To call it a bundle wasn’t entirely accurate, because the person in her arms was truly slender and thin, yet her hair was wild and fluffy, buried deeply against her chest. Viewed from above, she looked for all the world like a little black ball.
Well, hiding within this black ball was a pair of blushing ears.
In eyes that Ci Wenjun could not see, a trace of tender indulgence flashed by.
Chu Yu stiffened for a moment, then naturally continued to offer comfort with a composed expression.
Unlike Chu Yu, Ci Wenjun’s heart was pounding wildly and nervously.
She had originally been genuinely sad, especially after Chu Yu softly comforted her.
That made her feel even more aggrieved, so sad she felt like vomiting her heart out just to let Chu Yu look at it and truly pity her.
Yet she also knew that was completely unrealistic.
Soon, however, she realized that this was the prime opportunity to hug Chu Yu and get close to her.
With lightning speed, she burrowed straight into Chu Yu’s arms, holding on for dear life to prevent Chu Yu from pushing her away.
She had already figured out her excuse: she would just say she was too sad from crying and couldn’t help herself.
She believed Chu Yu would tolerate her.
Fortunately, Chu Yu neither moved nor questioned her.
She simply let her hold on without offering any response.
Chu Yu’s embrace smelled so good, felt so warm and soft, and was so comfortable. She loved it.
As Ci Wenjun held her tighter and tighter, she completely forgot to stop her movements.
Realizing that Ci Wenjun’s sobbing had gradually subsided and that she was even taking the opportunity to rub herself against her chest, Chu Yu’s face darkened slightly.
She was equal parts exasperated and amused.
“Just how long do you plan on holding me? Aren’t you going to eat?”
Just as Ci Wenjun realized she hadn’t cried out loud for a while and was preparing to let out another wail to extend her runtime, she abruptly heard Chu Yu speak.
Her breath caught right there, unable to go out and impossible to swallow back.
She could only open her eyes wide, look out from Chu Yu’s arms with lingering reluctance, and silently shake her head.
“I will ask you one last time, what do you want to eat?”
“Can I have anything?”
Hearing Ci Wenjun’s cautious reply, Chu Yu felt a slight displeasure in her heart, but still gave a firm affirmation.
“Of course.”
Ci Wenjun’s eyes lit up.
Then there were way too many things she wanted to eat!
“I want to eat tiger skin green peppers, chicken curry, sweet and sour pork ribs, fried potatoes, sweet and sour pineapple pork, and more!”
Her rapid-fire listing of dishes was interrupted by Chu Yu’s actions.
Using her hand to block that chattering mouth, Chu Yu rubbed her brow with a headache.
“Are you sure you want to eat all of that?”
Ci Wenjun nodded frantically, her eyes shining brightly like a little hamster’s.
Chu Yu’s heart softened.
“Then are you sure you can finish it all?”
Ci Wenjun excitedly nodded in agreement to press her advantage, realizing that Chu Yu asking that meant she was willing to compromise. But the next second, as she processed what Chu Yu had actually asked, her halfway-nod swerved sharply to the left.
She couldn’t.
Ci Wenjun pulled a long, mournful face, though she still refused to give up entirely.
“I can eat the rest later before I leave.”
“Eat the rest later before I leave?”
“I mean, I can just come over to eat at your place for the next few days.”
As she said this, Ci Wenjun lowered her head with a guilty conscience, her voice trailing off weakly.
“Ha! President Ci really does know how to do business.”
Chu Yu was amused into a laugh. What did she take this place for?
Taking food and packing things to go, she really wasn’t planning to suffer a single loss.
Chu Yu looked with amusement at the woman who was now too guilty to even lift her head.
She shook her head, offering no definitive promise. One could only hear an ambiguous, light click of the tongue sounding in the air.
Chu Yu walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
The supplies inside were running low.
Pineapple; none.
Pork ribs; none.
Green peppers; none.
Chicken; even less.
Chu Yu leaned against the refrigerator, lowering her gaze.
This person really was as good as ever at finding trouble for her.
Closing the door, she picked up her phone.
Never mind, she could just consider it restocking the household supplies anyway.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she called out to Ci Wenjun in the living room.
“Remember to dry your hair!”
After a moment, a round head poked out from behind her.
Her voice was light and lively.
“It’s already dry! If you don’t believe me, touch it.”
Judging by her voice, she appeared to be in a very good mood.
Joking aside, of course her mood was good.
Chu Yu’s kitchen was open-concept, which meant Ci Wenjun could clearly see Chu Yu’s actions from the living room.
She watched as Chu Yu opened the refrigerator door, looking as though she were searching for something, before closing it after a while. Leaning against the side of the fridge, Chu Yu took out her phone and tapped and swiped across the screen.
Seeing Chu Yu’s actions, Ci Wenjun’s eyes lit up. It went without saying what Chu Yu was doing on her phone.
She harbored an inexplicable confidence that Chu Yu must be checking off her favorite dishes on a grocery delivery app.
At this thought, joy welled up in her heart.
Of course her mood was good; when her mood was good, even her movements became somewhat buoyant.
Ci Wenjun familiarly climbed onto Chu Yu’s shoulders, swinging her head leisurely into her view. Her hair was fluffy and soft, resembling a dog trying to please its master, tempting her to reach out and give it a stroke.
Yet Chu Yu was not so easily tempted. She looked straight ahead, ignoring the fluffy head entirely.
“The comb is in the bathroom. Tend to yourself.”
With that, she took a step back, turned around to face the kitchen counter, and assumed the posture of someone about to prepare ingredients.
Yet the counter was completely empty, with nothing on it at all, making her movements look all the more solitary.
Yet sometimes, that alone was enough.
Ci Wenjun drooped the corners of her mouth, lowering her head so her expression was hidden, while she forced herself to ignore the disappointment in her heart.
She knew Chu Yu was rejecting her.
She was so gentle that even her rejections were delivered with such tact.
Reluctantly, Ci Wenjun turned back to look at her every few steps, but Chu Yu never glanced at her even once, keeping her gaze fixed intently on the counter as if it held some fatal attraction.
The restless air suddenly fell dead silent, and Ci Wenjun’s departure seemed to have taken away those small, floating pulses of vitality.
Fortunately, the quiet did not last long. The grocery delivery arrived quickly; upon reaching the residential complex, it was handed over by staff to the building’s delivery personnel, who then brought it straight to the corresponding floor’s doorway. Not long after Chu Yu’s phone received a text message, the door was knocked upon.
Two full bags of items, along with pre-cut pineapple.
Chu Yu widened her eyes with a slight headache.
Had she been too impulsive just now? How long was it going to take to get through all of this?
Still, since she had already bought it, she bought it.
Sighing, Chu Yu resigned herself to her fate and hauled the two large bags over to the refrigerator.
She took out what needed to be cooked for tonight, while neatly sorting and organizing the rest into categories.
By the time Ci Wenjun finished regulating her emotions and tidying herself up, Chu Yu had already started cooking.
Taking a deep breath, Ci Wenjun let a smile bloom across the corners of her eyes first.
“Let me help you! Is there anything else that needs to be prepared?”
Her eyes were bright, as if they held a galaxy within them.
Chu Yu had always loved her eyes; every time she smiled, it gave her the feeling that the stars were twinkling just for her.
“No.”
The pineapple had been delivered pre-cut, and the chicken had already been processed.
To be honest, there was nothing that required her help, especially since.
“There is no reason to let a guest do the work.”
The smile that had just bloomed on Ci Wenjun’s face froze once again at the corners of her mouth.
She felt somewhat strange; not long ago, she had been regretting that she wasn’t even considered a guest in Chu Yu’s home.
Yet at this moment, when Chu Yu genuinely referred to her as a guest, a sharp pain twisted through her heart.
No, that wasn’t it.
Clearly, how could she possibly be a guest?
She was clearly…
What was she, exactly?
Her eyes held disappointment, hurt, and an untamed, helpless bewilderment.
Yet, true to form, Chu Yu ignored it completely.
She told herself not to feel sorry for Ci Wenjun anymore.
This was clearly all her own choice, wasn’t it?
This was her own doing.
So, do not do any more unnecessary things.
Stop looking at that bad woman.
Stop…
Loving her.