“Are you off work? I just have one last dish left and we can eat.”
Jiang Qingmi held her phone in one hand while stir-frying with the other. “You’re at the intersection already? You’re faster than yesterday.”
Now she only knitted three pairs of shoes a day. When the time felt right, she would start cooking so that Qing Yanshen could eat as soon as he got off work.
Besides that, Jiang Tuantuan was still a child. She could not stay cooped up at home all day, so Jiang Qingmi took her out every day to walk around and play at the nearby square.
After a week like this, she had stocked up twenty one pairs of shoes. Adding the three unsold pairs from before, she had a total of twenty four pairs. She planned to set up a stall again.
Qing Yanshen went with her. Jiang Qingmi had told him he did not need to come, but he said he would be bored alone anyway and could treat it as a walk.
So she stopped trying to persuade him.
This time, business was great. They started setting up at eight thirty in the morning, and by before two in the afternoon, all twenty four pairs were sold.
They earned over nineteen hundred. Jiang Qingmi’s eyes curved into a smile, her steps light with happiness. “Let’s go home! We’re eating chicken today, big bites of meat.”
Qing Yanshen carried Jiang Tuantuan. Hearing her say “we” and “go home,” his heart warmed. He felt like he had truly become part of this family. “Alright, I’ll cook.”
In the kitchen, the range hood hummed normally as the man made a big plate of chicken. The sunflowers on the table had been changed several times but were still bright. The butterfly orchid on the windowsill still bloomed in soft pink.
Jiang Qingmi played with the child on the carpet. Thinking about the money they made today, she felt hopeful again. Knitting three pairs a day was not tiring for her. If she sold shoes for another week, she could repay two thousand to Qing Yanshen first.
The fragrant chicken was served. The room filled with aroma. Jiang Qingmi’s appetite was great, and she ate a whole plate with him. After eating her fill, she could not even move.
Qing Yanshen went to wash dishes and clean as usual.
Jiang Qingmi thought to herself that she was really going too far.
She was actually lying comfortably on the sofa while he bustled around.
Their relationship now was… friends?
Yes, friends.
Friends who had been through hardship together.
For a moment, she got a little carried away. Looking at the man mopping the floor, she patted her chest passionately and declared in a righteous tone, “Qing Yanshen, don’t worry! If you ever need help, I will definitely step in without hesitation. If you end up in the hospital, I’ll take care of you too. I won’t forget your kindness.”
After finishing her speech, her face turned red from excitement.
Qing Yanshen froze for a moment, then nodded quietly and gave a soft response while continuing to mop. However, the tips of his ears grew red, and soon even his face flushed.
Her words reminded him of wedding vows.
He did not know what she was thinking. Out of nowhere, she said something so ambiguous. This already counted as a confession, did it not?
Could it be that Jiang Qingmi was like him? Even if her memory was gone, her body still remembered him, and even though they had only known each other for about twenty days, she had fallen for him again?
He himself had liked her again from the very first moment he saw her at the construction site.
Then did that mean they liked each other?
He paused his mopping and glanced at the woman lounging on the sofa. She looked relaxed and comfortable, her face still slightly flushed.
There was a saying that a woman’s blush spoke more than a thousand words.
He pressed his lips together and said calmly, “Then let’s live a good life together. Things are already quite good like this.”
Jiang Qingmi did not catch the deeper meaning and simply followed his words. “Of course we should live well. Our days will definitely get better and better.”
Then she saw the man, who usually seemed shy about smiling, clearly curl his lips into a visible smile. “Alright.”
So happy just from that?
She glanced at him again. Thinking about it, it made sense. Who would not want their efforts returned in kind?
He valued loyalty and sincerity, and so did she.
Still, something felt a little off.
Especially when Qing Yanshen stood at the door as usual, about to leave for the dormitory, but kept staring at her for a long time without leaving.
She found it strange and was about to ask what was wrong.
The man shifted his gaze awkwardly and asked, “Do you want… a hug?”
Jiang Qingmi froze.
What?
Qing Yanshen looked at her, his voice low. “Just a simple hug.”
After all, they had just confirmed their relationship. She probably was not ready for anything more, so starting with a hug seemed appropriate.
Jiang Qingmi felt a little awkward. “Uh… then sure, just a hug.”
Friends hugged sometimes too. It was normal.
They had known each other for nearly a month. His behavior had never been inappropriate. Even his gaze never made her uncomfortable.
Now that he wanted a hug, she did not think much of it.
She opened her arms, and the man embraced her.
They stood at the doorway, in Jiang Tuantuan’s curious gaze, and under the eyes of a neighbor passing from the third floor to the fourth.
Usually she knew he was tall and broad, but only now did she realize how big the difference in their builds was. If she had not raised her arms, the neighbor might not even have noticed her.
After getting the hug, Qing Yanshen lowered his gaze to her lips for a moment, then turned and left.
Later, lying on his dormitory bed, Qing Yanshen closed his eyes. He thought of her soft and warm body in his arms, and her slightly upturned lips.
He imagined himself lowering his head, getting closer and closer. Just as he was about to kiss her, she tried to dodge. He reacted quickly, holding the back of her head and pulling her closer.
He wanted to kiss her.
Just to try it, just once. What would it feel like?
Right when he was about to touch her lips, his alarm rang.
He opened his eyes and felt a certain reaction in his body. The desire in his eyes had not yet faded.
Sooner or later.
He curled his lips slightly and calmed himself.
Slowly.
Then he got up, got ready, and went to the woman’s place for breakfast.
He stopped by a flower shop on the way. If he bought a large bouquet, Jiang Qingmi might get upset about the expense. In the end, he bought nine red roses. The shop assistant wrapped them nicely. The flowers were bright and delicate. Though not as grand as a big bouquet, they had a simple charm.
When Jiang Qingmi opened the door, the man walked in, changed his shoes, and as he passed by her, he placed the flowers into her hands.
“I bought them for you.”
She stared at the flowers, then at him, confused. “This is…?”
“I didn’t buy many, just nine. It wasn’t expensive,” he said matter of factly.
“I mean, why give them to… to me?” she stammered, feeling awkward, though her heart was beating fast.
“Why not give them to you?” Qing Yanshen said. “Who else would I give them to?”
Jiang Qingmi bit her lip.
What did he mean?
Before, he had always treated the child like a father. Even though he treated her like a wife, his words and actions had never crossed any boundaries.
After she said she also had amnesia, he became even more careful with her.
But now, she suddenly felt that the man was coming straight for her.
Why give her flowers, and roses at that?
When he decorated the house with flowers the day she was discharged, she could understand it as a welcome gesture.
But now?