The next morning, Xiao Ran was woken up by the sound of a blender.
The girl was an early riser. The night before, she had already figured out how to make soy milk, which wasn’t difficult for an adult.
But as a novice in the kitchen, Xici only knew how to make simple sandwiches.
Even so, the girl put her heart into making them.
First, she took out some lettuce, picked the two tenderest green leaves, washed them, and patted them dry before placing them on the whole wheat bread she had prepared.
Next, she poured some oil into a pan, fried an egg, and finally sliced two pieces of ham to put inside.
She arranged the sandwiches neatly on a plate and carefully poured the soy milk into a glass with her fair, small hands. The girl then leaned over slightly, her small, pretty nose taking a gentle sniff.
A rich, fragrant aroma of soybeans washed over her, and the girl squinted in satisfaction. Her curled eyelashes looked as pretty as a blooming sunflower.
’Yep, I’m a culinary genius.’
She was still happily admiring the fruits of her labor when she turned around and saw that Xiao Ran had appeared behind her at some point.
"Morning, Xiao Ran~"
The early morning sunlight streamed through the window, shining on her delicate face and making her already fair skin look like a peeled egg.
You couldn’t even see a single pore on her face. To say her skin was flawless was no exaggeration at all. Her jet-black hair was draped obediently over her back.
He returned the girl’s smile. "Morning."
Xiao Ran stretched. Ever since he got married, this was the first time he’d ever enjoyed the luxury of waking up to someone making him breakfast.
Even though it was after his divorce, Xiao Ran felt it was pretty nice.
Having just woken up, he was still in his pajamas.
His eyes were still heavy with sleep, but his face didn’t look sloppy in the slightest. Instead, it made him seem more real and natural.
"Go wash up and come eat breakfast." The girl gave him a sweet smile.
"Okay." Xiao Ran turned and went to the bathroom.
He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and even his hair. He also took out a razor to shave off the slight stubble before finally coming out.
When he came out, Yan Xici had already set the breakfast neatly on the table.
Sitting down at the table, Xiao Ran nodded as he looked at the fresh sandwiches and the steaming soy milk.
"Look at you now, I’m genuinely impressed. You even know how to make breakfast. I’ve got to give you a thumbs-up!"
The simple compliment made the girl, who had never cooked before, ecstatic.
After all, everyone wants to be acknowledged, especially on their first try. Earning approval provides a huge boost of motivation.
"I’ll do even better next time!" the girl vowed.
...
After breakfast, it was already 7:30 AM. The diligent girl quickly carried the glasses and plates to the kitchen, then went upstairs to change for class.
She took off her loose white loungewear, changed into a pretty white dress, slung her cute bunny backpack on, and then hurried back downstairs on her long legs.
By now, Xiao Ran had also changed his clothes and was putting on his shoes.
Seeing her come down, Xiao Ran commented casually, "Your class is this early?"
The girl nodded and moved closer to put on her shoes next to him.
"Every Friday, I only have this one class at eight. I strongly suggest you talk to our Advanced Math professor, Xiao Ran, and ask him to move today’s class to Monday. That way, I’d have the whole day free."
She had always felt the schedule was very user-unfriendly.
Xiao Ran chuckled as he put on his shoes. "It’s been three years, and you’re just now thinking about changing the schedule?"
The girl tucked her white-socked feet into her clean white sneakers, then tilted her head to look at him.
Her pretty face held a trace of dissatisfaction.
"It’s been three years, and you still haven’t helped me talk to the Advanced Math professor."
Because they were so close, Xiao Ran could even smell the fragrance of shampoo from her hair.
It was a light, pleasant floral and fruity scent.
Xiao Ran shook his head helplessly and pulled open the door to leave. "All you think about is slacking off. Let’s go. Since it’s on the way, I’ll begrudgingly let you hitch a ride."
’When this girl was a freshman, I bothered her Advanced Math professor quite a bit for her sake. How could I have the nerve to bring up the schedule now?’
’It’s not like I own the university!’
Hearing this, the girl pouted, feigning reluctance.
"Hmph. As if I’d even want a ride."
Don’t be fooled by her difficult act; she was actually thrilled inside.
Taking the bus in the summer was actually quite uncomfortable, especially during the morning rush when it was really crowded.
There were people going to work and grandparents heading to the supermarket to grab discounted items. It was no exaggeration to say she never once got a seat!
Getting a ride was naturally the best possible option.
Downstairs, Xiao Ran sat on his familiar electric scooter, propping it up with one leg.
Xiao Ran had long legs. The bright morning sun danced in his hair, making the angles of his face look even more defined.
He handed his own general-purpose helmet to the girl. After all, it was her first time, and she needed protection.
The girl extended a slender arm to take the helmet. After obediently putting it on, she gave a slight hop and sat on the seat behind him.
As the electric scooter started moving, the girl swayed and instinctively threw her arms around Xiao Ran’s waist.
He was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and she could feel his body heat through the fabric.
Seeing the pair of small hands that had appeared on his waist, Xiao Ran froze for a second. "Can’t you hold on somewhere else?"
’I’m her ex-brother-in-law. If someone saw this, it would look bad, especially for her reputation.’
The girl, however, saw no problem with it. She looked at Xiao Ran’s back and said in confusion, "There’s nowhere else to hold on."
Xiao Ran: "..."
’Forget it, forget it.’
The sun today was lovely—bright but not scorching. A light breeze was blowing, which felt very comfortable. A few people were lined up at the breakfast stalls on the side of the road. Everything was so pleasant.
Xiao Ran’s electric scooter skillfully weaved along the sidewalk.
When they came to a red light, Xiao Ran naturally squeezed the brakes. The girl behind him exclaimed as if she had discovered a new continent, "Huh? Brother-in-law, this part of you is so hard."
’Brother-in-law’s back wasn’t this hard a moment ago. How did it suddenly get so hard? This is amazing!’
After speaking, the girl even poked it with her finger.
’It was as if to say, "Right here! This is the spot!"’
Xiao Ran was completely exasperated. ’Seriously, this girl... doesn’t she know the difference between men and women?’
’Giving her a ride is nice enough. Who gave her permission to poke me?’
"Stop poking around!"
Hearing this, the girl wrinkled her little nose, seemingly unconcerned by his warning.
"Then tell me what it is, and I’ll stop!"
’So stingy!’
’We’re family. There’s no need for so many rules between family members.’
’I was just curious why it suddenly got hard, and he won’t even tell me. What a cheapskate!’