Shock, shock, shock!
Important things are said three times.
Seeing the man who seemed slightly uneasy, she closed the passbook and blinked very sincerely at him. “Comrade Si, I think you’re missing something important.”
Si Chengchen, who had just felt a slight drop in his heart when he heard her address him so formally, suddenly felt his heart jump again the next second.
He opened his lips.
But Mu Qinqin wasn’t actually waiting for an answer.
After all, it had only been two days—for a man, that was too fast.
But for her…
She had already read the book many times and knew him very well.
Seeing that she didn’t press further, Si Chengchen instead pursed his lips.
Mu Qinqin, busy taking buns out of the basket, didn’t notice. Otherwise, she would have pushed him a bit more.
What a pity…
She didn’t see it.
Right now, she was happily thinking about how to feed him.
Hot steamed buns and a dish of pickled radish were placed on the table. Considering his appetite, she had made dozens.
There were also two bowls of century egg and lean pork congee.
The rich aroma filled the entire room.
Just as she was about to speak, her hand accidentally touched the passbook she had set aside.
She looked at the passbook, then at the man, and touched her chin thoughtfully.
So she put it aside again.
As expected, the man looked at her and said in a low voice, “You keep it.”
“That won’t do. This is your ‘wife fund’,” Mu Qinqin shook her head.
The man fell silent again.
Seeing his expression darken, she suppressed her laughter and shook the passbook. “How about this? I’ll keep your wife fund… and I’ll cook for you in return, okay?”
She almost said, “I’ll be your wife” out loud.
But worried it might scare this pure-hearted man, she stopped herself.
Yet after she said that, she actually saw him frown.
She narrowed her eyes.
What kind of reaction was that?
Probably realizing she might misunderstand, Si Chengchen explained in a low voice, “Coming back from work and still cooking is tiring. Tell me what you want to eat… I’ll cook.”
“I’m not tired,” Mu Qinqin said honestly—but obviously, he didn’t believe her.
She really did have energy.
Besides, in the next few days she planned to let Tang Erya do the work anyway.
Since she had eaten so much of the original owner’s grain, even if it couldn’t be taken back, she definitely wouldn’t let her benefit from it.
“I like cooking, and it’s pretty fast,” she said. “If I really don’t feel like cooking someday, you can do it instead, okay?”
“Mm.”
Successfully convincing him to accept her feeding arrangement, Mu Qinqin happily put the passbook away into her small bag—in reality, storing it in her space.
Although she liked cooking…
the place wasn’t always convenient.
She muttered softly.
Si Chengchen’s dark eyes flickered.
After sitting down, he finally noticed the white food on the table. From its color, he recognized it as steamed buns.
Seeing his slightly surprised expression, Mu Qinqin couldn’t help smiling. “You didn’t hear me talking with Aunt Liu earlier? She even said my cooking is good.”
“I didn’t hear,” Si Chengchen admitted honestly in a deep voice.
But—
the girl in front of him didn’t get angry. Instead, she nodded and suddenly asked with a smile, tilting her head, “Then what were you thinking about just now that made you miss it?”
Si Chengchen: “……”
He was thinking about her.
Even earlier.
His attention had never been on the table—it had always been on her.
Even the smell of the buns had gone unnoticed.
“Were you thinking about me?” Mu Qinqin leaned a little closer.
Feeling her scent getting nearer, Si Chengchen instinctively leaned back—but moved too suddenly and almost lost his balance.
He quickly sat properly again and said in a low, almost pleading tone, “Aren’t you hungry?”
She had teased him enough.
Mu Qinqin smiled and nodded. “Hungry. I’ve been hungry for a while!”
“I want the bun on your side,” she said, pointing at a small bun near him, looking up expectantly.
This time, Si Chengchen only hesitated briefly before handing it over.
Mu Qinqin’s eyes curved into a smile.
Progress!
The buns were juicy and rich, so she paired them with pickled vegetables to avoid feeling greasy.
When Si Chengchen reached for the pickles, he paused.
Just as he was about to pick some up—
her amused voice sounded beside him:
“Doesn’t it taste refreshing and perfect with rice? Just like you…”
“Hm?”
Before she could finish, a bun appeared at her lips.
She looked at the man in front of her, his face slightly red, then smiled and ate it.
The pickles are as “rice-friendly” as him.
She didn’t say that out loud.
After a few buns, she was full.
Then Si Chengchen saw that his bowl was piled nearly half a meter high with buns.
He: “……”
Did she think he was a rice bucket?
In the end, though, the bowl was emptied.
Even Si Chengchen himself seemed a bit dazed when he went outside to wash the dishes.
Meanwhile, Mu Qinqin was quite pleased.
Eating more was a good thing!
Night fell—
In a remote village house.
A faint sound came from the window.
Si Chengchen immediately looked toward it, subconsciously searching for that familiar soft figure.
“You’re here.”
His low voice came out, but his expression instantly changed.
The person wasn’t that familiar sweet presence.
It was a man of similar height.
The softness in his eyes disappeared in an instant.
“Captain, it’s me—Gangzi.”
The man wore a military uniform, had a buzz cut, and smiled foolishly. After climbing in, he even closed the window behind him.
“……”
Suppressing the strange emotion in his dark eyes, Si Chengchen said coldly, “Next time use the door. Don’t climb through the window.”
“Huh? Oh, okay!” Zhao Gang scratched his head.
He wanted to ask why, but meeting the cold gaze, he didn’t dare.
He felt like… the captain seemed a little disappointed to see him.
But the only people who climb in through windows like this are from their unit.
Besides, it was late at night—was the captain waiting for someone?
But thinking of the captain’s cold personality, he quickly dismissed the idea.
The captain had never even looked at women from the cultural troupe.
How could he possibly like someone?
Absolutely impossible.
Shaking his head, Zhao Gang collected his thoughts and quietly glanced at Si Chengchen’s eyes.
“Captain, how are your eyes now?”
“No change,” Si Chengchen replied calmly.
Zhao Gang looked awkward, as if he regretted asking.
“How are things going?” Si Chengchen asked.