Hearing footsteps, Jiang Yufeng looked toward the staircase.
At yesterday’s wedding, he already knew Ye Ximeng was beautiful.
At that time, she wore a pure white wedding dress—a sacred beauty.
Now, with the clash of wine red and creamy white, red lips and rosy cheeks, her beauty was tempting, stirring imagination.
Jiang Yufeng subtly shifted his gaze away.
Ye Ximeng noticed the extremely subtle change in the man’s expression.
Her lips curved slightly upward.
She turned and entered the kitchen, turned off the power, and opened the rice cooker.
Immediately, her movements paused.
The seafood porridge in the rice cooker was cooked according to her own appetite.
She disliked waste, so the portion…
would likely not be enough for two people.
Someone who came uninvited deserved no full meal!
She opened the cupboard and took out two shallow bowls with wide mouths and small bases.
This type of bowl looked large but actually couldn’t hold much, yet when filled, it gave the illusion of being quite substantial.
Ye Ximeng almost scraped the bottom of the rice cooker clean, finally filling both seemingly generous bowls to about seventy percent.
The bowls were beautiful, with steaming seafood porridge inside, and the presentation unexpectedly looked quite good.
“Jiang Yufeng, you need to come and carry these. The porridge is hot; I can’t carry two bowls alone.”
Actually, without her calling, Jiang Yufeng was already walking toward the kitchen.
Noticing Jiang Yufeng’s glance at the rice cooker, Ye Ximeng silently closed the lid, hiding the fact that the bottom had been scraped clean.
“It’s a bit hot; use kitchen paper to cushion it.” Ye Ximeng handed over two sheets of paper.
“Thank you.” Jiang Yufeng took the paper and picked up the bowl.
Ye Ximeng smiled lightly and nodded, elegant yet gentle.
But once Jiang Yufeng turned away, her gaze immediately became predatory.
The man had a great physique—a sturdy back, muscle lines faintly outlined through his shirt.
Even his back exuded a cold, restrained allure.
Ye Ximeng swallowed. If she had an Adam’s apple, it would definitely have bobbed.
The kitchen was a bit hot…
The male charm was tempting; she absentmindedly went to pick up her bowl.
The freshly cooked seafood porridge was very hot.
She remembered to remind Jiang Yufeng to use kitchen paper as insulation, but when it was her turn to carry it, she forgot everything.
As soon as she picked up the bowl, she hissed and set it down.
With a thud, she narrowly avoided spilling the already scarce seafood porridge.
Jiang Yufeng turned around upon hearing the sound and saw Ye Ximeng holding one hand, panting from pain.
He put down his bowl and came over to check.
Ye Ximeng’s palm was burned red in a patch. He turned on the faucet and said, “Rinse it with cold water.”
His tone was calm and crisp.
With his words, Ye Ximeng felt a warm, dry hand grasp her wrist, gently yet firmly pulling it under the faucet.
Under the cold water’s washing, the burning pain in her palm slightly eased.
Jiang Yufeng’s hand holding her wrist never loosened.
Ye Ximeng’s attention was already no longer on her scalded hand. She tilted her head slightly; under the shirt, the outline of the man’s chest muscles was dimly visible.
Gulp.
He had a great physique—she had noticed earlier when looking at his back view.
Looking up further, that cold and aloof, ascetic profile was close at hand.
She wanted…
to kiss it…
to nibble it…
to taste its cold and warmth…
At this moment, Jiang Yufeng turned his head and met Ye Ximeng’s gaze.
“Keep rinsing for a bit; I’ll go find the burn ointment.”
“Oh, okay.” The distance was too close, their breaths almost mingling.
Ye Ximeng, control yourself!
The brief interlude ended with Jiang Yufeng applying burn ointment to the fading red mark on Ye Ximeng’s hand.
Later, Jiang Yufeng brought both bowls of seafood congee to the dining table.
Jiang Yufeng scooped a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and then took a bite.
The taste was even better than he had imagined.
He was actually quite surprised that Ye Ximeng knew how to cook.
After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Do you need to hire a housekeeper?”
From what he had just seen, it seemed quite dangerous for Ye Ximeng to cook by herself.
Ye Ximeng shook her head and refused. “I don’t like having strangers in the house.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yufeng didn’t say anything more. Everyone had their own habits, and he respected her choice.
The two ate quietly.
Occasionally, Jiang Yufeng’s gaze would involuntarily drift toward Ye Ximeng.
Ye Ximeng’s way of eating breakfast wasn’t particularly elegant—unlike the poised manner of the socialites he had met before—but it was by no means crude. It simply looked as though she was thoroughly enjoying her meal.
Perhaps influenced by Ye Ximeng’s eating style, Jiang Yufeng felt the seafood congee in his bowl tasted even better.
Halfway through breakfast, Jiang Yufeng finally remembered the incense.
He turned slightly and glanced at the incense burner on the coffee table in the living room, asking, “What kind of incense did you light over there?”
Ye Ximeng remained with her head lowered. From an angle Jiang Yufeng couldn’t see, the corners of her lips curled into a pleased smile.
She had thought Jiang Yufeng wouldn’t ask about the incense today.
“Snow in Spring,” Ye Ximeng said.
“The incense Su Dongpo spent seven years blending?” Jiang Yufeng asked.
“Yes,” Ye Ximeng replied, feeling a slight surprise in her heart.
To immediately recognize the origin of Snow in Spring, it seemed Jiang Yufeng’s knowledge of incense was deeper than she had imagined.
“That’s the one.”
Jiang Yufeng closed his eyes, as if carefully inhaling the faint fragrance in the air.
Despite the interference of the food’s aroma, the subtle scent of plum blossoms and the cool, frosty fragrance of snow were still clearly discernible.
“Snow clinging to plum tips, fragrance within the snow—truly the essence of Snow in Spring. Where did you buy this incense?” Jiang Yufeng asked.
“From a private custom incense shop online,” Ye Ximeng said.
“What’s the name of the shop?” Jiang Yufeng pressed.
“Wait a moment, let me check the shop’s name.”
Ye Ximeng took out her phone and searched for the name of the online store she had registered a year ago.
As for why she couldn’t remember the name of her own online shop—it was because she hadn’t given it a name. It was a system-generated combination of letters and numbers.
When the shop name finally appeared, Ye Ximeng’s eyes darted around playfully. “Let’s add each other on WeChat, and I’ll send you the shop link.”
Jiang Yufeng didn’t suspect anything. He took out his phone, opened his WeChat QR code, and slid it toward Ye Ximeng.
Ye Ximeng happily scanned the code and added him on WeChat.
During the process, she accidentally brushed against the reddened spot on her palm, letting out a soft hiss, but she continued operating her phone cheerfully.
WeChat—added!