Cao Cheng left the kitchen and returned to the sofa, sitting down again. He watched Xu Qingrou busying herself inside the kitchen, then picked up his teacup and took a sip, suppressing the restlessness stirring in his chest.
After calming down a little, he grew bored and began looking around. The house was still the same as when he had bought it a few days ago, but compared to his last visit, it was much cleaner. Xu Qingrou must have been tidying it every day.
However, the old belongings she had brought from her previous home nearly filled the spacious living room, making the place feel somewhat cramped. Such a large house had been made a bit crowded by her things… though whether that was entirely a bad thing… cough, cough…
Just as Cao Cheng’s thoughts began to wander, Xu Qingrou finished up in the kitchen and called out for him to wash his hands and come eat.
Relying on his memory, Cao Cheng went to the sink, washed his hands, turned off the tap, and casually grabbed the pink towel beside it to wipe his hands. Then, almost instinctively, he brought it closer and gave it a sniff.
A faint, delicate fragrance lingered on it, unexpectedly pleasant.
He placed the towel back where it belonged and turned to leave. But the moment he turned around, he saw Xu Qingrou standing at the doorway, her pretty face flushed red as she stared at him.
Cao Cheng paused for a moment, then quickly realized the issue. He said, “Sorry, Miss Xu. I used your towel just now to wipe my hands and face.”
“Ah? No, it’s fine. I should be the one apologizing. I knew you were coming, but I forgot to prepare these things,” Xu Qingrou replied hastily, realizing her own loss of composure. She quickly withdrew her gaze from him.
After steadying her emotions, she walked toward the sink as if nothing had happened, passing right by Cao Cheng.
Cao Cheng wasn’t foolish. As she approached, he immediately stepped aside and left for the dining table to wait for her.
Hearing his footsteps fade behind her, Xu Qingrou finally relaxed and began washing her hands. After finishing, she picked up the towel to dry them, but suddenly paused.
As if thinking of something, she lifted the towel to her face and took a deep sniff, just like Cao Cheng had done earlier.
Unfortunately, there was no unfamiliar scent on it. She could only pretend nothing had happened and used it to dry her hands before putting it back.
Meanwhile, Cao Cheng sat at the dining table, already growing impatient. The dishes laid out before him not only smelled amazing but looked stunning as well, no worse than the meals prepared by the professional chefs in his own home.
At that moment, he couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional. She truly deserved to be the protagonist’s mother. As for other aspects… he hadn’t explored them deeply yet… personally, cough cough… Find the original chapter at g.com.
Hard to say.
But her cooking skills were genuinely excellent. The original author must have written it this way to make sure the protagonist didn’t go hungry as a child.
When Xu Qingrou returned and they began eating, Cao Cheng immediately devoured three large bowls of food, praising her cooking the entire time. His compliments finally gave Xu Qingrou a sense of balance, and she gradually relaxed, beginning to chat with him more openly.
“By the way, Miss Xu, calling you like this feels a bit strange. How about I just call you by your name?” Cao Cheng said.
“Actually, calling you Mr. Cao feels a bit strange too,” Xu Qingrou replied honestly. After their earlier interaction, the stiffness and caution between them had noticeably faded.
Hearing her response, Cao Cheng smiled with satisfaction and politely extended his hand. “Hello, Qingrou.”
“Hello, Xiao Cheng,” Xu Qingrou replied with a playful smile, reaching out to shake his hand.
The moment their hands touched, Cao Cheng felt a cool, smooth sensation. For a brief instant, he didn’t want to let go.
But when he heard her call him “Xiao Cheng,” a trace of irritation flickered in his heart, and he quickly released her hand.
Outwardly, however, he maintained a refined and gentle demeanor.
Xu Qingrou didn’t notice anything unusual. Instead, a storm surged within her heart. She, a mature woman, unexpectedly revealed the shy demeanor of a young girl.
I actually shook hands with him…?!
Cao Cheng naturally noticed her reaction. Seeing her like this, he almost… but he suppressed it, adhering to the principle of seeing through things without speaking of them. He simply focused on eating until her emotions gradually calmed, then spoke again.
“By the way, Qingrou, you’ve been looking for a house for a few days now. Have you found anything suitable?” Seeing the embarrassment flash across her face, he quickly added, “I don’t mean to rush you out. You know my family is involved in this business, so I understand it well. I’m just asking so that if you find something you like but don’t understand certain details, you can contact me.”
“Of course, if you don’t need it, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Hearing his explanation, the heavy weight that had just formed in Xu Qingrou’s heart slowly lifted. She really had thought he was trying to drive her away, and that had cast a shadow over her previously good mood. Get faster updates on novelping dot com.
Luckily, he explained in time. Otherwise, she would have moved out tomorrow, even if it meant renting a place immediately. She couldn’t let her benefactor think she was someone who took advantage of others.
After a moment, Xu Qingrou began speaking honestly. “To tell you the truth, I’ve saved some money over the years running my breakfast shop. Combined with the relocation compensation your family gave me, it’s enough to buy a decent house.”
“Besides, my son is getting older. I plan to buy the house as his future marital home.”
Hearing this, Cao Cheng sneered inwardly.
“Since it’s for a marital home, I want it to have a kindergarten nearby. The house should also be a bit bigger, and the transportation needs to be convenient…” Xu Qingrou continued listing her requirements.
After finishing, she let out a tired sigh, a hint of exhaustion on her face. “But after looking these past few days, either the environment is bad, or the transportation isn’t good, or there’s no kindergarten nearby…”
Cao Cheng understood her frustration. Houses with such conditions were highly sought after. Most were sold out before they were even officially released. There was no way they would be available for her. Even for second-hand houses, it would depend heavily on luck.
After speaking, Xu Qingrou’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had thought of something. She looked at Cao Cheng, but remembering how much she had already troubled him, she hesitated. Her lips parted slightly, but in the end, she chose to remain silent.
Cao Cheng naturally knew what she was thinking. She wanted his help finding a house but felt too embarrassed to ask.
Originally, he intended to pretend he hadn’t noticed and let the matter pass. But then he reconsidered. The Dragon King, Chu Fan, would definitely return. There was no way to stop that.
Since that was the case, instead of letting her save the money for Chu Fan, it would be better to help her buy a house and spend it all.
Once Chu Fan was dealt with…
Heh heh heh!
With that thought, Cao Cheng spoke, “Qingrou, do you want me to help you look for one?”
“No, no need. I’d feel too embarrassed to trouble you again,” Xu Qingrou immediately refused. She truly didn’t want to trouble him any further.
After all, she didn’t even know how to repay what he had already done for her. If she accepted more help, she wouldn’t have the face to meet him again… unless…