The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped.
Jiang Jingye walked out while drying his hair.
Wearing a white tank top and black shorts, his shoulders and back were sharply defined. Even though he had taken a cold shower, the redness at the tips of his ears had not completely faded.
The moment he looked up and met Su Nuo’s gaze, they both quickly looked away again.
An awkward sense of helpless embarrassment lingered in the air.
Su Nuo had already changed into her work uniform.
The collar was buttoned all the way up, yet her cheeks still carried a faint blush.
Neither of them mentioned what had happened that morning.
Instead, they silently sat down at the folding table.
Having stayed up all night, Jiang Jingye was starving.
He ate quickly and urgently.
In the blink of an eye, only the last soup dumpling remained in the basket.
“Don’t you think you’ll choke eating like that?” Su Nuo asked.
Jiang Jingye’s hand paused halfway through reaching for it.
Only then did he come back to his senses.
His mind had been completely occupied by the image from that morning while eating.
He had not even noticed how much he had consumed.
The tips of his ears heated up again. He immediately stood up and headed for the door.
“I’ll go buy another basket.”
“No need.”
Su Nuo hurriedly grabbed the corner of his shirt. The moment their fingertips brushed, she quickly pulled her hand back.
“There’s still bread and milk. I’ll bring some with me later.”
Jiang Jingye sat back down and pushed the last soup dumpling toward her.
While nibbling on it, Su Nuo walked over and lifted the lid off the pot sitting by the window.
After smelling it, she sighed and covered it again.
“The rice still went bad. The weather’s too warm now. It really won’t keep without a refrigerator.”
At the mention of a refrigerator, Jiang Jingye’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
“Oh, right. Are you still working the night shift tonight?”
“No. I’m off today. Tomorrow’s a day shift.”
“That’s good.”
“What about your work schedule?”
“I applied for day shifts. Eight in the morning to six in the evening, with one day off each week.”
Not long afterward, Su Nuo picked up her bag.
Before leaving, she reminded him to get some proper sleep and remember to eat lunch.
After she left, Jiang Jingye washed the dishes and utensils.
He glanced at his phone.
It was only eight thirty.
The supermarket would not open until ten.
Sleepiness washed over him, and he lifted the blanket and lay back down on the bed.
Beside the pillow was the pajama set Su Nuo had forgotten to fold.
When he turned his head, his cheek pressed against the soft fabric.
A clean, faint fragrance enveloped him.
Jiang Jingye’s face immediately heated up again.
The scene from that morning surfaced uncontrollably in his mind.
His heartbeat instantly fell out of rhythm.
Irritated, he turned over.
Su Nuo had spent three years trying every possible way to stay by his side.
Yet he had never once entertained any improper thoughts about her.
Now she wore no makeup and dressed in the simplest clothes.
And somehow, she was the one making him think thoughts he should not be having.
He had to be too idle.
So idle that desire had found room to grow.
Wrapped in the faint fragrance lingering on the pillow, he gradually drifted into a deep sleep.
When he woke up again, it was already noon.
Jiang Jingye gathered up the dirty laundry and started washing clothes.
When he noticed Su Nuo’s pajamas and undergarments, he hesitated.
Wasn’t it inappropriate to wash a girl’s personal clothing?
But ever since they had started living together, most of the housework had been handled by Su Nuo.
She had washed his clothes several times as well.
Since they were living together, there probably was not much need to be so particular.
Besides, they were supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend.
Not dwelling on it any longer, he poured in detergent and awkwardly but carefully washed her clothes along with his own before hanging them on the windowsill to dry.
Afterward, he wiped down the table and cleaned the dust along the walls.
The tiny room instantly looked much brighter.
Once he finished, it was ten thirty.
Stuffing his phone into his pocket, Jiang Jingye headed straight for the supermarket.
He did not browse around.
Instead, he went directly to the appliance section and paid for the single door refrigerator that cost 1,888 yuan.
He arranged for delivery that afternoon.
Then he pushed his cart into the fresh produce section and picked out pork belly, fresh shrimp, tomatoes, and leafy greens.
From the frozen foods section, he grabbed buns, wontons, and sweet rice balls.
Soon, the shopping cart was packed to the brim.
The entire 2,200 yuan he had earned the previous night was gone.
Yet he felt more at ease than he ever had after signing contracts worth hundreds of millions.
That afternoon, the refrigerator arrived.
He carefully organized the ingredients and stored them inside.
The small refrigerator became completely full.
And somehow, it also filled him with hope for the future.
Meanwhile, after standing all day at work, Su Nuo’s arms and legs ached terribly by the time her shift ended.
She was just considering grabbing a plate of fried rice from the alley entrance when her phone rang.
It was Jiang Jingye.
“Finished work yet? The rice is ready. Come home and eat.”
His deep voice came through the receiver.
Warmth spread through Su Nuo’s heart.
At the same time, she was surprised.
Jiang Jingye could cook?
She unconsciously quickened her pace.
As soon as she reached the ground floor, the rich aroma of stir fried chili peppers and pork drifted toward her, making her swallow involuntarily.
The closer she got to the apartment, the stronger the scent became.
By the time she reached the door, the savory, spicy fragrance was already slipping through the cracks.
When she pushed the door open, warm yellow light and the aroma of food greeted her.
She stood there, momentarily dazed.
Jiang Jingye was wearing the cartoon apron she had bought.
He had just finished plating the stir fried chili pork.
When he saw her return, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
“You’re back. Go wash your hands. Time to eat.”
Su Nuo’s gaze landed on the table.
Tomato and egg soup.
Stir fried greens.
Boiled shrimp.
Along with the freshly cooked chili pork.
Three dishes and one soup were arranged neatly before her.
Jiang Jingye pulled out a chair for her and handed her a pair of chopsticks.
“Try it and see if it suits your taste.”
Su Nuo picked up a piece of chili pork and put it into her mouth.
The pork belly had been fried until fragrant and slightly crisp without feeling greasy.
The spicy, savory flavor exploded across her tongue.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
She shoveled a large mouthful of rice into her mouth.
Happiness spread from the tip of her tongue all the way to her heart.
She felt as if she might float away from pure contentment.
After dinner, Su Nuo wiped the oil from her lips.
When she turned her head, she spotted a brand new refrigerator standing beside the wardrobe.
Her eyes widened instantly.
“A refrigerator? Where did this come from?”
“I earned it from game companion orders last night.”
In disbelief, Su Nuo pulled open the refrigerator door.
Frozen buns and wontons.
Fresh meat, vegetables, and eggs.
Even the yogurt she had casually mentioned wanting was lined up inside.
Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.
They sparkled as brightly as stars.
“This is wonderful! We can have steamed buns tomorrow morning! Though factory made food isn’t that healthy. Later, I’ll buy some flour and make dumplings and shaomai myself!”
She turned to look at Jiang Jingye, her expression serious.
“You earned nearly two thousand yuan after only a few days of gaming. That’s incredible! Your security job is actually pretty good. It gives you time to think about your future. If you ever want to start a business, no matter what it is, I’ll support you.”
Jiang Jingye looked into her shining eyes.
His throat bobbed.
His heart felt like bread soaked in warm water.
Soft beyond description.
When Su Nuo stood up to clear the dishes, Jiang Jingye took them from her first.
“I’ll wash them.”
She did not argue.
After checking the time, she remembered that her novel needed updating.
Picking up her canvas bag, she headed out.
“I’ll be back later.”
By the time Su Nuo returned, it was nearly ten o’clock.
Jiang Jingye had already showered and changed clothes.
He was leaning against the bed playing a game.
The moment he looked up, he caught a strong smell of cigarette smoke coming from her.
His brows immediately furrowed.
“Where did you go? You smell like smoke.”
“I went to a nearby internet café.”
Su Nuo set down her bag and scratched her head awkwardly.
“I can’t spend my whole life shaking milk tea, so I wanted to try making money by writing novels. But I don’t have a computer, so I can only write at internet cafés.”
Jiang Jingye did not respond.
While she was washing up, he quietly opened his phone and started checking laptop prices.
Even the most basic usable model cost at least three thousand yuan.
But with electronics, you got what you paid for.
Since she would be using it every day to write novels,
he figured she should at least have a five thousand yuan laptop.
Five thousand yuan.
He silently calculated in his mind.
A few more sleepless nights should be enough to earn it.