Su Nuo paid the landlady four months’ rent.
The landlady handed over the keys and left right away.
Inside the cramped rental room, Su Nuo scanned her surroundings.
In her mind, she quickly mapped out how everything should be arranged.
She called Jiang Jingye over to help. Together, they moved the old wardrobe into a corner, cleared the space by the window, and pushed the double bed beside the wardrobe.
The originally cramped room suddenly had a bit of open space in the center.
It even felt, strangely, a little more spacious.
Su Nuo curved her lips and nodded in satisfaction.
She took an old rag from the windowsill, dipped it in water, and carefully began wiping down the furniture.
Jiang Jingye was not idle either.
He silently stepped forward and bent down to gather dust and debris from the floor.
His figure was tall and straight. Even in the most ordinary white shirt, when he bent over, the clean lines of his shoulders and back remained sharp and fluid. His waist was narrow and firm, and even under the fabric, his well-proportioned muscles were unmistakable.
Su Nuo paused mid-wipe when she accidentally looked up.
Her gaze landed right on that scene.
As Jiang Jingye straightened up, the hem of his shirt lifted slightly, revealing a small strip of clean, well-defined waist.
Not deliberately exposed, not the least bit vulgar.
Yet it carried an intense visual impact.
It made Su Nuo’s heartbeat skip.
Her cheeks heated uncontrollably. She quickly lowered her head and pretended to focus on cleaning the windowsill, but her ears quietly turned red, and even her breathing grew a little uneven.
After she finally calmed herself down.
She turned around and saw Jiang Jingye handing her a clean rag.
The sunset outside the window fell just right across his profile.
His smooth jawline and broad shoulders were so striking that it was hard to look away.
Su Nuo reached out to take the rag, and her fingers accidentally brushed his palm.
A faint, warm sensation shot through her instantly.
She had never been alone with a man for such a long time.
And in the future, she would be living with this man for a long time.
Amitabha, just thinking about it made her feel dizzy from embarrassment.
Jiang Jingye noticed her face turning red again.
He only assumed she was overheated from working.
Without thinking much, he checked the appliances in the room.
The light bulb was too dim, casting a dull glow. It needed replacing.
The air conditioner was old and noisy, barely usable.
The electric stove on the balcony was worn out from wind and sun exposure and was completely broken.
After going through everything, they realized they still needed to buy quite a lot of items before the place could truly be livable.
Right now, they had almost left with nothing.
Not to mention pots and bowls, they did not even have bedding.
“Let’s go buy some essentials nearby first, then we can order daily necessities online later,” Su Nuo said.
Hearing this, Jiang Jingye’s gaze fell on her face.
Fine beads of sweat covered her forehead.
A few strands of soft hair stuck to dust on her face.
He raised his hand naturally and brushed the dust from her hair.
Su Nuo smiled and thanked him softly.
After finishing up, the two of them left together and walked toward the supermarket.
The streets were filled with the smell of food from small restaurants, warm lights from hair salons, and hardware shops at the corners of alleys. Everything was soaked in the lively atmosphere of ordinary life.
Across the road was a large supermarket.
But a fence separated them from it.
Traffic flowed continuously.
Crossing directly would be dangerous and improper.
Facing two possible routes, Jiang Jingye looked at Su Nuo, signaling her to decide.
After a moment of hesitation, Su Nuo suddenly recalled some vague memories.
She confidently chose the right path.
As expected, after walking about fifty meters around the corner, they saw a traffic light at the intersection.
It was amazing.
Su Nuo silently marveled.
This place was exactly like the urban village where she had lived after graduating from university.
Rather than strange, it felt more like the wonder of being inside a novel.
Although she had never described this place in her writing, this world still had countless connections to reality.
After crossing the road, Su Nuo stopped Jiang Jingye just as he was about to enter the supermarket.
“Are you hungry? Let’s eat something first. I know a place nearby that sells fried rice. It is really delicious.”
Jiang Jingye nodded and followed her.
They turned into a deep alley.
Inside, small snack shops were tightly packed together. Most customers were students. Lively chatter mixed with the smell of food, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
“This is the university district snack street. Do not underestimate it. Competition here is intense. Any shop that survives here has its specialty, focusing on good quality and low prices,” Su Nuo explained.
She walked toward the innermost part of the alley, her ponytail swaying behind her like a lively little rabbit.
Su Nuo stopped in front of a fried rice stall and looked at the long queue.
She turned back excitedly and waved at Jiang Jingye. “I am eating here. Do you want some too?”
Jiang Jingye looked at the iron griddle. Hot oil sizzled as the owner tossed the wok. Each grain of rice was coated with egg and ingredients, golden and fragrant, making his long suppressed appetite slowly rise.
“Alright,” he replied, walking over.
He stood beside her, shoulder to shoulder.
“Do you eat spicy food? Mild, medium, or extra spicy?”
“Same as you.”
Su Nuo was focused entirely on the frying pan, not noticing a man with a sleazy expression standing behind her, staring at her and occasionally leaning in to smell the scent in her hair.
Jiang Jingye’s brows subtly furrowed.
He then stepped back slightly without drawing attention, placing himself in front of Su Nuo protectively.
There was no direct contact, but his nose happened to be near the top of her head.
A faint, clean fragrance drifted into his senses.
He suddenly understood that man’s vulgar behavior.
Even he could not resist breathing in a little longer.
The man behind them glared at Jiang Jingye.
Seeing he could not get any advantage, he lost interest and left resentfully.
One fried rice after another came out, and finally it was their turn.
Su Nuo carried two plates of mild spicy fried rice and sat down at a small roadside table. Jiang Jingye followed and tasted a bite.
“Is it good?” Su Nuo looked at him proudly.
Jiang Jingye nodded. “Yes, very fragrant.”
Satisfied, Su Nuo became even more energetic, chatting as she ate.
“This shop has been open for over twenty years. It is a proper old brand. Even this stool you are sitting on is basically an antique.”
She kept talking while Jiang Jingye quietly listened.
His spoon did not stop. Soon, his bowl was empty.
Seeing this, Su Nuo immediately pushed her own bowl toward him.
“Want more? I will share half.”
Jiang Jingye handed her his empty bowl. Su Nuo carefully scooped more meat and egg from her portion into his, insisting, “This half is untouched. Do not mind it.”
“We will probably keep coming here in the future,” she said while eating. “You eat one and a half bowls, I eat half a bowl. No waste, and we both get full. Perfect.”
Just then, a stylishly dressed young man walked over.
He looked like a university student from nearby.
Curly hair, branded sportswear, latest model iPhone in hand.
He looked like someone from a well-off family.
“Miss, you are really pretty. Can I add your WeChat?”