After saying the name, Ji Yuning looked away from Hao Yingman and said to Fang Bai in a calm voice, "I'll go cook."
Fang Bai was about to say no, but Ji Yuning had already turned around, leaving Fang Bai with only her back to him.
It wasn't until Ji Yuning's figure disappeared into the kitchen that the other two finally made eye contact.
Hao Yingman, holding a bath towel, prepared to walk towards Fang Bai, but after taking a step, she seemed to remember something and stopped in her tracks.
Fang Bai glanced at Hao Yingman, then sighed and said, "Go get dressed."
Hao Yingman lowered her head, only then realizing that she was only wrapped in a bath towel. "Why didn't you let me wear it earlier?"
It all happened so fast that she didn't have time to warn anyone, and besides... she was so caught up in Ji Yuning's presence that she forgot what she was supposed to do, so how could she possibly remember Hao Yingman?
Fang Bai said, "I didn't know it was Xiao Ning; I thought it was takeout."
Hao Yingman's eyes widened: "Did it come suddenly?"
Then Hao Yingman caught a glimpse of something: Xiao Ning... Ji Yuning?
She, who was initially clueless, suddenly realized something, her gaze falling on Fang Bai, her wandering eyes gradually becoming ambiguous.
Hao Yingman crossed her arms and said with a smile, "This is your little lover? He's quite good-looking."
It's a bit cold, a bit... scary.
Hao Yingman walked up to Fang Bai, bumped his shoulder, and said, "Don't we look like we've been caught in the act?"
Where did the bed come from?
What else is there to catch someone cheating?
Fang Bai frowned: "I said no."
Fang Bai added, "Xiao Ning is calling you 'Auntie,' can't you act like one?"
Hao Yingman blinked: "Did she call me? I didn't hear it. She only told me her name the whole time, and you were the one who made her say it."
Fang Bai remained silent. When Ji Yuning asked her, she confirmed that she hadn't called Hao Yingman "Auntie" to her face.
Just then, Ji Yuning's indistinct voice came from the kitchen: "Auntie."
"I'm talking to you." Hao Yingman patted Fang Bai's shoulder. "I'm going to change my clothes."
Hao Yingman turned and went to lie on her side.
Fang Bai stood there for a while, until the furrow between her brows relaxed, then she strolled towards the kitchen.
As they walked, he asked, "What's wrong?"
In about five steps, Fang Bai arrived at the kitchen.
Ji Yuning took off her coat and tied it around her waist as she bent over to wash the vegetables.
Seeing Fang Bai approaching out of the corner of her eye, Ji Yuning straightened up, put the vegetables aside, shook the water off her hands, turned to face Fang Bai, and placed her arms in a V-shape at her sides. "Clothes."
Fang Bai stepped forward and reached out to untie the knot that Ji Yuning had tied around her waist.
Ji Yuning tied two knots, and when Fang Bai untied the first one, she said softly, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I could have picked you up from the airport."
Ji Yuning lowered her eyes, staring at the head bowed in front of her, her forced composure showing signs of crumbling.
She whispered, "I wanted to give you a surprise."
Fang Bai untied all the knots, pulled the clothes into her hands, and looked at Ji Yuning while tidying the clothes, "It's really a surprise. I didn't expect to see you as soon as I opened the door."
Fang Bai hugged the clothes to his chest and asked, "Are you tired? I'll cook, you go and rest."
She didn't get a reply from Ji Yuning; instead, she got closer to Ji Yuning.
Ji Yuning hugged her.
Ji Yuning's hands were still wet, so she put her arm around Fang Bai's waist, rested her head on Fang Bai's shoulder and neck, and asked in a low voice, "Did you miss me?"
Fang Bai's hand, which was holding the clothes, was positioned right at Ji Yuning's abdomen. When it touched Ji Yuning's firm skin, his fingers instinctively withdrew quickly. She pursed her lips and said, "Yes."
I'm still thinking about how to start a conversation with you.
Ji Yuning was not pleased with this answer. Her restrained possessiveness cracked, and she whispered in Fang Bai's ear, "If I hadn't come, what was Auntie planning to do with her?"
She didn't say her name, but both of them knew who she was referring to.
Fang Bai said, "Maybe we'll go out for a meal."
"Didn't you say you were going to cook for yourself?"
Fang Bai didn't hide anything: "I thought you were going to order takeout for me, that's why I said that."
Ji Yuning smelled Fang Bai's fragrance and asked in a hoarse voice, "Has Auntie ever cooked for other people?"
Fang Bai shook his head: "No."
She thought for a moment and added, "I've only ever done it for you."
No one can resist being treated as an exception; just three words are enough to make someone's heart flutter.
The coldness in Ji Yuning's eyes began to warm up. Her hands were already dry. She pressed her palms against Fang Bai's waist and slowly tightened them, as if she wanted to knead Fang Bai into her body, into her blood, and become one with him.
Fang Bai had been hugged by Ji Yuning many times. Some hugs stopped after a brief touch, while others, like this one, would not stop unless stopped.
She's used to either one.
So even though Ji Yuning buried her head in the crook of her neck, Fang Bai didn't find it strange. It was just that Ji Yuning's breath tickled her a little.
Fang Bai poked Ji Yuning with his finger, intending to tell her to move away, but what he said was, "Little Ning, are you being coquettish?"
Just when Fang Bai thought Ji Yuning wouldn't answer her question, she heard a voice say, "Hmm."
A very soft sound.
Ji Yuning admitted it, admitted she was being coquettish?
In a daze, Fang Bai felt a soft touch brush against his neck, even more itchy than Ji Yuning's breath.
Then the weight on his shoulders disappeared, and Fang Bai heard Ji Yuning say, "The food will be ready soon, Auntie, go and wait."
Ji Yuning spoke naturally, and her expression showed nothing wrong, so Fang Bai assumed it was an accident, that she had misunderstood.
But the lingering strawberry scent wouldn't dissipate.
Holding Ji Yuning's coat, Fang Bai said in a low voice, "Okay, call me if you need anything."
From the kitchen to the living room, Fang Bai casually draped Ji Yuning's clothes over the sofa.
Hao Yingman changed her clothes and came out of the side bedroom, only to see Fang Bai standing by the sofa, lost in thought.
She walked over and asked, "What are you doing?"
Fang Bai was awakened, shook his head and said, "It's nothing."
"Perfect timing, I have a question for you." Hao Yingman cupped her hand to her lips and lowered her voice, "Ji Yuning isn't the same Ji Yuning from FJ, is she?"
While getting dressed, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd heard the name somewhere before. Then, when she picked up her phone and saw a message from Lu Raomei, she remembered.
No wonder it sounds familiar.
This collaboration is with FJ, isn't it?
Fang Bai nodded: "Mm."
Hao Yingman covered her mouth, recalling Ji Yuning's gaze a few minutes earlier, and heard the sound of a chopping board coming from the kitchen, sending chills down her spine.
She thought for a moment, picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder, then said to the other person, "I'm leaving now."
Fang Bai asked in surprise, "Aren't you going to eat?"
Can she eat it? In this situation, every second that goes by will turn on a watt.
Hao Yingman: "Yes, I have an appointment."
Fang Bai didn't insist on keeping him. "Alright then, drive carefully."
Hao Yingman nodded, "I'll pick you up tomorrow."
After seeing Hao Yingman off, Fang Bai didn't go to the kitchen. Instead, he sat on the sofa and waited quietly.
Fifteen minutes later, Fang Bai sat at the dining table, looking at the food on it, speechless for a moment.
The rice was store-bought steamed buns, and the vegetables...
Fang Bai's face scrunched up just looking at it.
Two dishes.
Stir-fried bitter melon, or cold bitter melon salad.
Fang Bai hesitated, her hand holding the chopsticks still trembling. She looked up at Ji Yuning sitting opposite her and asked, "Why is it all bitter melon?"
Ji Yuning remained calm. "It's good for reducing internal heat."
"..."
The meal ended quickly, and Fang Bai felt it was the most bitter meal she had ever eaten.
Unforgettable.
Seeing Ji Yuning get up, Fang Bai quickly picked up their bowls and chopsticks, saying, "I'll wash the dishes, you go and rest."
Ji Yuning didn't refuse, "Mm."
Fang Bai finished washing the dishes and came out of the kitchen. Ji Yuning was no longer in the living room. She took a tissue and wiped her hands. By the time she reached the bedroom door, her hands were dry.
Fang Bai threw the crumpled paper into the trash can by the door. He looked up and saw Ji Yuning standing motionless, her lips pressed into a straight line as she stared at a certain spot.
I don't know how long I stood there.
Fang Bai walked into the bedroom. "What are you looking at?"
She followed Ji Yuning's gaze and saw that Ji Yuning was looking at two suitcases piled in the corner, one standing upright and the other only half-packed and unpacked.
Not far from the suitcase, a white short-sleeved shirt lay on the bed.
The wardrobe next to the bed was opened, and it was empty except for that short-sleeved shirt lying alone on the bed, belonging neither to the wardrobe nor to the suitcase.
Fang Bai brushed the stray hairs covering his eyes aside and explained, "That's your pajamas. I didn't want to take it with me, so I thought..."
I threw it away.
She hadn't considered mailing it to Ji Yuning; she felt Ji Yuning didn't need the pajamas.