Upon hearing this, Chen Yuanxing was more than happy to agree and readily replied, "Okay."
"Didn't you not pay your tuition? What will you do if you don't have money for next year's school?" Xiao Qiqi didn't quite believe Chen Yuanxing's words, but she was still a little worried that he might be telling the truth.
Chen Yuanxing turned to look at Xiao Qiqi, his phoenix eyes crinkling with a smile, "You're really cute, Sister Qiqi."
Xiao Qiqi threw the cushion at his head, yelling, "You lied to me!"
Chen Yuanxing grabbed the cushion and hugged it comfortably. "Why are all the things in your house so comfortable? Can I have this?" he said, glancing around at the other person.
Xiao Qiqi sighed helplessly, "Young Master!"
"Yes, sir!" Chen Yuanxing stood up abruptly and saluted. "Reporting to the commander, the young master is here!"
Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but laugh. Seeing Xiao Qiqi laugh, Chen Yuanxing sat down with a grin. Xiao Qiqi thought for a moment, then said sternly, "From now on, don't interfere in my affairs, especially things like last night's beating incident. Don't act impulsively."
"I'd beat that idiot a hundred times if I saw him a hundred times, hehe, Xiao Qiqi, what you say won't change anything. You're not the first woman I've stood up for, so don't get too cocky." This was the excuse Chen Yuanxing had come up with for himself after thinking about it all night. Didn't he used to fight for pretty female classmates too?
Xiao Qiqi wasn't worried about that. "That's not what I meant. I meant that BeiX City is full of hidden talents. You could throw a brick and hit an official. Who knows which one might have a very powerful background? If you act so impulsively, what if you really run into someone you don't want to mess with? What if Zhou Zijian can't protect you anymore?"
One sentence struck a chord with Chen Yuanxing, who slammed his hand on the computer in frustration, "Xiao Qiqi, couldn't you find another topic to talk about?"
Xiao Qiqi had no idea that he had been severely scolded by his mother early this morning because of what happened last night. Who knew where his mother got her ears, knowing about such a trivial matter? If it weren't for his aunt's timely intervention, he wouldn't have been able to leave the house today. That's why he packed his computer and game console, preparing to run away from home and take care of this sickly and unlucky woman.
Xiao Qiqi looked at him strangely, "You don't like listening to me? What's wrong with you that you hit people so easily?"
"My mom spoils me, isn't that enough?" Chen Yuanxing retorted coldly. He actually had a very good temper and had always been an extremely well-behaved child. But at some point, he developed a habit of fighting and causing trouble, simply to get his mother's attention and scolding after a fight. Who can understand a child's mind? Later, as he grew older, during his rebellious phase, coupled with his hot-blooded youth, his father sent him to learn judo, making fighting even more inevitable. Strangely, despite his love of fighting, everyone unanimously said he had a good temper. A good temper and fighting formed a bizarre combination in Chen Yuanxing. Take his attitude towards Xiao Qiqi, for example. He couldn't tolerate anyone, allowing Xiao Qiqi to be difficult, verbally and physically abusive, ignore her, cry, and argue during her hospitalization, stubbornly protecting a girl he barely knew until the very end. Perhaps this was just an exception; who knows?
"Your mom really loves you." Xiao Qiqi sensed that Chen Yuanxing was angry and muttered under her breath, not daring to raise her voice.
Chen Yuanxing turned around abruptly, looked at Xiao Qiqi strangely, and after a long while added, "My mother loves me very much." Little did they know that years later, when Xiao Qiqi truly felt Chen Yuanxing's mother's "love," it was a completely different experience.
Twenty, sleeping together
"Xiao Qiqi, what are we having for dinner?" Chen Yuanxing stopped playing on the computer, clutching his stomach. He had escaped from home that morning, gone to several shopping malls, and only managed to eat a quick bread. But the thought of black chicken soup had whetted his appetite.
Xiao Qiqi remained curled up on the sofa, not wanting to eat anything. She shook her head and said, "I don't want to eat anything. Go out and buy something to eat yourself."
"The food outside is so bad." Chen Yuanxing frowned in distress, missing his aunt's cooking. But he absolutely couldn't go back tonight. His mother must have a lot of things to say to him. Sigh, why doesn't she go abroad or go on a business trip?
Xiao Qiqi had a hot water bottle and drank some warm chicken soup, so she felt much better. She buried her head in the cushion and said, "What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."
"Really? You can cook?" Chen Yuanxing jumped up, then deflated, "You're not well, how can you cook?"
Xiao Qiqi shook her head: "It's okay, I'm much better now. You help me wash the vegetables, I'll cook, it'll be done in a bit."
"Wash vegetables?" Chen Yuanxing repeated with difficulty, a forced smile playing on his lips. "But I don't know how."
"What's wrong with washing vegetables?" Xiao Qiqi looked at him amusedly. "Anyway, it's your choice. If you help me wash the vegetables, I'll cook for you. Otherwise, you can go out to eat at a restaurant."
Chen Yuanxing weighed his options, gritted his teeth, and said, "Fine, I'll help you wash the vegetables, but you have to teach me."
"Okay, of course I have to keep an eye on you, otherwise what if you don't wash it properly?" Xiao Qiqi rolled her eyes at him. "Then go buy the groceries now."
"What, we need to buy groceries too?"
"I didn't even go out today, of course I didn't buy groceries. What would you eat if I didn't buy any?" Xiao Qiqi retorted. "By the way, you haven't never bought groceries before, have you?"
Chen Yuanxing chuckled, "I've seen other people buy groceries at the supermarket."
Xiao Qiqi was stunned. "How about this? Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll write you a list so you can go buy it, okay?"
Chen Yuanxing's eyes lit up. "Really? You'll make whatever I want to eat?"
Seeing his greedy expression, Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but chuckle. "No, you have to tell me first so I know if I can do it or not." Her cooking skills were passed down from her father, and although they weren't outstanding, they were still quite presentable.
"Then I want to eat meat, fish, seafood, chicken, duck, anything is fine." These were the only things Chen Yuanxing could think of; vegetables were not on his list.
"That's too vague." Xiao Qiqi frowned. "Okay, I'll decide what to do. Give me a pen."
Chen Yuanxing quickly found paper and pen for her, "Okay, anything is fine as long as it's not vegetables."
Xiao Qiqi looked down and wrote, "Hey, you don't eat vegetables?"
Chen Yuanxing frowned deeply, looking bitter and resentful: "It's awful, you can't even chew it properly."
"Okay, then let's add some romaine lettuce."
"No, no, why would I eat romaine lettuce?" Chen Yuanxing tugged at Xiao Qiqi's pen. "Xiao Qiqi, you're not deliberately trying to make me eat vegetables, are you?"
Xiao Qiqi rolled her eyes at him, "A grown man like you is still picky about food? You have the nerve to say that, but I'd rather not cook for you."
Chen Yuanxing pouted: "Anyway, you can eat it yourself, I won't eat it."
Xiao Qiqi continued writing, "Shall we eat mutton?"
Chen Yuanxing quickly agreed: "I'll eat any kind of meat."
"Then let's make mutton stew with radish, it's nourishing in winter."
"Not bad, not bad." Chen Yuanxing smiled broadly. "Xiao Qiqi, I didn't expect you to be such a good wife and mother."
Xiao Qiqi's eyes narrowed. "She's just making do to get by, what's all this talk about being a virtuous wife and loving mother!"
Chen Yuanxing immediately stopped talking, realizing he had said the wrong thing again. He snatched the paper from Xiao Qiqi's hand, pretending not to understand her disappointment, "But what if I don't recognize these things?"
"Gah, have you eaten it yet?" Xiao Qiqi's thoughts were diverted by him, and she covered her forehead.
Chen Yuanxing nodded, "I've eaten it cooked, but I've never seen it raw."
Xiao Qiqi rolled her eyes. "Then go ask at each stall in the market. I've already written down the weight for you."
"Oh." Chen Yuanxing was a little dejected. "Just ask, it's not like you're so great." He got dressed and went out.
Xiao Qiqi chased after him out of the living room and asked, "Do you know where the market is? It's just to the left after you exit the alley."
"What, we have to go to the farmers market?" Chen Yuanxing asked, his shoe hanging in the air. "I'm going to the supermarket."
"No way, supermarkets are too expensive!" Xiao Qiqi exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Young Master!"
"Alright, alright, the market it is then." Afraid that Xiao Qiqi would nag any longer, Chen Yuanxing quickly put on his shoes and left. "Don't come out, there's a cold draft when you open the door."
Xiao Qiqi felt a warmth in her heart again. This big boy seemed to know nothing and was always laughing and joking, but he was actually so kind-hearted and sometimes so considerate that it was impossible not to be moved.
Chen Yuanxing had only been gone a short while when his phone started ringing. Xiao Qiqi ignored it, but the phone kept ringing like a fully inflated balloon, ringing and then stopping. Annoyed by the noise, Xiao Qiqi picked it up to see the local number, hesitated for a moment, then answered, quickly saying, "Hello, Chen Yuanxing is out. Could you please help me..."
"Oh, Yuanxing isn't here. Who are you?" a middle-aged woman's gentle voice asked.
"I am... his friend. I'll have him call you back when he gets back?" Xiao Qiqi answered cautiously.
"It's nothing, I was just asking him if he'd be home for dinner tonight. I'm his aunt, so just tell him... his mom's back and waiting for him to eat."
"So it's Auntie." Xiao Qiqi felt a warmth in her heart. Was this the auntie who made soup for her?
"You're Yuanxing's girlfriend, right? Come back and visit with Yuanxing sometime." The aunt was in a very good mood.
Xiao Qiqi was speechless, but couldn't explain, "...Auntie, thank you for the soup today."
"It's alright, it's alright, I'll make it for you again tomorrow. I'll have Yuanxing take it to you. Yuanxing, that child has never taken care of anyone since he was little, and he's careless. Don't be angry, girl. Just teach him a bit more, and he'll be fine. Actually, he's very obedient and well-behaved..."
Xiao Qiqi quickly and modestly replied a few words. The auntie was really talkative; Xiao Qiqi felt sweat starting to bead on her forehead. It turned out there was a reason why Chen Yuanxing was sometimes such a chatterbox. However, after a few more words, the auntie said someone was looking for her and then hung up. Xiao Qiqi pressed the hang-up button and breathed a sigh of relief. This was truly an inexplicable misunderstanding.
A while later, Chen Yuanxing returned with a chill in his air. Xiao Qiqi frowned when she saw the various supermarket bags in his hands: "Didn't you say you were going to the farmers' market?"
Chen Yuanxing took off his clothes and then pulled out a pair of large, fluffy slippers from the bag. "Hehe, let's go buy shoes and groceries while we're at it."
Xiao Qiqi glared at him, but he happily changed his shoes, exclaiming, "Wow, so comfortable! It's much better than having half a foot sticking out."
Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but laugh when she saw his fluffy, light yellow slippers: "How childish, wearing slippers that little girls like."
Chen Yuanxing stomped his feet and spun around the room. "Hehe, what a warm color! Unlike you, all black, looking like a little widow... a bird." Chen Yuanxing's mind raced, and he came up with a nonsensical word.
Having spent more time with him, Xiao Qiqi knew that he was never serious and didn't bother to get angry. She crossed her arms and said, "I answered your aunt's call for you just now."
Chen Yuanxing rummaged through the things he had bought. "Auntie? What did she say?"
"She asked if you were going home for dinner tonight, saying your mom was waiting for you to eat together." Xiao Qiqi automatically ignored the rest of what her so-called "girlfriend" said.
Chen Yuanxing jumped up, ran into the room, and turned off his phone. "Thank goodness."
"What's wrong?" Xiao Qiqi looked at him strangely.
He brushed the hair from his forehead and sighed, "Thank goodness it wasn't my mom."
What's wrong with your mom?
Chen Yuanxing squinted at her, "Why are you being so gossipy?"
Xiao Qiqi stopped asking questions and said, "It's getting late, let's get ready."
Chen Yuanxing put aside his worries at home, took the groceries into the kitchen, and Xiao Qiqi took off her down jacket, put on a big sweater, and then entered the kitchen to start directing Chen Yuanxing on washing the vegetables. Then her ears were ringing with Chen Yuanxing's complaints. He grumbled while washing the bok choy, and when washing the mutton, he practically covered his eyes, complaining about the cold water, the gamey smell, and the nausea—his mouth never stopped. Xiao Qiqi was too lazy to pay attention to him, just keeping a close eye on what he was doing, afraid he'd slack off.
Soon Chen Yuanxing was sweating profusely, and the kitchen was a complete mess, with water stains, vegetable leaves, and meat scraps flying everywhere. Xiao Qiqi suppressed a groan and finally said, "Young Master, don't tell me you've never been in the kitchen before?"
Chen Yuanxing stretched out his long, slender fingers in front of Xiao Qiqi, "Look at my delicate fingers, do they look like they're for working? Besides, a gentleman stays away from the kitchen, what would a grown man like me do in the kitchen!"
Xiao Qiqi rolled her eyes and said weakly, "Drain the mutton and cut it into chunks."
Chen Yuanxing struggled to hold the knife, his handsome face contorted in a grimace. "If I'd known it would be this difficult, I would have gone out to eat."
Seeing that his knife-wielding posture was really bad, Xiao Qiqi couldn't guarantee he wouldn't cut his hand if he continued like this, so she gritted her teeth and said, "Alright, go out, I'll do it myself."
“No, the book says you can’t be exposed to cold or cold water.” Chen Yuanxing said seriously, “It’s just chopping vegetables, isn’t that easy?” He waved the cleaver, looking for a direction, but still didn’t know where to start after a long time.
Xiao Qiqi looked for rubber gloves. "I've been doing this for years, it's been going on for ages. Stop arguing, move aside." She then took the knife from Chen Yuanxing's hand. "Couldn't you at least boil some water for me?"
Chen Yuanxing nodded hurriedly, "I've worked for you before, I know how."
Chen Yuanxing watched Xiao Qiqi deftly cut the meat and radish, and marinate the meat with seasonings. He clicked his tongue and said, "Is eating mutton really this complicated? I should have just eaten something simpler."
Xiao Qiqi marinated the meat, took off her gloves, and poured hot water to scald her hands. "The bok choy is simple; I'll give you all of it in a bit."
"No!" Chen Yuanxing answered firmly and quickly, "A real man would rather die than eat romaine lettuce."
Xiao Qiqi chuckled, went out of the kitchen, found some tissues to wipe her hands, and Chen Yuanxing shuffled out. "Sister, let me warm your hands." He grabbed Xiao Qiqi's hand and held it in his own. "How are they? My hands are warm, aren't they?"
Xiao Qiqi stared blankly at his face, which was full of sincere smiles. His hands were indeed very warm, but... Xiao Qiqi abruptly pulled her hand back. "No need, thank you."
Cold and distant, Chen Yuanxing was momentarily lost in thought before carelessly shouting, "Xiao Qiqi, the dog that bites Lü Dongbin."
Braised mutton in a clay pot takes an hour. Adding the time for preparing the vegetables, marinating the meat, and stir-frying, it was already two hours later when it was time to eat. Chen Yuanxing, nestled on the sofa, groaned like Xiao Qiqi, clutching his stomach, "Xiao Qiqi, you bad woman, you're going to starve me to death!"
Xiao Qiqi turned off the stove in the kitchen and tapped him on the head, "There's white rice, you can eat it."
Chen Yuanxing, with a greedy look on his face, tugged at the hem of Xiao Qiqi's sweater, "Sister, how am I supposed to eat without any food?"