In the dead of winter, the boy nestled lazily in her arms, a smile on his handsome face, and casually said he wanted to eat fresh loquats.
He Yue searched almost the entire city of Sicheng before finally bringing him a small box.
The loquats were golden and plump. Qiu Qing'an glanced at them, then suddenly leaned in and kissed her with his rose-colored lips, his breath hot and his voice tender and murmured.
"Ah Yue, I knew you loved me the most."
She was his obsession, his guiding light.
27. Chapter 27
During the meal, Qiao Anchen seemed to have a good appetite, eating a little more than usual. When he reached for rice for the third time, Chu Yi couldn't help but ask.
Have my cooking skills improved recently?
Qiao Anchen paused for a moment, then said vaguely, "It seems so."
"Really?" Chu Yi was a little skeptical. She tasted each dish again, but they were still just average. They were far inferior to Qiao Anchen's usual cooking skills.
She muttered to herself, "No, I think it's still the same as before, not as delicious as yours."
“You probably can’t taste the difference yourself,” Qiao Anchen said, feigning calmness. Chu Yi pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"That's possible." After all, many people who cook don't have a big appetite when they eat, because they've been exposed to too much cooking fumes.
As usual, the two didn't talk much, mostly about trivial things. After dinner, Qiao Anchen washed the dishes, while Chu Yi lay half-reclined on the sofa eating fruit. The TV was on, showing a very popular variety show.
After he finished, he came over, took a strawberry from her plate, and put it in his mouth with perfect ease.
"What are you doing?" Chu Yi complained, protectively pulling the plate into her arms, looking at the few remaining pieces with some reluctance.
Qiao Anchen paused for a moment, seemingly speechless.
"Can't I even eat one?"
"No way! Go wash it yourself if you want to eat!" Chu Yi said indignantly. Qiao Anchen stood there silently staring at her, then turned and left after a moment.
Chu Yi felt inexplicably guilty and ashamed; she seemed to have become much worse at Qiao Anchen lately.
She was preparing to do something to salvage the situation, and if all else failed, she could give him the remaining few... Chu Yi was still struggling with her own thoughts when she saw Qiao Anchen walk over again, carrying a plate full of plump, large, and fresh red strawberries.
He sat down next to Chu Yi, handed her the plate in his hand, and remained calm.
"Eat."
"I don't want it," Chu Yi mumbled, staring down at the plate.
"I've already eaten a whole plate, you can eat it yourself."
“Then let’s eat together. There’s too much food; I can’t finish it all by myself.” Qiao Anchen said, then paused and added.
"I'm willing to share with you."
Chu Yi felt that his last sentence had a hidden meaning, or perhaps she herself was feeling guilty, but... Chu Yi swallowed hard, looking at the tempting plate of strawberries, and still compromised without any principles.
"Okay then." She eagerly reached out and started eating.
"I'm starting to eat."
“Mm.” Qiao Anchen nodded.
It was a rare occasion for the two of them to sit together like this one evening, eating fruit and watching a variety show. Chu Yi's eyes were glued to the TV screen. After a while, she couldn't help but look away to observe Qiao Anchen's expression.
He sat extremely upright, unlike Chu Yi who was crooked and slouching. He stared intently at the television as if he were engaged in some formal activity, showing great focus.
Chu Yi was surprised and exclaimed, "Can you understand it?"
Qiao Anchen's expression seemed to break down for a second as he turned to look at her.
Chu Yi belatedly realized that his question seemed a bit excessive. What did he mean by "you can understand it"? He wasn't mentally challenged.
She avoided eye contact and coughed awkwardly.
The main reason is that Qiao Anchen has never watched these entertainment programs before, and he has hardly ever watched TV dramas or movies. In Chu Yi's subconscious, he is like a vacuum insulator that isolates him from all of these things.
Chu Yi had unconsciously categorized Qiao Anchen with those retired elderly people in their seventies, eighties, and nineties.
As if in response to her words, Qiao Anchen turned his attention back to the variety show and gave a brief comment.
Are all the couples in the movie really married?
This variety show is a reality show featuring celebrity couples, including singers, actors, hosts, and full-time housewives. The show mainly showcases the heartwarming and sweet little details between the couples during their travels, as well as the interactions between each couple. It also allows viewers to appreciate the various beautiful scenery along the way.
Upon seeing this, Chu Yi immediately replied, "Of course!"
It features many of her favorite actresses and their husbands, all of whom have been married for many years. Each couple has a unique way of getting along, making it Chu Yi's favorite variety show recently.
"I thought they were all actors hired on purpose," Qiao Anchen said, feeling completely bewildered.
"Of course not, the audience isn't stupid."
"oh."
"Why did you say that?" Chu Yi was a little angry. She felt that her favorite show had been insulted by Qiao Anchen.
“I just feel,” Qiao Anchen turned his head and said slowly, “it’s a bit unreal.”
"Um???"
“They…” Qiao Anchen pointed to the television, somewhat confused.
"Is this really how you and your partner interact every day?"
Almost every couple in the story tells each other "I love you".
They kiss when they part.
They want to share everything, big or small, with each other immediately.
Every special holiday has its own unique way of being celebrated.
...
There are many other things they have never experienced.
The first-year students understood.
In Qiao Anchen's eyes, these things were probably unbelievable, because they had never lived like that before.
"Of course," she said seriously, feigning certainty.
"Do you think all marriages are as boring as ours? Normal married life is like this."
"Who said that?" Qiao Anchen retorted calmly and seriously.
"I think we're fine as we are."
He was very satisfied.
Apart from the little tantrum he threw at Chu Yi earlier, Qiao Anchen felt that his marriage was absolutely flawless.
Before getting married, Qiao Anchen had no imagination or longing for marriage whatsoever.
He has almost zero experience in relationships. His greatest interest since childhood has been reading, including law magazines, news cases, and all sorts of random books.
While everyone around him was starting to date, he didn't feel much for those beautiful young female classmates, and even thought they were less interesting than a book.
While everyone else was settling down and starting families, Qiao Anchen was still single. He didn't think there was anything wrong with it; in fact, he somewhat enjoyed living alone. However, the constant pressure from his family to get married over the past two years had been a bit of a hassle.
To resolve this issue, Qiao Anchen was forced to meet several blind dates with all sorts of women, each with different clothes, mannerisms, and ways of speaking. He felt nothing for them, and even the thought of living with them made him inexplicably resistant and averse to it.
Qiao Anchen felt that such social activities were meaningless and a waste of time. He was preparing to find time to have a good talk with his parents to announce his decision to stop blind dates. His family had already arranged for him to meet with Chu Yi in advance.
Qiao Anchen is a person with a strong sense of time and responsibility. He will do his best to fulfill the promises he makes. So even though he had a full day of work, he still took the time to meet with Chu Yi.
But unexpectedly, an exception occurred.
Qiao Anchen still remembers the first time he met Chu Yi.
The girl across from him sat there, her eyes crinkling into a smile, her voice soft and gentle, with a hint of babyishness, reminding Qiao Anchen of the kitten his mother had just weaned.
Unlike any of the blind dates he had met before, she was pink, docile, cute, and not aggressive at all.
Her long black hair was tied into a... messy little bun on top of her head. She didn't have any strange perfume smell, wasn't wearing makeup, had clear eyes, and her lips were a natural light pink.
For the first time ever, he didn't feel any aversion.
Chu Yi seems to have a natural affinity that makes people want to get close to her. Every time Qiao Anchen meets her, his impression of her deepens.
The feeling in his heart gradually changed, as if something that had just sprouted was slowly growing and expanding, eventually settling inside and firmly occupying a place in his heart.
Therefore, when he learned that he was going to marry her, Qiao Anchen's first reaction was not surprise and resistance, but a very complicated and inexplicable feeling.
It seemed like trepidation, nervousness, and even a hint of inexplicable anticipation.
But none of them contained anything related to rejection.
He readily accepted and agreed.
Married life was the most special experience he had had in his decades of life. Every day when he came home, the house was no longer empty. There was someone else living there who would smile at him, talk to him, and act cute and playful when he got off work.
Eating is for two people, going out is for two people, and even when we're just sitting together doing nothing, it's still just for two people.
The bed was always warm at night, and the air smelled fresh. Chu Yi was just as he had imagined—soft, gentle, and with a strange sweetness.
Qiao Anchen felt that this was much, much better than his life when he was single and unmarried.
The living room was brightly lit, and the television broadcast the laughter of the female guests, as well as the playful banter of their husbands.
Qiao Anchen's expression was very solemn, even carrying a hint of serious and dignified solemnity. From his face, Chu Yi could clearly see—
He was speaking from the heart.
Even from the bottom of their hearts.
"I think we're fine as we are."
He was truly satisfied with their married life and had no intention of changing anything.
Everything Chu Yi wanted to say vanished without a trace, and the familiar feeling of powerlessness surged into her heart again. She turned around and uttered two words expressionlessly.
"Alright."
Then she had nothing more to say.
Qiao Anchen didn't think he had done anything wrong, but Chu Yi was clearly unhappy. He sat silently for a while, but couldn't hold back any longer.