Although she didn’t lack money, Jiang Fuyue didn’t refuse Xie Dingyuan’s kindness.
Once the program was set, only then did they realize their hands were still joined.
Jiang Fuyue wanted to pull back, but he wouldn’t let go.
In the end, it secretly turned into their fingers interlacing.
“Is the matter over in F Continent handled?”
“For now, it’s come to a temporary end.”
Jiang Fuyue raised her brows. “Temporary? What do you mean?”
Xie Dingyuan: “Although the first-phase vaccine against the Schankwo virus has been developed successfully, the virus is evolving. The vaccine may very well become ineffective.”
“Then what do you do?”
“Research phase two.”
“You still have to go to F Continent?”
“Mm.” The man nodded lightly. “Only in epidemic regions can we discover more unknown strains.”
Jiang Fuyue nodded. “…When did you come back?”
“Ahem… yesterday.”
“So, these—” Jiang Fuyue pointed to the flowers beside her, and the candles farther off, “—were all premeditated?”
Xie Dingyuan sneaked a glance at her. “Mm.”
Suddenly, “Who taught you this?”
“What?”
“Roses, candles—it’s not your style.”
The man’s lips twitched.
Jiang Fuyue blinked. “Can’t say? Could it be some female friend gave you the idea?”
“I don’t have female friends,” the man muttered, “only a girlfriend…”
Jiang Fuyue: cough!
She suddenly felt struck by sweetness.
“You don’t like it?” Xie Dingyuan’s eyes swept over the candles about to burn out—broken, incomplete, not as beautiful as when first lit.
Jiang Fuyue smiled. “Liking isn’t about the gift itself.”
“Then what is it about?” He asked in a silly, earnest way.
“It’s about—the one giving the gift.”
Xie Dingyuan’s heart skipped, his breath caught. “Then… do you like the one giving it?”
Jiang Fuyue: “He’s okay.”
Upon hearing this, the man wasn’t disappointed at all, but instead curved his lips in satisfaction.
He thought, now it’s only “okay,” but one day, it will become “like very much.”
“Clearly you were home yourself, but tricked me into coming over to water the plants. Pretty crafty, Professor Xie?”
The man touched his nose awkwardly. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come…”
“Here.” Jiang Fuyue pointed to the watering can on the floor. “You water them yourself.”
Xie Dingyuan gave a small cough. “…Actually, there aren’t any potted plants in the master bedroom.”
Some people really are dogs.
…
Seeing the candles almost burned out, Jiang Fuyue had him turn on the lights.
“Oh.” The man obeyed like a well-behaved little daughter-in-law.
With the lights on, the two began cleaning up the wax on the floor.
Jiang Fuyue discovered that the “heart shape” had first been drawn on, then candles placed along it.
Once the candles were removed, the white lines underneath couldn’t be hidden.
There were even traces of compass and ruler: He must have first drawn a straight line, then used one-fourth of its length as radius to draw a circle, then another circle tangent to it. Next, using the left circle’s center as origin, and a point on the upper right edge of the right circle as the start, he drew downward until reaching the tangent line of both circles…
Late-stage OCD never disappoints.
Jiang Fuyue also looked carefully at the bouquet of roses—every flower the same height, nearly identical in size.
Even the folds of the wrapping paper were like copy-paste.
She: “…”
After finishing the cleanup, Jiang Fuyue swished the curtains open. Sunlight poured in, and she squinted, a little uncomfortable.
The next second, the man stepped forward and drew the sheer white layer across, softening the light immediately.
“Direct strong light isn’t good for the eyes.”
“…Oh.”
Just then, a phone rang.
Jiang Fuyue: “Hello?”
“Sis, where did you go? When are you coming back?” It was her younger brother.
Jiang Fuyue: “Right away.”
“Then I’ll start cooking?”
“Mm.”
After final exams ended, her little brother spent every day either helping the team film videos and livestream, or cooking at home.
He had grown taller and stronger; no longer any worry about not reaching the stovetop or lifting the heavy wok.
Maybe he inherited Jiang Da’s cooking talent—he was especially interested in making food.
Every day after finishing homework, he’d soak in the kitchen—either poring over recipes or cooking directly.
He even had a “Food Notebook” recording all his signature dishes.
From ingredient selection, to preparation, to plating—everything was clear and orderly.
She’d seen him writing in it a few times. Honestly, it wasn’t bad at all.
Occasionally, when Jiang Da had time, he’d guide him, and for what he didn’t know, the boy would actively ask.
Han Yunru, the Cao-family chef group, even the new pastry chef at the shop, were all his teachers.
Uncle Sanpang laughed at him: “Trying to gather the wisdom of a hundred masters, eh? Surpassing the old with the new?”
The little brother scratched his head.
Cao Fuman turned to tease Jiang Da: “Senior Brother, I think Chenxing is going places—you’d better watch out.”
Not long ago, Cao Dazhuang came by. Seeing Jiang Chenxing busy in the kitchen, and Jiang Fuyue on the sofa with her laptop, he couldn’t help commenting—
“These siblings seem swapped, don’t they? The one who should be in the kitchen isn’t, and the one who shouldn’t is diving in headfirst. Tsk!”
Han Yunru calmly said: “These days it’s equality. No such thing as who should or shouldn’t. Let the child do what he likes.”
Jiang Da nodded, one hundred percent supporting his wife: “Right!”
Cao Fuman: “…”
Little brother also said, “It doesn’t matter if Sis can’t cook. I’ll cook for her. I’ll even wash the dishes.”
“You’ll cook for your sister your whole life?”
The boy thought carefully. “…If she’s willing, of course I can!”
Hearing this, the Cao uncles couldn’t help but laugh.
Jiang Chenxing knew they didn’t believe him, treating him as a clueless kid.
But he knew—his words were true!
“Sis, believe me, okay?” The boy tugged her sleeve, shaking it lightly, whispering, “I’ll definitely make lots and lots of delicious food for you in the future.”
Jiang Fuyue rubbed his head with a smile. “Okay.”
And so…
Her three meals a day were all taken over by her little brother.
After the call, Jiang Fuyue put her phone away.
“I’ll head back first.”
Xie Dingyuan had heard on the call that her brother was waiting for her to eat. Though he didn’t want her to leave, he had no reason to stop her, so—
“I’ll take you.”
“Mm.”
He walked her out of the villa.
Jiang Fuyue: “Just here is fine.”
“Mm.”
Suddenly—
“Jiang Fuyue!”
The girl turned back, sunlight spilling over her, making her features all the more beautiful.
The wind blew hair across her cheek; she lifted her hand and brushed it aside.
“What is it?”
Xie Dingyuan: “Are we… considered together now?”
Jiang Fuyue raised her brows. “I guess… we are?”
“Can you drop the ‘I guess’?”
The girl laughed. “We are!”
“Then you’re my girlfriend now.” He said it seriously, gaze steady, expression solemn.
A straight-man style seal of confirmation.
Jiang Fuyue turned back, stopping before him, their eyes meeting, breath close.
“Then you’re also my boyfriend.”
“Mm, I am.” He smiled, and maybe the sunlight was too bright, but even his usually stern brows and eyes seemed tinged with warmth.
…
“Sis, you’re back—”
“Mm.” Jiang Fuyue changed into slippers and walked to the dining room.
Her little brother’s voice came from inside: “Dinner’s ready!”
Before eating, Jiang Fuyue asked if there was extra food.
“Yes! I made a lot.” Anyway, even if there were leftovers, he could finish them.
Jiang Fuyue: “I want to pack some, to give to a… friend.”
“Sure~ I’ll pack it now, so it’s not just scraps later.” The boy happily went to pack it.
Just… if someday he found out who this food was being sent to, would he still be this happy?
…
In the evening, sunset dyed half the sky red.
Gray-blue and orange intertwined like a painting, waiting for nightfall.
Standing at the villa gate, Jiang Fuyue sent Xie Dingyuan a WeChat: [I’m at the door.]
Not half a minute later, hurried footsteps came.
Gone was his usual composure.
The moment he saw her, joy flashed in his eyes.
“Why are you here?”
“Not welcome?”
“How could that be? I couldn’t be happier…” Saying so, he took her hand and led her in.
Suddenly, he stopped, brought her back to the gate.
At the iron gate’s fingerprint sensor, he recorded her fingerprint, then went to the entry door to do the same.
Explaining: “This way it’s more convenient.”
Jiang Fuyue let him guide her finger over and over. Her eyes fell on his side profile—whatever he did, even just recording a fingerprint, he did with a kind of devout concentration.
Sensing her gaze, Xie Dingyuan turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on.” He led her inside.
The disposable shoe covers had been put away. Instead, there was a pair of pink women’s house slippers.
“Wear these, they’re new.”
Jiang Fuyue slipped them on—they fit perfectly. “When did you buy them?”
“…”
The man didn’t answer.
Jiang Fuyue looked up, only to find him staring straight at her feet.
“?”
