Contractual Cohabitation GL - Chapter 14

“Very cute.”

With this simple comment on the photo, she feigned nonchalance and turned to survey the room. Only after gradually settling down did she truly take in the furnishings. The room layout was extremely simple, and the lines and colors were very basic, making it genuinely hard to tell that this was a girl’s bedroom.

Involuntarily, some ideas for changes to the room surfaced in her mind—mostly things that would make the place look more like a home, with warmer colors and arrangements. But this thought only flashed briefly. Ye Luochen furrowed her delicate brows and walked towards the door, her steps remaining as elegant as ever.

Sensing a slight abnormality in the woman’s mood, Jing Xiaonan remained silent, following closely behind her. But precisely because she was behind her, Jing Xiaonan missed the blush that gradually rose on that jade-like face.

“That room used to be a bedroom, but I converted it into a gym after my parents moved out.” Jing Xiaonan walked ahead, opening the door first, continuing her role as tour guide. She turned to look at Ye Luochen, who had already returned to her usual tranquil and calm demeanor.

“Mhm.” Ye Luochen simply acknowledged, without saying much more. This time, she didn’t step inside, only standing at the doorway, looking at the room that could be fully viewed from there.

Near the door were three or four pieces of fitness equipment. Opposite them, in a small transparent glass cabinet, various colored model cars were displayed. In another corner, there was a guitar, a tennis racket, and a basketball. It was truly hard to imagine this was a girl’s home, but considering Jing Xiaonan’s unique personality, she had to admit that everything upstairs was perfectly aligned with her character.

A soft “Meow” brought both of them back to reality. Their eyes simultaneously focused on a ball of grayish-white fur by Jing Xiaonan’s left leg. The ball of fur rubbed against its owner’s leg, looking up pitifully at its owner, who was forgetting her pet in favor of a beautiful companion.

“It must be hungry.” Jing Xiaonan bent down to pick up William and then looked at Ye Luochen: “You also haven’t eaten much all day. It’s about time we had dinner.”

“Mhm.” She had indeed eaten very little that day. Although her appetite wasn’t large, going hungry like this was a bit unbearable. Ye Luochen had no objection to the suggestion, looking back at Jing Xiaonan submissively.

Jing Xiaonan, however, simply looked back at her, her expression surprisingly showing a hint of panic. Ye Luochen didn’t understand what she had said to elicit such a reaction, but her personality naturally wouldn’t allow her to ask. So, one person and one cat stared at Jing Xiaonan with wide eyes, making her scalp tingle.

After a moment, she managed to adjust her complicated feelings. Closing her slightly agape mouth, Jing Xiaonan placed William on the floor and spoke slowly, thinking carefully about each word: “Well, then, you can wander around and keep an eye on William. I’m going downstairs to the kitchen. When dinner is ready… I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

Just like that, under Ye Luochen’s slightly puzzled gaze, Jing Xiaonan slowly walked down the stairs.

The surrounding area was residential, but also a place where many takeout services could easily deliver. If she called to order now, the delivery time would likely be about the same as the time needed for cooking.

However, bringing this girl home today, Jing Xiaonan had secretly hoped she would experience life as it would be if they were cohabiting in the future. If she simply ordered takeout or took her out to eat, it wouldn’t achieve the desired feeling of a domestic setting. Twisting open the kitchen door, Jing Xiaonan stared blankly at this unfamiliar part of her home for quite a while.

The kitchen had quite a complete stock of ingredients. Aunt Chen would occasionally buy some groceries when she came to clean every other day. If Miss Qin Yan mentioned that Xiao Nan had no social engagements that evening, she would cook some dishes and leave them in the kitchen for her. This child, used to the taste of MSG in restaurant food, actually craved authentic home-cooked meals.

Therefore, Jing Xiaonan, who was unconsciously spoiled by so many people, only knew how to make simple pasta and fruit salad. These dishes were fine for afternoon tea or lunch, but to serve them as dinner for herself and Ye Luochen? Unimaginable.

Twisting her mouth, Jing Xiaonan pulled out her phone from the pocket of her linen straight-leg pants, searched for simple recipes, and then rummaged through the kitchen for ingredients and tools. Her clumsy movements and busy back, observed by Ye Luochen who had quietly crept to the kitchen doorway, gradually filled her usually tranquil heart with an indescribable feeling.

She lowered her eyes and thought for a while. The white figure then quietly walked away, leaving the completely unaware Jing Xiaonan to research various things in front of the stove.

Although it is often said that God does not unduly favor any child, inevitably leaving a flaw in one area while bestowing a talent in another, it must be said that Jing Xiaonan was indeed an oversight, an exception. Even though she always insisted on being a gentleman who stayed away from the kitchen, once she got over the initial confusion and started wielding the spatula, she was still a star, albeit a star rising over the realm of disastrous cooking.

It was a great pity, however, that this shining star was rising over the realm of disastrous cooking.

Jing Xiaonan scooped out a pile of decent-looking leafy greens from the pot and placed them on a plate. She looked at them doubtfully. Did she really cook this? It looks okay! But out of cautiousness and for insurance, she picked up a pair of ivory chopsticks from the side, carefully picked up a few stalks, and put them in her mouth.

…

The moment the food went down, Jing Xiaonan saw the Gates of the Western Pure Land opening wide. And there was an old woman standing by the misty, rainy bridge, offering a bowl of some kind of soup with a benevolent smile.

She really should have listened to Gao Jiong’s ominous advice and bought that life insurance.

Well, this will be William’s extra meal tonight. Jing Xiaonan thought to herself, scraping the wild grass from the plate onto the small dish on the floor.

Perhaps because he was hungry for too long, William was particularly sensitive to the sound of food being poured into his dish. As Jing Xiaonan straightened up, she saw William sprinting in from outside the door, followed by Ye Luochen, who had been quietly looking after the little pet.

“Do you need help?”

Hearing her question, Jing Xiaonan couldn’t help but look a little unnatural. With Ye Luochen’s delicate sensitivity, she had of course noticed the stammering in the other person’s speech ever since the topic of dinner came up. Now, not getting a direct answer, she thought for a moment and quickly understood.

Naturally, the sight of William sniffing the food dish, then subtly sneering and walking away, revealed a certain truth.

Shaking her head with a gentle laugh, she took two steps closer to the still-awkward Jing Xiaonan, extending her arms to circle her waist. Just as the other party’s brain stalled from this intimate gesture, she deftly untied the knot of the apron behind her, then slipped the apron off from around her neck.

“Let me do it.” Her soft words, spoken with such gentle elegance as she lowered her head to put on the apron, were filled with domestic tenderness. “You, now, you just go play nicely with William.”

Turning around dazedly, with a rare look of confusion, Jing Xiaonan slowly walked out of the kitchen. She took a breath, her right hand covering her heart which was still working overtime, still in disbelief.

She wasn’t paying attention to the TV in the living room for long before an enticing aroma of cooked food wafted out of the kitchen, gradually growing stronger.

Although the previous bite of disastrous cooking had left her with a foul aftertaste, smelling this fragrant aroma now made the hungry little worm in Jing Xiaonan’s belly ache with craving. Under the pretense of helping to set the table, she approached the kitchen doorway, only to see a woman in domestic attire gracefully carrying a white porcelain pot out.

William, meanwhile, was the first to rush to Ye Luochen’s feet, looking up at this kind-hearted human, then back at his inept-at-cooking owner. His eyes, full of disdain, were squeezed into a cross-eyed look. A cat’s nose is extremely sensitive. Smelling the scent of food clinging to Ye Luochen, the starving William desperately rubbed against the woman’s lower leg, letting out soft, pleading meows, regardless of whether he was startling the beauty or not.

Jing Xiaonan looked coldly at the little traitor. Traitor! Runaway cat! Then her gaze swept over the smooth, delicate lower leg in contact with the ball of fur, and she looked away slightly uncomfortably.

“Let me carry that.”

She reached out to take the white porcelain pot with the lid on, which was slightly hot. She carefully walked to the dining table opposite the living room, near the door, and placed the pot on a pad. Lifting the lid, she stared.

No chopsticks. Stealing a bite was a high-difficulty maneuver.

While she was struggling with this, Ye Luochen came over with a plate in each hand. Recalling the hot sensation, Jing Xiaonan quickly took the plates from her hands, then turned back to the kitchen to find bowls, chopsticks, and a ladle, and returned with a pot of rice.

“Time was a bit tight, so the soup is still simmering.” Ye Luochen took off her apron and folded it gracefully. “Since you’re hungry, let’s eat the other dishes first.”

This was the phrase she was waiting for! Jing Xiaonan pulled out a chair for Ye Luochen and seated her, then quickly picked up her chopsticks. Looking at the three dishes in front of her, her hand paused, momentarily unsure where to strike first.

A plate of sweet and sour Peking spare ribs, a plate of cold-dressed preserved eggs with red pepper, and the greens and tofu stew in the white porcelain pot. In less than an hour, three dishes, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, and visually appealing, were set before her. Jing Xiaonan picked up a piece of the spare rib and put it in her mouth, sighing contentedly.

“Proposing to you is the wisest, most correct, and most foresighted thing I, Jing Xiaonan, have done in my twenty-four years.”

Making this half-joking, half-sincere remark, Jing Xiaonan skillfully took the small white bowl in front of Ye Luochen, rolled up her sleeves, and served rice for both of them.

Ye Luochen, who had heard the sentence perfectly, paused. Her expression shifted from the slight happiness she felt because of Jing Xiaonan’s enjoyment of the food to a thoughtful look. However, the atmosphere around her still conveyed a sense of ease, and the gentle smile hadn’t left her lips.

Under the table, William, completely ignored, went totally berserk. Seeing that his owner wouldn’t bother with him, he fiercely launched a gentle offensive to show favor to the beauty at the table. Ye Luochen’s delicate skin was almost rubbed raw.

Her gaze finally moved away from the ravenously eating Jing Xiaonan. Ye Luochen placed a large sheet of tin foil on the floor, then picked up a few pieces of the spare ribs and some rice, and placed them on the foil. Seeing the delicious food, William no longer pestered her, instead starting to chew contentedly. The woman and the cat ate happily, neither noticing that when Ye Luochen bent down, her exquisite face perfectly embodied the meaning of “gentle as water.”