I Married My Love Rival (GL) - Chapter 8
Ji Ran’s appetite for her own cooking was ruined by the cake Luo Simo brought. Looking at the mess on the table, she rubbed her belly and got up to clean.
“Did you cook this yourself?”
Luo Simo seemed curious, pointing to one of the dishes.
“Yes. Would you like to try it? It might be cold, though.”
It wasn’t that it might be cold; it was already cold.
Ji Ran only made two dishes, but since she wasn’t very skilled in the kitchen and wasn’t familiar with the appliances, it took her a long time. The second dish wasn’t ready until the first one had already cooled down. After tidying the kitchen, the food was barely warm by the time she started eating.
She also had a bad habit: she couldn’t start eating until she had selected a video to watch. As a result, the food was already ice-cold halfway through her meal.
“No, I’ve already eaten. I was just wondering what this is.”
“It’s scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Can’t you tell?”
Luo Simo blinked. She really couldn’t tell.
“Why is the color so dark?”
Perhaps to protect Ji Ran’s self-esteem, Luo Simo avoided using the word “black” to describe it.
“I meant to add vinegar, but I grabbed soy sauce instead.”
“But… this dish doesn’t need vinegar, does it?”
“Ah? Really? I thought a little sourness might make it tastier.”
“Then what is this bowl? Tofu?”
“Yes! But my knife skills aren’t good, so I chopped it too fine. I just made it into this mushy consistency.”
Luo Simo fell silent, looking at the two bowls of food.
“Is this how you usually cook?”
“More or less. I don’t cook very often.”
Ji Ran also looked at the two dishes. It’s fine. While not exactly delicious, it wasn’t inedible.
Luo Simo’s gaze at Ji Ran suddenly carried a hint of pity.
“Are you full?”
“Yes, I’m full.”
With Luo Simo saying that, Ji Ran looked at her creations again and suddenly wondered if her cooking was truly terrible.
She quickly cleared the plates, wanting to avoid any further embarrassment.
Luo Simo helped her clean up, subtly reminding her.
“You can order takeout here too.”
She was slightly worried Ji Ran might starve to death.
Does she have to be so disgusted with my food?
Ji Ran felt unfairly aggrieved.
“I like to eat my own cooking. It’s healthy.”
Sensing Ji Ran’s moodiness, Luo Simo didn’t say anything more and quietly cleared the table.
It looks like I can’t rely on her to cook for me in the future.
After tossing the plates and bowls into the dishwasher, Luo Simo, maintaining her healthy habits, headed to the adjacent gym.
Ji Ran, who was about to go upstairs to wash up, sleep, and continue binge-watching, thought: Ugh, I feel pressured to be productive.
She ate something sweet and immediately went to exercise. No wonder her figure was so good and her strength was so great.
This won’t do. She couldn’t always be subdued by Luo Simo with one hand versus her two. Feeling pressured, Ji Ran immediately went upstairs to change into suitable athletic wear.
When she first started working, she was so busy making money that her health suffered, so later, when her finances improved, she signed up for gym classes. Although she didn’t go often, she was fully equipped.
Luo Simo, who was stretching, was surprised to see Ji Ran appear in the gym, then she felt a little happy. Did she specifically come to keep me company?
She quickly said, “I usually only exercise for forty minutes. It’s not long.”
Forty minutes is not long? Ji Ran’s eyes nearly popped out.
She was out of breath after ten minutes of movement.
But she couldn’t lose face.
“Mm, I usually take about that long too. Forty minutes is easy.”
“Great, let’s go together.”
Luo Simo was even happier. Even though Ji Ran didn’t say it outright, she must have come specifically to join her.
“Feel free to ask me if you don’t know anything.”
Fifteen minutes later, Luo Simo was running swiftly on the treadmill, her breathing steady, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead. On the other side, on the exercise bike, Ji Ran simply couldn’t pedal anymore. She labored to complete each rotation, like an old person.
Forty minutes finally ended. Ji Ran supported herself on her knees, unwilling to speak.
She didn’t know what got into her. So what if Luo Simo could subdue her with one hand? She just wouldn’t resist anymore.
Time to surrender…
“Good job. After a few stretches, you can rest. I’ll help you stretch your legs.”
Luo Simo was acting like a personal fitness trainer. She took Ji Ran’s hand and started helping her stretch, explaining the benefits of stretching each area.
Ji Ran let her do as she wished because she genuinely had no strength left.
This was the first physical contact between the two of them since the night they got drunk two days ago.
Ji Ran only snapped back to reality when Luo Simo’s hand touched her leg. Her first instinct was to flinch, but Luo Simo had already grasped her ankle.
“Keep your left leg like this, and don’t move your right leg.”
Luo Simo seemed completely focused on the task at hand. She positioned Ji Ran’s leg and then moved behind her.
“I’ll press gently. Bend down and clasp your right foot. Tell me if you can’t handle it.”
Luo Simo was so earnest that Ji Ran naturally stopped overthinking and obediently bent forward, but…
“I can’t bend that far! My leg hurts.”
“Pain is normal. Hold on. That’s what stretching is like.”
Explaining patiently, Luo Simo pressed on Ji Ran’s back to assist her. But Ji Ran beneath her immediately cried out.
“I really can’t! Let go, let go!”
“My leg is going to break!”
“Wuwuwu…”
“You can do it. You haven’t reached your limit yet. Clasp your right foot with both hands. Hold on.”
Luo Simo remained unmoved, ruthlessly pressing Ji Ran’s back. Finally, after counting to ten silently, she let go of Ji Ran.
“My old bones…”
Ji Ran rose, exhausted, with an exaggerated tremor in her legs.
“You lack exercise. If you don’t stretch, you’ll definitely have muscle soreness tomorrow.”
“I understand the theory, but it really hurts!”
Looking up, Ji Ran’s eyes were teary.
Luo Simo’s heart softened for an instant, but only for an instant. The next moment, she grabbed Ji Ran’s right foot and repositioned her.
“It’s the left leg’s turn.”
The demon whispered behind her and pressed her back again.
“Come on. Two more repetitions, and we can change poses.”
Not finished, but change poses…
“I really can’t do this! Help!”
Under Luo Simo’s strict supervision, Ji Ran completed three sets of leg presses and collapsed motionless on the floor. To be honest, it didn’t hurt as much toward the end. It was an intensely satisfying soreness.
But she was exhausted from screaming.
“Next is the squatting position. We’ll press the side, which is easier. Follow me.”
Luo Simo demonstrated perfectly beside her, looking quite relaxed. Ji Ran tried it too.
“No way, I can’t keep my balance!”
Luo Simo pressed her hand to her forehead, sighing, then got up to steady Ji Ran.
Forget it. I’ll help her out since she came to keep me company.
After all the stretching, Ji Ran moved her limbs, feeling the pleasant soreness throughout her body. She couldn’t help but sigh in satisfaction. Comfortable, thoroughly worked out. Perhaps this was the charm of fitness.
Meanwhile, on the yoga mat, Luo Simo’s advanced poses left Ji Ran stunned. Can’t compete, can’t compete.
It serves her right that she has such a good figure.
“I’m going upstairs to shower.”
“Okay. I’ll use the shower room downstairs.”
This time, Ji Ran learned her lesson and didn’t forget to take clothes with her. She carefully checked before entering.
Perhaps their mood was more relaxed after exercising. Ji Ran hummed a song softly.
This life is pretty good.
Being together is quite happy.
And Luo Simo is so meticulous and serious about nurturing this marriage.
After her skincare routine, it was the usual routine of sleeping in separate covers.
Luo Simo, just like yesterday, took out her laptop and worked on the headboard. Ji Ran continued her 1.5x speed binge-watching. However, this time, she was much more relaxed and quickly fell asleep.
Her phone dropped onto the bed, still playing the accelerated audio, but its owner was already deep in slumber.
Luo Simo waited a long time for Ji Ran to turn off her phone and sleep. She yawned, turned sideways to look, and realized the person next to her was already asleep.
Smiling softly, Luo Simo carefully picked up Ji Ran’s phone, closed the video app, and put it back in its original position.
But just as she put the phone down, the person beneath her suddenly groaned and turned over, startling Luo Simo, who froze, thinking Ji Ran had woken up.
Holding her breath, she looked down.
Good. Still sound asleep.
And finally, she wasn’t facing away from her anymore.
Luo Simo took the laptop, turned off the light, leaving only a faint nightlight on. She lay down very gently on her side, Ji Ran’s profile right in front of her.
Peaceful…