Secretly Seducing the Third Female Lead Behind the System’s Back - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Eating at Home

When Bai Chu got home last night, she first poured herself a glass of red wine and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the night view.

Her red lips touched the rim of the wine glass as she took a sip.

She stared at the Yujiang Tower in the distance, unable to look away for a long time.

Suddenly, a firework burst in the sky, stealing her attention.

Bai Chu leaned gently against the glass, feeling the chill through her clothes. She tilted her head up, watching the fireworks appear and disappear in the night sky.

She never understood why people set off fireworks—such fleeting beauty that leaves nothing behind. Why go through all the trouble?

Lowering her gaze, she looked at the wine in her glass and thought of the fiery red roses from tonight.

She had never been in a relationship, nor had she ever thought about spending her life with someone.

But when sincere roses bloomed before her eyes, Bai Chu had to admit—she was touched.

She said she didn’t like the Jiang Yisheng who liked An Hao. She liked the Jiang Yisheng who liked Bai Chu.

But… were the roses truly sincere?

She still remembered the way Jiang Yisheng used to look at An Hao with admiration. She remembered her silence in the hospital the other day when Bai Chu had asked her if she could like someone else after seeing An Hao and You Ran embrace.

If that was the case, why did she send flowers?

Or perhaps… the flowers weren’t meant for her at all—just a petty move after seeing that hug.

Then what about the dumplings?

But there weren’t any scallions or ginger in the dumplings—that was her personal preference.

Bai Chu frowned, finished the rest of her wine in frustration, and turned back to her bedroom.

On her desk, the music box sat quietly in the most noticeable spot.

She sat down and gently wound it up.

The music began to play, bringing with it the memories from that day.

Jiang Yisheng’s gaze had been clear and earnest. It didn’t seem like she was lying.

Bai Chu took out the building blocks she bought that day and dumped them on the desk, piecing them together while the music played.

Each time the music ended, she would stop her hands and rewind the box.

When she looked up again, it was exactly 11:59 p.m.

She hesitated for a moment—should she say “Happy New Year”?

Forget it.

She looked back down and continued building.

Suddenly, she reached for her phone and opened her chat with Jiang Yisheng.

She had told her to let her know when she got home.

Bai Chu typed out “I’m home.” It was still 11:59 p.m.

Then she naturally continued with “Happy New Year”—right as the clock turned to midnight.

She quickly hit send.

Her fingers moved slightly, and she glanced at their chat history.

It was a one-second voice message from Jiang Yisheng.

Bai Chu tapped it: “Hmph.”

A soft, sulky sound came through.

Her expression softened, the corners of her lips subtly lifting. She tapped it again.

“Hmph.”

She left the screen open and continued building. Before long, the voice would play again: “Hmph.”

The winter night was long. Bai Chu worked under the warm lights for a long while. When she finally looked up, there was still no daylight outside.

It was already 5 a.m.

Feeling a little sleepy, Bai Chu stretched, placed the completed block figure next to the music box, admired it for a moment, and wound up the music box again.

With the gentle melody, she turned off the lights and went to bed, wrapping herself up tightly.

Under the spotlight, the tiny ballerina twirled gracefully, while the little panda made of blocks held a bamboo shoot and smiled joyfully.

…

After a short sleep, Bai Chu woke naturally at 8 a.m.

It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and she had no work planned. She slowly got out of bed and made herself a cup of coffee.

She added milk and sugar, stirred with a spoon, and nodded in satisfaction—not too bitter.

She didn’t like things overly sweet or overly bitter. Balance was best.

She transferred the dumplings from the lunchbox onto a plate, poured some water into the electric stove, and placed the plate on the steamer rack to reheat.

While waiting, she washed the lunchbox thoroughly inside and out, dried it with a paper towel, and set it aside.

Although reheated dumplings didn’t have the same texture as the night before, Bai Chu still found them delicious. She usually wouldn’t go through the trouble of making dumplings for herself—especially not with three different fillings.

She played a podcast she had saved and slowly enjoyed the meal.

There was a coin in one of the dumplings. As usual, she bit a small piece first, then gently pulled the coin out with her teeth, placed it on a tissue, and finished the rest of the dumpling.

The meal was leisurely and satisfying. After finishing, she washed the coins clean.

“I hope you have good luck every year.”

Jiang Yisheng’s voice echoed in her mind.

Bai Chu leaned against the kitchen counter, her palm feeling the chill of the stone surface as she looked down at the coins stacked in the water.

Suddenly, a WeChat notification chimed.

She wiped her hands and picked up her phone.

Jiang Yisheng: Happy New Year, Bai Chu-jie! Do you have any plans today?

Before she could respond, another message came through.

Jiang Yisheng: My parents said friends are coming over today. They told me to go out if I get bored and just be back before dinner. Hehe, that means I have no lunch plans. Want to have lunch with me?

Just as Bai Chu was about to type, her phone rang.

“Bai Chu-jie, did you see my message?” came Jiang Yisheng’s excited voice through the receiver.

“Mm.”

“So, do you have time to have lunch with me?” Her tone was full of anticipation.

Bai Chu could imagine Jiang Yisheng batting her big eyes at her like a soft, eager puppy.

A soft laugh accidentally escaped from Bai Chu.

Jiang Yisheng gasped lightly in surprise.

“You laughed, that means you’re free! Where are you? I’ll come to you.” Her voice lifted with joy.

Bai Chu hadn’t realized she laughed until Jiang Yisheng pointed it out.

“I’m at home.”

“Then…” Jiang Yisheng asked cautiously, “Can I come over to your place?”

The line went quiet for a few seconds.

Then, a calm and gentle voice said, “You can.”

“Ahhh, Bai Chu-jie, you’re too good to me!” Jiang Yisheng exclaimed.

Nearby, Yu Mushan and Jiang Hang watched their daughter roll back and forth on the couch: “…”

“Send me your building number. I’ll come now.” Jiang Yisheng hung up in a flash and bounced off the sofa, ready to change clothes upstairs.

“Bai Chu-jie~” Yu Mushan mimicked her tone.

“You’re so good~” Jiang Hang chimed in.

Standing at the stairs, Jiang Yisheng made a detour back: “Aiya, Mom, Dad, stop teasing me!”

She hugged Yu Mushan from behind, affectionately rubbing her cheek against her mom’s ear.

“If you can, bring your Bai Chu-jie back for dinner. We’ll all eat together,” Yu Mushan said, patting her daughter’s hand.

“I’ll try,” Jiang Yisheng replied, scratching her head shyly.

She dressed comfortably today—white hoodie, jeans, and a coat.

Zhang Ge, the driver, was the only one accompanying her—Zhang Tao had gone home for the New Year.

When she’s happy, Jiang Yisheng becomes chatty and couldn’t help striking up conversation.

“Zhang Ge, aren’t you going home for New Year?”

The driver looked at her in the rearview mirror and shook his head with a smile.

“That’s so tough, working through the holidays…” she mumbled, leaning against the window.

Even she would go visit her aunt’s family. Though her older cousins used to bully her as a kid, things had changed—they were much warmer now.

Then she thought of Bai Chu. Unlike her, Bai Chu might rather spend the holiday alone than with the He family.

No—that’s wrong. Spending it with her, Jiang Yisheng, was the best choice!

“Zhang Ge, how long have you been doing this job?” she asked again.

He held up eight fingers.

Eight years. That’s a long time.

Looking out at the riverside view, Jiang Yisheng’s attention gradually shifted.

It’s so amazing—though she lived in a novel, this scenery felt real and beautiful. Every time she passed by, she would be quietly in awe.

After several turns, she saw the familiar gate of the residential complex.

She had been there many times but never gone inside.

The guard stopped the car. Jiang Yisheng gave Bai Chu’s name, and after checking, the guard let them through.

“Building 28,” Jiang Yisheng read Bai Chu’s message and repeated it to Zhang Ge. “Unit 3… That one, that one—right there!”

The driver parked smoothly. As soon as the door opened, she jumped out.

Just as she was about to walk away, a soft call came from behind.

She turned to see Zhang Ge jogging toward her, mouthing something and gesturing.

She couldn’t quite understand.

Then he lowered his head slightly in apology, took out his phone, and typed:

“I can’t park inside the complex. I’ll wait outside. Just call me when you’re done.”

That’s when it hit her—Zhang Ge might be mute.

Her chest tightened, but out of respect, she didn’t show her surprise.

“Zhang Ge, you can head back. I might be a while. Maybe Bai Chu-jie will take me home. I’ll contact you if I need you.” She instinctively slowed her speech.

He considered for a moment and nodded.

“Drive safely,” she reminded him.

Before getting back in the car, he smiled at her and gave a slight bow.

Watching the car slowly leave the complex, Jiang Yisheng felt a bit emotional. She had been in this world for over two months, and Zhang Ge had driven her the entire time. Yet only now did she learn he couldn’t speak.

Lost in thought, she reached the elevator. Just before pressing the button, the doors slid open.

“What are you thinking about?” came a soft voice from above her.

She looked up and saw Bai Chu—her eyes lit up immediately, and she instinctively stepped forward.

Today, Bai Chu wore a short brown coat and a black scarf. Her hair was casually tied back, giving off a poised and effortless vibe.

So beautiful… Jiang Yisheng thought.

Just as she was about to step inside the elevator, Bai Chu gently pulled her back.

“Huh?” she blinked in confusion but followed. “Where are we going?”

“Didn’t you say we’re having lunch? We need to buy groceries,” Bai Chu said, hands in her pockets as she looked down at her.

“We’re eating at home?” Jiang Yisheng clung to her arm affectionately.

“Mm.”

“Great! I can help you cook too.” She leaned in a little more.

“You’re the guest today. I should be the one cooking,” Bai Chu replied, not minding her closeness.

“That’s fine, as long as I’m eating with you, I don’t care who cooks,” Jiang Yisheng replied sweetly.

They walked together to the neighborhood produce shop. The weather was nice and not too cold.

“What were you thinking about before the elevator opened?” Bai Chu hadn’t missed her slight frown earlier.

Holding both of Bai Chu’s arms, Jiang Yisheng’s tone dropped slightly: “I just found out today that my driver Liu Ge can’t speak.”

Bai Chu slowed down, seemingly in response to her mood.

“We’ve worked together for over two months, and I’m only now realizing it.” Jiang Yisheng looked down, guilt bubbling up.

“Two months?” Bai Chu asked. “Is he newly hired?”

“No, he’s been working there for eight years.”

“Then was he just assigned to you recently?”

“Not really. Before I came—” Jiang Yisheng stopped mid-sentence.

“Hm?” Bai Chu didn’t quite catch that.

“Ah—uhm, so… what dishes are we making?” Jiang Yisheng quickly changed the subject.

“What do you want to eat?” Bai Chu followed her lead.

“Sweet and sour ribs, smashed cucumber, and Coca-Cola chicken wings!”

“Sure.”

But then she remembered something. That day they bought milk tea, Bai Chu said she didn’t like sweets. Almost everything she listed was sweet.

“Um, maybe switch the sweet ribs to spicy ones? And no Coke in the wings…”

“What’s wrong?” Bai Chu asked.

Jiang Yisheng bit her lip, not answering.

But somehow, Bai Chu understood: “It’s not that I don’t like sweet things. I just wasn’t in the mood for milk tea that day.”

“Really?” Jiang Yisheng peeked up.

“Really. I even put two packets of sugar in my coffee this morning.”

“And even if I didn’t like sweet food, you can still order those dishes,” she added.

“But it wouldn’t be fun eating alone. A meal should suit both people,” Jiang Yisheng reasoned. “Or maybe one dish for each of us. The point is, neither of us should feel left out.”

They talked all the way to the shop, picked their ingredients, and returned home.

As soon as the door opened, a cool, gentle scent unique to Bai Chu wafted over.

“Smells so nice,” Jiang Yisheng said in awe.

Bai Chu bent down to find her a pair of slippers.

While waiting, Jiang Yisheng looked around curiously.

“Here.” Bai Chu handed over new slippers.

After changing, Jiang Yisheng looked around the living room again.

“Wow, your place is so well-decorated!” She plopped down on the couch but didn’t wander into private areas.

The apartment was mostly warm-toned, a stark contrast to Bai Chu’s usual cool demeanor.

The space felt bright and cozy—the kind that made you feel at peace the moment you walked in.

“If you get bored, you can watch TV. I’ll cook,” Bai Chu said, putting on an apron.

“I’m helping!” Jiang Yisheng sprang up, hung her coat, and rolled up her sleeves to wash her hands.

“No need. These dishes are quick,” Bai Chu said.

“I’m not a guest—I came to hang out with you!” Jiang Yisheng soaked the ribs and wings, then began washing cucumbers and other vegetables.

She handed the cleaned ingredients to Bai Chu, who began chopping.

When Bai Chu finished smashing the cucumbers, Jiang Yisheng had already brought a small bowl to catch the pieces.

“You don’t eat scallions or ginger. Do you eat garlic?” she asked.

“Nope,” Bai Chu replied. “But cucumbers don’t taste right without garlic—let’s add some anyway.”

Jiang Yisheng nodded, put on gloves, and started seasoning.

While Bai Chu blanched the ribs and wings, Jiang Yisheng made decorative cuts…

They worked together in perfect sync.

Just as the sweet and sour ribs were almost done, Bai Chu noticed Jiang Yisheng meticulously arranging the plating.

“Looks like you really do know how to cook,” Bai Chu said as she scooped out the ribs.

“What, you thought I was lying last night?” Jiang Yisheng clapped her hands, tilting her head at her.

She’d tied her hair back for convenience. As she looked over, a lock of bangs slipped over her forehead.

Just as Bai Chu reached out to brush it away, Jiang Yisheng tucked it behind her ear herself.

Bai Chu pulled her hand back and refocused on serving the food.

“Everything I told you last night was true,” Jiang Yisheng stepped closer, eyes sincere.