The Taste of Love Starts in the Kitchen (GL) - Chapter 50

Qian Qian felt as though she had just heard a “slap,” like a cruel slap to her soul.

Her expectations shattered in an instant, like a delicate bubble bursting when faced with the cold, harsh reality.

A cold gust of wind swept through her heart, blowing away the sweet daydreams she had been holding onto, leaving her lost in a bleak, lonely silence.

“It seems like in your eyes, I’m just a typical foodie. I thought I had a bit of a good image,” Qian Qian said, lying comfortably on Song Baili’s lap. The soft light highlighted her pretty face, but her eyes held a trace of melancholy.

While she enjoyed this intimate moment, her heart also carried a sense of helplessness.

Song Baili’s gaze gently fell, like a soft feather brushing across Qian Qian’s face, touching every delicate part of her. A smile unintentionally lifted the corners of her lips, her voice soft and clear as she said, “But you have many good qualities. To me, you’re like a beautiful, kind little fairy.”

As her words lingered in the air, Qian Qian suddenly felt light, as if surrounded by pink cotton candy clouds, feeling the sweetness of the moment and floating on a glaze of sugar. Every sugar molecule seemed to transmit a subtle feeling of happiness.

A smile of joy spread across Qian Qian’s lips. She gently raised her hand, teasingly twirling a strand of Song Baili’s smooth black hair.

“Really? You’re not just saying that to make me happy?”

“Mm, just trying to make you happy,” Song Baili replied.

Qian Qian thought she was flying higher, but reality struck like a heavy downpour, and she was thrown back to the ground.

Angrily, Qian Qian jumped off Song Baili’s lap, her face flushed red, her brows slightly furrowed. The look in her eyes seemed to mix resentment with a hint of playful pouting.

She stared at Song Baili, her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something, but the words got caught in her throat. In the end, only a soft snort escaped her nose, with a touch of disdain.

Looking at Qian Qian’s angry expression, Song Baili smiled. She looked like a cute little kitten, and a smile rippled in her eyes. She covered the corner of her mouth with her fingers to hide the smile that had appeared unintentionally.

She slightly tilted her body and looked at Qian Qian with a serious face, saying softly, “Saying you’re a beautiful and kind combination, it’s not false—it’s sincere.”

Qian Qian froze, time seeming to stop for a moment in her world.

Song Baili’s words were like a rose in her hand—sometimes a smiling petal, and other times, a prickly thorn.

Her emotions soared with every word, and she felt overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions, as if her face was no longer enough to express everything.

“Sigh, Bai-jie, if you were a guy, all the girls would be so mad they’d run away like race cars.”

“But I’m not a guy, I’m a girl.”

“A girl still has the ability to make other girls mad and run away!”

Qian Qian pretended to be angry, like a little hedgehog. She huffed and ran to the bed, curling up as if she wanted to hide in her little shell.

She lightly pressed on her fluctuating heart, listening to her own heartbeat, which felt like a new, untold melody—like a lively and joyful tune. She realized that it was the rhythm of her heart racing.

Without the sound of conversation, the silence in the room felt amplified a hundred times. This quiet moment seemed to stretch in the passing of time, and Qian Qian couldn’t help but prop herself up on her elbows, tilting her body slightly to glance at Song Baili.

Song Baili was no longer buried in her book but had adopted the pose of a daydreamer, staring into the void, her hands gently supporting her chin, her expression focused.

Hmph, what a big fool.

A faint smile passed across Qian Qian’s lips as she sat up from the bed, lightly furrowing her brow. Her gaze held a mix of dissatisfaction and tenderness, her heart conflicted between love and frustration.

“Song Baili, you’re really not planning to sleep on the sofa, are you?”

Song Baili, hearing the voice, was suddenly pulled from her thoughts. Her eyes focused on Qian Qian with a hint of confusion, then a silly expression flashed across her face. She smiled simply and happily, replying, “Sleeping on the sofa is fine.”

“What’s wrong with you? Has the sofa gotten attached to you? The sofa is for sitting, the bed is for lying. Don’t joke around, come lie here.”

Qian Qian’s face turned as red as an inflatable pufferfish, the blush on her cheeks bright and vivid. The fiery look in her eyes seemed ready to burst out at any moment.

Feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion, she coldly pulled her gaze away from Song Baili, lazily lying back on the bed.

Song Baili hesitated for a moment, blinked, and the corner of her mouth rose slightly. After a brief moment of hesitation, she stood up decisively and walked gracefully to the edge of the bed.

Sitting at the edge of the bed with her usual poised posture, she glanced at Qian Qian, who was lying on the bed with her back turned. There was a trace of confusion in her clear eyes.

Her brow furrowed slightly, her long lashes fluttering as she hesitated. She turned slightly and gently reached out to tap Qian Qian’s shoulder, softly asking, “Qian Qian, did I really make you so mad that you ran off?”

Hearing this question, which was both frustrating and amusing, Qian Qian felt her eyes nearly pop out of her head. A rush of helplessness swept over her.

She suddenly sat up, glaring at Song Baili, her gaze sharp like a camera lens, as if trying to figure out what bizarre thoughts were swirling in her head.

A faint smile tugged at her lips, and her eyes sparkled with playful mischief.

Then, with a sudden movement, she reached out both hands, like a little maid on a mission. Quick and nimble, she grabbed Song Baili and, in the next second, pulled her backward.

Song Baili, caught off guard, was pulled down, her body flipping in the air before softly landing in Qian Qian’s embrace.

Their faces were almost touching, and Song Baili could feel the rhythm of Qian Qian’s breath. The warm, soft breath brushed her face like a gentle breeze passing nearby.

The fragrance of the camellia grew more intense, like an intoxicating shower of flowers, lingering between them. Song Baili’s nose twitched slightly, her heart racing like an excited little flea, bouncing up and down in her chest.

In this suffocatingly intimate distance, Song Baili felt a moment of panic. Her cheeks flushed with a shy red, and a complex emotion flickered in her eyes.

Instinctively, she tried to pull away, but the arms around her were like an invisible belt, as firm as chains, holding her tightly. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

“Hey, hey, Qian Qian, let go, stop clinging to me!”

“Just let me hug you for a bit, we’re both girls, and I’m not a big bad wolf. I’m not going to eat you.”

Qian Qian felt the strong force coming from Song Baili’s arms, her fingers tightening with intention, afraid that if she lost her grip, it would break.

“The temperature in this room is so high, I’m about to melt! Don’t treat me like a hand warmer. I just took a shower, I don’t want to sweat again, let go!”

“I’m not letting go, let’s see who can hold out longer!”

It felt as though time stopped for a moment, leaving behind a subtle silence. Song Baili’s struggles ceased, and her body gradually relaxed, no longer resisting or tense.

In this magnetic closeness, they seemed to become one. Qian Qian felt the transfer of warmth between their bodies, an invisible current jumping between them, their hearts beating loudly in their ears—whether it was her own heartbeat or the other’s, she couldn’t tell.

Qian Qian gently lifted her head, meeting Song Baili’s gaze. A warmth spread across her face, and she lightly ran her fingernail over her palm, a barely perceptible desire stirring inside her.

She swallowed, her tongue briefly licking her lips. A soft glow appeared in her eyes, like a deep lake rippling with a vague, indescribable sensation.

In that moment, reason blew through her mind like a cool breeze. Song Baili suddenly realized that this dangerously close interaction needed to be controlled. She urgently needed to hit the brakes before the emotional storm grew too overwhelming.

Feeling the arms around her loosen slightly, she quickly seized the opportunity to break free, smoothly sitting up from the bed.

Then, she closed her eyes slowly and took a deep breath, as if swallowing down her excitement, before gently opening them again. The ripples in her gaze calmed, settling like peaceful lake water.

Song Baili suddenly stiffened, furrowing her brows, and turned to Qian Qian, speaking in a slightly commanding tone:

“Stop messing around, Qian Qian!”

Qian Qian’s expression shifted, as if something had trapped her. There was a trace of dissatisfaction in her eyes, and she blinked playfully, immediately sitting up from the bed like a spring being released.

She moved closer to Song Baili, her voice tinged with a bit of teasing:

“Song Baili, you keep calling me Qian Qian, it feels like when I was in middle school and the teacher used to watch me all the time. It makes the atmosphere so awkward.”

“If I don’t call you Qian Qian, what do you want me to call you?”

“Just use my full name, that way I’ll know you’re calling me.”

Song Baili glanced at Qian Qian, and a warm breeze seemed to ripple in her eyes. She felt her ears heat up like a quiet blush had secretly ignited, a faint warmth spreading.

Her fingers unconsciously curled slightly, her gaze drifting, unable to look directly at the other. She parted her lips slightly and whispered:

“This… this is too much for my brain to handle.”

“Come on, can’t you be a bit more sincere with me?”

Before Song Baili could react, Qian Qian suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled it towards her chest.

Her elbow immediately brushed against Qian Qian’s soft body, like sinking into a warm cloud, the skin heating up in response.

Song Baili felt a subtle electric current course through her body, like fine threads weaving through her, and her body softened involuntarily. Her heart raced like a roller coaster reaching breakneck speed, thumping loudly.

In a panic, Song Baili quickly withdrew her hand, trying not to let her emotions show too obviously. She forced herself to stay calm and spoke in a neutral tone:

“My mind’s empty right now, I can’t think of anything.”

Qian Qian stared at her, her brows furrowing slightly, her eyes narrowing. She muttered to herself, “Why isn’t this working?”

With determination, she leaned forward, grabbed Song Baili’s sleeve, and gently shook her arm.

“Then just tell me, what rank am I in your heart?”

“I treat all my friends equally, no special treatment.”

Song Baili spoke in a calm tone, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Qian Qian’s face instantly changed. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her expression like a sudden summer downpour, the clouds above darkening.

Song Baili noticed the change and was startled. Before Qian Qian could react, she quickly corrected herself:

“But you’re not just a regular friend. You’re my good sister, special like Yaoyao.”

Qian Qian felt as if she had been run over by a roller, the feeling of being crushed by her teasing completely shattered.

She was left speechless, the defeated sensation like a stone on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall at any moment.

“Hmph, this is so boring!”

After saying that, Qian Qian lay back on the bed, stretching out, then gently shaking her toes. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the still-dazed Song Baili sitting nearby.

Curious about Song Baili’s reaction, Qian Qian felt an inexplicable unease stirring in her heart.

She had tried everything, using humor and wit, hoping to draw out a hint of emotion from Song Baili. But every attempt felt like tossing a stone into the water—there were ripples, but the surface remained unbroken.

Song Baili was like a cloud drifting across a lake, unpredictable—sometimes gentle like spring water, sometimes still like mountain mist—but always returning to calmness in an instant.

Qian Qian felt that Song Baili’s heart was like a castle covered in a mysterious veil. Every time she drew closer, it felt like she was being kept out. She was so gentle, yet so elusive.

Frustrated, Qian Qian rolled over, looking to the other side of the bed. Her movements suddenly paused as her gaze landed on the glowing phone screen on the coffee table.