Chapter 6. "Bai Xiao, do you... want to have dinner with me?"

Song Huai woke up with a start. Looking closely, he saw that there were still tears left from the dream in the corners of his eyes. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before getting up.

After breakfast, he went to his studio to continue composing music—although he was still thinking about the piano at home, Bai Xiao had told him not to play the piano at home, so he dared not play it anymore.

The so-called studio was actually a small villa in the suburbs. At that time, Song Huai and Song Boyu were complaining about the poor conditions of the school dormitory. It was just an unintentional complaint, but not long after, Song Boyu brought Song Huai here, saying that his mother had given him the house and that Song Huai could stay there for the time being.

Since it was his younger brother's house, Song Huai didn't stand on ceremony. Besides, there was a grand piano and a floor-to-ceiling window next to it, offering a panoramic view of the lake and mountains—making it impossible for Song Huai to refuse.

Over the years, Song Huai got used to playing the piano here and gradually added a lot of equipment. This small villa officially became Song Huai's studio. Later, after graduating from university, Song Huai's reputation grew day by day, but he was reluctant to leave. Even though it took a lot of effort to get to this remote studio, Song Huai was happy to stay.

--

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, lush greenery abounds, and the cicadas sing loudly.

Song Huai buried his head in his work, writing the music with complete focus. He hummed a tune as his pencil scribbled across the paper, producing tadpole-like musical notes that leaped onto the staff. After finishing the piece, he played it on the piano and was quite satisfied.

When Song Huai looked up again, it was already evening. He then felt hungry, so hungry that his stomach was protesting through pain. Song Huai suddenly remembered Chen Mingqing's nagging, and with no other choice, he prepared to go home and cook.

When Song Huai returned home, he was cooking dinner when the door opened. He turned around and saw Bai Xiao again.

As soon as Bai Xiao opened the door, he was greeted by a delightful aroma. The scent, perceived by his brain, spread from his nasal cavity to his entire being, making every pore feel incredibly refreshed. Bai Xiao felt all the fatigue from working all morning vanish. The disgust he felt at the company from his second uncle instantly lifted, and he almost imperceptibly curled the corners of his mouth, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. Bai Xiao didn't know what possessed him, but after returning home yesterday, the taste of Song Huai's cooking lingered in his mind, refusing to leave. The taste seemed to have a mysterious magic that attracted him, to the point that Bai Xiao could no longer eat the random, nonsensical things Song Huai usually cooked for him.

After much thought, Bai Xiao decided to come back and have dinner with Song Huai, and she also came up with a perfect reason for her unusual behavior—after all, Song Huai was his wife in name only, and it would be unreasonable for her to leave him here and ignore him.

Ji Xia was also confused. First, last night, Bai Zong, who was usually very meticulous at work, unexpectedly told him that his social engagements were canceled. Then, tonight, Bai Zong did not return to his usual apartment, but asked him to take him to his newlywed villa.

After Bai Xiao got out of the car, Ji Xia gripped the steering wheel tightly, staring darkly at the house Bai Xiao had entered. Over the past few years, many women had fawned over Bai Xiao, but he had always been extremely cold to them, almost always keeping his mouth shut and often sending them away on his own. He had assumed that Bai Xiao's attitude towards Song Huai was no different from his attitude towards those women, since he knew that Bai Xiao had only reluctantly agreed to the marriage because his father was critically ill and he didn't want to disobey his father's wishes. Later, on their wedding night, he even abandoned Song Huai and went to a bar to drown his sorrows. But he never expected... that Bai Xiao would return here to look for Song Huai for two consecutive days. Thinking of this, his pupils instantly contracted. After a long while, he gave a cold laugh and drove away.

--

Upon seeing that it was Bai Xiao, Song Huai's eyes widened in surprise. His first thought was that Bai Xiao had come back to retrieve some documents, but then he realized that Bai Xiao didn't need to come back personally; he could have someone else do it. Besides, even if there were some important documents, Bai Xiao certainly wouldn't keep them under the same roof as him. Song Huai hesitated for a moment, completely unsure of Bai Xiao's intentions, and tentatively asked, "Bai Xiao, do you... want to have dinner with me?"

Bai Xiao was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, leisurely looking at her phone. Upon hearing this, she immediately looked up and replied, "Okay."

Originally, he hadn't held out much hope when he asked the question, but after hearing Bai Xiao's answer, Song Huai was incredulous. His heart raced uncontrollably, and recalling how Bai Xiao had wolfed down his food last night, he suddenly had an outrageous guess: Could Bai Xiao... have come back specifically for dinner?

Soon, steaming hot dishes were served: shredded pork with garlic sauce, dry-fried potato slices, and egg drop soup with fresh vegetables. Worried there wouldn't be enough rice, Song Huai had specially cooked extra.

Bai Xiao set out the bowls and chopsticks for herself and Song Huai, and then ate elegantly as she had the day before. While Song Huai was almost full, Bai Xiao was still eating... until all the food on the table was gone, and then she put down her chopsticks with satisfaction.

After dinner, Song Huai secretly gazed at Bai Xiao's handsome and resolute profile on the sofa from the kitchen, lost in thought. After a long while, he finally mustered up his courage and slowly approached Bai Xiao: "Bai Xiao, is there anything you like to eat? I can make it for you next time!"

Seeing the awkward hand that was unconsciously clutching the hem of his clothes, and his bright, amber eyes, Bai Xiao subconsciously avoided that expectant gaze. Then he recited a series of dish names, and after saying that, he added, "Did you remember them? Do you want me to say them again?"

Upon hearing Bai Xiao's reply, Song Huai beamed, "No need, no need, I'll remember." After saying that, he quickly went to find his phone, intending to write down all the dish names Bai Xiao had mentioned in his notes.

Watching Song Huai hurriedly leave, Bai Xiao sat on the sofa, stunned. This seemed to be the first time someone had ever cared about what he liked to eat. As a child, the nanny cooked for him, and he ate whatever she made. Later, he faced countless social engagements, and meals were merely a way to fill his stomach before drinking, preventing him from getting drunk too quickly. When he gradually gained power and influence, his subordinates only cared about presenting him with expensive ingredients, regardless of whether he liked them or not. Later, when he started dating Song Boyu, Boyu almost never cared about his food preferences either—until today, this was the first time Bai Xiao had heard such a question, and it came from his newlywed partner, whom he had seen less than twice. Bai Xiao took a long time to recover. He quickly walked back to his room, telling himself it was just a coincidence, nothing serious.

That night, for some reason, Bai Xiao did not return to his apartment in the city center as usual. Instead, he went to sleep in his room in the villa. Perhaps because he had eaten a satisfying meal and was full, Bai Xiao slept exceptionally well that night.

Song Huai was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night. Being able to see Bai Xiao for two days in a row was already enough to make him happy, not to mention that the man he had secretly loved for many years had eaten the food he cooked. So much so that when he came downstairs the next day with huge dark circles under his eyes and saw Bai Xiao in her home clothes, he almost thought he was still dreaming: "Bai Xiao, did you... spend the night here last night?"

Seemingly finding Song Huai's question too silly, Bai Xiao raised an eyebrow: "This is my home, what's the problem?"

After asking that question, Song Huai laughed at himself. "Wait a minute, I'll go make breakfast."

From then on, Song Huai and Bai Xiao basically lived together. Bai Xiao would eat breakfast and lunch with Song Huai almost every day. Later, Song Huai simply prepared lunch in advance and put it in a thermos for Bai Xiao to take to the company. Apart from that, they didn't have much communication. Their way of getting along was harmonious yet strange, more familiar than roommates, but more distant than a couple.

The days passed peacefully, so peacefully that Song Huai thought he could stay by the side of his beloved in this orderly manner forever.