Chapter 130 Opening the Heart

"Uncle Yan."

Yu Yan called out to him, and before she could catch her breath, she stepped inside and closed the door.

Shao Muyan: "..."

He was completely stunned.

“I…” Yu Yan looked up and met Shao Muyan’s eyes, “My immune system is pretty good, I shouldn’t get infected. But just in case, it would be better to quarantine together.”

She brought her laptop with her; as long as she has her laptop, her work won't be delayed.

Just make the necessary arrangements.

Yu Yan didn't actually have time to think too much; she just felt that she should come and not let Shao Muyan be sick all alone.

It would be fine if they were at home, but this isn't their home.

Since seeing Yu Yan, Shao Muyan's mind has been a bit foggy. He was the one who arranged the hot pot dinner tonight, hoping that Song Cheng and the others would treat her to a nice meal.

Fearing she wouldn't want to see him, he let Shao Yun go over, and he just paid the bill.

How did someone who was eating hot pot just half an hour ago suddenly appear in front of you, like they fell from the sky...?

"I brought you medicine."

Yu Yan continued, "I didn't know what you had, so I bought a little bit of everything. You need to take this for viral colds, and also some cough medicine, to be taken after meals."

She asked again, "Have you had dinner?"

Shao Muyan slowly shook his head.

He has no appetite, not even for the past few days. He's too lazy to cook or even eat.

"Let me see what's in the refrigerator."

Yu Yan immediately got busy. She opened the refrigerator and glanced inside. There wasn't much food there—just a few tomatoes, a few eggs, and some noodles.

It looks like we'll need to replenish some supplies tomorrow.

"I can only make tomato and egg noodles now."

Fortunately, the kitchen was well-equipped with pots, pans, and utensils, so Yu Yan quickly started boiling water to prepare noodles.

As Shao Muyan walked to the kitchen door, looking at the busy figure with his back to him, he felt as if he were in a dream, and for a moment he was back to the days when they lived together.

It's as if nothing has changed.

Humans are creatures that are always inclined to rely on and seek warmth.

These past few days, Shao Muyan has been like an old-fashioned clock, winding himself up and keeping himself turning non-stop. The cold and cough are just physical discomforts that don't affect his work, but as soon as he stops, he starts to feel uncomfortable.

Yu Yan chopped the tomatoes, cracked the eggs, and started making the sauce. When she turned around and saw Shao Muyan standing at the door, she quickly said, "Uncle Yan, go and rest on the sofa. It'll be ready in a little while."

Shao Muyan had already come to his senses.

Yu Yan's words about infection and isolation, coupled with the fact that she had just eaten with Song Cheng, made it easy for Shao Muyan to understand why Yu Yan was there, given Song Cheng's personality.

It's impossible for the heart not to be warm.

"Did Song Cheng tell you that I had a bad cold? And it's contagious?" Shao Muyan asked, standing at the kitchen door.

Yu Yan turned and glanced at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

Isn't that right?

Shao Muyan looked at her and asked, "You know my cold is contagious, yet you still came to see me? What if you actually caught it from me?"

He said this with a smile in his voice and eyes.

Yu Yan's hand holding the kitchen knife froze.

She's not stupid.

If Uncle Yan really had the kind of severe cold that Song Cheng mentioned, which could lead to pneumonia and required isolation, he wouldn't have just opened the door without wearing a mask. He probably would have kicked her out the moment she walked in.

She really is a fool.

It took me so long to realize...

"Song Cheng lied to me?" Yu Yan frowned.

She never expected that Hua Zhidao, such an upright and trustworthy person, would allow Song Cheng to deceive his business partner right in front of him!

Yu Yan was speechless, even somewhat helpless.

That's so embarrassing.

The water started bubbling and boiling; the meal was already half-cooked, so we had to keep going.

Shao Muyan walked up to her without her noticing. "Make some more noodles, I'm really hungry."

"Oh." Yu Yan grabbed a handful of noodles and added them in. "Okay."

She barely ate any of the hot pot that night.

I cooked a pot of tomato-based noodles.

As Shao Muyan and Yu Yan ate face to face, it felt like they were back in the days when they lived together, and would cook some late-night snacks when they got home from work and were hungry.

At that time, no matter how tired I was, my heart felt comforted and warm.

The two, who hadn't had any appetite for days, suddenly seemed to have their taste buds awakened. Shao Muyan ate two-thirds of a pot of tomato noodles, and Yu Yan ate a third, leaving not a drop of soup.

My stomach is full, and I feel incredibly comfortable all over.

"It's delicious." Shao Muyan wiped his mouth and praised Yu Yan without reservation. "This is the best meal I've had in the past few days."

Yu Yan was taken aback, then laughed.

"How delicious can a bowl of braised noodles be?"

Shao Muyan gently shook his head, "It's different. The people who make it are different, so the taste is naturally different too."

Yu Yan looked up and glanced at Shao Muyan.

However, this time Shao Muyan didn't look at her. He just stood up and automatically cleared the dishes. Yu Yan wanted to help, but he didn't let her.

There was no dishwasher here, and the sound of washing dishes was accompanied by a few soft coughs, causing Yu Yan to frown again.

She got up, poured a glass of hot water, and prepared the medicine.

When Shao Muyan came out of the kitchen, Yu Yan told him to take his medicine. Shao Muyan was as obedient as a child the whole time, doing whatever he was asked to do.

He sipped a glass of warm water slowly, trying to make time pass more slowly.

The minute hand ticked away, and it was actually quite late. He should have suggested taking Yu Yan home, since he didn't actually have any infectious disease that required isolation... But at this moment, he actually hoped that what Song Cheng said was true.

"Can I stay here tonight?"

Yu Yan's question immediately stumped Shao Muyan.

"..."

Yu Yan asked the question with a forced smile. Even though she had prepared herself mentally, her face still turned bright red when she saw Shao Muyan's reaction.

She handed Shao Muyan a tissue, and Shao Muyan wiped his mouth. "Of course, you can."

Shao Muyan could not bring himself to say "no" to her requests or demands.

Whether it was out of guilt towards him or to make amends...

Shao Muyan couldn't care less about all that.

All he knew was that Yu Yan had taken a step toward him, and a big step at that!

Of the two bedrooms, Shao Muyan occupied only one.

It's certainly possible for Yu Yan to sleep with another person.

Sheets, blankets, and other necessities were all provided. Knowing that Yu Yan hadn't brought much, Shao Muyan ordered some daily necessities from an online supermarket, even disposable underwear for her.

Yu Yan took the things without saying anything. Actually, she could have just asked Uncle Yan to go home with her.

However, she has to be responsible for every word and action she takes, and she can't be truly willful, giving Uncle Yan the feeling that she can be summoned and dismissed at will.

“Uncle Yan,” Yu Yan suddenly spoke, looking up at Shao Muyan earnestly, “let me think about it.”

Shao Muyan was slightly taken aback.

After realizing what she meant, Shao Muyan's heart raced and his whole body went numb; all he could do was nod.

"good."