02. Instant noodles

Late at night, there was a slight sound of an electronic lock opening at the entrance.

It’s Chen Yunsheng who’s back.

The entrance light came on, but it was still dim. In the living room, only a few dim ambient lights were left on, so the house was almost shrouded in darkness with a hint of warm yellow.

Chen Yunsheng squinted his eyes, staring at the dim light. He took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. He rubbed his brows, trying to ease his fatigue, but the weariness still evident between his brows.

He sighed and walked through the entrance corridor as if resigned to his fate.

As he entered the living room, a particularly strong aroma hit his nose. It wasn't the cedar incense he was used to, nor was it the aroma of fine cuisine. Instead, it was a strong, direct, even a little rough, scent. He frowned slightly and looked in the direction of the strongest smell.

I saw a small figure curled up on the carpet in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room.

It’s Jiang Nan.

She was wearing a furry housecoat, legs crossed, a white porcelain bowl in front of her, and she was eating intently. The light from her phone screen reflected on her face, illuminating her smile. She was watching with rapt interest, occasionally shrugging her shoulders at the variety show's jokes and letting out a suppressed chuckle. She looked completely at ease.

Seeing this, Chen Yunsheng stopped in his tracks.

He stood in the shadows, looking at her quietly.

This was completely different from the scene he had imagined his wife entering his home. No formality, no flattery, not even a contrived elegance. She simply casually took over the carpet in his living room, disrupting the long-standing solemn order with a strong aroma of food.

smell.

Chen Yunsheng instinctively took another breath of the air in the living room. He was surprised to find that the smell had suddenly piqued his hunger. He had been entertaining guests that evening and had drunk a lot of wine but hadn't eaten much.

At this moment, Jiang Nan was amused by a variety show clip. When he looked up, he suddenly found a tall figure standing a few meters away, silently, like a ghost that suddenly appeared.

She was so scared that she almost knocked over the bowl.

"Mr. Chen? You're back?" She hurriedly put down her bowl, realizing immediately that it was unseemly to greet Party A while sitting cross-legged. She tried to stand up, but her legs were locked in a knot, and she frantically struggled to get up.

After struggling for a while, Jiang Nan stopped and froze there for a moment, feeling his face slightly hot.

Chen Yunsheng said nothing, his eyes shifting from her panicked face to the white porcelain bowl of instant noodles on the low table, which still had half a bowl of noodles left. There was pale yellow soup, nearly transparent noodles, and a few pieces of dehydrated vegetables and meat floating on top.

The aroma seems to be stronger.

Jiang Nan followed his gaze and felt uneasy.

On the first day, she polluted other people's space.

She quickly explained, "Um—I'm sorry, Mr. Chen. I—I was a little hungry, and there was nothing else to eat at home, so I made a bowl of instant noodles. I'll clean it up right away! I make sure no smell remains!"

She finally escaped from the cross-leg lock.

As soon as she stood up quickly, she bent down to pick up the bowl, fearing that she would upset the boss.

"It's okay." Chen Yunsheng suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse from the wine scraping across his throat.

Hearing the sound, Jiang Nan's hand stopped in mid-air and looked at him in confusion.

Chen Yunsheng was also a little surprised by his own words. He pursed his lips, not looking at her again. He walked straight to the center island in the open kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. The cold water slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the appetite and emptiness in his stomach that the bowl of instant noodles had aroused. He put down the water glass, and his eyes involuntarily drifted to the bowl on the low table.

The air was awkwardly quiet, with only the deliberately amplified laughter from the variety show echoing.

Jiang Nan couldn't sit or stand, he felt like a prisoner awaiting trial.

Chen Yunsheng stood in silence for a moment. Then, under Jiang Nan's astonished gaze, he stretched out his long legs and walked over to the sofa next to the low table. He sat down, just in position to see the bowl of noodles. He still didn't look at Jiang Nan, but raised his chin slightly and asked calmly, "Is this... delicious?"

Jiang Nan was a little confused and answered honestly: "Ah? Instant noodles? It's... okay, right? It smells good, but... not very healthy." She didn't understand what Chen Yunsheng was trying to do.

Chen Yunsheng fell silent again, just staring at the bowl of noodles, his brows furrowed as he pondered how to start. After a few seconds, he finally made up his mind and asked Jiang Nan in a natural tone, "Anything else?"

"Ah?" Jiang Nan was completely stunned.

"Is it not possible?" Chen Yunsheng asked again, looking confused.

Jiang Nan finally came to his senses: "I'll make you another packet."

She almost ran to the kitchen at the same time.

Then she took out a clean white porcelain bowl and a pair of silver chopsticks from the cupboard and began to boil water to cook the noodles.

After about ten minutes, the noodles were finally cooked.

She immediately fished out the noodles and placed the bowl on the low table in front of Chen Yunsheng. She carefully placed her chopsticks and whispered, "It would be even better with eggs and vegetables. It's a pity we don't have any at home, but it should taste okay. Would you like to try it?"

Chen Yunsheng didn't move. He looked up at her with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Jiang Nan suddenly had an idea and asked tentatively, "Shall I add some vinegar for you?"

Chen Yunsheng nodded gently: "Yes, thank you."

Jiang Nan suppressed the absurd feeling in his heart, took the vinegar bottle and added some vinegar to the freshly cooked noodles.

"Thank you." Chen Yunsheng nodded slightly at Jiang Nan. Then he picked up his chopsticks, picked up a few noodles, blew on them, and put them into his mouth. He ate very slowly, with no special expression on his face.

But Jiang Nan inexplicably felt that he must like it.

At least not annoying.

After a while, the only sounds in the huge living room were the sound of two people eating noodles in silence and the background music of the variety show on their phones.

When Jiang Nan lowered his head to eat noodles, he couldn't help but secretly glance at Chen Yunsheng several times.

The warm yellow light outlined his stern profile—his high nose bridge, his thin, tightly pursed lips, and his fair cheeks. The way he ate instant noodles was surprisingly natural, diluting his aloofness and giving off a touch of familiarity.

Jiang Nan was shocked by his own thought.

Then she quickly dismissed this ridiculous idea and continued to eat her noodles.

The bowl of noodles quickly ran out. Chen Yunsheng put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a tissue, his movements graceful. He glanced at the empty bowl, then raised his eyes to look at Jiang Nan. Jiang Nan noticed him looking up and quickly lowered her head to pretend to drink the soup.

Then, Chen Yunsheng spoke, his voice returning to its usual calm and gentle tone: "You can use the kitchen freely from now on. You don't have to wash the dishes and kitchen utensils after use. Just leave them there, and Auntie will take care of them."

Jiang Nan raised his head: "Really?"

"Well," Chen Yunsheng stood up, his tall figure bringing an invisible sense of oppression, "Go to bed early." After saying that, he no longer looked at her and walked straight to his room, leaving Jiang Nan with only his back.

Jiang Nan looked at the two empty bowls on the low table, then at the corridor where Chen Yunsheng had disappeared. After a long pause, she let out a long breath.

This weird cohabitation life officially started with sharing instant noodles.

However, although Chen Yunsheng said that his aunt would take care of everything, Jiang Nan still took the initiative to clean up the dishes and wipe the kitchen countertop clean before returning to the room.