Chapter 32
Shen Fengni pushed open the door and hurried into the kitchen. She placed the two large supermarket shopping bags on the ground and stood there to stretch her sore wrists.
The bag was bulging with all sorts of fresh ingredients, along with some snacks and drinks. These were the spoils of her afternoon shopping in the supermarket.
It was past 4:30 and the sun was no longer as scorching as it was at noon, but had become a little softer.
Sunlight filtered through the kitchen window, casting a shadow over Shen Fengni's slender back, as if it were coated with a layer of golden frosting, warm and cozy.
Chen Fengni opened the refrigerator and sorted the things in the bag out bit by bit.
The empty space was gradually filled up, and everything was in order, which gave her an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.
Shen Fengni raised the corner of her lip in a good mood and began to prepare dinner for today.
There are no complicated dishes, just home-cooked meals of two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes and a soup, but they are nutritious and healthy.
Although I haven't cooked a proper meal in a while, the muscle memory is still there, so it's not difficult.
Chen Fengni skillfully washed and cut the ingredients into pieces, sorted them and put them into clean plates for later use.
Jiang Zhuoyan didn't get off work until six o'clock, so she planned to stew the soup first and add the remaining dishes later to prevent them from cooling down and affecting the taste.
Blue flames licked the bottom of the pot, and the clay pot on the stove bubbled and gurgled. The milky white broth simmered, and soon the whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of yams and pork ribs.
Chen Fengni sprinkled a handful of wolfberries, then picked up her phone and replied to Zhezhi's message.
Feng Ni: I'm cooking.
Feng Ni: What should I do if I get kicked out after living under someone else's roof and eating and living for free?
Zhezhi: Why do you have this idea?
Zhezhi: Have your friends treated you badly in any way?
Judging from her tone, Zhezhi must have misunderstood what she meant.
Shen Fengni quickly typed an explanation.
Feng Ni: No, no, I was just kidding.
Feng Ni: My friend is a very nice person and takes good care of me.
Zhezhi: That’s good.
Zhezhi: If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you can raise it directly.
Zhezhi: You are friends, just speak frankly.
Feeling the concern in Zhezhi's words, Chen Fengni couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips and typed a reply: I know, I will.
She turned around and stirred the yam and pork ribs soup in the casserole with a spoon, put the lid back on, and turned to low heat.
When I picked up the phone again, there was a new unread message.
Zhezhi: Do you usually play holographic games?
Looking at the message, Shen Fengni's eyes showed a hint of surprise.
In the timeline of her previous life, it was she who took the initiative to ask Zhezhi if there was anything he could do for her after the guild competition, and Zhezhi then invited her to play the holographic game together.
She readily agreed and stepped into the illusory world of martial arts, from which she has not been able to come out until now.
In Shen Fengni's heart, getting closer and closer to Zhezhi, chatting together, playing games together, and eventually becoming indispensable friends are all natural things that will happen sooner or later.
But why would Zhezhi make such a request at this time?
Shen Fengni didn't understand, but she couldn't and didn't want to refuse.
Feng Ni: I’ve been exposed to it before and I know how to play it a little bit.
Feng Ni: My friend has the equipment here.
After settling in yesterday, Jiang Zhuoyan mentioned to her that there was a game cabin in the unused room upstairs, and she could use it if needed.
Holographic technology has been part of people's lives for more than a decade, and the price of the equipment has long since dropped. An ordinary gaming cabin usually costs around 2,000 yuan, which is affordable for most people.
Chen Fengni originally planned to buy one after renting a house so that she could play games with Zhezhi, but she didn't expect Zhezhi to send an invitation in advance.
Fortunately, Jiang Zhuoyan has extra equipment here.
Shen Fengni secretly rejoiced.
Zhezhi: I am playing "Jianghu Nuo", an ancient style holographic online game.
Zhezhi: Do you want to join us?
If Zhezhi knew that she was currently living in the home of the game producer of "Jiang Hu Nuo" and that the friend she was talking about was the well-known Mr. Xiao Jiang, she would probably be shocked.
Thinking of this, Shen Fengni smiled until her eyes curved. She typed a reply: Okay, let's play together.
We chatted a few more sentences and agreed on the time to go online. Zhezhi didn't reply again, probably because he was busy.
Shen Fengni watched videos for a while and was about to make the first dish when she heard the sound of the door opening.
She subconsciously went forward and saw the person who had just walked in.
Jiang Zhuoyan was dressed in a well-tailored, light-colored business suit, looking both beautiful and capable. Perhaps because she was in a hurry to get going, her long, dark hair was slightly disheveled, with a few strands dangling by her ears.
"Why is Mr. Jiang back now?"
Shen Fengni glanced at the time and asked in confusion.
It was just past half past five, and Jiang Zhuoyan arrived home an hour earlier than she expected.
"I didn't have much to do today, so I left early." Jiang Zhuoyan seemed a little unnatural when she answered. She paused, "I bought some milk tea, let's drink it together."
Shen Fengni: Huh?
Before she could react, she saw Jiang Zhuoyan lower her head, take out two packaged cups of milk tea from the six-figure branded tote bag in her hand, and hand them to her.
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang, but I can't drink anything too sweet...eh?"
Shen Fengni's eyes swept over the label on the milk tea, and she stopped talking midway.
Thick taro milk tea, standard ice, double milk cap, no extra sugar.
Each one of them was firmly in line with her preferences.
She looked at Jiang Zhuoyan in surprise, but he remained calm and said, "I can't drink anything too sweet either, so I didn't add sugar."
Shen Fengni smiled, "What a coincidence, we have the same taste."
Jiang Zhuoyan responded, changed his shoes and went into the living room, but suddenly stopped.
She pointed somewhere on the entryway shelf, "What is this?"
Chen Fengni looked in the direction she pointed and saw the wooden jewelry box.
After receiving the jade bracelet from Yu Qian today, Shen Fengni was both amused and angry.
Yu Qian probably thought she was just throwing a tantrum, or maybe she had lumped her in with those money-seeking lovers, and thought that giving her some expensive gifts would make her change her mind.
Regardless of the bracelet's value, Shen Fengni would return it the same way she'd returned it. But she didn't want to bother with Yu Qian yet, so she left it on the shelf by the entrance. Later, she was so focused on going out to buy something that she forgot about it.
Now that Jiang Zhuoyan suddenly asked, Shen Fengni's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she couldn't explain why she felt a little nervous.
"Yu Qian sent it, saying she wanted to reconcile."
Shen Fengni calmed herself down and answered truthfully. She opened the box and revealed its contents without reservation, including the careless card.
Jiang Zhuoyan's expression paused slightly, and the tenderness in his eyes faded, replaced by coldness.
Her tone was cold, "Has she been here?"
Shen Fengni quickly denied it: "No, it was sent by the property management."
It was reasonable for Jiang Zhuoyan to be unhappy. She had already caused Jiang Zhuoyan a lot of trouble. If his ex-fiancée came again, the situation would become even uglier.
Jiang Zhuoyan's expression softened a bit. "So what are your plans?"
"My thoughts won't change." Shen Fengni answered seriously, "I want to cancel the engagement and not reconcile."
Yu Qian's actions were too extreme, each one of them offending principle, and no sane person would forgive her. There was no possibility of reconciliation between her and Yu Qian.
The ice and snow melted in an instant, and the aura around Jiang Zhuoyan became soft again.
She nodded, affirming Shen Fengni's approach, "That's good."
Jiang Zhuoyan is already busy enough at work, and she also has to worry about her own affairs.
Shen Fengni looked at the milk tea in her hand and felt more and more guilty.
She changed the subject to something cheerful, "Mr. Jiang, please take a rest first. Dinner will be ready soon."
After saying that, she walked towards the kitchen, but heard someone calling her from behind.
"Let's do it together."
Shen Fengni turned around and blinked, "What?"
"I'm going to change and then I'll make dinner with you."
Jiang Zhuoyan spoke very naturally, as if they were roommates who ate together.
After saying that, she hurried upstairs, leaving Shen Fengni standing there in a daze.
What was even more surprising was what happened next. Jiang Zhuoyan’s cooking skills were surprisingly amazing. The two of them worked together and soon four dishes were on the table.
When Chen Fengni wanted to bring the casserole of yam and pork ribs soup to the table, a hand stopped her.
"I'll do it."
Jiang Zhuoyan took the heat-insulating gloves from her hand and put them on his own.
She glanced at Shen Fengni and explained, "It's very heavy."
The black casserole was already heavy, and it became even heavier when filled with soup.
When Jiang Zhuoyan picked it up, Shen Fengni could clearly see the muscular lines on her slender arms. Jiang Zhuoyan was completely unaware and placed the casserole steadily on the insulation mat on the dining table.
She had changed into an off-white silk housecoat, the belt loosely tied around her waist, revealing a slender waist that could be held in one hand. Her long, dark hair was casually tied back, giving her a graceful and elegant look.
After putting the casserole away, she turned her head and said, "Okay, let's eat."
There was a gentle smile in those dark blue eyes, which made Shen Fengni dazed for a moment.
For some unknown reason, an idea popped into her mind.
If I live with Jiang Zhuoyan, I will definitely be happy.
No, no, what is she thinking?
Jiang Zhuoyan helped her out of kindness, and she shouldn't take advantage of it.
Shen Fengni warned herself.
She sat down opposite Jiang Zhuoyan, opened her milk tea, and planned to concentrate on enjoying the food.
At this moment, the screen of the mobile phone placed aside suddenly began to flicker.
Shen Fengni's eyes swept over the caller's name and frowned slightly.
Yu Qian.
Maybe it was because he hadn't received any response to the messages he sent her and the gifts he had given her, so he finally lost his patience.
This person would choose the right time to ruin her good mood.
Chen Fengni originally wanted to hang up and go back to her room to deal with it after dinner, but she was afraid that Yu Qian would come to her on impulse and make Jiang Zhuoyan unhappy again.
She thought for a moment, picked up her phone and said to Jiang Zhuoyan, "I'll take a call. Mr. Jiang, just eat first. No need to wait for me."
Jiang Zhuoyan looked at her, his expression gloomy and unclear, "Yu Qian?"
Shen Fengni nodded.
Jiang Zhuoyan said, "Just pick it up here."
She tapped the table with her fingers, and her tone was unyielding.
"But, will it be..."
Shen Fengni originally wanted to say, "Will I disturb you while you're eating?", but seeing Jiang Zhuoyan's serious expression, she couldn't say a word of refusal.
Jiang Zhuoyan didn't want to pry into her privacy, he was just afraid that she would suffer a loss at the hands of Yu Qian, so he wanted to protect her. She understood it all.
Shen Fengni pursed her lips and said softly, "Okay."
Jiang Zhuoyan smiled lightly upon hearing this, then returned to his composure.
She said, “Please use the hands-free mode.”
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