Chapter 38 Steamed Buns, One Bite at a Time
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became quiet. Shen Mi walked to the bedside and gently stroked the fabric of the sheets. The tone and expression of Jing Yuan calling her name kept replaying in her mind.
She turned to look at the mirror by the bed. There were not only skincare products but also her monthly necessities. An indescribable feeling welled up in Shen Mi's heart.
Jingyuan has considered everything inside and out. Anyone who sees her gentle, considerate and meticulous nature would be touched, especially since Jingyuan has always been one of Shenmi's favorite characters.
Shen Mi leaned back on the bed, feeling great, and even forgot about the unpleasant things that happened during the day.
He rolled around on the bed excitedly.
【Host! Please calm down!】The system interrupted her at an inopportune moment.
What's wrong with you? You can't stand to see me happy, can you?
No! No! No! I'm just offering a friendly reminder. You're feeling pretty good about yourself right now, but Jingyuan's conquest points haven't increased at all!
Shen Mi glanced at what the system showed her and exclaimed, "How come it's only 10%?!"
The system nodded; this was just the initial value.
Based on my years of experience, the easier someone is to talk to, the harder they are to win over; conversely, the more difficult someone is to talk to, the easier they are to win over. The road ahead is long and arduous; good luck, host!
After saying that, he made a hasty escape.
After lying in silence for a while, she suddenly remembered something, opened the cloth bag she had brought back from the detention room, and turned on the cell phone inside.
This was a gift from Danheng to her before he left, ostensibly to help her better integrate into the technologically advanced life of Luofu, but in reality, he wanted to contact her.
Shen Mi pressed the screen, but it didn't light up; it had indeed been turned off.
She pressed the power button, and the logo of Interstellar Peace Company appeared on the screen. The boot page ended, the time gradually appeared, and then several messages from Dan Heng popped up.
Has Ping An entered Liuyun Ferry?
Why aren't you replying to my messages?
I heard from Jingyuan that you have successfully reunited.
Shen Mi felt a warm glow in her heart as she read these messages. She sent him a cute emoji and replied.
Something unexpected happened this afternoon, and I'm only just checking my phone now. I'm already in bed resting :)
That's good. It's getting late, get some rest :)
Danheng replied quickly, as if he had been waiting for her by the phone. All the feelings were unspoken, but felt in his heart.
Even the ending imitated her using a smile.
[Okay, how are you doing on that desolate planet? Take good care of yourself.]
All is well, don't worry.
It was as if she had been suddenly called away, and she hurriedly typed out words of reassurance to put her mind at ease.
Shen Mi looked at the abruptly ended conversation with a sense of loss.
Thousands of miles away, Dan Heng looked at the two words "Goodnight" typed by the other party, a faint smile on his face, extremely happy, but also overwhelmed by a fierce sadness.
He is now barely able to protect himself. Even though things seem calm and peaceful now, he knows in his heart that this is just the calm before the storm, and the shadow that has always been following him is already close at hand.
His gaze fell on the spider lily on the table—crimson red like blood, so beautiful it was almost blinding, like an inextinguishable flame in a nightmare, as if blood would seep from between the petals at any moment, dragging him into the long-sealed past.
The calamity of hundreds of years ago surged back like a tidal wave, tearing apart the clarity he had carefully maintained. The blood and fire, the pain and hatred, overturned his memory once again, leading him little by little into the abyss, dragging him into the karmic fire of hundreds of years ago, to atone for the final price of the old disaster.
Danfeng's memories washed over his mind like a tidal wave; fragmented images and scattered emotions burned away his rationality as "Danheng".
In that instant, in the deepest part of her consciousness, someone had entered in the most unexpected way, confirming Danheng's existence—that unspoken trust, the evening breeze blowing through the valley together, and the gentle singing in her ear, like a trickle of water, coolly diluted the scorching heat brought by the raging fire.
Even if he is destined to fall, at least he shouldn't... drag others down with him.
...
The first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating Chen Mi's face. The warm sunlight, the soft blankets, and the fresh fragrance—what could be happier than this!
She hummed a few times, turned over, and went back to sleep.
It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky, its rays so intense they were making her bottom feel hot, that Chen Mi finally woke up from her dream.
Remembering what Jingyuan had said last night, she hurriedly rummaged through her clothes and put them on quickly. She ran to the bathroom to wash up, and when she passed by the opposite door, she paid special attention to the sounds inside. It seemed that Jingyuan hadn't gotten up yet.
After washing up, Chen Mi came out of the bathroom with water droplets still dripping from her face. She blinked, and an idea suddenly popped into her head.
Since she's already taken advantage of their food and lodging, wouldn't it seem like she has no gratitude if she didn't do something in return?
She went into the kitchen, opened the storage cabinet, and found it empty.
Shen Mi paused for a moment, then looked down and opened several more drawers. Apart from clean and tidy bowls and plates and neatly arranged tea sets, he couldn't find a trace of "ingredients".
"...It's too empty, isn't it?"
She muttered something to herself, squatted down, and opened the last corner cabinet, only to find a square food storage box inside. She took it out and saw that it contained a few expired cookies and two unopened packets of drip coffee.
Chen Mi stood up, looked around, and opened the refrigerator. A blast of cold air hit him. Inside, there was nothing but an opened bottle of mineral water and several neatly stacked boxes of medicine.
She sighed helplessly, walked to the range hood, and touched it. It was spotless, without even a layer of grease, as if it had never been turned on.
Shen Mi pursed her lips slightly, a complex emotion welling up inside her.
This kitchen is well-equipped and spacious, with seasonings arranged in an orderly fashion, cooking utensils neatly hung on shelves, and even desiccants placed in the pots—the details are meticulously crafted. Yet, the more meticulous the kitchen is, the more it seems to be a kitchen that has "never been used by any living person."
She stood in the center of the kitchen, silent for a moment.
What was originally just a simple idea of cooking a meal in return has now taken on a different meaning.
Are you so busy that you don't even have a chance to fire a shot?
No, eating out all the time isn't a good idea.
Shen Mi had no suspicions. She picked up the access card and quickly went out the door. She remembered that Jing Yuan had told her yesterday that there would be a market in the vicinity in the morning.
Around 8 or 9 a.m. is the busiest time in the market. Smoke rises from various stalls, mingling with the aroma of fried dough sticks, the sweetness of tofu pudding, and the steam of porridge, weaving a vibrant picture of life in the air.
Shen Mi carried her shopping basket and circled the stalls before finally stopping at the breakfast stall with the longest queue. She stood on tiptoe and peeked inside—the stall was bustling with activity, the oil was boiling, steam was billowing from the steamer, the owner was calling out to urge customers to hurry up with their orders, but the customers were all standing straight, and the queue hadn't shortened by more than a few people.
"So many people are buying it, surely I won't be disappointed," she muttered to herself, obediently standing at the back of the line.
She wasn't quite sure what Jingyuan liked to eat, so she didn't expect to buy exactly what he wanted. She just wanted to prepare a variety so that she could find something he would like. So while waiting in line, she also took the time to run to a nearby stall and bought some hot soy milk, a few scallion pancakes, steamed buns, and a box of freshly steamed glutinous rice chicken.
She didn't return home, panting, until her fingers could no longer hold the bag.
As Shen Mi strode through the alley and returned to Jing Yuan's residence, a ray of morning light shone through the courtyard, landing on the bluestone slabs in front of the door, giving them a faint golden glow. The red walls, green tiles, and peach trees created a truly pleasant scene.
She took out her door card and swiped it gently as she entered, making sure to be quiet so as not to disturb the homeowner who was still resting.
She carefully placed the items on the dining table, then went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of warm water to moisten her throat. She then unpacked the items one by one and carefully arranged them on a plate. She poured hot goat milk into a porcelain cup, arranged the steamed buns neatly, peeled the lotus leaves from the glutinous rice chicken and smelled delicious, cut the scallion pancake into four pieces for easy eating, and even left an empty plate with a small dish of pickled vegetables that she had just bought.
She looked at the result with satisfaction—although she didn't make it herself, such a hot breakfast should be considered a token of her affection. After all, it cost her half of the currency she earned on the desolate planet, which still hurt a little, considering how different the exchange rates were in different places.
She was about to go back to her room to wash her face again when she heard a click from behind the door, followed by familiar footsteps slowly coming from the end of the corridor. Shen Mi turned around and saw Jing Yuan dressed in casual clothes, his hair still a little messy, his eyes showing a hint of sleepiness, but his expression was gentle.
"You're up so early?" He glanced at her, his tone slightly softer than usual, his voice carrying the unique low huskiness of the morning.
Shen Mi smiled and waved his hand: "I went out and bought some breakfast. I thought I couldn't always let you treat me to meals. It's time for me to treat you once."
Jing Yuan glanced at the table full of breakfast items, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Did you buy all of this?"
"Okay." She nodded. "I wasn't sure what you liked to eat, so I bought a little of everything. Just make do with a few dishes."
Jing Yuan walked to the dining table, looked around, and then chuckled softly, seemingly with a hint of helplessness: "This... is perhaps a bit too much."
"After all, I need your help. I can't let my benefactor go hungry while helping me," she said half-jokingly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Jing Yuan smiled and said nothing more, only softly saying, "Chen Mi, sit down and eat with us too."
The two sat down facing each other. Shen Mi handed over the hot goat milk, set out the chopsticks, and then lowered his head to start eating the steamed buns.
Jing Yuan initially took a slow bite of the savory tofu pudding, but his brows unexpectedly relaxed, as if he really liked it. Then he picked up a piece of glutinous rice chicken, his movements slow but noticeably more casual than before.
While eating, Shen Mi secretly observed him, carefully noting down the dishes he liked to eat.
He picked up a xiaolongbao from the table, took a bite, and exclaimed with delight, "It's actually xiaolongbao from 'Nobody's'!"
Shen Mi was biting into a scallion pancake when she heard him say that. She paused for a moment, then asked in confusion, "How did you know?"
"This place is famous for its delicious xiaolongbao. I woke up late and by the time I went to buy some, they were almost all sold out. It's been a long time since I've had any." Jing Yuan lowered his head and took another bite, a long-lost sense of satisfaction appearing between his brows. "The taste is even more delicious than I remember."
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Author's Note: Steamed buns, steamed buns! I want steamed buns too!!! I checked out Feixiao's PV and picked out a few dishes. I have to say, the General's breakfast is really lavish!!! He knows how to eat big cats! I'll be updating daily for the next few days. The author is on the ranking list. [Pity][Pity][Pity]
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