03. Life
Life went on in this peculiar way of cohabitation, neither exciting nor dull.
Jiang Nan strictly abides by the non-interference agreement. She works as an advertising planner at Youchuang Company during the day and returns to her empty mansion to be her mute wife at night.
Chen Yunsheng was indeed very busy, often leaving early and returning late, so the two of them had few opportunities to meet. Occasionally, when they met in the living room or kitchen, they would just nod and say hello.
Out of respect for his boss, Jiang Nan called him Mr. Chen, but Chen Yunsheng didn't even use the title, usually just using eye contact or simple words like "oh", "um", "ok", "thank you", etc. to indicate.
Sometimes Jiang Nan had to guess what he was thinking. But over time, Jiang Nan gradually figured out some of Chen Yunsheng's habits. He had a mild obsessive-compulsive disorder, especially in his study, which was a complete forbidden area.
Once, when the housekeeper was on leave, Jiang Nan decided to help clean the common areas. As she reached the study door, she saw a dozen pens neatly arranged on the large desk, arranged from dark to light, like soldiers awaiting inspection. She was tempted to pick one of the dark blue pens in the middle, and she found it particularly beautiful. She picked it up, examined it, and then casually put it back—perhaps even slightly off-center.
Chen Yunsheng returned home that evening and spent less than five minutes in the study before walking out. His face was as gloomy as a deep pool, emitting an unsettling aura. He walked over to Jiang Nan, who was watching a TV series in the living room, and his demeanor was so low that Jiang Nan instinctively pressed the pause button.
"Have you been to my study?" he asked her in a normal tone, but there was a coldness in his voice.
Jiang Nan's heart skipped a beat, realizing she'd gotten into trouble. "I... I was just wiping the table and saw that nice-looking pen. I picked it up and looked at it... then put it back..." Her voice trailed off as she spoke.
Chen Yunsheng didn't say anything, just looked at her with sharp eyes, making Jiang Nan feel like a prisoner being interrogated.
She felt a little guilty, a little aggrieved, and a little unconvinced, but she still apologized: "Sorry, next time when I clean, I will definitely not enter the study, and I will definitely not touch anything in it."
Chen Yunsheng probably hadn't anticipated the sting in her apology. He was visibly stunned, the frost on his face seeming to crack. He stared at Jiang Nan for a few seconds, his eyes complex, as if he were looking at an incomprehensible alien creature.
In the end, he said nothing more and turned back to the study. Jiang Nan pricked up her ears and heard a faint sound from inside, perhaps someone adjusting the position of a pen. After a long while, the sound stopped. She breathed a sigh of relief and thought to herself: From now on, the study is an absolute restricted area.
Besides the study, eating was another area of friction. Jiang Nan preferred to cook, believing it was economical and healthy. Chen Yunsheng, on the other hand, was accustomed to Michelin-starred delivery or meals prepared by nutritionists. He ate exquisitely but in small portions, and strictly adhered to the rule of not talking while eating.
As for Jiang Nan, she felt uncomfortable eating alone at the empty dining table, so she simply moved the dining table to a low table on the carpet and ate while watching variety shows and TV dramas on her tablet.
Chen Yunsheng did not make any comment on this.
Jiang Nan then became bolder, even bringing home some takeout with a strong odor. However, she would still open the windows for ventilation and even turn on the kitchen hood to disperse the odor faster.
It wasn't until one weekend that the relationship between the two people changed a little.
That day, Jiang Nan enthusiastically studied a new recipe: sweet and sour pork ribs. The ribs were stewed until tender and coated in a bright red, alluring sauce, the aroma almost overwhelming the entire house.
She scooped out a small bowl of spareribs and was about to take off her slippers and sit down on the carpet to enjoy them when she saw Chen Yunsheng, dressed in his home clothes, walk out of the study, apparently to get some water. He paused, his nose twitching slightly, his eyes fixed precisely on the bowl of tempting spareribs in Jiang Nan's hand.
Jiang Nan felt a little embarrassed by his gaze, and for some unknown reason, he raised his bowl and asked, "Mr. Chen, would you like to try some of my sweet and sour spareribs?"
She regretted it after asking.
How could Chen Yunsheng eat this kind of home-cooked food? He should only eat food that was presented like a work of art. Even if it was home-cooked food, he would go to a high-end restaurant that was so expensive that they would be embarrassed to serve it if they paid three hundred yuan for a dish.
But Chen Yunsheng didn't say anything, his eyes flickering back and forth between the bowl of spare ribs and Jiang Nan. Just when Jiang Nan expected him to ignore or reject her as usual, he walked over and sat down on the single sofa next to her. After sitting down, he looked up at her, his eyes calm and full of expectation.
Jiang Nan reacted quickly this time. She immediately ran to the kitchen to get new bowls and chopsticks, and put two of the largest ribs from the pot into the pot. Then she nervously handed the ribs to Chen Yunsheng.
"Thank you." Chen Yunsheng took the bowl and chopsticks and picked up a piece of pork ribs. He ate politely, but not slowly. After finishing the ribs, he put down his chopsticks and wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth with a tissue.
"How is it?" Jiang Nan asked with some anticipation.
Chen Yunsheng glanced at her and said two words: "Not bad."
Jiang Nan rolled his eyes inwardly: Not bad? He looked so satisfied!
But she didn't expose it and felt a little proud in her heart.
Her cooking skills have indeed improved. When she returns home, she will make some for her mom and dad.
Just as Jiang Nan was thinking about these things, she suddenly realized that after Chen Yunsheng finished eating the two pieces of ribs, he did not get up and leave immediately. His eyes seemed to be glancing at the ribs in her bowl.
"Do you want more?" Jiang Nan asked tentatively.
Chen Yunsheng was silent for a second or two, then nodded gently: "Well, thank you."
Jiang Nan suppressed his laughter and brought the pot over, adding two more pieces of ribs to his plate. After the meal, Chen Yunsheng managed to finish half the pot of ribs, which was significantly more than he usually ate from high-end dishes.
As Jiang Nan cleared the dishes, she stole a glance at Chen Yunsheng. He was leaning back on the sofa, his eyes closed, looking relaxed. She smiled and returned to the kitchen with the pot.
Since then, a wonderful tacit understanding has been formed.
Whenever Jiang Nan was cooking fragrant meals in the kitchen, Chen Yunsheng would appear near the restaurant, or he would sit down at the dining table and chat with her casually.
Jiang Nan understood it tacitly, and slowly moved his dining table from the low table back to the dining room, and also set out an extra set of bowls and chopsticks when eating.
Still, the two of them rarely spoke. Chen Yunsheng ate quietly, and Jiang Nan ate quietly, too. Sometimes, Jiang Nan couldn't help but mutter to herself, commenting on the taste of the food or complaining about things at the company. Chen Yunsheng usually didn't react, but Jiang Nan noticed that when she got particularly excited, he would silently hand her a tissue—perhaps to silence her.
No matter what attitude Chen Yunsheng holds, Jiang Nan can say with certainty that her life has finally become a little easier, just like in a dark and cloudy sky, light finally penetrates the clouds, casting a thin but hopeful glimmer.
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