A little daily
The afternoon sun slanted through the kitchen window, casting bright spots of light on the polished countertop.
Zhou Jianxing, wearing a slightly oversized plaid apron, quickly scrolled through the food delivery app on her phone, selecting items like fresh vegetables, live fish, and meat.
Originally, Wen Lingyi sympathized with her hard work in the morning and suggested that she simply cook some frozen dumplings in the refrigerator, but Zhou Jianxing firmly shook her head.
"You just came back from a business trip. You must not have eaten well in S City. You must eat something comfortable cooked at home." She said in a serious tone, leaving no room for negotiation. She stared at the screen, comparing the prices of the two kinds of shrimp.
Looking at her serious look, Wen Lingyi felt a little funny and indescribably warm, so she stopped insisting and let her do it.
When Zhou Jianxing brought the last steaming soup to the table, Wen Lingyi had just packed up the last gift box.
"It's time to eat, Sister Wen." Zhou Jianxing took off her apron, her face flushed and full of anticipation after a busy day.
Today's dishes were indeed rich and varied: steamed fish, braised prawns, stir-fried vegetables, and corn and pork rib soup. Wen Lingyi looked at these delicious dishes and found it hard to imagine how Zhou Jianxing had managed to create such a feast in such a short time.
The two sat down opposite each other and began to eat. Zhou Jianxing was still excited and kept chattering while eating, asking questions one after another.
"Sister Wen, are you used to the food in S City? Are they all sweet?" She picked up a piece of fish and put it in Wen Lingyi's bowl, looking at her with bright eyes.
"If you think any dish in S City is particularly delicious, tell me and I can learn to cook it!" Without waiting for Wen Lingyi to answer, she couldn't wait to volunteer.
"And, is S City really like what is shown in TV dramas, with red walls and green tiles everywhere, small bridges and flowing water, and the air is moist?" She tilted her head, imagining the Jiangnan water town that she had never been to.
"By the way, have you gone to listen to Pingtan? I heard it's very interesting!" She finally stopped, took a mouthful of rice, puffed out her cheeks, and waited for Wen Lingyi's answer.
Wen Lingyi paused holding the chopsticks, then patiently answered the questions one by one.
Frankly speaking, the food she ate during her three days in City S was pretty average. The food there was a bit sweet, and she wasn't quite used to it.
On the other hand, her stomach seemed to have been spoiled by Zhou Jianxing and had become accustomed to her homely yet extremely comfortable taste. Now when she ate other things, apart from the initial sense of novelty, she always felt that it lacked a solid and reassuring sense of satisfaction.
At this moment, I ate the food made by Zhou Jianxing again, and my stomach, which had been empty for several days, was filled with the familiar taste, warm and comfortable, as if every cell in my body was sighing with satisfaction.
She picked up a chopstick full of vegetables and rice and put it into her mouth. After chewing and swallowing carefully, she sighed sincerely: "The food cooked by Chef Zhou is still the best."
Zhou Jianxing's eyes lit up at these words, and he smiled widely. He quickly picked up several more shrimps and ribs and put them into Wen Lingyi's bowl.
Wen Lingyi watched her busying around, and suddenly a statement she had read before flashed through her mind - when two people live together for a long time, they will become more and more alike, because sharing food will cause the intestinal flora to tend to be similar.
She looked at Zhou Jianxing's silly smile and found it hard to imagine herself becoming similar someday. Zhou Jianxing always seemed straightforward and passionate, with a touch of reckless innocence, while she had long been accustomed to restraint and balance.
However, she did enjoy sharing food with Zhou Jianxing.
The feeling was subtle. She was no longer alone at the table, facing the exquisite dishes. Instead, the table was filled with the soft clatter of dishes, casual chatter, and occasional glances, a tangible, warm atmosphere of everyday life.
Perhaps it is that feeling called "home".
As for her impression of S City… She spent most of her time working. Although Lin Rui played the role of a good host and took her to a few famous attractions, it was just a cursory tour. Naturally, she had no time to listen to Pingtan.
"How about we go listen together next time?" Zhou Jianxing immediately responded, blinking expectantly, as if he had already seen the scene of the two of them sitting side by side in the quaint teahouse.
Next time? Wen Lingyi slowed down her chewing.
When will the next time be? Will they still be like this?
A small cloud of gloom drifted silently across her heart, dimming her eyes for a moment. But she quickly concealed it, raised her head as if nothing had happened, smiled at Zhou Jianxing's expectant gaze, and nodded, "Okay."
·
After reporting the results of the business trip to Wang Zixuan, they were recognized and the theme of the next exhibition was determined.
This means that Wen Lingyi has to embark on a new round of intense work.
In the afternoon, the sunlight grew increasingly lazy, casting long, slanting shadows across the floor through the large windows of the study. Wen Lingyi turned on her computer and prepared to work on the first draft of her proposal.
Zhou Jianxing also stayed quietly in the study. He picked up a thick art album from the bookshelf, curled up in the single sofa next to him, and pretended to read it.
But in fact, her eyes rarely lingered on the colorful oil paintings on the pages of the book, but more on Wen Lingyi behind the desk.
She watched Wen Lingyi stare at the screen intently with a slightly frown on her face, her fingers tapping quickly on the keyboard; she watched her occasionally stop and take a sip of the water cup beside her; she watched her unconsciously tap the table with her fingertips as she thought.
Zhou Jianxing felt that he could never see enough.
Now that their relationship is close enough, she has gradually become accustomed to Wen Lingyi's appearance at home - with a plain face, skin so good that no pores can be seen, wearing loose and soft cotton home clothes, and her hair casually tied up, revealing a smooth forehead and graceful neck line.
This reminded her of the time when she first met Wen Lingyi. Every time she came to the villa, Wen Lingyi was home alone, always with exquisite makeup and wearing sexy nightgowns, like a peacock ready to spread its tail at any time.
The saying "seal the heart and lock the love" is correct. Wen Lingyi has probably been "hooking" her from the very beginning.
After realizing this, she was not angry or annoyed that the other party had led her, a "good girl with a good family background" astray. Instead, she felt that she was extremely lucky.
It seems that being deliberately seduced by such a person is itself a kind of affirmation.
What's more, the fact that she liked Wen Lingyi made her feel extremely happy. Being able to stay by Wen Lingyi's side, feel her warmth, and hear her voice was even happier than happiness.
Her sister, Wen, would drive to her company building to pick her up after work on unexpected rainy days, lean against the kitchen door to watch her cook, patiently wash and blow-dry her hair, and carefully apply medicine to her scraped knees.
He would softly call her "baby", kiss her tenderly, and when he was aroused, he would patiently and carefully guide and care for the inexperienced girl.
Zhou Jianxing's eyes followed the sunlight moving outside the window. From one end to the other, the light gilded Wen Lingyi, who was working at her desk, with different golden edges. Wen Lingyi's skin seemed almost transparent in the light, and the fine hairs on her cheeks could be seen.
In the air, countless tiny golden dust particles slowly floated and swirled around her, as if dancing slowly in the stagnant air.
If there really is a God in the world, he must look like Wen Lingyi.
Zhou Jianxing prayed silently to her God in her heart, hoping that she could spend every weekend afternoon like this with Wen Lingyi, peaceful, stable, and with each other's company.
·
Throughout the afternoon, Wen Lingyi was focused on her work, while Zhou Jianxing stayed quietly beside her, occasionally getting up to diligently refill her cup of warm water.
When Zhou Jianxing saw Wen Lingyi stop typing, look up, and rub the back of her neck with her fingers, revealing a tired expression, he would put down the album, walk behind her, reach out his hand, and slowly rub Wen Lingyi's tense cervical spine and shoulder muscles with just the right amount of force.
Wen Lingyi would sigh comfortably, close her eyes and enjoy the care for a moment.
Before she knew it, the afterglow of the setting sun had dyed the windowsill red, casting a warm orange filter over everything in the study. Wen Lingyi finally finished the dizzying first draft, saved the document, and closed her computer.
Dinner was the leftovers from lunch, which we simply heated up and both of us were very satisfied.
·
After dinner, they went to the audio-visual room.
Wen Lingyi had specially selected a well-received horror film. The lights dimmed, and the giant screen lit up, creating an immersive viewing atmosphere. Zhou Jianxing sat upright on the large sofa, and Wen Lingyi lay down on her side, resting her head naturally on Zhou Jianxing's thigh, finding a comfortable position.
It’s interesting to say that Zhou Jianxing is afraid of thunder on rainy nights, but is immune to the ghost plasma in horror movies.
Wen Lingyi originally had a secret expectation, thinking that Zhou Jianxing would be so scared that he would run into her arms, or cry out of fear, and then she could take the opportunity to show her tenderness and comfort him. After all, Zhou Jianxing looked really good with red eyes.
But the expected vulgar plot did not happen. Zhou Jianxing watched the show intently and even analyzed the plot in a low voice when he saw the key points. Instead, Wen Lingyi herself was so frightened by several sudden "face-sudden" shots that her heart skipped a beat and she subconsciously grabbed Zhou Jianxing's hand.
"What's so scary about ghosts?" After a high-energy shot, Zhou Jianxing felt Wen Lingyi on his leg tremble slightly, so he reached out his hand, gently brushed Wen Lingyi's forehead and hairline with his fingertips, and spoke calmly.
"If my loved ones turned into ghosts, they would still love me and wouldn't want to scare me. If other evil ghosts wanted to bully me, they would definitely be the first to rush out to protect me."
Wen Lingyi suddenly thought that if her mother turned into stars, or some other form, she would definitely continue to watch over her and love her somewhere.
The fear seemed to be dispelled somewhat by this simple thought. She took Zhou Jianxing's hand and placed it on her lower abdomen. Zhou Jianxing's body temperature was always higher than hers, and his palm was always dry yet scorching hot, like a small heater, constantly transmitting a reassuring warmth.
In the second half of the film, Wen Lingyi's consciousness gradually became blurred in this warmth and relaxation, and she fell asleep.
·
When she woke up again, she found herself lying on the soft, large bed in the master bedroom, covered in a thin blanket. The bedside lamp was on, emitting a dim, soft light. Zhou Jianxing was leaning next to her, reading his phone, the cold light of the screen reflected on her focused profile.
Wen Lingyi sat up drowsily, subconsciously moving closer to the source of heat. She wrapped her arms around Zhou Jianxing's waist and pressed her face against her chest. It felt so good to open her eyes and see this person by her side.
"Why are you awake?" Zhou Jianxing immediately turned off the screen of her mobile phone, and the room instantly became much darker. She thought that the light from her mobile phone disturbed Wen Lingyi's sleep.
"It's okay." The heavy sleepiness in Wen Lingyi's voice had not yet dissipated. She pressed closer to Zhou Jianxing, absorbing the warmth from him as if absorbing the sunshine.
"Sister Wen," Zhou Jianxing put down his phone and leaned against the headboard, hesitating for a moment before speaking cautiously, "The ring you're wearing today is really beautiful. Can you lend it to me tomorrow?"
Does it look good? Wen Lingyi subconsciously glanced at the ring she placed on the bedside table. It was just an ordinary platinum ring with no special design.
A little doubt flashed through her mind, but she agreed: "Okay." She said, took Zhou Jianxing's hand, and looked at it carefully in the light of the bedside lamp, "But can you wear my ring?"
Zhou Jianxing's hands were slightly larger than hers, with more pronounced knuckles. The bases and pads of his fingers had thin calluses from maintenance work, making them a bit rough to the touch. His hands were slender and graceful, with distinct joints, and looked like the type that would hurt someone if pinched.
Wen Lingyi unconsciously thought of certain scenes, and her cheeks began to feel hot, so she quickly let go of her hand, turned around and lay down with her back to Zhou Jianxing, pulling up the quilt: "Go to bed quickly, you have to get up early for work tomorrow."
"Yeah." Zhou Jianxing responded softly behind her, his body naturally leaning towards her, his arms skillfully wrapped around her waist, his palms as warm as ever.
In this familiar and reassuring embrace, Wen Lingyi quickly fell asleep again.
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