Chapter Seventeen: Cooking

Knock, knock, knock. Cui Hao tapped on Zhou Xiaoqi’s door. “Xiaoqi, I’ve finished changing. You can come out now.”

Hearing Cui Hao’s voice, Zhou Xiaoqi composed herself and took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll be out in a minute.”

Back on the sofa, Cui Hao waited as Zhou Xiaoqi finally emerged from her room. He looked at her with a pitiful expression and said, “Xiaoqi, I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”

“Wait a moment, let me check,” Zhou Xiaoqi replied. She opened the fridge and glanced awkwardly at Cui Hao, who stood a little distance away. “Heh... How about I treat you to a meal outside?”

Cui Hao looked at her, blocking the refrigerator, and asked, “I’d rather not eat out. Don’t you have anything at home?”

Zhou Xiaoqi scratched her head. “Well, there is something... It’s just... only instant noodles.”

Cui Hao shook his head, a bit surprised. “Xiaoqi, you really don’t know how to take care of yourself, do you? Don’t tell me you survive on instant noodles most days?”

She gave a sheepish laugh. “Well, I’m alone, so as long as I don’t starve, anything is fine.” The more she answered his questions, the less she dared to meet his gaze, though she didn’t know why.

Cui Hao stood up and walked over, nudging her away from the fridge door. What he saw inside startled him—almost nothing but instant noodles and canned food. For the first time, he realized someone could actually live like this. He closed the fridge, gently pushed Zhou Xiaoqi toward her room, and patted her shoulder. “Go change your clothes. We’re going out.”

“To where?” she asked, but before she could get a reply, Cui Hao had already closed the door. Resigned, Zhou Xiaoqi went to change and followed him out.

“Where’s the supermarket?” Cui Hao had already made up his mind. At the very least, he’d make sure Zhou Xiaoqi stayed away from all that junk food.

Zhou Xiaoqi, still a bit confused, asked, “What are we going to the supermarket for?”

Cui Hao flicked her forehead, sometimes truly wondering what went on in her mind. How could she be so clever at times, and at others, so adorably clueless?

Since being with Zhou Xiaoqi, Cui Hao found himself smiling much more. He wasn’t one to display his emotions openly, and even he hadn’t noticed the change. All he knew was that he was happy when he was with her.

At that moment, Zhou Xiaoqi felt lost, observing the couples shopping together in the supermarket. She didn’t know what to make of her situation with Cui Hao. He pushed the cart ahead, always making sure she kept up, stopping whenever she lagged behind.

They picked out their groceries and returned to her rented apartment. Cui Hao, tall and broad-shouldered, donned a blue apron that looked rather comical on him. He moved with practiced ease: chopping, washing, stir-frying. Zhou Xiaoqi, on the other hand, was of no help at all. In just about an hour, Cui Hao had prepared a delicious spread of three dishes and a soup, each one vibrant and fragrant.

Before she had even swallowed her first bite, Zhou Xiaoqi gave a thumbs up and, her words muffled by the food in her mouth, praised, “This is amazing. Your cooking is incredible.”

Cui Hao gently placed more food into her bowl. “Eat slowly, there’s no one here to fight you for it.”