Yu Ning had gotten up early today and hadn’t taken a nap. Back when she was working, she hadn’t thought much of it, but now that she had leisure time, she had nothing to do and went to bed at eight.
In the end, she woke up hungry at one-thirty in the morning.
In the evening, she had wandered around the nearby area by herself and eaten some of Jidong Town’s local snacks, so she hadn’t eaten the meal Mother Chen had made.
Now she was hungry.
She tossed and turned for a few minutes, then decisively threw off the covers, washed up a little, draped a shawl over herself, and prepared to go downstairs to rummage for something to eat.
At this hour, the whole of Jidong Town had sunk into silence. The deep-blue night sky hung low, the stars nailed into it, while the distant mountains loomed like the spines of beasts, drifting in and out of shadow.
Cold moonlight spilled soundlessly over everything, casting mottled shadows across the flagstones in the courtyard.
The entire first-floor hall was pitch-black, so dark she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.
A miscalculation.
So the living room didn’t have motion-sensor lights, and she hadn’t brought her phone down either.
She remembered the switch seemed to be by the wall.
Following the position in her memory, she slowly felt her way toward the side, her foot tentatively nudging ahead.
Suddenly, her leg kicked something hard, and she reached out to feel what it was.
A cool fabric texture, and very firm.
This was…
A person?
Yu Ning’s pupils trembled. She let out a short cry and retreated again and again, only to trip over something unknown. Her whole body lost balance and toppled backward.
All at once, a strong arm with taut muscle lines wrapped around her slender waist, while another hand accurately covered her mouth in the darkness.
“Don’t scream. It’s me.”
This voice…
Yu Ning froze. “Chen Chuan?”
“Mm.”
Chen Chuan had only just responded when he felt a pair of hands grab wildly twice through the air, then wrap around his neck.
In the darkness, a person’s senses became all the sharper. A fresh, rich fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose.
Like moss after rain mingled with the powdery scent of orris root, with a faint trace of lively bergamot, gradually settling into an interweaving of rose and sandalwood, giving off an elusive allure.
The slender waist in the crook of his arm was very soft, as if he could easily snap it with just a little force.
His heartbeat seemed to lose its rhythm, disrupting even the cadence of his breathing.
Yu Ning raised a hand to pry away the hand covering her lips. Slowly straightening in his arms, she leaned a little closer and also caught the faint scent of lemon soap on him.
“Stand here and don’t move. I’ll turn on the light.” Chen Chuan’s voice had gone hoarse. As if he had been shocked by electricity, he released her waist.
“Okay.”
“Your hand.”
“Oh.”
Yu Ning raised her brows in the dark. Before pulling her hand back, she “accidentally” pinched the back of his neck.
Chen Chuan paused.
He furrowed his brows, but said nothing.
Because of years of habit, he possessed a certain ability to see in the dark. In addition, he was in familiar surroundings, so he found the light with ease.
With a snap, the originally pitch-black hall instantly brightened.
Yu Ning’s eyes were stung by the light. She narrowed them slightly and took a moment to adjust before she saw the man dressed in a black tank top and black cargo shorts.
The man’s hair was still wet, looking as though he had just taken a shower.
“When did you start standing here? You don’t make a sound when you walk. In the middle of the night, are you trying to scare me to death?”
Yu Ning muttered unhappily.
Chen Chuan looked at the spaghetti-strap nightdress she was still wearing, that pale stretch of exposed skin making him furrow his brows as his throat rolled lightly.
It was as if the sensation and warmth of her just now still lingered on his hand.
He clenched his fist a little unnaturally and shifted his gaze away, letting it fall on the color-blocked shawl on the floor. He bent down, picked it up, and handed it to her.
In a hoarse voice, he asked, “I just got back not long ago. Why aren’t you asleep at this hour?”
Yu Ning took it and draped it over herself again, puffing out her cheeks. “I didn’t eat dinner. I woke up hungry. Do you know where there’s anything to eat?”
Chen Chuan swept a glance over her, his eyes dark and heavy. Without saying anything, he strode into the kitchen.
Yu Ning followed him in. “I’m asking you.”
The kitchen stove was an old-fashioned large brick stove with two openings. Along the wall were stacked firewood, as well as three bundles of pine needles for kindling.
Chen Chuan ignored her. He ladled two scoops of water into one of the pots, lit the pine needles with a lighter, stuffed them into the stove chamber, and added a few pieces of not-too-thick firewood.
Before long, steam began to rise from the water.
He used a stainless-steel ladle to scoop the water out of the pot, then looked up at her. “There are only noodles. Want some?”
“Yes.”
Yu Ning answered swiftly.
Chen Chuan turned and took four eggs from the cupboard. After the water in the pot boiled dry, he poured in oil. Once the oil was hot, he cracked all four eggs into it.
In the silent kitchen, the sizzling sound of frying eggs rang out.
Yu Ning stood beside him and watched as he cooked the noodles in one smooth sequence. When he added the noodles, he didn’t hold back either, tossing in two handfuls without the slightest hesitation.
She could tell now. This wasn’t just a portion for her alone.
There was his portion too.
While the noodles cooked, he went to wash a few stalks of greens and tossed them in.
It was clearly just a very simple bowl of noodles, yet Yu Ning found it smelled very fragrant.
Chen Chuan took one large bowl and one small bowl from the cupboard, used chopsticks to fish out the noodles, poured soup over them, and topped each with two fried eggs and two stalks of greens.
They looked no worse than something bought outside.
Yet somehow, they were even more appetizing.
Yu Ning reached out to carry hers, but as soon as she touched the edge of the bowl, she shrank her hand back from the heat.
Seeing this, Chen Chuan frowned. “Go get the chopsticks yourself. I’ll carry the noodles.”
Yu Ning smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
She took a pair of chopsticks from the cupboard. When she turned back, she saw Chen Chuan carrying a bowl of noodles in each hand, completely unfazed by the heat, walking out of the kitchen without changing expression.
Sure enough, having thick skin and rough flesh was different.
She walked out and sat down at the dining table. After tasting a mouthful of noodles, her pretty, bright fox eyes blinked lightly. “Mm, it’s good. Boss Chen, your cooking skills aren’t bad.”
Chen Chuan slurped a mouthful of noodles and didn’t say anything.
It hadn’t been quiet for long when Yu Ning suddenly remembered something. Under the table, she lightly touched his leg with her raised foot. “Hey, didn’t you say last time that you knew how to brew wine? Do you have any now? Bring some out for me to try.”
Chen Chuan’s motion of eating noodles paused. He moved his leg to the side and replied, “No.”
“Hey, don’t be so stingy. It’s not like I won’t pay.”
“I don’t have time to brew any.”
“What about the ones you brewed before? All gone?”
“Mm.” Chen Chuan looked up. “Sometimes the guests have barbecues and entertainment together in the courtyard at night, so wine is included.”
Yu Ning pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. “Then when will you brew some next time?”
“Don’t know.”
“Then during these three months I’m here, will I get to drink wine you brewed?”
“Maybe.”
“…”
Speechless, Yu Ning poked open the fried egg. The runny yolk flowed out, and she bit into it resentfully. “Where did you go? Why did you only come back now?”
“Inventory at the warehouse.”
“Warehouse? The fruit warehouse?”
“Mm.”
“Are you often busy this late?”
“Occasionally.”
Yu Ning gave an “oh,” then finished the noodles in a few bites, leaving behind a little soup. Satisfied, she rubbed her stomach. “So full.”
Chen Chuan finished drinking his own noodle soup, then took her bowl and chopsticks together with his and brought them in to wash.
Yu Ning stood up to digest her food and leaned by the kitchen doorway. “How do we count this late-night snack?”
“Free.”
“Free?”
Chen Chuan’s hands stopped for a few seconds before he said, “Consider it compensation for scaring you just now.”