Chapter 85: Three-Person Dinner

In reality.

Fang Yue opened his eyes.

The first sensation was warmth.

Slightly startled, he noticed an extra black-and-white air-conditioning blanket draped over him, printed with a cute panda head.

Looking around again, the food scraps left behind earlier had long since vanished.

Even the table and floor had been washed and cleaned, spotlessly clean.

What was going on?

Fang Yue was a little bewildered.

Did a grateful cat-girl sneak into the house?

Setting aside the unfamiliar air-conditioning blanket, the room being cleaned this thoroughly simply couldn't be Yuan Jie's doing—unless the sun rose from the west.

After a moment's hesitation, Fang Yue walked toward the kitchen where the range hood was humming, opened the door, and saw Yuan Jie in an apron, wearing earphones and listening to music while skillfully stir-frying.

Apparently startled by the sound of the door opening, Yuan Jie glanced back at Fang Yue, took off her earphones, and smiled: "Did I wake you up?"

"No, I just logged off the game and woke up."

"I see, I thought you were asleep."

Yuan Jie had no interest in games and didn't know much about them either, so she assumed Fang Yue had been napping on the sofa and said with a smile: "The dishes aren't ready yet, wait outside for a bit."

Fang Yue quickly said: "No, Sister Yuan, why are you back so early today? And weren't we supposed to treat you to a big meal to celebrate? Why are you cooking yourself?"

"I was on the day shift today, left early, came back early to celebrate with you. Let's forget about eating out—yesterday you said you earned a little money, but nobody's money comes from a windfall, so save it."

After a pause, Yuan Jie waved her small arm: "Also, are you looking down on my cooking? If you really feel bad about it, just compliment my dishes properly later."

No, no, no!

Yesterday I only earned a tiny bit, it really was small money.

But today my income exploded, okay! Tens of thousands pouring in!

The speed at which money was coming in made Fang Yue feel a bit giddy, but then he thought that Yuan Jie had been working a few years longer than him, so her savings might actually be more than his, and he immediately felt that this bit of money might really not amount to much.

Indeed, in a big city like Jianghai City, what are a hundred or two hundred thousand?

Small goal: become a multi-millionaire!

Thinking of this, Fang Yue quietly retreated.

But just then, Yuan Jie suddenly said: "Oh right, Xiaoya is back too. I could tell at a glance that the air-conditioning blanket covering you was hers—wash it clean and remember to return it to her."

Xiaoya?

Fang Yue froze for a moment, then his brain caught up—who that nickname referred to.

Bai Xiaoya, that landlord's daughter who was as elusive as a dragon's head and tail!

Fang Yue barely saw her a few times all year, never expected her to suddenly come back today.

And the air-conditioning blanket… according to Yuan Jie, she had come back even later than Bai Xiaoya.

In other words… the food scraps and the floor being cleaned were all done by Bai Xiaoya.

This…

Fang Yue felt a bit awkward; he still remembered that before going into the game, the living room had been terribly messy.

So it was she who cleaned up after me, and even covered me with a blanket…

Returning to the living room, he carefully folded up the air-conditioning blanket, and suddenly noticed the air conditioner seemed to have a strange, pleasant fragrance. Instinctively, Fang Yue leaned in closer to sniff it carefully…

Creak.

The side room's door, which in his memory had basically never been opened, suddenly swung open.

Through the crack in the door, he could see the girl inside about to push the door open and come out, when her gaze met Fang Yue's, who was leaning down sniffing the air-conditioning blanket.

"Wait…"

Bang!

The door closed.

Wait! I'm not! I didn't! Let me explain!

……

After Yuan Jie's mediation, the three finally gathered around the dining table to eat.

"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding, A-Yue isn't the kind of person you think."

"Mm."

Bai Xiaoya nodded, ate her vegetables.

"Maybe A-Yue's been single too long and picked up some strange hobbies, but I guarantee he absolutely wouldn't make a move on you!"

"Mm."

Bai Xiaoya nodded, ate her rice.

"A-Yue, say something, A-Yue!"

Yuan Jie gave him a meaningful look, but Fang Yue's face was dark with exasperation.

Sister Yuan, the more you explain, the worse it gets, okay?

Seeing the atmosphere had become so awkward because of him, Fang Yue braced himself and said: "Um, I didn't do it on purpose…"

"I'm really not angry."

Fang Yue's words were suddenly cut off.

Bai Xiaoya set down her bowl and chopsticks, her face perfectly calm, as if merely stating a fact.

"This is just an adult male who's been a shut-in for years, doing something he might do—I can understand."

"Just like how many adult women have fantasized about being treated roughly, but such thoughts stop at fantasy."

"In real life, people who do this kind of thing, we call them perverts."

"I trust Old Man's eye for people. For Mr. Fang to be able to move in, at the very least he's a person with a bottom line."

Hmm... is she praising me or taking a jab at me?

Fang Yue didn't know what to say for a moment, when he saw Bai Xiaoya pause, then continue: "Also, for some reasons, I need to stay here for a period of time. I'll try my best not to cause the two of you any trouble."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all, talking so distant — this was originally your family's house anyway, hehehe!"

Yuan Jie was quite free and easy, and Fang Yue mumbled a few words as well, but this rare three-person meal was eaten with a bit of awkwardness.

Don't be fooled by Bai Xiaoya's refined way of eating — actually her eating speed wasn't slow, she was the first of the three to finish.

Taking her bowl and chopsticks to wash, she then sat on the sofa, turned on the TV, lowered the volume, and quietly watched a TV drama, so gentle and quiet she looked like a fairy who didn't partake in mortal affairs.

Yuan Jie asked curiously: "Xiaoya, aren't you going back to your room to get ready?"

"I'll wait until you two finish eating, then I'll go wash the bowl and chopsticks clean, wipe down the table, and then go back to my room to get ready."

"No need, no need, I'll handle the cleanup."

Bai Xiaoya hesitated for a moment, then nodded, and went back to her own room.

Fang Yue asked curiously: "Get ready for what?"

"Oh, I haven't told you yet. Xiaoya rarely comes back, I want to take Xiaoya out to the pedestrian street to go shopping! How about it? Want to come? The gentleman carries the bags!"

Late at night? The pedestrian street?

Fang Yue didn't really want to go inside.

He had let Lin Ling cover for him for two hours precisely to go out with Yuan Jie to celebrate with a big meal, then come back and continue on with the great enterprise of gaming.

Now the big meal was gone, settled at home instead, so he might as well just go straight online and keep on grinding.

Hearing Fang Yue's refusal, Yuan Jie had a face full of regret.

"Ah-Yue, Xiaoya is rarely back to stay, if you don't seize the chance, miss this village and there won't be this shop anymore."

"... Yuan Jie, my appetite is still fine."

"Then you can still eat soft rice, you can eat it the hard way too. If you latch onto Xiaoya, you can save yourself decades of struggle! If I were a man, I'd have made my move long ago!"

Listening to Yuan Jie's wild words, Fang Yue shoveled a few more bites of rice, shouted "I'm full," and fled back to his own room as if escaping.

Yuan Jie watched Fang Yue's flustered back, let out a giggle, then seemed to feel her phone buzz. Looking at the WeChat message, Yuan Jie's expression stiffened, and she sighed.

"Tomorrow I have to go on another blind date again. I'm only twenty-five, damn it! Why is the family in such a rush? A gorgeous twenty-five-year-old original-stock product like me, still afraid I can't get married off?"

(End of this chapter)