After Flirting with the God-Tier Beautiful Tycoon - Chapter 80.1

Shen Xiaojiang nodded. “Yes.”

Chen Yi hadn’t found an apron, and her clothes were stained with various spots likely water or oil.

She turned back around, and Shen Xiaojiang stared blankly at her retreating back.

Thinking of Sun Jiabao’s words, she lowered her head and went back to typing code.

After a while, the kitchen’s glass door slid open again. There was the sound of plates being set on the table, followed by the door closing.

“Shen Xiaojiang, you can come out and eat now,” Chen Yi said gently, knocking twice on the door.

Shen Xiaojiang’s hands stopped over the keyboard, but she didn’t turn around. Just as she was about to refuse, the other woman spoke first.

“I don’t want to disturb you, but you need a full stomach to take your medicine. You can wait a while to eat this meal, but you must eat.”

After saying this, Chen Yi turned away. Her oversized slippers made a dragging sound against the floor.

Shen Xiaojiang saved her progress and stood up. She let out a heavy breath and, though nervous, walked into the dining area with feigned composure.

The small dining table looked even more cramped now that three dishes had been placed on it.

Two bowls sat at the edge of the table, filled with plump grains of white rice. The chopsticks were placed neatly to the side, giving the setup a sense of ceremony.

She peeked through the kitchen glass door. Chen Yi was squatting down, searching for quite a while before only finding two small bowls.

She poured the soup into the bowls, held them with both hands, and nudged the door open with her shoulder.

With some effort, she made it to the table and quickly set down the two brimming soup bowls, immediately grabbing her ears with her hands. “Ha! So hot!”

Shen Xiaojiang looked at the corn and pork rib soup in the bowls and said nothing.

“There are no big bowls in the kitchen, so I had to split it into two small ones.” Chen Yi carefully pushed both soup bowls toward Shen Xiaojiang, terrified of spilling a single drop.

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded potatoes with green peppers, and poached shrimp it was light and quite nutritious.

The most important thing was that it actually tasted good.

Shen Xiaojiang ate quite a lot.

Usually, she didn’t use her hands to peel shrimp. It was mostly because she was too slow at it, and even more so because she found it a hassle.

By the time she had finished half her bowl of rice, she had only managed to nibble on one shrimp using just her mouth.

Chen Yi stood up and went to the kitchen.

When she came back out, her hands were dripping wet.

As soon as she sat down, she began skillfully peeling the shrimp.

Her exceptionally beautiful fingers curved, applying just enough pressure to twist off the shrimp heads.

Poached shrimp had one drawback the shells trapped a lot of juice. The larger the head, the more juice inside.

If one wasn’t careful, the juice would squirt out everywhere.

Because the table was small and they were sitting close together, Chen Yi didn’t want to get any juice on Shen Xiaojiang.

Thus, she was as careful as if she were doing fine embroidery.

Twisting off the head, peeling the shell, removing the vein one whole, large shrimp was placed into the bowl.

Chen Yi repeated this process an unknown number of times.

Soon, a small plate piled with shrimp meat appeared by Shen Xiaojiang’s bowl.

Shen Xiaojiang’s eyes lit up; she was even a little shocked.

The last time someone had peeled this many shrimp for her was… well, the last time.

Even as much as Shen Lanxin doted on her, she had never done something like this.

Also, was Chen Yi’s hand speed always this fast?

She felt too embarrassed to pick up her chopsticks.

Chen Yi didn’t rush her, saying languidly, “I don’t like eating shrimp.”

After feeling awkward for a while, and following the principle that “waste is shameful,” Shen Xiaojiang picked one up.

The fresh shrimp meat, soaked in broth, was truly delicious.

She had originally intended to leave a few to save face, but before she knew it, she had devoured the entire plate like a whirlwind.

It had been a long time since she had eaten so satisfyingly.

At the same time, she caught a glimpse of Chen Yi. A long-absent, gratified smile appeared on the other woman’s face.

This made her feel even more embarrassed.

After finishing the meal, Shen Xiaojiang proactively took over the task of clearing the dishes.

But because she had been typing for too long, her fingers trembled slightly, and she broke one of the soup bowls.

Chen Yi hurried over to help clean up the shards. While she worked, she smiled and said, “It’s okay. Shards bring peace.” (A Chinese pun on “broken” and “peace”).

“You still have to work this afternoon. Why don’t I just do the dishes?”

Chen Yi was really, really, really gentle.

Shen Xiaojiang didn’t argue. She silently retreated from the kitchen and stood by the dining table, staring blankly at the busy figure through the glass door.

Chen Yi washed all the pots and bowls until they were spotless, arranging them by size in the drying rack.

Then, after a quick cleaning of the kitchen, she came out, her body drenched in sweat.

The temperature in the living room was already high, let alone the kitchen.

Once the stove was on, the temperature inside was at least five degrees higher than outside.

The last time Chen Yi had been this sweaty was in the restroom of that old district tavern with Shen Xiaojiang.

That time, her qipao had been soaked through with water.

It was both water, yet not the same kind of water.

Shen Xiaojiang deliberately avoided looking at her.

Only she knew that she hadn’t turned a single page on her Kindle in a very long time.

“What is this room for?” Chen Yi asked as she wiped her sweat with a tissue, looking toward another locked door.

Shen Xiaojiang lifted her eyelids slightly. “The landlord renovated the place and split it into two suites. Both have their own bathrooms; only the kitchen and dining area are shared.”

There was air conditioning in the bedroom, but not in the living room. Calculating the electricity bill for common areas was a bit tricky.

Chen Yi hummed in response and nodded. “Then… can I use your shower?”

Shen Xiaojiang froze for a moment. She looked up and saw Chen Yi undoing one collar button of her qipao.

The collar was dampened by sweat, and her slender, long neck shimmered with the glisten of moisture.

She stood in front of the electric fan. The high slit of her qipao skirt fluttered open, revealing her snow-white, straight legs. The superior lines of her silhouette were enough to make anyone blush.

“You can,” Shen Xiaojiang answered flatly.

Chen Yi turned her head, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

Her tone was her usual seductive self, but without the excess flippancy.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what I want to use the shower for?”

Shen Xiaojiang looked down at her Kindle, refusing to meet her eyes. “Is there a need to ask? If you want to use it, use it.”

“Oh,” Chen Yi’s smile reached her eyes. “It’s too hot. I want to take a bath.”

There was a very, very small window in the shower room. Since it was an old neighborhood, the glass wasn’t even frosted.

However, the landlord had thoughtfully installed a waterproof Venetian blind. Pulling it shut would protect the tenant’s privacy.

Chen Yi pulled the blinds open and looked out from the inside. She looked at this bustling neighborhood, at this lively “smoke and fire” of human life.

There were so many people in the old district some walking dogs on leashes, some carrying backpacks to school, some sitting in the shade playing chess, and some gathered by the long dried fountain chatting about neighborhood gossip…

The life here was different from her usual one, and the people here were different from those she usually encountered.

In the entire city of Nancheng, the only person who could make President Chen wash her hands and cook a meal was Shen Xiaojiang.

Because whenever she was with Shen Xiaojiang, no matter what they did, it made Chen Yi feel that she was truly alive.

This time, she had realized it clearly she could not have that light missing from her life.

She wanted her moon, for her eyes only, to wash away the dust of the world.