After The Forced Marriage, I Ended Up With The Top Celebrity - Chapter 19

“Goddess, is there anything you need my help with?” In the cubicle, Xiao Li wore a plastered smile, bowing and nodding as she approached Qiao Jinyan.

“Yes,” Qiao Jinyan’s lips curled into a barely noticeable cold smile. She walked over to the sauce counter, her finger tracing the edge of a sauce bowl.

“I’m hungry. Help me prepare a dipping sauce bowl,” Qiao Jinyan said flatly.

Xiao Li was momentarily stunned: Qiao Jinyan called her over just to help prepare a dipping sauce? Could this be a test for a new assistant position?

With suspicion, Xiao Li picked up a bowl and used a spoon to vigorously scoop out the blackish sauce.

Qiao Jinyan leaned against the sauce counter, her hands folded over her legs, watching her struggle to scoop the seasoning.

“Why don’t you offer your opinion on my assistant?” Qiao Jinyan said out of the blue.

Xiao Li was taken aback again, not understanding Qiao Jinyan’s intention. She could only cautiously reply, “Your assistant… she’s very clever, and her hands and feet are very diligent.”

Qiao Jinyan lowered her head, her long hair draping over her cheeks, obscuring her face. Xiao Li couldn’t tell what expression Qiao Jinyan wore, but she felt a chill, and goosebumps rose on her skin.

The woman who, a second ago, was as charming and pleasant as the god of love, now gave off a bone-chilling coldness.

“But that’s not what you said just now.” Qiao Jinyan flicked her hair back and looked up with a smile: “Didn’t you just say she was clumsy? Didn’t you say she didn’t know the rules? And… you even bumped into her.”

In those last few words, Qiao Jinyan’s voice had turned completely cold.

This sound immediately flustered Xiao Li. She instantly realized Qiao Jinyan hadn’t called her for advice at all, but to settle the score over Luo Nianshu’s matter.

Xiao Li took a step back, the hand holding the sauce bowl trembling slightly: “I… I… Goddess, I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to prove that I could do better than Luo Nianshu.”

Shadows covered Qiao Jinyan’s eyes, and her voice was low and dark: “What good is doing better? Do you think you can replace her?”

The air was deadly silent.

A tremor went from her hands to her legs. Xiao Li felt her knees go weak, and she could barely hold the sauce bowl.

Qiao Jinyan stood up and walked step by step toward Xiao Li, gently pushing up Xiao Li’s trembling hands and bringing the sauce bowl to her mouth.

“Eat it,” the beautiful thin lips lightly spoke the words.

Eat?

Xiao Li’s eyes were panicked. She looked down at the dark sauce that smelled sour, then looked up at the unfathomable Qiao Jinyan, caught between a rock and a hard place.

Just looking at the sauce in her hands was already making it hard to swallow, let alone actually eating it.

But Qiao Jinyan… her eyes were like knives, not allowing anyone to object.

Seeing Xiao Li hesitate, Qiao Jinyan chuckled softly, her voice like a stone dropped into black, stagnant water, felt but unseen: “Do you want me to inform your management company about this, or do you want to resolve it with a bowl of seasoning?”

A gentle, yet threatening voice.

“I… I’ll eat.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li dared not say more and immediately lowered her head, gulping down the sauce. The bitter and astringent seasoning stimulated her taste buds, bringing tears to her eyes, and her stomach rebelled against the food rushing down.

But she dared not utter a sound of pain, only muffling her head and spooning it into her mouth, spoonful after spoonful.

Qiao Jinyan stared at Xiao Li. Only when Xiao Li had finished most of the sauce in the bowl did she look away and warn: “Remember, if I ever find you bullying her again, your punishment will certainly not be as simple as eating sauce today.”

**********

Qiao Jinyan returned to the wooden building and knocked on Luo Nianshu’s door.

Luo Nianshu opened the door and saw her, a slight complaint in her tone: “Where did you go? I couldn’t find you for a long time.”

“Handled a small matter.” Qiao Jinyan smiled, reaching out to stroke Luo Nianshu’s hair. Seeing no one around, Luo Nianshu immediately rubbed against her palm like a kitten.

“I’m hungry. I want to eat the noodles you make.” Qiao Jinyan pouted: “Today’s meal was too bad; I barely ate anything.”

“I’ll make it for you.” Luo Nianshu patted her chest, then remembered the last time Qiao Jinyan wanted noodles, so she added: “But you have to finish it this time.”

Qiao Jinyan curled her lips and nodded in agreement. She watched Luo Nianshu tie on an apron and busy herself in the small kitchen, like a virtuous little wife.

She walked over and hugged Luo Nianshu from behind.

Qiao Jinyan rested her chin on Luo Nianshu’s neck, drawing small circles bit by bit: “Do you know? I wanted to do this to you the first time you cooked noodles.”

Is that so?

Luo Nianshu raised an eyebrow. Back then, she was clearly as steady as a mountain, leaning against the door like a foreman.

The noodles were cooked. Luo Nianshu conveniently added a poached egg inside. When everything was ready, she poured the noodles from the pot into the prepared bowl. Qiao Jinyan took two pairs of chopsticks from the cupboard, kept one for herself, and handed the other to Luo Nianshu. The two began to eat together.

The noodles were chewy, and the taste was fresh and delicious, with a cozy feeling like waves chasing the wind. Remembering the bowl of noodles she had poured out before, Qiao Jinyan suddenly felt a sense of regret.

“The noodles you cook are delicious,” Qiao Jinyan said with a muffled voice, her mouth full of the poached egg.

“I grew up with my grandmother and often cooked.” After saying that, Luo Nianshu seemed to remember something, her eyes lighting up: “I’ll take you to see my grandmother at my place someday. The ‘ugly daughter-in-law’ always has to meet the mother-in-law.”

Daggers almost shot out of Qiao Jinyan’s eyes: “‘Ugly daughter in law’? Have you ever seen anyone more beautiful than me in the world?”

“Maybe me,” Luo Nianshu smiled playfully, unrepentant.

With a few crackling sounds, the electric light suddenly flickered a few times. Then the room plunged into darkness, and the air conditioner instantly shut off.

Someone downstairs shouted, “The power is out!”

“What kind of awful facility conditions is this,” Qiao Jinyan gently placed her chopsticks on the bowl and grumbled.

Luo Nianshu shrugged, then suddenly had a good idea, her eyes brightened: “Why don’t we go downstairs for a walk? The countryside nights should be cool.”

Qiao Jinyan nodded, reluctantly accepting the suggestion.

Holding large palm-leaf fans, the two leisurely strolled out of the wooden building like old ladies.

The summer night air was warm, and before long, their clothes were damp and sticking to their bodies.

Qiao Jinyan was like a withered eggplant, moving her steps listlessly. Luo Nianshu fanned her beside her, only regretting that she couldn’t turn into an electric fan to alleviate the heat.

A cool, moist breeze suddenly rolled in from the west. Luo Nianshu, with a flicker of realization, immediately knew what it was and grabbed Qiao Jinyan’s hand, running toward it.

Qiao Jinyan was practically dragged by Luo Nianshu. At first, she complained a little, but when she saw the small stream shimmering brightly in the night, Qiao Jinyan’s eyes immediately lit up with joy.

“Take off your shoes, take off your shoes,” Luo Nianshu urged, kicking off her shoes casually. Qiao Jinyan turned sideways and neatly lined up both their pairs of shoes behind them. Then, she folded her skirt, slowly sat down, and, mimicking Luo Nianshu, dipped her feet into the icy stream water. The coolness instantly traveled upwards from her toes.

Luo Nianshu pulled at her neckline to fan herself, then suddenly raised a finger in front of Qiao Jinyan: “Goddess, you still owe me one thing tonight.”

It took Qiao Jinyan a moment to understand what Luo Nianshu was referring to. Her face flushed: “Out in the middle of nowhere, isn’t that inappropriate?”

Luo Nianshu shook her head, her face serious: “I think it’s fine.”

Qiao Jinyan pursed her lips, glanced around, and seeing no one, she whispered, “Then come on.”

Blushing, she closed her eyes and tilted her exquisite face upwards. Her dark, slender eyelashes trembled slightly in the night sky. Every cell in her body waited for Luo Nianshu’s kiss to fall.

One second passed…

Two seconds passed…

Three seconds passed…

Still no movement?

Qiao Jinyan opened one eye in confusion, only to see Luo Nianshu covering her mouth with both hands, desperately trying to suppress her laughter.

“Go to hell!”

Realizing she had been played, Qiao Jinyan kicked her legs in shame and anger. Water splashed “gurglingly,” soaking Luo Nianshu.

Luo Nianshu covered her face and wailed: “Stop! Stop! Your foot bath water just splashed into my mouth!”

Qiao Jinyan: “…”

Buzz buzz buzz, Qiao Jinyan’s phone lightly chimed. She opened the screen to look at the caller, immediately shushed Luo Nianshu, and then answered the phone: “Hello, Molly.”

Molly: “Yanyan, where are you?”

Qiao Jinyan: “I’m out cooling off. What’s wrong?”

Molly: “Nothing… Have you seen the little assistant?”

“Luo Nianshu?” Qiao Jinyan glanced at the person next to her and replied with a surprised tone: “No, do you need her for something?”

Molly paused: “It’s work-related. I’ll find her myself later. Don’t stay out too late either, come back soon.” She had to keep a close eye on Qiao Jinyan.

“Okay.”

Qiao Jinyan smiled, hung up the phone, and looked at Luo Nianshu with some regret: “Molly is checking up on us. Let’s go back.”

Luo Nianshu stole a kiss on Qiao Jinyan’s face, then supported herself with a stone to get up, put on her shoes, and walked back with Qiao Jinyan.

As they neared the wooden building, they stopped at a fork in the road, deciding to split up.

Qiao Jinyan looked at the dark fork in the road ahead and suddenly asked in a low voice: “Do you regret being with me?”

“Why would I regret it?” Luo Nianshu was puzzled.

Qiao Jinyan hesitated: “We are clearly together, yet we have to hide, unable to be public, and can’t even hold hands openly.”

Hearing this, Luo Nianshu smiled.

Her eyes contained a galaxy, brilliant and dazzling.

The wind lifted the hem of Luo Nianshu’s skirt. The scent of rapeseed flowers mixed with peach blossoms gently swayed, and the chirping of the cicadas instantly fell silent.

Between heaven and earth, Qiao Jinyan could only hear Luo Nianshu’s voice:

“As long as it’s you, I will never regret it.”