After the Real Young Miss Became My Canary - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Eating Together

◎ It was truly hard to swallow ◎

Shen Ying’s expression was indifferent. She waited for the person on the other end to finish scolding her, then just said “Mmhmm.”

The person on the phone asked, “So are you going to school now?”

Shen Ying said flatly, “Not for now. I’m going to finish my report first.”

“That’s good! So your half-written report won’t be leaked again. That Song Zhi, she just got lucky with her family, what’s she so proud of? So shameless. Wasn’t she assigned to your advisor? Don’t you dare let her off the hook!”

Xu Jiu had gone to the same high school as Shen Ying and had majored in the same subject. They had known each other for five or six years. Shen Ying fully understood Xu Jiu’s talkative nature—she was all talk, no action.

She just liked to vent. So Shen Ying didn’t plan to correct Xu Jiu’s words. She just hummed twice to acknowledge the righteous indignation of her straightforward friend.

She didn’t want Xu Jiu to feel like she was performing a monologue, but that was all she would do.

In her experience, keeping her distance was the best.

When Xu Jiu heard her responses, she became even more indignant. “What kind of person is she, really? She has the nerve to…”

Song Zhi was eating on the side. The food was delicious and fragrant, and she couldn’t help but eat. She listened to their conversation, and at first, she suspected she had misheard the name, but when she heard the other person say the two distinct words, her heart sank.

She tried to shrink her neck to make herself less noticeable.

Good thing she had listened to that girl’s ramblings, and when Shen Ying asked her, she had been quick-witted and changed the character. Otherwise, Shen Ying would have thrown her out by the scruff of her neck.

She indignantly chewed a mouthful of rice. The rice was sweet and fragrant, a deliciousness she had never known before.

She had almost missed out on even this good food.

But… did Shen Ying really hate her that much?

She ate her food while secretly perking up her ears.

Shen Ying was also eating quietly, only occasionally responding to the person on the phone, as if she didn’t find anything wrong with what the other person was saying.

In Song Zhi’s view, this was an implicit admission.

She was admitting that she also hated Song Zhi.

Since Shen Ying hated her so much, she absolutely could not let Shen Ying find out she was Song Zhi!

When Shen Ying hung up, Song Zhi nonchalantly asked, “Do you have people you hate too?”

Shen Ying said, “Everyone does.”

She even made a joke. “Whatever others have, I’m sure I have too.”

So it was true.

The food in her mouth suddenly didn’t taste as good.

Song Zhi stirred the rice listlessly, feeling that the fragrant and sweet food was now a bit hard to swallow. She looked at the table again.

On the table was a spread of dishes, and they were still giving off steam. In this slightly cold weather, it looked especially warm.

Just a moment ago, she thought this delicious food was hard to swallow.

Shen Ying asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Yesterday, Song Zhi had eaten two full bowls of noodles, but today she had only eaten a little of the food she made.

Song Zhi found it difficult to tear her eyes away from the table, but she still managed to say in a dignified voice, “I’m full.”

Shen Ying keenly sensed something was wrong with her words.

Usually, Song Zhi would happily say she was full with her eyes curved in a smile, but now her voice was subdued, and her sparkling eyes were cast down sadly.

It was obvious she was upset.

Shen Ying thought indifferently, but what did that have to do with her?

This person wouldn’t be staying here for long.

She was just a passing visitor. Was she supposed to worry about whether a stranger on the street was in a good mood?

That would be too exhausting.

There was no need for it.

So she finished her meal and silently took the dishes to the kitchen.

Even though Song Zhi was upset, when she saw Shen Ying go into the kitchen, she immediately and silently grabbed the bowls and chopsticks to wash them.

Shen Ying saw her go in, so she started cleaning the house.

She had been busy for the past two days and hadn’t cleaned. Dirty corners in the house were something she couldn’t stand.

But just as she picked up the broom, a pale hand quickly snatched it from her.

Song Zhi’s muffled voice came from her side. “I’ll do it!”

Shen Ying asked, “Did you finish washing the dishes?”

Song Zhi said, “Can’t I sweep first?”

As she said this, she couldn’t help but look back at Shen Ying. Shen Ying had been inexplicably snubbed and was about to silently go into the room to do her homework, but she saw the hint of red at the corners of Song Zhi’s eyes.

Shen Ying was good at staying poker-faced when others cursed her, keeping her heart calm when she was wrongly accused, and being indifferent when she was called a jinx.

The only thing she wasn’t good at was someone looking at her with red-rimmed eyes.

Song Zhi couldn’t help but glare at her. This person was so excessive. She had just said she hated her, and now she was standing in front of her as if nothing had happened.

After glaring, she immediately realized her lapse and quickly turned her head, covering her eyes with her hand so no one could see them.

She thought that in the last moment before she covered her eyes, Shen Ying looked like she was heading into the room. So two minutes later, she took her hand away.

And then she was met with Shen Ying’s cold face, which was staring at her without blinking.

The moment Song Zhi lowered her hand, her gaze met Shen Ying’s.

Shen Ying’s eyes were focused and serious, and Song Zhi’s face was reflected in her lighter-colored eyes.

Song Zhi felt as if she had been burned by the gaze. She immediately turned her head, her voice muffled by her lowered head. “What are you looking at?”

How strange. Why hadn’t this person left yet?

Shen Ying asked, “Are your eyes red?”

As soon as Shen Ying spoke, she knew she was doomed. She was going to have contact and communication with this person.

She hadn’t wanted to deal with any of this. As long as she minimized talking and contact and maintained their initial impression of each other, the two of them would always be as they were when they first met. Then, once Song Zhi’s injury healed, she could have her leave without any burden.

Now, it seemed that wouldn’t be possible.

Song Zhi vigorously rubbed her eyes with her hand. Then she lifted her head abruptly and said in a very natural tone, “I got sand in my eyes.”

Shen Ying nodded, asked no more questions, and turned to go back to her room.

Being bewitched was enough for one time.

She had many of her own things to do.

By the time she finished a part of her homework for the day and came out, it was completely dark.

She stretched her stiff limbs. When she came out to prepare dinner, she saw that the table had already been set.

Song Zhi had fumbled her way through making dinner. She now fully recognized her position: the “Song” who could be thrown out at any time.

She came out of the kitchen with the dishes, her face covered in smudges, and saw the person standing straight by the dining table.

Shen Ying’s expression was calm, her eyes cast down as she looked at the tabletop, lost in thought.

Song Zhi took a pair of clean chopsticks and placed them next to Shen Ying’s hand. She said with a smile, “Have a taste.”

Shen Ying looked at the three black, charred things on the table and couldn’t even tell what they were.

She pointed to one of the dishes. “What is this?”

Song Zhi said with a smile, “Can’t you tell? It’s leafy greens.”

Her eyes lit up again. It seemed she was in a good mood again. Shen Ying was infected by her smile and unconsciously picked up a mouthful of the pitch-black dish with her chopsticks.

Before she could even react, the food was already in her mouth.

“How is it?”

She met Song Zhi’s expectant eyes and had a hard time swallowing the food.

She didn’t know how Song Zhi had done it. The greens had a bitter, astringent taste, mixed with sourness, spiciness, and the sour smell of something gone bad. The single dish even contained all five basic tastes.

Shen Ying nodded faintly, her expression unchanged. “It’s delicious.”

Song Zhi was a little happy. “That’s good. This is my first time cooking. I thought it might not be good based on how it looks.”

Shen Ying said, “I can see that.”

Song Zhi excitedly picked up a spoonful of the mixed dish and was about to put it in her mouth.

Shen Ying didn’t want her to become dejected again. “Wait!”

Her mind raced.

Song Zhi tilted her head, looking at her in confusion.

Shen Ying extended her hand to stop her chopsticks. “I’ll make you some noodles.”

Song Zhi pulled her chopsticks away. “I’m fine with rice if there’s rice. I want to try my own cooking. I think I could open a restaurant in the future!”

Shen Ying could only watch as she put a mouthful of the dish into her mouth.

Song Zhi was smiling at Shen Ying at first, but as soon as she chewed, she felt something was off. She immediately spat out the food she had just swallowed.

Song Zhi: No more smiles.

A glass of water was handed to her. She immediately took a big gulp. She looked at the incredible food. “How can it be so bad?”

Then she looked at the consistently calm Shen Ying and, doubting her life, reached out to pinch Shen Ying’s face. “How did you eat that? Is something wrong with your taste buds?”

Shen Ying dodged her hand, clearly exasperated. “They’re just fine.”

Song Zhi slumped back into her chair, dejected. “Okay.”

Shen Ying said, “I’ll make you some noodles. Is that okay?”

Song Zhi nodded repeatedly, then opened her big, fluttering eyes. “But… won’t that be too much trouble?”

After all, she ate at a fixed time at home. If she was late, there was no food. She didn’t bother to make a fuss over such small matters. If she was late, she would consciously stand by the kitchen door and knock. This was the first time she had someone else cook for her without having to go through any trouble.

To be honest, it felt good.

But with this good feeling came a bit of awkwardness.

Based on the interpersonal culture in China, was Shen Ying just being polite? Would it be bad for her to accept?

She had high emotional intelligence, but she had interacted with few people. Her higher status than others meant that the people in front of her would disguise themselves well.

Lacking a proper example, and unable to treat Shen Ying as she would others, she could only try to figure out Shen Ying’s feelings on her own.

Shen Ying said, “If I thought it was too much trouble, I wouldn’t have offered.”

Song Zhi let out a tiny “oh.”

She looked very obedient.

When Shen Ying brought the noodles out, Song Zhi strangely walked behind her, looked around, and then walked back.

Song Zhi had an indescribable feeling. Perhaps it was the misty steam, which blurred Shen Ying’s sharp contours and made her look gentle and serene.

A faint calmness also flowed through her heart. She decided to unilaterally forgive Shen Ying for saying things that weren’t pleasing to the ear.

Shen Ying put the noodles on the table and untied the apron from her waist with one hand. Her slender, lithe waist was fully revealed from this angle.

Song Zhi looked away uncomfortably. “You only made one bowl?”

Shen Ying nodded. “You eat.”

“You’re not eating?”

“No. I’m going to buy rice.”

When Shen Ying was cooking the noodles, she remembered that there wasn’t much rice left in the rice bin. She had just checked and confirmed it was empty.

She didn’t take a nap today, so she had time to go buy some now.

Hearing this, Song Zhi immediately put down her chopsticks and stood up. At this moment, she didn’t care about the fragrant noodles anymore. “I’ll go too, I’ll go too.”

Just like in the afternoon, she naturally stood behind Shen Ying, clinging to her.

She would not let go of any opportunity to stick to Shen Ying now. She wouldn’t let Shen Ying have any moment to leave her behind!

Shen Ying looked at the excited Song Zhi helplessly. She lightly tapped the table with her fingers. “Finish your noodles first.”

Song Zhi obediently sat back down. Her wet eyes looked back, and then she stood up and went inside, coming out with a bowl in her hand.

She carefully scooped out the noodles from the bowl, including the egg, and divided it in two.

After dividing it, she looked up at Shen Ying, who was still standing next to her, and said, “Let’s eat together.”

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