Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: “Chen Kongqing, Happy New Year.”

Xu Jingmo appeared at the entryway carrying a bag of dumpling skins, vegetables, and pork.

As he set the large bag of groceries by the cabinet, the man brushed the winter chill off his coat and began a casual conversation: “The market was incredibly crowded today. Everyone was lining up for dumpling skins. It even started snowing a bit of graupel just now.”

As he spoke, Xu Jingmo stepped into his slippers and looked up. He saw the Rabbit standing by the bedroom door, looking dazed—not speaking, not moving.

He knew the Rabbit liked snow. Mentioning snow should have made him excited.

But Chen Kongqing didn’t respond.

The man stepped forward, his concern undisguised: “What’s wrong?”

The Rabbit’s erratic heart rate gradually found its rhythm again, and his focus returned to the present. Their eyes met. Xu Jingmo’s handsome, sharp-featured face was reflected in the Rabbit’s eyes.

Dr. Xu is right here in front of him.

Chen Kongqing subconsciously tugged at the hem of his shirt. “Dr. Xu… didn’t you, didn’t you go to work?”

Xu Jingmo stared at the “silly rabbit” before him.

He was so easy to fool. So easy that Xu Jingmo almost couldn’t bear to do it.

A curve touched the corner of Xu Jingmo’s lips. “I’m not going. I’m staying to spend the New Year with you.”

“Ah… is that allowed? Is there anyone at the hospital?” Chen Kongqing felt he was a walking contradiction. He felt sad when Dr. Xu couldn’t stay, but now that he was staying, Chen was worried about the hospital’s staffing.

The curve on the man’s lips deepened. “Chen Kongqing, you see? You really are a good person.”

Having said that, he couldn’t resist reaching out with his free hand to rub the Rabbit’s round head. The soft hair carried a faint scent of shampoo. “I was never actually scheduled for duty today. There are plenty of people at the hospital, don’t worry, Student Chen.”

By the time Chen Kongqing reacted, his hair had already been rubbed into two “ahoge” (stray tufts of hair). Meanwhile, Xu Jingmo had already turned toward the kitchen as if nothing had happened.

Chen Kongqing realized with some surprise that their physical contact seemed to be becoming… increasingly natural. Moreover, his body was adapting well to these touches. There were no overly sensitive reactions, and certainly no triggered physiological “episodes.”

Previously, if someone had touched him like this, his body would have reacted faster than his brain. He definitely wouldn’t have been able to accept physical contact so naturally.

Had his condition improved?

Wait, what did Dr. Xu mean when he said he wasn’t scheduled for duty in the first place?

The Rabbit’s head was spinning with question marks. He didn’t know what kind of messy thoughts he was having, but only by focusing on these distractions could he ignore one thing:

The fact that his heart had just skipped a beat.

“I’ll peel the green onions.” He decided to keep his hands busy. He must be too idle; that’s why his heart was jumping around.

Chen Kongqing followed him into the kitchen. Hearing him, the man handed him a bunch of onions. “Good. I also bought some fresh shrimp. We can make two different flavors.”

The Rabbit nodded and lowered his head to work. Wrapping dumplings wasn’t hard, but the prep was tedious—washing, chopping, mincing meat, and seasoning the filling. By the time they finished all that and sat down to wrap, it was nearing noon.

Xu Jingmo had also bought some tender carrots, which he finely minced and mixed into the shrimp paste. Just looking at the bowl of filling made the Rabbit’s eyes widen.

“Should we make some lunch first?” Xu Jingmo worried the thin Rabbit might be starving.

Chen Kongqing shook his head. He wasn’t very hungry, but seeing carrots and shrimp—his two favorite ingredients—combined together made his mouth water. “No need. Let’s finish wrapping the dumplings and then cook. That way we can just have the New Year’s Eve dinner.”

Xu Jingmo didn’t push further. Instead, he got up and went to the kitchen. The Rabbit blinked, thinking Dr. Xu was going to the fridge for the dumpling skins.

He went to the bathroom to wash his hands thoroughly again, preparing to wrap. When he came out, there was more than just filling and skins on the table.

There was a plate of washed cherries, some pork floss toast, and a steaming glass of milk.

Xu Jingmo had already started wrapping. “Eat these. It’ll be a while before the dumplings and dishes are ready.”

“Thank you, Dr. Xu,” Chen Kongqing said, sitting back down obediently. The steam rising from the milk was warm, making his chest feel warm too.

As he ate, he couldn’t help but steal glances at Xu Jingmo across from him. The man’s eyes were lowered, focused on the dumpling in his hand. His movements were practiced—a casual press of the fingers, and a “gold ingot” shaped dumpling was formed.

At that moment, Xu Jingmo felt a faint gaze landing on his hands. His movements suddenly faltered. The “gold ingot” failed to form; instead, it looked crooked and couldn’t even stand up. “I… I’m not very good at this. Teacher Chen, please teach me once you’ve finished eating.”

The man looked up, seemingly coincidentally, meeting the Rabbit’s eyes with a hint of helplessness.

Chen Kongqing was chewing toast. Hearing this, he quickly downed the entire glass of milk, stuffed two cherries into his mouth, chewed hurriedly, and declared: “Okay…”

“Slow down,” Xu Jingmo laughed helplessly.

The Rabbit nodded but insisted, “I’m full.”

Xu Jingmo: “…”

A moment later, the Rabbit returned after washing his hands again. He stood close to Xu Jingmo. “I only know how to make the kind that can stand up. I can’t do the many-pleated ones.”

Chen Kongqing picked up a skin to demonstrate. He moved as slowly as possible. “If it’s hard to wrap, you can put less filling. That makes it easier…”

The Rabbit’s elegant, jade-white fingers nimbly pinched the dough. He folded it, his fingers opening and closing over the soft white skin. A plump “gold ingot” stood perfectly on the tray.

“Very beautiful,” Xu Jingmo said. He was likely praising the dumpling.

Why “likely”? Because he wasn’t looking at the dumpling when he said it; he was staring at the Rabbit’s delicate, fair face.

Chen Kongqing felt his face grow hot and a bit itchy, like being tickled by reeds. But his hands were covered in flour, and he had to keep wrapping, so he couldn’t scratch it. He looked up at Xu Jingmo. “Dr. Xu, you try.”

The man lowered his gaze and coughed twice. “Okay.”

Chen Kongqing watched as the man grabbed a skin, scooped an appropriate amount of filling, and then seemed stumped. “The next step should be…”

“Like this…” Chen Kongqing reached over.

Sure enough, the helpful Rabbit immediately stepped in to help. The Rabbit’s fingers were a size smaller than Xu Jingmo’s, but his hand structure was soft. Though thin, his knuckles didn’t protrude awkwardly; instead, they were very symmetrical.

His jade-white skin against Xu Jingmo’s tan hand made his whiteness stand out brilliantly. Xu Jingmo wasn’t “dark-skinned” by any means, but compared to the Rabbit, it was like comparing golden-brown toast to a snowy mochi.

Chen Kongqing was purely focused on teaching him how to wrap, so he didn’t notice the visual of their hands overlapping. He didn’t notice the skin tone contrast, nor did he see Xu Jingmo’s occasional upward glances.

“That’s it, yes, yes…” Under his guidance, Xu Jingmo’s thumb pressed two perfect pleats into the soft dough. Another “gold ingot” was completed.

Chen Kongqing withdrew his hand. The moment he did, the warmth at his fingertips dissipated, replaced by a sense of damp coolness. He curled his fingers and squeezed them, trying to drive away the moisture. “That’s… that’s it. Dr. Xu, you’ll get more used to it after a few more.”

Xu Jingmo’s Adam’s apple rolled. “Okay.”

For the rest of the time, Chen Kongqing didn’t dare look at the man’s large hands with their prominent veins. Because if he looked, he would remember… he’d remember that night, and how those large hands had held him.

No, I can’t think about that. If he kept thinking, his ears would start to heat up again.

They finished wrapping three pounds of dumplings, each lost in their own thoughts. Then, they took turns making their signature dishes and helping each other prep. Soon, a table full of steaming food was ready.

Chen Kongqing hadn’t had such a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner in a long time. Last year at Su Jingjing’s house, although there were many people, he felt like an outsider. Or rather, he was an outsider. Aside from his mother, there was no one he was close to. His mother was busy feeding his young sister and had no time for him. But he was an adult; he didn’t need “looking after.” So, he had just eaten a few bites from the dish closest to him in the corner.

“What are you thinking about?” Xu Jingmo was setting the drinks on the table. Seeing the Rabbit looking lost in thought, he couldn’t help but ask.

Chen Kongqing snapped back to reality. “Nothing… just… seeing so many dishes. It’s been a long time since I’ve made this much for the New Year.”

“Previous New Years…” Xu Jingmo had wanted to ask, but didn’t know how. He feared touching upon a painful subject and felt guilty… guilty that he hadn’t found the Rabbit sooner.

“Previously I was always alone, so I didn’t want to make so many dishes,” Chen Kongqing said with a smile. “Last year I spent it at my mom’s, but she has a new family and… a new child. She wasn’t bad to me, she was quite nice… it’s just that I felt a bit out of place.”

Xu Jingmo didn’t reply immediately. He just stared at the young man. Those phoenix eyes, deep and narrow, possessed a natural magnetism.

Suddenly, the sound of fireworks blooming echoed.

Bang! Whoosh!

Golden fireworks erupted against the city’s night sky. Chen Kongqing followed the sound, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window.

Fireworks. Brilliant, magnificent fireworks. One after another, each bigger than the last.

“Chen Kongqing, Happy New Year.” Xu Jingmo wasn’t looking at the fireworks; he was looking at the Rabbit who was admiring them. Then, he spoke with solemnity. “Every year from now on, we can make this many dishes together.”