Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 16

The moment this thought surfaced, it startled Jiang Qi immensely. She quickly pushed it out of her mind.

Her initial intention for joining this program was to peacefully get through these three months, stay away from the female lead, and avoid the tragic fate of dying alone on the streets.

But as days passed, her perspective gradually shifted. Even now, she still didn’t want to get too close to Chi Shuang.

According to the book, they ended up together later on, which suggested that Chi Shuang might actually develop feelings for her.

But what about afterward? What if, after they got together, she still ended up hurting Chi Shuang uncontrollably?

Jiang Qi’s mind conjured an image of Chi Shuang, such a wonderful person, someone whose smile resembled an angel’s. She couldn’t let Chi Shuang fall into such a predicament again.

Her hands clenched tightly, nails leaving crescent-shaped red marks on her palms.

When Shang Chumu heard the noise and came out, he saw Jiang Qi standing there alone, lost in thought. He called out, “Sister Jiang, the sun is blazing outside. Hurry and come in!”

Only then did Jiang Qi snap back to reality. She nodded and strode into the office.

Lunch was once again prepared by Chi Shuang, with Jiang Qi and Shang Chumu assisting.

Since the children were still growing, Chi Shuang made a balanced meal of four dishes and a soup.

Thanks to the kids, Jiang Qi and the others got to enjoy Chi Shuang’s cooking again.

These past few days, it had been Yan Xu and Tang Qiluo’s turn to cook. Yan Xu’s cooking was decent, but Tang Qiluo’s skills were merely passable.

Jiang Ran threw a tantrum and refused to eat, prompting Tang Qiluo to press down on her head and say, “You can’t even cook, and you have the nerve to criticize me? If you don’t eat, then starve!”

Later, Chi Shuang had a private talk with Jiang Ran, and after that, Jiang Ran never openly complained about anyone’s cooking again.

Jiang Qi placed a hand over her chest and sighed. “Ah, why am I thinking of her again?”

At noon, the children took their naps, and the entire kindergarten fell into deep silence. Everyone had woken up early that day, so they all lay down in their spots and closed their eyes.

Chi Shuang, who was used to waking up early, couldn’t fall asleep. She took the opportunity to mend the pants that little Lili had torn.

The kindergarten had a sewing kit with threads of various colors, so she quickly embroidered an adorable cartoon tabby cat onto the pants.

“Done!” Chi Shuang flexed her sore hand and glanced outside, where the bright sun had suddenly been obscured by clouds.

She stood up, took the pants, and returned to the classroom. The two dozen little ones were fast asleep.

She placed the pants next to Lili’s pillow and tucked in the blankets for a few kids who tended to kick them off.

After finishing everything, she headed out and saw Jiang Qi standing at the door, yawning.

“What’s wrong?” Chi Shuang hurried over and asked in a hushed voice.

Jiang Qi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she pointed at the sleeping children and asked, “Did you tuck them in?”

Chi Shuang nodded. “Yes.” Then, with a smile, she nudged Jiang Qi and said, “You look exhausted. Go get some more rest.”

Jiang Qi nodded and replied, “Okay.”

She had woken up groggily earlier and panicked when she couldn’t find Chi Shuang. Only after spotting her in the classroom did she finally relax.

The afternoon class was relaxed. The children had grown familiar with all the teachers and listened attentively as they told stories.

When it was time to part in the evening, the children were reluctant to leave. Lili even ran over specially to thank Chi Shuang and Jiang Qi.

With a particularly mysterious air, she made Jiang Qi and Chi Shuang squat down, gave each of them a loud “mwah” on the cheek, and then quickly ran away.

Jiang Qi’s face instantly flushed bright red, while Chi Shuang, as if accustomed to such gestures, simply smiled.

By the end of the day, even Jiang Ran, who had initially grumbled about “babysitting,” seemed a little emotional when it was time to say goodbye.

After seeing the children off, Jiang Qi went behind the production team’s back to find the middle-aged woman, Director Chen, who had shown them around the campus earlier.

“Oh, you mean Lili? Little Lili is a very well-behaved child. She’s obedient, sensible, and has an optimistic and cheerful personality. It’s just a pity, though…”

“A pity about what?” Jiang Qi asked.

“Lili’s parents passed away in an accident while working away from home when she was very young. Now, it’s just her and her grandmother at home. Her grandmother is already in her seventies and quite elderly.” Director Chen shook her head with regret.

…

They returned home relatively early, and Tang Qiluo was once again in charge of cooking. Jiang Ran breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, thinking: Finally, freedom tomorrow.

But then it occurred to her, tomorrow it would be Sister Jiang’s turn, a young lady just like her, who had never lifted a finger in the kitchen. Her cooking skills…

Jiang Ran didn’t dare to imagine further and felt tears streaming down her face once again.

Everyone was exhausted after the long day, so after dinner, they all retreated to their rooms to rest.

Jiang Qi opened her laptop, planning to play a game before resting, when she heard a knock at her door.

“Just a moment,” Jiang Qi said, adjusting her pajamas, a little curious.

Who could be visiting her so late at night? But no matter how much she thought about it, she never expected it to be Chi Shuang.

“Um… is something wrong?” Jiang Qi asked, suppressing her surprise.

“Can’t I come see you even if nothing’s wrong?” Chi Shuang smiled, her crescent-shaped eyes looking incredibly beautiful.

“Of course you can,” Jiang Qi turned her head away, avoiding Chi Shuang’s gaze. “Well, do you want to come in?”

Chi Shuang nodded. “Sure.”

Jiang Qi’s room was simple and tidy, without any messy smells like sweat or even the scent of pheromones.

But Chi Shuang didn’t have the habit of snooping around others’ rooms, it wasn’t polite, after all.

Sitting down on a chair, Chi Shuang finally spoke up. “About Lili…”

“I went to ask Director Chen. Lili’s family situation isn’t great, and I’d like to sponsor her,” Jiang Qi said.

Chi Shuang nodded. When they had helped Lili treat her wounds earlier, they had noticed that Lili’s pants, which were originally long, had been worn so short they were now like capris. On the surface, they looked fine, but the inside had been cleverly patched in several places.

Her shoes were also badly worn and a bit too tight. The grandmother probably knew that children at that age were very sensitive about such things.

Though not well-off and even struggling to make ends meet, little Lili’s clothes were always kept clean and tidy.

Chi Shuang stayed in Jiang Qi’s room only for a short while and left after they finished discussing Lili’s situation.

The next morning, a light rain was falling, and Jiang Qi, unusually, woke up a bit earlier. Starting today, it was her turn to cook, and she knew that Chi Shuang had the habit of waking up early.

If she didn’t eat breakfast after waking up early, she would get hungry, which wasn’t good for her stomach.

So, before 6 a.m., she was already busy in the kitchen. Jiang Qi decided to make pasta today, since it wouldn’t get soggy and would suit the appetites of those who woke up later.

Fortunately, there were still a few tomatoes left at home. She skillfully washed them, peeled them, sautéed them in a pan to release their juices, and added an appropriate amount of tomato sauce.

Once the tomatoes had transformed from solid chunks into a thick, rich sauce, she added the freshly stir-fried minced meat, seasoning it with a suitable amount of light soy sauce and salt.

Next, she tossed in the cooked pasta and stirred everything evenly until well combined.

Done!

Jiang Qi looked at her masterpiece, a slight smile curling at the corners of her lips.

Just then, Chi Shuang returned from her morning jog, brushing aside her rain-dampened hair as she remarked, “It smells amazing!”