My Idol Turns Out To Be My Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 17

Perhaps sensing Lin Sanyuan’s awkwardness and unease, He’s mother took the initiative to lead her into the house, turning on the TV and letting her pick a channel.

“Dinner is almost ready. We just have the braised prawns and the greens left to do. Sanyuan, Auntie heard from He Ye that you love crawfish. Today’s batch is very fresh.”

It was He’s father who was busy in the kitchen. Sanyuan could tell that He Ye’s parents truly valued this meal, they hadn’t let the housekeeper touch a thing, opting for a proper home-cooked feast instead.

“Auntie, do you need any help?” Lin Sanyuan asked, feeling a bit guilty. All the gifts had been bought by He Ye, she was essentially just here for a free meal. Because of a lie, these two elders were bustling about with high expectations.

Before arriving, she felt He Ye owed her. But faced with his mother’s warmth, she felt like a complete fraud.

“No, no, we can’t have a guest working in the kitchen.” He’s mother seemed to be in an excellent mood. From the moment Sanyuan entered, she hadn’t stepped back into the kitchen, preferring to keep Sanyuan busy with conversation.

Originally, Sanyuan worried she would be grilled about her family, education, or job. She realized she had been shallow, He’s mother was a woman of great cultivation. Their conversation didn’t touch on marriage or children; it was just simple small talk about the trifles of life, which gradually eased Sanyuan’s anxiety.

He Ye finished a carton of ice cream, glanced at his mom, and smacked his lips. “Mom, aren’t you going to the kitchen to cook the shrimp?”

“No, your dad has it covered.”

“Aiya, Dad doesn’t know how to cook crawfish. They won’t be flavorful or spicy enough. It’s a waste of five pounds of crawfish.”

Sanyuan realized then that the “dog” who told He’s mother she loved crawfish was definitely him. Personally, she didn’t particularly care for them. She just hated the hassle of peeling them, especially in a formal guest setting where eating them often made one’s face look oily and frantic.

He’s mother looked at him with exasperation. “I don’t know how to make them either!”

How could anyone act like this? Bringing a girlfriend home for the first time and still putting on the airs of a young master. Originally, He’s mother had felt a bit slighted by Sanyuan’s years of refusing to meet the family. But seeing He Ye’s attitude today, those thoughts vanished. With a high-maintenance “living ancestor” like him, anyone who could date him for years without breaking up must have the patience of a saint.

Having spent years in the business world, He’s mother had seen all sorts of people. She could tell at a glance that Lin Sanyuan was different from the crowd He Ye hung out with at bars. This was a steady, honest girl, who probably got bullied by He Ye on a daily basis.

And there was that silly dog, He Ye, swinging his feet on the sofa with a spoiled, expectant look.

“Fine, if neither of you can do it, don’t let the good shrimp I bought go to waste. It’s not easy to find crawfish this season.” He Ye sat up straight and looked at Sanyuan expectantly. “Girlfriend, why don’t you show off your skills?”

Sanyuan knew he was trying to separate her from his mother. Some rumors about Jiang Chuanwu and his affairs must have reached the elders’ ears. Throughout the evening, He’s mother’s “small talk” had contained several subtle probes about Jiang Chuanwu.

Seeing He’s mother’s expression begin to darken, Sanyuan quickly stood up and said to He Ye, “You can’t just sit there with your mouth open waiting to be fed. I’ll cook, but you come help me clip the heads.”

“Orders received!” He Ye wiggled off the sofa and quickly ushered Sanyuan into the kitchen.

He’s mother glanced at He Wenyu, who was eating an apple nearby. “You go help, too.”

He Wenyu’s lips twitched. She silently put down the apple, picked up some medicine, and headed for the second floor. “I just remembered, I need to deliver this medicine.” She didn’t know how to cook. This battlefield was no place to linger.

In the kitchen, Sanyuan politely greeted He’s father. Having been well-trained by He’s mother, he obediently retreated.

He Ye, the young master, had no idea how to clip shrimp heads. As soon as he reached into the sink, he yelped as a pincer caught him. Sanyuan hadn’t expected much anyway. “Go find a cool spot to stand.”

He Ye pulled out a folding stool from the corner and squatted next to her like a dog. Noticing his mom was peeking in, he didn’t dare play on his phone and had to chat with her.

“San-er, I’ve found your reflexes are amazing. You could tell my mom was fishing for info, that’s impressive.”

“Shut up. You bought these five pounds of crawfish just to torture me, didn’t you?” She was truly speechless with him.

“Aiya, don’t be so petty. Your buddy made a little profit on stocks recently. After this meal, I’ll take you to the mall tomorrow to buy a bag, an expensive one.” When it came to buying things for women, his first instinct was always a bag.

“Do you have any common sense, Young Master He? Have some boundaries with your gifts. You can’t just give bags to any female friend.”

He Ye laughed. “Then tell me what you want. I know I messed up today, I really owe you. Anyone else would have been too lazy to deal with me.”

In some ways, He Ye was quite clueless. During his most decadent days, his friendships were never from the heart. But he had to admit, he was actually moved by being friends with Sanyuan. Especially now, watching her scrub crawfish for him, he felt a genuine touch of warmth.

Sanyuan was exhausted from scrubbing. Why couldn’t she escape the fate of being a nanny? She had to cook for Qiao Lian at home, and even when she went out for a “free” meal, she ended up doing the work herself.

Sanyuan remembered something and squinted at He Ye. “Didn’t you say you had a dog?” Her expression was very serious. She felt cheated. She couldn’t come all this way for nothing.

He Ye couldn’t stand her focus. Why was this woman’s priority always so different from everyone else?

“Aiya, there’s a dog, there’s a dog. It’s locked on the second floor. My sister went up to give it medicine. That dog is usually quite aloof, doesn’t care much for people, and just likes the balcony. I’ll call it down.”

He started acting weird again. “Playing Dead! Come down here! Your mother is here!”

Sanyuan thought he was lying. “Didn’t you say it was a Husky? How can a Husky be aloof?” How could a dog named “Playing Dead” be aloof?

Hearing the call, “Playing Dead” leaped down from the second floor. Its four legs seemed to move independently in that uniquely “wise” Husky gait, yet it moved like a streak of lightning. Following the scent, it barreled straight into the kitchen.

“Aiya, Playing Dead, you’re very enthusiastic today.” He Ye also loved dogs, and his voice turned high-pitched as he opened his arms to welcome his pet.

Who knew where the dog was looking, its large, cross-eyed gaze ignored him entirely. It swung its large rear, bumped his arm out of the way, and lunged toward Lin Sanyuan. Its front paws scrambled at her legs as it let out high-pitched whimpers, its tail wagging so hard it was a blur, a hundred times more enthusiastic than Zhuangzhuang from the square.

Sanyuan was a bit dazed. “This is the… aloof Husky you mentioned?”

“Playing Dead” (Zhuāng Sǐ) was apparently the dog’s name. She wondered which unlucky owner had given it such a ridiculous name. He Ye had called its name earlier, but it hadn’t reacted much. When Sanyuan instinctively called it just now, the dog went wild, spinning in circles and jumping up and down. It acted as if it would die if she didn’t pet it immediately.

“Holy crap?! Did Playing Dead get bitten by a stray and catch rabies?” He Ye was startled. This was his sister’s friend’s dog, and it was very precious.

“Don’t talk nonsense, that’s not what rabies looks like.” Sanyuan wiped the water off her hands and squatted down, giving the dog’s head a good rub.

Once petted, the dog stopped jumping and spinning. It flopped straight onto the floor, exposing its belly with all four limbs in the air. One front paw even hooked the air in a flirtatious, suggestive manner. Combined with that “wise” little look in its eyes, it seemed to say: Come play, we have plenty of time.

Sanyuan laughed out loud. “This dog is fun.” She noticed a silver oval tag on its collar. It was beautiful, engraved with the dog’s name and the owner’s contact info. But the name wasn’t “Playing Dead,” it was “Bingbing” (Cookie).

“No, wait, why? Why is this dog so close to you?” He Ye protested.

He’s mother chuckled. “I’ve never seen He Ye so attentive to a girl. He usually has a three-minute interest span, nothing lasts. Look at Playing Dead, he must take the dog out to cheer her up all the time. When they walked in, they tried to act like they weren’t close. But even the dog is familiar with her. Privately, who knows how clingy they are.”

Once the crawfish were seasoned and simmered in beer, they just needed twenty minutes. After playing with the dog for a bit, Sanyuan washed her hands and suddenly needed the restroom.

Awkwardly, He Ye had gotten a stomachache from the ice cream and had been occupied in the first-floor bathroom for ages. A villa this size had to have more than one.

Sanyuan suppressed her embarrassment and asked He Wenyu, who had come back downstairs, “Sister, is there another bathroom?”

He Wenyu smiled and said, “There are two on the second floor. Why don’t you go to my room? It’s the first door on the right at the top of the stairs. Just keep it down a bit, my friend isn’t in a great state today. I just went up to give her medicine, and she seems ready to sleep.”

Sanyuan blinked. “Oh, isn’t she coming down to eat?”

“I’ll leave some food for her later. It’s not very convenient for her to eat, and she’s probably too shy to join us. It’s fine.”

“Oh, okay.” It seemed she could avoid eating with one more stranger. Happy.

After Sanyuan went upstairs, He’s mother said as an afterthought, “Wenyu, I remember your room being on the left?”

He Wenyu, who was directionally challenged and often confused left and right, said nothing.

The door to the room on the right was slightly ajar. He Wenyu didn’t seem to have the habit of closing doors. The lights inside were dim, with only a fan-shaped nightlight by the bed glowing.

Out of politeness, Sanyuan didn’t turn on the main light. Even though she had permission, she kept her movements light to avoid disturbing anyone. Tiptoeing to the bathroom door, Sanyuan realized she was acting like a thief.

The bathroom was quiet. He Wenyu seemed to have forgotten to turn off the light when she left. Although it was unlikely anyone else was inside, Sanyuan politely knocked on the glass door and whispered, “Hello? Is anyone in there?”

She waited for about two seconds. Hearing no response, she pushed the door open. The moment she entered, she smelled the faint scent of steam and the fragrance of body wash.

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