On the way back, Shen An had a large bag in each hand, and Chen Nannan couldn’t slack off either—her hands were full too.
The entire cart’s worth of stuff had nearly overflowed the shopping bags…
“You and Lianyao seem to be on bad terms. What’s up with that?”
Halfway there, Chen Nannan glanced back quietly and asked in a soft voice.
Shen An blinked, then chuckled wryly. “Even you noticed, Senior Sister?”
“Anyone with eyes could see it,” Chen Nannan said with a pout. “Even before I walked over, she wasn’t giving you a friendly look.”
“Actually, even after you showed up, she wasn’t giving me much of one either.”
Shen An shrugged.
Chen Nannan smiled, lifting the bag in her left hand and lightly tapping his arm with it. “Come on, fess up. What did you do to Lianyao?”
“Sigh, it’s all because I took the fall for Zhao Qingyu…”
Shen An didn’t hide anything and explained frankly. “Lianyao’s really into dance. She originally chose the Dance Group.”
“And she aced the interview too—you could tell she’d been training for a long time.”
“But in the end, she got assigned to the office. Who wouldn’t be upset about that?”
Zhao Qingyu?
Chen Nannan narrowed her eyes slightly. “So how did Senior Sister Zhao get dragged into this?”
“There was this one time they met, and Lianyao straight-up asked Senior Sister Zhao in front of everyone why she got sent to the office.”
“And then Senior Sister Zhao made up some story that it was my arrangement—that I wanted her in the office.”
Chen Nannan raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t even refute it? You just let it slide?”
“I’m an assistant under Senior Sister Zhao now.” Shen An coughed lightly. “Taking the heat for the boss is part of a subordinate’s duties.”
“That’s not right.”
Chen Nannan was immediately displeased. “Does she even pay you?”
Shen An sighed. “I’d love for her to pay me…”
“Exactly! So why are you so obedient? Taking all the blame without a peep!” Chen Nannan scoffed. “No wonder Lianyao can’t stand you.”
“It’s a long story. Besides that, there were a few other reasons too.”
“But right now, I think we should conserve some energy. I’m about to drop dead here…”
Shen An walked like he might collapse at any moment.
Chen Nannan looked at him disdainfully. “A big strong guy like you can’t handle carrying a few bags? So weak!”
“I’m not just a guy—I’m a guy fresh out of the hospital.” Shen An shot back irritably. “If we’re talking exploitation, you’re the real pro, Senior Sister.”
“Hm?”
Chen Nannan stopped short, grinning at him. “What was that?”
“I said it’s good to see you smiling again, Senior Sister.”
Shen An’s voice softened. “You’ve had a straight face the whole way, and it was making me nervous.”
Chen Nannan turned her head away and pursed her lips. “Just shut up and carry the bags properly. You don’t need to worry about cheering me up.”
She huffed lightly. “I can cheer myself up just fine.”
“Oh, I get it now. So when you’re in a bad mood, you go on a shopping spree, huh, Senior Sister?”
Shen An said enviously. “Must be nice to have money.”
His quiet mutter reached Chen Nannan’s ears. She furrowed her brow but didn’t say anything, just urged him on. “Hurry up. My hands are tired too.”
Back at C Block 1111, the first thing Shen An did was set down his bags.
He dramatically let out a huge breath and started rubbing his wrists nonstop.
Chen Nannan walked over and teased him. “You really need to work on your stamina.”
“At least I don’t pass out from basketball and twist my ankle.” Shen An’s lips curved up, provoking a flush of embarrassment and anger from Chen Nannan.
She spun around and thumped him on the back. “That was just a sprain! I didn’t pass out. Don’t go spreading lies.”
“Yes, yes, sure.”
Shen An rubbed his wrist for a bit, then picked up the bags and headed into the kitchen.
Chen Nannan stood there for a moment, thinking about sitting on the sofa, but decided against it.
She turned and went to the kitchen doorway instead. She watched as Shen An methodically sorted through their purchases.
“Oh, forgot to buy an apron.”
Shen An muttered to himself as he organized things.
Chen Nannan listened from behind and chuckled. “Worried about getting oil on your clothes?”
“What else? I don’t have many to spare.”
Shen An opened the fridge and put away the snacks and some ingredients.
Then he turned on the faucet and checked the other appliances.
Watching him bustle about, Chen Nannan’s thoughts stirred. She said softly, “Hey.”
“Mm?”
Shen An didn’t turn around.
“What about me?”
“What about you?”
“I… Do you need any help?” Chen Nannan rolled up her sleeves, showing off her fair, lotus-root-like arms. “I might not be great at cooking, but I can help out with the prep work.”
“Forget it, Senior Sister. Just sit back and wait to eat.”
Shen An glanced back with a light laugh.
Chen Nannan frowned. “You look down on me?”
“No, no. I’m just afraid you’ll get hurt.” He stepped closer, his gaze falling on her pale arms and delicate hands. “I’ve got thick skin. A little scald won’t faze me.”
“I’m not some delicate miss who’s never done a day’s work!”
With his words, Chen Nannan felt even more determined to prove herself.
She pushed Shen An aside and took the initiative to grab some vegetables and meat from nearby, placing them on a plate before starting to wash them.
Seeing this, Shen An let out a soft, amused chuckle and didn’t say anything more.
He moved to the other side, picking up the newly bought kitchen knife and giving it a thorough cleaning first.
It wasn’t just the knife—any kitchen tool they might need, he handled with care.
Chen Nannan, who was washing the vegetables, stared at him in surprise.
He actually seemed pretty good at this.
She might not know much about cooking, but she wasn’t some delicate young lady who never set foot in the kitchen.
At least compared to Xu Yijing or Zhao Qingyu, Chen Nannan had entered the kitchen plenty of times at home.
She had seen her mother do these steps before.
According to her mother, doing this served two purposes: first, it cleaned the new utensils and removed any odd smells; second, it extended their lifespan, and for certain special tools, it even made handling ingredients easier.
As she washed, Chen Nannan’s small hands quietly came to a stop.
The faucet was still running with a steady trickle. She gazed at Shen An’s back, and in this tiny kitchen, an inexplicable sense of security filled her heart.
At home, her father rarely cooked. The few times he had were when she was very young.
Ever since she had grown up and started remembering things clearly, she had never seen him step into the kitchen again.
Not even once.
There were maids and nannies, of course, but her mother preferred to do it herself. She always said that as a mom, she wanted to take care of the family with her own hands.
Lost in her wandering thoughts, Chen Nannan suddenly recalled something her mother had once said.
If you meet a man who’s willing to cook for you, you should seriously consider him.
A man who’s willing to cook for you is usually not a bad sort.
The drops from the faucet went drip-drip-drip, nearly overflowing the sink and submerging the vegetables and meat.
It wasn’t until the water reached her wrists that Chen Nannan jolted and quickly turned down the faucet.
Meanwhile, Shen An had already started heating the pan.
Flames rose as he added a few drops of oil, swirling the wok around. Even without anything in it yet, the sizzle of the oil filled the air, its aroma spreading everywhere.
Shen An turned on the range hood at the right moment. After the fire had burned for a bit, he turned it off.
Glancing back, he saw Chen Nannan staring at him in a daze.
The corner of Shen An’s mouth curved up slightly as he said gently, “All done over there?”
A flush crept over Chen Nannan’s face for no reason, and she lowered her head shyly. “Mm.”
“Alright, then you can head out for now.”
Shen An picked up the knife, fished the meat from the sink, and placed it on the cutting board.
“Why are you so eager to shoo me away?”
Chen Nannan pouted, her tone unconsciously turning a bit coquettish.
“You can stay if you want, but stand a bit farther back. I’m afraid the meat splatters will hit you,” Shen An said, keeping his head down as he focused on the meat.
“Didn’t you want to eat meat patties? They need to be chopped nice and fine.”
“Can I stand right here?”
Chen Nannan quietly slipped behind Shen An.
“You’re using me as a shield, huh?” Shen An chuckled helplessly.
“Not allowed?” Chen Nannan wrinkled her dainty nose.
“Of course it’s fine.”
Shen An smiled indulgently, reaching out to ruffle her hair.
But his hand stopped midway in the air.
Chen Nannan’s eyes fixed on his hovering hand. She showed no sign of refusing or stepping back.
“Go ahead and open the seasonings.”
Shen An cleared his throat lightly, withdrew his hand, and went back to chopping the meat with focus.
“Okay…”
For some reason, Chen Nannan felt a pang of disappointment.
But then she perked up again.
His hand was still wet from touching the raw meat. How could he touch her hair like that? Right?
He must have stopped for that reason too.
No matter how she tried to console herself with that excuse, though, it couldn’t fully quell the gloom in her heart.
Because…
From the moment they left the house until they returned, Shen An had stayed right behind her, behaving impeccably.
Impeccably to the point that it almost… didn’t seem like him.
He hadn’t made a single improper move—not even a hint of one.
It was as if he had truly switched right away, treating her purely as a friend, as his senior sister.
As if that veil of ambiguity between them had never existed.
Could someone really flip the switch that fast?
Chen Nannan felt like Shen An didn’t need any transition period at all, unlike her, still lost in the blur between lover and friend.
Aaaah~
What am I even thinking…
Chen Nannan bowed her head and murmured under her breath, barely audible, “Isn’t this what I wanted?”
It was her who had asked him to hold back.
It was her who had said she wasn’t used to it, that friends were better.
Since they were friends, she shouldn’t be imagining any handsy nonsense.
Right…
This was the kind of interaction she wanted.
But how could she easily suppress her wandering thoughts?
She barely steadied her emotions before they plummeted again.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The knife danced rapidly across the cutting board, turning chunks of meat into fine mince.
The noise snapped Chen Nannan back to reality.
She instinctively looked over. Shen An was handling it with expert ease, even using his other hand to peel and prep the vegetables into neat pieces.
No more silly thoughts.
Chen Nannan warned herself inwardly, quickly opening the seasoning bottles and setting them out one by one.
Once the mince was done, Shen An didn’t rush to toss it in the wok.
He still had more meat to prepare.
He planned to make Chen Nannan a hearty dinner.
After setting out the seasonings, Chen Nannan had nothing else to do. She stood quietly by the kitchen door, behind him, silently watching his every move.
In a daze, it was as if she had gone back to her childhood.
She remembered standing in the kitchen doorway just like this, gazing at her father cooking with eyes full of adoration and excitement.
Back then, the house had been filled with laughter.
She had a father who loved to joke around and a gentle mother.
But…
Times had changed.
Chen Nannan took a deep breath, trying to halt her wandering mind.
Yet Shen An’s broad back still flickered in her vision.
In her hazy imagination, two sturdy backs—father and Shen An—overlapped faintly in her mind.
Sizzle!
Oil splattered, quickly coating the meat in the wok. The air filled with the rich aroma of meat.
Shen An handled it all with practiced skill, every step and process second nature to him.
Time flies when you’re lost in thought.
Just like that, as he passed by with a finished dish, Chen Nannan snapped out of her reverie.
“Okay, time to eat!”
Shen An set everything down.
Chen Nannan stepped forward to set the table with bowls and chopsticks.
Soon, the two of them sat together at the dining table that saw little use.
On it were three meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and two steaming bowls of white rice.
For two people, it was quite a feast.
Shen An rubbed his hands together and said softly, “Senior Sister, give it a try. How’s the taste?”
“This is?”
“The sweet-and-sour pork you wanted.”
“And this?”
“You can’t even tell it’s a big meat patty?”
“Of course I know! But I still have to ask.”
Chen Nannan chattered on playfully, slowly picking up a piece of meat.
“Wait a sec.”
Shen An stopped her.
“Hm?” She looked at him puzzled.
“Silly, you’ll burn your mouth eating it straight like that.” Shen An chuckled lightly, then gently blew on the still-smoking piece for her. “There, all good. Don’t mind my spit—probably didn’t get any on it anyway.”
“Ew, I wouldn’t have noticed if you didn’t say anything!”
In that moment of his gentle blowing, Chen Nannan’s heart quietly raced.
She ducked her head to hide her nervousness.
“Now you can eat.”
Shen An said seriously.
“Hmph, such a hassle~” Chen Nannan grumbled softly, then carefully placed the piece in her mouth.
One gentle bite, and juices burst forth—tender meat, sweet sugar, a hint of tangy vinegar balancing it all. The flavor and texture were perfect.
Chen Nannan chewed slowly, swallowing only after a good while.
Shen An raised a brow. “Not bad?”
She pursed her lips and picked up another piece, holding it to his mouth.
“Ah?”
Shen An opened his mouth.
Chen Nannan pouted; clearly, she wasn’t feeding him.
Shen An closed his mouth awkwardly and blew on it for her again.
Another bite, and she swallowed.
She quietly picked up her rice and started eating.
The corner of Shen An’s mouth twitched. “At least give me some feedback.”
Chen Nannan chewed her rice and mumbled, “It’s okay.”
“Hmm~ Looks like my skills are getting rusty.”
Shen An wasn’t convinced. “Next time, got it? Next chance I get, I’ll show you my real specialties.”
“Aren’t you gonna eat?” Chen Nannan shot him a look.
“Eat, of course. I’m starving.”
Shen An dove in with gusto.
Silly…
Chen Nannan slowly withdrew her gaze and continued picking at her rice.
In truth, she wanted to say: It was delicious.
Really delicious.
The room was very quiet, so quiet that the only sound was Shen An’s rhythmic munching as he ate.
Chen Nannan ate with elegant poise, without making a single noise.
With every bite she took, she stole a glance at him.
This feeling…
She liked it so much.
There was no need for words; it was as if everything had melted into the air, into the meal before them.
Home…
The feeling of home?
For some inexplicable reason, the word suddenly surfaced in Chen Nannan’s mind.
It was a term that felt somewhat foreign to her now.
