Soon, Shen An came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of noodles.
Seeing this, Xu Yijing removed her headphones.
She glanced at it casually. The bowl was as big as a rice cooker liner, and an almost imperceptible twitch crossed her cheeks.
Was this guy a pig?
Why not just use the rice cooker pot itself?
Shen An noticed her staring endlessly and assumed she was hungry. “Want some?”
Xu Yijing shook her head gracefully. “No, thanks.”
“Got it. Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”
Shen An sat down casually, picked up his chopsticks, and began slurping up the noodles noisily.
Slurp~ Slurp~ Slurp~
The sounds of noodle-eating were quite grating on the ears.
Xu Yijing silently slipped her headphones back on.
Slurp~ Slurp~ Slurp~
She clenched her fists, lowered her head, and wore an expression as uncomfortable as if she were constipated.
The aroma of the noodles kept wafting to her nose. He wasn’t joking—his cooking skills were genuinely impressive.
It was a shame he couldn’t eat with a bit more decorum.
Xu Yijing couldn’t stand it any longer. She simply stood up, left the living room, and retreated to her own room.
The moment she was gone, Shen An snatched up the remote and switched to the sports channel.
A soccer match was playing, and Shen An immediately perked up.
About an hour later, Xu Yijing emerged again.
The massive bowl was now completely empty, not even a drop of broth remaining—all polished off by Shen An.
He was staring intently at the TV screen, looking just like Xu Yijing had earlier.
She leaned closer for a peek. Soccer?
Boring, Xu Yijing thought to herself. Softly, she said, “Finished eating?”
“Huh?” Shen An blinked in surprise.
“I have something to discuss with you.”
Xu Yijing looked down at him imperiously.
“What is it?”
Shen An obligingly switched off the television.
“Are you free tomorrow?”
“Uh, I’ve got a class meeting.”
“When?”
“Around nine in the morning.”
“After the meeting, come back. I want to take you out for a meal.”
Shen An looked surprised. “That formal, huh?”
“No. As you said, regardless, we’re living together now.”
“A meal together can serve as a little commemoration.” Xu Yijing’s tone and expression remained perfectly calm, utterly serene.
“What do you say? Is that okay?”
“Sure.” Shen An nodded.
“Good. Then tidy up and get some early rest. Good night.”
Xu Yijing had apparently come out just to tell him this.
With that, she turned to head back to her room.
“Hey, Senior Sister, hold on.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t think I’ve added you as a contact yet. I don’t even have your phone number.”
Shen An pulled out his pink phone.
Xu Yijing’s mouth twitched faintly. She felt her patience nearing its breaking point.
This guy really was a total weirdo.
“No need.” She sounded mildly repulsed.
“We should still exchange numbers. What if you need to call me for something?”
“No need.” Xu Yijing waved her hands quickly. “Our agreement is clear: we don’t meddle in each other’s business. If something comes up, I can handle it myself.”
“I see.”
“That’s the deal. Any objections?”
“None~” Shen An shrugged.
“Good night.”
Xu Yijing turned and strode straight back to her room.
Shen An pocketed his phone and chuckled softly. “She’s so cold. Not cute at all.”
He’d planned to stay hands-off anyway, so skipping the contact was right up his alley.
Better to avoid trouble altogether.
Hm.
Shen An wasn’t sleepy yet, and with the TV already off, he saw no point in turning it back on.
He gathered the bowl and chopsticks, headed to the kitchen to clean up, then returned to his room.
After a shower, he opened the closet. The old styles inside had been replaced with new ones.
“Whoa, that was fast.”
He’d handed the clothes to Xu Yijing that very morning, and now they were swapped out by evening.
He left the new clothes untouched and instead slipped into the ones he’d originally brought with him.
Lying on the bed, he picked up his phone and opened the System.
Bzzz~
Another interminable loading screen…
Every time he looked at it, Shen An felt an urge to hurl the thing away.
One month…
He had to find another way to get by within that month. Then he could finally ditch this piece of junk.
At last, the System finished loading. A ridiculous ringtone chimed, jarring Shen An’s eardrums.
He drew a deep breath, steeled himself with patience, and tapped into the interface.
The task panel had ticked forward by a day: twenty-nine days remaining.
What puzzled Shen An was that ever since arriving at school, the commission tasks on the System had mysteriously vanished.
Just a few days earlier, they’d popped up sporadically while he was out and about.
Did that mean no one at school needed help?
He stared at it for ages but drew no conclusions, so he let it drop.
Tossing the phone onto the bedside table, he pulled up the covers and closed his eyes.
Thus, the first day of cohabitation drew to a peaceful close.
In the dead of night, silence reigned.
Xu Yijing tossed and turned in bed. One leg, glowing white as jade, poked carelessly out from under the covers and pressed against the footboard.
Dim moonlight fell upon her toes, delicate and tender, coated in a hue of cyan.
Yes, she couldn’t sleep.
Opening her eyes helplessly, she murmured, “Why do you have to slurp noodles like that?”
Now, every time she shut her eyes, her mind replayed Shen An eating those noodles.
Slurp slurp~
That eerie, hypnotic sound echoed relentlessly in Xu Yijing’s head.
She had no idea why it had stuck with her…
Damn it!!!!!
The next morning, at six o’clock sharp.
Shen An, snug in his bed, was jolted awake by a relentless series of beeps.
He jerked upright, half-convinced it was a fire alarm.
Blearily cracking his eyes open, he pinpointed the noise: the pink brick phone.
The screen’s glare stung; after a moment’s adjustment, he made out the flashing profile picture.
Chen Nannan’s… voice call.
Help… it was only six…
Fortunately, Shen An kept a regular schedule. Even at the hotel, he’d risen early, so he had little bedhead grumpiness.
Yawning lazily, he answered. “Hello? Senior Sister.”
“Good morning~ Junior Brother!!”
Chen Nannan’s voice burst through, brimming with energy. The cheap built-in speaker couldn’t dull her sweet timbre.
Shen An let out another massive yawn. “Six a.m.? Senior Sister, are you trying to end me?”
“I was worried you’d oversleep, so I called early to get you up.”
Chen Nannan sounded a touch apologetic.
“Heh… at least wait until eight…”
“Um, do you want breakfast?” Chen Nannan asked.
“Are you buying me breakfast?” Shen An’s lips quirked upward.
“As if. Why do you always try to mooch off me? That’s no good.”
Chen Nannan wrinkled her cute little nose and huffed cutely.
“If you’re not treating, why call so early? Later—I’m going back to sleep.”
“Hey! Wait…”
Click.
Shen An hung up without mercy, rolled over, set the phone by his pillow, and began an internal countdown.
Dong dong dong~ Dong dong dong~
Another voice call from Chen Nannan.
Shen An arched a smug eyebrow, let it ring for a few seconds, then picked up.
“What now, Your Highness Senior Sister?”
“I… I’ve got some leftover glutinous rice chicken. Want it?” Chen Nannan said softly.
“What? Glutinous rice chicken?”
“Yeah.”
“Tell you what: keep it warming in the pot for three hours, then bring it to the classroom for me.”
“Ha??”
Before Chen Nannan could finish, Shen An hung up again without pity.
She set the phone down silently. After about ten seconds of quiet, she leaped to her feet and stomped in fury. “Shen An!!!!!”
Good thing she was in the apartment. In the dorm, that would’ve woken half the floor.
By around seven, Shen An could no longer sleep.
He opened his eyes, stretched languidly, and checked his phone. Aside from the two voice calls, Chen Nannan hadn’t messaged again.
Hm. Probably ticked off good.
No matter. A little love-hate was what made it fun.
Humming a cheerful tune, he ambled to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.
When he emerged from his room, Xu Yijing was already awake.
She was in the living room, a yoga mat spread on the floor. Dressed in a tight leotard, she arched her slender neck like a swan, her body dipped low, arms extended horizontally like wings, her entire weight balanced on a single knee.
Gulp.
Shen An had meant to say hello, but he couldn’t help swallowing instinctively.
The form-fitting leotard traced every curve of Xu Yijing’s figure to perfection, each inch radiating an indescribable allure. With her naturally seductive features, and the pose aimed right at him, it carried an almost teasing, seductive vibe.
She’d worn loose clothes all yesterday, so Shen An hadn’t realized just how stunning her body was.
At this moment, though, he could only give it a thumbs-up.
Paired with the yoga pose, her figure was scorching hot.
It was just a tad small in one area—a minor imperfection.
When Xu Yijing spotted Shen An, a flicker of panic crossed her face. Her movement went awry, and with a splat, her graceful swan pose devolved into an undignified face-plant.
Shen An snapped out of his surprise and greeted her calmly. “Morning, Senior Sister. Practicing yoga?”
Xu Yijing felt a wave of embarrassment.
She had assumed he wouldn’t wake up so early.
But her ability to recover was impressive. To cover up her earlier fluster, she smoothly shifted into another pose, making it seem like the mishap had been part of the plan.
In Shen An’s presence, though, she toned things down. She simply sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, held her breath, and murmured, “Mm.”
“Ahem, have you had breakfast? Want me to make some?”
Cooking breakfast was part of a nanny’s duties, after all.
“No need.”
Xu Yijing kept her eyes closed and replied coolly.
“Uh, then carry on. I won’t bother you.”
“No need to mind me. Go about your business,” she said softly.
“You sure?” Shen An raised an eyebrow.
Xu Yijing opened her eyes and looked at him steadily.
“Alright then.”
Shen An shrugged and headed to the living room.
Once Xu Yijing closed her eyes again, Shen An scanned the room left and right. In the corner, he found his target: the broom.
Swish.
Swish.
Swish.
Xu Yijing couldn’t help but perk up at the sounds, curiosity stirring within her.
She cracked her eyes open and saw Shen An diligently sweeping the floor.
Xu Yijing froze.
“What… what are you doing?”
“Sweeping the floor,” Shen An replied earnestly.
“But…”
“Don’t worry, it’s part of my job. I’ll be done in no time,” he said with a grin.
Xu Yijing felt a twinge of frustration deep inside.
She had only said it was fine—no need to avoid her—to gloss over her earlier embarrassment.
She hadn’t expected him to take it so literally and grab the broom.
With him sweeping away like that, how was she supposed to keep practicing yoga?
“You don’t actually have to do these things. Our agreement from yesterday said so—only if I ask.”
Xu Yijing decided it was time to remind Shen An of the terms.
“But if I don’t, doesn’t that make me a freeloader?”
Shen An frowned. “Sure, I only got this gig through my mom, but I don’t want to just coast without earning it.”
“I hope you understand, Senior Sister.”
Xu Yijing: …
She let out a soft chuckle. “Didn’t expect you to be so upfront about it.”
The words carried a subtle sting.
Shen An flashed a bright smile, his expression half-amused. “I’m the most honest guy you’ll meet.”
“Then I won’t keep you.”
Xu Yijing rolled up her yoga mat and stood, heading back to her room.
At the door, she glanced back. “Don’t forget—come straight home after the meeting.”
“How could I forget dinner with Senior Sister?” Shen An replied gently.
“Good.”
Xu Yijing smiled and nodded, then pushed the door open.
