Receiving affirmation, Lan Hui was overjoyed, her smile nearly stretching to her ears, and her voice was light as she said, “As long as you like it, that’s good. Kai-ge, I’ll go heat up the dishes for you.”
Peng Kai hurriedly said, “No need, I can do it myself.”
“It’s fine, just needs two minutes in the microwave, really quick.” Lan Hui bustled over to the fridge, carefully carried the dishes out, and brought them to the kitchen.
Peng Kai went into his room to change into loungewear. By the time he came out, Lan Hui had already heated up the food. Seeing him, she quickly called out, “Kai-ge, come eat.”
Peng Kai sat down in front of the sofa and looked at the Grandmother’s Vegetable Omelette and Qingjiao Rou Si on the coffee table.
Although the colors weren’t as appealing as when freshly cooked, the aroma was mouthwatering.
He picked up some Qingjiao Rou Si with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. The spicy, salty flavor instantly exploded across his palate.
The shredded meat was tender, and the green peppers were spicy with a hint of sweetness. Paired with a bite of white rice, it was so much tastier than the takeout he’d had during the day.
“It’s delicious.”
Lan Hui smiled radiantly, “As long as you like it, Kai-ge, I’ll make whatever you want to eat in the future.”
Peng Kai replied, “No need.”
Lan Hui looked very serious, “I mean it. The place I’m living in now is close to my workplace. I finish work at five every day, so I have time to come back and make two dishes and a soup.”
“There’s a supermarket right at the entrance of the Xiangrun Community, so buying groceries and cooking is really convenient.”
“Home-cooked meals are clean and hygienic, and cheaper too. It’s much more cost-effective than eating takeout.”
“Really, there’s no need. Just make whatever you like to eat.” Peng Kai said.
Lan Hui didn’t say anything more and didn’t disturb him while he ate. Anyway, from now on, whenever she cooked, she would always save a portion for him.
He treated her well, so she couldn’t be stingy.
“Kai-ge, I’m going to take a shower, you eat slowly.”
Peng Kai nodded.
Lan Hui got up and went to her room to get her pajamas.
Peng Kai’s apartment was over seventy square meters, and the bathroom was separated into wet and dry areas, very clean with no strange smells.
She’d even bought an air freshener today, and a faint rose fragrance could be detected.
It was nothing like her previous place, which had too many people living in it, including two men who didn’t like to clean up after themselves.
There would always be a strong smell of urine in the bathroom, and every time she showered, Lan Hui felt so uncomfortable she’d rush to finish and get out.
She took a nice, long twenty-minute shower before coming out in her pajamas.
Peng Kai was no longer in the living room, and the dishes on the coffee table had already been cleaned up by him.
He was really a man of action.
Lying on the soft big bed, Lan Hui picked up her phone and made a big decision: she was going to use the 1000 yuan Peng Kai had transferred to her before to top up his phone credit.
She’d thought of many excuses over the past few days, but no matter what the reason, Peng Kai probably wouldn’t accept the money if she tried to give it back.
Since phone credit was a necessity, she simply topped it up directly—he wouldn’t be able to refuse or return it.
As soon as the top-up went through, Lan Hui’s bedroom door sounded. Outside, a man’s voice was low, “Are you asleep?”
“Not yet, what’s up, Kai-ge?” Lan Hui casually grabbed a white cotton jacket to drape over herself and went to open the door.
Just as Lan Hui turned the doorknob, a force from outside pressed the door shut. “No need to open the door. I just want to ask you something—did you just top up my phone with a thousand yuan?”
It was late at night, the girl had already gone into her room and showered, so it was better not to meet.
Lan Hui nodded, “Yes. Kai-ge, you’ve already helped me enough, I can’t accept that 1000 yuan. The reason I accepted it that night was because I wanted you to go back and rest.”
“I’ve always been thinking of a way to return it, but I was afraid you wouldn’t accept it, so I just topped up your phone credit.”
“Kai-ge, you…” Before she could finish, Lan Hui’s phone buzzed. She looked down and saw a message notification: her phone credit had been topped up by 1000 yuan, with a balance of 1027.23 yuan.
“Kai-ge, did you just top up my phone credit?” Lan Hui was shocked.
Peng Kai: “What’s given to you is yours, don’t think about paying me back. Now we’re even. It’s late, get some sleep.”
With that, his footsteps faded away, followed by the sound of a door closing, and then silence.
Lan Hui let out a long sigh. Oh well, she could only make more delicious food to make it up to him in the future.
***
From then on, every day after work, Lan Hui would hurry home to cook. She’d eat a portion herself and leave another in the fridge for Peng Kai.
She made something different every day.
Lan Hui also paid attention to what Peng Kai liked to eat. For example, he liked braised pork—he’d finish every bit in his bowl, not even wasting the sauce.
So within a week, Lan Hui would make it for him twice, making sure he was satisfied.
At first, Peng Kai told her not to bother making his share, but Lan Hui wouldn’t listen.
He simply stopped arguing and instead kept the house stocked with fruit—bananas, oranges, Hami Melon, sugarcane—always something new.
Lan Hui was happy with her meals, comfortable in her living space, and her enthusiasm at work soared.
She improved noticeably with clients—several even praised her for her patience as a Breastfeeding Consultant and said her skills were getting better and better. Some even renewed their sessions with her.
During the morning meeting, the store manager even singled her out for praise.
Lan Hui was over the moon, feeling more delighted than ever.
***
That night, just as Lan Hui finished showering and was about to go to bed, she saw Peng Kai hurriedly putting on his cotton jacket and heading for the door.
“Kai-ge, it’s so late and you’re still going out?” Lan Hui asked.
Peng Kai nodded and quickly changed his shoes at the door. “Just got a business call, I have to go to the shop.”
“Must be tough.” Lan Hui sighed. Even though Peng Kai was his own boss, making money from car repairs really wasn’t easy.
“Go to bed early.” Peng Kai tossed out the words simply, opened the door, and left in a hurry.
Lan Hui had the day off tomorrow and no classes in the evening, so she didn’t plan to sleep early tonight. A hit TV drama had just come out, and she was planning to binge-watch it all night.
The show was a time-travel drama about a modern woman who ends up in ancient times, relies on her own abilities to start a business, falls in love with a prince, and eventually reaches the peak of her life.
The plot was witty, the female lead optimistic and positive, and the whole show was full of laughter. Lan Hui watched without realizing it was already past two in the morning.
She got up to use the bathroom and deliberately checked the men’s slippers by the door. They were still sitting there quietly, which meant their owner hadn’t come back yet.
Lan Hui frowned. It was already past two—why wasn’t he home yet?
Making money was really tough!
At three thirty in the morning, Lan Hui heard the door open. It must have been Peng Kai returning.
She quickly tidied herself up and went out.
“Kai-ge, you’re done for the night?”
Peng Kai saw her come out and was shocked, “You’re still awake?”
Lan Hui nodded, “I have a day off tomorrow, so I’m catching up on dramas tonight.”
“Mm. Go to bed soon.” Peng Kai had been working for several hours straight and was exhausted.
Lan Hui could see it and felt a little sorry for him—it really wasn’t easy.
“Kai-ge, you take a shower first. I’ll go cook you a bowl of noodles.” As she spoke, Lan Hui headed to the kitchen.
Peng Kai quickly called after her, “Don’t bother, I’m not hungry. You should go to bed.”
“It’s no trouble, it’ll be quick.” After working so late, he was bound to be hungry. Eating a bowl of hot noodles before bed would help him sleep better.
Seeing that Lan Hui had already gone into the kitchen, Peng Kai had no choice but to give in. He grabbed a change of clothes and went to shower.
The kitchen and bathroom were next to each other, so Peng Kai could hear the sound of Lan Hui chopping vegetables while he showered.
A warm feeling flooded his heart.
In all his years, this was the first time someone had treated him so well—the first time someone had cooked for him in the middle of the night.
Lan Hui was fast. By the time Peng Kai finished showering and came out, a steaming bowl of noodles was already on the coffee table.
“Kai-ge, you came out just in time. The noodles are fresh out of the pot, eat them while they’re hot.”
“Okay.”
Peng Kai walked quickly to the sofa.
Lan Hui had made soy sauce noodles, topped with two fried eggs and a few slices of sausage.
“Kai-ge, have a taste. See if you like it. I didn’t know how long you’d be in the shower, and I was afraid noodle soup would get soggy, so I made dry noodles. They keep their texture longer.”
Lan Hui was so thoughtful. Peng Kai picked up his chopsticks and ate heartily. The noodles were chewy and springy, with a rich soy aroma and a hint of spice.
“It’s really good.”
Lan Hui’s eyes curved with her smile. “Try the fried eggs too.”
She sat across from him, her sweet smile dazzling. Peng Kai couldn’t help but notice.
The girl wore a fluffy, pale yellow pajama set, her long hair casually pinned up with a clip.
She rested her chin in her hands, her skin fair and glowing, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, full of anticipation for his verdict.
She looked just like a plump little yellow duck—adorably cute.
For some reason, Peng Kai’s heart skipped a beat.
He quickly picked up a fried egg and took a bite. The outside was crispy and fragrant, the inside soft and runny, with a rich flavor. “This is delicious too.”
“That’s great.” Lan Hui’s voice was light, full of satisfaction.
She’d loved cooking ever since her previous life. Every time she came home from school, she liked to show off her skills for her parents.
Mainly because her parents were busy with work and didn’t have time to cook, she knew how hard they worked and wanted to help out however she could.
As the saying goes, children from poor families grow up fast.
“It’s almost four in the morning. Why don’t you go to bed first? I’ll clean up after I finish eating.”
The girl sitting across from him was too eye-catching, and Peng Kai felt uneasy being stared at by her. Most of all, she loved to smile—she kept smiling, and it made him flustered and at a loss.
He couldn’t quite explain the feeling, but he figured it’d be better if he avoided it.
Lan Hui didn’t pick up on Peng Kai’s hidden meaning at all. “I’m not sleepy. I’m full of energy right now, not tired at all.”
Peng Kai didn’t know what else to say, so he just lowered his head and quickly ate his noodles.
The living room was very quiet except for the sound of eating. Lan Hui’s gaze was already on Peng Kai, and now she couldn’t help but size him up.
Peng Kai’s hair was still a bit damp, a white towel draped around his neck.
He ate heartily, his long fingers holding chopsticks as he picked up noodles and brought them to his mouth, clearly approving of her cooking.
Sitting on the sofa, his legs seemed to have nowhere to go, his feet stretching into the space where she was sitting.
They were less than twenty centimeters apart.
Peng Kai probably hadn’t even noticed this, or else he would have pulled back.
After his shower, Peng Kai was still wearing summer slippers, and Lan Hui could clearly see the hair on his calves.
It was dark and dense, even the hair on his toes was thick.
Lan Hui couldn’t help but recall a dirty joke her best friend once told her in her previous life.
The thicker a man’s leg hair, the stronger he is in that respect.
Lan Hui’s gaze moved from his legs up to his body.
He looked at least one meter eighty-five, and sitting on the sofa, he was like a rugged, towering mountain.
He worked in auto repair, lifting things all day, his body lean and powerful.
A guy like him was exactly what her best friend called an Ultraman—explosive strength to the max.