Qiao Ling, with just two simple sentences, completely made Chen Kuang freeze, froze to the point that the always calm and unhurried expression produced a subtle crack.
The girl’s extremely certain tone of bringing up the matter to question guilt made him, for a moment, really doubt himself whether he had done it or not.
After two seconds, Chen Kuang laughed out absurdly, as if encountering a hot potato, let go of her.
“Qiao Ling, take a good look at who I am before asking.”
All are adults, even if there’s some past or ambiguous life, it’s all normal.
He lazily leaned against the wall, teasing: “Who did you mistake me for?”
The attack and defense sides in the push-and-pull game between men and women often change in an instant.
Just like now, Chen Kuang’s sentence floated out, the originally firm Qiao Ling who thought she was in a dream immediately sobered up more than half.
Her gaze became clear.
Her brain buzzed like being struck by five thunderbolts.
“……”
Me, damn?
Ah???????????????????????
Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Qiao Ling stared at him, all the blood in her body rushing backward from the soles of her feet.
Brain crashed, jumping back and forth between two not very good options.
- Admit that she mistook him for another man, then be regarded by Chen Kuang as a woman with a chaotic private life, a fickle woman.
- Refute, explain that she thought she was dreaming, indirectly exposing her rogue behavior of taking him as a spring-dream male lead, thoroughly being regarded by Chen Kuang as a lecher.
Her heart turned cold, so cold she wanted to laugh.
Either way was a dead end.
How can a person live to such a state.
In the end, Qiao Ling chose C?? Pretend to be dumb and play dumb between A and B.
She gave a few dry laughs, scratching her hair and stepping back two steps: “What? I didn’t get it.”
Qiao Ling looked left and right, acting as if it were real: “How did I get to the living room? Just now seemed like I was possessed by a ghost.”
How could Chen Kuang not see that she was making a show on purpose, but there was no need to press too deeply, leaving the other party some face, maintaining the boundary sense of adult social interaction.
Qiao Ling, with a full face of awkwardness, walked into the bathroom.
He put both hands into his pockets, gaze following along.
Chen Kuang didn’t leave, leaned against the door frame watching her pick up a toothbrush and turn on the tap, quietly collecting the flash of emotion that had passed.
“Qiao Ling.”
Qiao Ling stared at the man’s side profile in the mirror, “Mm?”
He subtly referring to her bold words just now, teasingly confirmed: “You’re single?”
She held the toothbrush in her mouth, her eyelashes trembled slightly.
She just knew it wouldn’t be that easy to muddle him past.
Qiao Ling brushed her teeth, nodded her head.
Chen Kuang raised his eyebrows, repeated: “Sure?”
“Then just now what you said, who taught it, why not…”
“Wuwuwu!!” Qiao Ling panicked, biting the toothbrush and made an “X” hand gesture towards him, face flushing red from shame: “I am single, you don’t ask anymore!”
Chen Kuang lifted his chin, took half a step back, made a gesture expressing “okay okay I won’t ask anymore.”
He looked at the girl turning around angrily to brush her teeth, turned his eyes aside, for no reason explained: “I was just confirming, if you weren’t single, I even more shouldn’t be staying here.”
“Don’t want to add more trouble for you.”
Qiao Ling, with a hot face, spat out the foam, rinsed her mouth with a mouthful of water, finally could speak: “Don’t worry! If I really had a boyfriend, I wouldn’t care whether you live or die.”
Chen Kuang had already been walking forward, hearing this sentence suddenly stopped and looked at her.
His gaze was full of meaning.
She froze, her back tightening from being scalded by the other party’s gaze.
Only then did she realize how strange the words she said were.
Aiya, saying nonsense again!!
Qiao Ling, with white foam hanging at the corner of her mouth, face flushed, waved her hand at him, with a “pa” sound slammed shut the bathroom door.
Exactly how many more times does a person have to lose face this morning to get by!?
Being slapped in the face by the wind from the closing door, Chen Kuang looked at the tightly closed bathroom, and as he lifted his leg again, the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but rise up.
Really couldn’t take being teased by her anymore.
Walking to the area near the sofa, Chen Kuang bent down to pick up the mug, and at this moment, the phone placed next to the cup automatically lit up its screen recognizing the face.
A stranger’s text message received three minutes ago popped up.
Chen Kuang glanced over, after browsing through the first half of the content, his brows suddenly furrowed tightly.
【136\\\\6070: Chen Kuang, it’s me, Dan Zi, long time no contact, are you well? Heard you’re in Binyang, I…】
He picked up the phone, after unlocking it swept through the latter half of the text message, maintaining this posture, staying silent for quite a while.
After a moment, Chen Kuang swiped the screen, directly deleted the text message.
…………
After that, another two days passed. Qiao Ling still as usual opened the shop every morning, busy all day until returning home at night.
What was different from before was, now as soon as she opened the door she could smell a strong aroma of food.
The man who a month ago still rushed to the door of her shop with a fierce face complaining about disturbing the people, now was wearing her little bear apron at home washing hands and making soup.
The aroma of food and the breath of smoke and fire wrapped around, even made the terrifying python tattoo on his right arm seem much softer.
Qiao Ling, leaning against the shoe cabinet, couldn’t help but have her line of sight stuck by this scene.
Chen Kuang heard movement at the door, turned his head slightly while turning off the stove, his brows and eyes calm and gentle: “What are you looking at, wash hands, eat.”
After speaking, he neatly plated the dishes, single-handedly untied the apron tie behind his waist.
Her little heart was struck, silently called out once, gritting teeth to restrain.
It was exactly this ah…
Young women struggling in the big city, it’s exactly for this scene ah…
Now finally understanding to what degree of depth the happiness level described in novels and comics as “having a delicate man at home” really is.
Qiao Ling quickly changed shoes and washed her hands, ran to the dining table and sat down, took the chopsticks he passed over.
She glanced at the two-person set of bowls and chopsticks placed at both ends of the dishes, an indescribable stirring surged in her heart.
Chen Kuang’s physical condition was very good, a heavy cold that would take ordinary people one or two weeks to recover, he basically got better in just three days.
She picked up a chopstick of stir-fried shrimp, chewing, so delicious it made her want to cry.
The other party didn’t lie, Chen Kuang really could cook, but unlike many people who focused on fancy cooking styles, the dishes he made were very homestyle but especially good with rice, filled with the taste of home.
Practically on par with her old dad’s cooking skills.
After several shared meals observing, he not only had good sleeping posture, he also had good eating posture.
No matter how hungry he was he always ate slowly and methodically, basically only picking the dishes in front of him, ate quickly, and also didn’t speak, until putting down his chopsticks.
But the atmosphere in Qiao Ling’s house was definitely about chatting while eating, only then would the meal have flavor.
She couldn’t hold back, while drinking water asked: “When are you going back to the bar to resume work? Isn’t your cold already better?”
If Chen Kuang returned to the bar, then the two people’s schedules would once again be as far apart as day and night, meeting at home, the time spent together would be less.
The chances to eat together would be even fewer.
These past few days the atmosphere between the two was really too good, she wished Chen Kuang could stay sick a few more days.
“I’ve been fine long ago.”
The rice bowl in Chen Kuang’s big hand looked especially delicate and small, he had almost finished eating, pushed the dishes toward her, “But your cousin said, only when not even half a grain of bacteria is left in my breath can I go back.”
Qiao Ling let out two speechless laughs, “Sorry ah, that person is just crazy.”
“Especially likes to get serious over small matters.”
“Understandable, after all all the drinks the guests drink come from the bartender’s hands.”
Chen Kuang always had a no-matter-how-it’s-arranged-it’s-all-okay attitude, “As long as Xia Tian doesn’t get tired to death, I’d rather keep resting forever.”
Qiao Ling recalled that glasses-wearing guy who treated Chen Kuang as a competitor every day, muttering resentfully at him, and wanted to laugh a little.
“… I guess he already scolded you a hundred times behind your back.”
“So I discussed with Qiao Jing, going back to the bar the day after tomorrow.” He said.
Qiao Ling’s motion of picking up vegetables paused, then pretending nothing was wrong, placed them into her bowl, her appetite in her mouth suddenly reduced by half, “Oh, okay.”
“Going back earlier is also good, after all half of the bar’s signboard is your name.”
“It’s the weekend again. I’ll be staying at my parents’ house tomorrow and the day after, you don’t need to make my share.”
Chen Kuang focused intently on her face, his fingers moving along the cup. After a few seconds, he finally made a sound: “Mm.”
The atmosphere at the dining table subtly shifted, but in the end, because both were adult men and women concealing themselves, the faint emotions ultimately settled down together with the chopsticks that were put down.
Qiao Ling helped him clean up the leftovers, reached out her hand: “Pass me your bowl.”
The other party didn’t move for a while, and then, in her line of sight appeared that beautiful-jointed large hand, steadily stacking the bowl together with hers.
“No more dishes left. Let’s go to the supermarket together tomorrow night. I can’t remember the things you like to eat.”
She lowered her eyelashes, looking at the two stacked rice bowls, nodded her head.
Trying hard, holding down the corners of her mouth that wanted to fly up.
Let it be like this, her dad had said before, a person must learn to be content, the road must also be walked slowly.
As long as things stayed as they were, she was already very satisfied.
…………
On the day Chen Kuang returned to the bar, Qiao Ling finished work earlier than usual in the evening, returned to her parents’ house just in time to catch the hearty dinner made by her dad.
At sunset, the sky was gray and hazy, rain curtains washing the city.
The family of three sat together eating and chatting. She gnawed on a chicken leg, turned her head to glance outside the floor-to-ceiling window, speaking vaguely: “It’s just entered autumn, how come it’s raining so much.”
“Dad, with so much rain this year, won’t there be even more snow in winter?”
Yang Manyun was helpless, disliking how her daughter sat and ate without proper posture.
“Sit properly while eating, the older you get the less rules you have.”
Qiao Zhiwen laughed and picked up another piece of pork belly for his daughter, “Logically speaking, yes. If there’s more rain in summer, there’ll be no shortage of snow in winter.”
“Just wait and see, this year, I guess it’ll be colder than last year.”
He gave his wife a suggestion: “Wife, if it really doesn’t work, you can take Lingling to Qiong City in the South Sea to spend the winter, I’ll pay for you two. Didn’t her second uncle buy a house there?”
Qiao Ling shook her head first: “No, no, Dad, you still think I’m a kid? If I go on vacation, what about my shop?”
“I have to work hard on my career.”
Yang Manyun snorted, looking at her husband: “Look at that, your daughter now is really something.”
“There’s obviously an easy path but she won’t take it. She really gets excited doing these tiring and thankless tasks.”
Qiao Zhiwen gave his daughter a thumbs-up, “That’s what’s called being young and promising.”
Qiao Ling’s tail was practically about to fly up to the sky, twisting back and forth: “Mom, listen to Comrade Qiao Zhiwen, see how good he is at encouraging people.”
Yang Manyun really couldn’t win against this father and daughter breathing through the same nostril, sighed, “Hurry up and eat, you two talk too much.”
After eating, Qiao Zhiwen took out two big bags of insulated containers from the kitchen, “Tell your brother to take this soup at the bottom layer to their bar kitchen to heat up before drinking. Bone soup gets fishy once it cools.”
“Thank you, Dad.” Qiao Ling, like a happy little sparrow, took it over, turned around and went to the bedroom to change clothes.
Yang Manyun wiped the table, puzzled: “What’s she up to again? Old Qiao, when did you make so much extra food?”
“Lingling said she’s delivering it to Xiao Jing.”
Qiao Zhiwen had the look of finally having a place to put his cooking skills to use, “Say, these kids really are something. Our girl never got along with that Qiao Jing boy since they were little, but now each of them started their own business, and this relationship actually got better.”
Yang Manyun stood in the dining room, glanced at her daughter’s bedroom door, revealing a bit of suspicion.
No matter how she thought about it, something felt not quite right.
…………
When Qiao Ling arrived by taxi at the bar, the rain had doubled again.
She held an umbrella, protecting the insulated container in her arms as she ran to the entrance, shook off the rain droplets on her body, and through the glass saw that her neatly arranged bangs had gotten wet into strands, frowning as she wiped hard.
Really annoying, rainy days always make people look so messy.
She suddenly thought of something.
Chen Kuang was from the south—had he ever seen snow?
Binyang’s winter snow was very beautiful. If he hadn’t seen it before, he’d definitely like it.
Qiao Ling carried the insulated container into the bar but unexpectedly didn’t see the usual lively and bustling atmosphere.
Tonight’s customer flow was not much, about half of what it was at peak times.
Over at the bar counter there was still the constant crisp sound of shaker cups swaying.
“Little Qiao meimei is here.” A familiar gentle voice came.
Qiao Ling turned around, saw Xie Rouyin sitting by the bar counter smiling and waving at her.
She smiled and quickly walked over, “Good evening, Rouyin jie.”
Qiao Ling glanced once more toward the person behind the bar, but her gaze was caught by Chen Kuang’s just right.
The moment their eyes met, she was the first to timidly look away.
So strange, didn’t really dare look at him—clearly just two days ago they were still sitting at home eating together.
Xie Rouyin stood up and took the insulated container from her arms, “Troubling your family again, always lucky to get a taste of uncle’s good cooking.”
“It’s nothing, my dad’s happy too. Where’s Xiao Feng, at home alone?” she asked.
Xie Rouyin shook her head and said, “She went on a school study tour, to Chongjing, back in a week.”
“Qiao Jing went out to buy Sprite for mixing drinks. He’ll be back in a while, you sit first.”
As she spoke, she turned her head and teased ambiguously toward the busy person behind the bar: “Chen Kuang, take good care of my honored guest.”
After saying that, Xie Rouyin gave them both a subtle look, then carried the food to the kitchen.
Qiao Ling pretended not to sense this teasing, as if she didn’t understand, sat down at the bar, head lowered very low.
Just then, a familiar hand pushed the bar’s drink menu in front of her, “See what you want to drink, non-alcoholic ones are on the second page.”
She lifted her eyes and glanced at today’s Chen Kuang.
Standing behind the bar counter, he had returned to that previously distant feeling, wearing a bartender’s black vest and suit, a row of transparent and colorful liquor bottles separating him from others.
The only part of his features that wasn’t cold was those eyes, yet they always carried the same look toward whoever they faced.
Giving people a kind of heart-chilling unwillingness and frustration from trying their best yet still unable to get close to him.
But this time, Qiao Ling sat opposite him and was no longer so restrained.
Because she had confidence, in Chen Kuang’s eyes, at least definitely… she was no longer a stranger.
She closed the drink menu, raised her delicate eyebrows in a confident ordering posture toward Chen Kuang’s puzzled gaze: “No need, I’ll just have a glass of ‘Picking Faults’.”
Chen Kuang had a slender stirring spoon between his fingers, spinning it like a pen twice, looking at her, silently curling his lips.
“Alright.”
Jazz music floated in the bar, the rain outside sealed beyond the walls.
“Atmosphere’s not bad, huh.” A gentle voice suddenly sounded behind Qiao Ling.
A burst of numbness startled her, she turned around and met Xie Rouyin’s gaze, covering her mouth and laughing quietly: “You, what are you saying…”
Xie Rouyin glanced at Chen Kuang, hinting at her.
Today it was raining, there were fewer customers, some colleagues in the shop had already gotten off work early, and Chen Kuang took time to help the servers deliver drinks to guests.
Only the two of them remained at the bar counter, the conversation opened up at once.
Xie Rouyin looked at Chen Kuang in the distance, poured herself half a glass of whiskey, and teased the girl beside her: “Chen Kuang is not bad, I’ve known him for quite a while, in terms of character I can guarantee.”
Qiao Ling blinked, cheeks heating up, picked up her water glass to cover: “Mm… I can tell, he’s not bad.”
“If you like him, just give it a try, I’ll be your wingman.” She enjoyed watching the other party’s shy appearance, really too cute.
The rich whiskey lingered on her lips and teeth, Xie Rouyin’s gaze carried a bit of sentiment, “One could even say, Chen Kuang is the most reliable man I’ve met in recent years.”
“His flaw is, he’s too polite with everyone, keeps too much distance, makes girls feel that no matter how proactive they are there’s no hope.”
“Maybe because the burden in his heart is too heavy, it’s understandable.”
Though Qiao Ling was shy, she was listening very seriously.
She was curious about everything related to Chen Kuang, even the not-so-good parts, she wanted to know.
At this point, Xie Rouyin put down her glass but suddenly changed the topic, looking at Qiao Ling’s likable doll-like face: “But I think, Chen Kuang toward you…”
Ding-dang—
The welcome bell at the door rang inopportunely.
The two of them turned their heads toward the door at the same time, focusing on the unfamiliar woman who had just closed her umbrella.
Chen Kuang had just finished delivering drinks, carrying a tray passing by the entrance, and stopped right in place after seeing the visitor’s appearance.
He had his back facing them, so Qiao Ling couldn’t see his expression.
But Chen Kuang’s stiffened backline gave her a bad premonition.
Dan Zi was wearing a beautiful coffee-colored trench coat, and upon seeing Chen Kuang, her expression was filled with joy. Her bright eyes and lips smiled like a rose blooming in the rain mist.
“Chen Kuang, you’re really here!”
Xie Rouyin leaned against the bar counter, staring at that woman, “Aiya.”
Her voice was still soft and charming, but it had dropped quite a bit in temperature, letting out a laugh.
“How did this person appear in Binyang.”
Qiao Ling looked at Xie Rouyin, unease spreading from the bottom of her heart.
“Rouyin jie… she is?”