On the way back.
Lu Nanxun lowered his voice and asked the driver, “Sir, will we pass a supermarket on the way back?”
The driver nodded.
Ji Liuyue asked curiously, “Do you need to buy something?”
Lu Nanxun gave a vague hum.
In reality, he was thinking about the strawberry milk Liu Qingye had mentioned that morning.
Ji Liuyue actually knew exactly what he wanted to buy, but it was also a good opportunity to get some extra camera time.
“Then let’s stop by the supermarket.”
The two of them pushed a shopping cart through the store. With a handsome man and a beautiful woman surrounded by cameramen, they soon caused quite a stir.
The onlookers even thought they were filming a TV series.
Lu Nanxun headed straight for the refrigerated section and carefully searched along the row of dairy products.
When he spotted the strawberry milk, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
Found it!
Ji Liuyue said, “Oh? You like strawberry milk too?”
As she spoke, she reached out and picked up several cartons as well.
“Let’s buy more. We can drink it together later.”
Lu Nanxun felt a little awkward.
At a time like this, saying he had bought it specifically for Liu Qingye seemed somewhat inappropriate, so he nodded.
“Sure. Let’s get a few more cartons.”
Before long, the enormous shopping cart was filled with four packs of strawberry milk.
The two of them then went to the fresh-food section to buy some fruit and ingredients.
“Can you cook?” Ji Liuyue asked.
Lu Nanxun smiled. “I made breakfast.”
Ji Liuyue nodded. “Oh, right. Since you can cook, I want sweet-and-sour spare ribs.”
Upon hearing that, Lu Nanxun silently went to the fresh-food section and picked up a box of spare ribs.
When the two of them returned to the house, Cen Yu and Ji Mingtian, who had heard the commotion, came out to greet them.
Since neither of them had gone on a date that day, they had stayed at the house all day and were nearly bored to death.
Ji Mingtian was especially excited.
“Little Sis, you’re finally back! You have no idea what kind of day your brother has had!”
Ji Liuyue teased him, “Then maybe you should reflect on yourself. Why didn’t any of the female guests invite you? Is your charm lacking?”
“Yes, it’s all my fault. I’m just not good enough.” Ji Mingtian covered his face, putting on an expression of utter heartbreak and despair.
He looked ridiculous.
Cen Yu shrugged. “That’s your problem. Don’t drag me into it.”
Then he noticed the large and small bags they were carrying.
“You went to the supermarket?”
Ji Liuyue nodded. “Yeah.”
Lu Nanxun tended to become quiet when there were a lot of people around. Without saying anything, he placed the strawberry milk they had just bought in the refrigerator.
Cen Yu eagerly stepped forward.
“What would you two like for dinner? I can cook.”
From the way breakfast had been plated that morning, it was already clear that Cen Yu was an excellent cook.
Not merely competent, either—his cooking was especially refined.
Ji Liuyue said, “I want sweet-and-sour spare ribs.”
Cen Yu smiled when he heard that.
“That’s easy. It’s my specialty. Everyone who’s tried it says it’s delicious!”
As he spoke, he reached into the shopping bag for the spare ribs.
But another hand took them first.
It was Lu Nanxun’s.
He usually appeared gentle and mild, but at that moment, there was a faint edge of possessiveness in his manner.
Cen Yu froze, not quite understanding what had happened.
In an even tone, Lu Nanxun said, “We agreed on the way back that I would make them.”
Cen Yu immediately smiled.
“Okay, looks like I get the night off. Thanks for your hard work, Chef Lu!”
Standing by the dining table, Ji Liuyue also sensed the subtle tension in the kitchen.
She joked, “Cen Yu, do you know that on a dating show, the person who cooks never gets a relationship? So you should cook less often.”
Cen Yu cooperatively nodded.
“Got it. Then everyone can take turns cooking. That way, everyone gets a chance.”
Lu Nanxun busied himself seriously in the kitchen.
Just then, footsteps sounded at the front door.
Ji Mingtian excitedly ran over to take a look.
Liu Qingye was bent over, taking off her shoes. When he saw her, the smile on his face became more genuine.
“Yezi, you’re back?”
“Mm.”
She raised her head and gave him a faint smile, though it seemed somewhat forced.
Apparently, her date that day had not gone very well.
After greeting everyone, Liu Qingye did not seem particularly interested in talking to Ji Mingtian. When she walked into the dining area where the others had gathered, she spotted Lu Nanxun cooking.
She looked both surprised and delighted.
“You’re cooking tonight?”
Lu Nanxun lifted his head.
He had been so focused on cooking that he had not noticed Liu Qingye returning to the house.
When he saw her, he smiled and nodded.
Then he set down the spatula, opened the refrigerator, took out a carton of strawberry milk, and handed it to her.
“Want some?”
A flicker of happiness rose in Liu Qingye’s heart.
She had not expected Lu Nanxun to remember the casual remark she had made that morning—and to actually go out and buy it for her.
It eased much of the hurt she had felt after facing Xu Jinsi that day.
She had just taken the carton and was about to thank him when Ji Liuyue’s voice came from the side.
“Liu Qingye, do you need a straw?”
Following the direction of her gaze, Liu Qingye saw that Ji Liuyue was holding a carton of strawberry milk in one hand, a straw already inserted into the side as she lowered her head to drink.
In her other hand was another transparent straw still wrapped in plastic. She appeared to be about to hand it to Liu Qingye.
The smile on Liu Qingye’s face froze.
At that moment, she really wanted to ask Lu Nanxun whether he had not specifically bought the strawberry milk for her.
Why had Ji Liuyue already started drinking hers?
What was the meaning of this?
When Ji Liuyue saw that she was not responding, she simply placed the straw in her hand and said, “It’s pretty good. Lu Nanxun and I bought a lot of it at the supermarket this afternoon. Don’t be shy—drink as much as you like.”
Liu Qingye forced a smile. “Okay.”
But as she drank the strawberry milk, another wave of anger rose inside her.
So Ji Liuyue had been Lu Nanxun’s date today!
Sipping through the straw, she asked casually, “What did you two do today? You came back pretty early.”
“Horseback riding,” Ji Liuyue replied. “It was a lot of fun.”
Liu Qingye gave a quiet, noncommittal “Oh,” while her gaze subtly shifted toward Lu Nanxun.
“Nanxun, I love horseback riding too. It would have been nice if we could have gone together.”
Ji Liuyue cut her off bluntly.
“Then you should have invited him.”
The words Liu Qingye had been about to say caught in her throat. She bit her lower lip, looking somewhat helpless and wronged.
With her eyes glistening, she turned toward the other two male guests.
Cen Yu laughed and tried to smooth things over.
“That’s right. Gorgeous Miss Liu, how about paying a little attention to us poor souls who stayed behind at the house next time? Give us a chance.”
Ji Mingtian quickly joined in.
“Yezi, you have no idea how long I cried secretly under my blanket last night.”
The atmosphere seemed to ease somewhat.
Liu Qingye played along as well.
“It’s only the second day at the house. Who knows? Maybe once new female guests arrive, you’ll all rebel and abandon me.”
Ji Mingtian waved his hands.
“How could we?”
Lu Nanxun was not good with words.
Or perhaps he simply did not know what to do. He watched for a long while as Liu Qingye and the other two male guests joked around.
In the end, he slowly turned away and continued cooking alone.
