Chapter 2: I Think I’ve Seen You Somewhere Before

Around noon, Lin Ximeng knocked on Li Huangxuan’s door.

“Where’s the nearest market? Let’s go buy some groceries and make lunch.”

Li Huangxuan closed his laptop and frowned slightly.

“You’re going to cook?”

Ever since he and Zhang Chuan moved in, the kitchenware had basically just gathered dust.
On workdays, he ate at the office, and on weekends, it was always takeout or the little restaurant downstairs.

Cooking? Impossible. Not in this lifetime.

Standing in the doorway in her slippers, Lin Ximeng smiled sweetly.

“From now on, I’ll cook. You wash the dishes.”

Li Huangxuan sighed, not thrilled at the idea.

“Why don’t we just order takeout instead?”

But Lin Ximeng immediately refused.

“Takeout is unhealthy. I’ll give you one minute—get ready, and come grocery shopping with me.”

Li Huangxuan mumbled under his breath.

Only his mom, Fan Ling, had ever spoken to him with this kind of authority.

Just outside the residential complex, there was a small wet market—modest, but enough for the daily needs of the neighborhood.

Once there, Lin Ximeng picked out vegetables with practiced ease, chatting warmly with the vendors. It was clear she was no stranger to this.

Trailing behind her, Li Huangxuan watched this goddess-like girl blend effortlessly into the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

It felt oddly out of place.

Shouldn’t a goddess be absorbing the spiritual energy of the universe or something?

Suddenly, his vision blurred. The girl’s outline became hazy.

Where… have I seen her before?

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

It was probably just one of those common illusions—moments that feel strangely familiar, but mean nothing.

After a round through the market, Li Huangxuan’s hands were full—bags of vegetables and meat weighing him down.

Meanwhile, Lin Ximeng walked lightly ahead of him, hands behind her back, humming a tune:

“I heard your voice in the crowd,
A heart too shy to be found,
I hid among those hard to please,
But at night I still searched for that one star…”

Back at the apartment, Lin Ximeng pulled him straight into the kitchen and started handing out tasks—washing veggies, peeling potatoes, shelling garlic, and so on.

Li Huangxuan reluctantly followed along. Cooking felt like such a chore. He worked slowly and lazily.

And after all that? He still had to do the dishes.

If they’d just ordered takeout, he could’ve tossed the boxes and been done.

Simple. Efficient.

Despite her goddess-like appearance, Lin Ximeng truly knew her way around the kitchen.

With her apron tied neatly, she looked just like a sweet, capable housewife.

Under her skillful hands, three dishes and one soup were soon laid out on the table:

Sweet and sour pork ribs

Stir-fried pork

Shredded potatoes with green pepper

Tomato and egg soup

All simple, classic home-style dishes—but full of color, aroma, and flavor.

Standing beside the dining table, Li Huangxuan felt a little stunned.

He hadn’t made a single request at the market earlier, yet each dish matched his exact tastes.

Was this fate?

“Well? Aren’t you going to compliment my cooking?” Lin Ximeng asked, sitting across from him.

“Honestly, when I first saw you, I never imagined you were the type who could cook,” Li Huangxuan said bluntly.

Lin Ximeng raised an eyebrow.

“Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Uh… I mean—you’re amazing!” he stammered.

Having a meal with such a beautiful girl made it impossible for Li Huangxuan not to feel at least a little nervous.

He was mildly nearsighted—over 200 degrees—but usually didn’t wear glasses, already accustomed to viewing the world in a soft blur.

Now, sitting across from Lin Ximeng, he could finally see her face clearly for the first time.

Flawless. Absolutely flawless.

And once again, that strange sense of familiarity welled up from deep inside him.

“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” he finally said, unable to hold it in.

Lin Ximeng’s expression froze momentarily. Then, she slowly leaned forward, locking her gaze onto his.

The distance between them shrank.

As her fragrance drifted over, Li Huangxuan’s breathing grew quick and shallow. His eyes darted away nervously.

“Ugh, do all guys say that same cheesy line when they see a pretty girl?” Lin Ximeng rolled her eyes in disdain, then sat back in her seat.

Li Huangxuan’s face flushed red. He didn’t know how to defend himself.

To cover the awkwardness, he picked up a bite of shredded potatoes and stuffed it in his mouth.

Damn, her cooking really was good. Better than Chef Fan’s food from the little restaurant downstairs.

Lin Ximeng also started eating, but not before picking up a piece of sweet-and-sour pork rib and placing it gently into Li Huangxuan’s bowl.

Only after that did she start eating herself.

Seeing this, Li Huangxuan immediately felt a pang of guilt.

I should’ve been the one to serve her first. Why did I just start eating like that?

“So… Miss Lin, what brings you to Jiangcheng?” he asked, grasping for small talk.

“Miss Lin?” Lin Ximeng frowned. “Didn’t you say you were going to call me Mengmeng?”

Li Huangxuan’s eyes widened.

“Wait—are you serious? I can actually call you that?”

Lin Ximeng nodded seriously.

“Yes.”

“Alright then… Mengmeng, are you only staying in Jiangcheng for a month?”

“Mm-hmm. I’ll be leaving after a month.”

The two of them chatted casually as they ate.

Li Huangxuan pretended to be casual, but subtly managed to learn quite a bit about her.

She said she was 20, had previously worked as an office clerk, and had quit her job to come to Jiangcheng for a relaxing trip. Renting an apartment was cheaper than staying in a hotel, and after a bit of persuasive talk from Grandpa Zhang, she paid three months’ rent even though she was only staying for one.

Her explanation made sense… but there was still something a little off about it. Li couldn’t put his finger on why.

A month… not long, but not short either.

Hopefully, they could get along peacefully.

One thing was for sure: this lunch tasted far better than any takeout he’d had in ages.

And for the first time, this cold, quiet rental apartment had the warmth of a real home.

…

After lunch, Li Huangxuan reluctantly slouched by the sink, scrubbing the dishes, already looking forward to a sweet afternoon nap.

But just then, Lin Ximeng’s voice sounded behind him:

“This afternoon, we’re doing a full cleaning.”

His hand jerked, and he nearly dropped the dish.

“A full cleaning? What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

Over the past few months, thanks to the combined efforts of Li and Zhang Chuan, the place had ended up looking like a dog’s den.

But to the easygoing Li Huangxuan, it still seemed “reasonably clean.”

Clearly, though, his new roommate had much higher standards for what “clean” meant.

This afternoon… was not going to be peaceful.

“We don’t need to mop under the sofa, right? You can’t even see under there.”

“Those socks under the bed are mine, but the tissues are Zhang Chuan’s, okay? Don’t look at me like that.”

“You want me to wipe the entire floor by hand with a towel? What do you think I am—some genius monk?”

“You want me to clean the outside of the windows too? Come on, that’s just ridiculous.”

…

Amid Li Huangxuan’s endless complaints, a pair of newly acquainted young roommates carried out their awkward and not-so-coordinated teamwork.

Sigh, women really are a hassle.

Even if she looked like a goddess, being this much of a perfectionist kind of took the shine off her image.

And so, a beautiful Saturday was spent in exhausting labor.

By the time the sun began to set, Li Huangxuan was aching all over, sprawled out on the couch like a ragdoll.

“I’m done. No more. You’re seriously working me to death!”

“Already giving up? And here I thought you were Mr. Capable,” Lin Ximeng replied with a smirk.