Chapter 24: Asking for a Little Sweetness

He Chi: “……”

Jiang Yining looked at He Chi’s face, which turned visibly awkward the moment he said that. Very quickly, the two boxes of those “things” were tossed into the trash can.

All the way home, the atmosphere between the two of them remained unusually quiet. He Chi seemed to want to speak several times but hesitated, and whenever Jiang Yining glanced at him, he would say nothing.

As soon as they got back, He Xiaohui waddled over to greet them.

Finding it an eyesore, He Chi picked up the bags and went straight to the kitchen.

Jiang Yining had bought a lot of groceries and began sorting them into the fridge.

When she walked into the kitchen, she suddenly heard He Chi say out of nowhere, “It was my first time buying that stuff—I had no idea what I was doing.”

Trying hard to stifle a laugh, Jiang Yining gave a small hum. “It’s not your fault.”

After graduating from university, she had to repay her uncle’s debt. She had barely any savings. Every month, the moment she got paid, the first thing she did was transfer money to her uncle, leaving herself just enough for living expenses.

She was used to being frugal. Back at the supermarket, she’d figured she might as well buy a few more essentials and take advantage of the discount to save a little money.

On the way home, Jiang Yining had reflected on herself. He Chi wasn’t like her—he came from a privileged background and didn’t mind the expenses that came with daily life.

She couldn’t expect He Chi to always lower his standards for her. She’d have to learn to adapt to his lifestyle too.

Looking at He Chi washing vegetables, she then glanced back at He Xiaohui, who was lying at the kitchen door.

Suddenly, she said to He Chi, “I used to complain about fate sometimes, but now I think… maybe the heavens have been looking out for me all along.”

He Chi turned to look at her and saw her smiling with her eyes bent gently into crescents. Her whole expression was filled with warmth and sweetness.

His gaze stayed on her. The water was still running from the faucet. By the time he snapped out of it, the sink was almost overflowing.

Hearing the odd sound, Jiang Yining looked over. “Ah! He Chi, turn off the faucet!”

By the time He Chi managed to shut off the water, some of it had already spilled onto the floor. Jiang Yining frowned and said, “Go get the mop.”

Accepting his fate, He Chi followed her instructions and cleaned up the water on the floor.

Because of that incident, Jiang Yining had briefly doubted whether He Chi was even capable of being a decent kitchen helper. But when dinner was finally done, that concern faded away.

After tasting Jiang Yining’s cooking, He Chi had to admit—his wife’s culinary skills were superb, nearly on par with the head chefs at five-star hotels.

But cooking such a meal took a lot of effort, and with summer break nearing its end, Jiang Yining would soon need to return to the university a week early to help train new teachers.

He Chi suggested, “We should really have the housekeeper cook from now on. You work all day and must be tired when you come home. I’m not good in the kitchen—I can only help with simple things.”

Jiang Yining was looking at her messages on WeChat.

Her father had sent her several long texts. She skimmed through them—they were mostly him reflecting on how he’d neglected her all these years.

The last one read:
[Yining, your Aunt Hong is still upset. But we’re still family. Once she calms down, I’ll try to convince her to return the bank card to you. You should also apologize—just bow your head a little, and this whole thing can blow over.]

Her father’s skill in smoothing things over was, as always, predictably tone-deaf. He always thought that coaxing both sides a little was enough to resolve any conflict.

The more Jiang Yining read, the angrier she became.
Why should she be the one to apologize to Zhao Hong?

Fuming, she tossed her phone aside without replying. She lowered her head and ate a few bites before suddenly remembering that He Chi had been speaking to her earlier.

“What did you just say?” she asked.

Still angry from her father Jiang Wentao’s message, her tone carried a bit of coldness.

He Chi swallowed hard and wisely adjusted what he’d originally intended to say. “It’s nothing. I was just thinking I’m not that great in the kitchen—maybe I should find time to take some cooking classes, help you out more around the house.”

Realizing her tone had been off, Jiang Yining softened her voice. “Actually, you don’t need to do that. You have work too. If I’m too busy, we’ll just let the housekeeper cook.”

He Chi had no intention of learning how to cook anyway. He gave a tug at the corner of his lips. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

After dinner, Jiang Wentao called again. Jiang Yining didn’t pick up and, without hesitation, added both his number and WeChat account to her block list.

With no other options, Jiang Wentao could only wait for Jiang Yufang to help mediate.

In the past, something like this would have left Jiang Yining heartbroken. But now, aside from being angry, she didn’t feel particularly sad or disappointed.

She had grown numb to her father’s blatant favoritism toward Zhao Hong and Jiang Yiyang.

There was a bathtub in the en suite bathroom of the master bedroom. He Chi said he had never used it. When this apartment was designed, he had asked his aunt to hire a designer and didn’t involve himself at all.

Judging from the house’s layout, his aunt had likely asked the designer to consider the needs of a future married couple. The bathtub clearly had a design that would appeal to children, which explained why it had never interested He Chi.

Jiang Yining enjoyed a long, relaxing soak. When she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, she heard a knock at the door.

She walked to the bedroom. The knocking didn’t stop. Just as she wondered if she’d misheard, it came again.

Jiang Yining opened the door. He Chi was standing outside.

Her damp hair was wrapped in a towel, and all she had on was a bath towel. Her fair, delicate skin was still misted with warmth from the bath, leaving the air around her subtly humid.

He Chi’s tall figure loomed in front of her. He lifted his brow slightly, the corner of his mouth tilting up in the faintest of smirks.

Only then did Jiang Yining remember that she was still in a towel. Her heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt a bit flustered.

The man’s gaze drifted down her body, and Jiang Yining instinctively raised her arms to cover herself.

“You…”

He Chi tried to shift his attention elsewhere—but failed. Frustrated with himself, a strange heat rose within him.

He stood at the door, looking at her for a moment before saying, “I warmed some milk for you. Don’t forget to drink it before bed.”

Her cheeks were already flushed. Unable to meet his eyes, she replied in a voice that trembled slightly, “Okay.”

He Chi’s voice was a little hoarse. “Then… get some rest.”

With that, he turned to leave.

Damn. Why was it so hard just to take a step away?

Jiang Yining had just reached for the door when his tall figure returned.

Startled, she blinked at him. “Is there something else?”

The man’s voice was soft. “Mrs. He, it’s been a long day. May I ask for a little sweetness?”

Jiang Yining’s head was still spinning from the “Mrs. He,” and she didn’t quite register what he meant by the rest.

While she was still dazed, He Chi stepped forward, his tall frame drawing closer. He lowered his head and accurately found her soft, dewy lips.

Jiang Yining froze. One of his hands wrapped around her waist, drawing them even closer. His other hand cupped the back of her neck, his touch warm and searing.

Though clumsy and inexperienced, He Chi gently pried her lips open, gradually stealing her breath.

Pressed against the door, Jiang Yining eventually came to her senses and responded shyly. She closed her eyes, her hands clutching at the fabric around his waist.

When He Chi finally pulled away, his breath was still on her lips. His breathing was slightly heavy.

“Don’t forget to drink the milk before you sleep. Goodnight.”

Jiang Yining gave a soft hum in response. Watching his retreating back, she lifted a hand and gently touched her lips, now slightly swollen from his kiss.

He had even given one last soft peck before pulling away.