Chapter 32: Gu Ye is about to be electrocuted by the food

“I’ve stewed some meat. Have you eaten yet? Do you want some more?” Jiang Yue put down her chopsticks and got up to get Gu Ye a bowl of rice.

“I’ve eaten, but I’m still hungry.” In fact, Gu Ye had already eaten lunch in the canteen, but now, smelling the fragrance, he felt hungry again.

“Is that enough?” Jiang Yue served half a bowl of rice to Gu Ye, of course, using his special large bowl, so the portion wasn’t small.

“Mm, it’s enough!” Gu Ye eagerly picked up his chopsticks, eager to try the braised pork belly Jiang Yue had made.

He wouldn’t admit it, but after eating Jiang Yue’s cooking for two days, his appetite had been spoiled. Even though he had lunch in the canteen, he kept thinking about what dishes Jiang Yue had made today.

It wasn’t that Gu Ye didn’t appreciate the large pot dishes in the canteen. These days, being full was a big deal, but it didn’t stop him from coming back for a second round to taste the delicious food.

Gu Ye picked up a piece of braised pork belly and put it in his mouth. It melted in his mouth, and the aroma of the meat made his taste buds feel completely satisfied.

This was easily the best braised pork belly Gu Ye had ever eaten.

“Try this stewed meat, see if it’s tender enough.” Jiang Yue came out of the kitchen, holding a small bowl in her hand. “It hasn’t been cooked for long, so it might not have absorbed the flavors yet.”

Gu Ye had already smelled the tempting fragrance, the same meaty smell he had sensed when he was outside.

“How is it?” Jiang Yue asked, seeing that Gu Ye had tasted a piece and didn’t say anything. She leaned over to ask.

She was quite confident in her cooking skills, but she still cared about Gu Ye’s opinion.

“Mm, it’s delicious!” Gu Ye lowered his head and ate two more pieces before he had time to speak.

He decided to retract his earlier comment about the braised pork belly being the best he had ever had. Now, these few pieces of stewed meat were even better than the braised one!

Jiang Yue also tasted a piece herself. “It’s okay, it just needs another ten minutes of stewing.” Otherwise, if left for too long, the meat would turn mushy.

“Gu Ye, I need to tell you something.” Seeing that Gu Ye was focused on eating, Jiang Yue thought for a moment and then split the small amount of greens from her plate and gave him half.

Gu Ye raised his eyes: “Hmm?”

“Don’t just eat meat, eat some vegetables too, you need to get your vitamins!” Jiang Yue grinned.

“Is this what you wanted to tell me?” Gu Ye glanced at the vegetables in the bowl. They were bright green, stir-fried with smashed garlic, looking much more appetizing than the overcooked greens in the military unit canteen.

He took a bite, and to his surprise, it tasted unexpectedly good!

“Of course not!” Jiang Yue carried her small bowl and scooted over on her little stool, slowly moving until she was beside Gu Ye.

As soon as Jiang Yue got closer, Gu Ye smelled a faint, sweet fragrance—it was her scent. He had smelled it all night last night, and it had troubled him the entire time. He had even had to take a cold shower early in the morning to cool off.

“Here’s the thing.” Jiang Yue didn’t notice how Gu Ye’s muscles tensed when she got closer. She scooped a small bite of rice and peered at Gu Ye through the rim of her bowl. “I’ve just started learning to buy groceries, and I’m not very experienced. This morning, I bought two pounds of meat and spent all my meat tickets for the next two months.”

When Jiang Yue bought the meat, she didn’t realize how much she had spent. Sister-in-law Zhao and Lian Rongrong had warned her, but she had carelessly said she was in control. Then, when she came back, she found out her meat tickets were completely gone.

“All the meat tickets are gone?” Gu Ye lifted his gaze and repeated her words.

“Mm-hmm!” Jiang Yue nodded like a chick pecking at grains. She was just giving Gu Ye a heads-up, letting him know that once they finished this meal, they would have to wait until next month for more meat.

“Wait for me!” Gu Ye put down his chopsticks and stood up, walking away.

Jiang Yue felt strangely uneasy. Was Gu Ye angry? It shouldn’t be because of two pounds of meat tickets, right? Then why was he walking away? Did he think she was too wasteful?

In the blink of an eye, Gu Ye returned, holding something in his hand.

“I still have some. You can use these for now!” Gu Ye handed Jiang Yue the tickets in his hand. “If it’s not enough, let me know!”

Jiang Yue froze for a moment, still holding her bowl, unsure of what to do. She looked at the tickets Gu Ye handed her, then raised her eyes to look at him, uncertainly asking: “Gu Ye, you’re not going to scold me?”

Gu Ye sat down, his expression one of confusion. “Why would I scold you?”

He silently thought to himself, was it really just about eating some meat? It wasn’t like they couldn’t afford it! Did he seem so bad in Jiang Yue’s eyes that she had to worry about being scolded just for buying some meat?

Jiang Yue put down her bowl and took the tickets from Gu Ye’s hand. They included grain tickets, cloth tickets, and meat tickets. She remembered that in the past, Gu Ye would always give the original owner tickets and money each month. If the original owner wasn’t so difficult, life should have been quite comfortable.

“Is it because you don’t have enough money?” Gu Ye asked, noticing that Jiang Yue was lost in thought as she held the tickets. He thought she might be unhappy that he gave her only tickets and not money, so he stood up again, realizing he had overlooked that detail.

Jiang Yue silently apologized to herself for her earlier petty thoughts, doubting that Gu Ye was stingy.

“No, Gu Ye, I have money!” Jiang Yue instinctively reached out to grab Gu Ye’s hand, and her fingers just happened to catch hold of his large hand.

The moment her hand touched his, Jiang Yue felt as if she had been electrocuted. A wave of electricity surged through her, and she quickly released his hand, though her heart was pounding wildly beneath her calm exterior.

Could it be? Was Gu Ye intentionally trying to test her? Just holding his hand felt like being shocked by electricity. What would happen if they did something more intimate? Would she get electrocuted?

Jiang Yue couldn’t help but feel a storm of emotions inside. If it came to that, of course her life was important, but Gu Ye was just too handsome. His every movement, every gesture radiated masculinity and an alluring charm. His looks and presence were so captivating that they had a powerful effect on her.

She couldn’t help but inwardly wail: how could she resist doing intimate things with such a perfect man like Gu Ye?

“If you’re short on money, just tell me!” Gu Ye sat down again, picking up his chopsticks, trying to force himself to calm down.

But Gu Ye couldn’t calm down. When Jiang Yue’s hand touched his, it sent a tingling sensation from his fingertips straight to his heart. It was a feeling he had never experienced before.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The atmosphere in the courtyard felt strangely awkward.

After they finished eating, Jiang Yue started cleaning up the table, but Gu Ye took the dishes from her hands. “You rest, I’ll wash them.”

Jiang Yue immediately sweetened her words, smiling like she had just been coated in honey. “Gu Ye, you’re so nice!”

Gu Ye: “…” Washing dishes makes me nice? Since when did Jiang Yue become so easy to please?

“Try this!”

Gu Ye quickly finished washing the dishes, placing them on the rack to dry, when suddenly, something was shoved into his mouth. Jiang Yue’s breath followed closely behind.

“What is this?” Gu Ye bit into it—it was crispy, fragrant, and oily.

“Fried pork cracklings, is it good?” Jiang Yue held a small bowl, taking a piece for herself before feeding another to Gu Ye.

“You rendered lard?” Gu Ye couldn’t stop eating. He also noticed that Jiang Yue was very close to him now, her arm almost pressing against his chest.

Gu Ye subtly shifted to the side, moving away a little.

“Yes, when I bought meat this morning, I saw some lard, so I bought three pounds. Gu Ye, will you be home for dinner tonight? I’ll make fried pork cracklings with chili for you!” Jiang Yue seemed unaware of Gu Ye’s subtle shift, her smooth, delicate face glowing with a bright smile, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling.

Jiang Yue herself didn’t eat much spicy food, but she knew that Gu Ye liked it.

Sure enough, when Gu Ye heard what she said, his eyes lit up.