CHAPTER 13: HOW ABOUT I MAKE YOU SOMETHING TO EAT?

Shu Jia busied herself in the kitchen, wearing a Winnie-the-Pooh apron.

Her hair was loosely tied at the back, and every time she lowered her head, strands slipped down past her ear, covering half her face.

She pushed them aside with her wrist, only for them to fall again.

With a sigh, Shu Jia looked down at her flour-covered hands, then helplessly called out, “Xiao Du, come help me.”

Xiao Du rushed in at once. “What’s wrong?”

“Come tie up my hair,” Shu Jia instructed.

“Wait a sec.” Xiao Du stepped back two paces, whipping out her phone to take photos. “You look so gentle and virtuous right now, like the perfect little wife. I need to capture this.”

Shu Jia was speechless as Xiao Du circled her, snapping photos from every angle. Growing anxious, she protested, “Hurry up, my hair’s about to get flour all over it!”

“Alright, alright.” Xiao Du finally put her phone away and came over.

As she tied her hair, she leaned in, whispering gossip into Shu Jia’s ear, “So how did you manage to snag that guy outside? Come on, share some tips.”

Shu Jia put the dough aside and busied herself stirring lemon juice with a spoon, ignoring her.

Watching Shu Jia work, Xiao Du sighed, “I’m really jealous. Is there even a man out there you can’t reel in?”

“I didn’t,” Shu Jia retorted.

“Didn’t what?”

“Didn’t flirt with him.”

Xiao Du obviously didn’t believe her. “Then what exactly is going on between you two?”

Hugging the mixer, Shu Jia thought for a moment, then said seriously, “I’m his face fan.”

As soon as she said it, she couldn’t help but laugh.

She recalled the look on that female host’s face the other day after Zhou Dang’s words—it had been priceless.

Xiao Du, however, looked intrigued. “Well, you’re not wrong. His looks are top-tier, and he really is that cold.”

Shu Jia agreed readily, “Yes, yes.”

“But it’s depressing, you know?” Xiao Du recalled just now. “I served him something, and he just said thank you without even lifting his head. Didn’t even glance at me.”

“Isn’t that normal?” Shu Jia said with a smile as she used a spatula to fold flour and baking powder together. “Everyone says he’s emotionally cold.”

“Emotionally cold?” Xiao Du thought about it. “I think he’s good-looking, yes, but he also gives off this lonely feeling.”

Shu Jia pulled out the little cakes from the oven.

She took off her gloves, placing the cute lemon cakes onto an Alice-themed tray.

She’d also made a few matcha chiffon treats with a touch of lemon, their refreshing fragrance drifting out even while baking.

Carefully, she arranged them, then drizzled a thin layer of cream on top.

Once everything was ready, she clapped her hands and admired her work with satisfaction.

But looking at the cakes made her think of Zhou Dang, and she drifted off in a daze.

She wondered if he was bored waiting outside.

Taking a small mirror from her bag, she tidied her hair and debated whether to touch up her lipstick.

After much internal struggle, she decided against making it too obvious. She simply freshened up a little before heading out.

Carrying the tray, Shu Jia walked out of the kitchen. At the counter, Xiao Du was watching videos with her earphones in.

Seeing her come out, Xiao Du raised a finger to her lips in a “shh” gesture.

Shu Jia blinked in confusion.

She was almost at Zhou Dang’s side when she froze.

There he was, not far away, bathed in the soft white light. His head leaned against his hand, dozing lightly, his expression uncharacteristically gentle.

His lashes cast faint shadows beneath his eyes, and the fine strands of black hair glimmered faintly.

Even her breathing softened as Shu Jia stood there, quietly watching him.

His nose bridge, his lashes, his lips.

His features had a classic, almost decadent beauty, his contours soft, tinged with a trace of femininity.

No wonder girls liked him so much.

Seeing how tired he was, Shu Jia sighed softly, guilt rising again.

She shouldn’t have dragged him out.

“How long are you going to keep staring?”

Zhou Dang’s lazy voice broke the silence. At some point, he had woken up.

Startled, Shu Jia froze in place. Then, realizing what he’d said, her whole face turned red. “No, no, I wasn’t—I wasn’t peeking at you.”

Behind her, Xiao Du burst out laughing.

Forcing down her embarrassment, Shu Jia repeated to herself over and over to calm down.

She walked over and placed the tray on the table before him, carefully avoiding his face. “I made a bit too much. If you can’t finish, you can take the rest back to your teammates at the base.”

Propping his head up with one hand, he lazily eyed the delicate desserts. “You really like lemon?”

“Mm…” Shu Jia hesitated, then said, “I thought you’d like it.”

“No, no,” she quickly backtracked, “actually, I’ve just really been into lemon lately.”

Zhou Dang patiently listened to her tangled explanation, then finally chuckled softly.

Shu Jia froze.

She rarely saw him laugh—in her memory, almost never.

Whether on stage or in private, he always seemed closed-off and silent.

She stood a short distance away, the warm light spilling over her figure. She wore a white chiffon dress with a yellow Winnie-the-Pooh apron.

And watching his smile—soft dimples at the corners of his lips, the faint glimpse of sharp little canine teeth—

Her heart felt like it was sinking into soft snow.

At the counter, Xiao Du rested her chin in her hand, secretly observing Shu Jia and the ridiculously handsome man. Even from this distance, she could feel the air thick with ambiguity.

A knowing smile spread across her face.

Ah, the season of love has arrived.

By late afternoon, the rain had stopped.

Shu Jia tidied up her things, doing her best to ignore Xiao Du’s suggestive stares.

“You two move fast, huh? The Wu Yifan of esports, and you snagged him just like that.” Xiao Du’s voice was thick with mischief. “So… where are you heading off to now?”

Shu Jia searched for her keys, too busy to bother with Xiao Du.

Xiao Du glanced out the window.

“Wu Yifan” — a.k.a. Zhou Dang — was leaning against the wall outside, smoking, probably waiting for Shu Jia.

Expressionless. Cool. Distant. Untouchable.

But damn, enough to make a girl’s heart explode on the spot!

“I can’t take this anymore! Weren’t you the one who said you two weren’t even friends?!” Xiao Du clutched her chest dramatically. “This isn’t just skipping stages — you’re riding a rocket straight to the boyfriend-girlfriend level?? You’re deceiving my feelings!”

Shu Jia pretended to be clueless. “Stop making wild guesses. Didn’t I already tell you? I’m just his fan.”

Xiao Du rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m his fan now too. Do me a favor later and ask him… does he ‘sleep with fans’ or not?”

Shu Jia: “…”

She literally could not have a proper conversation with this woman anymore.

Afraid that Zhou Dang would get impatient from waiting, she quickly gathered her things, grabbed her phone, and got ready to leave.

“When you leave later, don’t forget to lock the door,” Shu Jia reminded her, not bothering to wait for an answer before running toward the entrance.

Xiao Du watched her back, gritting her teeth.

“Women in love… really are restless,” she muttered bitterly.

The air was filled with the sour, unmistakable smell of falling in love.

---

Author’s Note:
Clutches chest and collapses dramatically I—I—I want to fall in love too!!!
You guys don’t understand how hard it is for me to write their scenes together! I spend hours just to squeeze out a few hundred words!
If you don’t praise me, I’ll… I’ll… cries pitifully QAQ