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Chapter 31: Missed Me?

It was past nine in the evening.

The light in the living room glowed softly.

Shen Qingxuan lounged lazily on the sofa.

He just finished playing games with his friends.

He was about to switch to the background when, by chance, he glanced at the time in the upper right corner of the screen.

His relaxed brows instantly furrowed into a deep frown.

Jiang Yubing was nowhere to be seen, and he had no idea where she went.

It was so late and she still did not come home.

He picked up his phone.

He dialed Jiang Yubing’s number.

From the phone’s receiver came the monotonous beep of a Little Doughball ringtone, again and again.

The phone rang for a very long time.

It rang until it automatically hung up, But she never answered.

Shen Qingxuan’s heartbeat sped up abruptly, and a sense of foreboding surged up inside him.

So late at night—

Could something bad have happened?

The more he thought this way, the more worried he grew.

“This won’t do, I can’t just sit here waiting.”

Shen Qingxuan shot up from the couch, Mumbling to himself, “Should I call her grandparents and ask?”

Just as he was about to press the dial button, The phone screen suddenly popped up with an incoming call interface.

It was a call back from Jiang Yubing.

Shen Qingxuan hurried to pick up.

“What’s wrong?”

From the phone came Jiang Yubing’s voice, Carrying a hint of exhaustion.

Shen Qingxuan let out a breath of relief. “Are you not coming home tonight?”

There was a brief pause from the other end of the phone, Then Jiang Yubing’s slightly teasing laughter sounded: “Missed me?”

Shen Qingxuan’s face flushed bright red in an instant, As if his thoughts were completely seen through.

He denied it in a panic: “No…no, I just thought something happened to you, so I called to check.”

Even though he did his best to deny it, His ears turned so red that his feelings were completely exposed.

At this moment, In the backseat of an illegally parked Maybach in some high-end community in Jiangbei, Jiang Yubing gently covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh.

And he still said no?

What a tsundere!

Jiang Yubing could easily imagine what Shen Qingxuan looked like right now.

“I’ll be home soon.”

Jiang Yubing said with a smile.

“Did you eat dinner?”

Shen Qingxuan asked her another question.

Jiang Yubing looked at the takeaway she just ordered in front of her and shook her head, “Not yet!”

“I’ll cook and wait for you.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Yubing replied with a sweet smile.

After hanging up the phone.

She sat up straight and said to the driver in front, “Uncle Li, take me home.”

“Alright, Miss.”

Driver Uncle Li replied and started the car, driving away slowly.

On Shen Qingxuan’s side, after hanging up, he immediately rushed into the kitchen.

He opened the fridge and looked at the ingredients inside, Quickly running through recipes in his mind.

Then he deftly tied on an apron, Washed veggies, chopped vegetables, lit the stove—his movements were smooth and practiced.

When the oil in the pan started to smoke, he poured the chopped vegetables into the pan.

In an instant, A sizzling sound rang out in the kitchen, Along with the smell of cooking gradually filling the air.

During the process, Shen Qingxuan glanced at the doorway every now and then, feeling both anxious and excited.

He imagined the look of surprise Jiang Yubing would have when she came home to see the table full of dishes.

——

Click!

A crisp sound came, the distinct noise of a key unlocking the door.

At that moment, Shen Qingxuan came out of the kitchen with a plate of steaming hot food.

He instinctively looked toward the door when he heard the sound.

It seemed Jiang Yubing was home.

He counted in his heart:

Three!

Two!

One!

On the last count, Jiang Yubing opened the door right on time, That familiar figure came into view.

“You’re back.”

Shen Qingxuan placed the dish firmly on the table, He tilted his head, A soft and gentle smile appeared on his face, He said in a low voice.

“Mm.”

Jiang Yubing answered softly, Her voice tinged with exhaustion and a bit of laziness.

She leaned down, Skillfully changed into slippers, then slowly walked toward the table.

When her eyes landed on the four dishes and one soup laid so neatly on the table, She blurted out in surprise:

“Wow, this is such a feast!”

“Go wash your hands for dinner.”

Shen Qingxuan noticed her actions, The smile at the corner of his mouth grew even more.

She really was too cute!

Just as Shen Qingxuan turned to go back to the kitchen for bowls of rice, Suddenly, A force swept in from behind, And he was hugged tightly from behind.

Shen Qingxuan instantly froze where he stood, As if he was hit with a petrification spell, he could not move at all.

His mind went completely blank on the spot, Full of confusion: What was the big miss playing at now?

“You… what…are you doing…”

Extreme shock and nervousness made him start to stammer at once, He could not even get out a proper sentence, His voice trembled, just a little.

“Your reward.”

Jiang Yubing’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, As soon as she finished speaking, She let go at once and dashed away, running straight to the bathroom.

Shen Qingxuan’s face was full of astonishment.

What did she mean by “your reward”?

As he thought about it, A bold and heart-thumping idea suddenly sprouted up in his mind.

Once this thought appeared, it refused to leave, taking root and growing stronger.

No way!

Could it be that Jiang Yubing really liked him?

He silently wondered in his heart, But immediately denied himself: That couldn’t be!

Wasn’t this supposed to be just a fake marriage in the first place?

But thinking back, How else was he supposed to explain Jiang Yubing’s strange actions lately?

Besides, The agreement still had not been signed.

Jiang Yubing finished washing her hands, She shook the leftover water gently from her fingers, Then picked up the towel next to her and dried them carefully.

Tonight she wore a simple white dress, The hem of her skirt swayed gently as she moved, like a blooming lily.

She walked over and sat down next to Shen Qingxuan.

The two of them started eating.

For a moment, The room was so quiet that only the faint clatter of chopsticks hitting plates could be heard.

The atmosphere felt a little silent.

After what just happened, Shen Qingxuan had no idea how to start a conversation.

However, Soon enough he felt a slender hand reach over, Jiang Yubing picked up a juicy piece of braised pork and placed it in Shen Qingxuan’s bowl.

She tilted her head, A gentle smile spread on her face:

“Eat more meat, it’s good for growing tall.”

Shen Qingxuan lifted his eyes and met Jiang Yubing’s gaze.

“Thank you!”

He picked up the piece of meat and ate it cheerfully, He had to admit, The piece Jiang Yubing picked out tasted especially good.

“By the way, just now why did you…”

Shen Qingxuan hesitated for a moment, but chose to voice the question on his mind.

If he did not ask, This would just stick in his heart like a thorn, never leaving him at peace.

“What?”

Jiang Yubing looked blank, Then picked up another piece of meat and put it in Shen Qingxuan’s bowl.

Shen Qingxuan’s face turned a little red, and he said with some embarrassment, “Well…it’s about that reward you mentioned, what did you mean?”

A mischievous curl appeared at the corners of Jiang Yubing’s mouth:

“Huh?

Isn’t it just because you were so obedient?”

Shen Qingxuan’s face turned red all the way to his ears.

He wanted to say something, but had no idea how to respond.

Jiang Yubing saw this and her eyes sparkled with laughter.

She leaned in quietly toward Shen Qingxuan, A hint of playful mischief on her face:

“What’s wrong?

Why are you so red?”

Shen Qingxuan ducked his head in a panic, Looking away, Mumbling, “I just ate a chili pepper.”

“Here! Quick, have a drink.”

Jiang Yubing quickly picked up her glass of water

And handed it to Shen Qingxuan.

It was a clear glass, Half the water inside had already been drunk by her.

Shen Qingxuan looked at the water with a hint of hesitation on his face.

How was this any different from an indirect kiss?

“Why aren’t you drinking?”

Jiang Yubing frowned slightly.

Shen Qingxuan bit his lip, hesitated for a while, then told the truth: “You already drank from this!”

“So what? Are you disgusted by me?”

Shen Qingxuan hurried to explain:

“Of course not, it’s just that…this way it’s practically the same as an indirect kiss…”

“Oh c’mon, just drink it already!”

Jiang Yubing’s face flushed a little, But she still pretended to be generous and said, “It’s not like we haven’t kissed before.”

Her muttered comment was naturally heard by Shen Qingxuan.

Shen Qingxuan: “Isn’t this a little inappropriate?”

Jiang Yubing replied calmly, “What’s the big deal, it’s just water between friends.

Weiwei and I share drinks all the time!”

Just friends?

Shen Qingxuan felt a little disappointed.

That’s true.

He was just a poor kid, How could he catch the eye of the big miss, He really let his mind run wild just now.

As expected, The biggest delusion in life was “she likes me.”

Thinking that way, He stopped overthinking, And quietly ate his meal.

……

After dinner, The two of them lay lazily on the soft sofa.

Shen Qingxuan logged into King of Glory with practiced ease, The familiar game interface showing up on the screen.

“What are you playing?”

Jiang Yubing turned her head, Her long black hair slid off her shoulders, A few strands playfully landed on Shen Qingxuan’s arm.

She opened her bright eyes wide, Curiously staring at Shen Qingxuan’s phone screen.

“King of Glory, you want to play together?”

Shen Qingxuan put down his phone, And smiled, inviting her to join.

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