Faced with Chacha’s thought-provoking question, Jiao Yushi’s expression did not change and he calmly said, “Didn’t you already know I was pretending?”

Chacha smiled.

Jiao Yushi stopped talking and followed her into her house. He sat on the sofa in a nonchalant manner and said, “Mineral water is fine.”

Chacha wasn’t polite to him either. “Get it from the fridge yourself.”

Jiao Yushi had no choice but to get up and get drink for himself. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with being treated like an ‘uninvited’ guest.

“How much can you eat? I bought the nine inch ones and it isn’t very big, see.” Chacha opened the pizza box and showed it to Jiao Yushi.

Jiao Yushi was in the middle of opening the lid of the water bottle. He took a moment to take a look and said, “One.”

“Okay.” Chacha took two and put them in the oven, which was recommended when she was renovating the kitchen.

It’s big, has better functions, and was more expensive than ordinary ones, but it’s really useful. The main feature was its size, as she didn’t have to bake in batches, which was very convenient.

Once it was done, Chacha put the two pizzas on the plate and provided Jiao Yushi with chopsticks, forks and knives.

Not buying disposable gloves was her mistake.

Jiao Yushi ate with a knife and fork. Although he was just eating frozen pizza, he looked so elegant and solemn that Chacha even suspected that the plate was filled with some super-expensive food.

Chacha also uses a knife and a fork, which she’s more accustomed to because she quite likes cutting things up.

When she was younger than she was now, whenever she encountered something she was angry about and couldn’t comprehend, she would feel better after cutting things up.

She’d never cut up a living thing though.

Both of them were quiet as they ate and even the sound of the knife rubbing against the plate was fairly audible.

However, the two of them were used to this kind of silence and doesn’t feel uncomfortable. They ate their dinner leisurely.

A pizza was divided into four slices. When Jiao Yushi finished the whole thing, Chacha had only eaten two slices. He put down his knife and fork and began to drink.

Chacha glanced at him and asked, “Do you want more?”

Jiao Yushi said, “You can’t finish yours?”

Chacha gave a soft smile. “Yes.”

Jiao Yushi smiled lightly and took a slice from her plate while saying, “I can help you eat one slice at most.”

Chacha said, “Then thank you very much.”

Jiao Yushi wasn’t polite at all and said, “Then as thanks, let me eat here until the 29th.”

“Okay.”

She didn’t feel lonely, but it seemed a bit miserable to always eat alone while everyone else was reunited with their family and love ones, so there was no harm in having someone to keep her company.

The price of one frozen pizza was no more than fifty yuan, which was very cheap for Jiao Yushi’s company. It’s not a loss.

As if he knew what she was thinking, Jiao Yushi added, “I’m not eating frozen pizza tomorrow.”

Chacha smiled sweetly. “You’re obviously freeloading, yet you can still be so shameless. I’m impressed.”

Jiao Yushishi shrugged. “I don’t mind your admiration.”

Chacha made a demand. “I can make some home-cooked food, but on one condition.”

Jiao Yushi raised a brow. “What?”

“Read 《Discourse on Inequality^[1]by Jean-Jacques Rousseau》 to me.”

“Okay.” Jiao Yushi readily agreed, and then asked, “Have you bought the book? What time should I come over tomorrow?”

“I have. You can come at seven in the morning.”

“Okay.” Jiao Yushi still answered straight away.

As a result, after sleeping for only four hours, Jiao Yushi knocked on the door of Chacha’s house with slight dark circles underneath his eyes.

He has become accustomed to staying up late. He usually goes to bed at 2 or 3 am and wakes up at noon. But today, he went to sleep at 2:30 am and woke up at 6:30 am.

He was woken up by the alarm clock while he was in a deep sleep. He couldn’t say he was extremely sleepy, but his head hurts a little.

As soon as he entered the house, he smelled a fragrance wafting in the air. Walking over to the dining table, he saw a homely selection of side dishes and rice porridge.

Chacha signalled him to sit down and start eating.

Jiao Yushi wasn’t polite. After sitting down, he started digging in.

After breakfast, Chacha took out a book from the bookshelf and handed it to Jiao Yushi. “Skip the overview and start reading from the preface.”

She had already read that part, and this was the perfect time to listen to the whole book.

Moreover, she really liked Jiao Yushi’s voice, so she was quite looking forward to it.

More often than not, she listens to audio books rather than actually reading.

However, there was a difference between reading and listening, and it was also necessary to read with one’s eyes.

“Okay.” Jiao Yushi took the book, flipped it open, found the preface, and began reading.

His tone had no fluctuations and was unhurried, but it sounded quite nice, “Of all human sciences the most useful and most imperfect appears to me to be that of mankind……”

He probably had never done something like this before as at the beginning, Jiao Yushi would occasionally get stuck. Even though he had thick-skin, he still needed some time to get used to the awkwardness before starting over.

However, Jiao Yushi was a fast learner and was adaptable. He learned the art of reading without a teacher, and soon his speech became smoother and smoother. In order to make Chacha listen more comfortably, he even slowed down his speaking speed.

Chacha was lying on the sofa looking at her phone. She was casually scrolling through it as she had nothing to do and was feeling relaxed. She didn’t particularly like playing with her phone and was just looking at it in passing. Her attention was still on the book Jiao Yushi was reading.

She like the sound in her ears and feel very comfortable.

A morning passed by and Jiao Yushi finished reading 《Discourse on Inequality》. For lunch, Chacha made beef stew, stir-fried vegetables and braised pork ribs served with rice.

In the afternoon, Chacha asked Jiao Yushi to read 《Love in the Time of Cholera^[2]by Gabriel García Márquez》, which was much thicker. She brought a change of book which she didn’t mention yesterday.

However, Jiao Yushi didn’t protest. He just learned his lesson and put a bottle of water on the coffee table. Then he started to read, “It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love……”

Jiao Yushi didn’t finish reading the second book. After dinner, Chacha let him go back. She wasn’t a devil and wouldn’t make Jiao Yushi work overtime. After all, the New Year was coming soon, so she needed to be kind.

On the 29th, after breakfast, before continuing to read 《Love in the Time of Cholera》, Jiao Yushi said, “For lunch, I want to eat scrambled eggs with tomatoes, mapo tofu, eggplant with minced pork, sautéed dry bean curd with hot pepper, and braised pork belly. Is that okay?”

Chacha smiled softly. “You’re not allowed to choose dishes.”

Jiao Yushi looked regretful before continuing to read the part he left off yesterday, “One night when he stopped his reading earlier than usual and was walking, distracted, toward the toilets……”

Although Chacha said he wasn’t allowed to choose the food, she had been acting as a gentle and considerate person for so long that when she went to the supermarket at noon, and still subconsciously bought what Jiao Yushi wanted to eat.

Where there was no need to argue, trying to make things easier for everyone was the most important rule she abide by.

When Jiao Yushi saw this, he didn’t say much to avoid appearing ungrateful. He obediently helped carry the things back.

Once they’ve returned, Jiao Yushi leaned against the kitchen door frame and watched Chen Cha cook.

Chacha was wearing an apron. She has slim shoulders, a slender waist, and long and straight legs. Her hand holding the kitchen knife was very delicate, and her cutting movements were sharp, but there was nothing fierce about it, only pleasing to the eyes.

For a moment, he really wanted to take Chen Cha’s hand and squeeze it to see if it was soft.

Chacha glanced at him, and her tone was as light as usual, “If you have nothing to do, come over and help.”

She was holding a knife in her hand, yet still looked gentle and elegant.

Jiao Yushi immediately shook his head. “No. I’m tired after reading all morning.”

Chacha smiled, a gentle yet distant smile that had long merged into her face. But the look in her eyes, no matter how one look at it, had an expression of mockery.

Jiao Yushi returned her smile.

Seeing his nice smile, Chacha forgave him for ‘standing idly’ on the side.

After lunch, Jiao Yushi continued to read while Chacha listened. Fortunately, he managed to finish the book before dinner, otherwise it would be a pity to leave the ending on a cliffhanger.

Then Jiao Yushi went back after having dinner.

———pr

Early the next morning, Chacha ate bread and milk. Just after she finished eating, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door and saw Jiao Yushi, she was taken aback. “You haven’t gone back?”

Jiao Yushi flashed a smile. “En, there’s no rush.”

Chacha let him in and said, “I thought you won’t be here today, so I didn’t cook.”

Jiao Yushi asked, “Then what did you have for breakfast?”

Chacha replied, “Bread and milk.”

“I’ll just have that as well.”

Chacha brought him bread and milk and said, “What about this noon? Are you going back?”

Jiao Yushi said while opening the food packaging, “I’m going back to have a meal, then leave at around 6 pm. Cook dinner later, I’ll come over at 7 pm.”

Chacha’s expression looked a little weird. “Do you think eating at home doesn’t feel like the New Year so you want to find someone to accompany you? Or do you think I’m pitiful eating New Year’s Eve dinner alone, so you’re sympathizing with me?”

Jiao Yushi said straight away, “I sympathize with you.”

“Thank you, but no need.”

She could just deal with the New Year’s Eve dinner casually. Cooking for it would be a hassle, and Chacha didn’t want the trouble.

Jiao Yushi raised an eyebrow. “What if I insist?”

Chacha spread her hands. “Then you cook.”

“……” Jiao Yushi fell silent immediately.

Chacha showed a soft smile.

He stared at her face for a while, then said in a light tone, “Then let’s just order takeout. Yusong should have this service.”

“Why do you have to celebrate the New Year’s Eve at my place?” Chacha said, “You really aren’t interested in me, right?”

Jiao Yushi showed a nonchalant smile and asked, “Where did you get the idea that I’m interested in you?”

Chacha answered him, “Because you pay too much attention to me.”

“I also pay attention to refugees around the world and to the contents of the president’s speech.” Jiao Yushi smiled and asked, “Do you think I can like so many people with my limited time?”

“Forget it, forget it, it doesn’t matter whether you’re interested in me or not. I’m not interested in you anyway.”

Jiao Yushi told her, “You deliberately emphasize this matter. You should know that when someone pays special attention to something, emphasizing and denying them, it proves that the matter occupies a big place in someone’s heart and that it’s very important to the person.”

Chacha shrugged and smiled. “Think as you like.”