Harvest Condominium
It was already 11 in the evening and Xu Jia Li just finished taking a shower when her phone beeped. She picked it up and saw a message from Si Weimin. She smiled as she opened it.
[Hey, Ms. Vicious- Tongue Xu! How's your dinner? Did you eat well?]
[Yup, Mr. Arrogant Si! I had a really delicious sautéed beef and veggies, dumplings and Zhajiangmian. How about you?]
[Sounds really delicious. I'm suddenly feeling famished… :c ]
Instead of answering, Xu Jia Li called Si Weimin, "I can't believe that you're still famished. Didn't you have dinner?"
"No. I really don't have the appetite earlier." Si Weimin responded with a light chuckle on his voice.
"Did you work late again?" Xu Jia Li couldn't mask the worry in her voice, a frown washed her face.
"Is Ms. Vicious- Tongue Xu worried?"
"It's already very late and you still haven't eaten yet you still have the energy to tease. I really give it to you, Mr. Arrogant Si."
"Actually – "
"Actually what? You shouldn't have taken your health for granted. Your company will still be there even if you go home early to eat. You shouldn't exert so much time in the expense of your health. Your health is the most important." Xu Jia Li nagged even before Si Weimin finished his sentence.
"Ha Ha Ha! I didn't know that Ms. Vicious- Tongue Xu can nag so effortlessly!" Si Weimin laughed out loud before he continued, "But no. I didn't work late. I actually had dinner at home."
"Home?"
"Yeah… The ancestral house…"
"Then why didn't you eat?"
"I just didn't enjoy the ambiance… so I lost the appetite to eat."
"Oh! Did something happen?" Hearing Si Weimin's answer, she couldn't help but ask since her interest was piqued.
But before she heard Si Weimin's reply, she heard the doorbell rang. Still on her phone, she spoke, "Hang on for a second. Someone's here."
She immediately went to the door with a frown on her face. She wasn't expecting anyone and it was already late at night.
'Who could have come at this hour?'
She looked at the door cam, the frown changed from amused. There standing outside was the man she was just talking to on the phone.
Si Weimin looked so handsome wearing a casual white pull over sweater with hood paired with a black chino pants. His shoes were the latest white Polo Ralph Lauren low sneaker. She knew from the looks of it that this simple ensemble was designer's brands.
He seemed to just have taken his shower since his hair was still wet.
Xu Jia Li reluctantly opened the door since her heart was once again beating fast.
With all the anxiety she's feeling, she blurted out, "What brought you here?"
"Can't you at least ask me inside?"
Seeing the bright smile on Si Weimin's face, Xu Jia Li was mesmerized. The presence of this man was no doubt fatal to women. He had the presence of an emperor – grand, regal and authoritative. Yet he had that undeniable charm and appeal.
"Will you stare at me while you drool all night, Ms. Vicious- Tongue Xu?" the teasing on Si Weimin's voice woke her from her trance.
"Hmmph! You really live by your name, Mr. Arrogant Si."
Xu Jia Li rolled her eyes. She pouted as she let him in.
Without even waiting for Si Weimin to enter, she hurriedly walked straight to the kitchen. She suddenly remembered that he hadn't eaten anything yet.
Scanning her fridge, she took the ingredients for fast and simple dishes. She wore her light blue apron as she began to prepare the dishes.
"Are you going to cook for me?" Si Weimin asked, his eyes sparkling. He sat on the stool beside the counter.
"Take this as a simple way of showing my gratitude since you helped me last time."
Xu Jia Li responded. She busied herself, taking into mind that the dashing man in front of her was famished. She smiled when she was reminded of their conversation a while ago.
"You look really stunning while cooking."
"Someone definitely, if not always, will say that… when hungry." A laugh escaped her throat as she put the battered eggs on the soup.
Within 15 minutes, Xu Jia Li finished cooking. The dishes were so easy to prepare that she cooked them in no time. She placed the dishes on the table. There were egg drop soup, eggplant with garlic sauce, green onion cakes and sweet spicy chicken.
The steaming dishes on the countertop made Si Weimin's mouth watered. He suddenly felt really hungry as he started to gobble up the food in front of him.
"Slow down. Our metabolism is slower at night so you have to chew the food well."
Xu Jia Li reminded as she placed a hot tieguanyin tea on the table, "Here, drink this. Shen Linqin gave this to me. It came from Anxi, Fujian Province. It's really good since it's autumn."
She sat next to him before she put her right elbow on the countertop as it supported her chin.
An unexplainable emotion brewed inside her as she leisurely watched him eat. It gave her an immense joy seeing him enjoying the simple dishes she prepared for him.
Si Weimin still looked regal as he ate. It only made Xu Jia Li's heart pound.
"Are you hungry as well?"
The sudden question startled her, "Uhm, nope. I already had my fill. Why?"
"There's a hungry look on your eyes."
Si Weimin's response left her flabbergasted. Her eyes widened as she pinched his shoulder.
"Hurry! Leave now. You're getting on my nerves."
Xu Jia Li was about to leave when Si Weimin grabbed her hand.
"Have you no compassion? I haven't even finished my food." He replied pitifully, his eyes begging.
"Seriously? Me? No compassion? Wow! Mr. Arrogant Si, my hat's really down for you. You're shameless!"Xu Jia Li chortled.
"I know," Si Weimin's laughter echoed on the kitchen, "By the way, I like your pajamas."
Upon hearing that, she turned beet red when she realized that she was only wearing her pair of buttoned down pajamas with watermelon prints on them.
She wasn't even wearing her bra. Since, after she had finished cooking, she already removed her apron. Without it, she felt really embarrassed.
She immediately crossed her arms around her chest as she hurriedly sat, "Hurry. I'm going to bed soon."
"Are we going to bed so soon?"
"W-what?! Not 'we'. Only 'me'."Xu Jia Li sneered as she emphasized on the words, ' we' and 'me'.
"So vicious. Ha ha ha!" Si Weimin laughed as he continued eating.
Xu Jia Li stuck out her tongue and remained quiet.
After few more minutes, seeing that Si Weimin was done eating, she stood and took the dirty plates on the dishwasher.
Si Weimin also stood as he began to wipe the countertop with the white towel. He also grabbed the disinfectant spray and spritzed it on top.
Seeing him doing that, Xu Jia Li stopped him and told him to just leave.
Hearing no complaints from Si Weimin, Xu Jia Li immediately felt empty. She glanced at him as he walked away.
'Is he mad? Did I go too far? Was I too harsh?'
Xu Jia Li couldn't help but questioned herself.