Xue Changmin sat in the back seat with Xia Biming on one side and Tofu on his other. Xia Biming instructed the driver to drive to Skylight Condos.
When Xue Changmin heard where she lived, he informed her, "Did you know that we only live three blocks away from each other? I live in Century Villas. They're really close to your condo complex."
"Oh, how convenient. I'm not troubling you too much. Thanks for sending me home." Biming just wanted to get home and relax in peace. She was grateful for Changmin's kindness, but she also wouldn't be like this without him either. She could feel a headache starting to grow since she hadn't eaten anything yet.
They reached her condo complex; he instructed the driver to bring Tofu home and that he would just walk home after making sure Biming got home safely. Biming wanted to refuse his offer but the driver had already driven off.
Chang followed Biming into the elevator and they rode it up to her penthouse. In the elevator, he noticed that Biming was leaning against the wall and holding onto the rail with her eyes closed. He was holding her water bottle, so she used her free hand to rub her temple.
"Are you feeling okay? Did you hit your head during the fall too? Do we need to go for a check up at the hospital?" Biming felt a little annoyed at his persistent nagging.
"No, I'm fine. I just need to lay down." Biming was trying to rub the headache away.
"What if you got a head concussion!? Your brother would kill me!"
Biming let out a quiet giggle at the mention of her brother's temper. "I'm fine. I just have a headache since I didn't eat anything. The dehydration and fall probably intensified the headache but I'll be okay."
Feeling even worse now, Changmin couldn't believe that he inflicted so much pain on Biming in such a short amount of time. When they reached her penthouse, he made his way in before she could send him off. He glanced around and noticed how large her place was. And how tidy it was. But the bright colors were a contrast to his own home.
"Let me cook something for you to eat! You should just rest and not let your injuries get any worse." Changmin was determined to give him her full services as payment.
"You're talking as if I've broken an arm. I'm fine. Thank you for seeing me home." Biming just wanted to clean herself up and then eat a light meal.
"No can do. I won't take no for an answer. Please, I feel really awful. How about you go clean up and the food should be done by then. After you eat, I'll feel at ease enough to leave."
Biming knew she couldn't negotiate for a different outcome, so she agreed and left to go clean up. She didn't want to waste any more time with this man. She carefully cleaned herself in the shower with the detached shower head, avoiding the bandaged areas. It didn't take long before a clean Xia Biming made her way back into the living area dressed in a lose pair of lounging clothes.
She didn't know what she was smelling, but it sure was delicious, making her tummy rumble even more. That's when Changmin looked up at her from the kitchen. The layout of her penthouse was an open floor plan so they could see each other even though they were in different areas of the penthouse.
She made her way to sit at the bar on the side of the kitchen counter. Changmin presented her with his masterpieces that he made. In one bowl was some blanched greens that were lightly dressed with soy sauce and garnished with sesame seeds. The second dish was a fried omelet with green scallions and cilantro mixed in. The third dish was a light seaweed soup. He also placed a bowl in front of her urging her to eat.
She was impressed with his cooking but also felt a little awkward if he was going to just stand there and watch her eat. "Chang, you made so much food I can't possibly eat all this by myself. Get yourself a bowl of rice and eat with me." She pleaded him.
He was feeling a little hungry too and he couldn't say no after bringing her so much disturbance already. He served himself a bowl of rice and she patted on the stool next to her for him to sit. They ate together quietly with Biming praising his cooking skills every now and then.
Biming felt the elephant in the room rising, so she made the first move and asked him, "So what's with the dinner tonight? Are your grandparents just wanting to say thank you for the gifts I sent? Because that isn't necessary since it was just a thanks for the gifts you guys gave me for my birthday."
"No, it's not just to say thank you for the gifts. My dad is back in town and he wants to meet you. My grandparents really like you, if you haven't noticed. And they're trying really hard to push us together. I'm sure you're aware since I was on your mom's special guest list."
This put Biming's thoughts in a different perspective. Meeting his dad? Pushing us together? She nearly choked on her food. "What's there to push? I'm too busy to date anybody." She didn't want to date anyone. She wasn't ready to let someone take the path to her heart yet.
He could understand where she was coming from, he was once in that position. Just getting over a one-sided heart break. "I know you don't want to. I don't care for it either, but the elders keep pushing. Even your parents and grandparents are wanting it to happen."
Biming decided to take care of this at dinner with everyone present. They finished eating and they even cleaned together before Changmin left. They worked together really well and were done cleaning in the blink of an eye.
Her condo was near the outskirts of town, so it made sense that his villa was nearby. The direction of his villa had lots of vast open land. And was less developed than the city.
After Chang left, Biming felt like she had already experienced so much in a day for it to only be late afternoon. She took a nap on the corner chaise before it was time to get ready for the family dinner. She needed a clear head to get through the dinner.