Lihua looked at the clock. Seven thirty-five PM. It was time for dinner.
"Lihua, it's only good manners that you offer him a meal as a sign of his welcome. He must be feeling so lonely in this new place," she spoke to herself.
Truthfully, she only wanted a reason to drool at him again.
As soon as she got up, she remembered that she was supposed to have dinner at Mrs. Zhang's place. She sobbed.
"No. How can I leave this chance to be with my Godly handsome prince?"
*Ding*
Lihua knew it was Mrs. Zhang.
"Lihua. The dinner is ready. Come quickly!"
Lihua opened the door and sheepishly grinned. "Hehe, Aunt~~"
Mrs. Zhang suspiciously looked at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Aunt, I was about to come and tell you that I already had my dinner."
She pinched her nose. "Ow. Ow! Aunt, my poor nose!"
Mrs. Zhang harrumphed. "Don't fool me. I know what is cooking in your mind. You are plotting to eat with that new tenant together, right?"
Lihua felt wronged. "Don't say plotting as if I am so evil…I am just a young maiden in love."
Her mouth twitched.
She dreamily said, "And this is the time for romance to bloom between us which I cannot do by having dinner at your place."
Mrs. Zhang sighed. "Dear, I don't know why a rich man like him came to live here, but I don't think you should get involved with him. Our worlds are too different. I have heard that wealthy men have their own choices for women."
Lihua grinned and pinched her cheeks. "You are so adorable. Aunt, thanks for worrying about me, but I will be fine."
"Alright. Alright. So, what are your plans? Are you going to cook?"
She brightened. "Yes! It's our first meal. Of course, I will cook it myself."
"When was the last time you did?" She raised her brow.
"..."
Lihua felt she had no answer to that question.
"I-I did. Two weeks back."
"That was a cup of instant noodles. You don't call that cooking. I am asking about a proper meal."
"Oof, Aunt! I will manage it! It's not difficult. There are so many videos of easy recipes which even a ten-year-old child can cook."
Mrs. Zhang nodded. "A child? Yes. You? No."
Lihua's mouth twitched.
"Aunt, I will manage it. Now please let me get to work," she sobbed.
"Just don't burn your house, okay?"
---
Where Lihua had her own troubles, thinking of cooking the meal, Wei faced his own challenge of taking a shower.
The problem was - The ratio of the proportion of his height to the bathroom's size was alarmingly low. In simple terms, he felt the bathroom was too small for him. He couldn't even enter without bending a little. He glanced at the bathtub and instantly knew how he would look if he tried to fit in that cramped space.
Wei stood still for just a moment before he went ahead for his bath. But when he turned the faucet on, there was no water coming out of it.
Wei turned it off and then on again but it was the same. His brows ever so slightly furrowed.
Apart from the bathroom size problem, there was now a water crisis as well.
He came out of the bathroom to call Fu Renshu, but then his nose twitched as he smelled something burning.
Wei checked his house but didn't find any source of the fire. Then he realized it was coming from outside, particularly a certain house to his left.
Fire? Song Lihua?
Before he knew it, he was already in front of her door, banging on the door.
A few moments later, the door slowly opened and he saw Lihua covered in black soot on her face and shoulders.
She froze. Wei tilted his head and looked at her from head to toe.
"B-Boss? Why are you here?"
"Why do you look like that?"
Lihua was close to bursting into her non-existent tears.
Why God why? I was supposed to impress him with my meal and now he saw me like this! He saw me in my worst state possible!
Wei saw the spatula in her hand and asked, "Cooking?"
She stiffened.
How can I say that I was cooking a meal for you? Won't you just run away now that you saw me like a ghost?
Before she could respond, Wei entered her room and immediately found the source of her hell.
Kitchen.
Lihua widened her eyes. "No, no Boss! Don't go in there-"
But it was too late. The pathetic state of her kitchen was on full display in front of him.
"Boss I can explain…"
Just don't deduct my favorability points, please!
Wei looked at the kitchen and glanced at her. Then he looked at her and glanced back at the kitchen. Whatever there was supposed to be cooking inside that pot looked like some alien food. It was beyond recognition.
Lihua nervously laughed. "Accidents happen sometimes haha…"
Wei calmly said, "You can always order."
That was a lethal strike to Lihua's heart. To Lihua, she mentally added a sentence.
It felt like he actually wanted to say, 'If you don't know how to cook, you can always order."
She utterly failed. She had already imagined a lovely meal with Wei and spending the lovely evening with him. But reality showed her how harsh the path of cooking was.
Lihua's shoulder slumped. "I am sorry Boss. A-actually, I was making the dinner for you…"
Wei asked, "Me?"
"En. To welcome you as a neighbor, it is only good manners to be friendly and offer a meal," and also for our budding romance, she silently added at the end.
Wei tilted his head as he stared at her. "Is that so?"
He was intrigued by this new concept.
She nodded hard.
After a long pause, he said, "Go clean yourself up."
"Huh?"
Wei blankly stared at her. "Bath."
"Oh-oh! Of course. It must be a torture for your eyes to see me in such an ugly state."
"Torture? And for me?" He seemed to be contemplating something.
Lihua didn't understand what he meant but she let it go. She cleared her throat. "I will quickly come back."
Wei said, "Wait."