"Lan Lan, who's the newcomer?" The oldest of the ghosts, whose face was unrecognizable and vague, asked Minglan. His figure slowly levitated towards them. The white tang suit on him flapped with his movements.
Minglan quickly plastered her body close to Xiao Hei. The chilling coldness brought along by the ghost crept her out. Even after a week of being together, she couldn't get used to their presence. She really admired Xiao Hei for being able to confront these entities on a daily basis due to his job. "She's..." Minglan realized that she didn't even know Little Loli's name and quickly looked at the latter.
Little Loli was quite surprised that Minglan had some ghost friends when Minglan was a coward in the first place, and she also wondered why the Grim Reaper, Xiao Hei, allowed these ghosts to stay in the house. Is there something special about this group? Thinking deeply, she swept her eyes over the group of ghosts before introducing herself as "Su Baiye."
"Hello, I'm Uncle Warrior. If you're bored and want to learn kung fu, come to me. Uncle Warrior will teach you a set of moves." The Floating Tang suit man flew and hovered beside Su Baiye.
The other ghosts also rolled over, limped, and flew closer to Little Loli.
Minglan took this chance to drag Xiao Hei to the kitchen. Upon arriving, she took off her jacket and placed it on the beige cupboard. She quickly searched for the apron with printed bears. Upon successfully finding it, she beamed a smile and circled the long straps on Xiao Hei's waist.
The man took off his black coat after dropping the groceries on the floor. He raised his arms to make it easier for Minglan.
Minglan fiddled with the straps and tied a butterfly knot. She patted his shoulders gently after she was done. "Xiao Hei, I'm so hungry." She rubbed her stomach, urging for a refill.
Xiao Hei folded the sleeves of his black turtleneck shirt to his elbows. The pale skin shimmered under the lights. It was even more beautiful than a woman's, and even Minglan was envious. Not to mention his fine fingers, like delicate shoots, holding a knife and cutting vegetables. His simplest gestures could exhibit elegance. Minglan always watched him with relish; everything he did was a feast for her eyes.
When Xiao Hei started preparing the ingredients, Minglan didn't stand idle and organized the pantry and fridge. She sorted out the groceries before helping Xiao Hei wash the vegetables and meat. She can do these little things, but making meals was out of her league. The kitchen would even breathe a sigh of relief if she didn't pay a visit. Normally she would settle for ready-made takeaways, but after tasting Xiao Hei's cooking for almost a week, the meals she had before tasted bland. That's why she gathered her courage to buy groceries on her own despite the threat of meeting ghosts. She wanted to try her luck afterwards if observing Xiao Hei's cooking had also influenced her because she knew Xiao Hei wouldn't be able to serve her all the time, and what if the time comes when Xiao Hei proposes a breakup? She could already imagine herself starving and thinning down. That would be so miserable!
Frowning, she handed the cabbages to Xiao Hei before asking, "Xiao Hei, next time, could you teach me how to cook?"
Xiao Hei didn't look at her but still responded gently, "I'm here. You don't need to cook." The knife on his hand chopped the cabbage into even strips.
Minglan frowned deeper. "I mean, what if you aren't here anymore? You already spoil my stomach. I've become very picky after eating your meals! It's better for me to learn cooking, at least..."
Crack-
Minglan couldn't finish her explanation when the chopping board split into two and even the granite-topped table had visible cracks. "Are you alright?" She took the beautiful hand holding the knife in distress. It would be a pity if there was a scar. She made sure that he didn't get hurt before examining the cracks in the table. "It seems I need to change the kitchen table. I'm sorry, Xiao Hei, I didn't know it had a defect."
Xiao Hei's glowing eyes, without the sunglasses, stared at her with intense focus.
"What's wrong?" Minglan lifted her eyes to meet the penetrating gaze. Xiao Hei's eyes were so mesmerizing that one could get lost in them. She really loved gazing at those beautiful orbs, observing her reflection as if he were only looking at her.
"Do you like someone else?" His eyes dimmed, thinking at the possibility of her tying the knots with another person. The wooden handle of the knife under his grip was on the verge of breaking.
"I'm 17 years old! How can I have the time to fall in love? I'm focused on studying right now." Minglan's cheeks blushed. Xiao Hei is very unusual right now.
His eyes gained some luster, and the knife in his hand was spared and let down. "Then do you like me?" He lifted her chin with a smooth hand; his thumb caressed her skin in the midst, igniting some sparks of tension. A gleam of dangerous light was hidden in his eyes, waiting to burst out if she said 'no'.
Minglan was very uncomfortable with his gaze, as if a predator were observing his prey. She gulped and avoided his fiery probe. She parted her quivering lips but found the words stuck in her throat. "I...Xiao Hei..." She treated him as family though. She knew the like he was asking was different from hers.
Her hesitation doused him with cold water.
Xiao Hei let go and restrained the brewing storm forming inside him. He grabbed the knife and continued chopping. It seemed as if what happened just now was nothing but an illusion.
Minglan could feel the room temperature dropping and rubbed her arms. She looked at Xiao Hei's profile, which looked so desolate and lonely. She didn't want to see him hurt, but at the same time, she didn't want to be a hypocrite and deceive him by saying yes. Xiao Hei really didn't ask her opinion on establishing their relationship; it was forced on her part.
Xiao Hei's heavy footsteps echoed in the kitchen. He busied himself cooking the meals while Minglan was quietly standing on the side.
Little Loli and the ghosts outside the door, eavesdropping, immediately flew a meter away. A dark mass of clouds escaped the gaps of the door, scaring them still. It seemed the Grim Reaper was not in a good mood. They quickly flew away again and didn't bother listening anymore.
Xiao Hei poured his excessive energy into making the meals more sophisticated. Although he was dejected, the fact that she didn't reject him outright still gave him hope.
Minglan clenched the edge of the table before striding to him. Halting for awhile, after he put the ingredients in the pot, Minglan grabbed his hand and said, "Xiao Hei, you're so good that you insecure me. I'm nothing compared to you. I can't cook, I'm not smart, and I'm timid. I'm basically a burden to you, but if you still insist on being with me, give me time to accept you."
Minglan spoke in a soft voice and observed his expression.
Xiao Hei had lowered his head; the light above shone on them, and a shadow hazed half of his face, making Minglan unable to fully discern his expression. Only the lips, which stretched into a smile, were seen.
"Alright." Xiao Hei pulled her into a tight hug, constraining his brimming emotions. The ominous black clouds filling the room retreated silently without Minglan noticing.