As soon as she entered the kitchen, pots, pans, and utensils were scattered all over the floor.
The mess made Huang Qingtian's progress somewhat difficult.
Of course, for Huang Qingtian, who had been through gunfire and bullets, this was nothing. What really impeded him was Mu Keren behind him, who was clutching at his shirt and insisting on following him into the kitchen.
"That's where it happened! I just put something in and it exploded. Thankfully, I ran fast..."
Mu Keren pointed towards a corner of the kitchen, her big eyes still slightly filled with panic.
Following the direction she pointed, Huang Qingtian also took a look.
It was the microwave in his kitchen.
However, he had barely used these things since he seldom spent time at home. Not to mention eating here.
It could be said that the period Mu Keren had been staying there was when he came home most frequently.
After checking the surroundings, Huang Qingtian tentatively concluded that the explosion was caused by Mu Keren putting something unsuitable into the microwave.
But fortunately, it was a minor explosion; other than pots and pans shaken off the shelves in the cabinet, there didn't seem to be any major problems.
"No big deal, just the microwave is broken," Huang Qingtian had just finished speaking when Mu Keren's stomach inopportunely made a protesting noise.
This sound made Mu Keren blush and she hurriedly covered her tummy, hiding to one side.
"Ahem, it looks like there's another problem!"
The protest from Mu Keren's stomach had, of course, been heard by Huang Qingtian. He reached out and took her dirty little hand, leading her out of the kitchen.
"What other problem?" Mu Keren, led out of the kitchen, did not resist Huang Qingtian's touch once again.
It should be said that the kitchen explosion today had kept her in a state of panic. With Huang Qingtian by her side now, she felt more at ease, which is why she did not reject his touch.
"Food and warmth," Huang Qingtian answered, his eyes curving slightly as they passed over Mu Keren's belly. Then, a trace of a smile spread across his thin lips. It wasn't obvious, but enough for Mu Keren to catch his meaning and to blush even more.
On an ordinary day, Huang Qingtian would not mind teasing the blushing little one a bit more.
But today, seeing her so frightened, he decided to give her a break.
"Let's go. Wash your face, and we'll go out to eat!"
With these words from Huang Qingtian, Mu Keren found her way to step down and quickly ducked into the bathroom.
By the time she came out, Huang Qingtian was already standing at the entrance.
"What about the kitchen?" As she slowly walked towards Huang Qingtian, Mu Keren's eyes were full of apology.
"No worries, I'll have someone come clean it up later." With that, he took the lead and took her hand, heading outside.
*
For this meal, they had Chinese food. The location was on the top floor of the shopping mall just outside the residential area.
Four dishes and one soup left Mu Keren feeling quite full. After eating, she patted her round belly and groaned.
During the little over half a month she had been away from home, this was undoubtedly the best meal she had eaten.
"Why don't we take a walk before heading back?" Seeing Mu Keren walking while patting her belly, Huang Qingtian suddenly suggested.
Walking after a meal was exactly what Mu Keren wanted, so naturally, she agreed.
The place for their walk was the same mall where they had just finished eating.
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This place could be described as a one-stop shopping mall. Basically, anything you want to eat, use, or wear, they have it all.
Gazing at the dazzling array of items, Mu Keren subconsciously asked Huang Qingtian, "What do you need to buy?"
"Microwave!" Huang Qingtian answered without the slightest hesitation.
The speaker was without intention, but the listener read into the words.
This phrase couldn't be more fitting to describe their current situation.
Huang Qingtian just thought that since his microwave had been blown up by her, he might as well pick one up now. However, when these words reached Mu Keren's ears, they sounded like Huang Qingtian was asking for compensation.
At that moment, Mu Keren felt utterly overwhelmed!
After filming the shampoo commercial last time, she did have a little spare cash left.
But that money was what she was counting on to get by until her internship paid her wages. Buying a microwave would cost at least several hundred.
That is to say, a big chunk of her living expenses would vanish in an instant!
Therefore, Mu Keren, who had just felt that Huang Qingtian was quite generous for taking her out to eat after her kitchen explosion, was now making a face behind Huang Qingtian's back: What a miser!
Just then, a beautiful woman quickly approached Huang Qingtian.
The woman's face was adorned with an enthusiastic smile, which was the polar opposite of Huang Qingtian's indifferent aloofness.
"Qingtian, I didn't expect to run into you here!" The woman seemed to be around 27 or 28 years old, dressed in a white chiffon off-the-shoulder dress.
An unremarkable color, yet it became a charming landscape on her this summer.
However, Huang Qingtian's expression was so cold it was almost cruel. Throughout the interaction, he didn't even spare the woman an extra glance.
In response to the woman's questions, he merely nodded indifferently, "Mhm."
"Qingtian, since it's such a rare chance, why don't you come over to my place?" The glamorous woman seemed completely unfazed by Huang Qingtian's indifferent distance. There she was, still suggesting that Huang Qingtian visit her home even after being blatantly ignored several times.
So, to Mu Keren, an onlooker, this woman became a pursuer of Huang Qingtian. Moreover, she was the kind that was least welcome.
Suddenly, the previously quiet observer Mu Keren tiptoed up to whisper into Huang Qingtian's ear, "Do you need my help?"
When Huang Qingtian looked down, he caught a flash of slyness in Mu Keren's innocent large eyes…
"What's your condition?" He stared at her big eyes with interest, his lips curling up involuntarily.
"My condition, well, you'll pay back the money for the microwave." She pouted her lips, her smile resembling that of a cat that got the cream.
"Is that all?" Huang Qingtian raised an eyebrow.
In fact, he had never intended to take money from Mu Keren. He hadn't expected that she would think…
"That's it! What do you think, it's a great deal, right?" The little one's lips remained confidently uplifted.
Those sparkling big eyes seemed to convey in silence that you were getting the better end of the deal.
"Indeed, it's a great deal!" Huang Qingtian agreed as if bewitched, nodding along.
He had never planned to make her pay in the first place. And now, although the outcome remained unchanged, he had the bonus of enjoying a little drama unfold.
How could it not be a great deal?
"Alright, it's a deal!" He flashed her a smile. In his gray-green pupils, there was an added hint of different expectations…
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