Chapter 23
"Let's go, I'll take you to eat. It's nearby, so we won't drive." Zuo Qinghuan naturally hooked her arm around Qin Wanshu's, her body close to Qin Wanshu's, making them look like intimate friends.
Qin Wanshu found it a bit strange. Despite her long friendship with Shi Yunyang, they had never been this close. Yet, she didn't seem to mind the closeness that Zuo Qinghuan brought; in fact, she rather liked it.
Qin Wanshu was slightly taller than Zuo Qinghuan, but not by much. Walking together, they looked harmonious. Most importantly, they were both easy on the eyes, and along the way, they attracted quite a few stares.
"Do you think the 'Fairy Sister' is more attractive, or does Athena have a stronger aura?" Zuo Qinghuan suddenly asked.
Qin Wanshu thought Zuo Qinghuan's mind often jumped around, frequently coming up with random questions. But she still seriously considered it before saying, "Probably Athena."
"Yeah, I think so too," Zuo Qinghuan agreed wholeheartedly. The rank of a goddess was obviously higher than that of a fairy.
Zuo Qinghuan believed that, based on appearance alone, she herself was at the fairy level, Li Xin was at the demoness level, and Qin Wanshu was at the goddess level. It was clear that most people were looking at Qin Wanshu. In the past, when walking down the street with Li Xin, they had been evenly matched. But now the difference in levels was obvious—having a goddess around put a lot of pressure on a fairy, Zuo Qinghuan thought with a slight pang of jealousy.
However, Qin Wanshu's serious expression when answering such a random question was simply too cute. Did she always think about everything so seriously?
Qin Wanshu had never known that just by turning a few alleys, there would be a whole street lined with stalls, offering all sorts of food.
Qin Wanshu frowned. What was that awful smell?
"Do you smell it? Stinky tofu—it smells amazing!" Zuo Qinghuan pulled Qin Wanshu over to a stinky tofu stall, while Qin Wanshu had the urge to flee.
"It smells awful. Don't eat that stuff..." Qin Wanshu stopped Zuo Qinghuan, who was about to pull out her wallet to buy some.
"It smells bad but tastes great! Really, just try it..." Zuo Qinghuan was practically drooling at the sight of the golden-brown stinky tofu, completely shattering any illusion of her being a fairy-like figure.
"Then you can eat it. I'll head back first." Qin Wanshu felt uncomfortable not only because of the crowd but also due to the various food smells, some of which were hard for her to tolerate.
Zuo Qinghuan felt frustrated seeing Qin Wanshu turning to leave.
"Hey, you said you'd treat me to a meal! Don't go back on your word!" Zuo Qinghuan shouted at Qin Wanshu's retreating figure.
Hearing that, Qin Wanshu stopped. Although she had invited Zuo Qinghuan out to eat, she really couldn't handle the smell here.
"Anything but this," Qin Wanshu said, feeling unusually awkward.
"How about you come with me to the market, and I'll buy ingredients to cook for you?" Zuo Qinghuan smiled at Qin Wanshu's discomfort. It was amusing to see this usually composed woman act awkwardly. Zuo Qinghuan realized that Qin Wanshu's life background was vastly different from her own, and it made sense that she wouldn't be used to these types of foods. The last time, when she had made Qin Wanshu eat spicy hot pot, there had been a hint of teasing involved. But this time, she had no bad intentions; she genuinely wanted to cook for Qin Wanshu.
Qin Wanshu thought for a moment before nodding slightly, agreeing to accompany Zuo Qinghuan.
"Then, how about going with me to the market to buy groceries?" Zuo Qinghuan jogged up to Qin Wanshu's side and wrapped her hand around Qin Wanshu's arm.
"Sure." At this moment, Qin Wanshu's voice softened considerably; she preferred to eat quietly together, and considering she had never bought groceries before, it seemed she was a bit curious about it too.
"What do you want to eat?" Zuo Qinghuan asked, wondering if her cooking skills would be enough to satisfy the young lady.
"Anything's fine." Qin Wanshu replied thoughtfully; she truly couldn't think of anything she wanted to eat. All the ingredients looked acceptable.
Zuo Qinghuan was quite straightforward. Since Qin Wanshu wasn't picky, she chose a few dishes she liked and was good at making. Zuo Qinghuan wasn't someone who often bought groceries and was quick to make decisions. She remembered going to the market with Li Xin once, who, with her fox-like face, was extremely particular about the ingredients. If it was an older man selling, Li Xin would patiently pick and choose, but if it was an older woman, she would be driven away. From then on, Zuo Qinghuan never went to the market with Li Xin again; she didn't want to experience the embarrassment of being kicked out.
With her arms full of groceries, Zuo Qinghuan casually shoved two bags into Qin Wanshu's hands, her actions reminiscent of a couple who had been living together for many years.
Qin Wanshu was taken aback for a moment, realizing that the young lady had brought the bags for the chef. She couldn't help but smile.
After buying the ingredients, Zuo Qinghuan didn't take Qin Wanshu to the luxurious apartment that Han Shibin had bought for her. She was afraid Han Shibin might be waiting there for her. As the saying goes, "A cunning rabbit has three burrows," Zuo Qinghuan privately bought a set of studio apartments with her saved money.
"Is this also your home?" Qin Wanshu asked as she looked around the unfamiliar place.
"Yeah." Zuo Qinghuan nodded; she had never brought anyone here before.
Once inside, Qin Wanshu noticed a stark contrast to Han Shibin's lavish apartment where he kept his mistress. This place bore no signs of a man's presence, suggesting that Han Shibin didn't know about her other hideout, indicating that she was someone ready to leave at any moment.
However, this place clearly made Qin Wanshu feel much more at ease than the luxurious apartment where Han Shibin hid his mistress. At least here, she didn't have to worry about the strange notion of Han Shibin and Zuo Qinghuan having rolled around together.
"You can go watch TV in the living room; I'll cook." Zuo Qinghuan waved her hand, shooing the young lady away from the kitchen, and tied on an apron. She disliked getting too much grease on herself, so she always wore an apron when cooking.
Seeing Zuo Qinghuan in the apron made Qin Wanshu want to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Zuo Qinghuan asked, confused by Qin Wanshu's smile.
"You look so much like a good housewife right now," Qin Wanshu chuckled.
"Qin Wanshu, you're teasing me!" Zuo Qinghuan huffed playfully. "When the day comes that I take you to bed, you'll know whether I'm a good housewife or not. And you won't be able to be a good housewife either."
"Can I help?" Qin Wanshu felt awkward leaving Zuo Qinghuan to handle everything in the kitchen by herself.
"I can manage on my own. Preparing a full banquet is challenging, but making a few dishes won't be a problem," Zuo Qinghuan replied confidently.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, just relax and wait to eat," Zuo Qinghuan said, pushing Qin Wanshu out and getting busy in the kitchen.
Qin Wanshu had no choice but to sit in the living room, waiting for Zuo Qinghuan to finish cooking. But would eight or ten dishes be too much?
Qin Wanshu turned on the TV in the living room, but her attention wasn't on the screen. Her eyes kept drifting to the kitchen, where Zuo Qinghuan was busy, and she suddenly realized that having someone working hard for her felt quite nice.
Zuo Qinghuan finished plating the dishes and stepped out of the kitchen. When she saw Qin Wanshu sitting on the living room sofa, she noted how different her posture was compared to most people lounging on a sofa; her back was straight, and her posture was both reserved and dignified. Was this the demeanor of a restrained woman, always needing to maintain elegance? It sparked a mischievous urge in Zuo Qinghuan to push her down and have her way.
"All set, you can eat now," Zuo Qinghuan called out to Qin Wanshu.
"I'll wash the dishes." Qin Wanshu thought Zuo Qinghuan had been busy all afternoon, and washing the dishes shouldn't be too difficult, so she volunteered for it.
"Okay," Zuo Qinghuan agreed without hesitation.
As Qin Wanshu washed the dishes, Zuo Qinghuan leaned against the kitchen door, watching her. When she saw Qin Wanshu pour out a large amount of dish soap, she couldn't help but smile slightly; it seemed Qin Wanshu was indeed a bit of a household novice.
"You should go watch TV instead of staring at me while I wash the dishes," Qin Wanshu said, feeling that she shouldn't be making anyone worry over something as simple as washing dishes.
"I enjoy watching you concentrate on your work; you look more graceful even while washing dishes," Zuo Qinghuan said with a smile, her gaze fixed on Qin Wanshu. From the side, Qin Wanshu's figure had lovely curves, and that slender waist made Zuo Qinghuan want to embrace her from behind, wrapping her arms around her softness. That feeling would be quite pleasant. Although Zuo Qinghuan had never been intimate with a woman, it didn't stop her from fantasizing about Qin Wanshu.
Qin Wanshu pretended not to hear, but Zuo Qinghuan's gaze was impossible to ignore.
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