Shen Yanshan returned home in a hurry, looking travel - worn. "Have you been waiting for a long time? If I'm not back next time, you can eat first."
"Not really that long."
Shen Yanshan took out a bunch of candied haws from his overcoat pocket.
The bright red candied haws were wrapped in a layer of glutinous rice paper. The cute candied haws didn't match Shen Yanshan's noble and aloof temperament at all.
Under Li Chuchu's surprised gaze, Shen Yanshan looked a bit uncomfortable. He explained stiffly, "I saw these at a street stall on my way back. Time really flies. It'll be Chinese New Year soon. These kinds of snacks were only available in winter before."
When he saw something interesting, he just wanted to buy it back for her to see.
Even if she didn't like to eat it, it would be nice to have it there for a bit of novelty.
Li Chuchu raised her eyebrows slightly. What bad luck! She had eaten a lot of crispy candies today. Her teeth were aching faintly, and she didn't really feel like having something sweet. So she deliberately teased him, "Did you also buy these in winter before? Don't tell me it was for some other girl I don't know?"
The book didn't describe much about the young days of the great villain Shen Yanshan. But Li Chuchu guessed that with his personality, he must have had little dating experience.
Even so, Li Chuchu still wanted to try to get some information from Shen Yanshan, hoping to dig out some unknown young - love stories as a handle for the future.
Shen Yanshan shook his head and said casually, "I never bought any. I couldn't afford them before. Do you want to have a try? You take the first bite."
He looked at Li Chuchu. There seemed to be some kind of expectation in his calm and deep eyes. It was as if he wanted Li Chuchu to take a bite and then tell him what it tasted like.
Li Chuchu thought, Why do I suddenly feel a twinge of conscience?
She suddenly imagined the young, weak and helpless Shen Yanshan, after his parents went missing one after another and he was kicked out by his relatives, standing on the roadside in the cold winter, staring longingly at others eating candied haws.
Li Chuchu suddenly felt a great deal of pressure. This bunch of candied haws seemed to carry some kind of longing of a young man and rushed towards her all at once.
She picked up the candied haws and took a bite.
The taste in her mouth was sweet and sour. These candied haws were in season, and they tasted quite special. Li Chuchu licked the broken sugar on the corner of her mouth and highly praised, "It's delicious. It's better than any candied haws I've ever eaten before!"
She held the candied haws up to Shen Yanshan's mouth, asking him to take a bite quickly.
Shen Yanshan stared at Li Chuchu's expression for a while, then lowered his head and took a bite from her hand, right on the half - eaten hawthorn that Li Chuchu had just bitten.
Shen Yanshan chewed slowly. After a while, he said, "It just seems to taste so - so." Li Chuchu was afraid that he was feeling melancholy like "things will never be the same as in youth". She quickly explained, "I think it tastes really good. If you don't believe me, take another bite?"
Hearing what Li Chuchu said, Shen Yanshan took another bite. He chewed carefully for a while and said, "It does seem quite delicious."
Li Chuchu was in a great mood. "Right! I've said it's delicious, and it can't be bad."
Shen Yanshan nodded in agreement. "That's right. Maybe you can only taste the real flavor when you eat it with your wife."
Li Chuchu: …
Was that what she meant?
Sure enough, one shouldn't expect too much empathy from this love - struck man.
Watching Li Chuchu turn around and leave, a silly smile appeared on Shen Yanshan's face.
Shen Yanshan wasn't really stupid. How could he not know what Li Chuchu was thinking?
But he could hardly remember the things in the past himself, and he didn't have the time to care about what a bunch of candied haws tasted like. It was just because she was at home that he suddenly had the idea to buy a bunch and try it.
But he deliberately didn't explain.
He secretly enjoyed Li Chuchu's concern and worry.
...
In the middle of the night,
Duan Jingqi tossed and turned in bed and couldn't fall asleep. He always felt that Li Chuchu might have seen something today.
What would Li Chuchu think of him?
Would she misunderstand something?
He should have pulled her aside today and explained everything clearly.
Duan Jingqi frowned so tightly that he could have crushed a fly. Although he had once had the intention to use Li Chuchu, he had never really wanted to give her up.
Would she be completely disappointed in him this time?
The more Duan Jingqi thought about it, the more annoyed he felt. Unable to sleep in the middle of the night, he suddenly sat up, uncapped his pen and was about to write a letter to Li Chuchu to explain that his relationship with Yin Miao was just that of a step - mother and a step - son.
Duan Jingqi sat in front of the table, carefully choosing his words. He wracked his brains to come up with some affectionate poems, the kind that could soften a woman's heart at first sight.
At this moment, there was a faint sound of the door opening outside.
Duan Jingqi was startled.
He thought his father had come back.
He quickly stuffed the letter and the pen into the drawer and turned around. He only saw Yin Miao coming in gracefully in a thin nightgown. She leaned half - way on the table. Her charming figure was faintly visible under the thin dress. She said softly,
"Why are you still awake so late? What are you doing?"
"I'm dealing with some work." Duan Jingqi's tone was a bit cold because of his annoyance.
Yin Miao put her arms around Duan Jingqi's neck like she was hugging her son and buried his head in her soft bosom. "You've been busy for half a year. Don't work too hard. Your father will take care of work matters."
Smelling the alluring fragrance on her body,
Duan Jingqi felt a twitch between his eyebrows. The annoyance in his heart seemed to have suddenly found an outlet.
He tightly grasped Yin Miao's wrist and pulled her down forcefully. Yin Miao sat on his lap. Duan Jingqi's tone was full of sarcasm. "You arranged for my father to go out and earn money to support the family while I stay at home to serve you? Hmm?"
Yin Miao wasn't afraid. Instead, she laughed. "Aren't you enjoying it?"
She stared straight into his eyes.
The corner of Duan Jingqi's mouth curled up silently. His voice was low. "Of course I'm enjoying it. It's great that my step - mother can play with me."
Yin Miao put her arms around Duan Jingqi's neck and leaned forward.
Duan Jingqi reached out and blocked between them. Under Yin Miao's slightly surprised and puzzled gaze, he said slowly, "I'm tired today. You do it yourself."
Yin Miao's eyes changed slightly, showing a different expression. Then she straddled Duan Jingqi and looked at him with amorous eyes. "You really know how to play. I can't keep up with you."
After they were sweating profusely in front of the table,
Yin Miao lay charmingly on Duan Jingqi. "The Li Chuchu we met in the mall today... Do you know her?"
Duan Jingqi didn't want to talk about her at this moment. He frowned slightly and said tiredly, "She's not an important person. Just a little girl who likes to follow me around. She's so annoying."
Yin Miao keenly noticed the change in his tone. Subconsciously, she felt that things were not as he said. So she continued to ask, "Really? Does she like you a lot? Doesn't she have anything else to do?"
"She's a radio announcer in the Lianhua Iron and Steel Factory in our city now."
A decent job in a big factory.
Yin Miao was suddenly speechless.