Chapter 148：The Fluff (10) - Rapid Update 5

"Now we need to leave these in the fridge for about two hours for them to settle," Xiu Ling explained.

"Wait, 2 hours?!" Lin Kang questioned.

Xiu Ling forgot the man had not done any baking in his life before, he was not familiar with the standard procedure. After she placed the dough in the fridge, she turned to the man and said with a patient smile, "Yes, at least 2 hours. It'll help the glucose in the dough ferment and they'll be easier to work with when they're cold. Good things take time."

Xiu Ling walked to the sink to wash her hands and she added, "Actually, there's nothing to be done until they're ready. Since we have some down time, why don't you go and do your work? I'm sure there are stuff waiting for you to be done at the company."

Lin Kang did not answer because he was still hung up on what his wife had said earlier, 'Good things take time.'

Indeed, that was true of many things... even things like relationship.

Seeing Lin Kang standing where he was, Xiu Ling frowned. 'Perhaps he didn't hear me.'

Before Xiu Ling could repeat her suggestion, a hard line set between Lin Kang's brows like he had just come to a great decision and he said, "Then, Xiu Ling what would you do in the meantime?"

"Me?!" Xiu Ling was baffled in the man's sudden interest in her but she answered anyway, "I'll clean up the work station and probably sit down to rest."

"In that case, I'll help you." Lin Kang grabbed the kitchen towel and started to wipe down the counter.

'That won't be necessary,' was what Xiu Ling going to say but since the man had started working, it would feel weird asking him to stop. It would sound like she was trying to chase him away and that was not Xiu Ling's intention. 'Since the man wants to help, then sure, why not?'

Xiu Ling thus picked up the slack and started cleaning. They worked in perfect tandem and the work that would require Xiu Ling an hour to finish was done in half an hour.

"Thank you so much, Lin Kang," Xiu Ling said as she placed the washed utensils back in their respective places. "You can go to do your work now, I do not want to take up too much of your time."

Instead of responding to that, Lin Kang asked Xiu Ling a question, "Does this mean you're free now?"

"I suppose so, why? What do you have in mind?" Xiu Ling asked with curiosity.

"I wish to have a talk with you," Lin Kang answered.

"A talk?"

...

Xiu Ling walked over to the table with the pot of tea she just brewed. She took the seat next to Lin Kang at the small kitchen table. The table was large enough to fit only two person, Xiu Ling normally sat there when she was waiting for the food to cook.

Xiu Ling poured each of them a cup of tea and the fragrance filled up the room immediately. "What do you want to talk about?" Xiu Ling asked.

The atmosphere was quite uncomfortable and awkward because to be fair, this was the first time the pair of husband and wife had ever sat down together to have a heart-to-heart talk. This was without the distraction of either Mrs. Lin or Lin Xi.

Yes, while they were termed a 'distraction', if Xiu Ling and Lin Kang were really honest with themselves, the other people were actually an excuse, a convenient excuse for Xiu Ling and Lin Kang to talk about anything other than themselves.

Both of them had something regarding their relationship that they refused to face and the frivolity provided by others gave them to the perfect excuse to not talk about it.

Instead of going around the circle, Lin Kang figured the best solution was to be direct about it, "I wish to talk to you about the stupid thing that I've done, namely the proposition that I offered your friend."

Lin Kang could see Xiu Ling physically freeze when he brought up that topic. This issue had been a thorn in their side for far too long. Lin Kang could see there would be no progress in their relationship if they did not address it so that was what he did.

This was the first time they had openly talked about it even though both of them knew all the details with regards to that horrible proposition already. They had always skirted around it because they did not want to deal with the awkwardness that followed. They wanted to let it rest in the past because they assumed that was where it belonged.

However, Lin Kang realized if he did not address it, the issue would always come between them. He knew Xiu Ling had a certain impression of him based on that sole incident and he wished to change that, he wished to explain himself.

Lin Kang was afraid that Xiu Ling would just stand up and leave, not giving him the chance to explain so he was greatly relieved when Xiu Ling nodded silently. She was telling him to proceed, she was going to hear him out.

"I did that for you," Lin Kang argued.

That made zero sense in Xiu Ling's mind. How could what he did be of any help to her? A normal woman would have countered at this point but Xiu Ling told herself to keep calm and hold her tongue. She said she was going to give Lin Kang a chance to explain himself and she was going to hold herself to this promise. She was not going to interrupt him until he was done.

"I noticed how without help you are at home and I just wanted to find you an ally. I really did not mean any harm. I realized now I should have phrase my words differently then."