Chapter 20: 020

Chapter 20

After Fu Ming Shi bathed, he told Auntie Wang to simply stir fry a couple dishes before going upstairs.

Zhen Bao was free, so she went to the kitchen to help out by rinsing rice and cooking porridge.

Fu Ming Shi had just gotten off the plane after a tiring journey, and most likely didn’t have much of an appetite. Auntie Wang specially quick-cooked a small bok choy dish to stimulate his appetite, and then steamed a fish. Right after putting the fish in the steamer, she heard Fu Ming Shi coming downstairs. Auntie Wang smiled at Zhen Bao, “Mr. Fu is busy, Miss should go keep Mr. Fu company - he’ll be off for winter break before coming back again.”

After steaming the rice, Zhen Bao was free, but she liked watching Auntie Wang cook, so she lingered around. Now that Fu Ming Shi was downstairs, she of course had to go accompany him, especially since Fu Ming Shi had rushed back specifically to send her back to campus.

Walking out of the kitchen, she saw Fu Ming Shi sitting on the sofa. He had changed into a casual black sweater, and was wearing sneakers on his feet. His clothes were very ordinary, but his features and bearing were exceptional. Sitting in the high-class decorated villa living room, calmly sipping tea - every movement showed his genteel upbringing.

However, when Blackie came bounding over with her Elizabethan collar on, and Fu Ming Shi laughed as he picked Blackie up to check on her recovery - the noble air around him suddenly disappeared. It was like the unattainable person had removed his halo, allowing ordinary commoners to approach.

"I told Auntie Wang to bring Blackie for a follow up in a couple days."

As she sat down on the sofa opposite Fu Ming Shi, Zhen Bao spoke at the same time.

"I'll take her when I have time." Fu Ming Shi stroked Blackie's head, raising his eyes to look at her, "Being by yourself here these past few days, aren't you bored?"

Zhen Bao smiled, "It's not bad. I downloaded a bunch of movies I didn't have time to watch at school, and watched them all these past few days."

Fu Ming Shi thought about how he had thought about her every day he was in Guangzhou. His gaze became complicated again.

Zhen Bao's phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and saw it was Jia Xiao Yu.

Zhen Bao shushed Fu Ming Shi and walked farther away to answer the call.

"Zhen Bao, how come you still haven't returned to campus? Don't tell me you've been canoodling with your boyfriend every day, unwilling to come back?" Jia Xiao Yu's voice was very loud, and her barrage of questions echoed around the spacious living room.

Fu Ming Shi's lips turned up at the corners.

Zhen Bao hurriedly explained, "I haven't eaten dinner yet, I'll go back after eating."

Jia Xiao Yu: "Eating with who?"

Zhen Bao: ......

She was still hesitating on whether to lie, when Jia Xiao Yu's sly laughter suddenly transmitted over, "Tell Ming Shi, I helped air out your quilt, if he really wants to thank me, buying me a milk tea will do, hmm, I want mango milk tea. Don't you dare forget, or don't think about coming back into our dorm room!"

There were two milk tea shops near A University. One of them had Jia Xiao Yu's favorite mango milk tea.

Zhen Bao had already forgotten about the airing out quilts matter. Her considerate roommate, Zhen Bao decided she would treat by buying the milk tea herself. After deciding to take the college entrance exam, Zhen Bao had prepared an accounting booklet. Starting from when she took the exam, every cent Fu Ming Shi spent specifically for her - like the 10,000 in her meal card, Blackie's surgery fees, tuition - she recorded it all down. After graduating and earning money, she planned to pay him back in full, including the huge monthly amounts Fu Ming Shi deposited into her card.

Her original intention in coming to the capital was to comfort Grandpa Fu. She could accept the Fu family providing her lodging, airfare, and meals with a clear conscience. But going to university was for her own benefit, so Zhen Bao could not just blindly accept Fu Ming Shi's financial support.

Putting her phone away, Zhen Bao nonchalantly went back to sit on the sofa. She smiled at Fu Ming Shi, "My roommate was asking when I'm going back."

Fu Ming Shi indifferently hmmed, as if he hadn't heard Jia Xiao Yu's words.

~

After eating dinner, it was already past 8 o'clock. Fu Ming Shi drove her back, and in order to be low-key, he had specially bought a black Mercedes-Benz. He parked near A University, and they walked the rest of the way.

"It'll get colder and colder, remember to buy yourself a few pieces when shopping with your roommate." Having witnessed just how frugal she was, Fu Ming Shi was a little worried.

"I know." Clothes were a necessity, Zhen Bao would definitely buy them. She couldn't keep wearing short sleeves in autumn and winter, right?

Fu Ming Shi looked at her little hands peeking out from her sleeves, then shifted his gaze away.

The milk tea shop was right in front. Zhen Bao stopped and softly advised, "Go back early."

"Let me buy you milk tea." Fu Ming Shi laughed and put his arm around her shoulders, pushing her towards the milk tea shop.

Leaning against the corner, Zhen Bao slid open the screen.

Fu Ming Shi: Come downstairs.

Those two words left Zhen Bao staring at the screen for a long time before replying: You should leave.

Fu Ming Shi leaned against the dorm building's backside shadow. Seeing the message, it was as he had expected. Fu Ming Shi helplessly shook his head - Come downstairs, I have something to say to you.

Zhen Bao didn't want to see him: I'm going to sleep.

Fu Ming Shi read their short conversation back and forth. But with so few words from her, he couldn't judge her current mood. Was she shy or angry? She was so innocent and conservative, even fastening her seatbelt made her blush from embarrassment. What if she had cried because of his stolen kiss?

Fu Ming Shi called again.

Zhen Bao continued to reject his call.

Fu Ming Shi was out of options. He switched to messaging, and had even typed out "I like you" but his thumb hovered over send. He stared at the screen, deleting the words one by one. He liked her, he had already been attracted by her innocence and silliness on the flight back to the capital. But this was the first time his heart was moved, and he didn't want to confess to her through a short message.

On the balcony upstairs, a new message popped up: Angry?

Zhen Bao wasn't angry. She subconsciously replied: No.

Right after sending it and seeing that bare solitary word, that near instant reply, Zhen Bao immediately recalled it!

Recall successfully. Zhen Bao lightly breathed a sigh of relief. "Not angry" could be misunderstood as liking it or being willing to accept it. Although she really wasn't angry, Zhen Bao didn't want Fu Ming Shi to misunderstand. She, she needed time to think more, also, she still didn't know why Fu Ming Shi had kissed her. Maybe he had just been temporarily possessed?

Anyway, before Fu Ming Shi explained, she couldn't say the wrong thing.

Downstairs, Fu Ming Shi was trying to understand the meaning behind "No", when he discovered the word disappeared within one second. His screen then showed - 【"Feng Bao" recalled a message】

Fu Ming Shi laughed. How could there be such a silly girl?

First denying she was angry, then hurriedly recalling it, her psychological activities were revealed without omission.

Knowing she didn't dislike that kiss, he felt at ease.

Looking at her profile pic, Fu Ming Shi asked her: Really want me to leave?

Zhen Bao immediately replied: Mm.

She was thin-skinned. Fu Ming Shi chose to compromise: Then I'll come again tomorrow?

Zhen Bao bit her lip: Don't university sophomores have a lot of classes too?

He came too frequently, not like a student.

Fu Ming Shi reflected for a bit: Fine, I'll come see you on the weekend.

Zhen Bao didn't object further.

Fu Ming Shi stroked his lips, reluctant yet helpless. Then I'm leaving, study hard.

Zhen Bao: Mm.

Fu Ming Shi read through their chat record several times before putting away his phone. He took a sip of milk tea and walked out from the shadows. Keeping some distance from the dorm building, Fu Ming Shi looked back at the 307 dorm balcony. In the moment he turned around, it was like he saw a figure quickly moving back.

It should be... her?

Fu Ming Shi watched for a while longer, but when her figure didn't reappear, he really left this time.

The cheap red bean milk tea was sweet, but still far from comparing with the taste of her lips.