"Quiet, impressive," hmm, I said.
Then he placed the bowl of porridge in front of me, and in his other hand, there was a glass of warm milk.
"Eat," he said.
I was looking at the food like it personally fights with me, but nothing was working out. Yuan made breakfast for me for the first time. No matter if I like it or not, I have to eat it anyway, I said to myself.
Then I took a deep sigh, took a spoonful of porridge, started chewing it, and said, "Mmmmm, so yummy. Chef Yuan, you got 9 out of 10 points."
"Why 9 out of 10, not full 10?" he asked me.
I smiled and said, "Because it has to be cut as it's a special point."
"Special point?" he repeated. "Can't I get that?" he asked.
"Of course you can," I said while taking another spoonful of porridge into my mouth, "but you'll get it only when you make my favourite dishes for me."
"Wait, you don't like porridge and warm milk, right?" he asked me.
I choked in between eating it and said, "No, no, it's not like that. It's just… I haven't eaten it."
He slightly took the bowl of porridge away from me and said, "Why didn't you tell me that you didn't like all this?"
I smiled, held his hand into mine, and said, "Look, Yuan, whatever you made today for breakfast, it's not only that you made it, it's that you made it with lots of care and love for me. And how dare I reject this love and care of yours, especially your innocent love for me?"
He smiled a little and said, "Innocent love?" He asked again.
I nodded my head while taking the bowl of porridge closer to me.
"I am 29, nearly 30 as we say, and you are calling me innocent. Is it a compliment or sarcasm?" he asked.
I smiled and said, "It's not about age. You yourself see your face. You have such a baby face." I said it while eating porridge fully in my mouth.
He started laughing.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked him shockingly.
"Look at you, eating like a kindergarten kid this morning whose father forced her to eat porridge, otherwise he won't give her favourite candies."
I choked again.
He immediately gave me the glass of water in my hands and said, "Sip it slowly."
I followed it, and then I put down the bowl on the table, which was empty.
He smiled at it and said, "You have done well."
I said, "Not that well."
Then I took the glass of warm milk and drank it in one single breath, placed it back on the table, and said, "Now I have done well."
"Just because I made it, that's why you have eaten it?" he asked me.
"No, just because of the love and care for me in this food. How can I let this love and care be left alone, untouched on the table? Even if I don't like it, I still deserve all your love and care for me. I just… I just want to grab all of it. Me," I said while looking into his eyes.
He smiled and said, "You are calling me something, but you know what? You are something. Sometimes I am not able to understand how easily you find the meaning of everything. I mean… how?"
I smiled proudly, straightened my back on the chair, and said, "This is Zhao Shiza's speciality."
"Ooo, really?" he said.
"Yes. The more you stay with me, the more you will be able to know about it," I said while smiling.
Then he pulled my chair closer to his with one single hand.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
Then he looked straight into my eyes and said, "Nothing. Just following what you are saying."
Of course, making my Mr. Heart skip a beat.
"Just getting closer to you to know more about the speciality of my girl," he said.
"Yuan, it's morning. Why are you already making me so embarrassed?" I said while standing up from the chair.
He smiled and said, "I am not making you embarrassed. I am just talking to my girl."
"Your girl doesn't want to talk to you," I said dramatically.
I took the bag of my clothes from the table and was about to go to the room, but then some question came into my mind. I stopped and turned around.
"What?" he asked.
I stared at him suspiciously.
"What? Tell me," he said again.
"Actually, I just want to ask you how you were able to get my clothes from the dorm through Wang Ruoxi. I mean, it's the 8th wonder of the universe to make her wake up before her original time in the mornings. She doesn't even wake up for classes on time, but how did she wake up so early, even before me, and send you my clothes? It's quite a serious thing," I said while biting my nails.
He tapped my forehead again, just like it's his favourite thing to do.
"Stop biting your nails. It's not a good habit," he said.
"Why do you always tap my forehead? Did it personally betray you?" I said while rubbing my head with my hand.
He immediately came near me within two steps. Of course, his long legs have privileges.
He said while touching my forehead, "Did it hurt?"
I nodded and said, "Yes, a little bit. Tell me, whose boyfriend taps their girlfriend's head like this every time?"
He smiled mischievously.
"Why this mischievous smile?" I asked him.
He smiled more and more, and then suddenly he kissed my forehead exactly where he tapped it and said, "Now it will get better. You got your dose of medicine for it. It will heal."
Again, my Mr. Heart jumped inside.
I didn't even know what to say or do. I just felt something heating up, like a warm heater in Shanghai winters.
I immediately turned my face away from him because I wasn't able to face him right now, ran inside the room, and locked the door.
He smiled while seeing me like this, like he literally enjoyed it, and then he went back to his leftover work in the kitchen.
Inside the room, I was just trying to stabilise my Mr. Heart when suddenly a notification appeared on my phone on WeChat.
I opened it immediately. It was from Wang Ruoxi.
It was written: What are your plans for 21? Did you tell him about it? Don't tell me he didn't know about it. And if he didn't, then I am going to tell him.
I didn't reply to her. I dialled her number and called her.
"Hello," I said.
She replied, "Hello."
"Don't you dare tell him anything about it," I said.
"Why? Are you out of your mind? He must know about it. It's his right. You can't take it away from him," she said.
"Are you my bestie or his?" I asked.
"Your bestie and his assistant," she replied.
"You are so cunning, Wang Ruoxi. Just don't tell him about it. I really don't want to, and I also don't have time for 21. I have told you I am working. I mean, we are shooting late schedules these nights, so this can't be possible," I said.
"But you both are shooting together only, so what's the issue?" she asked.
"Wang Ruoxi," I said.
"Okay, okay, I won't force it. I understand you must have some solid reasons. That's why you are not telling him. But can we do things on 21 like we always do? Does my future star girl of China have time for me on that day?"
I smiled and said, "Of course, Wang Ruoxi. What are you saying? I mean, it doesn't need to be exaggerated like this."
She said, "Okay, now I am hanging up. I have a class now, otherwise I'll be thrown out of the class."
I smiled and said, "Okay."
"Wait, wait, wait, Wang Ruoxi," I said.
"What happened? Tell it fast," she said.
"How did you give him my clothes?" I asked.
"This one I really want to complain to you about your boyfriend. Tell him to behave. You know what? He called me at 5:00 a.m. sharp in the morning, and when I didn't pick it up, he called me continuously for one hour. Then at 6:00 a.m., when I picked up his call after getting irritated, he said, 'Come downstairs with your clothes.' He literally pissed me off. Please scold him from my side."
"And you know what? When I asked him why he didn't give you some new clothes, as he is already Xu Yuan, the biggest actor, and he has a lot of money, you know what he said that took away all my anger for him?"
"What?" I asked.
"He said, 'She is already staying with me in my home. If I give her new clothes, she'll probably feel uncomfortable or unusual, which I really don't want.' And this line was enough to melt my anger. Then I handed him your clothes and went back to my room and slept again."
"Are you listening, Zhao Shiza? Are you there?"
"Yes, yes, I am, Wang Ruoxi. I am also getting late. I am hanging up. Bye-bye," I said.
"Okay, bye-bye."
Then the call cut.
I thought to myself: if he called her at 5 and got to my dorm at 6, does it mean he didn't even sleep yesterday and still made breakfast for me?
I asked myself while holding the bag of my clothes tightly in my hands.
Meanwhile, Yuan knocked on the door.
"What?" I asked.
"Get ready fast, silly girl. And I also want to take my clothes from my wardrobe," he said.
"Oh," I said. I had forgotten. It's his house. He also needs to change and get ready.
"Just 10 minutes, Yuan," I said.
Then we both got ready, went out from his house, and sat in the car.
He started the car, and I asked him, "Yuan, can I ask you something…?"