Chapter 324

Xia Yan owns a house and a car. If all else fails, he can even drive Yellow Plate Motorcycle delivery service, which might earn him more than assembling a machine all day. However, this year, due to his relationship with Hua Xin and his grandfather's illness, Xia Yan hasn't been able to work properly for a while, and most of his expenses are covered by his savings. If he were living paycheck to paycheck, he would probably be starving like Hua Xin by now. But they are both students at prestigious universities. Even if they want to pursue postgraduate studies in the future, it's possible with a house as a basic place to live. What will they do after graduating? Take the postgraduate entrance exam like they just mentioned? Forget it. Hua Xin ruthlessly picked up the baking soda and rubbed it on the plate. Baking soda, with its cleaning effect comparable to dish soap, can easily handle minor grease stains and is a very non-toxic and harmless dishwashing tool. Wasting so much time continuing to study, and then possibly not being able to find a job after graduation and ending up in a factory screw-pressing screws, the wasted time and money are practically given away for nothing. Continue working at the cat café? Thinking this, Hua Xin nodded slightly, her hand instinctively turning on the tap. The gentle stream of water rinsed the plates, cleaning away the grime and residue. Having always lived alone, she had subconsciously developed a habit of thrift, even if it didn't save much on water bills. But working peacefully at the cat café seemed like a good option. Sister Li Xue and Brother Shan Qing treated her well, and the work environment involved working with familiar cats—no workplace politics or backstabbing to worry about. The salary was also good; six or seven thousand a month was more than enough for Hua Xin to dedicate her life to. Thank God, thank Buddha. Working at a cat café is wonderful, and the peaceful working environment is amazing... "Why are you using cold water? Your skin is freezing." Xia Yan's slightly reproachful voice came from behind her. Hua Xin felt the icy tap water that had been rinsing her hands slowly warm up. Xia Yan frowned. After getting closer to the girl, he could see that Hua Xin's hands were covered in a faint red from the cold water. Her skin was actually very fair, even without makeup or skincare products, it was a typical cool-toned fair skin. But this also increased the probability of leaving marks on it. Whether it was bruises, wounds, or the temperature changes from hot to cold, it was all easy for Hua Xin's skin to be damaged. "Why didn't you use hot water to wash the dishes?" His voice sounded somewhat helpless and distressed. If he had known this would happen, Xia Yan would have cleaned and washed the dishes himself, but since at home he always cooked and Hua Xin washed the dishes... Xia Yan suddenly fell silent. Thinking about it carefully, he realized he'd never actually noticed whether Hua Xin used hot or cold water to wash the dishes. He really wanted to stop Hua Xin. After all, buying a dishwasher wouldn't cost too much, and letting her wash the dishes herself wouldn't be inconvenient. But he knew the concept of "equal exchange" was deeply ingrained in the girl's heart. Even though she had developed a sense of dependence on him, Hua Xin still often wondered if he was making her do too much, making her give too much, and thus she felt she needed to do something to make up for it. In other words, he cooked, and she washed the dishes. "I'm used to it," Hua Xin said, not taking it seriously, and picked up the remaining bowl to wipe it slowly. But Xia Yan's concern made her happy. The numbness in her hands from the cold water gradually warmed up as the hot water dissolved it. It wasn't that she didn't know she could wash dishes with hot water, nor was she deliberately torturing herself to get Xia Yan's attention. She was just used to it. Even after coming to Xia Yan's house, and earning her own money so she no longer had to worry about paying utility bills and had to use cold water for showers, she could use hot water in winter and cold water in Xia Ji. Yet, even so, she would still subconsciously use ice-cold water when showering, only realizing it when her body reflexively shivered. Those hard-to-break habits often take a very long time to heal. If she hadn't met Xia Yan, she would have remained frozen in the coldness of the water her whole life. "Remember to think of me in the future," Xia Yan said softly, "As naturally as you would think of me." Then, without any regard for the fact that Hua Xin's hands were still wet and oily, he took her hand. "..." "So narcissistic," Hua Xin sniffed, somewhat disgusted. 248. After finishing dinner and cleaning up the mess, the day, which had flown by in a blur of travel and New Year's shopping, was drawing to a close. Hua Xin and Xia Yan, who had been on the go since getting off the bullet train, were both exhausted. Xia Yan, of course, was exhausted from both shopping and cooking. If it weren't for his regular workouts and the stamina and health he'd developed from constantly assembling computers, he would have been worn out long ago. But clearly, Xia Yan didn't want to be a mule worn out from cooking; he'd much rather be one worn out in bed... Although still a novice with no experience, Xia Yan had reached the age where he should be able to do what a man should do. Others his age had already used countless small, round, square packaging bags, their experience honed to level 99. Hua Xin, on the other hand... was already a seasoned veteran who completely understood male and female anatomy. Because whether she was a boy or a girl, she spent an immeasurable amount of time studying biology every day, so naturally she knew much more than Xia Yan. Well, on the other hand, since Xia Yan's fatigue came from cooking, then Hua Xin's fatigue came from eating. At the dinner table, Hua Xin tried her best to maintain a ladylike and well-behaved impression on her grandfather during her first visit—even if she wasn't a perfect rich heiress, she should at least be a decent, good girl! They'd already moved beyond face-to-face conversation; if she left a bad impression during the meal, then all her efforts for the whole day would be completely wasted. However... because Xia Yan had cooked a lot of delicious dishes that evening, including an extra pork rib and lotus root soup that she had never tried before, coupled with all those colorful, fragrant, and delicious home-style dishes, Hua Xin, who hadn't had a proper meal all day, naturally couldn't resist. The "reserve" she had secretly cultivated in her mind completely vanished. You know, for Hua Xin, the most alluring thing wasn't actually Xia Yan, but rather the food he cooked. So, at dinner time, Hua Xin once again couldn't control herself and ate four bowls of rice, devouring most of the Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs by herself. When she came to her senses...