Jiang Yubai, Are You Even Capable?

"Uh... what's wrong?"

Jiang Yubai looked at the potatoes in his hands. He had picked every one of them carefully—there weren't even any wormholes.

Lin Jianxia said nothing. Expressionless, she tugged at the corner of his clothes and pulled him aside.

Only after they had walked some distance away did she turn around and snap in a lowered voice:

"Idiot! Why did you agree right away? That price is way too high!"

"Two yuan a pound... isn't that okay?" Jiang Yubai asked cautiously.

"It should've been one-fifty at most!" Lin Jianxia muttered. "And that auntie too—I've bought from her before, yet she still quoted me a price like that..."

She paused, then shot him an annoyed look.

"Forget it, I'll do the buying. Just watch from the side and learn how to pick things and bargain, got it?"

She never should have trusted this guy who knew nothing about the hardships of ordinary life!

Even if it wasn't her money... saving a little was still something!

"Yes, ma'am." Jiang Yubai nodded obediently.

After lecturing him a few more times, Lin Jianxia finally let him off. She looked around, then headed expertly toward one of the stalls.

Jiang Yubai glanced at the potatoes in his hands, shrugged, and followed behind her with the clothes and bags.

This vendor clearly knew Lin Jianxia. Seeing her picking through the vegetables, she greeted her with a smile.

"Little Lin, you're out buying groceries so early today?"

Lin Jianxia looked up and returned her smile. "Mm, Auntie Sun. I wanted to buy more and stock up today."

"Oh—" Auntie Sun's gaze shifted over Jiang Yubai behind her. With a grin, she lowered her voice. "Little Lin, got yourself a boyfriend? That young man looks quite spirited."

Lin Jianxia stiffened all over.

Jiang Yubai, standing beside her, fought hard to suppress his laughter and looked elsewhere.

All right, all right. Round two.

Lin Jianxia took a deep breath and forced out a smile.

"No, Auntie Sun. He's just an ordinary friend."

"An ordinary friend?"

Auntie Sun's face was written with disbelief.

"Little Lin, don't be shy. Your Auntie Sun has been there too. When I was your age, I used to run around everywhere with my husband."

She leaned closer and said mysteriously:

"But let me tell you, young men willing to come to the market with you are rare. You'd better seize the opportunity."

The more Lin Jianxia listened, the redder her ears became. Especially with Jiang Yubai right behind her listening, she finally spoke up in embarrassed irritation:

"Auntie Sun! If you keep this up, I'm buying from somewhere else!"

Jiang Yubai pressed his lips together tightly and raised his head to stare solemnly at the sky.

What cloud-like clouds these were!

"Fine, fine, I won't say any more." Auntie Sun waved her hand with a chuckle and pointed at the vegetables on her stall. "Take a look. These all came in fresh this morning—they're still crisp and juicy."

Lin Jianxia bit her lower lip and lowered her head, quickly selecting vegetables.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, and a bundle of scallions—her movements were practiced and efficient.

"Auntie Sun, how much for all this?"

"Let me see... I'll give you a discount. Twelve yuan."

When Lin Jianxia nodded, Jiang Yubai stepped forward and scanned the code to pay.

Auntie Sun swiftly sorted and packed everything up. Lin Jianxia was about to take the bags when she saw Auntie Sun hand them directly to Jiang Yubai instead.

As the bag was held out before him, Jiang Yubai instinctively reached out to take it. But Auntie Sun did not let go completely. Holding down the bag, she quietly reminded him:

"Young man, our Little Lin is innocent and hardworking, sweet-tempered, and pretty too. You'd better treat her well. Don't bully her."

Jiang Yubai blinked. He did not even dare look at Lin Jianxia's expression beside him. Trying to keep a straight face, he nodded solemnly.

"Yes, Auntie. Don't worry, I'll treat her well."

"Ah~"

Auntie Sun's face took on an expression of just as I thought.

"Then I can rest easy. Take care."

Holding back his laughter, Jiang Yubai carried the bags away. Only after they had turned a corner did he look back.

Lin Jianxia was following behind him, her little face expressionless as she stared straight at him with dark, lingering eyes.

"Well..." Jiang Yubai cleared his throat. "She meant well. I couldn't exactly refuse, could I..."

Seeing that Lin Jianxia remained expressionless, he held the bag out to her and tested the waters.

"Then... how about you carry it instead? I promise I won't say anything stupid again."

This time, Lin Jianxia finally reacted.

She ground her teeth and pulled out a smile.

"No need. Didn't you just say you'd treat me well? Then keep carrying it... and later, all the meat and vegetables are yours to carry too."

Jiang Yubai suddenly had a bad feeling. "Wait, how much more are you buying?"

"Not much." Lin Jianxia's eyes curved as she smiled especially gently at him. "Just enough for three people to eat for a week~"

Half an hour later.

With a dull thud, Jiang Yubai dropped four large bags at the entrance to the stairwell. Bracing his hands on his knees, he panted heavily, hating this lousy apartment complex for not having an elevator.

Light footsteps sounded behind him. Lin Jianxia came upstairs carrying three bags of vegetables herself. Seeing him like that, she raised her brows and said disdainfully:

"I'm saying, Jiang Yubai, are you even capable? I already helped you carry some of the bags."

?

No, do you realize that asking a question like that can easily cause trouble?

Jiang Yubai gritted out between breaths:

"Miss, what you're carrying is either vegetables or clothes. All the meat, rice, oil... that's all with me!"

"I~ don't~ care~ Anyway, you're the one who wanted to show off~"

Triumphant satisfaction at getting her revenge filled Lin Jianxia's eyes.

"Fine, fine." Jiang Yubai picked up the bags again and said irritably, "Then Chef Lin, shouldn't you get cooking? I'm starving to death."

"Hehe, let's go."

After taking the groceries home, Lin Jianxia spent more than an hour busying herself in the kitchen. At last, Jiang Yubai got his wish and had a hearty lunch.

Perhaps he had truly been starving, or perhaps Lin Jianxia's cooking was simply that good. He ate three bowls of rice in a row and wiped out every dish on the table.

Full and satisfied, Jiang Yubai let out a long breath.

Compared to a meal this delicious, carrying groceries up five flights of stairs had all been worth it!

After cleaning up the dishes, Lin Jianxia casually picked up the thermos she had prepared earlier.

"Then I'll head back first. I'll come over again for dinner."

Jiang Yubai, lying sprawled on the sofa like a corpse, turned his head at that and hesitated.

"Say... how about you bring your sister over to eat too? It's only a few steps away, and you won't have to bring meals over."

"That's impossible..." Lin Jianxia shook her head and sighed. "Wanwan barely wants to leave her own room. How could she possibly come here to eat?"

She gave the thermos in her hand a little shake, her tone lightening.

"I'll just bring it to her. That's convenient too."

Since she put it that way, Jiang Yubai had no objections and nodded.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and happily take an afternoon nap, he suddenly noticed that Lin Jianxia, who had reached the door, had turned back.

"Here." She held out a key. "I almost forgot. I'm returning this."

Jiang Yubai tilted his head to look at it but did not take it. "Why return it? It was yours to begin with."

Lin Jianxia froze. "What do you mean... it was mine?"

"Come on, you're the resident maid here, aren't you?" Jiang Yubai narrowed his eyes, his voice lazy. "I can't exactly open the door for you every time you come, right?"

"Besides, tomorrow's Sunday. I'm definitely sleeping until I wake up naturally. Without a key, how are you getting in to make breakfast?"

Lin Jianxia opened her mouth, but for once, she did not refute the term "maid."

She lowered her head to look at the key in her palm. After a long while, she softly said, "Oh."

She gently closed the door behind her. After turning around and walking only a few steps, she arrived at her own front door.

Lin Jianxia took out her key and opened it. Just as she was about to call out, "I'm back," she froze when her gaze swept across the living room.

Lin Tingwan, who would normally be alone in her room at this hour, was sitting primly in a chair beside the dining table, hands resting on her knees as though she had been waiting for a long time.

When she saw her return, those dark eyes first looked at the thermos in her hand, then slowly lifted to quietly look at her sister.

Then she gently tilted her head.