When Everything Fell into Place

I have a girlfriend! And she's so cute! She's such a good cook! And she's kind-hearted too! Xiao He watched Ye Wanqing running around in the kitchen from the kitchen doorway, and he was so happy he felt like he could fly.

However, he did not relax. This was only the first step. He could not relax until he had married her!

Xiao He silently encouraged himself: Come on! You are Yinglong! You can definitely do it!

Ye Wanqing looked even cuter than usual right now, probably because she was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling.

"Little Pufferfish, pinch me." Xiao He waved to Ye Wanqing and said.

"What?" Ye Wanqing smiled, stepped forward and pinched his cheek. "Are you afraid you're dreaming?"

"Hmm..." Xiao He replied, pouting as his face was pinched.

"Was that a dream? Did it hurt?" Ye Wanqing asked, unable to suppress a laugh.

"A little bit, you're too weak." Xiao He nodded and said. Ye Wanqing frowned and punched him hard on the shoulder. "Don't waste time! Come and help me! Let's finish cooking quickly so we can eat early!"

"Oh, oh, oh," Xiao He responded, resting his chin on Ye Wanqing's head and laughing, "What do you need me to do?"

Xiao He found that the height was just right; Ye Wanqing's height was such that he could rest his chin on the top of her head. Was this the cutest height difference?

"Could you get me some soy sauce?" Ye Wanqing said cheerfully, with a hint of coquettishness in her voice.

"Look." Xiao He could reach it with a simple stretch of his hand, without even needing to move an inch, so he could continue resting his chin on the Little Pufferfish's head. Ye Wanqing seemed to like it too, and didn't move around.

However, at this moment, Xiao He glanced down and immediately discovered a secret about Ye Wanqing: he finally understood why Ye Wanqing always sat at an angle when cooking, instead of facing the stove directly.

"Sigh, Little Pufferfish, you've really had a tough time," Xiao He sighed, patting Ye Wanqing's head with a touch of sympathy.

"Why do you say that?" Ye Wanqing asked, puzzled.

"Your breasts are so big, you can't even see the pot underneath, right? That's why you have to cook sideways," Xiao He said sympathetically, giving Ye Wanqing a kiss on the head.

Ye Wanqing was silent for a moment, then jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow.

"Pervert! You filthy scoundrel!" Ye Wanqing said angrily, "Get out! I don't need your help anymore! Go clean the room!"

"Did I tidy up your room too?" Xiao He asked with a smile. Ye Wanqing glared at him angrily and said, "Don't use my clothes to do anything weird, okay? Also, don't put my things where we can't see them."

"Okay." Xiao He said, preparing to leave the kitchen, but then he turned back, leaned in and gave Ye Wanqing a quick kiss on the cheek. Her skin was pink and tender, and the taste was especially good.

"Ugh!" Ye Wanqing grumbled, but she didn't actually resist at all. "Alright, alright, go on. If you keep causing trouble, we'll delay your mealtime, and you'll be the one who gets hungry."

After Xiao He left, Ye Wanqing finally couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Ugh... Look at you holding back like that. If you like me so much, why didn't you just say so sooner? Then we could have been lovey-dovey for a while longer." Ye Wanqing muttered to herself, then poured the vegetables into the pan and started stir-frying.

Xiao He arrived at Ye Wanqing's room, which was as messy as ever, but he didn't mind at all now.

"I really don't know what to do with this Little Pufferfish... Luckily you found a clean boyfriend, I'll help you clean up from now on." Xiao He rolled up his sleeves and muttered to himself.

He folded Ye Wanqing's blanket neatly, then arranged her personal belongings tidily on her bedside table and desk. He also tidied up the trash bag, took her dirty clothes, and threw them into the laundry basket. Finally, he cleaned up the dead insects in the corner of the computer desk and the dust in the corner of the desk. The room immediately looked cleaner and tidier, and it looked much more comfortable.

"Not bad." Xiao He nodded in satisfaction.

After busying herself for a while, Ye Wanqing cheerfully called out from outside, "Old Xiao, dinner's ready!"

"Coming!" Xiao He responded, sat down at the table, and then swallowed hard: stir-fried pork slices with garlic sprouts, braised chicken wings, stewed beef with potatoes, and a bowl of steamed egg custard—a well-balanced meal of three dishes and a soup.

"Ah, I've wanted to say this for a long time." Xiao He sighed happily and patted Ye Wanqing's head, "Having a girlfriend who's good at cooking is such a blessing!"

"Good to know." Ye Wanqing said with a smug smile, then placed her phone opposite him.

"What are you doing?" Xiao He asked, puzzled, taking a big gulp of steamed egg custard.

"Hehe, I've wanted to do this for a long time." Ye Wanqing grinned, "I'll take a picture of you eating so we can look back on it after we get married..." She suddenly realized something and quickly stopped talking.

"Oh? So you've already thought about what will happen after you get married?" Xiao He teased, playfully pinching Ye Wanqing's nose.

"Oh dear! You're so quick-witted now!" Ye Wanqing said angrily. "If you're so quick-witted, why didn't you confess your feelings sooner!?"

"Isn't it because I'm afraid of failure, and I don't want to lose you..." Xiao He muttered. "Of course I have to be cautious and wait until I'm sure before I speak."

Ye Wanqing lowered her head, her face flushed, and picked up a chicken wing for him. "You, you should eat more..."

"Yeah, you too." Xiao He wolfed down his food, replying indistinctly.

After eating for a while, Ye Wanqing put down her chopsticks and rested her chin on her hand, watching him eat attentively.

"Are you full?" Xiao He asked. Ye Wanqing smiled and nodded. He then poured the remaining rice from Ye Wanqing into his own bowl, stood up, scooped up some more rice to make a full bowl, and then poured the rice and stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts into the large bowl of steamed egg custard. He stirred it well and took a big bite.

"Awesome..." Xiao He sighed, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Ye Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle, poking his cheek and saying with a smile, "I love watching you eat. I can't eat that much myself, but watching you eat is even more enjoyable than eating by myself."

"When we retire, we can just do mukbang (eating broadcasts)," Xiao He joked.

"No way," Ye Wanqing huffed, "I'm the only one who can watch you eat."

"You're quite possessive, aren't you?" Xiao He laughed, wolfing down his food. "I can't finish the chicken wings and beef stew with potatoes."

"Let's have it again for lunch tomorrow," Ye Wanqing replied. "Just make some scrambled eggs with tomatoes and a bowl of winter melon soup."

"Hmm!" Xiao He nodded, finished the last bit of rice, and then sighed contentedly: With the seasoning of love, this meal tasted even better than usual.

Ye Wanqing smiled sweetly and said, "Okay, let's go wash the dishes together?"

Because my status has changed, even washing dishes feels different now.

"Old Xiao..." Ye Wanqing handed him the plate, smiling shyly, "Rinse it clean, okay?"

"Don't worry, I won't let my lovely girlfriend eat any dish soap." Xiao He nodded with full of fighting spirit.

"Hey, don't be so rough, you'll break the plate," Ye Wanqing said coquettishly.

"Okay, okay, I'll be gentle." Xiao He nodded with a smile, his face almost cramping from laughing.

Ye Wanqing glanced at him and chuckled, "What are you doing? Just grinning like an idiot."

"Oh dear, isn't this good news?" Xiao He replied, "I have a girlfriend now."

Ye Wanqing giggled, "Yes, yes, laugh all you want, but don't laugh until your face cramps up."

"Then rub it for me." Xiao He said, leaning his face closer. Ye Wanqing smiled, then gently kissed him on the cheek. She then lowered her head and sped up her washing of the dishes, pretending nothing had happened. "Hurry up, we need to go for a walk after we finish washing the dishes."

"I need to get my blood sugar checked tomorrow," Xiao He thought to himself, touching the spot on his face where he had been kissed.

After washing the dishes, Xiao He took Ye Wanqing downstairs for a walk.

But their walk today was different from usual; today they were walking as a real couple.

Xiao He held Ye Wanqing's small hand. In the past, he would only hold her hand, but today their fingers were intertwined.

"Why are your hands always so cold..." Xiao He frowned, lightly kissed the back of her hand, but felt secretly delighted.

"Because I'm a girl," Ye Wanqing said confidently, taking his arm and leaning against him. The two stumbled a couple of steps before regaining their balance. Xiao He gently patted her head and led her for a walk around the neighborhood.

Although they had been living the same life every day for the past two months, Xiao He felt that everything today was so new because of their different identities. What was special was that although it was only the first day he and Ye Wanqing had started dating, they didn't feel awkward at all. After all, they had been pretending for more than two months, and it felt like... it was all going smoothly and naturally.

"Let's keep doing this from now on," Ye Wanqing said with a smile, looking at the moon overhead.

"Yes, it's always like this." Xiao He took her small hand and kissed it. "This hand is warm now, come on, let's switch to the other hand?"

After our walk, we went upstairs to take a shower, and then sat together on the sofa to watch the Big Bang Theory.

"Old Xiao, come a little closer." Ye Wanqing waved her hand at him, and Xiao He moved closer to her. Ye Wanqing then leaned on his shoulder and quieted down to continue watching.

Xiao He hesitated for a moment, then gently placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her into his arms.

Ye Wanqing was wearing a set of pure cotton pajamas, light orange with some cartoon patterns. The loose fit made her look very slender, and her cross-legged sitting posture looked cute even now, revealing a section of her delicate ankles.

Feeling the softness and warmth on his hands, Xiao He's mind began to wander...

"Old Xiao." Ye Wanqing suddenly called out to him, and as he turned his head, she popped a cherry tomato into his mouth and gave him a sweet smile. Xiao He couldn't help himself and leaned over to give her a kiss on the lips.

"You're so annoying..." Ye Wanqing blushed slightly, lowered her head and patted him, but she was also a little happy inside.

After watching the show for a while, Ye Wanqing yawned. Xiao He patted her head and asked, "Are you going to sleep? Get some rest, and I'll take you for a nice stroll along the Riverside Beach tomorrow."

"Hmm..." Ye Wanqing smiled and nodded, "Then, you should go to sleep early too... Goodnight."

The Little Pufferfish said goodnight to me for the first time. Xiao He felt a warm feeling in his heart and pinched her little cheek. "Goodnight."

Back in his room, Xiao He lay on the bed, a little excited: Finally, after twenty-one years of being single since birth, he had a girlfriend!

Xiao He imagined his future life, then hugged his pillow and whispered, "Oh no, I'm going to be too excited to sleep tonight..."

A little while later, Ye Wanqing secretly ran to Xiao He's door and whispered, "Old Xiao, are you asleep?"

Xiao He: "Zzz..."

Ye Wanqing immediately got angry. "You stinky pig, all you do is sleep! You even said you'd give me a kiss, and now that's gone!"

After saying that, Ye Wanqing stormed back to her room.

Xiao He woke up suddenly around 7 a. m. the next morning.

"Oh no, I was imagining the future and fell asleep without realizing it..." Xiao He thought to himself with some regret.

He found that he would fall asleep quickly if he focused on something, but conversely, he couldn't fall asleep when he tried hard to.

"Never mind, I'll go check if the Little Pufferfish is awake yet." Xiao He muttered to himself, rubbing his head. He got out of bed, took a deep breath, and felt that even the air was so sweet: starting today, he was officially no longer single!

When I arrived at the living room, Ye Wanqing was already in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Xiaoqing, my lovely girlfriend." Xiao He greeted Ye Wanqing with a grin, but Ye Wanqing glared at him fiercely, looking sullen. Xiao He immediately looked innocent. "What's wrong? Why are you angry again?"

"All you do is sleep..." Ye Wanqing rolled her eyes at him and complained, "I was so excited last night that I couldn't sleep. I thought you would be the same, but when I checked on you, well! You were sleeping like a log!"

"That was..." Xiao He thought for a moment, then hugged Ye Wanqing and kissed her on the cheek, "My fault."

Ye Wanqing was both amused and annoyed, and poked him on the cheek. "Good to know! Go wash your face and brush your teeth, breakfast will be ready soon."

"Yes," Xiao He replied, then turned and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Ye Wanqing couldn't help but laugh after he left, "Really... he's my boyfriend now, he doesn't argue with me anymore."

After washing up and having breakfast prepared, Xiao He and Ye Wanqing sat down facing each other.

The thought of being able to eat with Ye Wanqing like this every day made Xiao He want to grin foolishly.

"I made noodles with soybean paste today," Ye Wanqing said with a smile. "Speaking of which, the first thing I ever made for you was noodles with soybean paste."

"Yeah," Xiao He sighed, stirring his noodles. "I remember back then I was tired of ordering takeout because all I could find around here was fried chicken and burgers, and it was always the same few things. I really wanted to try something different, and then a cute Little Pufferfish asked me if I wanted some jajangmyeon (noodles with soybean paste)..."

"At that time, I just wanted to casually chat with you about <The Banana Fish>," Ye Wanqing said with a smile, resting her chin on her hand. "Besides, I did make too much fried sauce, and it would go bad if left too long, but throwing it away would be a waste."

"You didn't finish it last time, but you'll definitely finish it this time," Xiao He said, reaching out to pat her little head.

Ye Wanqing simply smiled at him and said, "If that's not enough, I can cook you another bowl. It'll be quick anyway."

"You Little Pufferfish... how can you be so cute?" Xiao He gently pinched the tip of her nose. Ye Wanqing cupped her face, a little shy, and whispered with a smile, "You're so annoying... don't call me Little Pufferfish. You can call me Xiaoqing."

"Whatever happens, you're so cute," Xiao He said, gently stroking her head.

"Oh, that's enough!" Ye Wanqing's face flushed, and she couldn't help but say coquettishly, "Eat quickly, it'll get cold!"

Xiao He took a big bite of the fried noodles with soybean paste. It was still the familiar deliciousness, just as good as the first time he ate it. The rich garlic flavor and just the right amount of sweetness made it impossible to stop eating.

"Hmph..." Watching Xiao He devour the noodles, Ye Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle. She handed Xiao He the eggnog, "Eat slowly, don't choke. Here, have some rice wine?"

"Ah, truly..." Xiao He exclaimed, taking a large gulp of rice wine, "Bliss."

"We're going to the Riverside Beach today, right?" Ye Wanqing started eating too. "Are you sure there won't be any more problems?"

"Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be slaughtered, even a Yangtze finless porpoise!" Xiao He said through gritted teeth. "I'm someone with the 'Miracle Factor,' I'm the rarest of all!"

Ye Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle slightly, then nodded. "Yes! Third time's the charm. We've already gone twice; it would be really unreasonable to prevent us from seeing them a third time. Shall we set off after breakfast?"

"Are you alright?" Xiao He gently pinched her ear. "You've been out all day?"

"It's okay, I'm here for you, aren't I?" Ye Wanqing said with a smug smile. "I'll lean on you and rest when I'm tired."

"You're so lovable..." Xiao He said with a smile, finishing the last bite of his noodles. Ye Wanqing handed him the last bit of noodles in her bowl. "Old Xiao, eat it for me too."

"The last bite of the noodles with soybean paste was the best, what a waste..." Xiao He said regretfully, eating the last bite of noodles in Ye Wanqing's bowl, and then finishing the last bit of eggnog. "Done."

Then the two of them started changing clothes and getting ready to go out. Xiao He usually dressed quite casually, wearing a light blue windbreaker over a wool sweater, paired with dark blue jeans. But now that he was in good shape, he looked handsome no matter what he wore.

Ye Wanqing wore a loose white knit sweater with a long dark blue coat over it, and black jogger pants that revealed a glimpse of her slender ankles, showing that she had put a lot of thought into her outfit. This ensemble made her, who was petite, appear slimmer and taller, especially her ankles, which looked particularly delicate and cute against the backdrop of white sneakers.

"She's so beautiful... This is my girlfriend! Mine!" Xiao He felt a surge of pride and wanted nothing more than to show her off to the whole world.

"Shall we go?" Ye Wanqing smiled, looking at Xiao He with a feeling of sweetness in her heart: Old Xiao's shoulders are so broad, they make me feel so safe... Hehe, no wonder he's my boyfriend.

Xiao He nodded, took her small hand in his, and gasped from the cold, but that didn't dampen his sweetness. Suppressing his urge to cheer, he led Ye Wanqing outside. "The key?"

"Yes, I brought one. Just in case, I also brought an umbrella." Ye Wanqing said cheerfully, following him outside. Just before closing the door, she met Tuantuan's gaze, so she gave a soft hum and threw out a victorious smile.

After the two went downstairs, they walked towards the bus stop. On the way, Ye Wanqing suddenly remembered something and huffed, "You promised to teach me how to ride a bicycle, but you still haven't. Men really are all untrustworthy..."

"It's because you don't go out enough... I'll teach you tomorrow," Xiao He replied.

"No, I don't want to learn anymore." Ye Wanqing turned her face away. "Why should I learn when you can give me rides on your bike?"

"That makes so much sense." Xiao He smiled and kissed her on the head.

Ye Wanqing was surprised to find that she didn't dislike this kind of intimate interaction; on the contrary, she quite liked it.

But they had only just arrived at the bus stop when a somewhat familiar black SUV pulled up in front of them. The window rolled down, and Cui Man waved to them from the back seat, smiling, "Get in?"

"Isn't there a mission right now, Sister Man?" Xiao He couldn't help but complain after getting into the car: Are they going to be prevented from going to the Riverside Beach for the third time by some unforeseen circumstance?

"No, I'm just giving you a ride," Cui Man said with a smile, arms crossed. "I booked a private room at a restaurant over there this afternoon. Why don't you come over for dinner? Everyone will be there."

As she spoke, Cui Man winked at them both. "Celebrating the start of your 'real' relationship."

Ye Wanqing blushed instantly, and Xiao He also realized something: there were security cameras in the house! He had completely forgotten!

"Don't worry, after you left, I had someone remove the security cameras from the house, leaving only a few on the balcony and in the hallway, to ensure we can detect if anyone breaks in. That way, we won't know what you do at home." Cui Man winked at them, her smile quite meaningful.

Ye Wanqing playfully punched Xiao He innocently asked, "Why did you hit me?"

"Isn't it because you insisted on waiting until you got home to confess to me?" Ye Wanqing said angrily. "If you had confessed somewhere else, or earlier, wouldn't all this have been avoided? You're so annoying... It's all your fault!"

"Oh, okay, okay, it's all my fault." Xiao He affectionately patted her little head.

"Alright, alright," Cui Man said with a kind smile. "Anyway, this way you two are truly the strongest couple. I'm very confident in your character; you're both good kids. As for your relationship, I believe it can withstand the test of time."

Xiao He nodded, then took Ye Wanqing's small hand in his hand and kissed it. "Absolutely."

Ye Wanqing could no longer stay in Bengbu. She quickly turned her face away and looked out the window, secretly smiling. The warmth from her hand spread all the way to her heart, making her feel warm and cozy. She just silently tightened her grip on Xiao He's hand.

Soon, the car arrived at the Riverside Beach, and the two got off at Fine Food and Fashion Street.

"Well then, see you this afternoon, Sister Man?" Ye Wanqing waved to Cui Man and smiled.

"Hmm, have fun! I'll let you know when it's time to eat in advance," Cui Man said with a smile, then blew them a kiss before driving away.

"Shall we go? We must see the night view of the Riverside Beach tonight," Xiao He said, clenching his fist.

(Please point out any typos or errors immediately, as VIP chapters cannot be modified after being published for more than a week.)