The Knack

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Treat your girlfriend like your own daughter and spoil her. On the way home, Xiao He was still mulling over what the boss had said.

"Next time, I should ask the boss how to make that sauce," Ye Wanqing muttered to herself.

When the two returned home and opened the door, Tuantuan appeared from behind the crack. Every day, the first thing Ye Wanqing did when she came home was let it inspect her all over to see whether she had petted any other cats outside, like she was going through security.

"I still have class this afternoon, so I'm going to take a nap first." After passing inspection, Ye Wanqing went into the master bedroom.

Xiao He's classes were during the third and fourth periods that afternoon, so he wasn't in a hurry. He started cleaning the apartment.

He handled most of the cleaning at home, not because he enjoyed it, but because he was a neat freak. Cleaning was certainly a hassle, but a messy home made him even more uncomfortable.

That was why he couldn't understand how Ye Wanqing could sleep in a garbage dump like that.

National Day was coming up soon. Usually, Xiao He would go back to his hometown to spend time with his parents, but this year the Special Response Department had arranged all sorts of activities during his leave. So he informed his family ahead of time that he wouldn't be going back. His parents were actually quite pleased and immediately decided to drive back to their hometown for a few days during the holiday.

After dinner that evening, Xiao He and Ye Wanqing went downstairs as usual for a walk.

But the elevators in the complex were under maintenance that day, so the relevant power supply had been cut off. It didn't affect the electricity in their homes, but the streetlights and surveillance cameras in the complex were on the same circuit.

As a result, the complex was pitch-black. The paths through the trees looked dark and deep, like entrances leading to hell, while the trees lining both sides of the road resembled vicious ghosts against the darkness.

Xiao He didn't feel much about darkness, but Ye Wanqing, being a girl, couldn't help feeling a little creeped out.

She stared at the blackened greenery ahead, hesitating to take a step, as if she would never come back once she went in.

"What's wrong?" Xiao He turned to ask. Ye Wanqing hemmed and hawed. "Um... should we hold hands? That way, people in the complex will know we're a couple..."

Xiao He looked around. It was pitch-black, and there wasn't a single person in sight. Who were they supposed to show?

Realizing that Ye Wanqing was a little afraid of the dark, Xiao He had initially wanted to laugh at her, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.

"Got it. Then let's hold hands." Xiao He held out his hand. Ye Wanqing took it, and they walked through the complex together. But as they moved down the path, the spreading branches on either side looked like the hands of ghosts reaching out from the darkness, still making her uneasy. She couldn't help edging closer to Xiao He.

"If you're afraid of the dark, we can walk outside. There are streetlights out there." Xiao He sighed.

"But it rained so hard this afternoon. What if we walk too far and it starts raining again halfway through?" Ye Wanqing muttered.

"Look at you. You're already this old, and you're still afraid of the dark..." Xiao He said, shooting her a sidelong glance.

"And you're such a grown man, yet you're scared of cockroaches!" Ye Wanqing glared at him.

Xiao He frowned. "That's different. Cockroaches are concrete things, but darkness is different. It's abstract." After a pause, he continued, "So why are you afraid of the dark?"

"It's just... those trees are kind of scary." Ye Wanqing hugged his arm. "I watched a horror movie before called Skeletal Miasma, and it had scenes like this. Seeing them reminds me of it..."

Xiao He couldn't help laughing. He patted her little head, and since Ye Wanqing was holding his hand, she had no hand free to fight back.

Xiao He couldn't help noticing her hand... it was so soft, without a trace of calluses, as if she had never done any housework in her life.

Just then, a hanging branch suddenly caught Ye Wanqing on the head. She jumped in fright and hurriedly clung tighter to Xiao He's arm, pressing herself against him.

After a brief silence, Ye Wanqing couldn't help complaining. "What's wrong with this property management? They don't even turn on the streetlights at night... I'm filing a complaint tomorrow."

"Yeah..." Xiao He agreed, suppressing a laugh. "Come on, let's take the long way around. There are fewer trees on that route."

"Mm..." Ye Wanqing nodded lightly.

Ye Wanqing was quite well-behaved during this walk. Like a little girl, she obediently held his hand and walked with him for the full half hour.

After going upstairs, they took turns showering and got ready for bed.

When Xiao He came out of the bathroom, thunder cracked outside. It looked like it would rain soon. As he dried his hair, something suddenly occurred to him. He took a few steps back toward the sofa, where Ye Wanqing was watching a TV drama through screen casting.

"Are you afraid of thunder? Want me to keep you company?" Xiao He teased.

He had only meant it as a joke. He didn't think anyone nearing twenty could still be afraid of thunder, but Ye Wanqing's face turned red and she said nothing.

"You're really afraid of thunder?" Xiao He asked in surprise. "A tough girl—girl who catches cockroaches barehanded is afraid of the dark and thunder?"

"Ugh, you're so annoying!" Ye Wanqing snapped in embarrassment. "I didn't ask you to keep me company!"

Xiao He said nothing, but he still sat down beside her and muttered, "It's going to pour..."

Ye Wanqing remained silent and watched her drama. After watching for a while, Xiao He realized it was another romance drama about an overbearing CEO, so he took out his phone and started playing with it beside her.

They each did their own thing. They didn't disturb each other, but Xiao He didn't leave. The rain outside grew heavier and heavier, while the thunder continued intermittently without stopping.

"Um..." Ye Wanqing was the first to break the silence. "Are you hungry? Do you want a late-night snack?"

"Wouldn't eating a late-night snack put you over your calorie limit?" Xiao He asked curiously.

"I would go over, but you can eat..." Ye Wanqing said softly, then asked impatiently, "So are you eating or not!?"

"Yes, of course!" Xiao He answered promptly.

That evening, he had eaten the same low-calorie diet meal as Ye Wanqing. Such meals all had one thing in common: they weren't filling, and you got hungry again quickly.

It was already past ten, and his stomach had been growling with hunger. Ye Wanqing had really hit the mark with that question.

Soon, Ye Wanqing came back carrying a bowl of noodles. It was clear-broth noodles topped with pickled mustard greens, shredded pork, and a boiled egg, with a few chopped scallions floating on top.

So this was what having a girlfriend felt like! Xiao He's eyes practically lit up.

"You really aren't having any? You must be hungry too, right?" Xiao He asked with a smile as he took the noodles.

Ye Wanqing shook her head and raised the egg in her hand. "I'll just have a boiled egg."

"Then I won't hold back." With that, Xiao He began slurping down the noodles.

Even when Ye Wanqing cooked noodles, she had her own distinctive touch. Though the noodles were in clear broth, she had added soy sauce, so they weren't bland. There was even a hint of sweetness, though they would have been even better with some chili oil...

Ye Wanqing sat beside him, peeling her egg as she watched him eat, a faint smile on her face.

After finishing the noodles, Xiao He even drained every last drop of the soup before letting out a satisfied sigh.

"You'll wash the dishes, okay?" Ye Wanqing asked as she watched her drama. By then, the thunder outside had gradually started to fade.

"No problem," Xiao He agreed readily. Maybe because he was full and in a good mood, even Ye Wanqing sitting cross-legged looked cute to him now.

Maybe he had found the knack to getting along with Ye Wanqing.