To take care of her seriously ill mother, Song Song rented a place near Qingcheng City First People's Hospital. After finishing work at school, she stopped by the market to buy a whole chicken, along with some lettuce and tomatoes.
She usually ate lightly, indulging in a rich meal only twice a week, typically relying on eggs as her source of meat.
Back in her small rented room, she immediately cleaned the chicken and put it in the pot, sprinkling it with some spices to remove any odor before covering it and starting to boil it on high heat. For someone who had been ill for a long time, chicken soup was the most nourishing. Once it was ready, she'd take it hot to the hospital.
Her own dinner was comparatively simple: stir-fried eggs with tomatoes and lettuce in oyster sauce.
Just as she finished cutting the vegetables and was ready to stir-fry, there was a knock on the door. Song Song put down what she was holding and immediately went to open it.
However, upon opening the door and seeing the person standing outside, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning!
How, how, how is he here?
"Mr. Xiao..." Song Song instinctively rubbed her eyes, thinking it might be an illusion.
No matter how much she rubbed her eyes, the man continued to look at her coldly, standing there unmoving.
"Why didn't you respond to the text message?"
"Huh?" Song Song was dumbfounded, unable to collect herself for a while, and then suddenly remembered the unfamiliar text she received after work, "I'm sorry! I didn't know it was from you; I thought it was sent by mistake!"
Xiao Jinghuai looked at the slightly dazed woman in front of him, furrowing his sharp brows. He couldn't understand what the old man saw in her.
She had neither looks nor talent; she was ordinary to the point of being extraordinarily ordinary.
"You didn't save my phone number?" He remembered instructing Xing Quan to give her his contact information.
Song Song was momentarily at a loss for words, blinking her eyes with an innocent look, "I'm sorry, I... I didn't save it."
"Huh!" Xiao Jinghuai let out a soft, cold laugh.
Countless women in Qing City wanted his contact information, yet she didn't even save it when it was given to her!
At this moment, Xiao Jinghuai suddenly smelled a delicious aroma, instantly arousing his appetite, "What are you cooking?"
Upon hearing this, Song Song suddenly remembered and smacked her forehead, then immediately turned around and rushed inside to lower the heat under the soup. When it comes to food, if the heat isn't controlled properly, the flavor will be lost.
Seeing her looking so anxious, Xiao Jinghuai followed her inside.
When Song Song turned around, she almost bumped into the man behind her. She immediately stepped back a few steps as if she had seen a ghost, "Mr. Xiao, I am making soup; that's the aroma you smelled."
Xiao Jinghuai's eyes slightly narrowed, as he carefully observed the girl in front of him. Despite being in her twenties, she seemed like a high school student, leaving him slightly perplexed. Many women would try to get close to him, but she had had a chance to create a moment of intimacy, yet treated him like a pest, trying to escape as quickly as possible.
This woman is either too dumb or playing a game of hard-to-get.
"Are you good at cooking?"
"Oh, I can cook a little!" Song Song replied softly, twisting her hands, "When my mother was in good health, she taught me some things. If there's someone who's really good at cooking, that would be my mother. My mother... can cook many, many dishes of all kinds."
Her mother's culinary skills were like a divine presence to her, comparable to a five-star chef. Many people advised her mother that she could open a small restaurant, which would surely be successful, allowing her to live a less frugal life.
But apart from making some food for her, her mother rarely went into the kitchen.
The bright yet understated smile on the girl's face felt like a warm spring flowing into Xiao Jinghuai's heart. He suddenly asked, "Here, hungry, got any food?"