Lin Baici didn’t go ho but went to the neighborhood where Gu Qingxiang lived.
He had a key, so he opened the door directly.
Seeing that the floor had been cleaned, with no dust accumulated over several days, and the kitchen utensils showed signs of recent use, Lin Baici breathed a sigh of relief.
The counselor had finally returned.
He quickly took out his phone and dialed Gu Qingxiang’s number.
The call connected after just a few rings.
"Hello!"
Gu Qingxiang’s voice was calm and indifferent, like an ancient spring unchanged for years.
"Qingxiang, how have you been lately?"
Lin Baici probed, worried that the counselor might be in trouble but didn’t want to talk about it with him.
"Pretty good!"
Gu Qingxiang’s reply was succinct, leaving Lin Baici unsure how to continue the conversation.
He had no choice but to press on.
"Shall I cook dinner tonight?"
Lin Baici was ready to show off his cooking skills.
"Sure!"
"What would you like to eat?"
Lin Baici had learned to cook quite a few dishes, out of necessity. His mother worked very hard, so Lin Baici learned to cook so she could relax a bit after work.
Though not particularly delicious, his cooking was at the level of ordinary ho-cooked als.
"Stir-fried garlic scapes with pork, green onion scrambled eggs, moo shu pork, mapo tofu!"
Gu Qingxiang ordered.
What a mind Lin Baici had. Upon hearing the third dish, he realized these were the dishes he had cooked for Gu Qingxiang the first ti at her place, even in the sa order he had brought them out of the kitchen.
He hadn’t expected the counselor to rember even such details.
"How about adding a seaweed egg drop soup?"
Lin Baici asked with a smile.
"Okay!"
Gu Qingxiang smiled, knowing that Lin Baici understood.
"I’m going to buy groceries now."
"Okay!"
Lin Baici hung up the phone, humd a little tune, and quickly walked downstairs, skipping the small nearby market and heading straight for Yonghui Supermarket.
He spent two hours carefully selecting and buying a bunch of groceries before heading ho.
When he entered the community, the aunt who had tried to introduce boyfriends to Gu Qingxiang saw Lin Baici and imdiately followed him until she confird he entered Gu Qingxiang’s ho, her brows furrowed deeply.
What exactly was the relationship between these two?
Lin Baici tied on an apron and started to prepare the ingredients.
He didn’t mind the trouble; preparing dinner for soone he liked was actually quite enjoyable.
Going out to eat?
Lin Baici had thought about it, and it wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it, but he always felt that eating at ho with the counselor created a warm atmosphere.
After preparing the ingredients, Lin Baici began to clean the room.
He was timing it so that when Gu Qingxiang ca ho, they could start dinner, but at 4:30, the door opened.
Gurgle!
Lin Baici’s stomach growled with hunger. He ca out and saw Gu Qingxiang had returned early with a convenience bag.
"I took leave to co ho early!"
Gu Qingxiang bent over, holding the shoe cabinet in the entryway, took off her heeled black leather shoes, and changed into slippers.
"Wait just a mont, dinner will be ready soon!"
Lin Baici approached, taking the convenience bag full of items from her.
"I bought a few bottles of wine!"
Gu Qingxiang paused.
Lin Baici glanced at it, "You bought quite a variety!"
Beer, white wine, red wine, and even vodka.
"I didn’t know what type of wine you like, so I bought a bottle of each!"
Gu Qingxiang finished changing her shoes, stood up, and looked at Lin Baici.
"I’m fine with anything!"
Originally, Lin Baici wanted to co up with a sweet line, to say that seeing you makes intoxicated, but he was too shy to say it.
Gu Qingxiang changed into her ho clothes, freshened up, and walked to the kitchen, leaning against the doorfra watching Lin Baici bustling around.
Minutes later, the always calm and expressionless counselor had a slight smile appear at the corners of her mouth.
Fortunately!
She had stopped those people, otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy Lin Baici’s care and this warm atmosphere.
"Let help you!"
Gu Qingxiang stood next to Lin Baici.
Lin Baici didn’t tell her to go away because of the oil fus. He actually quite enjoyed the feeling of being watched by Gu Qingxiang, which made him cook more earnestly.
Heat the pan, pour the oil, sauté the green onions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, add the main ingredients and stir-fry...
Since starting university, and not returning ho during the winter vacation, it had been close to a year since Lin Baici last cooked. Coupled with the fact that he was never really good at stir-frying, it should be expected that he would be rusty, but now his control over his body was very precise, and flipping the wok was effortless.
Of course, Lin Baici was purely doing it for style, rather than to enhance the flavor of the dishes.
Gu Qingxiang was montarily stunned, then thought she should complint him, so she clapped.
"Stop clapping, or I might get so proud that I want to cook for you here for a lifeti!"
Lin Baici joked.
Gu Qingxiang’s lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say, you can also consider this as your ho.
Lin Baici cooked while Gu Qingxiang accompanied him, occasionally lending a hand. The two didn’t talk much, but the atmosphere was warm, without a trace of awkward silence.
Gu Qingxiang didn’t know why either. She usually liked to be alone and didn’t like strangers around her, but sohow Lin Baici made her feel comfortable.
Strange!
"Alright, all done!"
Lin Baici plated the last dish of green onion scrambled eggs: "Go wash your hands, it’s ti to eat!"
A minute later, the two sat at the small dining table.
Gu Qingxiang took a bottle of red wine.
"Let , let !"
Lin Baici took the red wine, opened it, poured it into two glasses, and then handed one to the counselor: "Qingxiang, cheers!"
Ding!
The two clinked their glasses, the wine swirled, lapping against the walls of the goblet, then slid back down, rising and falling like a red tide.
Lin Baici took a small sip of the red wine and picked up a piece of at for Gu Qingxiang: "Is everything okay at ho lately?"
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