When Cheng Qingchong woke up the next morning, Qin Yinan was already in the dining room, having breakfast with Mrs. Cheng.
Afraid that Mrs. Cheng might notice her bloated eyes and ask her about it, Cheng Qingchong spent a long time in the bathroom, applying a wet towel drenched in cold water over them, and even put on heavy make-up and a pair of glasses before leaving the bedroom.
When Cheng Qingchong came out for breakfast, Qin Yinan had already left for work. She helped her mother clean up before they left together. This was the second time Mrs. Cheng had been to Beijing. The first time was to attend her daughter's wedding. Everyone had been too busy with the preparation to go sight-seeing, so when this time, Cheng Qingchong made a lot of plans to make up for lost time.
She first took her mother to the Old Palace. They left at 2 pm and went to enjoy a lunch of Peking Duck. Then, they took a stroll around Wang Fu Jing before heading home at 5 pm. After putting away the clothes that she had bought for her mother and father, she followed her mother to the nearby mall to purchase some ingredients for dinner that night.
When Qin Yinan returned home, the dinner was almost ready. Qin Yinan retained his filial appearance when he was around Mrs. Cheng. Noticing how busy the elderly woman was in the kitchen, he put down his car key, changed into his casual outfit, and wandered into the kitchen to offer his help.
The kitchen was small, and with three people standing in it, it appeared even more cramped.
Due to the incident from last night, Cheng Qingchong tried to stay as far as she could from Qin Yinan. However, even so, she still found herself brushing up accidentally against him.
Qin Yinan acted perfectly like nothing out of place had happened, but the levity on Cheng Qingchong's face could not be maintained any longer. Afraid that her mother might see through her, she gave a random excuse and left the kitchen.
Cheng Qingchong stayed in the living room, listening to the various sounds that came out from the kitchen: the sound of the extractor fan, the sound of chopping, the rushing of water, her mother's laughs and the multiple pleasantries that fell naturally out of Qin Yinan's lips.
The atmosphere was nice, but Cheng Qingchong's gaze that stared out the darkening window started to dim.
…
The kitchen door was pulled open, and Mrs. Cheng yelled, "Qingchong, what are you doing standing there by the window? Come, help serve the food."
Cheng Qingchong immediately pulled her attention back and answered, "Coming."
She collected herself before turning around with a business smile and headed toward the kitchen.
It was Mrs. Cheng's intention to cook for Qin Yinan, but in the end, it was Qin Yinan who was manning the stove.
When Mrs. Cheng saw her daughter walk in, she handed her the ready dishes, telling her to put it on the dining table.
There was only three of them, but the dinner was scrumptious with five dishes and one soup.
Mrs. Cheng and Cheng Qingchong were the first to take their seats. When Qin Yinan arrived with the soup, Mrs. Cheng urged him to sit down and turned to order Cheng Qingchong, "Qingchong, serve the soup."
"It's okay, I'll do it." Qin Yinan picked up the ladle and reached out his other hand to take the bowl.
When Mrs. Cheng ordered her, Cheng Qingchong's hand already went for the bowl.
So naturally, Qin Yinan's hand landed on hers.