Chapter 56: Breakfast
Xiang Er had slept soundly last night, a deep, dreamless sleep.
She was still savoring the pleasant sensation of rest, her mind not yet fully awake, when Shen Yuhe’s beautiful face, in close-up, suddenly appeared before her, and she froze.
Then, Shen Yuhe kissed her forehead.
Xiang Er’s eyes widened, her expression less like someone who had been kissed, and more like someone who had been punched in the face!
Was she still dreaming?!
But her senses told her she was awake!
But a beautiful woman in her bed, a good morning kiss… this was… too surreal…
Xiang Er was so stunned that her blush was delayed, her face slowly turning red only after she had confirmed that she was indeed awake.
Then she remembered, she had come home last night and fallen asleep immediately, without even washing up… How oily must her forehead be! It must be shining!
How could Shen Yuhe kiss her forehead like that?!
Shen Yuhe said good morning, but receiving no response, she raised an eyebrow, a puzzled look on her face.
And Xiang Er… Xiang Er’s entire face, neck, and collarbone flushed crimson, as if she had been dipped in boiling water, steam practically rising from her head.
She suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, jumped out of bed, and ran to the bathroom, a flurry of activity as she began to wash up.
Shen Yuhe, still lying on the bed, her posture alluring, looked puzzled, then couldn’t help but smile. Truly adorable, her Little Ears.
Xiang Er frantically scrubbed her face at the sink, until her forehead was clean and shiny, then brushed her teeth vigorously, thoroughly, even cleaning her tongue.
She didn’t know why, but she felt the need to maintain good oral hygiene, perhaps she would need it today!
But then she was startled by her own thought, need it for what… Xiang Er, get a grip! Shen Yuhe was a person with special abilities! Although she wasn’t sure of the details, perhaps she was a government agent, here on a mission, not to… well, not to do that with her!
After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Xiang Er suddenly realized that today was Saturday, she didn’t have to go to work.
She immediately took a quick shower, applied conditioner to her hair, used fragrant shower gel, and then body lotion, finally feeling presentable.
By the time she was done, forty minutes had passed. Xiang Er took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door.
As expected, Shen Yuhe was standing outside the door, her good arm resting impatiently against the wall, her body leaning against the doorframe, her gaze fixed on the door, ready to greet the person emerging.
Xiang Er knew she had been waiting for a long time and quickly apologized:
“Oh, I’m sorry, I took a bit long, I made you wait!”
But Shen Yuhe didn’t seem impatient at all. Instead, she looked Xiang Er up and down, a sweet smile curving her lips:
“You’re very clean now.”
Xiang Er blushed again. How did she know she was clean… well, she had just showered, but… there was something about the way she said it… a double entendre…
“Um, it’s Saturday today, I don’t have to go to work, how about you? Do you have to go to work?”
Xiang Er asked, fiddling with her pajama sleeve.
“Saturday? I don’t have to go to work either.”
Shen Yuhe said, standing up gracefully and, extending her arm, pulling Xiang Er into an embrace.
Xiang Er’s heart pounded, her limbs stiff and awkward, her face pressed against Shen Yuhe’s familiar chest, the familiar… scent of her skin filling her nostrils.
Her mind reeled, her body weakening.
And her damp hair brushed against Shen Yuhe’s skin, the cool, wet touch almost intoxicating.
Her voice, unconsciously husky, like a seductive caramel latte, whispered:
“You haven’t said good morning to me yet.”
So that was it… Xiang Er’s face pressed against Shen Yuhe’s collarbone, and she turned her head, trying to avoid touching Shen Yuhe’s skin with her lips.
She found a pocket of air and mumbled:
“Good morning… Little Fish… mmph…”
Pressed so close, her words were muffled and slightly slurred.
But she didn’t want Shen Yuhe to let go.
She just wanted… to stay like this forever, in this embrace, until the end of time… to never wake up, to never see the monsters, the black slime, just to stay like this with Shen Yuhe, forever… that was her wildest dream.
But Shen Yuhe suddenly released her, coughing as if in pain, and quickly stepped back.
He could clearly hear the voice in Xiang Er’s heart, but that voice, like a thousand tiny knives, pierced His true form, an unbearable agony!
The more she loved Shen Yuhe, the more He suffered. He couldn’t embrace her…
Seeing her cough and retreat, Xiang Er suddenly remembered the bandage on her shoulder. She panicked, how could she have forgotten that Shen Yuhe was injured! Letting her hug her so tightly, she must have aggravated the wound!
Xiang Er, filled with guilt, rushed forward and helped Shen Yuhe sit down on the sofa:
“How’s your shoulder? Does it hurt? Did I hurt you… I’m so sorry, I forgot about your injury.”
Shen Yuhe just looked at her, her gaze unwavering, saying nothing, just shaking her head.
Xiang Er, confused by her reaction, asked:
“Where does it hurt? Did the bandage come loose…”
Shen Yuhe said:
“I’m fine.”
She smiled at Xiang Er, but her smile was tinged with sadness and disappointment.
Xiang Er, flustered, stood there for a moment, then said softly:
“I’ll go make breakfast.”
She went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
Shen Yuhe followed her, standing at the kitchen doorway, watching her, glancing inside the refrigerator.
Xiang Er felt a pang of embarrassment:
“Ah… there’s not much in here, haha.”
Well, she wasn’t in the habit of cooking at home, so the refrigerator was mostly empty, barely enough ingredients for two simple egg sandwiches.
Xiang Er, under Shen Yuhe’s watchful gaze, started cooking, diligently scrambling a few eggs.
Shen Yuhe looked at the scrambled eggs and said with apparent sincerity:
“Wow, is this what they call a ‘dark dish’ online? You’re a true culinary genius!”
Xiang Er:
“…”
It was hard not to detect the sarcasm in her voice.
Well, the edges of the eggs were burnt, the insides still runny, and there were suspicious black spots… they didn’t look very appetizing.
There was no helping it, Xiang Er’s cooking skills had always hovered between “edible” and “poisonous,” never quite reaching “normal.”
She sighed and took out more eggs, preparing to try again.
However… a shadow suddenly fell over her, Shen Yuhe’s scent filling the air, her breath warm against Xiang Er’s ear and neck, a long, white hand reaching around her and picking up an egg, cracking it gently against the edge of the bowl.
A crisp “crack” as the eggshell broke, the yolk spilling into the bowl.
Xiang Er froze, her arms raised, as if unsure why she was even there. She turned to look at Shen Yuhe.
Shen Yuhe was standing behind her, her profile elegant and focused, her gaze fixed on the egg in her hand, not looking at Xiang Er.
But her body, pressed against Xiang Er’s back, its curves and warmth… Xiang Er’s heart raced, her face flushing.
Shen Yuhe’s attention was on the eggs. Still not quite proficient with chopsticks, she had found a spoon to whisk the eggs, then, with a single hand, heated the oil in the pan, the eggs sliding into the pan with a sizzle, forming golden bubbles.
Throughout the process, Xiang Er remained trapped in Shen Yuhe’s embrace. Afraid of the hot oil splattering, Shen Yuhe turned Xiang Er around, so that her back was to the stove.
Xiang Er tried to move away, struggling slightly, but something soft, like Shen Yuhe’s hand, yet not quite, pressed against her back, holding her in place, then quickly releasing her.
Shen Yuhe’s voice, above her head, said:
“Don’t go…”
Xiang Er could only stand still, her face close to Shen Yuhe’s chest, the smooth skin beneath the thin straps of her nightgown on full display, and Xiang Er could only try to meditate, to calm her racing heart.
It was, of course, a futile effort. She wanted to kiss that skin, to bite it, or at least… to touch it.
She imagined herself touching it… letting her imagination run wild, after all, no one knew what she was thinking, right?
Shen Yuhe continued cooking. With a casual flick of her wrist, she stirred the eggs with the spoon, then sprinkled some pepper, and soon, a perfectly cooked plate of scrambled eggs was ready.
The eggs, served on a white porcelain plate, a simple dish yet expertly executed, neither too oily nor too dry, perfectly fluffy and golden, looked like something from a five-star hotel.
Shen Yuhe chuckled softly, her voice vibrating against Xiang Er’s head:
“Stop thinking about it, let’s eat.”
Xiang Er was startled. How did she know what she was thinking…? No, she couldn’t possibly know, she must be imagining things… Stop overthinking!
She turned around and, seeing the perfect eggs on the plate, exclaimed in surprise:
“You can’t even use chopsticks, how can you cook?!”
Shen Yuhe:
“Not being able to use chopsticks doesn’t mean I can’t cook. Besides, these are American scrambled eggs.”
Xiang Er’s eyes widened, and she looked up at Shen Yuhe, a series of questions tumbling out:
“Did you study abroad in America? When did you discover your special abilities? Are you working for the government, or a private organization?”
Shen Yuhe pursed her lips and didn’t answer. She took out some bread from the refrigerator, put it in the pan to toast, and sliced some cucumbers and tomatoes.
Xiang Er wisely stopped asking, she was a good citizen who understood confidentiality protocols.
Soon, two sandwiches and two cups of instant coffee were ready.
Xiang Er was finally released from Shen Yuhe’s embrace, and she carried the food and drinks to the coffee table with a smile.
Shen Yuhe, also smiling, brought over a cup of coffee. Xiang Er took a bite of her sandwich and exclaimed dramatically:
“Oh my god, this is so delicious!”
The toasted bread was crispy, the scrambled eggs perfectly fluffy and fragrant, the vegetables adding texture and flavor, every bite a delightful explosion of taste, such a simple meal, yet so incredibly good!
She smiled at Shen Yuhe:
“I’m going to be so spoiled.”
Shen Yuhe sipped her coffee, her lips curving upwards, but there was no mirth in her eyes, as if her mind was elsewhere.
Xiang Er, eating her sandwich, felt that the moment was finally right, and she asked cautiously:
“If you don’t mind, can you tell me… about things that aren’t classified?”
She hesitated, then asked:
“Like… did you come here… because of the thing in my room?”
Was it because of that thing, or because of… me?
She didn’t dare ask the second part, just held her coffee, her gaze filled with anticipation.
Shen Yuhe’s answer was natural, matter-of-fact:
“No, I came for you.”
Xiang Er was about to respond when she suddenly heard a sound from her bedroom.
A soft, squishy sound, like something wet hitting the floor.
Xiang Er frowned, a bad feeling creeping in, and Shen Yuhe immediately stood up, her expression serious, put down her coffee cup, and rushed into Xiang Er’s room, slamming the door shut!
“Hey? What happened?!”
Xiang Er, outside, panicked, afraid to enter. A series of crashes and bangs echoed from inside, along with angry shouts and the sound of things being thrown!
Like the roar of a wild beast, the sounds of furniture colliding, then Shen Yuhe’s commanding voice, “Don’t move! Surrender!”
Was there… a fight going on inside?!
Xiang Er’s hand trembled as she approached the door, her heart pounding with worry. Shen Yuhe’s injury hadn’t healed yet! What kind of monster was she fighting? What if she couldn’t defeat it, who could she ask for help?!
Xiang Er thought, Shen Yuhe should have given her the contact information of one of her colleagues, so she could call for backup! What was she supposed to do now?!
She paced anxiously for a while, the sounds of fighting and crashing gradually subsiding, then a weak cry, like a small animal whimpering, reached her ears.
The door opened, and Shen Yuhe stood there, splattered with black slime, but thankfully, no blood, she seemed uninjured.
Xiang Er frowned at the sight of the black slime.
Shen Yuhe said cautiously:
“I have something to show you, are you… ready?”
Xiang Er:
“…”
She had a very bad feeling about this.
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