167: Chapter 167 Shen Nian, did you take the wrong medicine today?

Li Cheng drove the company car and dropped the two of them off at the intersection below the apartment building.

As soon as the car stopped, Shen Nian pulled up the hood of her hoodie and fished a black mask out of her pocket, pulling it over her face to cover most of it.

She pushed open the car door and hopped out after Jiang Fan.

Li Cheng rolled down the car window: "Brother Fan, I'll be heading off now."

"Go ahead."

The car drove away.

The two didn't go straight upstairs; they bypassed the crosswalk and turned into the large chain supermarket across the street.

At 6:30 PM, there weren't many people in the supermarket.

Jiang Fan pushed an empty shopping cart in front.

Shen Nian followed slightly behind, her hands stuffed into her hoodie pockets, her gaze wandering back and forth across the shelves on both sides.

Passing the daily necessities section, Shen Nian stopped and pointed to the body wash on the shelf.

"The one at home is almost finished."

Jiang Fan reached out, grabbed a bottle, and tossed it into the cart.

Walking to the snack section, Shen Nian grabbed a few bags of potato chips.

Jiang Fan glanced at the small mountain of snacks piling up: "You're a female celebrity; aren't you afraid of getting fat from eating so many puffed snacks?"

"Not afraid. I only have the energy to sing when I'm full." Shen Nian said, sounding completely justified, as she shoved all the chips into the shopping cart.

"What dish do you want to eat?" Jiang Fan turned his head to ask.

"Sweet and sour pork ribs." Shen Nian replied from behind her mask.

Walking to the fresh produce section, Jiang Fan picked out two boxes of ribs that looked good from the freezer.

He continued pushing the cart forward.

After walking a dozen steps, there was no sound behind him.

Jiang Fan turned around to look for her and found Shen Nian stopped in the candy section, pulling a box of mints off the shelf.

She tore open the outer packaging, poured one out, and popped it into her mouth. She only pulled her mask down to her chin, chewed twice, and then pulled the mask back up.

Jiang Fan ignored her and turned to grab two prickly cucumbers in the vegetable section.

After checking out, with two full large bags of items, Jiang Fan carried one in each hand and walked in front.

Shen Nian followed behind, crunching on the mint.

They entered the apartment.

Jiang Fan changed his shoes, carried the ingredients into the kitchen, and placed them on the marble countertop.

He rolled up his shirt sleeves, revealing the muscular lines of his forearms, and turned on the faucet to prepare the ribs.

Just as the water ran over the back of his hands, a pair of hands wrapped around his waist.

Shen Nian hugged him from behind, her cheek pressed against his back.

Through the thin fabric of his shirt, he could feel the warmth of her cheek.

Jiang Fan turned off the faucet and pulled a paper towel to dry his hands.

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Fan turned around.

Shen Nian followed his movement with a step forward, pressing her entire body into his embrace.

She rested her forehead against his chest and rubbed against it a couple of times.

"Are you tired to the point of being silly?"

Jiang Fan looked down at her.

Shen Nian didn't answer; she looked up, her bright red lipstick extremely eye-catching under the kitchen's incandescent light.

She stood on her tiptoes, climbed up onto his shoulders with both hands, and pressed her lips directly onto his.

The cool taste of the mint mixed with her unique scent passed between their lips.

Jiang Fan was stunned for a half-beat.

Shen Nian was usually reserved in nature; when it came to these things, she was always the one being led. What was going on today?

Their teeth bumped together, making a faint sound.

Jiang Fan placed his palms on her waist and pushed her out slightly, putting half an inch of distance between them.

"Aren't you hungry? Let's eat first."

Shen Nian caught her breath, her chest heaving, and a layer of moisture welled up in her eyes.

"No." She said, her voice hoarse, "You helped me win the championship and sign the endorsement... I'm happy. I want to thank you."

As soon as she finished speaking, she stood on her tiptoes again, cupped Jiang Fan's face with both hands, and kissed him even harder than before.

Her bright red lipstick smeared, staining the edges of both their lips.

Jiang Fan's hand rested on her waist, his fingertips sliding in along the hem of her clothes.

The loose black hoodie was pulled off and tossed aside onto the solid wood floor.

Underneath was a pink lace bra.

"Go to the bedroom..." Shen Nian's voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Fan didn't listen to her.

He gripped her slender waist with both hands, exerted strength in his arms, and lifted her directly, placing her on the marble kitchen countertop.

Shen Nian let out an "Ah," her bottom landing on the cold countertop, causing her whole body to shrink back.

At this height, her line of sight was perfectly level with Jiang Fan's.

Her feet dangled in mid-air, and the slipper on her left foot was kicked off, landing on the floor tiles with a slap.

Jiang Fan's fingers hooked the edge of her safety shorts, pulling them down along with the fabric underneath.

Shen Nian braced herself on the countertop with both hands, lifting her hips to cooperate with him.

The clothing slid down her long, slender legs to her ankles, and with a flick from Jiang Fan, it flew off into some unknown corner behind them.

The kitchen's fluorescent light was that bright, stark white kind, illuminating everything clearly.

Shen Nian kept her legs pressed together, her face blushing down to the roots of her neck.

With her bra still on, she sat on the countertop where they usually cooked and cut vegetables, completely bare from the waist down.

"Can you turn off the light..."

"No."

Jiang Fan's hands pressed against her knees, pushing them apart.

Shen Nian bit her lower lip, her thigh muscles tensed for two seconds, but in the end, she let go.

Jiang Fan lowered his head.

"Ah—"

Shen Nian's hands pressed onto the top of his head, her ten fingers gripping his hair tightly.

She kicked her feet against the edge of the countertop, her toes curling tightly.

"Jiang Fan... where, where do you learn all these bad things all day long..."

Only the sound of water responded to her.

Shen Nian's head tilted back, one hand propped on the countertop, the other pressing down hard on Jiang Fan's head, not knowing whether she wanted to push him away or press him even closer.

Ten minutes later.

Jiang Fan straightened up; the sound of his belt buckle being undone was exceptionally clear in the quiet kitchen.

He pushed the pink bra Shen Nian was wearing up, bunching it at her collarbone.

"Hold on tight."

Shen Nian obediently wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her whole body forward.

— — A long time later.

Jiang Fan turned on the faucet to wash his hands and pulled out a wet wipe to hand to her.

Shen Nian took it, sitting slumped on the countertop, her chest still heaving.

After catching her breath for a long while, she held onto the edge of the countertop and slowly slid down to stand on the floor.

"Go take a shower first; the food will be ready in a moment."

Shen Nian nodded, bent down to pick up her clothes, and scurried into the bathroom as if fleeing.

The moment the door closed, a muffled curse came from inside — "You dirty pervert..."

Jiang Fan chuckled, rolled up his sleeves again, and poured the ribs out of the bag.

The system panel quietly appeared at the edge of his vision.

[ Deep Compatibility × 1, Lifespan Value + 1000 ]

Jiang Fan glanced at it and dismissed the panel.

He blanched the ribs to remove the scum, heated oil in the wok, and added rock sugar to caramelize.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

The sweet and sour smell of the pork ribs wafted through the kitchen.

Shen Nian came out wearing a set of cotton loungewear, her hair half-dry, wiping it haphazardly with a towel.

She walked to the stove and sniffed. "It smells so good."

Jiang Fan picked up a piece of rib with his chopsticks, blew on it, and held it to her lips. "Taste it."

Shen Nian opened her mouth and took a bite, chewed twice, and her eyes lit up. "Mmm, delicious."

"Go get the bowls and chopsticks."

Two dishes and one soup were served on the table: sweet and sour pork ribs, cucumber salad, and seaweed egg drop soup.

At the dining table, the two sat across from each other.

Shen Nian ate quickly, her cheeks bulging; she only slowed down after eating three pieces of ribs.

Jiang Fan watched her: "Slow down, no one is going to steal it from you."

After Shen Nian swallowed the rib in her mouth, she picked up a cucumber strip and took a bite.

"How is the progress on that movie of yours?"

"It starts filming next week. Director Ning Yuan is leading the team to Songjiang for location shooting, so I have to run back and forth."

Shen Nian nodded and didn't ask further.

After dinner, Shen Nian took the initiative to clear the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen.

When she came out after drying her hands, Jiang Fan was sitting on the sofa looking at his phone.

Shen Nian walked over and sat directly across his lap.

"Again?" Jiang Fan tossed his phone onto the coffee table and placed his hands on her waist.

Shen Nian's fingers brushed back the lock of hair on his forehead.

"Just now in the kitchen... I wasn't satisfied." She leaned in, rubbing her nose against his neck, and greedily took a breath.

"Shen Nian, did you take the wrong medicine today?"

Jiang Fan didn't waste any more words; he scooped her up and strode towards the bedroom.

Shen Nian was tossed onto the soft bed.

Jiang Fan didn't rush to the next step.

He braced himself above her, looking into Shen Nian's eyes.

"Shen Nian."

"Hmm?"

"In the future, your stage will get bigger and bigger."

Shen Nian hooked her arms around his neck and pulled his head down.

"As long as you are watching me from off-stage, that's enough."

The buttons of the cotton loungewear were undone one by one.

The fabric slid down, revealing a large expanse of fair skin.

Shen Nian's voice came in fragments, echoing in the quiet bedroom.