90: Chapter 90 I Want to Cook for You
It was just a bit slower.
Her gaze rested on the colorful packaging on the shelves for less than two seconds before she looked away and continued pushing the shopping cart forward.
Jiang Chen, walking ahead as if he had eyes in the back of his head, suddenly stopped and turned to glance at her.
Su Xiaoxi felt a bit guilty under his gaze, thinking she was walking too slowly, and quickly sped up.
But Jiang Chen didn't keep going forward; instead, he turned into the snack aisle.
He picked up a few bags of potato chips, a box of chocolates, two packs of preserved plums, and a large bag of nuts from the shelves, casually tossing them into the cart.
Su Xiaoxi watched as the colorful items piled up like a small mountain in the cart. She opened her mouth to say "it's too much," but the words died in her throat.
She stole a glance at Jiang Chen and found he was already moving ahead, his back to her, making his emotions unreadable.
However, she noticed his pace was a bit slower than before, slow enough to match the speed at which she pushed the cart.
At checkout, the cashier scanned the items one by one. The numbers on the screen kept jumping up, finally stopping at a figure Su Xiaoxi didn't dare look at.
Jiang Chen swiped his card, scribbled a signature on the electronic pad, and picked up the two largest shopping bags to head toward the parking lot.
Su Xiaoxi followed behind, carrying the remaining small bag, which held the box of chocolates and felt heavy.
Back in the car, the air conditioning was turned on, and the cold air quickly chased away the heat in the cabin.
Su Xiaoxi's back was damp with sweat, and she shivered when the cold wind hit her.
She held the box of chocolates on her lap, looking down at the gold-embossed foreign letters on the packaging, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the box.
After driving for a while, the car stopped at a red light, and she finally spoke.
“Brother Chen.”
“Yeah.”
“I...” She hesitated, her voice dropping as if she were weighing her words. “Can I go out to buy groceries by myself in the future?”
Jiang Chen turned his head to look at her.
Su Xiaoxi grew even more nervous under his gaze and quickly added, “I won't have contact with any men, and I won't run around. I'll go wherever you tell me to.”
“I just thought... if you come to see me, I could cook for you. My cooking is actually quite good. I used to do all the cooking at home—Braised Pork Ribs, Sweet and Sour Fish, Tomato and Egg Stir-fry... My mom said my cooking was better than a restaurant's...”
Her voice trailed off as she spoke, probably feeling she was saying too much, like a contestant trying to sell her culinary skills.
Jiang Chen looked at her for a few seconds, something unreadable in his gaze, as if he were sizing her up or suppressing a laugh.
“You'll cook for me?” he repeated.
Su Xiaoxi nodded, the tips of her ears turning red. “Yes. If you come... I saw that the kitchen is new, it shouldn't go to waste...”
The red light turned green. Jiang Chen released the brake, and the car glided forward smoothly.
He didn't look at her, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“Su Xiaoxi,” he suddenly said.
Su Xiaoxi looked up.
“Listen carefully.”
Jiang Chen's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: “You aren't a prisoner, and I have no intention of locking you up.”
Su Xiaoxi was stunned for a moment, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the box of chocolates.
“Go out whenever you want, and make friends if you want.”
His tone remained flat, as if he were stating something ordinary. “I have no objection to normal socializing.”
The car turned at an intersection. Sunlight streamed through the side window, falling on Su Xiaoxi's lap and making the gold-embossed packaging of the chocolates shine.
Holding the box of chocolates, she watched the street scenery receding outside the window. After a while, she asked softly, “Then... can I look for a job?”
Jiang Chen didn't answer immediately.
His fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel twice, as if he were thinking about something.
A faint hum came from the car's air conditioning vents, lightly swaying the stray hairs at her temples.
“What kind of job do you want?” he asked.
Su Xiaoxi thought for a moment. “I can do anything. Back in my hometown, I worked in a milk tea shop, as a supermarket cashier, and even babysat for a while. I'm a quick learner; I won't embarrass you.”
“I'm not afraid of you embarrassing me,” Jiang Chen said.
Su Xiaoxi fell silent.
The car turned right at an intersection and entered the road where their residential complex was located.
The Plane Trees on both sides of the road were lush, casting deep green shade under the scorching sun. The chirping of cicadas poured from the canopies, noisily filling the entire street.
“If you want to find a job, you can.”
Jiang Chen steered the car into the entrance of the underground garage. His voice grew slightly deeper as they entered the ramp.
“But there's no rush. You can look for something you like.”
He parked the car, turned off the engine, and turned toward her.
It was quiet in the car, with only the faint hum of the overhead fluorescent lights.
Su Xiaoxi felt a bit nervous under his gaze, her fingers gripping the box of chocolates tighter.
“What you need to do now,” Jiang Chen's gaze fell on her face, calm and direct, “is to first get used to living here.”
He paused and added, “As for your cooking skills... I'll try them some other day.”
Su Xiaoxi's eyes instantly lit up, as if someone had flipped a switch.
“Really?”
she asked, a hint of excitement she couldn't hide in her voice. “Then when will you come? I'll go buy groceries in advance. I need to keep the fridge stocked...”
Jiang Chen glanced at her.
Su Xiaoxi immediately shut up, but she couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips, which were arched like crescent moons.
Jiang Chen said nothing more and pushed open the car door.
Su Xiaoxi also unbuckled her seatbelt and got out, pulling the shopping bags one by one from the back seat.
Jiang Chen walked around to the trunk, picked up the bags she couldn't reach, and locked the car.
The two of them walked one after the other toward the elevator lobby.
Su Xiaoxi carried three small bags, while Jiang Chen walked ahead, carrying the remaining seven or eight bags of various sizes.
From the underground garage to the first-floor lobby, then through the complex's garden to the building, Su Xiaoxi took a serious look at the place for the first time.
The road was paved with light gray permeable bricks, and the green belts on both sides were planted with various flowers and plants she couldn't name.
The air smelled of soil and plants, mixed with the lingering heat of the evening—stuffy, yet reassuring.
The building was only six stories high, with an exterior of red brick and white paint.
It didn't look like those cold high-rise buildings; it looked more like the houses in foreign small towns she had seen on TV.
A Silk Tree was planted at the entrance, its pink fluffy flowers in full bloom like an open pink umbrella, incredibly soft in the sunset.
Su Xiaoxi looked up at the Silk Tree, her pace unconsciously slowing.
Jiang Chen was walking ahead. After a few steps, he noticed no one was behind him and looked back.
Su Xiaoxi was gazing up at the Silk Tree. Sunlight filtered through the flower clusters onto her face, pink spots of light swaying gently on her cheeks.
Her expression was one of pure, untainted delight, like a child seeing candy in a shop window, her eyes shining.