Xiu Gou's Taming Record

After breakfast, Yu Heng asked Bai Xinran to stay home and think about how to draw the design.

He needs to go to the supermarket to buy some ingredients.

The villa is rarely used for cooking, and the refrigerator contains only drinks, bread, and frozen food.

He changed his clothes and went out, taking out his phone on the way.

I noticed that Qin Lu still hasn't replied to the message I sent last night.

He thought for a moment, then sent another message.

Yu Heng: "It's getting colder today, wear something warmer when you go out."

The message was sent successfully and I was not blocked again.

But there's still no movement. Is this a case of letting things cool down?

Yu Heng shrank back, mentally calculating the menu.

Shen Yueling likes tomato and beef brisket, so this is one of her dishes.

Let's make some preserved plum pork ribs.

For vegetarian dishes, try garlic-flavored romaine lettuce and hand-torn cabbage; they're easy to make.

I'll buy some more ground meat and make some meatball soup...

For two people, four dishes and a soup is a generous meal.

As for Bai Xinran… Yu Heng twitched the corner of his mouth and said, “Let her go hungry for now, we’ll eat later.”

Yu Heng pushed the shopping cart and went to the fresh produce section first.

After buying all the ingredients, he pushed his cart past the beverage section, thought for a moment, and picked up a bottle of orange juice.

Shen Yueling doesn't like carbonated drinks.

-

At 11:20, the doorbell rang.

Yu Heng wiped his hands and went to open the door.

Shen Yueling stood outside the door, holding a paper bag in her hand.

"You're here." Yu Heng stepped aside to let her in.

Shen Yueling walked in with a calm expression and placed the paper bag on the shoe cabinet: "I brought you some fruit."

"Okay," Yu Heng closed the door. "Dinner will be ready soon, please sit down."

Shen Yueling changed into slippers and sat down in the living room.

She looked around and saw that the house was fairly clean.

I leaned back on the sofa, took out my phone and scrolled through it for a while, then put it down again.

She was actually a little curious whether Yu Heng could cook.

He used to only cook instant noodles, rice, or porridge in a rice cooker, and he never knew exactly how much water to add.

Just then, Yu Heng came out carrying two plates of food: "Dinner's ready."

Shen Yueling got up and walked to the dining table. She glanced at the dishes on the table and thought they looked alright.

"Try it." Yu Heng served her two bowls of rice and handed her one.

Shen Yueling picked up a piece of hand-torn cabbage with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

Surprisingly, it tasted pretty good.

"How is it?" Yu Heng asked.

"It's alright," Shen Yueling said, picking up another bite with her chopsticks. "Better than I expected."

Yu Heng smiled: "Of course, I learned it especially for you."

"I don't believe you." Shen Yue rolled her eyes at him. "When did you learn that?"

"Just recently," Yu Heng said without changing his expression, "I was thinking that since I'm living in a villa, I can't keep eating takeout."

Shen Yueling didn't ask any more questions and lowered her head to eat.

After they ate quietly for a while, Yu Heng spoke up: "Shall we talk about what happened yesterday?"

Shen Yueling paused, her chopsticks picking up ribs, and looked up at him: "What are you talking about?"

Her voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

"I'm not making excuses. Yesterday morning," Yu Heng put down his chopsticks and leaned forward slightly, "I really didn't think of you."

Shen Yueling put the ribs into the bowl and poked them one by one with the tip of her chopsticks: "And then?"

"And I didn't expect you to come." Yu Heng looked at her. "When I went out and saw it was raining, my first reaction was to run quickly so I wouldn't get wet. Just then, Ning Yutong came over to bring me an umbrella."

Shen Yueling stopped poking at the ribs.

"She likes you," Shen Yueling raised her eyes, her voice still flat, "She gave you the umbrella so you would remember her kindness."

"Of course I know that." Yu Heng nodded. "I know she likes me. She came to give me an umbrella to surprise me, or rather, to show off."

He paused, then continued, "But Yue Ling, you're different."

Shen Yueling's eyelashes trembled slightly.

"We don't need that kind of thing between us." Yu Heng's voice was a little lower. "How many years have we known each other? Our birthdays are only a week apart. We've been taking baths together since we were little. I even bought you sanitary napkins for your first period. When my brother had that accident, you stayed home with me for several nights."

Shen Yueling's ears turned slightly red, but her face remained indifferent: "So?"

"So," Yu Heng looked at her, "you could have easily sent me a message or made a phone call before you left this morning."

He leaned back a little, his tone more relaxed: "If you sent it, I knew you were coming. I'll wait at the dormitory entrance and take your umbrella, so you won't make a wasted trip and won't have to stand in the rain watching me share an umbrella with someone else."

Shen Yueling was silent for a moment: "I understand, but what about Yutong? You took my umbrella, but what about her?"

"So that's what we're going to talk about next," Yu Heng added, "This kind of thing, like sending an umbrella, might happen again in the future."

Shen Yueling looked up at him.

"Since we've already discussed our relationship," Yu Heng explained, "there will definitely be more like this in the future, and it could be someone else if it's not Ning Yutong."

"I don't want you to always care too much about this kind of thing," Yu Heng continued. "It's Ning Yutong's business if she wants to show off. But between you and me, we can be more straightforward. I'm happy that you care about me, and I will care about you even more in the future, but don't let other people affect your mood."

Shen Yueling bit her lower lip: "What kind of logic is that?"

"Yueling, do you want to date me?" Yu Heng asked directly.

Shen Yueling was stumped by the question; it seemed she really hadn't thought of it.

"Do you have any romantic feelings for me?" Yu Heng asked again, then answered himself, "I don't think so. If that hadn't happened during the summer vacation, we would probably just be childhood friends."

"Whether it was before or now, the reason you get jealous isn't because you want to be in a relationship," Yu Heng said calmly. "You're strong-willed and competitive, and that includes relationships. The reason you're angry is simply because you feel ignored, like you lost out, right?"

Shen Yueling bit her lower lip, poking the ribs in the bowl to pieces with the tip of her chopsticks.

Every word Yu Heng said felt like a nail. She wanted to refute him, but found herself at a loss for words.

Because he's right, at least partly right.

She really hadn't thought about dating Yu Heng; the word "dating" was too formal.

It meant commitment and constraints, and a whole host of troubles, which she hated.

After that afternoon during summer vacation, some things changed.

Yu Heng's gaze towards her changed, and her body reacted to his touch.

She didn't know whether it was right or wrong to agree to Yu Heng's request to maintain this intimacy without being in a romantic relationship.

But at least she had aspirations, even if she was somewhat confused.

"So?" Shen Yueling asked, her voice a little dry. "Are you saying all this so I won't care who you share an umbrella with anymore?"

Yu Heng looked at her but didn't answer immediately. He picked up his water glass and took a sip.

"I just wanted to make you feel better about this," he said. "Ning Yutong gave me an umbrella, and I accepted it. Whether I remember her kindness or not, whether I reciprocate her feelings or not, it doesn't affect you and me."

"What do you mean by 'not affecting'?" Shen Yueling looked up at him. "I felt uncomfortable watching the two of you walk under one umbrella. Isn't that affecting me?"

"These are all just emotions." Yu Heng put down his cup. "Emotions are fine, but they're fleeting. Don't let them control you. Like now, you're sitting here. Once the emotions have passed, you're eating my food. Yes, I made it especially for you. That's what's real, and that's what makes you happy, isn't it?"

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Shen Yueling's voice turned cold. "Watch you being intimate with someone else, and you're supposed to just smile and applaud?"

Yu Heng smiled: "No need for that. You can just tell me you're unhappy, you can make a fuss with me, and I'll try to coax you, but..." He paused, "everything has its limits, right?"

Just as Shen Yueling was about to say something, Yu Heng continued, "If you're still not happy, I can coax you in a more special way."

After Yu Heng finished speaking, a smile appeared on his lips as he stared at Shen Yueling.

"Who needs your coaxing?" She looked away. "Just eat your food."

Yu Heng was amused. Seeing her like this, he knew he had managed to appease her and that she had listened to what he had said.

"Your friend who's a livestreamer," Shen Yueling suddenly asked, "isn't he here?"

Yu Heng swallowed the food in his mouth, his expression unchanged: "Yes, I'm in my room."

"He doesn't eat lunch?" Shen Yueling looked up at him.

"She's busy," Yu Heng replied vaguely, "too busy to eat or sleep, don't worry about her."

Shen Yueling didn't ask any more questions, nor was there any need to delve into it further.

There are always people and things around Yu Heng that she doesn't fully understand.

Like that Bai Xinran, how did she end up partnering with him to create some kind of virtual streamer?

Yu Heng wasn't someone who would have thought about starting a business before.

"What are you thinking about?" Yu Heng asked when he saw her lost in thought.

"No." Shen Yueling snapped out of her thoughts, put down her chopsticks, and said, "I'm full."

"You only ate this much?" Yu Heng looked at the half-eaten bowl of rice left in her bowl. "Eat some more."

"I can't eat anymore." Shen Yueling took a tissue to wipe her mouth. "You eat it yourself."

"Are you busy this afternoon?" Yu Heng asked.

"Yes, I still have homework," Shen Yueling said. "I'll go back after you finish eating."

"So eager?" Yu Heng narrowed his eyes. "Don't you really need me to coax you a little?"

"Tch..." Shen Yue rolled her eyes at him. "I know what you're thinking. Let's wait a little longer. I think I'll be ready soon."