Chapter 14: Have they already progressed to this point?

This plain noodle soup is absolutely not delicious.

It's bland and tasteless, the noodles have a floury taste, with just a faint hint of scallion aroma.

If you added two big spoonfuls of chicken bouillon powder to the broth, it would barely be palatable.

Yet, Gao Qinghe kept bringing chopstickfuls to her mouth, the steam making her eyes squint slightly. She didn't mind the heat, eating heartily in big mouthfuls. Occasionally, soup splashed onto the corner of her mouth, but she didn't bother wiping it, just kept wolfing it down.

"...You're really strange," Lin Xi sat across the island counter, arms crossed, her expression unusually awkward. "Did Gao Jingdong tell you about this plain noodle soup? Why would you specifically ask for this?"

Gao Qinghe's heart trembled, her chopsticks paused mid-air, a drop of soup falling and creating a small ripple.

This plain noodle soup was something she had made not long after they first got together, when he was sick. He had a high fever then, his nose was stuffy, his throat hurt, and he couldn't taste anything. He felt a bit guilty for not being able to taste the steaming bowl of noodles, so he could only hoarsely shout that it was delicious, so delicious.

After he recovered, he pestered Lin Xi to make it again. While eating it, he was puzzled, repeatedly asking if the ingredients were exactly the same as before, why it had no flavor at all.

After that, she never made it again.

She rarely cooked in the first place.

Gao Qinghe's throat tightened. She lowered her head and abruptly picked up a large clump of noodles, stuffing them into her mouth.

"...Delicious, really delicious," she choked a little, the noodles stuck in her throat making her cough uncontrollably. Lin Xi quickly stood up, brought a glass of water and handed it to her, gently patting Gao Qinghe's back to help her swallow, the motion gentle and patient. The pleasant scent of metallic rose perfume from her body wafted around Gao Qinghe's nose.

...If only they were still together!

The hot soup steam made Gao Qinghe's eyes sting again.

She truly knew she was wrong, and truly knew to cherish her now.

Lin Xi had been attracted to him once, which proved that at least in her eyes, he still had some good points, right?

As long as he corrected these flaws of his—like being too blunt, a bit stubborn, and a bit lazy—Lin Xi should fall in love with him again, right?

Gao Qinghe wiped her tears, not caring that her hand was wet, picked up the bowl and gulped down the soup, not leaving a single drop.

The bowl was empty. She let out a satisfied, drawn-out sigh, "Ah—", but the sound, unlike the deafening roar of a man, was rather cute and charming.

Lin Xi chuckled. She stood up, walked to Gao Qinghe's side, her gaze falling on her face. Those cat-like eyes curved into crescents with a smile, carrying a rare softness.

"Qinghe, you've splashed it all over your face," she took a tissue and gently wiped the soup and noodle bits from her face. "Look at you, how did you end up eating like this?" The tissue slid over her skin, wiping away the stickiness of the soup, but unintentionally brushed past the corner of her mouth, making Gao Qinghe's lower lip tremble slightly. The distance was so close she could almost feel their breaths mingling, the familiar scent of metallic rose perfume washing over her like a tide.

Sigh!

If only they were still together.

Gao Qinghe closed her eyes, feeling her tears were about to fall again.

She abruptly stood up, her movements so hasty she almost knocked over the bowl and chopsticks.

"I... I'll go wash my face!"

To hide her embarrassment, she walked straight to the bathroom.

Familiar furnishings, even the familiar grapefruit-scented incense.

Gao Qinghe stood in front of the mirror, the light from above illuminating her reflection. Her eyes were rimmed red, her almond-shaped eyes misty with unshed tears, eyelashes trembling slightly. Her face was streaked with tear tracks, her nose a bit red too. Her long hair was disheveled, strands damp with tears clinging to her cheeks, a pitiful sight. The collar of her beige silk shirt was slightly open, the curve of her chest casting a shallow shadow under the light.

She reached out, her fingertips touching the mirror surface.

But she was different now.

A wave of complex emotions surged up. Gao Qinghe shook her head, turned on the faucet, and cold water gushed out. She bent over, splashing water all over her face.

The icy water droplets hit her face, creating tiny splashes. Her hair fell into the sink, getting wet too, but she didn't care, just flicked the wet hair behind her with her hand.

When she raised her hand to turn off the faucet, a bristle brush on a small stand at the edge of the sink caught her attention.

Lin Xi still has so many little odds and ends.

Didn't she say makeup brushes and such shouldn't be left on the bathroom counter because they'd get dirty? Back when they were tidying up the house together, she had lectured him severely about that.

Gao Qinghe stared for a while, the more she looked, the more she felt this thing must be expensive.

She shifted her angle and leaned closer, only then seeing an exquisitely crafted, almost exaggeratedly so, small silver razor hanging on the other side of the stand. Because it was hung upside down, the blade and the silver stand almost blended together.

—This seems to be a razor.

Gao Qinghe felt a chill in her heart.

The silver blade gleamed coldly under the light, the handle faintly etched with intricate patterns, understated yet glaringly luxurious.

Who this seemingly pretentious razor belonged to should be self-evident.

...Have they really already progressed to this point?

Could it be... she really can't win Lin Xi back anymore?

A dull pain surged in Gao Qinghe's heart, making her breath catch. Subconsciously, she reached out, her fingertips touching the razor's handle. The coldness of the metal pierced her like a thorn.

"Qinghe, for face towels, the box of tissues on the side of the sink is... Oh! How did you get water everywhere?"

Lin Xi's voice startled her, and she immediately withdrew her hand. Turning her head, she saw Lin Xi standing outside the bathroom door, her eyes sweeping over the water-splattered sink and floor, her brows furrowed.

Gao Qinghe instinctively hunched her shoulders, her slender frame curling slightly. She lowered her head, a few strands of long hair slipping from her shoulders, damp and clinging to her neck. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her skirt.

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Lin Xi just sighed. There was no anger in her eyes; instead, they held an unexpected trace of heartache and helplessness.

"It's fine, come out after you wash your face. I'll wipe the floor."

...?

What's going on?

She's not scolding me?

Gao Qinghe was somewhat surprised, standing dumbfounded in place, at a loss.

If this were before, even if he just ran out without drying his hands after washing them, she would lecture him for a while and force him to get a paper towel to wipe up the water he dripped on the floor.

"What's wrong, come out quickly. Ah, dry your face first." Lin Xi's expression was unprecedentedly gentle. She pointed towards the tissue box, indicating she should take one.

Not daring to say more, Gao Qinghe hurriedly pulled out a face towel and wiped her face haphazardly before sheepishly walking out of the bathroom.