Fortunately, Gu Fan was broad-minded and didn’t bother to nitpick at a clumsy catgirl like me.
The teasing I had expected didn’t come at all. Instead, the young man chuckled softly as he squatted down beside my legs and placed the steaming bowl of wontons onto the tea table.
“Come eat dinner. Zhinian, you must be hungry too, right? You only ate a little at noon; that’s not nearly enough to fill your stomach.”
“Mm-hmm.”
I quickly nodded and bent down to start tidying up the small tea table.
While stacking the plastic jars of dried fruit, tea canisters, plastic bags, and tissue boxes neatly to the side, I secretly raised a little flag in my heart and waved it in celebration.
A man as gentle and refined as Gu Fan surely wouldn’t seize on tiny faults to complain endlessly. It was just me being overly sensitive, always overthinking things that wouldn’t even happen.
The glass surface of the tea table was a bit dusty, probably because Gu Fan’s uncle hadn’t lived here for a long time. Without any signs of human life, dust had freely stuck to the glass, forming a thick layer that was hard to wipe off.
After managing to clear a small space where Gu Fan and I could sit shoulder to shoulder and eat dumplings, I noticed the dust and hurriedly rummaged through my skirt pocket.
Sanitary pads and wet wipes were all stored in my backpack, but I’d forgotten it in the storage compartment under Gu Fan’s motorcycle seat. It was too late to go downstairs to get it now.
Using plain dry tissues to wipe off the thick dust wouldn’t work well—it would take ages to clean it all properly.
And I didn’t want to trouble Gu Fan, who had worked hard to cook, to go find a cloth. Knowing his nature, if he got water on his hands, he would definitely come over to wipe the table himself.
Luckily, the pack of wet wipes I had on me wasn’t used up yet. While Gu Fan went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks, I anxiously knelt down on the floor with my knee touching the ground and quickly wiped the tea table with disinfectant wet wipes.
Perhaps because my movements were a bit too vigorous, after wiping the edges, I turned back to clean the center area and suddenly noticed two round marks pressed into the surface.
Only then did I realize I had been too hasty and hadn’t noticed the overly swollen cotton pad pressing down on the tea table, leaving a thin layer of dust stuck to the down jacket Gu Fan had bought me.
Ugh… really useless, good for nothing.
Scolding myself quietly for being so clumsy, I could only take out a fresh wet wipe to clean the jacket again. There was no way I could let Gu Fan see me looking dirty—that would be unacceptable.
Putting myself in Gu Fan’s shoes, just a minute ago, the catgirl Zhinian had been all neat and proper, but when she left the living room to get bowls and chopsticks and came back, she revealed her truly loathsome nature.
Just like those silly cats online that only know how to yawn, scratch, and arch their backs—when the owner’s not around, they swing their claws, knocking everything off the table onto the floor, getting themselves covered in dust.
Thinking about this, I didn’t dare imagine how much Gu Fan’s impression of me would drop if he saw how clumsy I had been.
Gu Fan would probably say something kind like, “It’s okay, just be careful next time,” which might make me feel a bit better.
But… my goal was to be a virtuous wife and good mother. Only by doing everything perfectly could I gain Gu Fan’s approval and satisfaction, so he would wholeheartedly entrust me with his most relaxed moments, letting me ease the pressures he faced socially and enjoy the warmth and happiness of home.
Repeatedly blaming myself for my improper behavior, I quickly wiped the dust off the down jacket, then used the other side of the wet wipe to continue cleaning the small area on the tea table in front of me.
Then, before Gu Fan returned, I roughly arranged the drinks and snacks from the plastic bags onto the table, finally adding a touch of homeliness.
“Clack~” “Clack~”
The gentle clinking of bowls and chopsticks sounded.
Gu Fan came out holding two large bowls with matching chopsticks and spoons. A few droplets of water clung to the ceramic surfaces, showing they had been rinsed beforehand—after all, they hadn’t been used in a long time.
He scooped two bowls of steaming wonton soup and deliberately placed one near me, using this subtle move to sit on the sofa beside me.
Hmph, to have more chances to cuddle up, I’m definitely becoming more cunning.
Fortunately, Gu Fan didn’t notice my scheming actions. He pulled a small packet of aged vinegar and soy sauce from one of the plastic bags he’d brought back from the market—probably a complimentary gift when buying wontons? I hadn’t even considered that.
Usually, when I get hungry and go out to eat, I just order and finish my meal right there. I never thought about how Gu Fan would also consider that I was at home and purposely buy ingredients to cook for me.
Because of that, I didn’t realize I had to prepare the vinegar and soy sauce for dipping the wontons myself. Habitually, I assumed the restaurant would have set out the dipping plates or sauce bottles ready to use.
Hmm… looks like I’ll have to try cooking more often in the future. Otherwise, I’m sure I’ll keep missing these details.
Carefully helping Gu Fan open the packaging and pouring the condiments into the little plastic dish the vendor provided, the dinner preparation stage was finally complete.
“All set, time to eat.”
Gu Fan clapped his hands and sat down, inviting me to try it quickly.
Having been busy tidying the tea table earlier, I finally had a moment to appreciate the bowl of wonton soup Gu Fan had made.
To my surprise, even before tasting it, just looking at the ingredients floating on the surface, I could feel what ‘rich and hearty’ really meant.
“Wow… there’s so much in it. Did Gu Fan buy other vegetables too?” I asked in astonishment.
Although I hadn’t gone into the kitchen, I did stand at the doorway and secretly watch a little after waking up. But I hadn’t noticed if Gu Fan bought any other vegetables. Instead, I just stared at his back and let my mind wander, lacking the thoughtful awareness a good wife should have.
Gu Fan nodded. “I just boiled some seaweed and baby bok choy in the wonton soup. The pork meatballs and eggs were bought at the market when I was shopping. There’s still a small sealed bag of seaweed left in the cabinet. If we come here again, we can cook some noodles or something.”
“Mm-hmm, got it…” I silently took note of the side ingredients Gu Fan used for the wonton soup.
I have to admit, I had been too caught up in trivial thoughts before. Now that I was finally relaxed, my awakened senses picked up how incredibly tempting the aroma wafting from the wonton soup was.
I scooped up a spoonful of the soup with egg foam and seaweed and drank it down. The warmth spread all the way down my throat to my stomach, gently awakening my taste buds.
“Delicious…”
I’m no gourmet, so I didn’t know how to express praise with flowery words. I could only dryly say this one sentence.
After thinking for a moment, I took another sip and then looked at Gu Fan earnestly. “Gu Fan, the wontons you made taste really good.”