Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 554 The Little Demon 15

Chi Jingchen didn't refuse, changed his shoes and walked in, and put the bag of fruit on the small table in the entrance hall.

He looked around the living room, which was full of life. It felt more comfortable than his cold living room. The small potted plants by the window were lush and green, and Yun Chu's half-read professional book was placed on the coffee table.

Yun Chu said, "Have you eaten? I made a simple stew, and there's rice cooking in the pot..."

Her intention was just to casually exchange a common greeting among neighbors.

Chi Jingchen paused slightly, and turned his gaze from the warm kitchen scene back to Yun Chu's face, his eyes filled with deep meaning and joy.

His eyes fell on her homely apron, which was even a little stained with water, and he smelled the aroma of food floating in the air. It was a very tempting smell of home, especially for a hungry traveler who had just finished a journey.

He pursed his lips, as if struggling for a second, then looked at Yun Chu with a somewhat embarrassed yet very calm expression, and said in a tone that was half-questioning and half-self-deprecating, "To be honest... the simple meals on the plane are really... now that I smell this aroma, I feel like the glutton in my stomach is protesting."

He paused, then added, as if risking his life, his tone filled with a genuine embarrassment and a hint of anticipation that he had never shown in front of the camera or in his neighborly roles, "Well... if it's not too much trouble, and I've made a serving for two... can I have a free meal?"

The request was a bit sudden, even a bit beyond the boundaries of normal neighborhood interactions.

But the way he looked tired and hungry, with a puppy-like anticipation in his eyes as he looked at the pot, coupled with the heavy bag of fruit that had just been delivered as a token of gratitude, made people feel surprisingly...reasonable and down-to-earth.

Yun Chu was stunned for a moment, then a knowing, warm smile appeared on his face.

At this moment, Chi Jingchen has lost all the star power and halo of his personality, and looks more like an ordinary neighbor boy who comes home from get off work and is hungry.

The expectation in his eyes strangely overlapped with the pale and tired figure in the elevator before.

"Of course it's no trouble!" She turned and walked quickly towards the kitchen, her voice light and cheerful, "The rice is freshly cooked, and the stew has extra pork ribs. Why don't you sit down and rest for a while, or... if you don't mind the small size of the kitchen, you can come over and help pass the dishes?"

She didn't treat him as an idol to be worshipped, but naturally invited him to join this unexpected home-cooked dinner.

Chi Jingchen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his cautiousness instantly replaced by a sense of relaxation. He even unconsciously licked his dry lips. "Okay, then I'll help with the dishes."

He responded without hesitation and followed her naturally towards the small kitchen that exuded warm light and fragrance, as if he had returned to a familiar and comfortable area.

The orange ceiling light in the kitchen was on, and the stew in the pot was bubbling and steam was rising.

The small space is filled with the rich aroma of food and the warmth of the stove, creating a natural and attractive aura.

Yun Chu stood in front of the stove, skillfully stirring the contents of the pot with a spoon. The heat made her cheeks slightly red.

Chi Jingchen stood a few steps away—not too close to intrude on her operating space, but not unfamiliarly retreating to the living room to wait.

He seemed to have naturally found a position where he could help without being in the way. He leaned slightly towards Yun Chu, his eyes following her movements.

The way he handed over the dishes and chopsticks was perfectly coordinated: Yun Chu had just reached out to the cupboard to get a bowl when his hand had already handed the clean bowl to her.

"Here, bowl."

"Thank you."

When he reached for the serving plate, his movements were a little hesitant, as if he wasn't sure which one to take. Yun Chu noticed this and gently tapped a spot with his chin: "The large blue and white plate will be fine."

"This?" He took it off and tilted his head to confirm.

"Yep."

There were no extra words, but the tacit understanding of actions was established invisibly.

This is not a polite alienation, nor is it a deliberate closeness, but more like a natural flow that is formed unintentionally when neighbors help each other.

His tall figure was right beside her, bringing a non-invasive sense of presence.

When Yun Chu needed to move sideways past him to get the seasoning, Chi Jingchen would immediately cooperate by stepping back half a step to make space, his movements smooth and natural.

The corners of their clothes would occasionally brush against each other, bringing an extremely subtle sense of touch, like petals accidentally touched in spring, which separated at the touch, but left a subtle coolness or softness.

Chi Jingchen's tiredness was revealed in a completely relaxed manner in this atmosphere full of fireworks.

When he leaned against the sink and watched Yun Chu busy, he would subconsciously turn his slightly sore neck, his Adam's apple moved slightly, and he let out a barely audible sigh.

Looking at the ribs and potato cubes rolling in the pot, he murmured in admiration without any concealment: "It smells so good, it makes me hungry just by smelling it." This sentence was filled with a strong sense of fatigue and real desire, without any star reserve.

Occasionally, he would look out the window at the deepening dusk, his eyes blank for a moment, as if he was truly relaxing and enjoying this rare moment of tranquility away from the spotlight and busy schedule.

This sense of relaxation is something that the professional and polite Mr. Chi on the set would never have. At this moment, he is more like a simple brother next door returning home.

Yun Chu was infected by this sense of relaxation, and the initial awkwardness in front of the "celebrity neighbor" had long disappeared.

She was concentrating on cooking, occasionally letting out a small cry of surprise when the soup in the pot splashed, then she smiled sheepishly and secretly glanced at Chi Jingchen.

Seeing that Chi Jingchen was just looking at her with a faint smile, with no surprise or scrutiny in his eyes, only understanding and a hint of smile, her heart skipped a beat, but she felt more of a warmth of being accepted.

When she put the dishes on the plate and Chi Jingchen took the plate and brought it to the dining table, he would naturally praise her, "Thank you for your hard work. It looks very appetizing." His tone was sincere and homely, which made Yun Chu feel a warm and cherished feeling in her heart, and the corners of her lips couldn't help but rise.

The warm yellow light fell on Chi Jingchen's drooping eyelashes, casting a small shadow. He silently watched Yun Chu's neat movements as she washed vegetables and cut fruit (for dessert), his eyes filled with pure curiosity and admiration.

Those eyes that could convey thousands of words in front of the camera now seemed to be focused only on the slender and continuous peel of the apple in her hand, as if she was watching a short and focused performance.

And when Yun Chu accidentally looked up and met his focused and calm gaze, the air would pause for a moment.

There were no words, only the gurgling sound of the pot and the background sound of insects chirping outside the window.

The gaze was not blazing, but more like the surface of a lake under the moonlight. Beneath the calmness, it contained a silent attraction and an inexplicable sense of concentration, which made Yun Chu's heartbeat accelerate unconsciously, as if it was gently grasped by something extremely gentle and powerful.

In this quiet and subtle atmosphere, a small accident happened.

When Chi Jingchen was about to take away the apple pieces that Yun Chu had peeled and placed on the plate, his elbow accidentally knocked over the soup spoon in Yun Chu's hand.

"oops!"

"careful!"