Chapter 316 - She Was Taking Some Stuff and Tripped On The Cabinet Leg (1/2)

Chapter 316: She Was Taking Some Stuff and Tripped On The Cabinet Leg

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Qi Chenglin was dressed in a way that revealed his social class. His presence was a stark contrast to the bare-looking street.

Qi Chenglin had one hand in his pocket while the other held a cigarette. As Ruan Danchen was approaching, she saw him smoking—the smoke he exhaled clouded his polished face.

Hearing Qi Youxuan’s voice, Qi Chenglin turned in their direction but his eyes were fixated on Ruan Danchen.

She was wearing a hoodie, zipped up to her chest with a white tank top underneath. Her shorts matched her hoodie’s design—both were athletic wear.

The gym shorts were very short, revealing the sinews of her pale, long legs. Qi Chenglin’s gaze slowly moved up to Ruan Danchen’s face. There was a faint blush on her face, likely due to the exercise session. Her breathing was still heavy despite the effort to control it.

Skin as fair as jade 1, face as beautiful as the morning bloom.

The words appeared in Qi Chenglin’s mind without warning.

Ruan Danchen’s lips were parted as she panted softly. The action made Qi Chenglin think of that night, seven days ago. A flame was burning in the pit of his stomach and his eyes darkened involuntarily.

“Dad, why are you here so early?” Qi Youxuan did not like that his dad was picking him up early.

“To take you home. I don’t want you to waste other people’s time and leave a bad impression,” Qi Chenglin said coolly.

“No worries about that. Youxuan has been good,” Ruan Danchen quickly replied. She was met with Qi Chenglin’s gaze. The blush on her face became a shade darker.

Qi Chenglin was staring deeply into her eyes when Qi Youxuan took his hand and swung both their hands. “Dad, I have not eaten. After the run, we went to buy breakfast. Can we finish breakfast first before leaving?”

“Yes, we’ve already bought breakfast,” Ruan Danchen said. She wanted to spend more time with the little boy as well.

Qi Chenglin saw packed breakfast in her hand and said, “I’ve not had breakfast too.”

Ruan Danchen more or less understood his intentions despite their infrequent interactions. “This might not feed all three of us. I’ll go and buy more.”

As she said that, she fumbled with her house keys to open the door. Qi Chenglin swept in and took the package from her hands. When his fingers brushed against her, Ruan Danchen could feel a rush of electricity pass through her and her fingers twitched in response.

“No need for that. You can cook some breakfast if it’s insufficient,” Qi Chenglin spoke. He stood aside with the food, waiting for Ruan Danchen to open the door.

‘He really doesn’t treat himself as a stranger,’ Ruan Danchen thought.

She felt like her scalp was on fire. She took a quick glance at Qi Chenglin—he wore a collared shirt and long pants but did not come off as too formal. With a cigarette in one hand and a plastic bag in another, he looked like a husband coming home with the family. Ruan Danchen felt her heart race.

Qi Chenglin stood near her, almost touching her shoulder. She could smell the attractive and masculine scent of tobacco on him. When it came to Qi Chenglin, even the scent of cigarettes smelled elegant on him.

“Smoking before breakfast. Isn’t that bad for the body?” Ruan Danchen mentioned in passing when she saw the lit cigarette still in his hand.

The sides of Qi Chenglin’s lips twitched. Wordlessly, he walked past her to the nearby trash can. A loud clattering sound could be heard. When he came back, the cigarette was gone.

Ruan Danchen’s throat was dry so she said nothing.

It was only a passing comment. She did not think he would actually take her words seriously.

Suddenly, Qi Chenglin leaned forward. He whispered in her ear in a husky tone, “So, this is what it feels like to be bossed around by a woman.”

A full-on blush immediately spread across Ruan Danchen’s face. The tips of her ears were burning at this point. Her shoulders and neck were tense as she avoided eye contact. She felt like she would combust if she were to look into his eyes now.

“I wasn’t trying to boss you around,” Ruan Danchen said softly, worried that she might have crossed the line.

Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrow and let out a huff. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and placed a stick between his thin lips. He got his lighter out, ready to light the cigarette.

Ruan Danchen rushed forward to tug his arm. “Don’t smoke. Secondhand smoke is bad for Youxuan.”

“I thought you didn’t want to boss me around?” Qi Chenglin said sarcastically with a stony expression.

A second before, she was burning under his gaze. Now, she shivered.

“So, do you care or not?” Qi Chenglin asked with the cigarette between his lips. He cocked his eyebrows questioningly.

He had that rebellious and defiant look. She was conversationally forced into a corner.

Ruan Danchen was unhappy with the situation. She had no ties with this man, yet she was forced to handle him.

She gritted her teeth and said, “I care.”

Qi Chenglin smiled. He immediately removed the cigarette and kept the lighter.

“Dad, the wonton is getting cold. Can you guys continue to talk inside the house?” Qi Youxuan wondered if he was the only person who was worried about their breakfast.

The two adults were dilly-dallying at the entrance, and yet the door remained unopened.

Qi Chenglin gave him the stink-eye for breaking the tension.

Normally, it was Qi Youxuan who was rushing to find a stepmother. Now that the opportunity had risen, Qi Youxuan was being a hindrance.

Ruan Danchen’s face burned up. She quickly unlocked the front door to let them in.

Once inside the house, she did not bother to change her attire and hurried into the kitchen. She poured the wontons, sesame balls, and fried cakes onto some plates.

The young boy was full after having one fried cake, one sesame ball, and some wontons. The rest was left for Ruan Danchen.

There was another bowl of wontons for Qi Chenglin. Although Qi Youxuan could no longer eat the remaining fried cakes and sesame balls, he did not want to share the food with his dad. He only agreed to let Qi Chenglin have some after Ruan Danchen explained that the food would not be tasty if it had gotten cold.

There was a sense of incompatibility when watching someone from the upper class munch on these street food.

Qi Chenglin did not seem to care. He gulped down the soup that came with the wontons and ate in abundance. Ruan Danchen was stunned to find that Qi Chenglin looked good even while eating.

Distracted, she vaguely heard the calls of the young boy.

Ruan Danchen snapped out of her trance and looked at the kid. With an innocent face, Qi Youxuan asked, “Aunt Ruan, why are you staring at my dad? I was calling you and you didn’t even notice. Well, I guess my dad is quite handsome so your reaction is pretty normal.”

Ruan Danchen tensed. She could hear the blood rush in her ears as embarrassment filled her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Qi Chenglin’s smug face. He must be laughing at her!

She got up from the table. Her sudden reaction made her appear even guiltier.

She piled up all the empty plates and bowls and mumbled under her breath, “I’ll wash these.”

She carried the dishware and left with her head down.

Qi Chenglin noted the redness that colored the back of her neck.

Once Ruan Danchen closed the kitchen door, Qi Chenglin said, “Control yourself. If you scare her away, don’t come crying to me.”

Qi Youxuan sucked at his oily fingers before taking a piece of tissue to clean his hand. “Aunt Ruan was truly staring dreamily at you.”

A smirk appeared on Qi Chenglin’s face but he replied in a serious tone, “Okay, go wash your hands. Don’t stir things up.”

Qi Youxuan climbed off the chair and walked to the bathroom. “He’s clearly happy but wants to act tough, even his lips are twitching. I don’t know who he’s trying to fool.”

Qi Chenglin turned to the plate that previously held the sesame balls and fried cakes. In her hurry to escape, Ruan Danchen missed out that plate.

He slowly got up and picked the plate up with his slender fingers. Then, he headed for the kitchen.