Chapter 28: A Dinner by Candlelight

As the moon ascended to the zenith of the night sky, Bai Chen, who had been waiting in the living room, finally welcomed the first glimmer of light indoors.

Mo Qiu lit the candles one by one, allowing the dim living room to become somewhat discernible.

“I can’t believe something like this happened,” Bai Chen muttered, scratching his head with a wry smile.

Mo Qiu nodded in affirmation, her fair cheeks flushed a rosy hue by the candlelight as she sat before the flickering flames.

Upon inquiring with the landlord earlier, it was revealed that the power outage stemmed from an outdated electrical system. Even with emergency repairs, it would take at least a full night’s work to restore power.

The timing was truly unfortunate, occurring precisely on this particular evening.

Her listless eyes reflected the dancing candle flames as the girl, enveloped by darkness, hugged her knees, resting her chin upon them.

From time to time, she glanced at Bai Chen, who remained fixated on the brightly lit buildings outside.

‘He must have wanted to leave long ago; tonight, she presumed, would mark the end of their time together.’

Just as Mo Qiu was lost in these thoughts, Bai Chen turned and walked past her, not heading for the door but instead making his way into the kitchen.

With a twist of the knob, the stovetop reignited with a series of crackles and pops.

Bai Chen’s eyes widened instantly, and he turned back, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. “Mo Qiu, let’s continue cooking!”

“You still want to continue?” Mo Qiu asked, her gaze meeting his, where the reflected neon lights shimmered in his pupils.

“See? It’s still working,” Bai Chen chuckled. “All the ingredients are prepared; it would be a waste not to use them.”

“…”

“You must have a pressure cooker, right? We can just use that to cook the rice. Let’s get moving; it’s better than just sitting around doing nothing.”

Bai Chen was not lying; he genuinely didn’t want to end things there. Moreover, his passion for cooking burned brightly, and he was determined to teach Mo Qiu how to prepare proper dishes.

Though he emitted no light, Mo Qiu felt as if she had spotted a beacon in the darkness, and she began to stir.

Slipping on her slippers, she hurried to Bai Chen’s side, and together, they carried several candles into the kitchen.

The cramped space instantly brightened, and Mo Qiu could finally discern the smile on Bai Chen’s face.

“The fish slices are cut, the seasonings are ready, and the pickled cabbage… it should have been rinsed a few times by now.”

Bai Chen quickly settled into a focused state, his expression turning serious.

He declared, “Then we can start the fire directly.”

Lighting the fire, heating the wok, pouring the oil. Bai Chen watched intently from the side, vowing not to avert his gaze this time.

Mo Qiu picked up the large bowl of fish slices, but her hand froze in mid-air. After a moment, she spoke.

“Bai Chen, could you stand behind me?”

“Ah, oh.”

Though he didn’t quite grasp her meaning, Bai Chen complied nonetheless.

“A little closer.”

Bai Chen shuffled forward a small step.

“A little more.”

Another small step.

“Could you move forward just a bit more?”

This time, Bai Chen didn’t move, as another step forward would have him bumping directly into Mo Qiu’s back.

Just as Bai Chen pondered this, Mo Qiu glanced back, then deliberately stepped backward, directly into his embrace.

“Mo Qiu?!”

“Can you hold my arms?”

“Why?”

“Weren’t you going to teach me hand-in-hand?” Mo Qiu tilted her head. “If you ‘use’ my body, you’ll be able to create the warm dishes you want, right?”

‘Don’t use such a strange word as ‘use’; you’re not a tool,’ Bai Chen thought, internally aghast.

Bai Chen dared not move a muscle. If she merely tilted her head back slightly, her soft black hair would brush against his nose, tickling him.

‘Does it really have to be like this?’ he wondered.

The two remained locked in this stalemate, neither speaking, with only the hot oil in the wok hissing restlessly.

“Bai Chen, if you heat it any longer, it will be overcooked,” Mo Qiu warned.

Mo Qiu continued to press backward, inadvertently brushing against the lower half of Bai Chen’s clothes, sending a shiver through his entire body.

“Alright, alright,”

Knowing there was no escape, Bai Chen could only raise his hands, reaching over the girl’s shoulders to grasp her forearms.

Thus, they were pressed completely together, their posture giving the distinct impression that he was embracing Mo Qiu from behind.

Even though it wasn’t his first time feeling the girl’s body, Bai Chen’s heart still pounded erratically.

‘This is different,’ he thought. ‘Completely different from last time.’

Mo Qiu wore only a single dress, its thin fabric, pressed so tightly against him, felt almost nonexistent. The warmth and softness of her skin fully enveloped him.

Bai Chen couldn’t see Mo Qiu’s expression, but his own breathing quickly grew shallow and ragged, and his outstretched arms involuntarily tightened.

‘Is she even human?’ he mused. ‘Why can she still shrink when I’m already holding her this tightly? Is Mo Qiu’s body made of marshmallow?’

Primal desires urged him to explore the limits of his embrace, yet his rationality relentlessly warned him. The ‘little Bai Chen’ (TL Note: A humorous Chinese slang term referring to a man’s erection) stirred restlessly, but the ‘big Bai Chen’ (TL Note: Refers to the man’s rational mind) firmly suppressed it.

The fire continued to burn, and steam rose from the ingredients in the wok, permeating the kitchen with warmth.

‘It’s so hot, so stuffy,’ Mo Qiu thought.

Mo Qiu was already perspiring considerably, but she could endure it all.

The crucial point was… Bai Chen’s heavy breathing, which brushed against her ear with every exhalation, a ticklish and unpleasant sensation.

‘But you’re quite good at enduring,’ she mused. ‘Let’s see how long you can last.’

As Mo Qiu thought this, she subtly shifted her stance, subtly arching her rear.

“Mmmph…!”

Upon hearing someone swallow, the girl not only didn’t stop but intensified her teasing, pushing further.

‘Yes, the little bird is lifting its head,’ she noted, ‘seemingly searching for a soft spot to awaken itself, but it’s pressed too tightly, unable to escape.’

‘And it’s getting harder, rubbing against her uncomfortably,’ she observed.

“Mo Qiu, pour the water.”

“Okay.”

“…Why aren’t you moving?”

“Because you are ‘using’ me, I cannot move erratically,” she replied.

Bai Chen nearly let out a groan. He could only grasp Mo Qiu’s arms, guiding her to add water to the pot as if operating a robot.

The instant the lid was placed on the pot, Bai Chen released his grip and swiftly darted away from behind her. His speed was such that even Mo Qiu couldn’t help but turn to look.

Having escaped the kitchen, Bai Chen found a well-ventilated spot in the living room and sat down, tugging at his drenched collar.

He couldn’t distinguish whether the sweat on his body was his own or Mo Qiu’s; he simply felt a lingering fragrance clinging to him.

For the remaining cooking steps, Bai Chen, without waiting for Mo Qiu to speak, completed all procedures with swift movements.

By the time Mo Qiu regained her senses, the rice was nearly cooked, and her eye twitched twice.

After much effort, dinner was finally ready. Bai Chen’s stomach was practically rumbling, and during the wait, he had even cast covetous glances at the cooled duck leg stew with vermicelli.

Tonight, there was only one dish and one bowl of rice, yet as Mo Qiu arranged candles around the dining table, the simple dinner took on a warm and intimate ambiance.

Bai Chen and Mo Qiu sat down together, and the former immediately sensed that something was amiss.

‘Just Mo Qiu and I having dinner, with candles for light… why does this feel so much like a candlelight dinner?’ he wondered.

Even as he repeatedly reassured himself, he couldn’t deny that it increasingly resembled a date. His heart silently prayed that the next step after dinner wouldn’t involve anything related to a bed.

‘I’m so hungry; let’s eat first,’ he decided.

Bai Chen picked up a fish slice, carefully placed it into his mouth, and chewed thoughtfully.

‘Hmm… the taste is quite good this time,’ he mused. ‘Though the pickled cabbage is still a bit salty. She was definitely messing with me when she said she rinsed it several times.’

Having guided Mo Qiu through the entire cooking process, she had no opportunity to add lethal amounts of seasoning. The properly prepared pickled fish was incredibly appetizing, and Bai Chen soon devoured a large bowl of rice.

“Mo Qiu, why aren’t you eating?”

For some reason, she had been watching him, her chopsticks completely still. The candlelight illuminated her face but failed to brighten the depths of her eyes.

“It’s nothing; I just don’t have an appetite.”

“You don’t think… it tastes bad, do you?”

Caught red-handed, Mo Qiu offered no excuses. In her opinion, dishes without ample seasoning tasted little different from plain congee.

‘No, I must make her abandon this notion,’ Bai Chen resolved.

With that thought, Bai Chen placed a fish slice into her bowl. “Come on, try it! I guarantee it’s delicious.”

Taking in his urging expression, Mo Qiu shifted her attention to the fish slice before her.

She picked up the fish slice, and as she opened her mouth, she swept the troublesome strands of hair from her cheek behind her ear—a sight that nearly left Bai Chen dumbfounded.

Mo Qiu took only a tiny bite, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“How is it?” Bai Chen leaned forward.

“…It’s delicious.”

The girl’s eyes still held no light, yet a distinct fluctuation entered her tone. She placed the entire fish slice into her mouth, chewing heartily.

The tender, smooth fish slices seemed to dance in her mouth, releasing the fresh aroma of the fish and the savory tang of the pickled cabbage. Together, they created a grand feast of pickled fish.

“Here, have some more soup.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Blowing gently on the steaming soup, Mo Qiu took a small sip, her eyebrows subtly arching.

Though it lasted only a fleeting moment, Bai Chen caught it: a look of pure enjoyment on her face.

The girl took a deep breath, finished the soup in her bowl, and seemed to still be savoring the essence of the pickled fish broth.

‘So, dishes without so much seasoning can be this delicious after all,’ she realized.

“Are you satisfied?”

Mo Qiu nodded.

“I taught you this hand-in-hand,” he said. “From now on, you don’t need to add so much seasoning.”

Bai Chen’s smile was radiant.

“If the opportunity arises in the future, I’ll teach you other dishes.”

After tonight’s endeavor, Bai Chen understood that correcting her palate wouldn’t be an easy task. He would need a long-term plan, guiding her back to the right path one step at a time.

The thought of having saved the misguided girl filled Bai Chen’s heart with warmth.

Staying with her a little longer, he mused, might help her further resolve her inner turmoil.

After dinner, once the dishes were cleared, Mo Qiu spoke abruptly.

“I’m going to take a shower first.”

‘She suddenly wants to leave,’ he thought.

“Why?”

“It’s so hot; I’ve sweated a lot,” she explained.

As Mo Qiu spoke, she pulled open the collar of her dress. Between cooking so closely together and sharing dinner, her clothes were already drenched with sweat, clinging uncomfortably to her skin.

“I see. Go ahead then.”

Bai Chen felt relieved she hadn’t suggested they shower together, yet he remained restless in the living room.

The incessant sound of running water from the bathroom kept conjuring undesirable images in his mind.

Just then, his phone vibrated in his pants pocket; someone was calling him.

–”Hey, Bai Chen, still having fun at the girl’s place?” Su Wanghai teased from the other end of the line.

–”What do you want? Is it urgent?”

–”I’m going on patrol soon. Want me to pick you up on the way?” Su Wanghai chuckled. “Or are you staying there tonight?”

–”Is that all your brain is capable of? Mo Qiu is nothing like you.”

Bai Chen had arrived on his own electric scooter and certainly didn’t need a ride. He was about to hang up when Su Wanghai stopped him.

–”Don’t be so quick! Didn’t you have a good time tonight?”

Bai Chen fell silent, and the entire living room plunged into quiet, save for the persistent sound of running water from the bathroom.