Chapter 6
Lin Xingwan quickly opened the door and, as expected, saw Zhou Jinbai holding two bags of groceries.
However, compared to the old lady's joyful excitement, Zhou Jinbai's expression was clearly not good.
The old lady had called him not long ago, saying she wasn't feeling well and wanted sweet and sour fish and braised pork ribs. He had no choice but to go out and buy these things.
Just as he finished buying them and was about to leave, he received a call from an unknown number, claiming the old lady was lost and asking him to pick her up.
Zhou Jinbai rushed over, and by the time he reached Lin Xingwan's doorstep, he had already guessed what was going on.
So, this old lady was indirectly scheming against him.
But… since he was already here.
Lin Xingwan mistook Zhou Jinbai's gloomy expression for the lingering effects of their argument last night. She couldn't help but lean closer to him and whisper, "Don't be upset with Grandma. Some things are just for listening, no need to take them seriously."
Zhou Jinbai: ???
What else had the old lady told this woman?
However, as she suddenly got closer, the faint fragrance emanating from her made Zhou Jinbai's body stiffen.
Zhou Jinbai walked up to the old lady and asked, "Can we go home now?"
The old lady turned her face away, looking as if she didn't want to acknowledge him.
Zhou Jinbai felt a lump in his throat. He silently watched how long the old lady, who was acting like a drama queen, would continue her charade. The old lady, in turn, stubbornly remained silent.
Instead, Lin Xingwan, standing by, didn't know who to side with.
Grumble grumble—
A rather untimely sound echoed, and all three pairs of eyes fell on Lin Xingwan's stomach.
Lin Xingwan's face flushed with embarrassment. "I… I just got off work and haven't eaten yet."
"We haven't eaten either. Jinbai bought so many dishes, why don't we make dinner at your place?"
Faced with the old lady's expectant gaze, Lin Xingwan found it hard to refuse.
Zhou Jinbai wore an expression of 'I knew this would happen,' lacking even the will to struggle. He walked straight towards the kitchen.
The longest road he had ever traveled was the old lady's schemes.
"Wanwan, go help Jinbai. My head is a bit dizzy, I need to rest."
The old lady leaned weakly on the sofa, and Lin Xingwan could only nod repeatedly.
When she entered the kitchen, she saw Zhou Jinbai already wearing an apron and neatly rolling up his sleeves.
Although her kitchen wasn't small, Lin Xingwan felt a sense of suffocation because of Zhou Jinbai's presence.
"Grandma asked me to help. I think… I might be able to help a little bit." Lin Xingwan was good at everything except cooking.
She had even paid for cooking classes, but mastering delicious dishes wasn't something that could be learned in two or three months.
What was low heat, medium heat, high heat, slow heat? What was "a little" or "a bit"? Did she have to calculate ratios and use a scale every time she cooked?
Cooking was too difficult, even harder than signing a contract.
"Then wash these vegetables," Zhou Jinbai, knowing the old lady's intentions, figured that if he drove this woman away, she would come up with other tricks.
Lin Xingwan nodded obediently, placed the vegetables in the sink, and began washing them.
Zhou Jinbai heated oil in a pot and put the cleaned pork ribs in. Soon, the aroma of the ribs filled the air.
The seasonings in the man's hands performed their magic, and soon, delicious sweet and sour ribs were ready.
Lin Xingwan was mesmerized. To be precise, the way this man cooked was very handsome. Even she, who usually hated cooking, couldn't take her eyes off him.
"You want to eat, huh?" Perhaps it was the longing written all over Lin Xingwan's face, but Zhou Jinbai actually picked up a rib with a lot of meat, blew on it, and then fed it to Lin Xingwan.
Lin Xingwan instinctively opened her mouth and bit into the rib.
She looked at Zhou Jinbai, and he looked back at her.
Both of them were stunned for a moment and immediately felt awkward.
Lin Xingwan's face burned like fire. This scene was exactly what she had fantasized about her married life with Gu Shaoting.
But she never expected Zhou Jinbai to make it a reality.
If Zhou Jinbai were her boyfriend, could she eat such delicious meals every day?
Pah pah pah!
Lin Xingwan, what are you thinking?
"It's delicious. I'll continue washing the vegetables." Lin Xingwan lowered her head, her thoughts in a mess. Zhou Jinbai glanced at the woman beside him, her earlobes tinged pink.
Why was this woman so easily embarrassed?
But his mood felt like something was tickling him, gently, itchily.
Within half an hour, Zhou Jinbai had prepared dinner.
The aroma of food filled the entire apartment. Lin Xingwan ate three bowls of rice.
Yes!
That's right!
She ate three large bowls of rice in front of Zhou Jinbai and the old lady.
The dishes Zhou Jinbai made were truly too delicious. Lin Xingwan even had the impulse to hire him as her chef.
After everyone had finished eating, Lin Xingwan obediently went to wash the dishes.
The old lady watched the slender figure busy in the kitchen, her smile never fading.
"How is it? Is the wife I chose for you good?" the old lady asked, her tone full of pride.
Zhou Jinbai felt a headache coming on. "Grandma, she has a fiancé."
"Fiancé? I've already had someone investigate. Her fiancé is a man who lives off women, and he's also ambiguously involved with Wanwan's half-sister. If Wanwan marries that man, her life will be ruined. I really like Wanwan. She has kindness beneath her sharpness, is resilient and upward-looking. Although I haven't met Wanwan many times, I think highly of her."
"Don't you always emphasize matching families? The Zhou family and the Lin family have a significant gap," Zhou Jinbai said seriously.
"True matching families have nothing to do with family wealth. It's about the values, the way of dealing with people, and the understanding of society that a family imparts to you, independent of their financial status. If a person can separate family and consciousness, and independently think about what they want, then the so-called traditional matching families cease to exist. You are excellent, but Wanwan is not bad either."
A thoughtful expression appeared on Zhou Jinbai's handsome face.
The old lady immediately seized the opportunity. "Jinbai, this old woman doesn't know how many more years I have to live. Don't you want to fulfill my only wish?"
Zhou Jinbai's expression darkened. Finally, he said, "I can fulfill Grandma's wish, but before marrying Lin Xingwan, I need to thoroughly test her to see if she is qualified to be my wife."
He didn't want the tragedy of his family to happen to him.
If Lin Xingwan was the woman worth spending his life with, then he wouldn't let her lose.
"I trust my judgment and my grandson's ability! I've already told Wanwan that my birthday is tomorrow, and I want her to come home and accompany me. You know better than I do what to do next."
"Do you have more than a dozen birthdays a year?" Zhou Jinbai said with a wry smile.
Just this year alone, for the women introduced by others, the old lady had bought fifteen birthday cakes to create opportunities for him.
Zhou Jinbai felt a headache just hearing the word 'birthday.'
The old lady patted Zhou Jinbai's backside. "Stop talking nonsense. Since the goal is achieved, we should leave. Go say goodbye to Wanwan. Remember your promise to me. From now on, you must treat her like your future wife."
Zhou Jinbai nodded and walked towards the kitchen. Lin Xingwan had just finished washing the dishes.
She looked at the tall figure standing in front of her and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I'll pick you up after work tomorrow. Shall we go buy something to celebrate Grandma's birthday?"
Lin Xingwan nodded. "I'll try to finish my work early. But you don't need to pick me up; it's rush hour, and traffic is bad."
"It's okay." Zhou Jinbai's gaze seemed to be glued to Lin Xingwan, making her feel flustered.
"Is there something dirty on my face?" Lin Xingwan asked nervously.
"No." Zhou Jinbai walked closer to Lin Xingwan and asked, "Have you sorted out things with your fiancé?"
"This…" Lin Xingwan didn't know how to answer. Why would this man care about her romantic life?
But seeing Zhou Jinbai's expectant expression, Lin Xingwan could only say, "I've broken off the engagement with him."
"What if he apologizes and begs for your forgiveness?"
"Who would use a towel that's been used to wipe their feet to wipe their face? A good horse doesn't eat its own droppings."
Zhou Jinbai smiled with satisfaction. "I'll take Grandma and leave now. See you tomorrow."
Lin Xingwan was completely bewildered. Why did she suddenly feel that Zhou Jinbai was in a good mood?
Was it because he heard she was single again, and this single dog was happy about it?
The next morning, dressed up, Lin Xingwan left her apartment in high heels. Since Zhou Jinbai was picking her up in the afternoon to celebrate Grandma's birthday, she planned to take a taxi to work.
But as soon as she went downstairs, she saw Zhou Jinbai.
He was wearing a black down jacket, looking energetic and dashing in the morning light.
"Zhou Jinbai, what are you doing here?" Lin Xingwan asked, her voice full of surprise upon seeing him.
"To give you a ride to work. I figured you might not be driving today, and it's a bit of a distance to get a taxi from here." Zhou Jinbai's gaze fell on Lin Xingwan. Her black, exquisite suit hugged her figure, especially her waist, which was like a siren's, as if it could break with a slight bend.
The suit skirt wasn't too short, but Lin Xingwan's straight, long legs were still exposed.
"Aren't you cold?" Zhou Jinbai asked.
"It's a little cold, but I figured I'd be at the company soon by taxi, and there's heating there," Lin Xingwan explained. Zhou Jinbai opened the passenger door for her and urged her to get in.
Soon, the man also got in. Lin Xingwan said sheepishly, "Thank you so much for coming so early to give me a ride to work."
Lin Xingwan hadn't expected that a man who looked so strong and tough like Zhou Jinbai would have such a delicate and considerate side.
She sat in the car, waiting for Zhou Jinbai to start the engine.
But after tens of seconds, Zhou Jinbai just stared at her.
Lin Xingwan's heart began to race again.
She glanced at Zhou Jinbai, then quickly looked away.
Lin Xingwan's heart fluttered like a deer's. She felt like she could hear her own heartbeat.
Suddenly, Zhou Jinbai leaned in.
Almost instinctively, Lin Xingwan leaned to the side.
"Zhou Jinbai, you..." Lin Xingwan looked at the handsome face so close to hers, his deep eyes, his high nose bridge, his sensual thin lips, his jawline sharper than her life plan. She had the urge to scream.
This man, was he going to kiss her?
If he kissed her, how awkward would that be!