Chapter 42: From Now On, I’ll Look for a Man Who Can Cook
Nan Xun placed the wild chrysanthemums into a pretty glass vase.
The white flowers gave off a faint, delicate fragrance. Finding the scent pleasant, Nan Xun set the vase on her bedside table. Falling asleep to the smell of flowers would be perfect for sweet dreams.
That night, Nan Xun indeed slept very well.
The next morning, she got up and went to the bar as usual.
The bar where she worked as a resident singer was in the city center, quite far from the place she rented. Taking the bus took over an hour.
To be honest, Nan Xun thought this job was pretty good. She was only staying in this world for a while anyway, with no big ambitions—earning enough to get by was fine. At this bar, she sang seven or eight sets a day. If the response was good, she could earn two to three hundred yuan a day. For someone with only a high school diploma, that was really not bad.
After singing for several days in a row, Nan Xun was actually enjoying herself. She had some natural talent for music, and Bai Mo also had a good singing voice, so she was quite happy making a living this way.
However, over the past few days, there had been a rich young man who came every day to support her performances. His name was Zhao Qilin. The name sounded mighty and imposing, but his looks were… well, hard to describe in a word.
It was said that his father owned coal mines—a classic nouveau riche.
Nan Xun kept turning over in her mind the words Little Eight had said before falling asleep, wondering whether this rich kid Zhao Qilin might be the target big boss she was supposed to redeem, and that he had taken the initiative to approach her.
But the moment she thought of Zhao Qilin’s big-bellied, foolish appearance, Nan Xun immediately dismissed the idea. Little Eight was a looks fanatic just like her—how could the chosen big boss possibly look so fat and vulgar?
After behaving himself for a few days, Zhao Qilin finally couldn’t hold back anymore. One day, he directly stopped her and expressed his desire to spend a night of passion with her.
Nan Xun’s face darkened instantly. Suppressing her anger, she politely but firmly rejected him.
Zhao Qilin smashed the wine glass on the table with a crash and started spewing filthy words nonstop. “You’re just a damn bar singer, that’s all. I’m doing you a favor by liking you—don’t be so ungrateful! Don’t you just want money? I’ll give you two hundred thousand tonight to buy one night with you. And if you make me feel good, I’ll add another two hundred thousand…”
Fury surged through Nan Xun. She grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it straight down on his forehead.
With a loud crash, the entire bar fell silent.
Nan Xun dug at her ear and sneered. “Finally, some peace and quiet in this world.”
Later, the bar owner politely escorted Zhao Qilin out. When he turned back to look at Nan Xun, his expression was grim.
Fortunately, Nan Xun was well-liked wherever she went. Everyone else in the bar spoke up for her, so the owner didn’t fire her outright—he only docked her one month’s pay.
Since the owner hadn’t kicked her out, Nan Xun shamelessly stayed on.
Not long after, she heard that the rich second-generation Zhao Qilin had died in a car accident.
It was said that his death was rather strange.
He really did die on his own, but when the car was approaching, it was as if something suddenly shoved him out. The reason people said “something” was because there had been no one beside him at the time. Even the surveillance footage showed that he suddenly flew out of nowhere and slammed straight into a sedan, dying on the spot.
Nan Xun didn’t pay much attention after hearing this. Rumors tended to get exaggerated as they spread.
It was probably just an ordinary car accident, she thought.
That evening, the bar was doing good business and had plenty of customers. Nan Xun sang a couple of extra songs before heading home.
As soon as she entered the apartment, she saw a whole table full of dishes. Her eyes lit up and she nearly started drooling. “I say, Jingwan, what special day is it today? How did you suddenly become so virtuous?”
Lin Jingwan’s voice came from the kitchen. “I’m in a good mood today, so I’m treating you to a feast.”
Nan Xun was starving. Grinning, she went to the kitchen to grab bowls and chopsticks. As soon as Lin Jingwan set down the last dish, Nan Xun eagerly picked up a piece of braised chicken and stuffed it into her mouth. “Mmm! Your cooking is really good. Whoever marries you in the future will be blessed for three lifetimes!”
Lin Jingwan snorted disdainfully. “You’re way too easy to buy off—it’s just one table of food.”
Nan Xun laughed. “In the future, I’m going to find a man who can cook and let him take care of all three meals every day.”
As soon as she said that, Nan Xun suddenly felt a gust of wind brush past her neck. It tickled, and she instinctively shrank her neck.
After dinner, Nan Xun consciously took on the dishwashing duty. Although she hated washing greasy dishes the most, she felt bad about freeloading.
“Momo, haven’t you had those chrysanthemums for a long time already? How are they still blooming so beautifully?” Lin Jingwan went into Nan Xun’s room to borrow a charger and immediately noticed the bottle of white chrysanthemums on the bedside table, all in full bloom.
Nan Xun also found it strange. “I don’t know either. Maybe they just have strong vitality?”
Lin Jingwan said, “Momo, I think these flowers feel a bit creepy. Why don’t we just throw them away?”
“That won’t do!” Nan Xun hugged the flowers and the vase tightly to her chest. “A cute little kid gave these to me. I promised him I’d take good care of them. Besides, they’re always in my room—you won’t even see them.”
Lin Jingwan immediately rolled her eyes. “Look at you, so protective. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you’re holding onto your lifeline.”
Ding.
Nan Xun’s phone suddenly chimed, and the screen lit up.
Lin Jingwan glanced over and, sharp-eyed, spotted a text message and read its contents.
“Momo! You—you—you actually have a boyfriend and didn’t tell me? That’s so not cool! Look, here’s solid evidence—a handsome guy named Bai Xiye is asking you out to see a movie!” Lin Jingwan waved the phone at her with an expression like she’d caught her in the act.
Nan Xun snatched her phone back and explained, “Didn’t I go to a class reunion last time? I accidentally fell into the water, and he saved me. He’s my high school classmate’s older brother. He happened to go with my classmates that day.”
Lin Jingwan clicked her tongue twice. “Classmate Bai Mo, explanations are just cover-ups. Say no more—go on your date. It’s not like I’ll say anything.”
Nan Xun really was going to meet him. First, Bai Xiye had saved her life. Second, she was a little suspicious that Bai Xiye might be the villain big boss she had been waiting for.
Little Eight had said that the villain big boss had liked her for a long time. And Nan Xun had also managed to pry out some information from Bai Xiye—at the class reunion, it wasn’t actually the first time they had met.
Their first meeting involved a rather cliché incident. While Nan Xun was shopping, her wallet was stolen in broad daylight. Just then, a handsome guy appeared out of nowhere and helped her recover it.
That person was Bai Xiye.
It seemed that he had fallen in love with her at first sight on that occasion.
Little Eight was a looks fanatic, so the person he chose wouldn’t be ugly at the very least. Bai Xiye was indeed handsome, and on top of that, he liked her. Nan Xun couldn’t help but suspect that Bai Xiye was the big boss she had been waiting for.
