Chapter 47 - Living a Simple Life

Chapter 47: Chapter 46: Living a Simple LifeIt was the peak of the rush hour, and the public buses were extremely crowded, but with Li Yifei’s protection, Chu Xiaoyao easily squeezed onto the bus. The two of them managed to get to a slightly less crowded spot towards the back, and here, Chu Xiaoyao faced Li Yifei as she spoke to him.

"Uncle, I’ve realized that taking the bus with you is much more relaxed for me, nobody else can squeeze in close, and those creepy uncles can’t take advantage of me," she said.

With that remark, several men around them broke out in a sweat; they were all uncle-aged, and it was normal to take the chance to cop a feel while jostling on the bus — as if Chu Xiaoyao was talking about them.

Li Yifei smiled and said, "Maybe in a couple of days, I won’t be taking the bus anymore."

"Why? Are you switching jobs again?"

"No, I’m moving."

"No way, Uncle, you’re really disappointing me. What’s so bad about where you live now that you have to move?"

"Hehe, I’m currently just staying at a friend’s place, I need a place of my own eventually."

Chu Xiaoyao pursed her pretty lips and said, "Then why not rent something nearby? It’s still renting no matter where you go, right?"

Li Yifei shook his head and said, "I’ve already found a place and paid the deposit."

"Stinky Uncle, you’re really not being nice," Chu Xiaoyao kicked Li Yifei, looking quite miffed.

Li Yifei found it quite amusing and said, "But you can still come visit me. It’s just that taking the same bus won’t be very likely."

"Hmph! I’m not talking to you anymore." Chu Xiaoyao pouted and turned her head away, truly ignoring Li Yifei.

Li Yifei didn’t coax Chu Xiaoyao. This little girl was just passing through his life, and besides, they didn’t have much of a friendship. Helping her twice was just a fluke.

The bus soon reached the stop, and both Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao got off. Chu Xiaoyao, who had been feeling cross, then asked Li Yifei, "Uncle, where do you live?"

Li Yifei pointed to the British Mansion district and said, "I’m currently staying here."

Chu Xiaoyao immediately exclaimed loudly, "Wow, that’s where the rich people live!"

Li Yifei chuckled and said, "That’s my friend’s place, not mine."

Chu Xiaoyao said enviously, "I wish I could live in a fancy district like that, but my family can’t afford it, so I have to live over there." She pointed to another district across the street.

The district she pointed to looked rather old. Compared to the upscale British Mansion, it certainly was several levels lower. And a girl who rode the bus every day obviously did not come from a very wealthy family background.

"You’ll get a chance eventually. You’re young. In the future, with your own hard work, you’ll be able to make enough money to buy a villa and live in an even nicer district than this one."

Chu Xiaoyao twitched her mouth and said, "Uncle makes it sound so easy. You’re so old now, and you still need to rent, sigh, it seems like I’ll just have to marry someone wealthy, so I can make a lot of money without working hard."

Li Yifei was speechless. What on earth were young girls thinking these days? Chu Xiaoyao was so young yet so materialistic; it was somewhat hard for him to accept.

"Hehe, I’m still young. Anyway, I can’t keep up. Bye Uncle, see you tomorrow morning." Chu Xiaoyao waved at Li Yifei and then cheerfully ran into the district opposite.

Li Yifei shook his head and also walked towards the entrance of the district. Last night, Xu Yingying had given him a card to enter the district and a key to her home, so now he could freely come and go as he pleased without Xu Yingying.

When he got back to Xu Yingying’s home, Xu Yingying had not yet returned. Li Yifei changed his clothes, went into the kitchen and saw that there was basically nothing substantial to cook. He shook his head. It seemed Xu Yingying really wasn’t the type to manage a household, as he wondered what she even ate at home.

Fortunately, there was rice. Li Yifei started cooking the rice and was about to go out to buy some vegetables when his phone rang. It was Xu Shanshan’s number. This girl clearly hadn’t given up yet.

"Brother-in-law, what are you doing?"

In Xu Yingying’s home, Li Yifei was able to deal with Xu Shanshan easily, "I’ve just made rice and am about to go out to buy some veggies."

"Ah, I want to eat the dishes you cook, Mom’s cooking is too hard to swallow."

"You better not let Auntie hear that or else you can kiss your home-cooked meals goodbye. Oh, looks like your sister’s back, and she’s got the groceries, so no need for me to head out," Li Yifei said as Xu Yingying returned with some groceries. Then, to Xu Shanshan, he added, "You chat with your sister, I’ll get started on the cooking."

After taking the groceries from Xu Yingying and handing her the phone, Li Yifei headed straight into the kitchen, only to hear Xu Yingying mutter impatiently for a moment before hanging up.

"That pesky girl, she’s such a headache," Xu Yingying said, changing her clothes and heading to the kitchen doorway.

Li Yifei, busy chopping vegetables, replied, "I reckon one more time and she’ll give up for good."

Xu Yingying nodded and said, "I think so too." She watched Li Yifei skillfully cutting vegetables and couldn’t help but admire his knife skills. It’s no wonder Xu Shanshan always enjoyed watching Li Yifei cook at their parents’ house.

Having Xu Yingying watch him wasn’t as comfortable as having Xu Shanshan around, and it also brought an inexplicable pressure. Li Yifei stopped and said, "All right, Xu President, I’m not at ease with you here; you should go do whatever you need to. I’ll call you when the food’s ready."

Xu Yingying nodded and said, "Thanks, then," before turning to go back to her bedroom.

Today, Xu Yingying had purchased some fine ingredients, including vegetables, meat, a live fish, and a pound of shrimp—much better than what Li Yifei usually bought. With the intention of improving their meal, Li Yifei cooked up everything she bought and then loudly called out, "President Xu, dinner’s ready!"

From her bedroom, Xu Yingying already smelled the delicious aroma wafting from the living room. Her stomach embarrassingly growled nonstop, but unlike her sister, Xu Shanshan, she definitely wouldn’t run out to sneak a bite—she even resisted coming out just to take a peek. When she heard Li Yifei’s call, she couldn’t hold back any longer and headed straight for the kitchen.

Before she could even sit down, Li Yifei said to her with a grin, "You must be starving, hurrying out like this to eat."

"Who says I’m in a hurry?" Xu Yingying naturally wouldn’t admit it.

Li Yifei blinked and teased, "Heh heh, with President Xu’s personality, if it weren’t urgent, why would you sit down to eat without even washing your hands?"

Xu Yingying’s face instantly flushed red. She quickly got up to wash her hands, and after dawdling for a bit, she returned to the dining table, where a bowl of rice was already served for her.

"President Xu, I don’t mind if you flaunt your bossy side, but I’m going to start eating," Li Yifei said, having already stuffed a big bite of fish into his mouth.

"The groceries are mine, why wouldn’t I eat?" Xu Yingying found an excuse and promptly began to eat with her chopsticks.

Although Xu Yingying was diligent and successful in her work at Mile City, she wasn’t as good at taking care of herself in everyday life. She often skipped breakfast, had lunch at the company cafeteria with its simple fare—and it was anything but gourmet—and if she didn’t have social engagements in the evening, she’d just make do with something at home.

Having such a variety of dishes at home in the evening was a first for her, and the food Li Yifei made was genuinely tasty, which had her immediately unable to put down her chopsticks.

Li Yifei really liked it when others enjoyed the meals he cooked, especially if they ate uninhibitedly—it meant he cooked well and gave him a sense of achievement. Cooking was one of his few hobbies and one he was rather adept at.

"Phew, I’m full," Xu Yingying said after devouring two small bowls of rice, pausing to lick a bit of sauce from her lips in a manner that was both sexy and charming.

Li Yifei’s gaze lingered on her, caught by her beauty. If it weren’t for the fact that Xu Yingying was still single, he would certainly have considered pursuing her.

"What are you staring at?" Xu Yingying, feeling somewhat dazed by Li Yifei’s look, knew she’d lost her composure that evening. She stood up and slowly made her way towards the living room. She had eaten so much that she felt bloated; it seemed that if she walked too fast, the food in her stomach might just force its way out.

Li Yifei chuckled but didn’t tease her; instead, he started cleaning up the table.

Sitting on the sofa, Xu Yingying casually turned on the TV. It felt like years since she had watched TV leisurely after a meal.

As she watched, her gaze kept sneaking back toward the kitchen, where Li Yifei, with an apron tied around his chest, was efficiently tidying up the dining table until it was spotless. He then moved to the sink to wash the dishes. The busy figure bustling around in the kitchen somehow mesmerized Xu Yingying.

Although she was successful in her career and had met many successful men—with countless outstanding men pursuing her—Xu Yingying felt nothing for them. The more successful they were, the more she could see through the façade of these men—their inner selves were just too nasty, especially their attitudes towards women. They mostly seemed to only be after a fling, a concept Xu Yingying could never accept.

The current Li Yifei seemed to have struck a chord in her heart. All she really wanted was to have someone care for her after a hard day’s work, to come home to a hot meal, instead of having to cater to someone else’s whims.

"Here, have some tea to help you digest. You don’t usually eat much, so suddenly eating this much might be too much for your stomach," Li Yifei said, placing a cup of tea in front of her in the living room.

When he sat down, he noticed Xu Yingying looking at him with an odd expression and quickly said with a grin, "What? Think I take good care of you and that I wouldn’t be a bad boyfriend?"

Xu Yingying immediately gave him a scornful look and retorted, "Don’t flatter yourself." But she felt awkward, as though Li Yifei had seen right through her thoughts.