Growing Fond of You, Mr Nian

Nian Xi appeared serious as she said, “It’s not that easy to get drunk. It’s exaggerated in TV shows and novels. Usually, you’ll still be completely conscious after you drink. If you’re still reluctant to do so, I’ll just drink alone to entertain myself.”

After Nian Xi said this, she laughed at herself self-deprecatingly, causing Jiang Yuning to feel slightly guilty when he heard her. He was afraid that Nian Xi would be displeased with him. Furthermore, he would be gone for such a long time, and he was worried that if he did not agree to have a candlelight dinner with her, she might slowly lose interest in him.

“Xixi…”

“Let’s just go home.”

Immediately after that, Nian Xi held onto the red wine bottle and strode forward.

Jiang Yuning watched her silhouette shrink for a while, before quickly chasing after her and grabbing hold of her hand. She allowed him to hold onto her, but she did not let him entwine his fingers with hers.

…

Once they reached Nian Xi’s apartment, Jiang Yuning immediately went into the kitchen, intending to please her by whipping up a lot of delicious dishes this night. He wanted her to think that none of the men out there could ever compare to him.

He prepared many delicious dishes for their dinner, such as chicken feet, duck meat, and curry chicken.

After neatly laying them out across the table and lighting up the candles, he walked back into the living room to call Nian Xi over.

Meanwhile, Nian Xi was lazily reclining on the sofa with a remote control in one hand and her phone in the other. On her phone, she said, “Ji Chuan, I can’t thank you enough. I’ll treat everyone to a meal once I end my shift the day after tomorrow. What should we eat? How about western food? Great…”

Before she could complete her sentence, a shadow loomed over her, and she saw Jiang Yuning, donned in a checkered, sky-blue apron. He stood beside her with his eyes wide open as he glared at her. His lips were pursed and downturned, while his brows were knitted into a tight frown. He had an anxious and unhappy look on his face and was even breathing heavily.

“What’s the matter?” Nian Xi feigned ignorance and asked.

Jiang Yuning did not utter a word.

To think that she could ask him what was wrong! How could she contact Feng Ji Chuan in private, thank him, and even offer to treat him to western food?

She was the one who had previously said that eating western food was a romantic thing to do.

“Mm, it smells good! Dinner’s ready! Let’s eat,” Nian Xi said as she stood up right away.

However, just as she took a step forward, Jiang Yuning suddenly grabbed hold of her hand. There was a stubborn and childish look in his eyes as he said, “I won’t allow you to have western food with Feng Ji Chuan.”

“I’m not eating with him alone,” Nian Xi said as she blinked her eyes. “Fang Qi and Zhan Hong are going too.”

“No,” Jiang Yuning said as he shook his head obstinately. “I object!”

“Alright,” Nian Xi said while nodding her head. “Well, can we have steamboat then? If not, then Sichuan cuisine or Cantonese cuisine or Hunan cuisine…”

Stunned for a moment, Jiang Yuning replied anxiously, “It’s not a matter of what cuisine you eat. It’s because… I don’t like the idea of you eating with Feng Ji Chuan.”

“Cut it out! We’re colleagues, and it’s not as if I’m having an affair,” Nian Xi replied as she walked over to the dining table to retrieve a tallboy, before pouring herself a glass of wine.

Jiang Yuning was momentarily shocked. She had asked him to drink with her, and yet she was drinking alone now.

“Xixi, I’m jealous…” Jiang Yuning said honestly and gloomily. “You’re being too close to Feng Ji Chuan.”

“Yuning, can you stop it?” Nian Xi chided. She then took a sip of the red wine and placed the wine glass down before she continued, “There’s no passion and intimacy when we’re together. Forget about the fact that there’s no steak and that you’ve prepared a table of normal home-cooked food for our candlelight dinner instead. You won’t even drink red wine. Can you be a little more romantic?”

Jiang Yuning was stupefied. He could not understand why Nian Xi suddenly became so furious on their last night together.

Did she regret her choice and was she reluctant to wait for him? Did she want to get back together with Feng Ji Chuan?

“I-I didn’t say that I’m not d-drinking,” he stuttered.