Rebirth from the Ashes

“I’m not religious.” Fu Qingxuan scoffed. Well, he decided to show kindness and not to get into it with the girl since she was relishing the food. However, he could not stand her horrible table manners. “Sit down and eat properly.”

Shen Xi happily took a seat when he picked up a pair of chopsticks as well. She asked him, “Did you make all of this?”

Fu Qingxuan refused to admit it. “No way. Do I look like I have a lot of time on hand? I asked the chef to come over.”

Shen Xi replied, “The chef knows his stuff, but compared to my mom, his control over the fire is lacking a tad.”

Fu Qingxuan enquired, “Is your mom a good cook?”

Shen Xi proudly answered with a smile as she nodded, “Whatever my mom makes is delicious.”

Fu Qingxuan gazed at the girl and finally saw the vibrance, cuteness, and innocence in her. Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky when she boasted about her mother

She really loved her mother.

Fu Qingxuan had not taken a bite today. After cooking the whole afternoon, he rushed to fetch her from the Huo residence only to have waited anxiously until the last rays of sunset before she appeared.

The food Shen Xi had at the Huo residence was too bland. She preferred well-seasoned dishes and the dinner right now was very much to her liking.

Fu Qingxuan curled his lips gleefully as he gazed at Shen Xi. His appetite grew as he watched the meanie digging into the food.

Shen Xi washed the dishes after the meal.

Standing by the side to oversee her, Fu Qingxuan grumbled and nitpicked. He pointed at the washed bowls, “Do you know how to do the dishes? The soap bubbles aren’t cleaned off properly.”

Shen Xi took a glance at the dishwasher in a corner, thinking that he was out to get her. Nevertheless, she put up with it since she should not bite the hand that fed her. Shen Xi retrieved the bowls and gave them another good rinse.

Fu Qingxuan inspected the bowls and plates with a magnifying glass while continuing his nitpicking. “Look at this plate. There’s a black dot on it. Is this how you work?”

Exercising patience, Shen Xi took the plate and dipped it in the sink.

Seeing that she was about to lose it yet tried to pull it together, Fu Qingxuan was happy to have his revenge at last. He reached out to squeeze her fluffy little ear and looked at her with a gentle frown. “Work hard.”

Shen Xi glared back at him, “And you can clean better than me?”

Fu Qingxuan retorted, “Of course.”

She stepped aside to leave the space to him before gesturing for him to go ahead. She gazed at him and said, “Your turn.”

He rolled up his sleeves. “I’ll show you what’s the right posture to do the dishes. Watch and learn.”

She tried to keep a straight face. The fool fell for it. He simply could not say no to a dare.

He scrubbed the dishes.

She moved a barstool over. Grabbing an apple, she sat on the stool and cheerfully dangled her legs. While chomping the apple, she instructed him. “Great job!”

Fu Qingxuan had a funny feeling about it.

Nevertheless, he cleaned all the dishes and put them back in their places.

He turned back to look at Shen Xi smugly, “Come and take a look.”

Shen Xi hopped off the stool and strolled over for closer inspection. She tiptoed and patted the young man on the head, even complimented him as she stifled her laugh. “Not bad. You should do it next time.”

Fu Qingxuan froze as he felt the girl’s soft and warm palm against his head, spreading heat straight into his heart. Turning red in the face, he finally figured out the funny feeling once his gaze returned to the teasing and cunning smile on the girl’s beautiful complexion. “You played me!”

Shen Xu turned and ran but quickly swung her head back to stick her tongue out at him to further taunt him. “Fu Qingxuan, you’re a dummy!”

Fu Qingxuan chased after her furiously. “Shen Xi, don’t you run!”

Shen Xi found great joy in poking fun at Fu Qingxuan.

The young master was shielded by his family, unacquainted to the feeling of sorrow, pure like a white sheet of paper, indifferent to worldly affairs, and kind. It was rather fun to tease him.

The pair was very childish, running around the living room in circles. In the end, Shen Xi escaped to her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

Fu Qingxuan demanded, “Open the door.”

Shen Xi replied, “No.”

He asked, “Are you going to open the door?”

Shen Xi yawned as she aggravatingly dragged her speech, “I’m going to bed. Good night, Young Master.”

Fu Qingxuan snapped back. “Don’t call me the young master!”

She chuckled. “What should I call you then? Young Master Fu?”

He was frustrated. “Call me Brother.”

She replied, “In your dreams!”

Fu Qingxuan could cry from rage. “…”

By the time she was done brushing her teeth, she heard complete silence on the outside. She quietly walked over and stuck her ear against the door to pick up on any noise. Hearing nothing, she boldly opened the door.

The next second, someone held onto the door.

Having got to her at least, Fu Qingxuan dove into the bedroom. “Meanie! I’m going to kick your *ss.”

Shen Xi made a run for it.

Fu Qingxuan declared, “I dare you to run.”

She picked up the pace.

He was in pursuit.

The pair ran until their legs failed them. Sprawled on the ground, they exchanged an awkward glance for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

“Young Master, you’re so immature.” Shen Xi looked at him in a playful disdain.

Fu Qingxuan returned the contempt. “Takes one to know one.”

This was not how he usually behaved. He was never close with any girls before this nor would any girl make him angry. No girls ever tickled his fancy, got on his nerves, yet left him worried at the same time.

Fu Qingxuan was relaxed, happy, maybe a little too childish when he was with her. She was more than capable of drawing out all his emotions.

Shen Xi kept on giggling until her eyes began to well up. With every nerve and cell in her body letting loose, she had never felt so relaxed.

Since her rebirth, there had never been a day, like the present, when she would laugh heartily and fool around without a load on her mind.

It was as though the vivaciousness of this age trapped in this body was unlocked following Fu Qingxuan’s presence. She could act like a childish brat in front of him.

Fu Qingxuan was no longer furious, but more accurately, he was never angry in the first place. He was just embarrassed after being fooled. Breathless from the chase, he turned to the girl lying next to him and asked, “Which of the furniture in my sister’s room is the best?”

Lying on her back with her hands against her head, Shen Xi glanced at him. “The bookshelf and coffee table that side.”

With the furniture in her favorite color and style, she was vibing with it.

Fu Qingxuan looked at her judgingly. “What’s nice about them? The bookshelf and coffee table look awful. No girl would like the dreadful color and ancient design. Is this your taste?”

Puzzled by his sudden outburst, Shen Xi broke it down to him. “This is a classic concept with a good design. The color is elegant. What’s old and dreadful about them?”