Chapter 11: You're Quite Sentimental After All

“Peng Jiaxin, I...”

After leaving the Japanese restaurant, Chen Fan wanted to explain, but Peng Jiaxin quickly raised her hand.

“Hey, no need to say anything. We’ve only known each other for two days. Don’t expect me to have high hopes for you. To put it simply, right now I’m more attracted to your looks, so don’t worry about your standing in my heart dropping or anything like that.”

“As for those clothes and stuff, dressing you up handsomely benefits me just as much. So it’s not purely for you—you can think of it as a kind of work benefit for being my husband... or something like that?”

Chen Fan was torn between laughing and crying. Could she be any more blunt?

Peng Jiaxin glanced at him.

“I have my own scoring system for whether you can become the father of my child in the future.”

“Really? If the full score is one hundred, how many points do I have now?”

“About forty.”

“That low?”

“Who told you to suddenly have an ambiguous female friend popping up!”

She emphasized the last few words strongly.

This guy was almost passing, and then suddenly pulled a stunt like this. If it weren’t for her good temper, she’d have let that woman know what happens to anyone who fancies someone else’s husband!

Chen Fan dared not say a word.

“Let’s go home.”

“Huh? Not eating out?”

Peng Jiaxin’s tone became irritated as she glared at Chen Fan.

“We’re eating at home! On the way, think about how you’re going to explain that woman to me.”

“...”

“But didn’t you say no explanation was needed?”

“I regret it now, okay?”

“...Of course you can.”

And so, Chen Fan found himself inexplicably at Peng Jiaxin’s home.

Her residence was a spacious, single-floor apartment, one unit per floor, accessible only by elevator requiring a card to reach her floor.

That floor itself was divided into upper and lower levels.

Chen Fan once again marveled at the extravagance of the wealthy.

A place this big for just one person—he was afraid his voice would echo if he spoke too loudly.

But it was truly comfortable; the sofa was far nicer than the one at his place.

“Spill it,” Peng Jiaxin said, sitting opposite him, crossing her legs with confidence fully on display.

They were practically at a second hearing now, yet Chen Fan still had the nerve to joke around. Little Chen, are you not taking me seriously?

He felt the same nervousness as when they first met, his hands instinctively resting on his knees.

Better to confess everything now than to unravel later.

Chen Fan gathered his words.

“I used to be a bona fide bookworm, topping the charts year after year.”

Peng Jiaxin narrowed her eyes.

“I’m not here to hear you brag.”

“Hehe~ It’s not really bragging. I was smart but had terrible social skills. I was handsome too, so many girls liked me, which caused the boys to isolate me…”

Peng Jiaxin raised a questioning eyebrow and interrupted again.

“Get to the point.”

“Ah, sorry. To sum it up: a lonely handsome guy was saved by a transferred art student, fell for her, and got strung along for seven years.”

“Looks like you’re quite devoted,” Peng Jiaxin said, her gaze lingering on him.

“When I was young and foolish, I liked a white lotus flower, but growing up I realized you’re the one I want. After she got a boyfriend, I cut all contact and deleted her from everywhere.”

Chen Fan sat beside Peng Jiaxin, looking at her with puppy-like eyes.

“Now, I’m entirely yours.”

The words felt awkward even to him, yet the effect was gratifying.

Peng Jiaxin’s neck flushed visibly, her cheeks coloring deeply.

This man!

He actually used his charm on her!

Did he really think she could be swayed by looks?

Did he think she rarely saw handsome men?

She stole a glance at Chen Fan.

Hmm... there really weren’t many like him.

“My lifelong devotion is only for you. Will you forgive me?”

Hearing this, Peng Jiaxin took a deep breath and shifted away from Chen Fan.

“Don’t let it happen again. Also, don’t come near me. I’m hungry; go cook something for me.”

“Okay.”

Chen Fan couldn’t help but smile; the shy side of Peng Jiaxin completely erased any trace of her usual CEO demeanor.

She was quite adorable.

He stood up carefully, took off his jacket, draped it over the sofa, rolled up his sleeves, and headed toward the kitchen. Halfway there, he suddenly stopped.

“Where’s the kitchen?”

Peng Jiaxin had composed herself, no longer feeling the earlier flutter.

It had been just an illusion.

How could she possibly develop feelings for a man she’d only known two days?

“I’ll show you.”

They returned to their usual dynamic.

...

How to put it—this was Chen Fan’s first time cooking in a kitchen bigger than his own home. It felt more like a professional kitchen than a simple home one.

The fridge was stocked with luxury ingredients; the meat he casually grabbed was probably worth thousands.

“What if I’m too scared to start cooking?”

Chen Fan looked at Peng Jiaxin, helplessly seeking guidance.

Before meeting Peng Jiaxin, Chen Fan thought earning several hundred thousand yuan a month put him in the upper class, but she made him realize he still had a long way to go.

“No worries... fine, I’ll do it.”

Peng Jiaxin bent down and took out two pre-cut steaks.

“But this is all I know how to cook. Hope you don’t mind?”

Chen Fan, admiring the beautiful sight before him, swallowed hard and nodded.

Noticing his gaze, Peng Jiaxin rolled her eyes.

“Shame on you!”

“Hehe, everyone loves beauty.”

Chen Fan was unashamed. As he always said, admiring one’s wife isn’t a crime!

“There’s pasta in that cabinet. Grab a pack to boil...” Peng Jiaxin suddenly remembered Chen Fan’s “terrifying” appetite from that morning and hesitated a moment. “No, better make it two packs.”

Then she saw Chen Fan take out four packs.

“?”

“I thought you said two packs each?”

“...”

Seeing her increasingly disapproving look, Chen Fan quickly laughed and shoved two packs back.

“Just joking... just joking...”

Cooking steak was easy—just some seasoning and a few minutes—same with pasta: boil a little, drain, add sauce.

When Aunt Xu wasn’t around at night and Peng Jiaxin was starving, she liked to make this simple meal.

Quick, easy, and high-quality carbs—no burden to eat at night.

“Mmm~ Wife’s cooking is the best.”

Chen Fan bit into a piece of steak, savoring it with a satisfied sound.

“Shame on you!” Peng Jiaxin said, knowing he was flattering her but unable to suppress a smile.

She tasted the pasta.

Hmm… it was indeed a bit better than what she made herself, though she couldn’t quite say what was better.

“By the way, Chen Fan, have you thought about moving?”

“Hm?”

“You said you wanted to cut ties with that woman, right? Judging by how hysterical she was today, what if she shows up at your place and camps out?”

Peng Jiaxin poked at the steak with her fork, waiting for his answer.

“Of course I’ve thought about it.”

Chen Fan wouldn’t admit the sad truth that the girl he’d chased for so many years didn’t even know where he lived.

He was afraid Peng Jiaxin would laugh.