Creak!
The sound of the doorknob turning snapped Dong Enyu out of her daze.
She turned her head to see Zhao Han.
“Zhao Han,” she murmured softly, the name like a thorn in her heart, impossible to remove and never letting her rest.
Zhao Han entered the study, seemingly done with tutoring and now upstairs to keep an eye on Dong Enyu.
Standing behind the leather sofa, Zhao Han surveyed the room’s furnishings, then her gaze landed on the book on the low table, clearly having been moved.
Her eyes then shifted upward, finally settling on Dong Enyu.
Zhao Han wasn’t angry; her face was expressionless.
“Did that little sister go home?”
Dong Enyu asked casually, breaking the silence in the room.
Zhao Han nodded lightly in response.
Feeling uncomfortable under Zhao Han’s gaze, Dong Enyu handed over the photo she was holding, pointing at the child in the picture.
“Is this you?”
She knew it was Zhao Han, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say, and Zhao Han’s gaze had fallen on the photo in her hand, prompting her to ask more.
Zhao Han didn’t answer, her cold eyes reflecting an arrogant look.
“This child is cute,” Dong Enyu said with a faint smile, meeting Zhao Han’s eyes.
“Who is this woman?”
she asked, pointing at the older woman in the photo.
Zhao Han moved then, stepping forward to pull Dong Enyu’s hand away from pointing at the woman.
She leaned in, staring into Dong Enyu’s eyes as if trying to uncover some secret, wanting to know the source of her curiosity.
“Do you want to know me?”
Zhao Han asked softly, her red lips barely moving.
Dong Enyu lowered her eyes, turning her head to leave, but Zhao Han held her back.
“Why not talk about yourself?”
Zhao Han took the photo frame from Dong Enyu’s hand, placing it back on the table, then wrapped an arm around her waist, forcing Dong Enyu to face her.
“Tell me, where were you born? What schools did you attend? Where are your parents? What are your interests? What’s your favorite color? Speak, let me know you better.”
Know you better…
Dong Enyu shivered, lowering her head.
“Sorry, I won’t ask about you anymore,” Dong Enyu refused to answer.
She didn’t ask Zhao Han, and Zhao Han didn’t ask her.
The two were at a stalemate, Dong Enyu furrowing her brow.
She tried to pull Zhao Han’s hand away from her waist, but Zhao Han deliberately tightened her grip, and they ended up almost pressed together.
Dong Enyu surrendered, no longer resisting.
She wrapped her arms around Zhao Han’s shoulders, resting her chin on her shoulder, avoiding Zhao Han’s sharp gaze, which made her feel better.
Those eyes, almost digging for her secrets, made Dong Enyu afraid.
Too focused and persistent…
“Do you like the book on the table? The Neighbor’s Adolescence?”
Dong Enyu glanced at the title, asking casually.
She inhaled the Plum Blossom Fragrance from Zhao Han, feeling a bit dizzy.
“What do you think?”
Zhao Han asked for her opinion, knowing Dong Enyu had touched it.
“It’s terrible,” she sighed, feeling the warmth Zhao Han transmitted.
“Mm,” Zhao Han responded, not showing much reaction.
They held each other for a while until Dong Enyu’s legs felt sore, and Zhao Han still wouldn’t let go.
So Dong Enyu took the initiative to pull away a bit, immediately feeling Zhao Han’s displeasure as she pinched her side.
She turned to look at Zhao Han, thinking no matter how many times she looked, Zhao Han was perfect, like a woman stepping out of a painting, though her personality was quite annoying.
“Is that enough? We’ve been hugging for so long, my legs are sore,” Dong Enyu patted Zhao Han’s hand, signaling her to let go.
“Can you cook?”
Zhao Han asked as she released her.
Dong Enyu understood Zhao Han’s meaning.
“I can, but I don’t know if it’ll suit your taste.”
Zhao Han led her downstairs, and they entered the kitchen.
Dong Enyu’s eyes lit up immediately; the cooking equipment was very complete, and the kitchen system was advanced.
Standing in front of the oven, she felt like a five-star hotel chef, making cooking naturally enjoyable.
Dong Enyu didn’t hesitate, putting on a cooking apron.
She opened the cabinets and fridge, finally deciding to make pasta.
“Is pasta okay?”
she asked Zhao Han at the dining table, holding a few tomatoes.
Zhao Han propped her head up, staring at Dong Enyu, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, just silently consenting.
While washing vegetables, Dong Enyu felt a chill on her back because Zhao Han kept staring at her, as if trying to freeze her with her gaze.
She and Yong Le were opposites; Yong Le was direct and bold, her gaze like her fiery red eyes, hot as flames.
But Zhao Han was cold as ice, and with her arrogant attitude, it made people afraid to speak.
“If you’re going to keep watching, why not come help me wash the vegetables?”
Dong Enyu finally couldn’t stand it, turning back with a basket of vegetables, signaling Zhao Han to come help.
Zhao Han wasn’t displeased.
She leisurely got up and went to the faucet, taking the vegetables Dong Enyu handed her and started washing them.
With an extra pair of hands, Dong Enyu was more at ease with the cooking.
Today, she was cooking slower than usual, seemingly wanting to savor the atmosphere of this high-end kitchen.
After all, at Yong Le’s place, the kitchen was extremely makeshift, sometimes lacking even a place to chop vegetables, forcing her to move to the dining table to prepare food.
Dong Enyu tossed in the noodles and then stood by the stove to cook the sauce.
She took the washed vegetables from Zhao Han, casually chopped them, and threw them into the pan to stir-fry.
Soon, a fragrant aroma wafted through the air.
She added some tomatoes, making the colors look very vibrant.
Dong Enyu took a spoonful of the sauce to taste it herself.
Not bad.
After adding some tomato sauce, she tasted it again, but this time Zhao Han grabbed her arm, and the spoon ended up in Zhao Han’s mouth.
Dong Enyu watched her lips slightly part as her crimson tongue licked the back of the spoon.
“It’s good,” Zhao Han said, releasing Dong Enyu’s hand, indicating the sauce was flavorful enough.
Dong Enyu withdrew her hand, suddenly feeling a bit unsettled.
“If you say it’s good, then it’s good.”
After all, Zhao Han was the one eating it, so the taste didn’t really matter to her.
After plating the food simply and placing it on the table, Zhao Han just sat by the dining table without starting to eat.
Dong Enyu took out a cigarette from her pocket and gestured towards the balcony.
Zhao Han saw this and nodded in agreement.
She pushed open the glass door to the balcony, lit a cigarette, and took a few deep drags.
Perhaps she was too hasty, as she ended up choking a bit and coughed slightly.
Dong Enyu held the cigarette in her hand, squinting her eyes.
She irritably ruffled her hair, unsure of what expression to use when looking at Zhao Han.
Sometimes she was very cold, sometimes very quiet.
She could pin Dong Enyu to a chair and have her way several times, or she could just hold her, warming each other in a proper manner.
It’s terrible… too terrible…
Dong Enyu glanced back slightly, seeing Zhao Han sitting at the dining table with her back to her, still not eating.
Was she waiting for her?
Suddenly, Dong Enyu chuckled softly.
How could that be?
“Sorry,” she said, finishing her cigarette and walking into the kitchen, deftly taking off her apron.
“I should be going.”
She still had to go to the Bar and couldn’t stay too late.
“Wait until I finish eating.”
After a moment of silence, Zhao Han picked up a fork and said.
Dong Enyu wasn’t angry.
She pulled out the chair opposite Zhao Han, sat down, and watched her eat.
Zhao Han’s movements were very graceful, like a well-mannered woman.
She ate slowly, chewing carefully, and pursed her lips without making any noise.
Her fork moved gently as she picked up the noodles.
As she ate, her eyelids lowered, and her long eyelashes cast a beautiful shadow under the light, full of feminine charm.
She was definitely a goddess that men would be infatuated with.
Dong Enyu was entranced, and by the time Zhao Han finished eating, half an hour had passed.
She called Aunt Su over, who handed a white envelope to Dong Enyu.
It was her pay.
“Your cooking is good,” Zhao Han said as she handed it over, a rare compliment, though her tone was flat.
Dong Enyu was still quite happy.
“Thank you.”
She smiled and was about to leave when Zhao Han stopped her.
“Remember to come over tomorrow,” she said, asking Dong Enyu to continue helping out the next day.
This made her pause for a moment before leaving.
Dong Enyu felt a bit down because she had to go to Zhao Han’s house to help again tomorrow.
However, she had already sorted out her emotions in the car.
She also spent the whole night at the Bar, where business was very slow.
Recently, business had been getting worse and worse.
Yesterday there were five groups of customers, but today there were only two.
When she sat at the bar, she always had a bad feeling, but A Gang comforted her, saying “Mask” was always like this, and business was generally not good, telling Dong Enyu not to think too much.
So tonight, they closed particularly early, and it started drizzling when they got off work.
Dong Enyu dragged her tired body home, only to be greeted by an empty and cold room.
After turning on the lights, there was no one there.
Yong Le hadn’t come back yet, and the bed was still neat, indicating no one had been there.
Dong Enyu went into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, silently leaning against the window, listening to the increasingly intense sound of raindrops outside.
She was considering whether to call Yong Le.
In the end, she took out her phone and quickly dialed.
The first call went unanswered, and so did the second.
The third call was answered, but the background noise on Yong Le’s end was very loud, making it almost impossible for her to hear Yong Le’s voice.
“Where are you?”
Dong Enyu originally wanted to throw a tantrum and demand she come home immediately, but after thinking it over, he just asked this.
“At Star Diamond, Han Ge made a big deal and is treating everyone here for some fun.”
Yong Le raised her voice to reply to Dong Enyu, as the background music was so loud that it made her sound a bit impatient.
Hearing this, Dong Enyu pursed his lips.
Han Ge was celebrating but didn’t invite her, clearly not considering her part of the group.
“Do you need anything else?”
The sound of clinking glasses and a few men shouting something into the phone came from Yong Le’s side, making Dong Enyu feel disrespected.
Yet, Yong Le didn’t stop them and even laughed along.
“When are you coming back?”
she asked softly, hoping Yong Le could hear her loneliness, but also not wanting her to hear it.
“What? You’re speaking too softly, I can’t hear you.”
Yong Le shouted a few times, and the merriment in the background made Dong Enyu’s mood increasingly heavy.
If she didn’t hear, then so be it, it didn’t matter.
So in the end, Dong Enyu just said, “Have fun, but don’t come back too late.”
After she said this, Yong Le hung up the phone without even saying goodbye.
