Chapter 33: Cleaning — This side is Dr. Ji’s beloved vanilla.
After Ye Zhen Zhen kissed Ji Zhe Yan, she dashed rapidly back to her room, slamming the door shut with a dōng—just as explosive as her action a moment ago.
Ye Zhen Zhen leaned her back against the door and tried to calm her violently heaving chest. She actually…forced a kiss on Dr. Ji.
She really wanted to give herself a like.
When her breathing was no longer rapid, she finally turned around and stuck her ear against the door, carefully listening for movement on the other side. The corridor was very quiet, just like when she first left her room. Although she was extremely curious, she did not have the courage to open the door and steal a glance.
Ji Zhe Yan was still standing at the doorway of his bedroom, Ye Zhen Zhen’s scorching hot breath lingering on his cheek. The spot where she kissed him felt like it was set on fire, and he worried deeply about his heart possibly being burned as well.
Ye Zhen Zhen had clearly just finished bathing, using the new shampoo she had just bought—the brand of body wash for which Emperor Mo was the spokesperson. The aroma still lingered on; a unique yet familiar feeling engulfed everything.
He realized that he seemed to have some kind of impulse he should not be having.
He glanced at the tightly closed door across from his room. Ji Zhe Yan sighed soundlessly and resigned himself to taking another shower.
Hearing the faint sound of a door closing, Ye Zhen Zhen waited another moment before cautiously opening the door a crack. Ji Zhe Yan’s door was already closed, and the corridor was absolutely empty.
Ye Zhen Zhen sighed in relief. Fortunately, Dr. Ji had not angrily made her pack her bags and leave.
After crawling back into bed and lying down, Ye Zhen Zhen did not feel drowsy in the slightest because of what happened moments ago. Would Dr. Ji think she was too brash? It went without saying that a girl who ran away to live with someone of the opposite sex was acting too improper, right? Although this was suggested by Dr. Ji, she had agreed without the slightest hesitation. Did that make him think she was too reckless?
As these thoughts floated in Ye Zhen Zhen’s head and made her miserable, Ji Zhe Yan was taking a shower again while solemnly contemplating things.
He knew his emotional quotient was not the problem, so he clearly understood what he felt toward Ye Zhen Zhen. Ye Zhen Zhen was still too young, though. Even if she said she was already legally old enough to marry, in Ji Zhe Yan’s eyes, a student was still a student. Now, however, they were living together because of his suggestion. Although this was an act of helplessness, he still had to take the girl’s reputation and integrity into consideration .
He felt that he had to take responsibility for Ye Zhen Zhen.
Once he finished taking a shower, Ji Zhe Yan lay down on his bed and recalled how Ye Zhen Zhen’s mood had fluctuated so extensively today. He should have prepared a glass of warm milk for her before she went to sleep.
Although Ye Zhen Zhen did not drink a glass of warm milk, she slept strangely well that night. At first, she had mulled over her thoughts for ages in a drowsy state until she gradually fell asleep, but after she did, she found herself sleeping until dawn.
She opened her eyes bewilderedly to the morning sunlight filtering through the white window curtains and spilling into the room.
Ye Zhen Zhen stayed in bed for a moment before beating back a yawn. She got up to wash her face and rinse her mouth. She opened the door and smelled a faint fragrance. Ye Zhen Zhen closed her eyes and sniffed again; it smelt like boiling congee.
She put on the Pikachu slippers Ji Zhe Yan had bought her yesterday. Rolling her neck, Ye Zhen Zhen padded into the kitchen and glanced around. Dressed in stay-at-home clothes, Ji Zhe Yan was blowing on a spoonful of congee before tasting it.
She did not know why, but Ye Zhen Zhen suddenly remembered the kiss she forced on Dr. Ji last night. At that time, her head was too stuffy and muffled, but now that she was clear-headed, she did not have the courage to face Ji Zhe Yan awkwardly.
She really did not dare to act courageously enough to take responsibility for her immoral behavior.
Ye Zhen Zhen felt somewhat defeated.
“Why not sleep for a while longer? It’s still early.” Ji Zhe Yan had discovered Ye Zhen Zhen’s presence in the living room, to her unawareness, and set down the spoon to walk over.
Embarrassed, she smiled at him, an unnatural flush on her cheeks. “Good morning, Dr. Ji.”
“Good morning.” Ji Zhe Yan nodded at her and then returned to the kitchen. “Did you feel uneasy sleeping here?”
“No, I slept very well!” Ye Zhen Zhen somewhat worriedly explained, afraid that Ji Zhe Yan would misunderstand something. Subconsciously, she followed him to the kitchen, only to stare flabbergastedly at the small pots lining the kitchen stove side-by-side. “Dr. Ji, you boiled so much congee?”
“Mn…” Ji Zhe Yan seemed to be hiding his eyes. “Top Scorer in the Imperial Examination congee,1 congee with minced pork and preserved egg, congee with dehydrated vegetables and pig bone, congee with minced beef and a nested egg; I boiled a variety because I had quite an abundance of time.” Actually, he was worried that if he only cooked one type of congee, what would he do if Ye Zhen Zhen did not like it?
Ye Zhen Zhen looked adoringly at Ji Zhe Yan, her belly gurgling timely at that moment.
Ji Zhe Yan couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked at her. “You’ll be able to eat soon.”
“Mn…” Ye Zhen Zhen felt embarrassed as she walked to sit down at the dining table, feeling like a millet worm infesting Dr. Ji’s home. Not a moment later, Ji Zhe Yan brought over several bowls. Ye Zhen Zhen hurriedly got up to help carry them.
Each of the four small bowls on the table had a different type of congee. Ye Zhen Zhen tried each one and then gave Ji Zhe Yan a thumbs-up. “Dr. Ji, your boiled congee is really tasty!”
Ji Zhe Yan pursed his lips and turned around to head back to the kitchen. He ladled himself a bowl of congee and returned to see that one of the small bowls in front of Ye Zhen Zhen already had a visible bottom. Ji Zhe Yan glanced at her spread. That bowl originally contained the congee with minced pork and preserved egg.
So it seemed that she liked the congee with minced pork and preserved egg the most? Then he would cook more of that in the future.
Ye Zhen Zhen, conforming with the decent moral character as to not waste food, unexpectedly ate all the bowls of congee in front of her, wiping them all clean. Ji Zhe Yan looked at her anxiously, worried that her stomach could not stand the large meal.
“Don’t worry, Dr. Ji. I am a woman who can eat up to fifteen plates of beef on her own!” Ye Zhen Zhen comforted Ji Zhe Yan.
Ji Zhe Yan immediately became even more worried.
After the meal, Ye Zhen Zhen took initiative to claim the responsibility of washing the bowls and pots. Ji Zhe Yan believed that being active after eating was good for her and thus allowed her to do so. While Ye Zhen Zhen cleaned the bowls, Ji Zhe Yan cleaned the living room. Today was one of his rare day-offs, and since Ye Zhen Zhen had moved in, he simply wanted to clean thoroughly.
Ji Zhe Yan really loved cleaning. He did not hire a housekeeper and cleaned his entire house every week by himself. Therefore, he was considerably relaxed as he began a thorough house cleaning. Ye Zhen Zhen naturally could not stay idle and cleaned her own little area, though Ji Zhe Yan still had to come and clean the higher areas. She looked up and saw Ji Zhe Yan wiping down the top of the wardrobe. Ye Zhen Zhen’s good eyes spotted something on top of the wardrobe. Ji Zhe Yan also took note of it and took it down, examining it.
“It seems like a videotape.” Ye Zhen Zhen approached Ji Zhe Yan, her eyes wide. “Written on it is…”
She did not finish, as Ji Zhe Yan hid the videotape behind his back with a whoosh. “It’s nothing. It was probably forgotten and left here by my parents.”
Ye Zhen Zhen looked at him suspiciously. Nothing? What was so nerve-wracking yet still ‘nothing?’
Her mind continued churning, but she was forced to only look on helplessly as Ji Zhe Yan took the videotape back to his bedroom. In response to Ye Zhen Zhen gazing at him with her beautiful eyes, like limpid autumn waters, Ji Zhe Yan walked up to her and inquired, “Have you not eaten the ice cream we bought yesterday? Cleaning for such a long time is tiring. How about you go rest first?”
Ice cream—those two words successfully shifted Ye Zhen Zhen’s attention. She cheerfully agreed and ran off to the freezer to grab the ice cream.
Originally, Dr. Ji had said that the weather was currently not warm enough to eat ice cream. Moreover, it was not good for girls to eat cold things. He had not wanted to let her buy ice cream, but she had coaxed and pestered him for quite a while, eventually wearing him down to allow two small containers. Even if they bought it, however, she felt that she would have needed to take advantage of Dr. Ji not being home to eat it stealthily. She hadn’t expected…him to bring up this opportunity of his own accord.
Ye Zhen Zhen happily and diligently clasped a case of ice cream in her hand as she sat in front of Ji Zhe Yan. Ye Zhen Zhen tore off the lid and then used a wooden spoon to draw in the ice cream a ‘38th parallel.’2“This side is Dr. Ji’s beloved vanilla. This side is chocolate, which is set aside for me!”
Watching Ye Zhen Zhen’s childish actions, Ji Zhe Yan broke into laughter, yet he picked up a spoon as well. He single-mindedly dug into his allocated vanilla portion. Ye Zhen Zhen ate for a while before beginning to covet the tasty-looking vanilla ice cream. She pursed her lips around her spoon and asked Ji Zhe Yan, “Dr. Ji, can I eat some of your vanilla ice cream?”
Sure enough, she was still a child.
Without thinking, Ji Zhe Yan scooped up a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and brought it up to Ye Zhen Zhen’s mouth. Ye Zhen Zhen stared blankly at it and then closed her mouth around the spoon, moaning in contentment.
At this point, Ji Zhe Yan realized what he had just done.
His face burned, to such a scorching hot temperature that he nearly let go of his spoon. Ye Zhen Zhen swallowed the ice cream in her mouth, the smile on her face sweeter than a child finally being able to eat candy. “Sure enough, the vanilla is quite tasty.”
Ji Zhe Yan’s heart skipped a beat at this. Putong— He set down his spoon in the end and pushed the ice cream toward Ye Zhen Zhen. “It’s all yours.” After he finished speaking, he quickly left and continued the unfinished cleaning.
His heart was still repenting somewhat. By allowing her to eat so much ice cream alone, would it cause her to have diarrhea? If so, should he go remind her to not eat a lot?
While Ji Zhe Yan hesitated, Ye Zhen Zhen had already finished eating the rest of the ice cream and returned to help Ji Zhe Yan continue cleaning in high spirits. Ji Zhe Yan glanced at the empty ice cream case in the trash can, his expression growing cold. “You are not allowed to eat the remaining ice cream case without my permission.”
Ye Zhen Zhen’s heart howled in grief—wuwu—but she nodded weakly.
She did not want to be kicked out by Mr. Landlord.
Moreover, such a cute Mr. Landlord at that.
Thinking about this, Ye Zhen Zhen somewhat guiltily said, “Dr. Ji, I’m sorry for last night.”
Last night, what happened last night that necessitated an apology from Ye Zhen Zhen? Ji Zhe Yan’s face, as expected, gradually flushed. The mischievous aspects of Ye Zhen Zhen’s personality won, causing laughter to escape her pursed lips. “Dr. Ji, you’re tastier than vanilla ice cream~”
Congee with pork entrails and pork meatballs, a Guangdong snack; legend has it that an impoverished scholar will achieve the highest score in an imperial examination after eating this congee. Locals, therefore, buy the congee for their kids when there is an important exam in the hope of ensuring them good results. Reference to the 38th parallel border separating North and South Korea
Chapter 33: Cleaning — This side is Dr. Ji’s beloved vanilla.
After Ye Zhen Zhen kissed Ji Zhe Yan, she dashed rapidly back to her room, slamming the door shut with a dōng—just as explosive as her action a moment ago.
Ye Zhen Zhen leaned her back against the door and tried to calm her violently heaving chest. She actually…forced a kiss on Dr. Ji.
She really wanted to give herself a like.
When her breathing was no longer rapid, she finally turned around and stuck her ear against the door, carefully listening for movement on the other side. The corridor was very quiet, just like when she first left her room. Although she was extremely curious, she did not have the courage to open the door and steal a glance.
Ji Zhe Yan was still standing at the doorway of his bedroom, Ye Zhen Zhen’s scorching hot breath lingering on his cheek. The spot where she kissed him felt like it was set on fire, and he worried deeply about his heart possibly being burned as well.
Ye Zhen Zhen had clearly just finished bathing, using the new shampoo she had just bought—the brand of body wash for which Emperor Mo was the spokesperson. The aroma still lingered on; a unique yet familiar feeling engulfed everything.
He realized that he seemed to have some kind of impulse he should not be having.
He glanced at the tightly closed door across from his room. Ji Zhe Yan sighed soundlessly and resigned himself to taking another shower.
Hearing the faint sound of a door closing, Ye Zhen Zhen waited another moment before cautiously opening the door a crack. Ji Zhe Yan’s door was already closed, and the corridor was absolutely empty.
Ye Zhen Zhen sighed in relief. Fortunately, Dr. Ji had not angrily made her pack her bags and leave.
After crawling back into bed and lying down, Ye Zhen Zhen did not feel drowsy in the slightest because of what happened moments ago. Would Dr. Ji think she was too brash? It went without saying that a girl who ran away to live with someone of the opposite sex was acting too improper, right? Although this was suggested by Dr. Ji, she had agreed without the slightest hesitation. Did that make him think she was too reckless?
As these thoughts floated in Ye Zhen Zhen’s head and made her miserable, Ji Zhe Yan was taking a shower again while solemnly contemplating things.
He knew his emotional quotient was not the problem, so he clearly understood what he felt toward Ye Zhen Zhen. Ye Zhen Zhen was still too young, though. Even if she said she was already legally old enough to marry, in Ji Zhe Yan’s eyes, a student was still a student. Now, however, they were living together because of his suggestion. Although this was an act of helplessness, he still had to take the girl’s reputation and integrity into consideration .
He felt that he had to take responsibility for Ye Zhen Zhen.
Once he finished taking a shower, Ji Zhe Yan lay down on his bed and recalled how Ye Zhen Zhen’s mood had fluctuated so extensively today. He should have prepared a glass of warm milk for her before she went to sleep.
Although Ye Zhen Zhen did not drink a glass of warm milk, she slept strangely well that night. At first, she had mulled over her thoughts for ages in a drowsy state until she gradually fell asleep, but after she did, she found herself sleeping until dawn.
She opened her eyes bewilderedly to the morning sunlight filtering through the white window curtains and spilling into the room.
Ye Zhen Zhen stayed in bed for a moment before beating back a yawn. She got up to wash her face and rinse her mouth. She opened the door and smelled a faint fragrance. Ye Zhen Zhen closed her eyes and sniffed again; it smelt like boiling congee.
She put on the Pikachu slippers Ji Zhe Yan had bought her yesterday. Rolling her neck, Ye Zhen Zhen padded into the kitchen and glanced around. Dressed in stay-at-home clothes, Ji Zhe Yan was blowing on a spoonful of congee before tasting it.
She did not know why, but Ye Zhen Zhen suddenly remembered the kiss she forced on Dr. Ji last night. At that time, her head was too stuffy and muffled, but now that she was clear-headed, she did not have the courage to face Ji Zhe Yan awkwardly.
She really did not dare to act courageously enough to take responsibility for her immoral behavior.
Ye Zhen Zhen felt somewhat defeated.
“Why not sleep for a while longer? It’s still early.” Ji Zhe Yan had discovered Ye Zhen Zhen’s presence in the living room, to her unawareness, and set down the spoon to walk over.
Embarrassed, she smiled at him, an unnatural flush on her cheeks. “Good morning, Dr. Ji.”
“Good morning.” Ji Zhe Yan nodded at her and then returned to the kitchen. “Did you feel uneasy sleeping here?”
“No, I slept very well!” Ye Zhen Zhen somewhat worriedly explained, afraid that Ji Zhe Yan would misunderstand something. Subconsciously, she followed him to the kitchen, only to stare flabbergastedly at the small pots lining the kitchen stove side-by-side. “Dr. Ji, you boiled so much congee?”
“Mn…” Ji Zhe Yan seemed to be hiding his eyes. “Top Scorer in the Imperial Examination congee,1 congee with minced pork and preserved egg, congee with dehydrated vegetables and pig bone, congee with minced beef and a nested egg; I boiled a variety because I had quite an abundance of time.” Actually, he was worried that if he only cooked one type of congee, what would he do if Ye Zhen Zhen did not like it?
Ye Zhen Zhen looked adoringly at Ji Zhe Yan, her belly gurgling timely at that moment.
Ji Zhe Yan couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked at her. “You’ll be able to eat soon.”
“Mn…” Ye Zhen Zhen felt embarrassed as she walked to sit down at the dining table, feeling like a millet worm infesting Dr. Ji’s home. Not a moment later, Ji Zhe Yan brought over several bowls. Ye Zhen Zhen hurriedly got up to help carry them.
Each of the four small bowls on the table had a different type of congee. Ye Zhen Zhen tried each one and then gave Ji Zhe Yan a thumbs-up. “Dr. Ji, your boiled congee is really tasty!”
Ji Zhe Yan pursed his lips and turned around to head back to the kitchen. He ladled himself a bowl of congee and returned to see that one of the small bowls in front of Ye Zhen Zhen already had a visible bottom. Ji Zhe Yan glanced at her spread. That bowl originally contained the congee with minced pork and preserved egg.
So it seemed that she liked the congee with minced pork and preserved egg the most? Then he would cook more of that in the future.
Ye Zhen Zhen, conforming with the decent moral character as to not waste food, unexpectedly ate all the bowls of congee in front of her, wiping them all clean. Ji Zhe Yan looked at her anxiously, worried that her stomach could not stand the large meal.
“Don’t worry, Dr. Ji. I am a woman who can eat up to fifteen plates of beef on her own!” Ye Zhen Zhen comforted Ji Zhe Yan.
Ji Zhe Yan immediately became even more worried.
After the meal, Ye Zhen Zhen took initiative to claim the responsibility of washing the bowls and pots. Ji Zhe Yan believed that being active after eating was good for her and thus allowed her to do so. While Ye Zhen Zhen cleaned the bowls, Ji Zhe Yan cleaned the living room. Today was one of his rare day-offs, and since Ye Zhen Zhen had moved in, he simply wanted to clean thoroughly.
Ji Zhe Yan really loved cleaning. He did not hire a housekeeper and cleaned his entire house every week by himself. Therefore, he was considerably relaxed as he began a thorough house cleaning. Ye Zhen Zhen naturally could not stay idle and cleaned her own little area, though Ji Zhe Yan still had to come and clean the higher areas. She looked up and saw Ji Zhe Yan wiping down the top of the wardrobe. Ye Zhen Zhen’s good eyes spotted something on top of the wardrobe. Ji Zhe Yan also took note of it and took it down, examining it.
“It seems like a videotape.” Ye Zhen Zhen approached Ji Zhe Yan, her eyes wide. “Written on it is…”
She did not finish, as Ji Zhe Yan hid the videotape behind his back with a whoosh. “It’s nothing. It was probably forgotten and left here by my parents.”
Ye Zhen Zhen looked at him suspiciously. Nothing? What was so nerve-wracking yet still ‘nothing?’
Her mind continued churning, but she was forced to only look on helplessly as Ji Zhe Yan took the videotape back to his bedroom. In response to Ye Zhen Zhen gazing at him with her beautiful eyes, like limpid autumn waters, Ji Zhe Yan walked up to her and inquired, “Have you not eaten the ice cream we bought yesterday? Cleaning for such a long time is tiring. How about you go rest first?”
Ice cream—those two words successfully shifted Ye Zhen Zhen’s attention. She cheerfully agreed and ran off to the freezer to grab the ice cream.
Originally, Dr. Ji had said that the weather was currently not warm enough to eat ice cream. Moreover, it was not good for girls to eat cold things. He had not wanted to let her buy ice cream, but she had coaxed and pestered him for quite a while, eventually wearing him down to allow two small containers. Even if they bought it, however, she felt that she would have needed to take advantage of Dr. Ji not being home to eat it stealthily. She hadn’t expected…him to bring up this opportunity of his own accord.
Ye Zhen Zhen happily and diligently clasped a case of ice cream in her hand as she sat in front of Ji Zhe Yan. Ye Zhen Zhen tore off the lid and then used a wooden spoon to draw in the ice cream a ‘38th parallel.’2“This side is Dr. Ji’s beloved vanilla. This side is chocolate, which is set aside for me!”
Watching Ye Zhen Zhen’s childish actions, Ji Zhe Yan broke into laughter, yet he picked up a spoon as well. He single-mindedly dug into his allocated vanilla portion. Ye Zhen Zhen ate for a while before beginning to covet the tasty-looking vanilla ice cream. She pursed her lips around her spoon and asked Ji Zhe Yan, “Dr. Ji, can I eat some of your vanilla ice cream?”
Sure enough, she was still a child.
Without thinking, Ji Zhe Yan scooped up a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and brought it up to Ye Zhen Zhen’s mouth. Ye Zhen Zhen stared blankly at it and then closed her mouth around the spoon, moaning in contentment.
At this point, Ji Zhe Yan realized what he had just done.
His face burned, to such a scorching hot temperature that he nearly let go of his spoon. Ye Zhen Zhen swallowed the ice cream in her mouth, the smile on her face sweeter than a child finally being able to eat candy. “Sure enough, the vanilla is quite tasty.”
Ji Zhe Yan’s heart skipped a beat at this. Putong— He set down his spoon in the end and pushed the ice cream toward Ye Zhen Zhen. “It’s all yours.” After he finished speaking, he quickly left and continued the unfinished cleaning.
His heart was still repenting somewhat. By allowing her to eat so much ice cream alone, would it cause her to have diarrhea? If so, should he go remind her to not eat a lot?
While Ji Zhe Yan hesitated, Ye Zhen Zhen had already finished eating the rest of the ice cream and returned to help Ji Zhe Yan continue cleaning in high spirits. Ji Zhe Yan glanced at the empty ice cream case in the trash can, his expression growing cold. “You are not allowed to eat the remaining ice cream case without my permission.”
Ye Zhen Zhen’s heart howled in grief—wuwu—but she nodded weakly.
She did not want to be kicked out by Mr. Landlord.
Moreover, such a cute Mr. Landlord at that.
Thinking about this, Ye Zhen Zhen somewhat guiltily said, “Dr. Ji, I’m sorry for last night.”
Last night, what happened last night that necessitated an apology from Ye Zhen Zhen? Ji Zhe Yan’s face, as expected, gradually flushed. The mischievous aspects of Ye Zhen Zhen’s personality won, causing laughter to escape her pursed lips. “Dr. Ji, you’re tastier than vanilla ice cream~”
Congee with pork entrails and pork meatballs, a Guangdong snack; legend has it that an impoverished scholar will achieve the highest score in an imperial examination after eating this congee. Locals, therefore, buy the congee for their kids when there is an important exam in the hope of ensuring them good results. Reference to the 38th parallel border separating North and South Korea
