Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 292 What's There to Be Afraid Of?

An Xiaoqian angrily plated the fried eggs, but when she glanced at Hu Xiaobei, who was trying not to laugh, her eyes flashed, and her hair swung out with the movement, brushing against his cheek as she took the opportunity to vent her anger.

Then, as if she had gained the upper hand, she raised her chin slightly and looked at Hu Xiaobei triumphantly: "Then you fry an egg~ Let me see how good you are!"

"Okay~ Then I'll fry a heart-shaped egg!"

Hu Xiaobei lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, starting to fry an egg while explaining the precautions for frying a heart-shaped egg.

His wrist moved with fluid grace, the egg mixture spreading out in gentle arcs in the iron pan.

With a sizzling sound, a plump heart gradually takes shape, its edges gleaming with an enticing golden hue. (PS: Handmade, not made with a mold)

An Xiaoqian stood behind Hu Xiaobei, slightly tiptoeing, resting her chin on his shoulder, her eyelashes fluttering gently as the egg liquid changed, and occasionally letting out exclamations of "wow" and "oh".

"Let me serve it!" As soon as the heart-shaped fried eggs were plated, An Xiaoqian reached out her hand.

Hu Xiaobei glanced at the other fried eggs, signaling to An Xiaoqian not to favor one over the other.

When he came out after cleaning the kitchen, breakfast was already laid out on the table.

There were steamed buns and milk bought from outside, as well as nutritious porridge that had been cooked for a long time, and eggs that the two of them had just fried.

Hu Xiaobei looked at the two dishes in front of him: a plate of homemade fried eggs and a plate of "abstract art fried eggs".

He glanced at An Xiaoqian, who seemed to take it all for granted, and silently picked up a meat bun and started eating it.

An Xiaoqian picked up the fried egg as if showing off, and the golden yolk slowly flowed out, drawing amber-colored patterns on the white porcelain plate.

The moment she took a big bite, her eyes lit up as if they held a constellation of stars, and she deliberately dragged out the last syllable: "Mmm—it tastes as good as ever~"

She gently shook her little head, her cheeks deliberately puffed out like little buns, not even noticing the crumbs stuck to the corners of her mouth.

Then, glancing at the fried egg across from her, she earnestly reminded him, "Xiao Bei, why aren't you eating? Come and try my cooking!"

Hu Xiaobei swallowed the abstract-art fried egg into his mouth in one gulp, chewing and savoring it carefully. The crispy shell cracked between his teeth, and the slightly sweet egg liquid spread out.

Well, although the presentation wasn't great, the taste was still acceptable.

Morning light streamed through the glass window into the room, gilding An Xiaoqian's head with a golden edge.

If she were to change into the costume of Little Dragon Girl right now and chant a Buddhist mantra, Hu Xiaobei might just convert to Buddhism on the spot.

She was using chopsticks to pick up the remaining fried egg and savoring it with relish, her stray hairs falling in front of her as she moved.

Hu Xiaobei's hand had already risen before he even realized it, his fingertips brushing against the warm skin beside her ear, gently gathering the stray strands of hair.

He pulled out a black hair tie from somewhere, his fingers moving lightly like butterfly wings, and the fluffy hair curled obediently into a round and cute bun in his palm.

As he wrapped the hair tie, the morning light just happened to climb onto his wrist.

He ran his fingers through the stray strands of hair, watching them glow in the morning light as they fell naturally against An Xiaoqian's delicate cheeks.

Tiny specks of light danced on her neck, as if sprinkled with icing sugar, making even her breathing softer, and her Buddhist nature seemed to deepen.

Hu Xiaobei's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he swallowed hard, secretly relieved—An Xiaoqian's costumes were still there, and perhaps, possibly, maybe…

Hmm... As expected of me!
That's incredibly insightful!

"Alright." Hu Xiaobei withdrew his hand, his fingertips still retaining a faint fragrance and warmth from her hair, but then he gently pinched her cheek.

As if she had expected it, An Xiaoqian habitually puffed out her cheeks and leaned in. That soft, fluffy touch...it was simply amazing!

Hu Xiaobei unconsciously lightened his grip a bit, changing from pinching to stroking.

At this moment, the breakfast on the table was still steaming, and the two smiled at each other in the misty white steam.

This unspoken understanding is more touching than any words, and the air itself seems to become sweeter.

If Hu Xiaobei hadn't been eating a steamed bun right now, he would have really wanted to savor its flavor on the spot.

He casually picked up a steamed bun, taking small bites while watching An Xiaoqian eat with a smile.

An Xiaoqian noticed his blatant gaze, looked up at him, blinked her innocent big eyes, and asked curiously, "Xiao Bei, why are you eating the steamed bun in such small bites? It feels weird..."

Hu Xiaobei's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. He picked up his water glass and gulped down a large mouthful of milk.

Then he gently kneaded the bun in his hand and replied, "Before, I was eating the bun; now I'm savoring it. It's different."

Seeing this, An Xiaoqian followed his example, took a small sip of milk, picked up a steamed bun and gently kneaded it a couple of times, then asked, puzzled, "What's different?"

Hu Xiaobei's lips curled into a smile as he gazed meaningfully at An Xiaoqian's delicate lips: "Because the little bun is a feast for the eyes."

An Xiaoqian sensed his implication, as if he were referring to her, but she couldn't quite grasp the connection between the two: "What does that have to do with Xiaobaozi?"

The words had barely left her mouth when she suddenly realized her mistake and said coquettishly, "I'm not a little dumpling~"

After saying that, he deliberately puffed out his cheeks.

Hu Xiaobei couldn't stand it and reached out to pinch it.

An Xiaoqian took the opportunity to shove the bun in her hand into Hu Xiaobei's hand, raised her chin, and said smugly, "You can only eat this bun when we eat!"

Hu Xiaobei didn't refute or refuse, but just chewed the buns one bite at a time, sometimes taking a small bite and sometimes taking a big bite.

His gaze remained fixed on An Xiaoqian, as if he were holding her in his mouth and savoring her, or as if he were deliberately telling her that he had picked up on something unspoken in his words.

An Xiaoqian was shy and concerned about her image, so she gave up after just one steamed bun, lowering her head and not daring to look again.

Hu Xiaobei chuckled silently, secretly pleased with himself. In this battle of wits over breakfast, he had once again gained the upper hand.

At this moment, the sunlight gently shone on An Xiaoqian.

Hu Xiaobei suddenly felt a pang of longing for this warmth. Even though she knew it was wrong, she still wanted to get a little closer before parting ways.

After all, he managed to get through such a "dangerous" situation last night with great effort, so what is there to worry about now!
For him, manipulating An Xiaoqian was as easy as having a hand.
Anyway, An Xiaoqian has to go back to Beijing tonight, and he's not afraid at all; he'll just keep spouting nonsense.

It's broad daylight, and they're going out later. Even if they're deeply in love, they might just give each other a quick kiss at most. What's there to be afraid of?
An Xiaoqian's heart fluttered as he teased her, her ears burned, and her heart was filled with waves that surged and swelled, one after another, making her feel truly embarrassed.

She forgot that she had come here to turn the tables, not to be taken advantage of.

Hu Xiaobei didn't really press the issue; he merely touched on it briefly.

After all, even a small kiss, held back and not expressed, can be very uncomfortable for the body.

There's no need for that. It's enough to just talk about it. Let's leave some things for later.

(End of this chapter)