Chapter 181: little one.
She had already gotten used to being lifted up by Yan Cijin, and as soon as she was seated properly, she kicked her little feet happily and looked over at the table with obvious anticipation. Bai Li turned off the TV and walked over to sit down at the table. For a second, she still felt a little uneasy, because she had already eaten at Yan Cijin’s place twice before and had barely done anything in return. In her mind, she was the one being looked after. That made her feel a little awkward. She was not used to sitting around and receiving so much care from other people. But before she could overthink it too much, Yan Laojin smiled and said, "Little Bai, don’t be shy. Besides, you brought all the dishes, so we just cooked them."
Bai Li still felt a little embarrassed, but she nodded and replied, "Thank you, Auntie. I’m really sorry to bother you." Her voice was polite as always, but there was a little warmth in it too. Yan Laojin could tell that Bai Li was not being fake. She was just naturally the kind of person who did not like taking advantage of others. That made Yan Laojin like her even more.
Yan Cijin took Bai Li’s bowl and very naturally put some stir fried mushrooms into it, then added a scoop of sweet and sour eggplant, and finally placed a chicken leg right on top. Her movements were smooth and careful, and when she spoke, her tone was low and gentle. "Eat up, have a good lunch."
Bai Li looked at the bowl for a second, then looked at Yan Cijin. There was something about the way Yan Cijin handed her food that made Bai Li feel a little weird in a good way. It was not dramatic. It was not loud. It was just such a normal, thoughtful thing that it made her chest tighten a little. "Okay, thank you," she said softly, then started eating with her spoon.
The chicken leg was very flavorful, and the other two dishes were also delicious. The mushrooms were cooked just right, still fresh and full of texture, while the eggplant had soaked up the sauce so well that every bite tasted rich and comforting. Bai Li ate slowly, but every bite made her feel more satisfied. The little one, who was sitting in her high chair, was not being very polite at all. She grabbed the chicken leg with her chubby little hands and started gnawing on it with complete focus, her cheeks puffing a little as she chewed. After a few bites, she lifted her head proudly and praised it with a happy little voice, "It’s so delicious!"
Yan Cijin laughed a little when she heard that. "If it’s delicious, then eat it. Didn’t your auntie bring you all this good food?" She reached out and wiped the little girl’s mouth with a napkin, her expression full of gentle amusement.
The little one swallowed the meat in her mouth, then turned to Bai Li with eyes that were practically glowing. "Thank you, Auntie. I love you the most, Auntie!" she said in that sticky, sweet way little children often used when they were happy and trying their best to be cute.
Bai Li could not help laughing at her. "You’re so good at sweet talking people."
"Hehe." The little girl grinned, clearly very proud of herself.
The meal kept going in that kind of warm, easy atmosphere. Yan Laojin occasionally asked Bai Li to eat more. Yan Cijin kept adding food to Bai Li’s bowl whenever she saw it getting too empty. Bai Li tried to say no more than once, but every time she opened her mouth, Yan Cijin would give her a look that made her close it again. It was not a stern look exactly, but it had a kind of quiet insistence behind it. Bai Li ended up feeling a little helpless, but also strangely taken care of. The feeling was not bad at all. In fact, it was kind of nice. Nice enough that she found herself glancing at Yan Cijin a little more often than usual.
Yan Cijin caught her looking once and raised a brow, asking very casually, "What?"
Bai Li paused for a second. For some reason, her heart skipped a little at that simple question. Yan Cijin’s voice was calm, her eyes were focused, and because they were sitting so close, Bai Li could clearly see the shape of her lashes and the small mole near the corner of her face. Bai Li had never been the kind of person who got flustered easily, but at that moment, she actually had to look away first. "Nothing," she said, and then added after a pause, "Your cooking is good."
Yan Cijin’s expression softened in a way that was almost invisible if you were not paying attention. "Then eat more."
That was all. But somehow, those two words felt a little too natural, a little too close, like the kind of thing people said to family or someone they wanted to take care of. Bai Li did not know why that thought made her ears feel a tiny bit warm. Maybe it was because Yan Cijin kept looking after her so directly. Maybe it was because she had not been treated this carefully in a long time. Or maybe it was just because Yan Cijin looked too good when she was standing there in the kitchen light, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly loose from cooking, her whole body carrying that faint domestic warmth that made a home feel like a home.
The little one was also very busy being cute. She had already eaten quite a bit of the chicken and kept glancing between Bai Li and Yan Cijin, as if she was trying to include both of them in her own little world. Every time she finished chewing, she would grin and say something nonsense like the food was the best thing ever.
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To be continued.
