If You Could Hear My Heart

She was clearly infuriated by Shen Chi’s reaction. She had been earnestly presenting him with a definite fact, yet he acted as if he were deaf.

“Miss, please be more ladylike.” Shen Chi frowned and gave her a reproachful glance.

“Don’t like it? Then don’t look.”

“I don’t mind.” The man shook his head, spread his hands, and wore a helpless expression.

He admitted that her arrogance was something he had indulged. Now, it was his turn to reap what he had sown.

“By the way, you still haven’t told me why you called me over today.” Xu Chaomu asked, tilting her head.

“To celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” Xu Chaomu racked her brain but couldn’t think of anything worth celebrating.

Ten-odd seconds later, she smacked her forehead: “Oh, the adoption was terminated, we should celebrate that. From now on, I won’t be your burden anymore. There won’t be anyone to embarrass you or cause you trouble. It’s indeed worth celebrating.”

Get rid of her?

Shen Chi felt helpless; he knew that he would never be able to get rid of her for the rest of his life.

“Not that.” Shen Chi said indifferently.

“Hmm? Not that? Then what are we celebrating?”

“Five years ago today, I won an international taekwondo grand prize championship. Today, I suddenly remembered it and thought we’d celebrate a bit.”

Xu Chaomu had a face full of disbelief.

“I thought about it, and I probably wouldn’t have won the championship without you. After all, you were the one who slipped croton into my opponent’s drink. When I think about it, I really should thank you.”

Xu Chaomu’s mouth twitched. Did he have to bring up such an embarrassing incident?

“So, let’s celebrate.”

Having said that, Shen Chi freed a hand and with a smile, patted Xu Chaomu’s cheek.

Seeing her look of being stuck, he couldn’t help but feel quite smug.

Then, Shen Chi went back to cooking.

By the time he finished preparing a whole table full of dishes in a flurry, it was already seven in the evening.

The villa was very quiet, and one could hear the gurgling sound of a small waterfall outside the window.

Xu Chaomu sat comfortably in her chair, watching a certain man bustling about.

Under the warm-toned lights, his tall figure became even more striking and dashing, and the light gray sweater made him seem much more gentle and harmless.

This man was always so handsome and charming, just a brief glance could captivate someone completely.

Xu Chaomu yelled with her chopsticks in hand: “Can’t you be a bit faster? I’m starving.”

“Why don’t you come and help out?” Shen Chi felt helpless.

“I can’t. Are you going to hit me?”

“You little rascal.” Shen Chi chuckled softly.

In the end, he finished preparing the whole table on his own, while Xu Chaomu took it for granted, humming tunes, looking left and right, but not lifting a finger to help.

Shen Chi felt like he must have owed her a lot of money in his past life.

When all the dishes were finally on the table, Xu Chaomu pushed her bowl forward: “Serve me some rice.”

“Serve yourself!” Shen Chi glared at her coldly.

“If you don’t serve it, I won’t eat.”

“Then starve.”

“Fine, I’ll starve.”

Xu Chaomu glared back at him, her face practically spelling out “who’s afraid of who?”

Shen Chi was thoroughly exasperated, utterly helpless. How had he ended up raising such a little demon?

He couldn’t let her starve after all, so he had to stand up and serve her rice. It didn’t matter; he wasn’t going to quibble with her, especially since today was the auspicious day of their marriage registration.

Seeing him serve the rice, Xu Chaomu was very pleased with herself.

After serving the rice, he sat down across from her.

Xu Chaomu picked up her chopsticks and pointed at a dish of shrimp: “I want to eat this!”

“Get it yourself!” Shen Chi gave her a warning look.

“But… I can’t reach it.”

Shen Chi, feeling resigned, reluctantly reached out and picked up a shrimp for her.

“You peel it!” Xu Chaomu demanded, knocking on the table, becoming more and more presumptuous.

“Xu Chaomu, don’t you have hands of your own?!” Shen Chi snapped.

Holding her bowl, Xu Chaomu made an illogical case: “But I only have two hands, one for holding chopsticks, and one for holding the bowl. How can I peel shrimp?”

“You can be even more unreasonable!”

“I can be, thump thump thump, feed me.” After saying that, Xu Chaomu laughed.

She loved seeing the man getting flustered. He was about to get married and she wouldn’t have many more chances to be so unreasonable with him.

Thinking about this made her heart suddenly ache.

It’s okay. Let it be. Without him, there will still be a bunch of younger, fresher guys waiting for her.

“Get lost!” Shen Chi was irritated.

“Fine, I’ll get lost.” Xu Chaomu huffed and stood up, putting down her utensils for real.

“What are you doing? Sit down!”

Shen Chi hurried over, pressing down on her shoulders to keep her from leaving.

“Then peel for me! If you peel the shrimp, I won’t go.”

Xu Chaomu was sure that this man, proud as he was, would never stoop to peeling shrimp for her. Serving rice was probably his absolute limit.

“I really owe you one.”

Having said that, Shen Chi rolled up his sleeves, sat down beside her, and started peeling shrimp.

He looked particularly alluring when he was serious.

Xu Chaomu glanced sideways at him. His side profile was sharp and chiseled, and as he pursed his lips, he carefully peeled shrimp for her.

“Looks like I was right to add that croton five years ago.” Xu Chaomu snickered.

This man was always so proud, she had never imagined he would indulge her temper tantrums.

Shen Chi frowned, just as he finished peeling a shrimp.

He turned to her and said in a deep voice, “Open your mouth.”

“Oh.” Xu Chaomu opened her mouth.

Shen Chi then fed her the peeled shrimp, his movements filled with tenderness, his eyes brimming with indulgent affection.

As she ate the shrimp, she gazed at him. She really wanted to touch his face…

Such a wonderful man, but he wasn’t hers.

By the eighth of next month, he would be engaged. He would be the groom, she would be the bridesmaid.

From then on, their lives would be untangled.

She was somewhat consoled knowing that someone worthy would stand by his side as his wife, someone who was not as capricious and willful as her.

He needed a gentle and virtuous wife, one who could solve problems and relieve his worries.

“What are you thinking about now?” Shen Chi interrupted her thoughts.

“Nothing, I was just wondering, Mr. Shen, you’re pretty adept at peeling shrimp. Have you been doing this for Miss Bai often?”

“Jealous?”

“Just curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat. Open your mouth!”

Without further ado, Shen Chi tossed another shrimp into her mouth, putting an end to the nonsense.

Xu Chaomu obediently ate the shrimp. Days like this were rare, and she suddenly didn’t feel like dwelling on unhappy thoughts.

Such days, once they pass, they’re gone forever.

The light shone on Shen Chi’s face, and Xu Chaomu watched him, unwavering.

She really wanted to watch him like this for the rest of her life, just quietly, and that would be enough.

But there is no feast that doesn’t come to an end. When the music stops, people disperse.

“I don’t want shrimp anymore, I want that!”

Xu Chaomu pointed at another dish, the pine nut corn.

“Fine, let’s settle the effort fee first.”

“What effort fee?”

“You know, I don’t run a charity. I’ve been peeling for so long, shouldn’t you compensate me?”