77: Chapter 77 Knocking on my head, the door isn't locked, what else could it be but calling me?

Jiang Fan crouched down and fished out that black lace nightgown from the gap between the sofa and the coffee table.

He pinched the shoulder straps between two fingers and gave it a shake; the thing was so light it felt like nothing at all.

He carried it into the bedroom.

Xu Qingya was wrapped in the quilt, with only one hand sticking out.

She snatched the nightgown and tucked it under the covers.

"Go cook."

Not even a "thank you."

Jiang Fan said nothing and turned to go to the kitchen.

He opened the refrigerator door; the contents were much richer than when he had last been there.

The vegetables were neatly arranged by category, and the crisper boxes were labeled in Xu Qingya's handwriting.

In the freezer section, there were a few pieces of Australian Wagyu beef, vacuum-packed and looking like they hadn't been bought many days ago.

Jiang Fan took out two steaks and placed them on the counter to thaw naturally.

While waiting, he chopped some asparagus and blanched it in boiling water.

He heated the cast-iron skillet until it smoked, then added butter.

The moment the steak hit the pan, it sizzled, and oil splattered everywhere.

The range hood whirred, and the entire kitchen filled with the savory aroma of butter-seared meat.

Xu Qingya had changed her clothes at some point and was leaning against the kitchen doorway, her hair still a bit messy.

"Medium-rare."

"I know."

Jiang Fan flipped it over, pressed the surface of the steak with a spatula to check its elasticity, and turned off the heat.

He let it rest in the residual heat for another twenty seconds before taking the steak out.

Jiang Fan whipped up a simple sauce to drizzle over it and served it with a few stalks of asparagus on the side.

He brought the two plates to the table.

Xu Qingya sat down, picked up her knife and fork, cut a piece, and put it in her mouth.

After chewing twice, her shoulders relaxed.

"When did you practice this skill?"

"I lived alone for a few years in the past; I was starved into learning it."

That wasn't a lie.

In his past life of thirty-five years, he had fended for himself for at least ten of them.

Xu Qingya didn't press for more.

She didn't know much about Jiang Fan's past; she had asked a few times, but he always gave these understated answers.

The two of them ate their meal in quiet.

Steak with asparagus—simple, but it tasted good.

After the meal, Xu Qingya flopped onto the sofa and picked up her phone to scroll through it.

Jiang Fan cleared the bowls, washed them, and wiped down the stovetop.

Xu Qingya turned over, lying on her back, holding her phone up with both hands to open Tencent Music.

The page for "blue and white porcelain" was sitting on the splash screen recommendation slot.

The play count number was still jumping up.

The comment section had already exceeded one million entries.

She clicked on the comments and scrolled down with her thumb; occasionally, when she came across a funny comment, the corners of her mouth would curl up.

The top comment read: "To be able to hear a song like this in this lifetime, I can die without regrets."

The second: "Jiang Fan is someone whose voice has been kissed by God."

The third— "Jiang Fan, my husband!!!"

It was followed by over eight hundred replies, all uniformly saying "Get in line," "Plus one," and "Sister, wake up, he's mine."

Xu Qingya's thumb stopped on the screen and didn't move.

She stared at the two characters for "husband" for three seconds.

In that split second, her hand slipped.

The phone fell straight down from a height of twenty centimeters, hitting her bridge of the nose with precision.

"Ugh—!"

A muffled groan came from the living room.

Jiang Fan walked out of the kitchen, wiping his hands.

Xu Qingya was clutching her nose with both hands, curled up on the sofa, her eyes instantly turning red.

"Diva Xu, are you self-harming?"

"Get lost." The voice squeezed out between her fingers, sounding nasally.

Jiang Fan walked over and sat down beside her.

He reached out to remove her hands and lowered his head to take a look.

There was a small red mark on the bridge of her nose, but the skin hadn't even broken.

"Serves you right. Playing with your phone while lying down, you'll get hit in the face sooner or later."

Xu Qingya rolled her eyes at him and threw the phone onto the coffee table in annoyance.

She rubbed her nose twice and, after half a minute, the pain subsided.

Xu Qingya shifted her position, rested her head on Jiang Fan's thigh, and picked up her phone again.

This time she learned her lesson and scrolled while lying on her side.

Jiang Fan looked down at her.

Her hair was spread across his lap, with a few strands hanging off his knee.

The scent of her shampoo mixed with the faint, milky fragrance on her body, which smelled very pleasant.

He picked up the remote control from the coffee table and turned on a random channel.

The two of them just stayed like that—one lying down scrolling through her phone, the other leaning back watching TV.

The only sounds in the living room were the TV and the occasional soft click of the phone screen turning pages.

Time passed very slowly, yet very quickly.

—10:00 PM.

Xu Qingya pushed herself up from the sofa and yawned.

As she passed by Jiang Fan, she raised her hand and knocked him on the head.

"I'm going to take a shower first."

After saying that, she walked toward the bathroom in her slippers.

Jiang Fan touched the spot where he had been knocked.

Baffling.

The bathroom door closed, and the sound of water began.

Jiang Fan leaned back in the sofa, staring blankly at the TV screen for a while.

Why did she knock on my head?

He pondered for about ten seconds.

Could it be that she has also read journey to the west?

But this world doesn't have it!

Jiang Fan stood up from the sofa and walked to the bathroom door.

He placed his hand on the doorknob and gave it a gentle twist.

It opened.

The door wasn't locked.

Jiang Fan pushed the door open.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and the water from the showerhead pattered against the glass partition.

Xu Qingya was standing in the shower stall; hearing the door sound, she turned her head.

Her wet long hair clung to her shoulders and back, and water droplets trickled down her collarbone.

"Ah—what are you coming in for!"

Her voice was very high-pitched, and she covered her chest with both hands.

Jiang Fan leaned against the doorframe, looking at her.

"Didn't you call me?"

"When did I call you!"

"Knocking on my head, leaving the door unlocked. If that's not calling me, what is?"

Xu Qingya's mouth opened, but the words were stuck in her throat.

Water continued to fall from the showerhead, hitting her shoulders and splashing fine droplets.

The steam grew thicker and thicker.

She turned her face away.

"...Are you going to go out or not?"

"Guess."

Jiang Fan closed the door with one hand.

He lifted his T-shirt from the hem, took it off, and threw it onto the vanity.

Xu Qingya heard the movement and turned back.

The water vapor blurred her vision, but she could see the outline of Jiang Fan entering the shower stall clearly.

The hot water from the showerhead poured over both of them at the same time.

Xu Qingya took a step back, her back pressing against the tiled wall.

The cold sensation made her shiver.

Jiang Fan rested one hand on the wall above her head and lowered his head.

Water dripped down his jawline and landed in the hollow of her shoulder.

Xu Qingya looked up at him, water droplets hanging on her eyelashes, and she blinked.

"You hooligan."

"You didn't lock the door."

"I forgot."

"And you knocked on my head."

"My hand was itching."

Jiang Fan wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her toward him.

Scalding water poured down from above; their skin pressed together, separated only by a thin film of water.

The water from the showerhead was half-blocked; the other half hit the glass partition, the rushing sound of water drowning out all other noises in the bathroom.

A thick layer of steam condensed on the glass.

Xu Qingya's palm print was pressed onto it, slowly sliding down two inches.

—I don't know how much time had passed.

The two of them came out of the bathroom wrapped in bathrobes.

Xu Qingya's hair was dripping wet, water droplets trickling down the ends of her hair and soaking a water stain into the collar of her bathrobe.

Her gait was a little different from usual, but no one would mention it.

Jiang Fan walked behind her and casually took the hair dryer from the cabinet.

"Come here."

Xu Qingya sat on the edge of the bed.

Jiang Fan plugged it in, gathered her hair with one hand, and slowly dried it with the hair dryer in the other.

She kept her head down, her fingers twisting the belt of her bathrobe.

The sound of the hair dryer filled the bedroom.

Jiang Fan's fingers ran through her long hair, slowly untangling the knots.

His movements weren't exactly gentle, but he was very patient.

"Jiang Fan."

"Hm?"

"Have you ever thought about the future?"

Jiang Fan didn't stop.

"What future?"

"Just... the future."

This question was too big.

After saying it, Xu Qingya herself felt it was aimless.

"I have," Jiang Fan said.

"What have you thought of?"

"Living."

Xu Qingya turned her head to look at him.

Jiang Fan turned her head back and continued drying.

"Your hair isn't dry yet. Don't move."

Xu Qingya didn't ask again.

But she could tell that wasn't just a casual remark.

Her hair was dry.

Jiang Fan turned off the hair dryer, coiled the cord, and placed it on the nightstand.

Xu Qingya stretched her neck, flopped onto the bed, and sprawled out.

"I'm exhausted."

"Who told you to—"

"Shut up."

Jiang Fan wisely swallowed the second half of his sentence.

He walked to the other side of the bed, lifted the quilt, and lay down.

Xu Qingya turned over to face him.

Her eyes were half-open, half-closed; sleepiness was setting in.

"Reach your hand over."

She scooted toward Jiang Fan and rested her head on his shoulder.

Her breathing became slower and shallower.

Jiang Fan turned his head and looked at her.

The Diva was asleep.

He reached for the switch on the headboard, clicked it, and the light went out.

In the darkness, the system panel lit up.

[Current Lifespan Value: 23300 points]

[Remaining Lifespan: 43 days 12 hours]