Chapter Thirty-One: Warmth Is...

That night, Uhey drank the ginger soup with a mix of gratitude and hesitation, and, feeling a bit embarrassed, told Jiang Xinyu that she had bought him a gift and left it in his room. Jiang Xinyu was visibly delighted; even his usually gentle eyes shone with fervor, making it strangely hard for Uhey to refuse him.

After finishing the ginger soup and placing the bowl in the kitchen, Jiang Xinyu felt genuinely happy—this was his first time inside Uhey’s home, and his mood was distinctly different. He glanced around, noticing that the way the room was arranged was not quite as Uhey presented herself to others. He liked the strong, slightly adorable side of Uhey, and though many said she had a temper, was proud and seemingly unreachable, Jiang Xinyu didn't mind at all.

Uhey poured water for Jiang Xinyu, feeling rather awkward. It was the first time a man had entered her home, especially at night; the atmosphere was undeniably odd.

Jiang Xinyu noticed her discomfort and stood up to leave—Anna had already gone home, and it did seem inappropriate for him to linger. But Uhey didn’t sense his awkwardness; her mind was on the events of the day. If not for Xinyu’s sake, he would have been celebrating his birthday with Jeremy and the others. She hesitated briefly, then called out to him, “Oppa, let me fix you something to eat.”

Uhey’s cooking skills weren’t bad, though she didn’t often make food for herself. It was late, and entertainers usually controlled their diets strictly, but Jiang Xinyu was thrilled. He felt, inexplicably, that luck was finally turning his way. “Sure, I haven’t eaten much since afternoon.”

They hadn’t had anything high in calories all day, and dinner was out of the question. After spending so much time at the swimming pool tonight, he was truly hungry.

Uhey wasn’t sure what to make. She opened the fridge, looked inside, and finally decided on udon noodles. When feeling down, a bowl of noodles always helped—something she’d picked up from dramas.

Jiang Xinyu sat on the sofa, watching Uhey don an apron, grab ingredients from the fridge, and head into the kitchen. The clatter of preparations softened his heart inexplicably.

The Uhey on TV and the one before him were entirely different. He’d seen all her commercials, charity spots, movies, dramas, and albums—but none of those versions compared to the one, apron-clad, bustling to make him noodles.

Jiang Xinyu got up and leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching her. Uhey was slicing meat, her expression focused and her hands deft, which surprised Jiang Xinyu—he hadn’t expected Uhey to cook for herself.

Uhey glanced at him, her expression so obvious that she pretended to complain, “What’s with that look? As if I can’t cook.”

Jiang Xinyu laughed, his bangs lightly covering his eyes but unable to conceal their sparkle.

Uhey didn’t notice, absorbed in frying the meat. When the oil sizzled, she stepped back a little, then quickly grabbed the spatula and began to stir-fry. The kitchen became lively and noisy with the exhaust fan running, so Jiang Xinyu stayed silent, simply watching her from the doorway.

This side of her felt a little unfamiliar, yet even more captivating.

Such moments were rare—he wanted to cherish them, even if she might never accept him. It would remain his happiest secret.

Uhey was aware Jiang Xinyu was watching her and felt uneasy, but as she concentrated on cooking, she forgot about it. After turning off the exhaust, she could chat with him occasionally.

Jiang Xinyu didn’t offer to help—partly because he didn’t want to disrupt the feeling, and partly because he didn’t know how to step in.

When the noodles were ready, he helped carry them out. Uhey was hungry too, especially after the physical exertion from falling into the water. They sat cross-legged on the soft carpet, facing each other as they ate. In contrast to the cold outside, the indoor atmosphere was perfect.

Jiang Xinyu ate two big bowls; Uhey’s cooking was genuinely good, and she was pleased by his appreciation.

After eating, Jiang Xinyu took it upon himself to wash the dishes, while Uhey turned on the TV to watch entertainment news. Sure enough, they were being reported on; though the footage of her falling into the water wasn’t shown, there was a clear shot of Jiang Xinyu holding and comforting her. Uhey felt uneasy—her eyes had been tightly shut at the time, so she hadn’t realized how intimate it looked to outsiders. Now, as a spectator, she saw plainly just how close she and Jiang Xinyu appeared.

While Jiang Xinyu was busy washing up, she glanced at the news, then grabbed her phone to check Instagram. As expected, her latest post was flooded with requests for the truth, gossip, shipping, and “get together” comments.

…

Uhey quickly logged off and changed the channel—just in time for ANJ’s music show.

She hadn’t ignored Jiang Xinyu before, given their relationship, but most of her attention had been drawn away by Huang Taijing. Now, watching Jiang Xinyu, she felt something entirely different stirring in her heart.

Jiang Xinyu finished washing the dishes and came out, hearing their song on TV. He glanced at the screen in surprise, but wasn’t so vain as to think Uhey was watching for him—probably for the team leader, he guessed.

He wiped his hands, pretending not to care. Sometimes, he felt, you just had to persevere and be brave.

Then Uhey said, “Actually, I don’t think you suit this style,” pointing at Jiang Xinyu’s punk look on TV.

Jiang Xinyu sat beside her. Thanks to the carpet, both of them sat directly on the floor, leaning against the big sofa, watching TV together.

“What style do you think suits me?” he asked.

“…My opinion doesn’t count. Besides, your group follows this concept, and artists don’t really have a fixed style,” she replied.

Jiang Xinyu was quiet for a moment, then suddenly said, “Uhey, do you know when I first thought you were wonderful?”

The sudden shift in tone caught Uhey off guard, nearly making her choke.

But Jiang Xinyu knew she wouldn’t answer and continued, “It was when we endorsed that RS brand.”

Uhey thought back—it must have been almost two years ago. She wasn’t famous yet, but her reputation was on the rise. At that time, Jiang Xinyu hadn’t formed the boy group with Huang Taijing and the others; he was still a trainee or something, she couldn’t recall.

Jiang Xinyu said, “I was going through a confusing period, with no clear path as an artist, some family troubles, and not many people to talk to. After the endorsement, we went to a dinner, and Anna had to leave urgently, so I took you home.”

These were precious memories for Jiang Xinyu, though Uhey couldn’t recall them clearly—he hadn’t stood out then, just another newcomer in the crowd.

“That day, you asked if I was upset. I said there were problems at home, and you patiently comforted me. Quite the considerate senior,” he teased, even though he was older, making Uhey blush.

But with his explanation, she remembered. That day, RS’s spring collection gave her a personal custom piece—RS’s top custom spring outfits were tailored each year, with only five spots available. It was a rare honor in the entertainment industry. She’d been lucky; RS’s little princess was displeased with the endorsement and had Uhey substitute. Feeling guilty about the substitution, the princess gave her a custom piece, so Uhey was in particularly good spirits.

But… now that she thought of it, wasn’t RS’s little princess Rachel Liu?

“What’s wrong?” The concert on TV had ended, and as the commercial played, Jiang Xinyu turned to look at the silent Uhey.

He liked Uhey for her authenticity; among a sea of similar faces, she stood out with her cherubic cheeks and earned the nation’s fairy nickname—so adorable.

Uhey had no idea Jiang Xinyu was thinking such chaotic thoughts. She just felt apologetic, “I… I was in a good mood that day, so…”

Jiang Xinyu wasn’t bothered. In fact, it was after that day he started paying attention to Uhey, worked hard to join ANJ, and gradually got closer to her.

“Right!” Uhey suddenly remembered something and spun around, but before Jiang Xinyu could turn away, their eyes met.

They were already close, and now, facing each other, it felt especially intimate.

Uhey quickly looked away, but Jiang Xinyu, thick-skinned as ever, smiled and asked, “What is it?”

She hesitated, but then said seriously, “That Gao Meinan! Are you all just going to keep hiding the truth?” She’d seen Gao Meinan at the women’s locker room door, and Jiang Xinyu had acted so calmly, she assumed the whole team knew.

Jiang Xinyu sighed, “Actually, I only found out recently. I don’t know what Manager Ma is thinking. Our group isn’t lacking members, and bringing in someone so suddenly… Honestly, it’s brought us a fair share of trouble.”

There was the issue of identity, and this new member was a magnet for chaos.

Jeremy was blunt and had already expressed impatience several times. Even with Jiang Xinyu’s tolerance, when it came to the team’s interests, he was uncomfortable—especially since Uhey had suffered as well.

But the publicity had already gone out; there was nothing to be done.

“Anyway, we’ll be living together soon, so you won’t see her anymore,” Jiang Xinyu said with a mischievous smile, throwing out a bombshell.

“What?” Uhey’s big almond eyes widened at him, catlike. He laughed softly, “Didn’t you know? The behind-the-scenes filming is done, and soon we’ll be recording the show.”

Uhey slapped her forehead—how had she forgotten? There was travel, wedding photos, decorating their home, and so many other segments.

Jiang Xinyu was quite pleased with her embarrassed and shy expression.

“I should go, it’s getting late,” he said, glancing at the clock—it was already past eleven.

Uhey got up to see him off, but Jiang Xinyu wouldn’t let her go downstairs. At the door, as they said goodbye, he suddenly leaned in and kissed her lips, his gaze overflowing with affection.

“Good night.”

“….”

Author’s note:

Good night.

Hmph.

Overwhelmed by sweetness~