Quick Travel to the Clouds

After changing his shoes, Yun Chu looked around the empty living room and began to plan: "Put the fiddle-leaf fig in the corner of the living room? The light there is good. The Pilea coleus is small and would look good next to the TV cabinet. Ivy... well, the bathroom is the best place, it can withstand moisture."

Chi Jingchen had no objections and, acting like a porter, carefully moved the flowerpot to its designated location. Yun Chu squatted down and began adjusting the direction of the plant's leaves so they could better receive the sunlight.

"Is there a tray?" Yun Chu asked, pointing to the bottom of the fiddle-leaf fig's large pot. "When watering, the excess water needs a place to drain."

Chi Jingchen was stunned for a moment, then turned and went to search the storage room. After a moment, he took out a few brand new, transparent plastic trays with the same minimalist lines. "Is this okay?"

"Okay." Yun Chu took it and placed it under the flowerpot. This small, seemingly everyday action seemed to instantly add a touch of life and a real sense of relaxation to this perfect space.

It’s more interesting to arrange the two pots of ivy.

Chi Jingchen's bathroom is very large, also with gray-white marble walls and floors, a huge mirror and a built-in glass shower room.

Yun Chu placed one basin on the side of the washbasin, and directed Chi Jingchen to the other basin: "This position?" She pointed to a corner of a built-in metal shelf on the side wall of the shower room.

"Will it work here?" Chi Jingchen was a little uncertain, as the location was close to the water source steam.

"No problem, ivy likes an environment with high humidity." Yun Chu said confidently.

Chi Jingchen carefully placed the flower pot on the table as instructed.

The tender green vines hanging down instantly soften the hard corners, and the shower room seems to have a more natural and fresh feeling.

After putting it away, he took two steps back to admire it, with a barely perceptible hint of novelty and joy in his eyes, as if the cold space had come alive with this touch of green.

The interior decoration is simple and modern, with a slight sense of coldness, but with the sunlight and the newly added green plants, it adds a bit of liveliness.

The newly bought fruits and vegetables were placed on the kitchen counter.

It was past noon, and the tacit understanding between the two was self-evident.

"Let me make lunch," Yun Chu rolled up his sleeves and looked towards the kitchen, "We just bought some new vegetables."

Chi Jingchen didn't bother to be polite with her, but he took the initiative to follow her and help her out like he did when he washed the dishes yesterday: "Then I'll be your 'Cutting Director'?"

He took out all the ingredients he had just bought. Although his movements were clumsy, his attitude was serious.

This time, the injured right hand was well protected, and I was able to basically handle the food with my left hand.

The kitchen was bustling with activity once again, but now the roles had been reversed. The sounds of running water, chopping vegetables, occasional conversations, and laughter replaced the silence of last night.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the blinds, casting dappled bands of light onto the floor. The air was filled with the sour aroma of fresh tomatoes, the fragrance of green vegetables, and the sweet, sticky aroma of steaming rice.

Yun Chu took the helm, her movements deft. She whipped up a quick tomato scrambled eggs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and steamed spare ribs in black bean sauce using the newly purchased ribs.

While she was cooking, Chi Jingchen stood by, handing her plates, salt, peeling garlic, and occasionally asking her about the angles for cutting vegetables.

Watching the food churning and changing in the pot, his eyes were full of curiosity and concentration, like a studious apprentice.

The sun was shining brightly, filling half of the restaurant through the bright windows.

When the simple three dishes and one soup are served hot on the table, the aroma of the food is particularly tempting.

Chi Jingchen looked at the tempting tomato scrambled eggs, the glossy green vegetables, the steamed spareribs with a rich sauce, and the bowl of crystal-clear and plump white rice, and couldn't help but exclaim: "This craftsmanship looks more professional than yesterday's 'compensatory meal for the wounded.'"

He held the spoon in his left hand, scooped a large spoonful of scrambled eggs soaked in tomato juice and mixed it into the rice. He took a big bite with an expression of great satisfaction, "Mmm... delicious! Sweet and sour, it's appetizing."

Yun Chu sat across from him, watching him eat with such relish that a bright smile appeared on the corners of her eyes and eyebrows: "It's just home-cooked food."

The afternoon sun shines through the glass window, gently enveloping the two people sitting opposite each other and the simple yet heartwarming meal on the table.

The originally cold lines in Chi Jingchen's home now seemed to be quietly melted by the warmth of the food, the communication of human voices and the newly added greenery.

The fiddle-leaf fig placed in the corner of the living room stretches out its broad leaves in the sun, as if quietly listening to the gentle feelings growing in this ordinary fireworks.

The warm aroma of lunch still lingered in the air, and the dishes had long since been washed and put away. The setting sun cast a soft golden hue over the room.

Yun Chu glanced at the time and stood up. "Okay, now that I've eaten and drunk enough, it's time for me to go home." Her eyes swept over the green plants on the windowsill and she smiled with satisfaction. "Leave the little 'medal' to me. I'll make sure to water it on time."

Chi Jingchen, unconsciously tracing the cool texture of the slate table with his fingertips, looked up at the words. His deep eyes, which had just been filled with the satisfaction of a delicious meal, now seemed to be filled with more complex thoughts. A flicker of hesitation passed through them, and then was replaced by the sincerity of the invitation.

"Wait," he began, his voice a little softer than usual, "There's something... I'd like to trouble you with."

His gaze fell on the fiddle-leaf fig tree in the living room. His tone was filled with the careful consideration one often finds when rehearsing a script. "I need to rehearse a scene. It's a relatively important two-person scene. I hope you can help me."

Yun Chu was slightly startled. "Ah? Me?" She pointed at herself, her face showing genuine surprise and amusement. "You want me to act opposite you? Teacher Chi, I'm a junior in the Economics Department with zero acting experience! I can't even perform the skit for our department's welcome party."

"No experience required." Chi Jingchen's tone was firm, even with a subtle hint of comfort. He stood up, walked to the low cabinet next to the sofa, and picked up a well-read script.

"Just read the other person's lines for me. I mainly want to find the rhythm and feeling of the interaction. The feeling of speaking to the air and speaking to... a real person is completely different."

He paused, his gaze returning to Yun Chu's face, and said frankly and directly, "You just need to read the lines according to your understanding. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes."

He handed over the script, and on the page he opened had a lot of dialogue marked with a highlighter, which was obviously the part he needed to focus on.

Yun Chu was a little overwhelmed by his gaze and this sudden invitation, and looked down at the densely written script.

That line... seemed like an emotional scene, with tentativeness and hesitation between the lines. She had never acted before, but she could understand the emotions surging in it.

"Well... okay." Yun Chu took a deep breath and took the script. Her fingertips touched his and separated instantly, bringing up an imperceptible electric current. "Don't blame me if I lead you astray." She joked with a casual tone, trying to suppress the inexplicably accelerated beating of her heart.

"I couldn't ask for more." Chi Jingchen raised a faint smile at the corner of his lips, his eyes focused, "Let's get started. You sit here," he pointed to one side of the sofa, "I'll sit on the other side."