A Taste of Home

Descending the stairs and strolling along the sun-drenched path, Bai Jingjing let out a soft sigh, feeling her entire being relax slightly.

For the past two days, having only just transformed into a girl, she had also been facing two significant individuals: Luo Xuan, her benefactor, and Xia Chu, her employer—who was also, in a way, a benefactor.

Consequently, Bai Jingjing had felt a touch of apprehension when interacting with them.

However, after spending some time together, she discovered that both older sisters were remarkably easy to get along with, finally allowing Bai Jingjing to relax and be herself.

Indeed, they were both very approachable, even the “big sister” Xia Chu, who had issued the command, “Don’t get too close to me.”

Bai Jingjing had spent the last three years in a hospital.

She wasn’t ill herself, but she had remained in a ward to care for a family member.

Patients in the same ward came and went, with all sorts of people moving in and out, and those afflicted by prolonged suffering often grappled with emotional difficulties.

The hospital days stretched endlessly, and out of necessity, Bai Jingjing had been compelled to begin practicing the art of soothing the emotions of those around her.

Patients typically preferred quiet, so Bai Jingjing would accompany them in silence, and before long, many knew of the well-behaved child in the ward.

Yet, they didn’t always desire perpetual quiet; there were times when they felt stifled and yearned for conversation, and during these moments, Bai Jingjing would chat with them until the ward settled into silence once more.

Initially, Bai Jingjing wasn’t adept at this, and when faced with eccentric patients, she could inadvertently provoke arguments.

Fortunately, the long years spent in the ward, with various patients coming and going, provided ample opportunities for conversation, and she gradually mastered the art of talking with them.

Bai Jingjing had thoroughly learned how to care for people, both practically and emotionally.

Speaking of which, the role of a girlfriend seemed to entail caring for someone as well.

At once, Bai Jingjing felt a sense of finding her professional calling.

The skills she had learned from Luo Xuan yesterday were temporarily unneeded, so she decided to rely on her own abilities for now.

“Whatever…”

Arriving at the wet market, the young woman sighed softly, recalling Xia Chu’s words.

It was a universally acknowledged truth that “whatever” was the most challenging request to fulfill in the world.

On the surface, it suggested the other person was indecisive, yet their indecisiveness was only one aspect; their expectation that you would satisfy their unspoken desires was quite another—even if they themselves didn’t know what they truly wanted.

Bai Jingjing could only attempt to analyze Xia Chu’s “condition.”

‘For a long time, no one in the house has cooked, leaving her to rely on takeout, which has spoiled her appetite, making her crave nothing in particular.’

‘Emmmmm, I’ll try to cook something.’

After a circuit around the market, she returned home, carrying a fish, a cut of meat, an assortment of other small dishes, and various seasonings and sauces.

In Ayaka Residential Area, the aunties and grandmas chatting idly by the roadside watched Bai Jingjing return, her hands laden with freshly bought groceries, and couldn’t help but feel even more astonished.

‘What’s going on here?’

****

With an exquisite hand, Xia Chu gripped her white GPW mouse, aimlessly sliding it across her computer screen, failing to open a single video for a long time.

Her eyes were fixed on the monitor, but her mind had already drifted to the kitchen.

That large-chested girl had returned, carrying several bags filled with fresh ingredients.

She had actually bought groceries to cook!

The apartment, originally a meticulously renovated space, boasted an exceptionally well-designed kitchen, spacious and fully equipped.

Yet, for several years, Xia Chu had barely used it beyond heating things in the microwave or occasionally cooking some frozen food.

Today, for the first time, someone was lighting the stove in her home, the sound of rice being washed echoing from the kitchen, and all of it imbued Xia Chu with a peculiar sensation.

It was as if her home had become a little more complete.

After distractedly watching the screen for a while, Xia Chu finally couldn’t sit still any longer; she quietly crept to the kitchen doorway to peek.

Bai Jingjing was busy at the cutting board, deftly cleaning the fish, then setting it aside after seasoning, before beginning to slice the meat.

*Da da da da da da.*

Her knife work was sharp, her technique practiced, and the sound itself was somewhat pleasing.

From Xia Chu’s vantage point, she could see Bai Jingjing’s delicate, youthful profile and her petite figure, clad in an apron, resembling a young wife character straight out of a manga.

Although Xia Chu knew she was already nineteen, even so, her current proficiency seemed almost too refined.

‘Why is she so skilled?’

A flicker of curiosity sparked in Xia Chu; she returned to her computer and clicked open her best friend’s chat window.

[Chuxia: Are you there?]

[Eylla: I am, what’s up? How are you two getting along?]

[Chuxia: It’s alright, I just wanted to ask you, is she… is this her first time being someone’s girlfriend?]

On the other end of the phone, Luo Xuan’s heart skipped a few beats upon seeing the message, a slight shock coursing through her.

[Eylla: Why do you ask?]

‘Oh no, could she have discovered something? But that doesn’t make sense; it was just snuggles and little tiger nips, nothing actually happened…’

[Chuxia: Nothing, just asking casually.]

[Eylla: It’s her first time; she said she has no prior relationship history.]

Xia Chu asked no further questions, and Luo Xuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief, truly unsure how she would have answered.

‘Should I tell her ‘female-owned, 99% new’?’

Suddenly, Luo Xuan had a thought.

[Eylla: Are you two doing… lewd things in broad daylight, this early in the morning?]

[Chuxia: ?]

[Chuxia: What are you thinking? She just arrived, and I don’t even have that need.]

[Chuxia: Logging off now.]

Her best friend’s avatar instantly turned gray, logging off just as she said.

Luo Xuan picked up her phone, looking at the last few messages, feeling a bit bewildered.

‘No, if you’re not doing lewd things, then what do you need a girlfriend for?’

****

“Dinner’s ready.”

With the young woman’s soft call, Xia Chu sat at her own dining table for the very first time.

Normally, she would simply set up a small table in front of her computer and eat takeout.

Only three dishes graced the table: steamed yellow croaker, stir-fried shredded pork with chili, and vegetable soup, accompanied by two bowls of white rice.

The meal was light and low in salt, with the steamed fish’s soy sauce and chili providing the main flavor for the rice.

Before she realized it, Xia Chu had finished a large bowl, a feeling vastly different from her usual takeout meals; her stomach felt pleasantly warm, and a hint of drowsiness began to set in.

“You did well,” she remarked, her tone understated.

Then, she shifted her body back to her computer, half-reclining in her gaming chair, and casually clicked on a trending video to watch.

Beside her, Bai Jingjing silently cleared the dining table, washed the dishes, tidied the floor around Xia Chu, and then carried her drawing board out to the balcony.

In the quiet afternoon, as lazy sunlight slowly crept across the table’s edge, their full stomachs made their minds increasingly weary, and Xia Chu drifted into a nap in her chair.

After a half-hour doze, she awoke, stretching out her arms and letting out a hearty yawn.

*Hoo—hah—*

The large swells of her chest swayed with her breathing, a sight unfortunately unseen by anyone.

Xia Chu savored the afternoon’s tranquility, finding it quite profound.

Having a girlfriend in the house had made her life cleaner and more complete, yet it remained just as quiet.

Still, she sensed something was amiss.

When alone, no matter how long one lived in quietude, it would feel as it should, perhaps with a touch of loneliness.

But when an additional person was in the house, and it remained so quiet, one couldn’t help but feel… shouldn’t they be chatting when there was nothing else to do?

If Bai Jingjing had been there, she would have understood Xia Chu’s current state perfectly—just like those patients in the ward, Xia Chu was typically feeling stifled and yearning for conversation.

After watching several uninteresting videos, Xia Chu finally couldn’t resist; she stretched her long legs and walked towards the balcony.