Chapter 269 - 203: When We’re Old (Part 2)

She didn’t ask him to change, nor did she force herself to.

When he heard she was running in circles outside, Sang Yuan assumed she had something to tell him in person, something she didn’t want his parents to discover. In her rush, she clearly wasn’t thinking straight.

’She didn’t even stop to think—if it was really that important, why not just call him? Who has the luxury of jogging so calmly in a situation like that?’

Ni Bingyan had no idea that Sang Yuan was reborn.

As far as she was concerned, Sang Yuan was her brand-new boyfriend, and they were still in that crucial phase of getting to know each other better.

She didn’t know what time he went to bed or what time he woke up. In fact, she was in the dark about most of his daily habits.

To make sure they wouldn’t miss each other if he left early, Ni Bingyan had even deliberately woken up fifteen minutes earlier than usual.

Seeing Sang Yuan come out, she was quite pleased. ’It’s like we’re telepathic!’ she thought. ’Our first attempt at a chance encounter, and we actually ran into each other!’

"What is it? Is something the matter?"

Sang Yuan had rushed out in a flurry, and this was the first thing he asked.

Ni Bingyan froze for a second, then her face flushed red.

Scuffing the ground with the toe of her shoe, Ni Bingyan took a deep breath before answering with a show of bravado, "Nothing’s wrong! I was just passing by on my morning jog! You’re out for a run too? What a coincidence!"

Sang Yuan knew she was lying the moment he looked at her.

But he didn’t call her out on it.

After all, he could hardly tell her that his dad had seen her running in circles, then rushed home to rip the blankets right off him.

’I’ll just wait and see what she’s really up to!’

So, the two of them started jogging at a leisurely pace.

They ran a lap around the community’s walking path, which conveniently ended right at Ni Bingyan’s gate.

Ni Bingyan lifted her wrist to check her watch. Rubbing her stomach with a smile, she said, feigning casualness, "I made a few too many wontons. You..."

’So that’s what this whole morning charade was about!’ Sang Yuan understood instantly.

He immediately nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes! I want to eat with you! I’m starving!"

Ni Bingyan was rather reserved when it came to her feelings, but she was also a woman of action, often doing incredibly bold things without even realizing it. ’I should go buy a diary later,’ Sang Yuan planned silently, ’just to record these hilarious moments with my wifey.’

’At our wedding, I could just pick one or two of these stories to tell, and it would absolutely bring the house down!’

Hahaha~

Gleefully, Sang Yuan walked ahead.

Ni Bingyan shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and opened the gate to her yard without a word.

Once inside the yard, without waiting for an invitation, Sang Yuan went straight over, plucked a head of lettuce from the garden, and started washing it under the outdoor spigot.

Seeing this, Ni Bingyan went straight into the house to put a pot of water on to boil.

Just as the water came to a boil and she dropped in the wontons she’d wrapped that morning, Sang Yuan came inside with the lettuce. Ni Bingyan took it from him and tossed it into the pot.

It was as if they had done this a thousand times before; their coordination was perfect.

When Ni Bingyan noticed this, she couldn’t help but suppress a smile.

"How do you want your wontons? I have chicken broth."

She remembered from a meal with Shui Sulan that the latter didn’t like spicy food. She guessed that every time Sang Yuan had eaten with her, he’d ordered spicy dishes mostly to accommodate her tastes.

She had blanched an old hen to get rid of the gamey taste, then stewed it with ginger and green onions in a pressure cooker—it didn’t take long at all.

She’d taken the meat out to feed Wangcai, and the leftover broth was perfect for making a savory chicken wonton soup.

How could Sang Yuan not understand what she was thinking? His heart filled with a sweet warmth.

Even though he had long since gotten used to spicy food, he appreciated her thoughtfulness and said he’d have the clear broth.

Ni Bingyan was thrilled that he liked what she’d prepared, so she ladled out a huge bowl for him.

This was the first time they’d had breakfast together at home since they’d made their relationship official.

The feeling was strangely wonderful.

Ni Bingyan was easily flustered, so she kept her expression carefully composed, pretending to be calm as she only occasionally stole a glance at him.

She was obviously shy, yet when she did look at him, her gaze was so open and direct, without a hint of concealment.

’Her thoughts and actions seemed completely disconnected. It was an adorable contradiction!’

Sang Yuan, on the other hand, was completely shameless. He was even more brazen than her, watching her openly as he ate. When he’d finished all the wontons and drained the last of the broth, he let out a sigh.

"Sigh... I was so busy looking at my wife, I didn’t even taste a thing. What a waste!"

Ni Bingyan was mortified. She immediately moved to grab his bowl and shoo him out. "Shouldn’t you be getting to work!"

But there was no way Sang Yuan would let her wash the dishes.

If his wife cooked, he did the dishes. That was a habit he’d established long ago.

Before Ni Bingyan could lift a finger, Sang Yuan gathered the bowls, took them to the kitchen, and began washing them with practiced ease.

Ni Bingyan dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Watching his back as he worked, she couldn’t help but ask...

"Do you think our relationship will still be this good when we’re old?"

"Absolutely not!"

Before Ni Bingyan could even frown, he added with a grin, "How could it be? You think we’d go decades without making any progress?"

Her frown immediately vanished, replaced by a smile. She couldn’t resist asking another question. "If we live to be as old as Grandma Xu and her husband, should we have another wedding?"

Sang Yuan knew instantly that Grandma Xu had awakened the romantic streak in her.

Pretending not to understand her true meaning, Sang Yuan put on a look of utter delight. "You’re saying you’ll marry me? Wait, hold on, I haven’t even proposed yet! I have to propose properly first! I can’t let you have any regrets!"

He quickly placed the bowl on the drying rack and, without even wiping his hands, turned to run home.

’The large pink diamond he’d won at auction last year had already been set into a ring. It would be perfect for a proposal!’

"Why are you like this?!"

She never expected him to react like this to a simple, idle question. Flustered and fuming, Ni Bingyan threw caution to the wind, grabbed a broom, and started trying to shoo him out.

"You’re so young, you should be focused on your work, not thinking about this stuff all day! Go on, go, get to work! I have a lot to do! I don’t have time to stand around here chitchatting with you!"

Sang Yuan knew, with her personality, there was no way she would agree to get married so soon. But it made him happy to tease her about it every now and then.

He pretended to stumble frantically to the door, then turned his head to declare, "Starting tomorrow, I’m going to carry the engagement ring with me everywhere! If you make up your mind, just give me a sign!"

This time, Ni Bingyan really couldn’t maintain her composure. "Not even in your wildest dreams!"