NOVPUBNie Xiaoyu forced a smile and then said, "Nobody upset me, are you done with your work? If you’re finished, let’s have lunch quickly!"
As she spoke, she opened the two takeout orders in front of her: one was braised pork over rice, and the other was scrambled eggs with tomato over rice.
Obviously, the braised pork over rice was Chen Nan’s.
She had opted for the scrambled eggs with tomato over rice.
"I don’t feel like eating meat today, let’s switch," Chen Nan said without asking and swapped the two orders, then started eating with big bites.
As he ate, he looked at Nie Xiaoyu and couldn’t help saying, "Hey, we’re eating from the same pot now, if there’s something on your mind, can’t you just tell me?"
He could sense that Nie Xiaoyu was troubled, and it seemed quite serious.
Nie Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment, her gaze nervously turned to Chen Nan, her eyes full of panic, "I... I feel too idle staying at home, I want to find something to do."
"Of course, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your three meals a day."
As she said this, she added, "It’s not that I’m saying you pay me too little; what you give me is already plenty. I just genuinely want to find something to do to make life feel more fulfilling."
"If you’re not okay with it, then forget it!" she said, lowering her head to quietly eat her food.
Chen Nan’s eyes softened with tenderness as he gently said, "Have you thought about what you want to do?"
Nie Xiaoyu abruptly raised her head, her eyes filled with excitement, "You agree to let me go out and look for a job?"
Chen Nan gave her an aggrieved look, "You are an individual, a living, breathing person, not my slave. How could I restrict your ideas?"
Nie Xiaoyu: "But I am ultimately your person..."
As she spoke, her face flushed with embarrassment, realizing she misspoke, she quickly added, "What I meant to say is, ultimately, I’m being paid by you. If you don’t agree, I can’t go out and look for a job."
Chen Nan spoke with a smile, "If I’m not mistaken, it was after you returned from Grandpa’s funeral that you started feeling idle and bored, right?"
Nie Xiaoyu nodded.
Chen Nan’s face was full of pity, "The reason you feel bored, in the end, is because you’re too hard-working, like a diligent ox. Once you have nothing to do, you feel uncomfortable all over."
"When Grandpa was alive, you were often going to the hospital, and then you would come back to help me with cooking; your schedule was very tight, so you didn’t feel bored."
"But now, you’re like a full-time wife cooking for me. It’d be strange if you weren’t bored."
Having said this, Chen Nan pondered for a moment, "In that case, if you want to work, then look for a stable job."
"Don’t feel obliged to come back to cook lunch for me; I have hands and feet, I can handle lunch myself."
"After all, as a boss, others don’t like their employees to be distracted."
The reason why Chen Nan took in Nie Xiaoyu and had her cook for him was purely to help her.
So, as long as Nie Xiaoyu found the lifestyle she wanted, he was very happy for her.
Nie Xiaoyu’s eyes were full of gratitude.
"Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore, let’s eat first, and we can talk about work after lunch!" Chen Nan changed the subject, heartily enjoying the takeout in front of him.
After eating, he took two cups to the kitchen, poured summer-heat-relief soup into them, then took ice cubes from the fridge, and brought them to the dining room, "Here, taste it and see how it is!"
Nie Xiaoyu took a cup and began to taste it in small sips.
As the fragrance of the herbs and the sweetness of the rock sugar spread in her mouth, her eyes lit up, "What did you make this with? You must have used several kinds of herbs, right? The aroma is layered, sweet without being cloying, and it feels very refreshing after drinking!"
"Of course!" Chen Nan proclaimed proudly, "This is a formula I devised myself; just researching this formula took me several months."
Life in the mountains was monotonous, other than studying medicine and reading, there were no other activities to pass the time.
So, he had researched a prescription on his own.
"Chen Nan, I’ve figured out what I want to do," Nie Xiaoyu’s eyes shone with a dazzling light, like the brilliant stars in the night sky, vibrant and alive.
Chen Nan was stunned.
In that moment, he felt as if he saw the spirited and vibrant Nie Xiaoyu from two years ago.
Both unfamiliar and familiar.
It brought him to the verge of tears while a thick layer of goosebumps rose on his skin.
He knew.
Nie Xiaoyu had been reborn from the ashes.
Because there was light in her eyes!
Chen Nan’s face broke into a relieved and excited smile, "Go for it, whatever you do, I’m behind you!"
"I want to open a cold drink shop, specializing in heat-beating soups," Nie Xiaoyu said with excitement on her face, "It’s summer now, the peak season for selling cold drinks."
"Every major milk tea shop has launched many popular drinks, including milk teas and fruit teas, all priced over ten yuan each."
"But there hasn’t been a proper herbal tea boiled from Chinese medicine."
"I have a hunch that if we introduce heat-beating soup to the market, it will definitely make a fortune!" she said excitedly as she stood up, her eyes full of anticipation.
Chen Nan’s eyes lit up, "Your idea is good. Instead of working for others, you might as well become the boss yourself."
"Moreover, the cost of my recipe is very low."
"The cost of that pot of heat-beating soup, all added up, is just over ten yuan."
After the excitement, Nie Xiaoyu quickly calmed down, her eyes filled with difficulty. She wanted to start a business, but she didn’t have the startup capital.
Just then, Chen Nan’s voice rang out, "Miss Nie, your idea is really good. Although the high season for milk tea isn’t long, it could still make quite a bit of money. I wonder if you’d let me invest in it?"
"I’ll provide the recipe and the startup funds, you help me manage and operate it, and we’ll split the earnings fifty-fifty, how about that?"
Nie Xiaoyu was momentarily touched, her eyes filling with deep emotion.
She knew Chen Nan wasn’t short of money.
His offer to invest was simply his way of lending her a hand!
He just didn’t say it outright.
Realizing this, she nodded vigorously, "Sure, I definitely won’t let you lose out."
Chen Nan smiled, "You eat first, after dinner, we’ll go choose a location for the shop; we aim to secure the spot today, finish the decoration within three days, and start business within a week."
Pfft!
Nie Xiaoyu laughed out loud, "Aren’t you in a bit of a rush?"
Chen Nan grinned, "If you can make a lot of money, I won’t have to work so hard making scar removal ointments for others."
Upon hearing this,
Nie Xiaoyu’s smile instantly froze on her face. She remembered the humiliations Chen Nan had endured, and she felt a weight on her heart but also pity for Chen Nan.
Because she knew that the only reason Chen Nan could make money with the scar removal ointment was because Lu Anran had coerced him into doing that kind of thing.
With this in mind, she took a deep breath and said affectionately, "Chen Nan, if I really make a lot of money, I’ll take care of you in the future."
Chen Nan grinned, "Alright, I’d like to experience what it’s like to be kept."
As he said this, his gaze lingered on Nie Xiaoyu’s delicate bosom.
Nie Xiaoyu noticed Chen Nan’s gaze, her heartbeat quickened and her face flushed with an intoxicating shyness. She mustered the courage and asked nervously, "Do you really want it?"
