CHAPTER 195: CHAPTER 195 ZHANG XINXIN’S VULNERABILITY

Because Zhang Xinxin didn’t want to go out, even dinner was takeout ordered by Li Jing.

That evening, perhaps because she was tired, Zhang Xinxin went to sleep early.

This was the first time the two met at home without exercising, which confirmed to Li Jing that Zhang Xinxin was truly exhausted from crying.

However, after Li Jing carried her to the guest bedroom bed and was ready to leave, he found that his arm was tightly hugged by her, unwilling to let go.

Looking at the silent and closed-eyed Zhang Xinxin, Li Jing felt helpless and could only hold her like this, sleeping in the guest bedroom for a night.

After this incident, Li Jing discovered that Zhang Xinxin looked carefree and straightforward, with a candid and enthusiastic personality, but her inner self was much more sensitive and fragile than her outward appearance.

Compared to An Tong, who seemed gentle and quiet, Zhang Xinxin was much more resilient and strong.

It might also be due to her original family’s background. Though An Tong was from a small city, her parents’ marriage was harmonious, and they both had stable jobs, making her upbringing relatively smooth and peaceful.

Zhang Xinxin, on the other hand, had divorced parents since childhood, and even before the divorce, they often fought at home. Eventually, her mother abandoned her to start a new family.

Though her father cared about Zhang Xinxin, he didn’t have a proper job and did odd jobs around their hometown, so Zhang Xinxin grew up experiencing a bitter and impoverished life.

So, this upbringing made Zhang Xinxin develop an obsession with living a life of luxury, while internally very afraid of being abandoned again.

Understanding these things, Li Jing felt that his probing today was somewhat bullying, and felt a bit regretful. After tidying up Zhang Xinxin’s messy hair while she slept, he slept peacefully beside her.

When Li Jing was dozing off, Zhang Xinxin, who had been pretending to sleep, finally slowly opened her beautiful eyes.

Seeing the man in front of her, her gaze was complicated. She sat up slightly, tucked him in and then curled up like a kitten into his embrace again.

She pressed close to Li Jing, trying hard to bury herself completely in his arms, then pulled his arm over her body and went back to sleep peacefully.

...

The next day, Li Jing still slept until he woke naturally.

The winter sun had long since spilled through the sheer curtains, leaving warm spots of light in the room.

He instinctively reached out to touch beside him, finding Zhang Xinxin already gone, showing a slight surprise as he slowly got up, then vaguely heard the sounds of clashing coming from the kitchen.

Li Jing, puzzled, got up and stepped out of the bedroom, then saw a tall figure bustling about in the kitchen, seeming like she was at war.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Don’t get mad, don’t get mad, he’s still sleeping, can’t wake him up..."

After trying the breakfast recipe from the short video for the third time, she almost erupted but was ultimately suppressed by reason, cleaned up, and started the fourth time...

"If you can’t cook, don’t force it, let me do it."

At this moment, Li Jing’s voice came from outside.

Zhang Xinxin was startled, hurriedly turned around, and upon seeing that familiar face, she instinctively exclaimed, "You’re awake?"

As soon as she spoke, the egg liquid from the egg she had just cracked spilled all over the floor, so she hurriedly bent down to clean it up.

Seeing this, Li Jing shook his head helplessly.

Zhang Xinxin has the typical personality of a little girl who never grows up, relying on takeout for meals and hiring cleaners for tidying, which is one of the reasons she can’t save any money.

The kitchen in her rented apartment hadn’t even been used in the years she had rented it.

In comparison to An Tong, who had excellent cooking skills and loved cleaning, Zhang Xinxin was like a delicate and pretty but useless doll in matters of domestic life.

And this doll clearly wanted to perform well during her cohabitation with Li Jing, but her capability didn’t allow it.

Li Jing started tidying up for her while making breakfast, "Breakfast doesn’t need to be complicated, just boil some noodles."

He saw the phone she placed on the table, the screen still playing the video "How to Prepare a Luxurious Breakfast for Your Love," and couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing Li Jing’s gaze landing on her phone, Zhang Xinxin instantly blushed, quickly retrieved the phone, and awkwardly said, "I, I thought you wouldn’t wake up so early..."

"If I didn’t wake up, I’m afraid you’d take the entire kitchen apart."

"No way." Teased by Li Jing, Zhang Xinxin hurriedly defended herself, "One more try and I’ll succeed."

"Alright, let me handle it. Two bowls of scallion scrambled egg noodles, ready in ten minutes. You go and make two cups of milk."

"Okay!" Feeling like she had something to do, Zhang Xinxin instantly perked up, turning quickly to prepare the milk.

Once the scrambled eggs were cooked, Li Jing poured in some soy sauce, creating a sizzling sound, instantly filling the kitchen with an aroma.

Zhang Xinxin, who had just finished making the milk, showed surprise in her eyes and sniffed her nose, "Smells so good. I didn’t know you were so good at cooking, Brother Jing?"

"Just know how to make some home-cooked dishes, that’s all."

Li Jing shook his head, then started boiling water for the noodles.

Soon, two bowls of steaming scallion scrambled egg noodles were served by Li Jing.

"Eat while it’s hot, it’ll clump if it’s cold."

"Mm mm!"

Zhang Xinxin, lured by the aroma, eagerly picked up her chopsticks and started eating.

"Delicious! The soup is so fragrant, better than those from the restaurants outside."

Zhang Xinxin was full of surprise; this was the first time she tasted Li Jing’s cooking and was already captivated.

Seeing her satisfied look, Li Jing also felt a sense of accomplishment.

After finishing the noodles, Zhang Xinxin voluntarily cleaned the table, sorted the dishes, and prepared for washing, looking proactive in doing housework.

Li Jing guessed that she was probably affected by the words from yesterday, so she was behaving more seriously and attentively than usual.

Watching her unfamiliar manner at housework, Li Jing laughed and said, "You should learn more from An Tong in this regard. Otherwise, when you get married in the future, you won’t even be able to do basic household chores..."

"Who said I’m getting married?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xinxin replied while washing dishes, "Unless I marry into the aristocracy, I won’t get married in this lifetime."

"Not getting married?"

Li Jing sat on the sofa in the living room, just able to see Zhang Xinxin washing dishes in the kitchen: "If you don’t get married, aren’t you afraid of being lonely in old age?"

"I haven’t lived well in the present, haven’t had the mind to think about old age."

Zhang Xinxin shrugged, "If my old age really doesn’t go well, I’ll save money to go abroad for assisted suicide, and consider that my life’s end."

Hearing her thoughts, Li Jing was somewhat surprised. He found that although Zhang Xinxin was outwardly cheerful and free, internally she seemed to harbor some pessimism about life, which perhaps even she hadn’t noticed herself.

And the reason for this mindset likely had a significant connection with Zhang Xinxin’s original family.

"Enjoy the present, live in the moment."

Zhang Xinxin had already washed the dishes and was out, dried her hands, and looked at Li Jing on the sofa, "I think life is about quality, not length. As long as I live well in my youth, it doesn’t matter even if I don’t have an old age."

Seeing her sincere and serious look, Li Jing didn’t immediately respond, and after a while, he asked, "Do you think your current life meets your desired standards?"

Zhang Xinxin sat beside Li Jing, naturally leaning against him with her soft body, "Before I met you, I didn’t think it was enough. After I met you, I think it’s pretty good, and of course, it would be even better if we were together every day, hehe."

She turned her head and lifted her eyelids with long lashes, gazing affectionately at Li Jing’s profile, "The most important thing is, having met Brother Jing, my life is already very lucky."

As her words fell, Li Jing hadn’t had time to respond before a pair of fiery red lips came directly to meet his.

Immediately, Zhang Xinxin wrapped her arms around Li Jing’s neck and smoothly pressed him onto the soft, spacious sofa.

Her eyes were as charming as silk, her red lips slightly curved, whispering into Li Jing’s ear, "Brother Jing, you’re mine for the next few days~"