Chapter Sixty-Seven: A Stolen Kiss

“...” At Jiang Muwen’s words, Wen Yichen immediately wiped the smile from his face, cleared his throat, and tried to act composed as he went on chopping vegetables. “You must be mistaken.”

Jiang Muwen stood by his side, making Wen Yichen feel a bit awkward—he was never much of a chef to begin with, and under her watchful eyes, it was hard not to get nervous.

Eventually, he couldn’t help calling her name. “Jiang Muwen...”

“Hmm?”

“Could you… go back to the bedroom for a bit? I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

Jiang Muwen looked at Wen Yichen, and for the first time, she thought she saw a trace of… nervousness? But then again, he’d never cooked before. With her staring at him like this, it was only natural for him to be anxious.

She nodded obediently and returned to her room.

A long time passed before Wen Yichen finally appeared at her door. He lingered in the doorway, lips slightly parted. After a pause, he called out to her softly.

“Yes?” Jiang Muwen turned around at his voice, only to meet his slightly flustered gaze. Instinctively, she sensed that the dinner she was hoping for had likely failed.

Sure enough, after she answered, Wen Yichen’s ears turned a faint shade of red as he asked, “Do you have any instant noodles left in your house?”

Jiang Muwen stared at him in a daze, and after a moment, managed to utter a single word, “Yes…”

If he’d known he’d spend over an hour only to end up empty-handed, he would have just made her a bowl of instant noodles at the start—slice up some sausage, add a poached egg…

And so, the grand feast Jiang Muwen had anticipated became two steaming bowls of instant noodles. Apart from the unevenly cut sausages and a slightly burnt poached egg, everything else looked just fine.

Thinking of this, Jiang Muwen couldn’t help but chuckle to herself—so even this genius before her had things he couldn’t manage.

“Ahem… Eat while it’s hot…” Wen Yichen glanced awkwardly at the instant noodles, then looked at Jiang Muwen. The rising steam drifted up; she gently blew it aside, twirled a few noodles around her chopsticks, and carefully put them in her mouth.

He watched her, and for a fleeting moment, he seemed to glimpse a vision of the two of them living together in the future.

Jiang Muwen took a bite, then looked up instinctively. In the haze of steam, she thought she saw Wen Yichen… smiling foolishly?

It seemed odd to use such words to describe him, but the soft curve at the corner of his eyes was something she’d never seen before.

“Wen Yichen…?” she called softly.

At her voice, he quickly composed himself, his gaze returning to her with a touch of curiosity glimmering in his clear eyes.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Jiang Muwen asked cautiously.

“Is it good?” he replied instead.

“Yes.”

“That’s good.” With that, Wen Yichen picked up his chopsticks and took a bite himself.

Jiang Muwen stared at him, momentarily at a loss—so she was his taste-tester?

Oh well, it was only instant noodles; it was impossible to go wrong. With that thought, she bent her head and continued eating.

“Jiang Muwen, happy birthday.”

She was mid-bite when the gentle words drifted to her ears, making her hand pause around her chopsticks.

His voice was tender, softening her heart. Her mind went blank for a moment as she looked up at the boy before her, feeling her cheeks warm. After a pause, she managed a quiet thank you.

“Your present…”

Wen Yichen had just started to ask what she wanted for her birthday, but she cut him off. “It’s alright, you don’t have to get me anything.”

In truth, this birthday, just hearing his gentle “happy birthday” was enough.

Thinking back, Wen Yichen’s companionship over these past days had already been the best gift she could receive—he had helped her leave behind her struggling grades, accompanied her to art exhibitions, and given her the first Christmas present of her life…

Since the beginning of their second year of high school, this boy had quietly entered her world, becoming an inseparable part of her life without her even realizing it.

After dinner, the two of them sat side by side at the desk as usual. Wen Yichen left her with a sample question, then leaned back lazily in his chair, scrolling through his phone at leisure.

The room was silent. At first, he could still hear the faint sounds of her pen gliding over the paper, but as time passed, even that faded, until the only thing left was the steady rhythm of breathing.

Had Jiang Muwen… fallen asleep?

He straightened up and looked at the girl sleeping before him—under the gentle lamplight, her eyelashes fanned softly across her fair cheeks, casting delicate shadows.

She lay quietly over the desk, like a gentle kitten, making him want to reach out and stroke her hair.

Seeing how soundly she slept, he didn’t have the heart to wake her. After a moment’s hesitation, Wen Yichen slipped off his jacket and carefully draped it over her shoulders.

As he leaned in, he caught a faint scent from her clothes—it was a sweet, fresh fragrance, reminiscent of first love, never cloying, just like Jiang Muwen herself. With her beside him, the whole world seemed sweeter.

Almost without realizing it, Wen Yichen bent down, bracing his hand on the desk, trapping Jiang Muwen gently between himself and the table.

He drew closer, until he could see the fine, milky down on her cheeks.

He leaned in, and his lips brushed softly against the corner of her mouth.

After a moment, Wen Yichen straightened up, gazing at her with caution, as if worried his stolen kiss might wake her. Only after a while did a faint blush rise on his clean-cut face, and at the corner of his eyes appeared a gentle affection even he had yet to notice.

“Happy birthday, silly girl.”