The previous week, because Chen Yijie's second lead single from his new album, "Long Time No See," had been gaining traction domestically, Yang Yi's little shop, named "The Café on the Street Corner," had caught the attention of some students and spread among them. Although they thought it was more likely a coincidence, there were always some students who pursued that melancholic vibe, making a special trip to the East Gate, happily coming to drink coffee and forcing Yang Yi to play the song over and over again—to the point where Yang Yi himself was sick of it.
Thanks to this "coincidence," Yang Yi's coffee shop saw an unexpected surge in popularity the previous week. From a situation where he had at most three or four customers a day, it rose to the rare sight of never lacking customers in the afternoon. Though it still wasn't much, with only about twenty or so customers each day, at least it looked like he might break even.
Unfortunately, good times didn't last long. In the blink of an eye, July arrived, and Jiangcheng Media University began its break. Students gradually left campus, and Yang Yi's coffee shop became quiet again. But Yang Yi was still happy; he liked this half-dead state, which allowed him time to read and listen to music.
"Maybe I should close the shop and take a few days off?" Yang Yi even had such a thought. In reality, he hadn't been open for long at all! He would often take down the sign and take his daughter out to play everywhere. A boss like him would lose his shirt doing anything!
The good news was that Xixi, who had gone home to stay with her mom for a few days, finally returned! Murphy also came with Xixi to Yang Yi's place for a meal. The tired and confused Murphy from before had regained her confidence, and the cold, aloof sunglasses-wearing woman appeared before Yang Yi once again. However, this time, she came with luggage!
"I've been practicing singing a bit too much lately, and Xiaojuan said I should take a break and go out to relax," Murphy said. In front of Yang Yi, she no longer needed to keep up her cold demeanor. Although her expression was still habitually a bit indifferent, her voice was very soft. "I don't know where to go, and I'm afraid of being caught by reporters. Can I stay at your place for a couple of days?"
Yang Yi didn't need to ask to know that his two songs had worked—he had received a grateful email, whether written by Murphy herself or dictated to Mo Xiaojuan. "Of course!" Yang Yi smiled slightly and proactively reached out his hand. Murphy understood and handed her luggage bag to Yang Yi, then took her daughter's hand and followed him upstairs.
"Mommy, are you going to live with Daddy like Xixi?" Xixi was thrilled; this was the scene she had been looking forward to. She couldn't help bouncing on the stairs—Xixi never walked properly, always jumping up each step.
"Yeah, but just for two days," Murphy said lightly. "Mommy still has work, so I have to go back in two days!"
"That's okay." Xixi was still very happy. She tilted her little head and said innocently, "Then tonight, will Daddy and Mommy sleep with Xixi?"
Uh, that question... Yang Yi's back, carrying the luggage, stiffened involuntarily. Even Murphy's cold, beautiful face couldn't help but blush. She secretly glanced at Yang Yi's broad back and, no longer calm, scolded, "Xixi, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"Tonight, you sleep with Mommy, and your daddy sleeps alone," Murphy said, raising her voice so Yang Yi could hear.
"Ahem, yes, there are plenty of rooms upstairs. Daddy will tidy one up later, so there's no worry about where to sleep," Yang Yi said, turning at the stair landing and glancing awkwardly at Murphy before speaking to Xixi.
"Oh, is that so?" Xixi pouted, looking a bit downcast. "But Xixi wants Mommy and Daddy to stay with her..."
Neither Yang Yi nor Murphy responded this time. Both found the topic a bit awkward. Although Yang Yi was more relaxed, when he exchanged glances with Murphy, there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
Dream on! Murphy shot Yang Yi a glare, then turned her head away, her neck flushing with embarrassment. Don't be fooled by Murphy growing up abroad; her family upbringing was very traditional, so she had always been a conservative woman. Otherwise, when Yang Yi had saved her back then, it wouldn't have been her first time...
At home, Yang Yi naturally did the cooking. He always made novel dishes for Murphy, but no matter what they were, they were delicious, even making the picky Murphy start trying celery, which she had hardly ever touched before.
"Pretty good, right?" Yang Yi smiled slightly when he saw Murphy take a second bite. "I pick the tender celery, chop it finely, and stir-fry it with dried tofu skin and wood ear mushrooms. The original celery taste fades a lot, and it's much tastier."
"Yeah." Murphy still ate gracefully. When she ate a piece of celery, she would hold it with her chopsticks and nibble on it like a little hamster, unwilling to open her mouth wide, as if that would ruin her image.
Xixi, on the other hand, ate heartily. At her dad's place, she let loose, scooping rice from her bowl with her little spoon and spilling it all over the table. Yang Yi, who had a bit of a compulsive streak, used to find this hard to watch, but he had gradually gotten used to it. He would just clean up after the meal anyway.
But Xixi didn't like celery. She shook her head, asking her dad to pick it out, and pointed at the white dried tofu skin, saying, "I don't want to eat celery. Celery tastes awful. Xixi likes this!"
"You can't be picky. Kids need to eat everything for balanced nutrition," Murphy insisted, giving Xixi a big helping of celery and lecturing her seriously.
Suddenly, Murphy turned her head and glared at Yang Yi, who was grinning. "What are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?"
Yang Yi shook his head with a smile. "You're scolding Xixi, but earlier, when I was cooking, who was it that said they didn't want to eat celery?"
"Exactly!" Xixi pouted in agreement, thinking her dad was backing her up.
This was about teaching their daughter! And this guy was undermining her! Murphy was furious. Not wanting to show a quarrel between parents in front of Xixi, she reached under the table and kicked Yang Yi. But she accidentally hit his shin, which was rock hard, and nearly twisted her foot.
"Ouch..." Murphy winced, sucking in a cold breath.
Yang Yi's reaction was a bit slow. In the relaxed environment, his guard was down. It wasn't until Murphy kicked him that he snapped to. But he moved quickly, instinctively reaching down and grabbing her foot.
It was smooth to the touch, like satin... Murphy was still wearing black stockings! Yang Yi didn't realize what was wrong at first. Instead, the feel made him unconsciously stroke it, from her ankle to her foot—small, warm, smooth...
Now he sensed something was off. He looked up and saw Murphy, her brow furrowed in pain but her face flushed with indignation, staring at him.
Trouble!