Chapter 53 Darling, why are you biting me!

Watching Xue Tian'ai disappear into the distance in a taxi, Gan Bingning finally let out a bitter laugh. Just moments ago, she had actually uttered those shameless words herself.

She had never imagined she would, in a moment of heated impulse, declare her willingness to become Xue Tian'ai’s lover. After all, no woman truly wishes to remain by a man’s side, nameless and unacknowledged. Love, in the end, is always selfish.

Gan Bingning was seized by a single, overwhelming feeling—that if she didn’t say it just now, she might regret it for the rest of her life.

So she decided to gamble, just once, with all she had. Even if it meant being despised as the “other woman,” even if she became nothing more than a lover, she wanted to pursue this happiness.

……

At that very moment, in the taxi, Xue Tian’ai let out a soft sigh. He too hadn’t expected things to develop like this.

What exactly did Gan Bingning see in him? Why would she suddenly want to become his lover? But thinking it over, he couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly—it wasn’t so bad, really… While she might not be as dazzling as Qin Mengxue, Gan Bingning was undeniably a sensual beauty.

Moreover, she had shown genuine concern for him, whether he was surrounded by thugs or taken in by the police. Before meeting him, she had been an untouched maiden—definitely not a bad or wanton woman. Having such a woman as a lover wasn’t a poor choice at all.

But another question nagged at Xue Tian’ai’s mind: why was Qin Mengxue so anxious for him to come home? She’d called him again and again, each time more insistent.

The taxi sped along and soon arrived at the gates of the Hongyang Villas. Because of property management’s regulations, taxis weren’t allowed into the complex, so Xue Tian’ai had to get out at the entrance.

Lost in the events of the day, he walked slowly toward his home, gazing at the faint, scattered stars above, sighing softly, lost in thought.

When he reached the door of Villa No. 3, he couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Qin Mengxue waiting inside.

At that moment, Qin Mengxue sat on the living room sofa, unaware that Xue Tian’ai was already outside the door. Her face was pale as she glared at the grand sandalwood clock standing in the room.

“That scoundrel! How is he not back yet? He’s only been home two days and already dares to come back this late! When he does, I’m not letting him off lightly!”

Just then, there was a sound at the door. Qin Mengxue instantly changed her expression, hurriedly picked up the notebook on the coffee table, and pretended to be absorbed in it.

“Darling, I’m home! Why so many calls? Did you miss me?” Xue Tian’ai called out with a silly grin as he entered.

Seeing his utterly unrepentant face, Qin Mengxue’s annoyance grew, but she kept her expression neutral, not responding and continuing her act of reading the notebook.

Xue Tian’ai, as if oblivious to her attitude, plopped down beside her, his eyes fixed on the instant noodles sitting on the coffee table, with a bottle of milk pressed atop the lid.

His stomach gave an uncomfortable twist—the food lover in him couldn’t take it anymore. He’d expected to enjoy a good meal tonight, invited by Gan Bingning, but instead he’d been dragged off to drink, fought with some thugs, and ended up at the police station with Shen Xinyi—he hadn’t eaten a single bite!

Without hesitation, he picked up the instant noodles, muttering self-righteously, “Honey, you’re the best, you knew I’d be hungry tonight and made me instant noodles!”

Qin Mengxue froze at his words, looking up in surprise. When she saw Xue Tian’ai slurping up the noodles she’d just made, her expression turned colorful.

“Not bad, darling! You even used the Master Tang brand—that’s way better than Kang’s! But my favorite is still the Japanese pork bone flavor!” Xue Tian’ai commented in between mouthfuls.

Seeing this, Qin Mengxue’s fists clenched tightly, grievance in her voice: “Those noodles were—”

Before she could finish, Xue Tian’ai grabbed the bottle of milk that had been weighing down the noodle lid and gulped it down.

“Honey, you’re amazing! You even got me milk—you knew I’d be thirsty too!”

Qin Mengxue was on the verge of tears. Both the noodles and the milk had been prepared for herself. Work had piled up during her days off; she’d come home late, exhausted and hungry, so she hadn’t wanted to cook and had made some noodles and heated a bottle of milk for herself.

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Here she was, making do with instant noodles and milk, while Xue Tian’ai had breezily announced he’d be dining out with friends and vanished. That was why she’d called him, to drag him home and give him a piece of her mind—yet upon his return, he’d eaten her only dinner! If she’d known this would happen, she wouldn’t have called him back at all!

The more Qin Mengxue thought about it, the angrier and more wronged she felt. Not only did he feast outside, he came back to steal her food too—did he think she was easy to bully?

Fine, tonight she’d show him just how “easy” she was! She put her laptop aside, then stalked toward Xue Tian’ai with murderous intent.

Xue Tian’ai sensed a chill in the air and looked up just in time to see Qin Mengxue’s stormy expression and murderous glare.

The next moment, she opened her alluring, rosy lips and bit down hard on his shoulder!

Suppressing his instinctive reaction, Xue Tian’ai felt the pain from his shoulder radiate throughout his body, making him gasp.

What on earth was she doing, biting him out of nowhere?

“Damn it, honey, why are you biting me?”

Qin Mengxue didn’t answer, instead biting him even harder for a while before finally letting go. “Those noodles and that milk were for me!”

“You haven’t eaten yet?” Xue Tian’ai asked in shock, raising his eyebrows. It was so late—how had Qin Mengxue not eaten?

“I was at the office dealing with paperwork all evening—just got home. I was starving and wanted to make some noodles, and you ate them all! What am I supposed to eat?” Qin Mengxue huffed, cheeks puffed with indignation. “You already ate out and still argued over my food!”

Xue Tian’ai couldn’t help but laugh and cry at her words. Was Qin Mengxue really this childish? She’d bitten him just because he ate her dinner?

“But honey, even if you haven’t eaten, you can’t just bite me! Eating me won’t solve your hunger, only… certain other needs,” Xue Tian’ai teased, grinning at her.

“Ah! Xue Tian’ai, I’m going to kill you!” Qin Mengxue, seeing his lack of remorse and his cheeky flirtation, felt her fury ignite anew. She bared her little teeth and bit his shoulder again.

His already bruised shoulder was assaulted once more, and even Xue Tian’ai’s patience began to wear thin.

“Honey, let’s make a deal, okay? Stop biting me… If you really want to eat me, let’s take it to the bedroom—”

Before he could finish, Qin Mengxue bit down even harder.

“All right, all right, my fault! I’ll make you something to eat, all right?” Xue Tian’ai hurriedly patted her shoulder, seeing that she had no intention of letting up.

At last, she let go, looking at him with disdain. “You? You know how to cook?”

“Please, I’m the eldest young master of the Xue family—how could I not know how to cook?” Xue Tian’ai replied smugly before getting up and heading straight for the kitchen.

“Hmph!” Qin Mengxue snorted at his nonchalant retreat, silently vowing, “If you dare serve me something inedible, I won’t let you off!”

So she sat on the sofa, fuming and distracted, waiting for the promised meal. But as the minutes ticked by with no sound from the kitchen, her mood darkened further. Was this scoundrel all talk—did he actually know how to cook, or was she going to have to do it herself in the end?

Finally, unable to endure any longer, she stood and went to the kitchen. The door was slightly ajar.

Suppressing her urge to barge in and give him a piece of her mind, she peered through the gap.

What she saw left her wide-eyed with surprise and a strange glimmer in her eyes.

There, in the kitchen, Xue Tian’ai was utterly transformed. He wore a yellow apron, gold-rimmed glasses, and had tied his slightly long hair into a little ponytail at the back of his head.

Unlike what she’d expected, Xue Tian’ai was focused and meticulous, slicing carrots with his elegant hands. The knife rose and fell in a rhythmic dance, and the carrots were cut into perfect, artful pieces—neat and beautiful.

Without pause, he picked up a green pepper and continued, the knife in his hands seeming almost alive.

For a moment, Qin Mengxue was utterly transfixed by his busy figure. She didn’t know how the food would taste, but the sight of Xue Tian’ai working so earnestly was almost lethally charming for a girl.