Chapter 17

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 17: So Delicious I Could Burst Out of My Clothes!

“Ding-dong!”

Just as Su Li finished her shower and was drying her hair, the doorbell rang. She put down the hairdryer and went to the door. When she opened it, there stood Ling Luo—wearing a cute apron printed with little teddy bears.

It was the new apron she had bought that afternoon. It made her look extra sweet and homely.

Seeing Su Li at the door, Ling Luo smiled cheerfully. “All done with your shower? Dinner’s just about ready~”

“Mmm, I’ll finish drying my hair and come right over.”

“Okay!”

As she spoke, Ling Luo’s eyes lingered on Su Li—fresh out of the shower, cheeks rosy from the heat of the water, her adorable face looking even more irresistible.

This world’s Su Li was seriously cheating with how cute she was.

After returning to her apartment, Ling Luo exhaled a long breath. Just now, looking at Su Li’s soft, flushed face, she couldn’t help but feel a dangerous impulse bubbling up inside her.

She composed herself and went back to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner.

Meanwhile, Su Li quickly dried her hair, and without even changing out of her pajamas, headed straight out. It wasn’t far—just the neighboring unit—so she figured there was no need to get properly dressed.

She rang the doorbell, and in no time, Ling Luo opened the door.

There was no denying it: Ling Luo in an apron gave off major wife material vibes. In her previous life, Su Li had always been fond of this side of Ling Luo.

She’d even once thought—If I could marry Ling Luo, she’d make an amazing wife.

But…

Whatever she recalled in that moment, it made Su Li sigh faintly. Still, the wistful look didn’t stay long on her face. She quickly returned to her usual cute and carefree expression.

She wandered to the kitchen doorway, watching Ling Luo busying herself with dinner, and exclaimed with admiration, “Wow~ you’re amazing!”

“There’s nothing amazing about it. If you cook often enough, you just get the hang of it. If you want to learn, I can teach you.”

“Really? I’ve always wanted to learn, but no one ever taught me or pushed me to stick with it.” Su Li grinned brightly as she said this.

Before her rebirth, Su Li had never exactly hated cooking—but she certainly hadn’t liked it either. Saying this now helped her avoid suspicion that she was a reborn person.

Not a bad little trick.

While chatting with Ling Luo, Su Li suddenly realized a minor issue—she had forgotten to wear a bra.

Fortunately, her loose pajamas and modest bust made it barely noticeable, so she didn’t worry too much about it.

Before long, dinner was served. Coincidence or not, every dish on the table was something Su Li liked.

“It smells amazing~!”

“Come sit down and eat. These are my specialties!”

Su Li didn’t hold back. Thinking about it, it had been a long time since she’d tasted Ling Luo’s cooking. Back then, Ling Luo had said she’d come back to visit now and then, but Su Li had waited nearly a year—and she never came back once.

As the flavors burst across her tongue, Su Li couldn’t help the delighted expression that spread across her face.

It was just like she remembered. The same taste as before.

“Well? Is it good?”

“It’s delicious. So good I could burst out of my clothes!”

Having spent so much time around Su Li, Ling Luo naturally caught the reference. That anime—they’d even watched it together. It had left a strong impression. What year had it aired again?

Su Li, of course, didn’t make such rookie mistakes. She made sure to use the reference after the anime had already aired in this world.

Their pleasant dinner passed quickly.

Su Li wanted to help with the dishes before heading out, but Ling Luo flat-out refused, saying she’d be late.

In the end, Su Li couldn’t win the argument and returned home to change.

When Su Li came downstairs, ready to head to school, she suddenly noticed someone familiar coming out of the building across from her.

Who else could it be but Shen Qingxia?

Su Li sighed quietly to herself. She didn’t believe this was fate—not for a second. Most likely, Shen Qingxia had been waiting outside on purpose and only stepped out when she saw Su Li leave.

She silently walked up beside Shen Qingxia and put on a smile. “Heading to evening study, Student Shen? If you don’t mind, why don’t you walk with your teacher?”

“Okay.”

In truth, that had been Shen Qingxia’s plan all along.

Walking side-by-side out of the small urban village, the two headed straight for the school.

Along the way, Su Li could feel Shen Qingxia’s gaze locked on her the entire time. There was a fervent intensity in her eyes that Su Li could feel, even without looking.

Before interacting with her, Su Li had thought Shen Qingxia was cold and aloof—hard to approach, nearly impossible to win over.

In many ways, she had been right. Shen Qingxia’s difficulty level had far exceeded Su Li’s expectations.

But after Su Li succeeded in winning her over, it was as if Shen Qingxia had become an entirely different person.

Even after they broke up, Shen Qingxia still hadn’t let go.

With a soft sigh, Su Li tilted her head slightly and asked, “Student Shen Qingxia, is there something odd about me today?”

“No.”

Still the same curt answer—but paired with those burning eyes, Su Li really didn’t know what to say anymore.

Just as she was trying to find a new topic, Su Li suddenly tripped—she didn’t even see what she caught her foot on—and pitched forward.

But before she could fall, Shen Qingxia grabbed her arm and pulled her back forcefully.

So forcefully, in fact, that Su Li was yanked straight into Shen Qingxia’s embrace.

Held close in that warm hug, Su Li froze. Before she could speak, she heard Shen Qingxia’s calm voice above her head.

“Teacher, are you alright?”

“N-No… nothing. Thank you for that. Um, could you… let go now?”

Shen Qingxia’s embrace was indeed comfortable—but they were standing in the middle of the street. Her actions had already attracted curious stares from passersby.

Su Li didn’t really mind, but she wasn’t Su Li, the guy anymore—she was Su Li, the girl now. So under the scrutiny of others, she needed to at least act a little shy. That would better fit her current identity.

At Su Li’s request, Shen Qingxia silently let go, her face expressionless, as if nothing had happened at all, and continued walking ahead.

“…It really is still that same feeling,” Shen Qingxia murmured softly.

······

Author’s Note: “Salty fish, salty fish, so salty—really want some votes~”