Chapter 2191 - 710: Innocent College Girl, 2018_2

The smooth, mirror-bright metal door slid open slowly.

What unfolded before her eyes was a luxurious, spacious private corridor.

Qian Lele couldn’t help slowing her steps, afraid that her mud-stained shoes would dirty this place.

"I live in Building 1, Unit 2001. There’s only this one apartment on this floor, so it’s easy to remember."

Tang Song explained as he led her around a corner to a pure black double armored door.

"Beep-dee-dee—"

The door opened slowly, and a faint, elegant fragrance washed over her.

"Come in, Lele." Tang Song held her hand and stepped in first.

Qian Lele carefully crossed the threshold, gripping her canvas bag tightly, her eyes full of curiosity and awe.

Tang Song took out a pair of soft slippers from the shoe cabinet and set them by her feet. "These are the slippers I got ready for you. The size should be right, try them on."

"Thank you, gege, you really went to a lot of trouble for me."

Qian Lele was a bit overwhelmed by the attention and hurried to thank him.

She squatted down, quickly changed into the slippers, then lined up her own sneakers neatly in the most inconspicuous corner of the shoe cabinet.

She followed Tang Song toward the living room.

She couldn’t stop herself from lowering her head to look at the delicate slippers on her feet.

The plush was dense, the touch silky smooth; stepping on them was like sinking into clouds, impossibly soft.

She had never worn such comfortable shoes.

She would go online later and buy a pair for her mom too.

Her mom’s feet had grown bone spurs, and that old pair of winter slippers had been worn for many years—the soles were worn flat, and the edges were all frayed.

They passed through a corridor bathed in gentle light, and the view ahead suddenly opened up.

Qian Lele raised her head and looked forward, and in that instant the scene before her completely captured her heart.

Warm white lighting, minimalist lines, exquisite, luxurious décor, air so quiet you could almost hear time flowing.

Outside the massive curved floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights spread out like a river of stars.

All of this came together into a picture she’d only ever seen in TV dramas.

She turned her head, clear eyes shining with sincere light. "Gege, your home is so beautiful. The renovation must have cost a lot, a lot of money, right?"

"Mm, it really wasn’t cheap." Tang Song smiled faintly and pointed at her coat. "It’s pretty warm in here, you should take your coat off too."

"Oh! Oh!" Qian Lele nodded quickly; she really was starting to feel hot.

She took off her duffle coat, smoothed out the wrinkles, and hung it on that coat rack that looked expensive at a glance.

She followed Tang Song into the dining room.

On the table, several steaming home-cooked dishes were already laid out.

Sweet and sour pork ribs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried cabbage with chili...

They were all her favorites.

In the very center of the table, there was also a big bag of spicy chips sitting there, looking utterly out of place.

Qian Lele bit her lower lip; her nose stung a little.

"Sit." Tang Song smiled as he pulled out a chair for her. "Hurry and try them, see if they suit your taste."

Qian Lele nodded hard, sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and started eating in big mouthfuls.

The rich flavor of the ribs, the sweet-and-sour of the eggs, the spicy aroma of the chips intertwined together.

Every bite tasted like happiness.

Tang Song sat across from her, eating while chatting with her.

They talked about funny things in the lab, then about exams at school, from her roommates to the stall-running Sister Wen, then from front-end development to AI.

Qian Lele gradually talked more and more, even taking the initiative to pick food for him.

The bright dining room was full of laughter and the clink of dishes and chopsticks.

To her, YJTC was a strange, aloof "other world."

But because it was gege’s home, she could feel warmth and a sense of safety.

...

After they finished dinner—

Qian Lele didn’t stand on ceremony at all and very naturally started clearing the dishes.

She tied on an apron and, like a busy little honeybee, began to bustle around.

She tidied up the dining room and kitchen.

Then she found a rag and a mop and started meticulously cleaning.

Her movements were quick yet careful, and she kept a big smile on her face the whole time.

When this Cinderella finally stopped—

Tang Song stepped forward and gently wiped away the beads of sweat that had seeped out on her forehead.

"You’re still dressed too warmly. Take off your sweater and thermal layer inside."

Because the floor heating was turned up, the whole house was as warm as spring.

Honestly, summer clothes would have been just right.

After finishing dinner and then working for so long, Qian Lele was already sweating profusely.

"Oh, no need." Qian Lele shook her head with a smile. "Gege, it’s already pretty late. I should go back to school, I won’t bother you anymore."

She had already seen gege’s home.

The scarf she’d knitted by hand had already been delivered.

She’d chatted with him and even eaten a meal he’d cooked himself.

She already felt very, very content.

Besides, it was the weekend tomorrow; she’d long planned to go back to her hometown, Han City.

At nine in the morning, she’d take that cheapest green train, No. 4483—two hours or so to Han City, then transfer to a forty-minute coach, just in time to get home before noon.

Tang Song looked at her and said directly, "Lele, how about staying here for the night?"

"Huh?" Qian Lele froze, and her face instantly filled with panic and shy embarrassment. "No, that’s not necessary... I just came to visit you, gege. Um... I’m going back to my old home in Han City tomorrow, and I just happen to be free this weekend."

"It’s fine." Tang Song smiled. "I’ll talk to your Teacher Jiang and have her give you two more days off. You can go back the day after tomorrow."

"That... wouldn’t be good." Her voice grew softer and softer, her eyes full of struggle. "The lab project has only just started, and there’s also Glimmer Coffee over there..."