Chapter 88

Chapter 86: A Warm Dinner

"Let's cook, Sister Wang!" Liu Dong said, nimbly taking down the apron from behind the kitchen door and putting it on. Then he handed another one to Wang Qiang.

"Sister Wang, let me help you put it on!" Seeing Liu Dong's eager face, Wang Qiang said irritably, "No need, I can do it myself!"

"If you can't tie the back ribbon yourself, can you let me help you?" Liu Dong tried another approach.

Seeing his expression, Wang Qiang shook her head lightly but didn't refuse. She turned around, and Liu Dong, standing behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled the two ribbons of the apron, and tied a loose knot at her lower back.

Throughout this process, Liu Dong's face was filled with a smile. The close contact, especially the subtle fragrance from Wang Qiang, made him feel incredibly content.

"Done, hurry up and start working. Are you still hungry?" Seeing Liu Dong's contented look, Wang Qiang blushed and scolded him loudly.

"Sure, I'm coming!" Liu Dong responded, quickly picking up the pot from the stove, squeezing some dish soap, adding some water, and scrubbing vigorously with a brush.

Seeing this, Wang Qiang couldn't help but smile and shake her head. She turned around, took a few steps, and took out a few tomatoes from the fridge. She had already washed them and put them in the fridge, so she could start slicing them right away.

The two worked together, and with the iron rule that men and women working together makes the job less tiring, they finished cooking in less than an hour. They prepared tomato and egg stir-fry, braised eggplant with meat, sour and spicy fish, a seaweed soup, and two bowls of rice, which they then placed on the dining table.

"How about it, Sister Wang? My cooking skills are pretty good, right!" After sitting down, Liu Dong couldn't help but boast. Of course, if it weren't for his financial difficulties and the high cost of eating out, he wouldn't have developed such good cooking skills.

Looking at his proud face, Wang Qiang smiled. To be fair, Liu Dong's home-cooked dishes were indeed quite good. "Not bad, but the sour and spicy fish is my work!"

"Hehe, I know! Your skills are much better than mine!" Faced with Liu Dong's praise, Wang Qiang felt very happy. "Alright, let's eat! Otherwise, the food will get cold and won't taste as good!"

"Sure! Let's eat together!" Liu Dong said, picking up his chopsticks and first placing a large piece of egg in Wang Qiang's bowl. "Sister Wang, try the tomato and egg I made!"

"Okay, I'll get it myself. You eat too!" She smiled, holding her bowl and chopsticks in her left hand.

"Sure!" Liu Dong responded, then picked a piece of sour and spicy fish and put it in his bowl, eating it in large bites. He hadn't had a proper meal in almost a day and was quite hungry.

Compared to Liu Dong's rough eating style, Wang Qiang's small, elegant bites were a beautiful sight. Unlike Liu Dong, who was focused on eating, Wang Qiang's attention was more on the man across from her, who was three years younger than her.

She had never noticed before that Liu Dong was actually a very good man. Despite his humble background, he wasn't inferior, was diligent and serious, and was dedicated to his ideals. In the nearly half a year they had lived together, she had seen Liu Dong mostly reading books and doing carvings in his room, never wasting time on movies, shopping, or entertainment places like internet cafes or karaoke bars like her other friends.

Moreover, Liu Dong was the first man who, despite living under the same roof for nearly half a year, had always maintained a moral boundary and never made any inappropriate advances towards her, despite her beauty.

"But, this guy has become bolder recently!" Recalling the bold kiss they shared last night and Liu Dong's almost confessional words in the kitchen, Wang Qiang, with a mouthful of rice, secretly observed Liu Dong, who was eating with his head down, thinking to herself.

Actually, although Wang Qiang was beautiful, even surpassing others, deep down she was a girl who yearned for simplicity and wasn't overly materialistic. For her, a simple family life, taking care of her husband and children, was true happiness. Just like earlier, when she and Liu Dong cooked together and sat at the table to enjoy a meal, it was warm and happy.

"Maybe, making him my boyfriend wouldn't be a bad choice!" Wang Qiang thought. Moreover, Liu Dong's ordinary appearance would reduce many temptations in his future life.

However, Wang Qiang's plans were destined to be in vain in the future.

"Xiao Dong, how did you suddenly have so much money in your account?" This was a question Wang Qiang had been puzzled about, so she asked when she saw Liu Dong had almost finished eating. Especially since she had started to consider the issue from the perspective of Liu Dong's girlfriend, the answer became even more urgent.

Hearing her question, Liu Dong looked up and saw the inquiring look in Wang Qiang's beautiful eyes. He put down his chopsticks and smiled. "Actually, it's nothing much. I bought a snuff bottle from a street stall while browsing in the antique market. It turned out to be an antique, and after it was appraised, someone bought it for 3.5 million yuan!" He paused and continued, "The rest of the money, over 10 million yuan, I made from gambling on jade yesterday."

Of course, he didn't mention that he had won 30 million yuan from Han Lei at the gambling table today. One, it was too shocking, and two, gambling wasn't a respectable thing in Chinese culture. He was afraid it would affect his image in Wang Qiang's eyes.

After hearing Liu Dong's explanation, Wang Qiang smiled and nodded. Although she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she had seen Liu Dong carry back three pieces of jade yesterday, so she believed him.

"So, you're now a millionaire with 20 million yuan!" Wang Qiang teased.

Faced with Wang Qiang's teasing, Liu Dong's face showed a hint of embarrassment. "Sister Wang, you're too kind. I've made some money, but it's just a stroke of luck!"

Seeing the genuine expression on Liu Dong's face, Wang Qiang nodded inwardly. "So, what do you plan to do with all this money? You're not going to keep it in the bank, are you?"

Hearing this, Liu Dong shook his head. Although he hadn't gone to college and had come to Quancheng after high school to make his own way, he understood the concept of 'investment.'

"I've already thought about what to do with the money. I plan to buy a good house in Quancheng, bring my parents and sister here, and then open a large shop in the antique market to sell jade carvings, wood carvings, and antiques. I'll be the shopkeeper, and we'll live a steady and comfortable life. This way, our family will be firmly rooted in Quancheng!" He paused and continued with a touch of nostalgia and longing, "And this was my original dream, which I can finally realize now!"

After hearing Liu Dong's words and seeing the serious look on his face, Wang Qiang understood his feelings. There was nothing more joyful than fulfilling a long-held wish.

"So, you're going to buy a house soon?" Wang Qiang looked at Liu Dong, lowered her head, and absentmindedly stirred the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, her tone seemingly calm.

However, Liu Dong could hear a hint of emotion in her voice, which made him feel happy. Seeing Wang Qiang's slightly flushed face, he couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth and boldly reached out to hold her delicate hand on the table.

"Don't worry, Sister Wang! The house is mainly for my parents. I'll still live here, and it's close to the antique market, which is very convenient!"

After hearing his words, Wang Qiang blushed and tried to pull her arm away, but Liu Dong held on tightly. She glared at him, who had become increasingly bold recently, but didn't move, allowing Liu Dong to hold her hand. This gave him great encouragement.