Qiao Yiyi chose a temporary room next to Lin Moli’s, and within half an hour, everything was settled. Manager Mei, the middle-aged woman, didn’t stay. Instead, she drove back to Jin Cheng before the sun set.
Now that Qiao Yiyi’s vocal cords were guaranteed to fully recover within ten days, both she and her management company could finally breathe a sigh of relief. They could now give a clear response to the companies that had booked Qiao Yiyi for commercial performances.
Of course, regardless of whether Jiang Fei could heal Qiao Yiyi’s vocal cords in just seven days, Manager Mei would still postpone the events for at least ten days to ensure there was enough time, just in case.
Qiao Yiyi followed her manager out the door, though it wasn’t clear whether she was seeing her off or if Manager Mei had some last-minute advice to give her.
Lin Moli naturally didn’t follow them out, nor did she have any interest in doing so. She walked over to Jiang Fei, who had just finished wrapping the zongzi, and looked at the five plates on the table. “Why are they separated into five different plates? Do they represent five different flavors?”
When it came to food, Jiang Fei’s master-level culinary skills had completely won Lin Moli over. If it had been before, Lin Moli would have questioned Jiang Fei’s ability to make zongzi, worried that they might not taste good. But now, the smart Lin Moli wouldn’t ask such a question, knowing it would only embarrass herself.
Every time she doubted Jiang Fei, he would prove her wrong with his absolute skill, leaving her feeling flustered.
“Yes, five different flavors. How about we cook some tonight to try?” Jiang Fei asked with a smile. Tomorrow was the Dragon Boat Festival, the traditional day for eating zongzi, but at home, they didn’t need to stick to such formalities.
He had made so many zongzi today that even if he, Lin Moli, and Qiao Yiyi ate some tonight, there would still be plenty left for tomorrow.
“Sure!” Lin Moli nodded eagerly, her face lighting up with a smile. As a foodie, she had no self-control when it came to delicious food.
Jiang Fei chuckled. He had expected Lin Moli to say that.
“Huh? Why is there so much egg white here?” Lin Moli suddenly noticed a plate of chopped salted duck egg whites. She sniffed the air, then without hesitation, picked up a pair of chopsticks Jiang Fei had used to wrap the zongzi and popped a piece into her mouth. “Mmm, delicious! Are the salted duck eggs you made last time ready to eat? Why is there only egg white here? Where’s the yolk?”
“The yolks are inside the zongzi,” Jiang Fei pointed to the largest plate of zongzi. “I’ll use the egg whites to make soup and salted egg tofu later.”
As a master-level chef, Jiang Fei never wasted any usable ingredients. Although the salted duck egg whites weren’t as tasty as the yolks, they were still delicious.
However, eating just the egg whites without the yolks would make the flavor much less satisfying, so using them in soups or dishes was a good alternative.
Lin Moli didn’t care what Jiang Fei planned to do with the egg whites later. After tasting a piece and finding it quite delicious, she couldn’t stop herself from eating more. Jiang Fei watched her with an amused smile. “I forgot that you’re the opposite of me. I like the yolks, but you prefer the egg whites. Still, don’t eat too much. Save some for later.”
“Don’t worry, there’s no way I can finish all of this. I’m not a pig…” Lin Moli mumbled with her mouth full.
—
Dinner was lavish, and the three of them enjoyed it thoroughly.
Even Qiao Yiyi, who usually watched her diet, couldn’t resist the temptation of the delicious food and ended up eating more than usual. Jiang Fei’s zongzi, in particular, were a hit. After finishing their meal, both women managed to eat three zongzi each.
With the arrival of the villa’s first guest—Lin Moli no longer counted as a guest in Jiang Fei’s eyes—the atmosphere was different from usual.
Lin Moli, who usually dressed casually and lounged on the couch watching TV after her nightly shower, didn’t act as freely as she normally would. She didn’t rush to take a shower early, even though the new guest was a woman. While she wasn’t worried about accidentally exposing herself, she still felt a bit awkward.
While Lin Moli felt a little out of place, Jiang Fei was secretly excited.
When he had suggested Lin Moli stay at the villa earlier, he hadn’t thought much of it. He had simply been considering the best option for his patient from a medical perspective.
But now, a thought popped into Jiang Fei’s mind: Am I now living under the same roof as a female celebrity?
Qiao Yiyi was currently one of the hottest female stars in the country, if not all of Asia! Touted as the next diva, she had millions of fans. The idea of living under the same roof as such a woman was undeniably thrilling!
If Qiao Yiyi’s die-hard fans found out about this, they’d probably burn his villa to the ground!
Then Jiang Fei’s imagination ran wild, recalling the plots of those wish-fulfillment novels he used to secretly read on his phone during lonely nights in his college dorm.
Will she slip and fall in the bathroom later? Jiang Fei wondered with concern. If she did, would he have to overcome societal norms and rush in to save her, even if she wasn’t wearing any clothes?
After seriously considering the question, Jiang Fei shook his head rationally. No, it’s better if she doesn’t fall… because if she does, she’ll probably call Lin Moli for help, not me.
Wait, do I have sleepwalking tendencies? Jiang Fei suddenly worried.
If he did, and he accidentally wandered into Lin Moli’s room in the middle of the night, climbed into her bed, and then…
Well, sleepwalkers aren’t conscious of their actions, so even if something happened, it wouldn’t be his fault. Legally, he’d be innocent.
As the saying goes: If you have sleepwalking tendencies, sleepwalk. If you don’t, pretend you do and sleepwalk anyway!
Jiang Fei’s imagination ran wild, a little shameless and naughty, but his face remained perfectly serious as he quietly waited for the night to deepen and for the two women to take their showers.
At 9:30 PM, Qiao Yiyi and Lin Moli went upstairs one after the other.
And then…
Nothing happened.
Those two women!
After taking their showers, they didn’t leave their rooms for the rest of the night, as if they had completely forgotten about Jiang Fei. He waited downstairs for half an hour, but not a single person showed up!
How utterly unromantic!
“Going to bed so early? Aren’t you afraid of having nightmares?” Jiang Fei, the doctor, muttered something unscientific out of frustration. Then, with a sigh, he turned off the TV and went upstairs.
“Darn it! The plots in those novels are all lies!”
—
The next morning.
The sun hadn’t yet risen, and the entire Daocun village was shrouded in mist, peaceful and quiet. The only sounds were the crowing of roosters, the barking of dogs, and the chirping of sparrows. The noise of people and vehicles was rarely heard here.
As usual, Jiang Fei got up early to do his morning exercises before showering and changing.
But today, Jiang Fei felt something unusual. He reached down and touched his pants, then froze for a moment before quickly grabbing a clean pair of underwear and heading to the shower.
How embarrassing! He hadn’t had a wet dream like this since he was a teenager!
But last night, his sleep had been unusually restless, filled with all sorts of colorful dreams.
As for which beauty he had dreamed about, Jiang Fei couldn’t quite remember.
After his shower, he went downstairs.
And then he froze again. “What are you two… doing up so early?”
To his surprise, Lin Moli and Qiao Yiyi, who had locked themselves in their rooms last night after their showers, unwilling to let Jiang Fei catch even a glimpse of them, were now in the living room, seemingly preparing to go out.
Qiao Yiyi was wearing a pink tracksuit, fashionable and cute, with her wavy brown hair tied into a ponytail. Lin Moli, on the other hand, was wearing hot pants and a loose T-shirt, which she had tied at the waist to show off her slender figure. Her long, straight black hair was also tied up, giving her a sporty look.
“We’re going to do morning exercises, just like you!” Lin Moli replied.
“You’re doing morning exercises too?” Jiang Fei asked in surprise.
He knew Lin Moli well. She had a slight case of morning grumpiness and usually wouldn’t get out of bed until the sun was high in the sky, unless she had stayed up late the night before.
There was no way she would get up this early for morning exercises!
“Yiyi mentioned last night that she does morning exercises every day, so I asked her to wake me up too,” Lin Moli explained.
Jiang Fei nodded, finally understanding.
So it was Qiao Yiyi’s habit. Being a celebrity really wasn’t easy.
The three of them headed out together, marking the first time Jiang Fei had company for his morning exercises.
Qiao Yiyi’s routine was simple: running. She usually did yoga in the evening or at night to relax after a busy day. Lin Moli was the same.
Since learning the incomplete version of Tai Chi, Jiang Fei had stopped running in the mornings. A round of Tai Chi was more effective than anything else.
But today, Jiang Fei decided to humor the ladies and join them for a run.
Both women were well-endowed, and their chests bounced noticeably as they ran. They weren’t the overly sexy type, lacking the allure of someone like Su Nan, the beautiful young widow, but their outfits were undeniably sexy and alluring.
The three of them started from the villa and ran along the dirt road from the east side of the village to the west and back. By the time they returned, Lin Moli was drenched in sweat. Qiao Yiyi, on the other hand, was only slightly out of breath, her cheeks faintly flushed but not overly tired.
It was clear that Qiao Yiyi’s training as a celebrity was no joke.
“Yiyi, you’re amazing,” Lin Moli said, wiping the sweat from her forehead with genuine admiration.
Lin Moli’s physical fitness wasn’t bad. She was in better shape than most urban women, and even if she didn’t do morning exercises, she still did aerobic workouts regularly. But compared to Qiao Yiyi, she was clearly outclassed!
“She exercises every day, of course she’s amazing. I’ve been telling you to get up and do morning exercises, but you always refuse, coming up with all sorts of excuses. You’d better watch out, or your figure might start to go. Look at Yiyi—she keeps herself in such great shape,” Jiang Fei teased.
Women are naturally concerned about their appearance. In the past, Jiang Fei’s comments might not have fazed Lin Moli.
But now, she was starting to waver. Although her current figure was flawless, with perfect curves and a pair of long legs that even Qiao Yiyi couldn’t match, who knew what the future held?
Women do need to take care of their bodies, and they need to start early. You can’t wait until you’re in your thirties and your figure starts to decline before thinking about maintenance—by then, it’s too late.
Lin Moli shot Jiang Fei a glare and snorted, refusing to back down. “It’s no big deal. Starting tomorrow, I’ll get up and do morning exercises too!”
Jiang Fei couldn’t help but laugh. He had tried to persuade her countless times from a health perspective, but it had never worked. Yet, all it took was Qiao Yiyi to completely change her mind.
Women really do go all out for beauty…