Chapter 71: Extra (Part Two)

It was a snowy day, with a vast expanse of white stretching across the sky and earth. Snowflakes drifted down, settling on the mountains, trees, and paths, blanketing the landscape in a thin layer of white.

A thin layer of snow also covered the exterior of the mountain dwelling, with snowflakes glistening as they fell beneath the eaves.

Despite the icy weather outside, the interior remained as warm as spring.

Fearing that the young man might not be able to withstand the cold, Si Qingyu had specifically prepared two stoves inside the room and covered the floor with fur blankets.

This was because the young man always liked to go barefoot indoors, even in the current frigid weather, just as he always did. Even when Si Qingyu scolded him, he would just put on a pitiful face and brush it off, leaving her no choice but to let him be.

“Shaoxuan, not like that. It should be done this way.” Si Qingyu pinched the dumpling wrapper in her hand, demonstrating to the young man as she filled it with the filling.

Today was New Year’s Eve, the most suitable time to eat dumplings. Since the passing of Si Qingyu’s mother, she had always spent the holidays alone, eating whatever was available, treating it like any other day.

But now, things were different. She had someone by her side to spend the rest of her life with, so naturally, she wanted to celebrate properly with him.

She had thought of making the dumplings herself, but he insisted on joining in. How could a young master who had never done any manual labor before handle such tasks?

The young man’s jade-like fingers clumsily pinched the edges of the dumpling wrapper, his beautiful eyes occasionally glancing at her hand movements. He managed to turn a dumpling into a bun-like shape.

“Shaoxuan… You’ve put too much filling…” Si Qingyu’s mouth twitched slightly as she looked at the dumpling in his hand that seemed ready to burst.

Luo Shaoxuan, however, paid no attention and continued in his own way. After wrapping the dumpling in his hand, he raised it high, nodding in satisfaction, and then placed it on the plate, tightly sticking it to the dumplings she had made.

“……” Si Qingyu’s face darkened. She reached out and separated his dumpling from hers. “Shaoxuan, you can’t place them together like this. Otherwise, they’ll break apart when we cook them later.”

Seeing the two dumplings separated, Luo Shaoxuan’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. His jade-like hand moved again, placing the separated dumplings tightly together once more. “Don’t take them apart.”

Si Qingyu truly didn’t know what to say about his childish behavior. She was already used to it and could only sigh helplessly, letting him have his way.

Looking at the dumplings stuck closely together, just like the two of them, Luo Shaoxuan’s lips curved into a sweet smile, his eyes sparkling like stars.

He turned his head to the side, glancing at the woman’s focused profile, and couldn’t help but lean in to place a kiss on her cheek. Pointing his finger at the tightly connected dumplings, he whispered in her ear, “We’re just like these dumplings.”

Si Qingyu glanced up at him.

Indeed, they were now inseparable, always stuck together like these two dumplings.

Si Qingyu instinctively raised her hand to pat his head but remembered that her hands were covered in flour. She leaned in and placed a kiss on the corner of his lips. “Be good and sit over there for a while. I can handle this myself.”

Otherwise, the dumplings would fall apart as soon as they were placed in the pot.

But the young man refused to listen. He sat up straight, his expression indifferent, and continued pinching the dumpling in his hand. He would only place his wrapped dumpling tightly next to hers after she put hers down.

By the time they had filled a plate, each dumpling was paired up.

Si Qingyu’s eye twitched slightly as she picked up the plate. Just as she reached the doorway, she noticed the young man following behind her. She frowned and turned around. “It’s very cold outside. Don’t follow me out.”

How could Luo Shaoxuan allow that? His beautiful eyes glanced at the plate. Since they had made the dumplings together, they naturally had to cook and eat them together. “You said it yourself, it’s better when the dumplings are together.”

He had never eaten these before and didn’t understand their meaning, but as long as it involved being with her, anything was fine.

Si Qingyu was at a loss for words. She had clearly meant eating together, symbolizing harmony and unity throughout the year. She didn’t expect him to be so eager about this. Seeing his stubborn expression, she sighed. “You can come along, but put on another layer of clothing.”

The clothes he was wearing were the ones she had forced him to put on. Otherwise, the young man would have preferred to wear the thin summer attire. Just looking at him made Si Qingyu feel cold on his behalf.

Luo Shaoxuan slightly raised his arm and glanced at it, his red lips pouting. “But I’m not cold…” As a martial artist, his body was naturally more resistant to cold than ordinary people. It was only because she insisted that he was cold that she made him wear so many layers.

However, Si Qingyu didn’t think so. She felt that he had a delicate body but refused to listen. The corners of her mouth turned down in displeasure.

Seeing this, Luo Shaoxuan didn’t dare to argue further. He pursed his lips, returned behind the screen, and put on the fox fur coat. The snow-white fur made him look even more noble and extraordinarily handsome, but his slightly puffed cheeks and resentful eyes added a touch of cuteness.

Si Qingyu, facing the young man’s accusing gaze, suppressed the smile at the corner of her lips and said, “Mm, that’s better. Let’s go.”

As soon as she opened the door, a bone-chilling wind blew in. Looking at the icy and snowy world outside, Si Qingyu tightened her collar and carried the dumplings into the kitchen.

Once the water boiled, Si Qingyu placed the dumplings in. Sure enough, after just a short while, some of the thin-skinned dumplings had already broken open, with the filling spilling into the pot.

When they were fully cooked, Si Qingyu used a large bowl to scoop out the dumplings and brought them back to the bedroom. She first filled a bowl for Luo Shaoxuan, who was full of anticipation. “Try it.”

The young man’s brows were soft and charming. Looking at the dumplings that remained stuck together even after being cooked, the corners of his mouth curved up in satisfaction. He took a small bite with the spoon.

Although it wasn’t some heavenly delicacy, it made his heart feel sweet.

“Is it delicious?” Smiling so happily, it must be very tasty.

Luo Shaoxuan’s lips curled up in a wide smile. He brought the other half of the dumpling on the spoon to the woman’s lips. “Delicious. You eat it too.”

“……” Si Qingyu opened her mouth, wanting to tell him that there were plenty more in the bowl and there was no need for them to share one. However, seeing the sparkling eyes of the young man, she gave in and ate the other half of the dumpling.