Not Turning Evil Because I Want to Keep the Grass Greener on My Side

It wasn't until five o'clock that Xia Yanchun finally put her study materials away.

It was almost dinnertime. If they bought groceries and cooked now, they wouldn't be able to eat until half past six.

"Done studying?"

"Aren't you going grocery shopping?"

"I was waiting to go with you. There's no rush to eat anyway, or are you hungry?"

"No, let's go together then."

Thinking about it, it had been a long time since she bought groceries. Although she knew how to cook, because of high school, Xia Yanchun hadn't cooked much herself. Even on weekends, she either ordered takeout or ate at small restaurants outside.

She had almost forgotten the price of pork.

Just as she was about to get up from Shen Nian, Xia Yanchun felt her hair tugging. She didn't even have to think to know it was Shen Nian's doing.

She sat on the edge of the bed and looked in the mirror. Great, her hair had been tied into several little knots by Shen Nian, looking like tied-up plastic bags. It looked incredibly ugly no matter how she looked at it.

"You have a lot of free time, don't you? You turned my hair into a bird's nest."

"I really do," Shen Nian nodded.

"Good thing it's not tangled, otherwise I would throw you right out the window."

Xia Yanchun quickly combed her hair straight and tied it into a small ponytail. She was ready to go out.

"Let's go."

"You're going out in slippers?"

"I don't want to change. Is there a problem?"

"Then I won't change either." Shen Nian opened the door for her, muttering, "The thought of other people being able to see my Chunbao's toes makes me uncomfortable. To show that I'm different, I think I should be allowed to look at your legs."

"Psycho." Xia Yanchun gave him a deadpan look. Sometimes she really wanted to shove her foot into Shen Nian's mouth.

Pushing Shen Nian out the door, they went downstairs together. For once, Xia Yanchun gave Shen Nian a ride on the bike.

It had been a while, so she had to be the driver for once.

It wasn't like winter now, where he could shove his hands into her pockets and grope around. Wearing short sleeves, no matter how bold Shen Nian was, he could only honestly hold onto her waist.

The supermarket, fresh produce section.

During the after-work rush hour, the supermarket was crowded with people packed tightly together.

Passing by the vegetable section, Xia Yanchun seemed to think of something. She tugged at Shen Nian's clothes, leaned into his ear, and chattered, "Do you want to buy some chives? I heard they are good for men."

"Oh my, is my lucky day finally coming?"

"What are you thinking? I'm just worried you're too weak."

"Then I need to have a good talk with you. First of all, chives are rich in Vitamin C and zinc, which indeed have some effect on nourishing the kidneys and boosting virility. But if you want to rely on chives, you'd probably need to eat a hundred pounds for it to work."

"?"

Xia Yanchun's big eyes were filled with confusion.

At a time like this, shouldn't Shen Nian be exasperated, huffing and puffing, throwing out tough words to prove he didn't need chives? Why was he giving a science lesson?

Is... is this right?

"Why are you spacing out? You didn't even know this? Then your seven hundred points on the exam were a waste. You seem like the type of person who believes men shouldn't drink too much cola. When we're older, I'll have to follow you around every day, otherwise you'll spend all my savings on health supplements."

Not only did Shen Nian not get mad, he even scolded Xia Yanchun. Now it was Xia Yanchun's turn to huff. She angrily swatted Shen Nian. "If you don't want to buy them, then don't. Why are you blabbering so much and scolding me..."

"Someone's getting anxious."

"...!" Xia Yanchun was furious.

But in broad daylight and in public, she couldn't do anything to Shen Nian.

She originally wanted to sulk quietly and let Shen Nian guess, but if he didn't guess, she would look like a clown. This time, Xia Yanchun decided to sulk in a way that was obvious at first glance.

Pouting, she followed behind Shen Nian. Whatever groceries he bought, she chattered endlessly behind him.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Whatever."

"Let's buy pork then. Do you want pork?"

"No. It's rare for me to visit your house. Shouldn't you buy some beef or mutton and cook a feast for me?"

"Alright, we'll buy beef then."

"Beef is so expensive right now, we might as well buy pork. Hmph."

"?"

Shen Nian sweatdropped. "Where did this little diva come from? Believe it or not, I'll punch you into a cream puff."

"Hmph." Xia Yanchun pouted and turned her face away, not afraid of him at all.

"..."

Damn it, how could she be so cute.

You are so damn cute.

If they were at home, Shen Nian would have already pulled Xia Yanchun into his arms and kissed her.

Shen Nian's Adam's apple bobbed. He quickly leaned close to Xia Yanchun, took the girl's small hand, and gently kneaded it. "Let's not be mad. I'll buy some mangoes and cut them up for you when we get back."

"I'm not mad."

Although she was very tempted, Xia Yanchun was still upset, so she stubbornly turned her head away.

"Hehe, let's go. We'll buy some beef and potatoes, and I'll buy you New Orleans roast chicken."

Xia Yanchun didn't speak, just continued to hmph.

With only three people eating, it naturally didn't need to be too lavish. Buying some lettuce, potatoes and beef, along with some small oysters for soup, a simple meal would do.

Xia Yanchun didn't speak, but she still pulled Shen Nian along to buy mangoes.

After buying a portion of New Orleans roast chicken from a nearby shop, Shen Nian drove back home.

Xia Yanchun and Shen Yue chatted and watched TV in the living room while he cooked alone in the kitchen. Before the rice was done, he had already brought several dishes to the dining table one by one.

It was a rare occasion for the three of them to eat together.

"The college entrance exam is almost here." Shen Yue had been working constantly and hadn't paid much attention to the calendar. While eating, she calculated the time and realized how close the exam was.

Working really made one numb; she had thought the New Year had just passed.

"Do you guys have any plans for after the exam?"

"No."

Shen Nian shook his head. He still wanted to build his big live-streaming career.

But since the exam was over, if he ran his so-called study room stream, the only people coming would probably be those retaking the exam, or maybe no one would come at all.

Fortunately, this thing didn't cost much to run.

"I want to go traveling," Xia Yanchun mused.

Thinking about the nearly three-month vacation after high school graduation made Shen Yue incredibly envious.

"Where are you planning to go, Little Chun?"

"To the seaside. Walking on the beach, swimming, collecting seashells and stuff."

"Swimming? Cough, cough." Shen Nian sat up straight. "I happen to know a master swimmer surnamed Shen who can teach you for free. He's right in front of you."

"We'll see. Graduation is still a long way off."

"True, true."

...

After dinner, Xia Yanchun felt incredibly comfortable, as if her body had no burdens at all.

This meal gave her strength.

Could the delicious food in anime that made people's clothes burst actually be real?

Anyway, Xia Yanchun was satisfied. She purposely saved some room for the New Orleans roast chicken.

She and Shen Yue each had a chicken leg and a wing, leaving the driest parts for Shen Nian.

Shen Nian wasn't annoyed. After all, this was how he grew up. As a younger brother, eating his sister's leftovers was a common occurrence. Especially when shopping, she wanted to buy everything, but after taking a bite or two, she would shove the rest to her younger brother.

It was hard not to become a bottomless pit.

Shen Yue was like this, and Xia Yanchun was pretty much the same. The difference was that Xia Yanchun wasn't as gluttonous and didn't buy as much, but the habit of shoving whatever she couldn't finish to Shen Nian was exactly the same—it was almost like it was hardwired into their basic code.

"Why aren't you cutting the mangoes yet?" Xia Yanchun glanced at Shen Nian, who was sitting nearby spacing out.

"I'm going right now."

"Remember to sprinkle some chili salt on them."

"Got it, got it."

Shen Nian smiled. Having been bossed around like this since childhood, it was a miracle he hadn't turned into a villain.

Thank goodness she didn't turn to the dark side, or else I wouldn't get to make a move on the prize right under my nose.

I absolutely love going for the girl next door.