Please Confess to Me

Chapter 3
Memories of Breakfast

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Su Hang brought their breakfast to the kitchen and placed the food in delicate plates. After finishing his arrangements, he brought the plates to the dining table. Su Huang then hesitated, wondering if he should go upstairs and call Shen Xi to come down and eat. But just then, Shen Xi slowly came down the stairs, wearing a beige, lace embroidered dress.

“Morning.” Shen Xi saw Su Hang by the table and habitually smiled, nodding.

“Morning.” After a moment of shock, Su Hang turned and pointed to the food on the table: “I’ve prepared some breakfast.”

Shen Xi walked towards the table. She looked at the exquisite breakfast and replied: “It looks delicious.”

“It’s good that you like it.” Su Hang handed her some chopsticks from across the table.

“Thank you.” Shen Xi took the chopsticks and politely thanked him.

“You’re welcome.” Su Hang also replied politely.

Wait, there’s something wrong here! Shen Xi sat down and thought about the situation as she began to eat. She had been married to Su Hang for five years. When Su Hang handed her a pair of chopsticks she was habitually polite as she said her thanks, and similar to the man she was married to for five years, the person in front of her replied in a polite manner.

Day after day, in those five years, their conversations were like this, and Shen Xi had never thought anything of it. Just now she suddenly realized that today, on the first day of their marriage, such polite and formal language was understandable. However, even after five years of being together, their way of speaking had stayed the same: courteous, as if speaking to a guest. How strange.

As Shen Xi pondered this, she eyes unconsciously fell on the man eating breakfast across her.

Su Hang had long noticed Shen Xi’s gaze. At first, he pretended not to know and continued to eat, but after a while, Shen Xi’s eyes still remained on him and he started to feel uncomfortable. But being a well-established businessman, Su Hang naturally wouldn’t call Shen Xi out on it and make her uncomfortable. So as he put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin he asked: “Was there something you wanted to tell me?”

“Ah?” Shen Xi blinked. She had been lost in thought and had unknowingly stared at Su Hang. His sudden question gave her pause, but then Shen Xi smiled, and replied in a natural manner: “This morning, I looked out the balcony and saw a dog out on the yard.”

“You saw.” Su Hang was stunned.

“Nn.” Shen Xi nodded.

“That’s Li QingYuan’s dog. He went out on a business trip, so he asked me to take care of his dog for a few days. He’ll come by later this afternoon and take him away.” Su Hang explained, his expression unchanging as he lied.

“Li QingYuan?” Shen Xi was puzzled, but she had never been familiar with Li QingYuan, so she didn’t know if he ever had a dog.

“Yes.” Su Hang nodded.

“Oh…” Shen Xi no longer thought about it and smiled, “He’s pretty cute.”

“Cute?” Su Hang paused, surprise visible in his eyes. “Don’t you dislike dogs?”

“How do you know I dislike dogs?” Shen Xi paused in the middle of sipping porridge and looked at him strangely.

“Well…” Su Hang tried to act normal as he explained: “I heard that you were bitten by a dog before, so I just figured that you would be afraid of dogs.”

“So you know about that.” Shen Xi smiled, then said: “I was very small at the time, I think around five years old when I got bit.”

Su Hang had wanted to say that he knew. He knew that she had been wearing a furry rabbit coat and her hair had been braided into looking like two sheep horns. That when she had been bitten, she had shrunk into his arms and cried for a long time. At the thought of this memory, Su Hang’s face softened.

“In fact, I don’t hate dogs. After I got bit I was afraid for a while, but I’m fine now. I know domestic dogs don’t bite people and aren’t afraid of their family.”

After Shen Xi explained, Su Hang nodded thoughtfully, then picked up his chopsticks and continued to eat.

The two didn’t talk again, instead quietly finishing their breakfast. In fact, in the five years worth of memories Shen Xi had, breakfast with Su Hang had usually been quiet. Unless there was anything special going on, the two basically didn’t talk when they ate. Respecting each other’s boundaries, not interfering with each other; Getting along in a very polite manner.

Shen Xi had never put much thought in their breakfast time together, until one day she got up late, only getting up past 9:00. When she arrived downstairs she saw someone who should have long been at his company doing work. He was sitting on the sofa in the living room, with his secretary at his side, looking at her as if he saw his savior.

“Madam, you’re up. Hurry and have breakfast.” Secretary Fang Yu looked excited.

Shen Xi didn’t really feel hungry but seeing Secretary Fang Yu look so eager, she didn’t have the heart to refuse. Coupled with the fact that food was already plated and ready on the table, she agreed and sat at the table.

As she sat, Su Hang put his computer down and sat across from her.

“You haven’t eaten yet?” Shen Xi was a little surprised.

“Boss had been waiting for the Madam to eat together.” Su Hang didn’t speak, so the secretary hastily explained.

Shen Xi was dismayed and told Su Hang: “You don’t have to wait for me. The next time I wake up late, go ahead and eat first.”

“Un.” Su Hang faintly nodded, gulped down a few mouthfuls of porridge in his bowl, then rose, telling her: “I’ll be going to work.”

Shen Xi remembered that the moment Su Hang said he was going to work, Fang Yu immediately became excited and pulled out his phone. She didn’t know who he was talking to, but she could hear him say as he walked away: “We’re going out, the Boss is going to be there soon. Just hold on a little bit longer.”

Shen Xi had wondered why they didn’t just go if they were in such a hurry.

Not long after that, a similar situation happened. Shen Xi soon realized that as long as Su Hang was home, he had to eat breakfast with her before leaving for work. At the time, Shen Xi thought that Su Hang was being a bit strange, but ever since that first moment, no matter how late she slept, as long as Su Hang was home, Shen Xi would wake up on time to eat breakfast with him.

“You don’t need to clean up, Mrs. Zhang will be in soon and can do it.” Su Hang said this when he saw that Shen Xi had finished eating and was about to take her plate to the sink.

Only then did Shen Xi realize that she had habitually begun to clean up while wrapped up in her memories.

“I’ll just put them in the sink so it’ll be more convenient for Mrs. Zhang. It also makes the place look a little more comfortable.” Shen Xi said casually.

“Then I’ll help you.” Instead of stopping her, Su Hang stood up and picked up the two remaining dishes on the table and went into the kitchen and Shen Xi.

Su Hang looked at the tableware crowding the sink and suddenly felt a sense of peace. Shen Xi was really here and a part of his life now. Eating in the same table, washing their dishes in the same sink. Two pairs of bowls and chopsticks were going to be washed together and in the end, after washing, it’ll be unclear who used who.

“Do you have any plans for today?” Shen Xi suddenly asked.

“Ah…I have a few documents to deal with.” Su Hang reflexively answered.

“I see.” Shen Xi’s tone when she replied was somewhat subdued.

Hearing this, Su Hang couldn’t help but add: “But they aren’t that important, all I need to do is sign them.”

“Then do you have time this afternoon? I want to visit my mother.” Shen Xi remembered that on the day after her marriage, her mother became hospitalized. At the time, Su Hang also went with her to visit, but her mother hadn’t been very accommodating as she had always felt that Su Hang used his money to force her to get married.

What Su Hang’s expression was on that day, she couldn’t remember. At that time, her inner heart was probably similar to her mother’s. Although Shen Xi personally accepted Su Hang’s proposal, their marriage wasn’t done out of love. Back then she had needed more time to adjust her thoughts.

“What happened to Mrs. Shen?” Su Hang asked nervously.

“Oh, she’s alright, just some old trouble. She just went to the hospital to recuperate a bit, and I wanted to see her.” Shen Xi replied.

“Then I’ll go prepare some presents.” Su Hang said, immediately picking up his phone to make a call.

“No need.” Shen Xi stopped him. “We can just stop by a flower shop and buy a bouquet. My mother likes flowers.”

“Alright.” Su Hang hesitated, then agreed to Shen Xi’s proposal.

“Then go on and finish your files. I’ll go get ready.” Shen Xi said.

With a nod, the two left the kitchen together. Su Hang went to his study, and Shen Xi walked up the stairs to the second floor. Halfway up, Shen Xi suddenly stopped and called out to Su Hang.

Su Hang, who was about to step into the study, turned around.

“I just forgot to tell you: You shouldn’t call my mom Mrs. Shen. Call her mom, or she won’t be happy.” Shen Xi suggested with a chuckle.

“OK.” Su Hang nodded.

Satisfied, Shen Xi continued up the stairs.

Su Hang stood at the doorway for a while. His heart was in full bloom and full of enthusiasm. No matter the reason, Shen Xi had called out his name.

Su Hang’s happy mood continued as he dealt with his documents, with Shen Xi’s smile was in his thoughts. On this first day as a married couple, they got along better than Su Hang could ever have hoped. Does this mean that Shen Xi wasn’t really as opposed to marrying him as he had imagined?

Because of his elated state, Su Hang had almost forgotten to feed Chu Wu. Finally remembering, he took some dog food to the yard and brought the hungry Chu Wu out of his kennel. Seeing Su Hang, Chu Wu barked excitedly.

“You must be hungry. Go on and eat more.” Su Hang poured dog food on Chu Wan’s bowl, then squatted, ruffling Chu Wan’s head. “Did you know, both mom and dad think you’re really cute.”

With a few mouthfuls of dog food, Chu Wan looked back up at Su Hang, making him smile wider.

ring ring

Su Hang took out his mobile phone and saw that it was Li QingYuan. With a frown, he asked: “What is it?”

“Hey hey, did you forget? Weren’t you gonna call me when I could come over and take Chu Wan?” Li QingYuan asked.

Su Hang looked at the happily eating Chu Wan. Chu Wan seemed to notice his owner watching him so he immediately swallowed the food in his mouth and spit out his tongue. Su Hang smiled and petting the dogs head, said: “You don’t have to come.”

“What are you talking about, I’m already almost at your house.”

“I won’t give you Chu Wan.” Su Hang said.

“What do you mean you’re not giving, I already bought the kennel and some dog food. Heck, I even have some toys here.” Li QingYuan said, “Everything has already been prepared, the only thing missing is Chu Wan.”

“Shen Xi isn’t afraid of dogs, she even said that Chu Wan was cute.” As Su Hang said this, his mouth involuntarily lifted to a smile.

“….” Li QingYuan was silent for a moment, before spitting out: “Yes, yes, you’re not giving it so you’re not. I just bought a bag of dog food you know, you don’t need to feed me some specifically.”

Su Hang hung up his phone, gathered Chu Wan into his arms, and swayed with joy.

The author has something to say:

Su Hang: Shen Xi liked Chu Wan so I’m not sending him to you.

Li QingYuan: So I should just eat the dog food I already bought myself?

Crab: I’m an obedient and well-behaved child.

***
I imagined a depressed Li QingYuan literally sitting in a corner, hugging a sack of dog food.