BXBX NOVEL Chapter 175 - Can I?
[This chapter is dedicated to DaoistlYQ2l for the nice comments that he/she has been leaving in my stories. Thank you so much for the support! I hope to continue reading your comments in the near future! :D]
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Shu Xian and Pan An are now cooking for their lunch. With Shu Xian dipping the chicken in egg and then putting it on the breading tray for her to put on breadcrumbs for their tonkatsu, Pan An was the one deep frying it while he is preparing a simple salad to add to their lunch.
"We have extra fried rice," Pan An started, now turning the tonkatsu to the other side for frying while he\'s slicing vegetables for their salad. "Can you please put the rice in our lunchboxes? So we won\'t leave any left overs."
"Of course."
With Shu Xian humming to herself a song, she was putting rice in their lunchbox. The moment she was done, she left the lunchbox open for a while.
She then approached Pan An and got the tongs from him, volunteering to help since she\'s done preparing the other tonkatsu for deep-frying.
"I can deep fry the other chicken. You continue preparing the salad," Shu Xian suggested, Pan An, nodding as he did what he was told.
"Alright."
Even in silence and even though both of them are busy, it\'s no longer awkward like it was during her first days of stay with him. It made both of them smile while they are cooking and preparing food together, now actually enjoying each other\'s company.
However, during this time, this is when both of them remembered as well that Shu Xian will be moving out and will be staying in another house since Wang Fang volunteered to take her in.
Even though that she\'s going to stay in the vacant house that is in front of Pan An\'s house, somehow the thought of them not living together saddened them a little bit.
Realizing this, Pan An stopped slicing the vegetables for a while. Shu Xian also blankly looked at the food that is being fried, Pan An calling her attention since the other side is already being toasted.
"Shu Xian," he called out, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. "You have to flip it to the other side now," he added, Shu Xian widening her eyes in shock as she flipped it quickly.
"Oh! S-sorry!"
It\'s as if both of them knew what they were thinking right at this moment. With Pan An now finished preparing for the salad, he put the sliced cabbages and carrots in their lunchboxes, putting on some dressing as well.
"Were you thinking of you moving out soon?" the professor asked, Shu Xian not answering for a while.
Her heart in her chest slightly jumped in surprise. With her nodding to answer his question, the professor let out a small sigh upon seeing her reaction, commenting about it.
"Me, too… I was thinking about it," he said, Shu Xian now putting the freshly cooked chicken on the plate with a thick tissue to absorb the oil.
"Why… are you thinking about it?" Shu Xian asked, curious about why they were thinking the same.
As Pan An waited for the other chicken to finish cooking since they will have two tonkatsu chicken each, he answered Shu Xian\'s question, further making her heart race.
"It will be quiet once you\'re gone. I didn\'t expect to think like this at first but I\'m quite saddened by the fact of you not here."
When Pan An said that, Shu Xian put in the next chickens to deep fry. With her now turning her body to look at him, she met Pan An\'s eyes, her lips turning into a tight line as she wasn\'t sure of what to say.
She always thought that she is a burden to Pan An—with her staying here for free even though she\'s going to watch over the house.
However, with them getting closer now and with their attraction towards each other slowly growing, she also grew fond of him little by little—the thought of her living in another house saddening her as well.
Soon after, Pan An approached her. With him tucking some tendrils of Shu Xian\'s hair behind her ear, he smiled at her, further talking to the girl who is seemingly in a daze—absorbing what the professor had told her.
"Even though we live across each other and you\'re still going to prepare food for me… we can still visit each other, right?"
A smile then appeared on Shu Xian\'s face. With her nodding as she looked straight into the professor\'s eyes, she answered his question, the professor feeling better with her assurance.
"Sure. With this, we won\'t even bother thinking about others catching us living together, yes? Less issues to worry about."
"En."
Shu Xian turned her back towards Pan An. With her now flipping the chicken once more, what he did next was something that she didn\'t expect—even the professor surprised on doing something before he even realized it.
The professor wrapped both of his arms around Shu Xian\'s waist. With his chin resting on her shoulder, both of their hearts raced in their chest as they were both doing something sweet.
Shu Xian furrowed her brows, her body slightly stiffening as she didn\'t expect the professor to do something like this. With her left hand holding his arms that were wrapped around her waist, she asked him a question.
"Why are you doing this, Pan An?"
Hearing her query, the professor answered her truthfully. As he let out a small sigh, Shu Xian felt his breath fanning over her neck. He then whispered his answer beside her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"Before I knew it, I already did it. I don\'t know… I just want to embrace you this way. Can I?"
Shu Xian didn\'t answer his question, but she didn\'t push him away either. With her continuing to cook the chicken that is in the pan, both of them stayed still like this in silence, not bothered by their hearts beating crazily in their chest.