Gu Qichen's expression tensed slightly, feeling unusually nervous for the first time.
He took Qin He to some of the few places where they shared memories. Back then, he hadn't paid much attention to their arranged marriage and rarely took Qin He out on dates.
Through video surveillance, Gu Qichen knew of several places Qin He frequented.
These were either the spice shops where Qin He bought ingredients for her perfumery or the supermarkets and markets around Senyuan.
The car finally stopped in front of a large supermarket. After Qin He got out and looked at the sign, she saw it was a global chain supermarket.
She looked at him in confusion. "Why are you bringing me to a supermarket?"
Gu Qichen said calmly, "Follow me."
He led Qin He into the supermarket.
After entering, they browsed for a while before finding the fresh produce section.
Gu Qichen pushed a shopping cart through the fresh produce aisle, occasionally picking up a bunch of vegetables and placing them in the cart.
It was in the afternoon, during working hours, so most of the people browsing in the supermarket were elderly women.
Gu Qichen's appearance immediately drew many people's attention.
His aura and high-end suit made him look like he didn't belong in such a place.
Qin He followed Gu Qichen with a hint of helplessness. She watched as he picked up a piece of what looked like tough beef.
She frowned. "How do you plan to eat this meat?"
Gu Qichen recalled. "Braised."
"For braising, this cut would be better," Qin He said, skillfully finding a piece of beef brisket from the separated beef trays and handing it to the young girl weighing the meat.
The girl, who had been engrossed in watching Gu Qichen, took the meat and shyly ran to weigh it, returning with a printed receipt.
Gu Qichen's eyes flickered as he stared at Qin He. "How do you know so much about these things?"
Qin He blinked, a little taken aback.
She frowned, also feeling a sense of confusion.
Gu Qichen continued to ask, "Do you often cook at the Qin family's home?"
Qin He shook her head. "I'm not interested in the kitchen. I don't like the smell of cooking oil."
Yet, when it came to picking meat, she instinctively knew which cut was the shoulder and which was the brisket.
Qin He's gaze fell on the entire counter of meat, a flicker of doubt in her mind.
Before she could ponder further, Gu Qichen pushed the cart and called her. "Let's go. We're going back."
Going back? Back where?
Qin He followed him.
They carried their bags of groceries out of the supermarket and put them into the car's trunk.
An auntie who had just finished shopping saw them and smiled. "What a loving couple."
Qin He felt a little embarrassed.
After getting into the car, Gu Qichen drove down a street next to the supermarket. As they drove further in, they reached the very end where a large private garden lay.
Gu Qichen drove to the end of the road. When Qin He got out of the car, she paused, looking at the large garden before her.
The garden felt very familiar.
The garden gate opened, and Gu Qichen drove Qin He to the front of the villa.
They got out of the car. From the moment they entered, the surrounding scenery felt familiar to Qin He.
After getting out, she looked up towards the end of the road, almost able to map it out in her mind!
This place must have been part of the two years of memory she had lost, which was why it felt familiar yet elusive.
Perhaps she had spent those two years here.
Qin He turned to look at Gu Qichen, his expression impassive, revealing nothing.
"Let's go in."
Qin He pursed her lips and followed Gu Qichen into Senyuan.
As soon as they entered, a butler and maids came forward. The maids looked surprised to see Qin He and immediately said, "Madam."
Qin He shook her head and smiled faintly. "Please call me Miss Qin."
A maid stepped forward to take the shopping bags from Gu Qichen.
He refused coldly. "You don't need to bother with these. You can all leave."
Although the maids were puzzled, they retreated.
Gu Qichen walked towards the kitchen.
Qin He followed him silently. Being in this house now made her feel a strange sense of unease.
He placed the vegetables on the kitchen counter and, to Qin He's astonishment, rolled up his sleeves and began washing them.
Qin He felt a bit awkward. "Gu Qichen, what exactly are you trying to do? You're not planning to invite me home for dinner, are you? Is this your only request for saving my life?"
Gu Qichen was washing the vegetables. He moved with an elegant posture, his long fingers revealing some of the bone structure as he worked, making it look less like washing vegetables and more like tending to a piece of art.
"I do want to invite you for a meal. If it were any other time, I don't think you would have come."
Qin He pursed her lips. Since she had already agreed—
She sat on a stool opposite the counter, watching Gu Qichen wash the vegetables.
He washed the lettuce leaf by leaf, inch by inch. Although still fresh, it was almost wilting from being washed for so long.
Qin He's mouth twitched as she watched. Gu Qichen seemed to have a touch of洁癖 (germophobia/obsessive cleanliness). He spent a full hour washing these vegetables.
Before long, a maid brought over fruit, snacks, and tea.
Qin He ate some fruit and drank tea while watching him continue his 'cooking.'
The cutting board was placed on the counter. Gu Qichen held a knife and stared at the beef brisket, chopping with swift, sharp movements!
He probably rarely cooked. His first chop wasn't precise, and the counter made a sound as he moved!
Qin He nearly spat out her tea. She frowned deeply. "Get out of the way, I'll do it."
"Don't you dislike the smell of cooking oil?" Gu Qichen asked.
Qin He let out a cold laugh. "I'm starting to suspect you're not making a request of me; you're trying to poison me. You've already wilted the vegetables, what kind of mess do you think you'll make of this meat?"
Qin He took the knife. The cleaver was very sharp. She quickly cut the beef brisket into small pieces, suitable for braising, and cut them neatly.
After cutting, she couldn't help but remark, "The pieces of meat I cut look like works of art!"
While Qin He was happily praising herself, Gu Qichen watched her quietly from the side.
Then, Qin He placed the beef brisket into a stainless steel bowl nearby and occasionally ordered, "Gu Qichen, pass me the salt."
Gu Qichen stared at the three rows of spice jars in front of him. He opened them one by one, glanced at them, and took two minutes to find it and pass it over.
Qin He took it and paused for a few seconds, her lips twitching. "Gu Qichen, why don't you just let your chef cook—"
Gu Qichen frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"
Qin He said with a cold smile, "You brought the wrong thing!"
Gu Qichen's gaze was calm. "What is this if not salt? Sugar has granules, while salt has such a fine texture."
"Your analysis is quite thorough, but there's also something called starch in this world. Don't you think this salt is a bit too fine?!" Qin He said coldly.
She didn't have much malice, just a bit of teasing.
The two of them sat around the counter, having completed all the preparations before cooking.
After Qin He had the various seasonings ready, she was a little bewildered.
"What are you planning to make with all these vegetables you bought?"
Gu Qichen's eyes flickered. "Why don't you make whatever you like?"
Qin He let out a cold laugh. So that was his intention – to get her to cook!