“No twisted green vegetation. Got it. Anything else?”
His amused smile makes my stomach flutter. “No,” I say, shaking my head again. “But really, you didn’t need to buy all this food.”
“Different cultures have very different kinds of foods and they’re not for everyone. I don’t want you to starve for the next ten days or suffer through things you hate because you’re too polite to say so.”
I’m caught between the fact that I have a whole ten days with Ren and the fact he thinks I’m polite. I mean, I guess I understand. It’s not like I’d tell him if something he made was disgusting.
He brushes his thumb across my cheek, and I sigh. His lips touch mine. “I want to take care of you. That includes feeding you things you like. Trust me when I tell you this isn’t a burden at all. I’m a master of multitasking in the kitchen.”
“Do you cook a lot?” I ask.
Ren nods. “Yes. I enjoy cooking. I miss the food I grew up on when we’re away at games too long, so I always make it a point to cook when I’m home.”
“I’m not sure I’m good at cooking. I can follow directions on a box,” I offer.
He chuckles. “You can cook with me this week. Okay?”
I grin, nodding.
“Let’s start with lunch. Wash your hands.”
I’m not entirely sure what we’re doing most of the time between mixing a whole bunch of raw things with my hands and trying to delicately press thin dough around them. By the time I’ve made a couple dozen, my hands, arms, face, and shirt—and the kitchen—are a mess.
Ren cleans me up. No, really. He brings me to the sink, and I wash my hands and arms while he wipes my face clean with a wet cloth. Then he pulls my shirt over my head and wipes me down a little more from the mess that went with the shirt.
He leaves me drying my skin long enough to bring me another shirt and by the time I’m dressed again, he tells me to sitat the counter and he’s sliding me a bowl of soup with dumplings and a plate of another half dozen all crispy.
I’m stupidly surprised that they’re so good and I had a hand in making them! I can definitely tell which ones I stuck together. Ren’s look like actual food, whereas mine look like a toddler tried to mimic what the adults were doing. But they’re just as tasty.
After lunch, Ren brings me into my room and has me sit on the bed while he repacks my clothes and toiletries. When he’s finished, he offers me his hand and leads me into his bedroom, where he points at the bed for me to sit.
I watch as he arranges things in his drawers before adding my clothes to them. I’m not sure why it makes me catch my breath; there’s something about this moment that feels so big. I think the air must be dry since it’s making my eyes sting too.
When he’s emptied my bag, Ren folds it and sets it in his closet. With my hand once more in his, and my toiletries in the other, he takes me to the bathroom, and I watch as he puts my items alongside his.
I’m thankful he doesn’t require me to speak right now. It’s all such a little thing, so I’m not sure why I feel emotional right now.
Then we lay on the couch. I’m not sure how I can be on top of him, sprawled across his chest again, but as I sink into him a little more with each minute that passes, the only thing I can think is that I don’t want this to end. Ever. Not with the way he runs his fingers through my hair or how I can hear the steady beat of his heart under my ear.
I love his warmth and his kindness and hownicehe is to me. Has anyone ever been this nice?
We lay there for five episodes ofBig Bangand I’m jolted upright when his doorbell fills the air. Ren kisses my cheek and gently guides me to my feet.
“Is it your parents?” I ask.
Ren glances at his watch and nods. “Should be.”
“How do I act? What do I say? How do I address them? Will I understand them?”
He grins. “They speak some English, yes. Repeat after me: ni hao.”
“Say it again?” Ren repeats himself and I do my best to mimic it.
“Good. That’s hello. That’s all you need. I’ll make sure you understand.”
I’m practically coming out of my skin by the time Ren opens the door. Scolding myself, because I should have spent this entire morning asking how to not make an ass of myself in front of his family. I want them to like me! What if they don’t?
My time to panic is up as Ren leads them inside. I probably look like a deer in headlights. “This is my bà ba, my dad, Jian, and my mum, ma ma, Li Rong. This is my friend Felton,” Ren introduces.
