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Became a National Couple with My Ex Side Story · Ye Cheng CP (Part 6): Jiejie, Let Me Stay With You for a Few Days

After stammering out those words, Cheng Nuo didn’t wait to see if Duan Ye got up from his kneel. She just turned and walked straight to the kitchen, it looked like a bit of a panicked escape.

The warmth of his hand on her ankle still seemed to linger on her skin, making every step feel hot. Once in the kitchen, she poured herself a glass of warm water and started reflecting on her own lack of composure.

She’d had skin-to-skin contact with Duan Ye during the show before, it wasn’t like this was the first time. Back then, under the lights and countless eyes, she hadn’t felt a thing. Now that they were off-camera and away from the public gaze, she should be more relaxed… so why was she suddenly so jumpy?

As a screenwriter who studied the inner workings of romantic drama heroines every day, she felt this strange reaction was… not quite right.

And this wasn’t just a one-time fluke.

When she woke up this morning in Duan Ye’s arms…
When he used her lap as a pillow last night…
When he called her 「jiejie」…

She’d overreacted every single time.

That little episode had left the apartment in an oddly awkward atmosphere.

Of course, it was mainly awkward for Cheng Nuo.

Duan Ye seemed perfectly fine, casually asking if he could use the bathroom to wash up and whether there was a spare toothbrush and towel—only to be met with her sharp, prickly replies.

After all, she had taken care of him and even slept on the couch because of him. In this situation, a house guest ought to know their place, or risk being thrown out. Duan Ye had no grounds to talk back, so he quietly finished washing up. Seeing her frowning at the near-empty fridge, he walked over.

"I’m making breakfast for myself. None for you," Cheng Nuo shut him down before he could speak, crushing his hopes right off the bat.

"Jiejie, I was going to ask if you wanted some pan-fried buns. I’m going out to buy some."

Cheng Nuo’s hand on the fridge door paused. She blinked slowly.

She remembered one of the episodes on the show during a lunch date segment, the producers had arranged for her and Duan Ye to eat at a fancy Japanese restaurant. But the moment she stepped out of the subway station, she spotted a shop selling pan-fried buns and immediately stopped, craving them.

Duan Ye had complained that since the show was paying, why eat such cheap food?

She said you should eat what you like, not chase price tags. If he didn’t like it, he could go to the Japanese place alone.

In the end, Young Master Duan followed her inside and devoured thirty pan-fried buns.

She’d teased him for being a hypocrite—pretending to be picky when he clearly loved them.

He claimed he didn’t like the taste, it was just the thrill of eating the cheapest thing on the show’s budget.

……

"Didn’t you say you didn’t like pan-fried buns?" Cheng Nuo asked.

"And didn’t you say you did?" Duan Ye replied.

For a few seconds, the air froze awkwardly.

"Don’t think flattery will work on me," Cheng Nuo shot him a sideways look. "I’m not going to fake chemistry with you for show."

"Jiejie, I’m not trying to fake anything," Duan Ye raised an eyebrow. "You took care of me last night. What, I can’t return the favor?"

"Oh," Cheng Nuo slowly shut the fridge door. "Then go ahead."

Duan Ye grabbed his jacket and pulled a few bills from the pocket. They were neatly folded together. He counted them and gave a little nod to himself just enough to afford pan-fried buns. He put on his shoes and opened the door.

Cheng Nuo watched him leave with a completely blank expression. Once the door clicked shut—

Pfft.

She burst into laughter.

But the moment she finished, her face went blank again like nothing happened.

*

Duan Ye’s way of repaying Cheng Nuo started with buying pan-fried buns—and it lasted all day. He washed the sheets and bedding he’d slept on, tidied up the bedroom and bathroom he used, and twice ran errands to buy food during meal times.

Though Duan Ye, being a rich kid who didn’t know much about housework, took forever figuring out how to use the washing machine and vacuum cleaner, constantly looking up tips on his phone—Cheng Nuo didn’t mind. Not having to lift a finger was already a relief for her. So she just focused on her script while he slowly went about his chores.

By the time the freshly washed sheets were completely dry, it was already past seven in the evening.

Duan Ye brought them in from the balcony and started putting the duvet cover back on.

Cheng Nuo ignored him like during the day. Shortly after he went in, she got a voice call for a meeting and concentrated fully on it.

At one point, she saw Duan Ye peek out of the bedroom. She thought he was done and silently pointed at the apartment door to suggest he could leave if he wanted. But he hesitated and went back inside.

After two hours, when the call finally ended, Cheng Nuo, feeling dizzy, went to the kitchen for some yogurt. Halfway through eating, she suddenly remembered Duan Ye hadn’t left yet. So she opened the bedroom door.

The room was quiet. Duan Ye was sitting on the carpet by the bed, leaning against her wardrobe, asleep. He was still clutching a corner of the duvet cover he hadn’t finished putting on.

Cheng Nuo stood there, stunned for a moment, then walked over and squatted down to pat him. "Hey."

Duan Ye slowly opened his eyes.

"Why are you sleeping on the floor?" she asked.

He rubbed his eyes to clear the sleepiness. "Oh, isn’t this the bed I just cleaned for you?"

"Then why don’t you go home to sleep?"

"What home do I have to go to?"

Cheng Nuo was momentarily speechless.

She had just spoken without thinking—she meant "home" as the repair shop, not to hurt him.

She cleared her throat to say something to smooth things over, but Duan Ye interrupted casually, "Besides, I haven’t finished putting on the duvet cover yet."

Cheng Nuo glanced at the mess on the bed and realized.

When Duan Ye had peeked out earlier, he was probably asking for help with the duvet cover. Seeing her busy, he gave up and went back inside, then bored himself to sleep there.

Putting on a duvet cover alone is tricky. Cheng Nuo stood up and grabbed two corners of the duvet. "Come on, help me."

Duan Ye came over and grabbed the other two corners.

Together, they shook the duvet.

"Shake bigger but slower!" Cheng Nuo criticized him. "What’s the point of shaking it little by little? You got Parkinson’s or something?"

"Oh."

Duan Ye nodded and followed her instructions. This time, the duvet cover was finally even.

After a few up-and-down shakes, the duvet slowly settled flat on the bed. Cheng Nuo looked up at Duan Ye across the room and suddenly felt a strange, fleeting illusion.

It was like she was seeing a warm-colored bedroom with a big bed, and a married couple standing on either side, shaking the duvet together.

She abruptly let go, stopping the unexpected daydream.

Duan Ye glanced at her, then turned to neatly fold the duvet into a square "tofu block."

Five minutes later, the job was done. Duan Ye straightened up and waited for Cheng Nuo to inspect the results.

Cheng Nuo walked through the bedroom and bathroom, surprised to find them even cleaner and tidier than when she usually lived there.

Following her warning, "Don’t mess with my stuff," none of the room’s arrangement had been moved—but everything seemed to have been carefully wiped down and looked bright and fresh.

Although he was a rich kid, Duan Ye’s background as a mechanic showed—he was pretty handy.

"Slow and steady wins the race," Cheng Nuo said, patting his shoulder. "You’re teachable."

Duan Ye glanced at her hand on his shoulder. "If five stars is the top score, how many stars do you give me?"

"Still took too long, and you didn’t finish the duvet cover on your own. Overall, four stars."

"Do you need a male nanny rated four stars?"

"?"

"No salary, just free food and board." Duan Ye looked at her seriously.

"…"

She really fell for his nonsense, thinking he was just repaying her for saving him last night.

But Duan Ye’s hard work all day was clearly a smart marketing move.

Like those street promoters who ask passersby, "Want to try a free beauty treatment?" and once you’re in the store, start selling you products after the freebie.

"Never mind if I need one or not, where do you get the confidence that your work matches your appetite?" Cheng Nuo asked seriously.

"I can eat half portions, sleep on the sofa, and try to save water and electricity."

"…"

"I’ll work harder—besides cleaning and errands, I can wash clothes and even try cooking. If there’s anything else you need, just say it and I’ll do it."

"…"

"And," Duan Ye paused, "I heard in your meeting that someone said your romantic scenes lack spark and the physical interaction between leads is too flat, and you said you don’t have much experience."

Cheng Nuo blinked. "What?"

"If you want to do some experiments," Duan Ye looked at himself, "I can help you with that."

"……"

"Jiejie, please let me stay with you for a few days."