The Rice Pot Next Door

Untitled Part 12

Qiao Feng is not your usual arrogant genius (think Baek Seung-jo in "Playful Kiss") who thinks that everyone is dumb. Well, he does think that most people are dumb but that doesn't mean he overlook their strong points as well. Take Lan Shan for example, low IQ Rice Pot she may be, low EQ saleswoman she is not. She has a way of handling people – especially a friend of his – very well and Qiao Feng has no qualms asking for her help when he needs it.

In the last post, we ended with Lan Shan offering to be his "shield" against unnecessary attention from females who are unwary of his "true" sexual orientation....

Qiao Feng looks at her strangely again. If there is such a woman – she wants to take off your pants at your first meeting, she pops over to your place regularly for meals, she make demands on this and that, she is touchy-feely around you and 'accidentally' taps on your wrist or shoulder now and then, she tries to sound out your sexual orientation, she does not mind being your rumored girlfriend – is there still a need to guess her intentions?

Who says that a woman's heart is hard to understand?

Chapter 23: Paper Tigress

Qiao Feng feels that he has to make his stand clear. "I do not date woman whose IQ is below 140."

Lan Shan waves at him distractedly. "I get it. You might as well say you don't date woman. I understand."

He frowns. "I have said before I am not –"

"You are not gay. You are straight. 100% man. Fighter jet among guns, correct?"

Qiao Feng is still unsure: "You really understand?"

"Yes!"

He heaves a sigh of relief. He is good so long as she understands.

They set the table for dinner and his phone pings. Looking at his phone, Carina has sent him a picture of a bowl of noodles with tomato slices. The yellow noodles contrast well with the red garnish and look delicious.

Qiao Feng does not reply to the message and starts eating.

His phone pings again. Carina：This is not as good as yours.

Qiao Feng hesitates before replying: Happy Birthday.

Carina：Thank you! I thought you have forgotten!

Qiao Feng: That's all. I am eating dinner.

He puts down the phone but it pings again.

Carina：I miss you.

Qiao Feng: You can choose not to. I am eating dinner.

Carina：I want to see you.

Qiao Feng thinks about it: Does your boyfriend know that you are saying this?

Carina：We have broken up.

Qiao Feng: Ok. I am eating dinner.

Carina：Qiao Feng!

Qiao Feng is at a loss on how to end the conversation. Lan Shan has noticed his yoyo-ing between his chopsticks and phone and when he looks vex, she asks him what is wrong. From their interactions, Qiao Feng has concluded that Lan Shan may be dumb in some ways, but she is very good at handling people, so he passes his phone to her. "Can you help me end this conversation?"

Respecting his privacy, Lan Shan reads his latest conversation starting from the noodle picture and not anything earlier before that. When she realizes that Qiao Feng has also cooked for this person, she is not happy. The feeling is like discovering what you think is your precious is also someone else's precious. "Who is she to you?"