Chapter 114: Muscles Aren’t Squishy

Hearing Shani’s slip of the tongue, Aster’s hand stirring the pot came to a complete halt. He turned his head stiffly, looking like a broken robot.

He caught Shani blinking rapidly, her cheeks flushed bright red as she cringed at her own words.

A faint smile crept onto Aster’s face. Not wanting to make things any more awkward, he resumed adding spices to the soup.

Meanwhile, seeing Aster act so completely normal, Shani let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She hurriedly opened the upper cabinet where the dishware was kept, eager to grab what she needed and escape the lingering tension.

Her eyes widened when she saw the cabinet was split into two shelves. The top shelf, where the plates and bowls were stored, was entirely out of her reach.

Shani had never cooked or prepared meals here before. Aster usually had everything set up beforehand.

She bit her lower lip. Normally, she would have asked Aster for help without a second thought, but after her big mouth earlier, she felt far too embarrassed to utter a word.

Standing on tiptoes with her arms reaching upward, her frantic movements naturally caught Aster’s attention.

Shani wasn’t a tiny girl, but in Aster’s eyes, she looked utterly adorable, like a toddler reaching for a toy.

Setting the ladle down, Aster stepped over until there were barely two inches between them. He raised his arm, his bicep brushing against Shani’s smooth skin as he reached for the bowls.

The moment their skin made contact, Shani jolted as if zapped by electricity. She hastily pulled her hands back, her knuckles accidentally touching Aster’s flexed arm in the process.

’Hard!’ she shrieked internally.

Shani took a step back, her eyes fixed on his arm in complete fascination.

’So muscles aren’t squishy at all, they’re as solid as bone! If they weren’t wrapped in skin, it’d probably feel like stone,’ she marveled to herself.

She was so captivated that she failed to notice Aster catching her gaze.

The young man, who had spent the days feeling utterly inadequate, finally found something Shani might actually consider an advantage.

He flexed his arm, keeping his muscles firm as he brought down the plates, making a light dish look as heavy as a ten-kilogram weight.

Even as his ears burned bright red, he couldn’t suppress the surge of pride in his heart under Shani’s attentive gaze.

"Shan, here are the plates and bowls," he said, snapping her back to reality.

"Oh—right!" Shani mumbled. She grabbed the dishware off the counter and spun around, retreating as if chased by a rabid dog.

Aster watched her fleeing back with a bashful smile, while Shani internally cursed herself for acting like a total creep. ’Aster doesn’t think I’m weird, does he?’

Shani couldn’t wrap her head around how she could suddenly be so fascinated by someone’s body, especially Aster, whom she had grown up with since childhood.

’Hmm... he used to just be a tall, lanky kid. When on earth did he get so built?’

Little did Shani know, once she started seeing her childhood friend as a man, there was no going back to viewing him the same way ever again.

The two-bedroom apartment didn’t have a solid wall separating the living room and kitchen, just a chest-high, translucent partition.

Aster could easily see Shani sitting on the sofa with her back to him, feeling bashful yet deeply amused.

After tossing the noodles into the broth and checking that they were cooked to a perfect chewy texture, Aster ladled the soup into large bowls and carried them over to the living room.

He could tell Shani was acting unusually stiff, far from her normal self, but he didn’t know what to say either.

In the end, they ate in silence, the quiet room filled only with the clinking of cutlery against porcelain.

Shani desperately wanted to strike up a conversation, but the awkwardness left her mind completely blank.

It wasn’t until she finished every last noodle and drained the bowl that she realized just how delicious the noodle was.

"Your noodles are amazing, Aster," she praised sincerely.

Aster scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "It’s still nowhere near as good as your cooking."

"Well, I think my cooking skills have rusted a bit. You’ll probably surpass me soon," Shani replied with a light chuckle.

Aster chuckled as well, and the heavy air between them finally began to thaw.

"Oh right, you bought all these groceries with your own money, didn’t you? Do you have enough saved up to last you the next few months?" Shani asked.

She realized Aster didn’t have a steady income yet, and that likely wouldn’t change for a while.

She added, "Instead of asking Boss Deryan, why don’t I transfer some cash to you first—"

"There’s no need, Shan," Aster cut in quickly. "I haven’t been asking my brother for money either. I managed to land a side job."

"You really found a side gig?" It wasn’t that Shani doubted him, she just didn’t want him silently struggling.

Aster nodded, taking no offense. "When I mention that I’m a student at Vipera, most clients trust me right away."

Shani was genuinely surprised, but also delighted.

"I might not be able to pay back my debt to you just yet, but as for my personal living expenses and keeping this apartment stocked, I can handle it myself, Shan," Aster said with earnest sincerity.

Shani nodded, having no intention of shooting down his pride. Everyone needed a drive to push themselves forward.

After lunch, Aster had online classes from one to three in the afternoon, while Shani resumed her essence training.

Only after three did they gather to continue their resonance session, holding it for three hours until six in the evening.

[Baby Beast Progress: 9% (Egg Phase). Progress Speed: 1.5%/hour. Baby Beast Gene: Unidentified. Regulation Process: Stable.]

Shani gritted her teeth. ’This progress is ridiculously slow!’

Going from luxury back to basic standards truly was harder than going from rags to riches. Shani felt thoroughly humbled.

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