The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

In the room, Ye Shu lay on the bed, took out her phone, and sent a message to Han Yang:

[Yang-ge, are you home yet?]

A moment later, the phone vibrated. Han Yang had replied with just two words:

【arrive】

Ye Shu put down his phone. The aftereffects of the beer, mixed with the drowsiness unique to a summer afternoon, overwhelmed him. His eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted off to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, dusk had already fallen outside the window. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, picked up his phone, and saw that it was past six in the evening.

"Time to prepare dinner..."

He yawned and sat up, resting on the bed for a while before slipping on his slippers and leaving the room.

The living room was quiet and empty.

The barbecue was over, and the remaining skewers and plastic bags were all put away in the trash can. The only trace left was a sticky note carefully pressed down by a carrot-shaped refrigerator magnet in the center of the coffee table.

The words above were written in a handwriting that looked like a primary school student's:

Thank you

Ye Shu picked up the note, looked at the two words, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

He carefully folded the note in half, stuffed it into his pocket, turned around and went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

He opened the refrigerator door, looked at the contents, and felt a bit worried. His stomach was churning from drinking for two consecutive meals, and he simply didn't have the energy to cook anything complicated.

His gaze fell on a box of sliced ​​beef, a packet of hot pot meat slices, and some vegetables.

"Forget it, let's just make hot pot, it'll save us the trouble."

Just do it.

He found the electric hot pot, cleaned it thoroughly, filled it with water, and threw in a packet of hot pot base. Then, he washed and chopped all the meat slices, vegetables, and tofu from the refrigerator and arranged them on several plates.

As the red broth bubbled and churned in the pot, filling the entire living room with its rich aroma, Ye Shu walked to the master bedroom door, gently knocked, and spoke in a low voice, trying not to disturb the other person:

"Miss An? Are you awake? Dinner is ready."

He had expected to wait a while, or even not receive a response at all.

Unexpectedly, a response came almost immediately from inside the door, a gentle and clear voice with a hint of languor from just waking up:

"Here it comes~"

That voice... it doesn't sound like An Suxue at all.

Sure enough, the door opened a few seconds later.

Standing behind the door, "An Suxue" had changed into an elegant dress, her long hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders. Most recognizable were her gentle smile, which seemed to see right through people, and her eyes, which always curved into crescent shapes.

"Sister Zhi Qiu."

Ye Shu recognized him immediately, almost blurting it out.

You guessed right!

Zhi Qiu smiled gently and reached out to affectionately pinch Ye Shu's cheek:

"I could smell the delicious aroma in the room. What yummy treats did Little Shu prepare for tonight?"

"I cooked hot pot, let's eat something simple."

Ye Shu stepped aside and pointed to the pot that was steaming over the dining table.

"Hot pot is great!"

Zhi Qiu's eyes lit up, and she naturally reached out and took Ye Shu's arm, leading him towards the restaurant while saying with a smile:

"It's lively and has a warm, homey feel. Our little Shu is so caring!"

Ye Shu's body stiffened slightly as she pulled him along, but he quickly relaxed under Zhi Qiu's natural and generous attitude.

The two walked to the dining table and sat down. Ye Shu said:

"I don't know your taste, so I didn't make the dipping sauce for you. The seasonings are all over there; will you help yourself?"

Ye Shu pointed to the condiments such as sesame oil, minced garlic, and oyster sauce placed on the corner of the table.

Zhi Qiu was already mixing her own dipping sauce when she heard Ye Shu's words. She looked up and glanced at him with a smile.

"Our little Shu is so thoughtful and caring, just like a little girl."

Ye Shu felt a little embarrassed by her words and lowered his head to stir the sesame paste in his bowl with his chopsticks. To change the subject, he said:

"By the way, Sister Zhi Qiu, I've found a job."

"Oh? Is that so!"

Zhi Qiu was putting meat into the pot with her chopsticks when she heard this, so she looked up and smiled.

"That's great! Tell me quickly, what does it do?"

"I work as a clerk at a beverage shop on the commercial street next to my residential area."

"Yes, it's fine."

The fatty beef tube slid into the red broth, and Zhi Qiu dipped the meat roll in it briefly. Once cooked, she placed it in Ye Shu's bowl.

"Take it one step at a time, just keep doing it, and adjust gradually when a better opportunity arises. The key is to settle down first. Oh, by the way..."

Zhi Qiu put down her chopsticks, picked up a tissue to wipe her hands, and then picked up her phone from the table:

"Little Shu, we don't think we've exchanged contact information yet, right? If something happens in the future, we won't be able to find you."

Ye Shu was still staring blankly at the slice of beef in her bowl when Zhi Qiu pointed it out, and she finally snapped out of it, quickly pulling out her phone.

"Oh, right, no."

"Come on, scan me."

Zhi Qiu pulled up her own QR code and handed it to Ye Shu:

"We share this number. If anything comes up, we can just contact each other through it. It's very convenient."

After exchanging contact information, the two put down their phones. Ye Shu picked up the sliced ​​beef that Zhi Qiu had just put on his plate, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in his mouth. It tasted even more tender than anything he had ever had before.

It's all psychological, definitely psychological. Ye Shu, don't act like a naive child!

The two ate with their heads down, neither of them speaking, the only sound in the living room being the bubbling of the hot pot.

Sensing that the atmosphere was a bit off, Ye Shu hesitated for a moment before cautiously probing:

"Sister Zhiqiu, um... I'm a little curious, what kind of work do you guys do? It seems like you spend most of your time at home."

Zhi Qiu was picking up a piece of baby bok choy when she heard the question. She looked up, her eyes, which always curved into crescents, staring at Ye Shu for a moment before her smile deepened. In her usual gentle voice, she answered lightly:

"Us...it's a secret~"

Ye Shu immediately understood this tactful refusal; if the other party didn't want to say, it would be impolite to ask further.

"Oh, I understand."

Just then, a pair of hands holding chopsticks were extended in front of him. On the chopsticks was a piece of baby bok choy coated in chili oil.

Ye Shu was taken aback, thinking that Zhi Qiu was going to serve him food again, and subconsciously tried to use his bowl to catch it.

But the chopsticks didn't loosen their grip; they remained firmly in place just centimeters in front of his lips.

Ye Shu didn't quite understand what it meant, and when she looked up, she met Zhi Qiu's gaze.

She still had that gentle older sister smile on her face, but for some reason, Ye Shu felt a chill on the back of her neck.

The smile hadn't changed, but there seemed to be something else in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Ye Shu looked at the baby bok choy; there seemed to be no problem.

Zhi Qiu's lips curved into an even more exquisite arc, her voice so soft it could melt water:

"Didn't little Shu want to know what his sister does for a living?"

She gently shook her chopsticks, and the vegetable leaves swayed slightly in front of Ye Shu's nose.

"If you eat this, I'll consider telling you~"