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

Ye Shu took out her phone and found the chat box labeled "Them".

Ye Shu had thought about this nickname for a long time. What should he call it? He wanted to call it "Xiao Nuan, Xia Qing, Zhi Qiu, Su Xue," but it felt too long. So he simply called it "them," which was concise and to the point.

He hesitated for a moment, then sent a message:

【Have you got a meal yet?】

He sent the message and stared at the screen, feeling a little uneasy. Who was online right now? Was An Suxue still hungry?

About two minutes later, my phone rang.

[You've already eaten, little Shu. Have you eaten yet?]

It was followed by an adorable kitten holding a bowl and eating an emoji.

It's Sister Zhi Qiu.

Looking at the text and emoji, Ye Shu felt a little more relaxed, and a smile appeared on her lips that she herself didn't even realize was on her face.

With Sister Zhi Qiu here, there shouldn't be any problems.

Not yet. The shop was packed with customers today. We just finished and were getting ready to eat.

The message was sent and the other party replied almost instantly:

Remember to eat on time, no matter how busy you are! Health is the foundation of everything. Keep up the good work!

It was accompanied by a cat cheering emoji.

Zhi Qiu's unique gentleness seemed to come through the screen. When Ye Shu looked at the cheering emoji, the tension in his heart caused by his busy schedule seemed to be quietly soothed.

Okay, I understand.

After replying to the message, Ye Shu was about to put her phone away.

"What are you looking at, smiling so sweetly?"

A cheerful voice suddenly rang in his ear, and Ye Shu could even feel the other person's breathing as they spoke.

"Holy crap!!"

Ye Shu was startled; if she hadn't held on tightly, her phone would have almost switched to airplane mode.

He turned his head and saw that Chen Xing had somehow gotten close to him and was tilting his head, trying to glance at his phone.

Ye Shu almost reflexively turned off the screen, quickly stuffed her phone into her pocket, and her ears turned slightly red.

"No, I wasn't looking at anything, it was just... my roommate asked me if I had eaten."

"Oh~~~~ My roommate~~~~~"

Chen Xing's voice took several detours, his arms crossed, a mysterious smile on his face.

"I understand, I understand~ Roommates, it's normal to care about each other if you have a good relationship~"

But that look in his eyes clearly said, "Guess whether I believe you or not?"

For some reason, Ye Shu felt a sense of guilt. He wanted to explain, but then realized that the more he explained, the worse it would get, so he shut his mouth and started wiping the countertop, which was now big enough to be used as a mirror, with a rag.

Chen Xing, having thoroughly enjoyed the gossip, patted Ye Shu on the shoulder:

"Alright, alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. You've been busy all morning, are you hungry? I'll go buy lunch, what do you want to eat? It's on me!"

Ye Shu quickly shook her head:

"No, no, Sister Chen Xing, how could I let you treat me? I can buy it myself..."

"Why are you being so polite with me!"

Chen Xing waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Thanks to you, business is booming today. Let me treat you to a nice meal to reward you!"

Refusing again would seem pretentious and would offend the other person, so Ye Shu smiled:

"That's fine with me, just buy whatever you think is best."

Chen Xing had already reached the door and waved:

"Okay, wait for me, I'll be right back."

Ye Shu was the only one left in the shop. He sat by the window, looking out. This kind of life didn't seem so bad.

He sat in the shop for more than ten minutes, guessing that Sister Chen Xing should be back soon.

However, at that moment, the sky outside suddenly darkened.

It wasn't the kind of gradual darkening, but rather a sudden darkening that could be perceived by the naked eye, just like when Pigsy entered Gao Village in Journey to the West.

The bright sun that was hanging in the sky disappeared instantly, completely covered by dark clouds, giving a feeling of "dark clouds pressing down on the city, threatening to crush it".

Is it going to rain?

Ye Shu walked to the glass door and looked outside.

Pedestrians on the street also noticed something was wrong and quickened their pace, starting to jog.

Immediately afterward, the first raindrop hit the sidewalk, leaving a dark dot, like a starting pistol. Almost instantly, the rain outside poured down like a tap that had been turned on.

The rain was so heavy it was almost steaming; visibility was reduced to just a few meters, and all you could hear was the patter of the rain.

A few unlucky guys who didn't bring umbrellas ended up taking a shower outside; all they needed was some shampoo.

"Oh no, Sister Chen Xing didn't bring an umbrella either. Could she have taken a shower too?"

Ye Shu grabbed the umbrella by the door and was about to go out to look for it, but as soon as he turned around, he heard the shop door being kicked open.

Chen Xing was carrying a bulging plastic bag that looked like it had been washed in one hand, and symbolically shielding his head with the other. He was soaking wet, his hair was plastered to his cheeks and forehead, his bun was askew and still dripping water, and his thin T-shirt and jeans clung tightly to his body.

"My God! What kind of weather is this! It started raining suddenly!"

She entered the room panting and complaining, casually placing two wet plastic bags on the nearest empty table, which splashed water everywhere.

Just as she was complaining, a muffled clap of thunder came from the sky, but it sounded very far away.

Ye Shu had already turned around and taken a clean towel from behind the bar and handed it over. His greatest strength was that he was observant and attentive.

"The rain is falling so hard, it'll probably pass in a bit."

"Hopefully, but if it keeps raining like this, then basically no one will come anymore."

Chen Xing took the towel, haphazardly dried his head, glanced at his soaked clothes, and sighed.

"No, I need to go to the back and change into something dry. This sticky stuff is too uncomfortable."

While Chen Xing went inside to change clothes, Ye Shu untied the two dripping plastic bags on the table. Fortunately, they were tightly wrapped and no water had gotten inside.

As soon as it was opened, a very strong fragrance instantly spread out.

Hey, Mala Xiang Guo! I've bought quite a few.

After working for a while, the smell of this food really made me hungry.

A few minutes later, Chen Xing came out wearing dry casual clothes, her hair half-dry with a towel and casually draped over her shoulders. She walked to the table and took a deep breath:

"Wow, this smells delicious! I'm starving! Let's eat!"

The rain outside was pouring down harder and harder, but the two of them were sitting inside eating spicy hot pot, which was quite pleasant.

Chen Xing's face turned red from the spiciness, and he was performing "China's Sizzling Haha" on the other side.

She picked up a slice of lotus root covered in chili oil, suddenly looked up, and casually posed a question:

"Hey, Xiao Ye, seriously, the person at home... isn't really your boyfriend, is he?"

"Cough cough cough—!"

Ye Shugang had just put a chopstick of enoki mushrooms into his mouth when he heard this and choked. A burst of chili oil shot straight into his throat, making his eyes water.

He grabbed the ice water next to him and gulped down a large mouthful. He coughed for a long time before he recovered and explained in a hoarse voice:

"No, no! We're just roommates. She's my landlord, it's that simple."

"oh--"

Chen Xing watched his guilty look with great interest, naturally not believing him:

"Sharing an apartment...that sounds great. By the way, Xiaoye, have you ever thought about finding a serious boyfriend? I think you're reliable, good-looking, and have a great personality. I have a best friend who's really pretty and has a great personality. Want me to introduce you two?"

"Huh? Introduce...to me?"

Why the sudden matchmaking? Ye Shu instinctively waved her hands repeatedly, shaking her head like a rattle drum:

"No, no, really no need, Sister Chen Xing! I... I'm not thinking about that right now."

Why?

Chen Xing blinked and leaned forward slightly:

"You don't have a girlfriend, what's wrong with getting to know her and making friends? Or maybe..."

She paused, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she raised an eyebrow at Ye Shu:

"...So, you already have someone you like in your heart? Hmm?"

Upon hearing this, a face flashed through Ye Shu's mind, but he quickly concealed it. He picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth, hissing as he reacted to the spiciness.

"No... Hey, Sister Chen Xing, where did you buy this spicy hot pot? It tastes great."

"That 'Shuxiangji' restaurant at the street corner has been open for many years, and the taste is quite authentic."

Seeing Ye Shu's obviously suspicious look, Chen Xing was secretly delighted. However, she didn't press the matter further. When it comes to gossip, it's enough to just enjoy the juicy details; digging deeper would only ruin the fun.