The world of film and television begins with university lecturers

Zhu Suosuo and Jiang Nansun carried tea and snacks into the living room, and Han Tao finally breathed a sigh of relief, thus ending his less-than-successful exchange with Jiang Pengfei.

Zhu Suosuo deliberately chose to sit on a stool diagonally opposite Han Tao. On the surface, she chatted with Jiang Nansun's mother, Dai Yin, and Grandma Jiang, but her eyes kept unconsciously falling on him.

Before they knew it, they had been chatting for over an hour. Jiang Pengfei glanced at the clock, then looked out the window at the sky and warmly invited them to stay.

"Xiao Han, it's almost dinner time. Aunt Jia at home is making Huaiyang cuisine, and her skills are superb!"

Let's have a simple home-cooked meal at our place tonight, just a small token of our neighborly affection.

Upon hearing this, Han Tao subconsciously raised his hand to glance at his watch, then politely smiled and said:

"Uncle Jiang, you're too kind. I feel really bad for bothering you for so long on our first visit. Let's do it another day, I'll treat you then..."

"Oh, don't be so polite, there's no need for such formalities between neighbors!"

Jiang Pengfei interrupted him and continued to invite him: "We bumped into each other right after you moved in, and we even had such a pleasant chat. That means we're destined to meet."

As she spoke, she turned to look at her daughter, Jiang Nansun, and said, "Nansun, go and tell Aunt Jia to add a few more of her signature dishes tonight."

Han Tao instinctively wanted to politely decline. He had originally planned to stay a while and then go home, not to have dinner at the Jiang family's house, since they had just met and it wouldn't be appropriate.

Before he could even finish speaking, Grandma Jiang immediately interjected, pleading, "Xiao Han, don't refuse. Stay for dinner. It's just a matter of adding an extra set of chopsticks and a bowl."

Nan Sun doesn't usually like staying at home. The rest of us old folks are busy with our own things: one of us watches stocks, another plays mahjong, and another dances.

My grandmother would like to hear more about your university life from you; it would make the house more lively that way.

When Dai Yin heard Grandma Jiang call her name, she didn't argue. She got up and went into the kitchen to tell Aunt Jia to add a few more of her signature dishes.

Unable to refuse such hospitality, Han Tao could only politely thank her: "Then thank you very much, Grandma Jiang, and thank you Uncle Jiang and Aunt Jiang for your kindness. I'm sorry to have bothered you all."

"It won't bother you at all," Grandma Jiang waved her hand and looked at Han Tao with a smile. "It's too much trouble for you to cook if you live alone. Come over for dinner more often in the future."

And Suo Suo, you should come over often too. You young people should visit more often; it makes the house more lively.

"Okay, Grandma, I'll go see if there's anything I can help with!"

  

Zhu Suosuo felt a surge of joy in her heart, but she remained outwardly calm. After thanking her, she got up and followed Jiang's mother into the kitchen.

Jiang Nansun followed closely behind, and soon the kitchen was filled with the aroma of cooking. The clay pot stewed braised lion's head meatballs simmered and the sound of a cleaver cutting Huaiyang dried bean curd strips was soft and rhythmic.

While washing the vegetables, Zhu Suosuo listened intently to the conversation coming from the living room, and every now and then she would take various excuses to walk to the living room door and secretly peek at Han Tao.

Jiang Nansun saw through her best friend's little scheme and gently touched her arm, whispering a reminder: "Tone it down a bit, don't act too deliberately, so as not to make things awkward for both of you."

"Okay, I understand!" Zhu Suosuo smiled and said she understood, but in her heart she had already made up her mind to take the initiative.

In the living room, Grandma Jiang glared at her son, who was still talking about the stock market and investments, and pulled Han Tao aside to chat about everyday things. The conversation gradually shifted from teaching and research to personal life.

Upon hearing that Han Tao's parents had passed away early and that he was struggling alone in Shanghai without the support of his elders, and that he had managed to buy the villa next door on his own, the old man's eyes welled up with a hint of heartache and deep appreciation.

"Your character is truly remarkable. You've managed to establish yourself in such a large city like Shanghai all by yourself, without anyone lending a hand. The hardships you've endured are something that others simply cannot comprehend."

As Grandma Jiang spoke, she reached out and patted the back of his hand, sighing softly:

"They say a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. If you don't mind, come over more often in the future, and spend holidays and festivals here too."

Upon hearing this, Han Tao remained calm and composed, and smiled faintly: "Thank you, Grandma Jiang. Actually, I've long been used to living alone."

During work hours, I prepare lessons, read books, and organize industry research; in my spare time, I do some investment and financial management. My days are quite fulfilling.

He paused here, and seeing the old man's hesitant expression, he changed the subject.

"However, I do feel a bit lonely during holidays and festivals, so I'll definitely be bothering you more often in the future."

"Welcome, ma'am! You're welcome to come anytime!"

...............

The conversation in the living room drifted into the kitchen, and Zhu Suosuo felt a strange sense of shared fate.

She lost her mother's care when she was eight years old and lived with her uncle. Her father was a seaman, and at first she could only see him for a few years a year, and later she could not see him for many years at a time.

My aunt and uncle were a couple who married later in life. My aunt already had a cousin who was not related to her by blood, and then she was added to the family as an outsider, so their life was naturally not very harmonious.

Even though her father gave money to her uncle's family every month, outsiders are still outsiders. She had long been fed up with the feeling of being suppressed and having to watch her face at all times, and she was also fed up with the open and covert scorn and cold treatment.

She felt that Han Tao was her Prince Charming and her perfect match.

Jiang Nansun, standing to the side, felt a surge of admiration, secretly marveling at the situation:

"It turns out that you can live such a good life on your own without relying on your family."

"It turns out that someone can still be so calm and sunny after going through so many hardships."

Before long, Aunt Jia served one exquisite Huaiyang dish after another to the long dining table.

There are a total of twelve dishes, including braised crab meat lion's head, braised dried bean curd strips, soft-shelled eel, drunken crab, stir-fried shrimp, sweet and sour pork ribs, crystal-stuffed pork, and squirrel-shaped mandarin fish.

This shows that although the Jiang family had fallen on hard times, as a former upper-class family in "old Shanghai," they still retained their refined lifestyle and sense of ritual.

Grandma Jiang got up and invited everyone to eat. Everyone took their seats in turn. Zhu Suosuo deliberately sat next to Jiang Nansun, diagonally opposite Han Tao.

During the meal, she was particularly lively, getting up from time to time to serve soup and dishes to Grandma Jiang and her mother, and chatting about various sights and interesting stories from the streets to liven up the atmosphere at the table.

Of course, she didn't forget Han Tao either, and deliberately found an opportunity to strike up a conversation with him:

"Teacher Han, are university students these days particularly confused about their future employment?"

I haven't been able to find a suitable job since graduation, and I can't use my major much.

Many of my young friends are also in the same boat; after graduation, they have absolutely no idea what industry to choose.

Upon hearing this, Han Tao patiently and meticulously offered her some advice. His words were concise and appropriate, neither cold and perfunctory nor overly enthusiastic, always maintaining just the right amount of politeness.

Jiang Nansun, positioned between the two, skillfully mediated the conversation, balancing Zhu Suosuo's pace and preventing her best friend's initiative from seeming too abrupt.

Grandma Jiang's gaze lingered on Han Tao for most of the time, silently comparing him to the boyfriend her granddaughter had mentioned earlier, and the difference in their levels was immediately apparent.

In the old man's mind, Zhang Anren was only interested in currying favor with the Chiang family. How could he be so obedient to Nan Sun and never say a word of dissent? His utilitarian motives were impossible to hide.

In contrast, Han Tao has a respectable career and his own property. He never needs to depend on others and is honest and steady in character.

He is humble and sincere, without any frivolous ambition. It would be perfect if he could become my granddaughter's husband.

After having this idea, the old man continued the conversation about his granddaughter's age, gradually leading the topic to everyday matters such as marriage, love, and having children.

During this time, the conversation took a sudden turn, seemingly casual and relaxed, but actually concealing deep considerations:

"Xiao Han, you're all alone in Shanghai, and you've reached the age for marriage. When you settle down in the future, you'll need to find someone stable to settle down with."

My son Nansun is well-educated, kind, gentle, and down-to-earth. You two will be neighbors every day from now on. In my old woman's eyes, you two are a perfect match.

Compared to those young people who are full of scheming and plotting, our whole family genuinely likes a down-to-earth and honest child like you.

As soon as she finished speaking, the dining table fell silent. Jiang Nansun knew exactly what her grandmother meant and instinctively reached up to retort.

However, before he could get up, his mother, Daiyin, grabbed him and pressed him down. The force was not strong, but it was firm and unyielding.

Zhu Suosuo tightened her grip on the chopsticks slightly, a pang of bitterness rising in her heart.

She could only feign calmness, lower her eyes, and pretend to focus on picking up food, but the disappointment in her eyes was undeniable.

Han Tao was also taken aback, and then spoke up to express his position: "Grandma Jiang, I am very grateful for your kindness."

However, my relationship with Nan Sun is currently just that of neighbors and teacher and student, not the kind of relationship you are thinking of.

Moreover, I heard that she already has a boyfriend, Zhang Anren, who is Professor Wang's teaching assistant in the architecture department.

I know him too; he's a very outstanding and ambitious young man. Let's not bring this up again.

His response was neither humble nor arrogant, preserving Grandma Jiang's face while also conveying his own meaning.

Seeing this, Grandma Jiang stopped insisting and waved her hand with a smile to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, you young people should decide your own affairs."

I was just worried about my junior's marriage, that's why I said it casually, you don't need to take it to heart.

As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere returned to normal, and Jiang Nansun felt even more favorably toward Han Tao, giving him a grateful look.

Zhu Suosuo listened to the entire conversation in silence, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

While envying Grandma Jiang's complete approval of Han Tao, she was unwilling to give up the good feelings that had sprouted in her heart, and secretly resolved to speed up her contact with Han Tao.

Jiang Nansun knew her best best friend best immediately and keenly sensed her low spirits. She quietly touched Zhu Suosuo's wrist, lowered her head and whispered:

"SuoSuo, don't listen to Grandma's nonsense. She's like my dad; she's become possessed."

One of them would freeze up at the mere mention of stocks and forget everything else, while the other saw a man who was the right age and had good prospects and wanted him to be my boyfriend.

She just felt that girls would belong to someone else sooner or later, so they should get married early.

Their indiscriminate matchmaking is annoying, but it can't control anyone's romantic choices.

Hearing this, Zhu Suosuo felt a warmth in her heart. She looked up and met Jiang Nansun's clear and concerned eyes, managed a smile, and replied in a low voice:

"I'm fine. I just think your grandma has great taste. Teacher Han is indeed a rare good man."

As she spoke, she quickly glanced at Han Tao's profile and saw him calmly picking up food with his head down. The resentment in her heart quietly resurfaced.

Jiang Nansun could naturally hear the bitterness in her words, and he sighed softly, making a certain decision:

"SuoSuo, if you really like him, just go for it openly, regardless of whether the timing is right or not. I will definitely help you."

But you also need to be mentally prepared; relationships depend on fate, so don't put too much pressure on yourself. Oh, and I also saw something at noon…”

After hearing her words, Zhu Suosuo didn't say anything more, but just nodded silently, a stubborn light igniting in her eyes.