I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

Just then, an enticing sweet and sour aroma wafted out from the kitchen, seeping into the living room and precisely tantalizing the taste buds.

Shu Zi sniffed, and her irritation was instantly suppressed by her craving.

She stood up, tiptoed to the kitchen door, clung to the door frame, and peeked inside with only half her head sticking out.

Gu Yan was standing in front of the stove. The thick, glistening sauce in the pot was bubbling away, coating the bright red ribs and filling the air with its aroma.

He was intently adjusting the heat, preparing to reduce the sauce.

"Is it ready yet?" Shu Zi asked softly, with a hint of impatience.

"Right away." Gu Yan replied without turning his head, his voice laced with laughter.

Shu Zi didn't leave; she stood at the doorway, watching him eagerly as he reduced the last bit of sauce until it was thick and hung on the spoon, then turned off the heat and sprinkled a small handful of bright green scallions on top as a garnish.

The aroma reached its peak instantly.

Gu Yan picked up the plate, turned around, and met a pair of big eyes at the door that seemed to say "I want to eat."

He handed the plate over, saying, "Take this over carefully, it's hot."

Shu Zi immediately took it, like a little eunuch receiving an imperial edict, and carefully carried the plate of "sacred food" to the dining table and put it down.

While Gu Yan was still serving soup in the kitchen, she quickly looked around, and then, with lightning speed, stretched out two fingers, picked up the smallest piece of pork rib, and quickly stuffed it into her mouth.

"Ouch—it's so hot!"

She inhaled sharply, grimacing, but her mouth still honestly chewed quickly twice.

The sweet, sour, crispy, and fragrant flavors explode in your mouth, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with plenty of juice.

His eyes instantly brightened.

Good food is the best! Good food will never manipulate her or act against her; it will only genuinely soothe her heart and stomach.

When Gu Yan came out carrying the soup bowl, he saw someone puffing out one cheek, trying to sneakily put their hand behind their back.

"Stealing food?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone full of understanding.

Shu Zi quickly swallowed the meat in her mouth, stood up straight, and tried her best to put on a serious expression:

"Who stole some? I'm... here to taste-test your food! As the first taster, I have an obligation to help you control the saltiness and cooking time! This is a very serious food review!"

Gu Yan looked at her "I make perfect sense" expression, chuckled, shook his head, and didn't expose her. He then placed the soup bowl in the center of the table.

The two sat down to eat.

Shu Zi ate with such focus and concentration, her chopsticks almost never stopped, and her cheeks were always bulging.

Gu Yan, on the other hand, took his time, eating a few bites himself, and then discreetly placed the largest and most beautiful piece of pork rib into her bowl.

Halfway through her meal, Shu Zi suddenly remembered something and mumbled between chews, "Oh right, Sister Wen assigned me some work last night. There's a notice in three days."

"What type?"

"It's just a photoshoot for the inside pages of a top-tier magazine, a small job, probably only half a day," Shu Zi said casually.

Gu Yan nodded, didn't ask any more questions, and just said "Mmm" to indicate that he understood.

After finishing his meal, Gu Yan got up to clear the dishes.

Shu Zi, unusually feeling a pang of conscience, wanted to go and help, but as soon as she stood up, Gu Yan's gaze froze her in place.

His eyes clearly said: You, sit down, don't cause trouble.

Shu Zi pouted, obediently sat back on the sofa, picked up her phone again, but kept her ears perked up, listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen.

The sounds of running water, the clinking of dishes, the hum of the dishwasher starting up, the swishing of a dishcloth wiping the countertop…

Gu Yan moved swiftly and efficiently, tidying everything up perfectly, as if this were his second home.

When he dried his hands and came out of the kitchen, Shu Zi was curled up on the sofa scrolling through Weibo. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and asked, "Are you busy this afternoon?"

Gu Yan stood beside the sofa and looked down at her: "Yes, I have to go to the company to take care of some things."

Shu Zi said "Oh," put down her phone, and said:

"I want to go back to the old house this afternoon to see my grandfather. If I don't go back soon, he'll start nagging me. Besides, I don't know when I'll be free after joining the film crew."

Gu Yan nodded almost without thinking: "I'll go with you."

Shu Zi looked up at him, stunned: "Weren't you going to the company?"

"Go to the company first. Wait for me a moment. We'll go together after I've finished taking care of things."

Shu Zi stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly turned her face away, burying her chin in the dinosaur plush toy she was holding, her voice muffled, with a hint of barely perceptible awkwardness:

"...Whatever you want."

Gu Yan looked at the bun on the top of her head that swayed with her movements, a smile curved his lips, and he reached out and gently ruffled it.

"Let's go change our clothes."

"Don't touch my head!"

Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, Shu Zi sprang up instantly, slapped his hand away, and shuffled back to the bedroom in her slippers to change her clothes.

A few minutes later, the two went out one after the other.

The underground parking garage was empty and quiet, with only the sound of two people's footsteps echoing on the concrete floor.

Gu Yan opened the passenger door, and Shu Zi naturally got in. She casually took out her versatile black baseball cap from her bag, put it on her head, and habitually pulled the brim down a little.

Although the chances of being photographed getting into the car directly from the underground parking garage are almost zero, being "armed to the teeth" is a professional quality of female celebrities (a forced version).

The car smoothly drove out of the underground parking garage and merged into the slightly busy traffic in the afternoon.

Under the blazing sun, the sunlight was blindingly white, and the asphalt road surface emitted distorted waves of heat. The silhouettes of distant buildings swayed slightly in the hot air.

Shu Zi leaned back in her chair, turning her head to look at the rapidly receding green belt and tall buildings outside the window. After a while, she suddenly thought of something, turned her head, and asked:

"By the way, there probably aren't many people in your company who know me, right?"

Gu Yan, one hand on the steering wheel and eyes fixed on the road ahead, smiled faintly at the question: "What do you think?"

Shu Zi blinked, a little puzzled, yet also a little smug: "Could it be... that I've become so famous that even all the elite white-collar workers in your company know about me?"

Gu Yan glanced at her sideways, a hint of helpless amusement flashing in his eyes, and slowly spoke:

"I don't know if you're popular or not, but last time, you barged into my senior management meeting in your pajamas..."

He paused, then added in a calm tone:

"Everyone in the company should know about it now. I heard that the young lady in the front desk administration department even posted about it on her WeChat Moments with the caption 'Witnessing history'."

!!!

Shu Zi's lips twitched violently, and she froze instantly. The next second, she turned her head sharply to face the car window, covering her face with one hand.

The base of my ears turned red at a visible speed, spreading all the way to my neck.

Too! Society! Dead!

Destroy on the spot!

It's all Qiao Yueke's fault for being so unreliable! How could she have believed her nonsense?!

"Ahhhh—" A silent scream exploded in my heart.

She abruptly lowered her hand, turned to look at Gu Yan, and spoke as quickly as if firing bullets:

"Why don't you turn around now and take me home? I'll wait for you at home! Really! I promise I won't run away!"

Gu Yan kept his eyes on the road ahead, smoothly turning the steering wheel to enter the auxiliary lane. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty:

"It's too late."

----

Waaaaah, I see the backend data is declining! What happened?! (I'm really going to throw a tantrum!)

You guys aren't leaving! Waaaaaaah!