At 6 p.m. sharp, Chu Fang clocked out and left work.

Without Zhong Tingyue by his side today, Chu Fang looked up at the sky and could only go home alone.

He had gotten used to this nine-to-five life without realizing it. It was regular and full of life. Compared to the extravagant lifestyle, the simple life was much better.

Before going home, Chu Fang went to the market to buy prawns, fish balls, mushrooms, dried tofu strips, sausages, etc. He wanted to make spicy hot pot tonight and tried to buy a variety of ingredients.

At a vegetable stall where Chu Fang often bought vegetables, the stall owner, an older woman, looked at him with some suspicion: "Hey young man, why aren't you with your girlfriend today? Did you two have a fight? You young people shouldn't argue. As the old saying goes, 'It takes ten years to share a boat ride, and a hundred years to share a pillow.' It's not easy for two people to be together..."

Chu Fang and Zhong Tingyue often buy groceries from the auntie after get off work. The auntie already knows them and admires their relationship. Today, Chu Fang was buying groceries alone, and the auntie thought they had quarreled, so she tried to persuade him.

“... ..."

Chu was speechless in response.

If you had at least asked me why I was buying groceries alone, I would have given you the answer, instead of just guessing and trying to persuade me.

"My girlfriend went to see her best friend."

"Oh." Upon hearing this, the stall owner nodded knowingly, then lowered her voice and said, "Young man, you'd better be careful. These days, young people like to hang out with the same sex. Don't let your girlfriend be stolen away by your best friend."

As she spoke, the aunt became even more animated: "Take Ergui's youngest daughter downstairs from me, for example, she's a perfect case..."

Auntie, can't you just focus on your job?

Stop gossiping with me.

With a friendly smile, Chu listened to the story of Er Gui's youngest daughter. When the other party finished and wanted to continue with other examples, he quickly paid the bill, picked up his things, and left.

The stall owner, an older woman, watched Chu Fang's retreating figure with a lingering sense of satisfaction, feeling that she hadn't encountered such an outstanding young man in a long time.

He's much better than my own child.

It makes me so angry just thinking about it!

Chu Fang walked back to the Tanhua residential area and saw the security guard with his hat tilted to the side and his hands behind his back, looking at the residents coming and going. He wanted to greet him, but the latter snorted, so he had to give up.

A few days ago, Chu Fang played chess with this old man. The old man lost, staring wide-eyed in disbelief that he had lost to a mere youth. He was so angry that he was trembling, and he still hasn't forgiven him to this day.

That's incredibly stingy!

If this old man knew he was playing chess with artificial intelligence, he would definitely kill him.

Upon opening the door to return home, Chu Fang raised an eyebrow. In the living room, he saw Zhong Tingyue and He Yi. The former was hanging the washed clothes on the clothes rack to dry, while the latter was holding the little yellow-haired dog and rubbing it incessantly, making soft whimpering sounds.

Hearing the door open, He Yi glanced at it and said, "Your dog is so well-behaved, much better than you."

"..." Chu Fang entered the room, placed the things he had bought on the table, and asked, "Why are you here?"

“I’ll be staying at your place for a few days,” He Yi replied.

Chu Fang:?

He Yi immediately told Chu Fang the whole story, and prepared to separate from Wu Di for a few days so that the man would regret it.

Chu Fang nodded and sighed.

I feel that my relationship with Zhong Tingyue has been so bumpy. There is always a third party interfering in our family. Before, it was my sister-in-law, and now it is He Yi.

He was still helpless.

Chu Fang went into the kitchen to cook, and He Yi, being a guest, helped him out, but... made a complete mess of the kitchen.

He Yi is the one who truly can't cook; she's never even stepped into a kitchen.

While chopping vegetables, he almost cut his finger several times, making Chu Fang, who was next to him, twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Good heavens!

That's terrifying!

Seeing this, he quickly chased He Yi out of the kitchen, finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then started making dinner. He didn't change his plans because there was another person in the house; it was still spicy hot pot.

Before long, a traditional Sichuan dish was ready, emitting a fragrant aroma, with distinctive characteristics, yet possessing a rich sense of layering and a delicate texture.

Chu Fang's understanding of "mala xiangguo" is that it is a dry hot pot, but it is more flavorful than a hot pot.

After finishing the first dish, I cooked a few more, and dinner became much better.

The three sat at the dining table. He Yi looked around, her appetite piqued, but she frowned and asked, "Why is there instant noodles with the spicy hot pot? Chu Fang, have you gone bankrupt?"

Chu Fang nodded in acknowledgment: "Try it."

He Yi picked up a piece of instant noodles and put it in her mouth, savoring it carefully. After a moment, her eyes lit up: "It's so delicious! I never thought there was such a way to make it."

You haven't seen enough.

Chu Fang believes that the soul of Mala Xiang Guo (Spicy Hot Pot) lies in the instant noodles, which are coated with spices and have a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste. When paired with rice, it is simply unbeatable.

Chu Fang picked up a piece of pork belly and gave it to Little Yellow Hair. The latter looked up at it, then suddenly ran back and came back with a plate in his mouth. He placed the plate in front of him, put the pork belly on the plate, and Little Yellow Hair ate it in one bite.

Little Yellow Fur is a Chinese Rural Dog, also known as a mongrel dog. It is sensible and intelligent, making it incredibly lovable.

Compared to that tabby cat, Chu Fang gritted his teeth in hatred.

I ate his food, slept in his bed, and never gave him a kind look.

While eating, Zhong Tingyue asked, "How long do you plan to stay?"

"Hmm..." Hearing this, He Yi did not stop eating and said softly, "Stay until Wu Di apologizes to me."

Chu Fang said, "Wu Di did nothing wrong. You two just have different opinions on having children. He doesn't need to apologize."

Hearing this, He Yi looked up at Chu Fang and said, "How did you even manage to win over my best friend? You have no emotional intelligence. If Wu Di had just given in, we could have discussed the rest. Did you respond so rationally when you argued with Ting Yue?"

“Although we’ve never argued, Chu Fang is right,” Zhong Tingyue replied softly. “Right is right, and wrong is wrong.”

Zhong Tingyue did not agree with that kind of protective relationship, where everything seemed to be the man's fault, and if the woman was wrong, it was just a matter of attitude. Such a relationship seemed too... fragile.

In daily life, when Zhong Tingyue makes a mistake, she apologizes and takes the blame upon herself.

He Yi looked them over and waved her hand, "Alright, no wonder you two got together, there must be a reason."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Of course, I'm not such an unreasonable person. I just want to think about what Wu Di is thinking. I've always been able to guess what Wu Di is thinking, but we actually have a disagreement about having a child. I think we should have some space to think about what's wrong between us."

Zhong Tingyue asked, "How long do you plan to think about it?"

“Not long,” He Yi said, waving her hand. “Only ten or eight years.”

“... ..."