The next morning, Xu Nian left the hotel with her package, her face flushed, while Shen Chaoxi followed behind with a satisfied smile.

Once back on the bus, Xu Nian didn't want to say a word to Shen Chaoxi, who squeezed in next to her.

"Niannian, here you go." An oil paper bag appeared in front of Xu Nian, and the aroma of food wafted from the bag, making people's mouths water.

Still angry, Xu Nian couldn't help but glance at the oil paper bag. With just one glance, she turned her head away defiantly and said, "I'm not eating it. Take it away."

"If you don't eat, I'll kiss you," Shen Chaoxi whispered with a smile in Xu Nian's ear.

Undoubtedly, he received another murderous glare as soon as he finished speaking.

"Shen Chaoxi, you can't be as shameless as you." Xu Nian took the oil paper bag over.

She didn't want to be stared at in public, and she didn't want to be subjected to strange looks from others.

In the 1980s, the general public's thinking was still relatively feudal, and most people considered it indecent for couples to be intimate in public.

Xu Nian opened the oil paper bag and was surprised to see the golden-brown pancakes inside. "Where did you buy these wife cakes? I haven't seen any stalls selling them."

"You were in a bad mood just now, how could you care about the food? Eat quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold." Shen Chaoxi even prepared a kettle of hot water for Xu Nian. He can be very considerate when he wants to be.

Noticing that he had only bought one wife cake, Xu Nian broke the cake in half and gestured to him with her eyes that he should eat the other half.

Shen Chaoxi took the cake, revealing his white teeth and smiling very happily. His eyes seemed to be filled with starlight, which made Xu Nian stare in amazement for a moment.

Realizing that she was staring blankly at Shen Chaoxi, Xu Nian didn't understand this behavior but was greatly shocked.

Silently stuffing the biscuit into her mouth, she couldn't quite accept that she was a fangirl.

Xu Nian didn't dare to look at Shen Chaoxi the rest of the way, let alone meet his eyes.

Her obvious avoidance completely ruined Shen Chaoxi's good mood.

If it weren't for the wrong location and time, he would have questioned her about why she was avoiding him, since she clearly had feelings for him too.

If she didn't like him, she could have easily reported him based on what he had done.

But she didn't do that. Under his threat, she reluctantly complied with him, blushing with embarrassment.

Shen Chaoxi couldn't quite understand what Xu Nian's feelings for him were!

He could see hope, but the closer he got, the further she retreated; if he didn't get closer, she would drift further and further away from him.

Shen Chaoxi thought with a deep gaze, if he tried his best and she still didn't choose him, he would have no choice but to solidify their relationship first.

Xu Nian felt a chill run down her spine for no apparent reason. She rubbed her arms, but she wasn't cold! Why was she suddenly shivering?

Unable to figure it out, Xu Nian didn't take it seriously. Seeing the familiar buildings outside, she felt a mix of trepidation and no desire to think about anything else.

"Driver, stop the bus." Xu Nian called for the bus to stop and walked to her familiar front door with her package.

The original owner's house was a two-story brick and tile house. The wooden windows and doors showed signs of decay, and the door was locked. Its rusty appearance indicated that no one had opened it for a long time.

Xu Nian took out the key from the package, unlocked the door, and entered the house that had been uninhabited for a long time.

The house was in a mess, with tables and chairs scattered haphazardly, all the valuables were gone, a thick layer of dust covered the floor, and many cobwebs grew in the corners.

“Niannian, your family used to be quite well-off!” Shen Chaoxi said, looking around the room.

"Yes! My father used to be an attending physician at the county hospital, and my mother was the head nurse at the county hospital, so our family was quite well-off," Xu Nian sighed sadly.

Shen Chaoxi had always paid close attention to Xu Nian, and naturally knew that her parents had died a year ago due to overwork when they were sent to the countryside for reform.

"Niannian, you still have me. I will always stand behind you." Shen Chaoxi said solemnly, holding Xu Nian's hand.

“Shen Chaoxi, returning to Beijing to develop your career is your best choice.” In Xu Nian’s mind, she felt that others could not be relied upon.

But when you are isolated and helpless, having someone who never abandons you is an irreplaceable source of warmth.

Xu Nian didn't know how long Shen Chaoxi's liking and love could last; she wanted to extend the time of this feeling indefinitely.

"Niannian, you can't get rid of me, I'm sticking with you." Shen Chaoxi put down the two people's packages and went to the backyard of the house by himself. He found that the well could still draw water, so he found a wooden bucket and started to draw water to clean.

Seeing his overly familiar behavior, Xu Nian opened her mouth but didn't say anything to send him away.

Sometimes it's okay to stay silent; you shouldn't say too many hurtful things.

When we got to the second floor, it was also a mess. All the valuables had disappeared, leaving only some furniture that was difficult to move.

The bed was still in the room, but the bedding and other quilts were gone.

Xu Nian went downstairs and said to Shen Chaoxi, who was wiping the tables and chairs, "Everything in the house has been stolen. We need to go to the department store to buy new things."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chaoxi put down the rag in his hand and said, "Niannian, let's go buy some things first. We can clean up the house when we get back."

Department stores have fixed opening hours, and since they have a lot of things to buy, they naturally have to go early.

Xu Nian looked at the prices of blankets in the mall and was secretly alarmed.

The three hundred yuan left by the original owner seems like a huge sum, but if you buy two quilts and some odds and ends, you can get two hundred yuan off.

Fortunately, at that time, firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea were not expensive, ranging from a few cents to a few dimes per pound, and meat was only about a dollar per pound. However, some things could only be bought with coupons.

Xu Nian suddenly realized how poor she was; this hundred yuan was only enough for her to live on for two or three months, and making money was an urgent matter.

Seeing Xu Nian staring at the items in the mall with a worried expression, Shen Chaoxi reached out and ruffled her hair, saying, "You still have me, what are you worried about?"

"Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice, how can she not worry?" Xu Nian smiled bitterly, and immediately asked Shen Chaoxi to bring two quilts, while she bought some daily necessities and other odds and ends.

I don't plan to cook for the next couple of days, so I can hold off on buying rice, oil, salt, bowls, chopsticks, and other necessities for now.

After buying everything and paying, the two of them carried their bags back home.

The room where they slept at night needed to be cleaned first, so the two of them gave up cleaning the first floor and instead went to clean the second floor.

While tidying up the room, Shen Chaoxi suddenly said to Xu Nian, "Niannian, I want to sleep with you tonight."

"Shen Chaoxi, don't force me to kick you out." Xu Nian gritted her teeth. She knew exactly what this man was up to. He was full of bad ideas and a scoundrel.