Jiang Xu's voice was clear and sweet, with a seductive power that stirred one's reason, "Brother Li."

Gu Li was instantly frozen in place.

He thought, this is really bad. Reason has escaped its cage, and the emotion called escape and a secret pleasure have taken over Gu Li's mind.

Just as he expected, the sound possessed a mysterious magic; yet, just as he hadn't anticipated, its magic was too great, echoing in his ears.

Gu Li took a deep breath, his back to the person showing no sign of anything amiss. "I didn't agree to an equal exchange."

Jiang Xu: "I know, it's a bonus. Are you really not going to reconsider?"

Gu Li tilted his head, revealing Jiang Xu's sharp and sculpted profile. "Even with a free gift, I wouldn't agree, because I'm a freeloader." He licked his lips, his voice a little hoarse. "I'll take the free gift."

Jiang Xu traced the lines of Gu Li's jaw down to her neck, his gaze lingering on her slightly protruding Adam's apple for two seconds. "Fine, I'll let you patronize me." He blurted out the words without thinking, somewhat dazed by the other's voice.

Gu Li turned around and looked at him directly, his gaze complicated before returning to clarity. "I've met many bold people, but I've ignored them all. But friend, you're slandering me." He finished speaking with a sanctimonious air, "I won't take responsibility." His words carried a hint of something else entirely.

Jiang Xu, “…” Good, it’s not awkward anymore, but it’s gone even further astray. He then looked at Gu Li with a resentful expression and said in a small, affected voice, “Scumbag.”

Gu Li looked around for something. "Here, hold on tight. I'll take a picture of it for you to use as a promotional photo for the Oscars later." If she couldn't find it, she made a posing gesture with her hand.

Jiang Xu held the pose and casually raised his hand in a peace sign, waiting two or three seconds as if he were really taking a picture before speaking, "Director Gu, is my shot okay?"

Gu Li: "It's a sure thing, the Best Eye-Catching Bag Award is definitely yours."

Jiang Xu: "I'll share half of this honor with you."

Gu Li switched the hand that was pointing at the camera to a gesture of crossing her index fingers, saying, "I'll politely decline."

The two had fought, joked, and laughed, and now they were lounging on the sofa with nothing to do, each playing on their own phones, enjoying a peaceful and idyllic moment.

The summer nights are incredibly dreamy, and the room's floor-to-ceiling windows allow large swaths of orange-yellow sunset light to stream in, illuminating the coffee table, carpet, and white marble floor in front of the two of them.

Gu Li reached out and nudged the person next to her, then pointed to the scenery outside the window, "Look, the sun is setting."

Jiang Xu: "Yes, I'm going down the mountain."

Gu Li: "You know what, it's actually quite pretty."

Jiang Xu: "Hmm, it looks pretty good."

Gu Li abruptly changed the subject, "Let's go buy groceries."

Jiang Xu, "Um, going to buy groceries..." The word "uh" got stuck in his throat, hesitant to say it, "Buy groceries?"

Gu Li nodded. "Didn't you say you wanted dinner included?"

Jiang Xu, "Maybe we're not talking about the same thing?" he tried to express his meaning.

Gu Li's eyes lit up with pride. "You're not going to be unable to do it, are you?" He smiled knowingly, as if waiting for Jiang Xu to admit defeat and say he couldn't.

Jiang Xu said, "Why not? Hurry up, we should have left earlier. The vegetables won't be fresh by evening." He tried to use his expertise to start by talking about the freshness of the vegetables.

Gu Li looked at Jiang Xu with a knowing expression, but her words were quite different from her expression: "I'm really looking forward to it."

Jiang Xu's temple throbbed. This kid's expression showed no sign of anticipation at all; his damned competitive spirit was screaming wildly. "It's only natural to be expectant; your brother's moves are always top-notch."

Gu Li clapped her hands and said with a triumphant smile, "Go for it!"

The community not only has a good environment and convenient transportation, but there is also a large supermarket just a few steps away from the community.

It was peak time for people to gather. Due to the openness of University A's campus, there were quite a few students in the supermarket at this time. Most of them were girls with their friends browsing the snack section, and there were also couples chatting and laughing. However, it was rare to see a pair of two boys like Jiang Xu and Gu Li.

There are no other pairs as strikingly good-looking as them. The two exchanged a glance and headed straight for the fresh produce section, as if they wanted to complete the mission assigned by the organization as soon as possible.

Although the organization didn't have any tasks at all, it was difficult for them to complete them early anyway.

They didn't walk side by side because the fresh produce section was more crowded than the other sections, mostly with women and the elderly picking and choosing.

Jiang Xu walked past one row and found a bunch of scallions in his hand. He walked past another row and found a string of ginger in his hand. After walking past yet another row, he still couldn't find what he wanted, so Gu Li handed him a bag of things.

Jiang Xu picked it up and looked at it. "How did you know I needed this?"

Gu Li pointed to what Jiang Xu already had in his hand, "This is easy to understand, right?" Then her eyes suddenly widened as she looked at Jiang Xu, "You're surprisingly easy to understand now."

Jiang Xu: "I'll take that as a compliment."

Gu Li said, “We can’t just eat seasonings, can we? Scallions, ginger, and garlic can’t stand alone as a dish. No, wait a minute,” he changed the subject, and just as Jiang Xu thought he was about to offer some insightful opinion, Gu Li said, “They can’t make a dish even when they’re combined.”

Jiang Xu. "..." He shouldn't have expected the other party to offer any advice. "I don't see anything that can be done." He looked at Gu Li honestly as he spoke.

Gu Li pointed to the three rows he had just looked at, "These, those, and those, none of them?" He also frankly expanded on Jiang Xu's words.

"Okay." Jiang Xu nodded directly, then turned around and walked in another direction. "I'm going to take a look over there."

Gu Li followed Jiang Xu, and this time they arrived at the meat market. Several warm yellow lights were hanging above the fresh meat, making it easier to see.

A long row of meat vendors neatly arranged various types and cuts of meat. After someone had chosen their meat, the vendor would weigh it, do some simple processing, and then hand it over to the buyer.

The two walked around the long row again. Every time Gu Li passed a place, she would draw a recipe in her mind. When Jiang Xu passed by, she would silently cross out the recipe. Then she would think of a new recipe at the next place and cross it out again. She repeated the process of thinking and rejecting in this way. When they finished walking the long row, Gu Li did not leave any recipes behind.

He blinked at Jiang Xu, who in turn looked at Gu Li. Finally, Gu Li tentatively asked, "Is there really nothing to do?"

Jiang Xu shook his head, and just as Gu Li was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he made her hold on again, "There's nothing I can do."

His competitive spirit vanished completely at this moment. Perhaps some things are simply not meant to be, and cannot be forced. "Let's try a different way of eating, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to get any."

Looking at Jiang Xu's calm expression, Gu Li was reluctant to try a different approach. At this moment, Gu Li was filled with curiosity about exploring a new field.

He said to Jiang Xu in a smug tone, "I'm so proud of myself."

"I'll teach you."