Chu Zhi also tidied up the house until night fell.
He stood at the window, outside which lay the towering skyscrapers of Shanghai's financial center, brightly lit and magnificent, like a city that never sleeps.
The prosperity and flourishing are displayed to the fullest extent.
"Can you feel the prosperity of Shanghai right now?" Xu Man walked in with a smile. "The country's top talents, big bosses, and big stars live here. Countless people want to settle down here and become so-called 'Celestial Dragons'."
Do you want to?
"If you agree to one condition, I'll give you an apartment in Shanghai."
"How about it?"
Chu Zhi also withdrew his gaze and softly replied, "I won't agree."
"How old are you?" Xu Man asked.
"Eighteen, almost nineteen."
Xu Man nodded knowingly: "No wonder, someone as young as you doesn't know the importance of money."
"With money, you can go anywhere in the world; without money, you can't even take a step."
After chatting for a while, Xu Man suggested going out for dinner as a celebration.
The two then left the Limin Lane residential area. Next door was a narrow street, only wide enough for four people to pass side by side, but it was very lively and bustling.
The streets were lined with various shops and restaurants, all loudly hawking their wares.
"What do you want to eat?" Xu Man looked around at the restaurants. "Stir-fried dishes? Too greasy, I'm on a diet right now; rice noodles? I just had rice noodles for lunch today; Japanese food? No way, I hate Japanese people."
Xu Man eliminated the options one by one, then snapped her fingers; "Hot pot, it's settled!"
The two arrived at the hot pot restaurant, where many customers were waiting outside.
They took the number and sat outside to wait.
"This hot pot restaurant is quite good; it's the authentic Chongqing style," Xu Man said softly.
Suddenly, he turned his head to look at Chu Zhiye and said, "You are the Fetal God."
Chu Zhi tilted his head, a question mark slowly appearing above his head: ?
Why are you swearing?
“The term ‘fetal god’ is a Sichuan dialect term, and it’s said to describe a handsome man. You could be considered one,” Xu Man explained.
Chu Zhi coughed a few times and said, "In Sichuan dialect, 'fetal spirit' is a derogatory term, describing a person's strange and illogical behavior."
The Chu family are all from Chengdu. Although Chu Zhiye rarely goes home, he has been exposed to Sichuan dialect and can speak it.
Xu Man stared into his pupils: "I don't believe it! You're a fetal spirit!"
Chu Zhiye remained expressionless: "Yes, you are right."
Upon hearing this, Xu Man's lips curled up into a smile, and her bright eyes curved into two crescent moons.
A handsome man passed by, and Xu Man slightly relaxed her eyebrows and greeted him, "Fetal God."
"The Fetal God?" The handsome man was stunned for a few seconds, then his pupils blazed with fire. "What do you mean by that? Are you insulting me? What have I done to offend you?"
Xu Man quickly explained, "I was praising your handsomeness."
"Are you fucking sick? You're calling me a 'fetal god' and then claiming it's a compliment, huh?" the handsome guy roared. "You bastard!"
The handsome man then harassed Xu Man relentlessly, forcing Xu Man to issue a public apology to quell the controversy.
Xu Man looked disgusted, as if she had swallowed a fly, while Chu Zhiye across from her had a faint smile on his lips.
He has always been reluctant to teach others.
People can't teach people, but experience can teach people; once is enough.
"What does Wen Sang mean?" Xu Man asked.
"Stupid, idiot."
Xu Man's face turned even uglier.
Soon it was the two's turn to eat. They went into a hot pot restaurant and ordered a variety of dishes, including tripe, beef, squid, and crispy pork.
"You order, it's on me," Xu Man said generously.
Chu Zhi also casually ordered a large bottle of Wei Yi soy milk.
This definitely looks like authentic Chongqing hot pot, because only the Sichuan and Chongqing region offers Wei Yi soy milk, a beverage with a strong local flavor.
Soon after, the hot pot broth was served, and various dishes were placed on the table. The two began to eat.
Xu Man put the tripe in her mouth, letting the air waft around her lips: "Mmm, so refreshing!"
Chu Zhi also discovered that Xu Man didn't seem to be able to tolerate spicy food.
After only a few bites, her eyes, as clear as autumn water, instantly welled up with moisture, and her fair cheeks quickly flushed red, the blush spreading from her cheeks all the way to her ears.
"Is it spicy?" Xu Man asked.
Chu Zhiye: "It's alright."
The food at home is usually quite strongly flavored.
"So spicy." Xu Man stuck out her tongue lightly, her delicate lips trembling slightly from the spiciness, and added, "As spicy as my body."
Chu Zhi smiled.
"What? You don't agree?" Xu Man exhaled, "You should be secretly happy to have such a beautiful woman like me with you for dinner."
The two ate hotpot, and after they finished, while Xu Man rested, Chu Zhi paid the bill.
Then they left the hot pot restaurant and walked home along the street.
"I said it, I'm treating today," Xu Man said as she walked.
"You let me stay in your house for free, so let me stay here this time."
Xu Man stroked her chin, looking very curious: "Where did you get your money from?"
"The first time we met, you were squatting at the airport begging, looking destitute. The second time we met, you wanted to rent my house. My house isn't cheap; it requires a deposit of one month's rent and three months' rent in advance, costing more than ten thousand yuan."
"Where did you get more than ten thousand in such a short time?"
"Could it be...?"
At this point, Xu Man seemed to have guessed something, and then cast a strange look at Chu Zhiye: "Um... don't worry, I don't mind a person's past. After all, everyone has times when they are down on their luck, and it's normal to live off a woman for a while."
"After all, it's not so easy to live off a woman."
"I'll keep my distance from you!"
Xu Man believes that only by living off a woman could Chu Zhiye have made such a large sum of money in such a short time, and Chu Zhiye also has the financial resources to do so.
"It's your turn to eat!"
Chu Zhi put his hands in his pockets, not wanting to explain, and too lazy to explain.
Think whatever you want.
When the two returned home, it was already late at night. After a quick wash, they went to bed.
Chu Zhi was lying in bed, and moonlight streamed through the window into the room.
He gazed at the bright moon, watching silently...
... ...
Monday, a workday, the air seemed to be filled with a drowsy atmosphere.
Xu Man walked out of the room and stretched: "It's Monday again, what a stupid day."
"Um?"
Suddenly she paused, then sniffed as a faint fragrance wafted into her nostrils.
Following the aroma, I arrived at the kitchen and saw Chu Zhiye wearing an apron, making breakfast.
"You can even make breakfast?" Xu Man was somewhat surprised.
"Just do it casually."
Having lived abroad for four years, his cooking skills are quite good.
After all, if a 'returnee' doesn't go abroad to learn culinary skills, then he's definitely not a proper 'returnee'.
Breakfast was ready in no time: pancakes, congee, and a few packets of pickled vegetables.
Clearly, Xu Man wasn't a cook. With only the most basic ingredients in the refrigerator—flour and rice—he could only make the simplest breakfast.
Xu Man sat down, took a bite of the pancake, and raised her beautiful eyebrows: "It tastes good."
He paused for a moment, then said, "How about you cook for me? I'll take care of you, and I'll give you 50,000 yuan a month. How about that? I'm very good to you, right?"
"No," Chu Zhi also refused.
"cut!"
After finishing breakfast, Xu Man went into the house, quickly changed her clothes, and came out.
Wearing a fitted black suit with crisp shoulder pads that exude a dashing aura, paired with a burgundy silk shirt underneath, the unbuttoned collar adding a touch of casual charm.
Her tailored trousers had clean lines that accentuated her long, straight legs, and she wore black stiletto heels that clicked out with a confident rhythm.
His every move exudes decisiveness and sharpness.
When Chu Zhi met Xu Man for the first time, she was like a queen on a high and mighty throne.
Xu Man left first to go to work, and Chu Zhi also cleaned up the house inside and out, changed into casual clothes, and then left home as well.
Just as she stepped out of the residential compound, a luxury car pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing Xu Man's exquisite face, and she asked, "Where are you going?"
Chu Zhiye replied, "Going to work."
Having returned to China for a while and spent some time traveling, and having rented a place, he felt he couldn't continue to be so decadent, so today he planned to report to Founder Investment.
"You have a class too? Isn't your class male models?" Xu Man asked, puzzled, but quickly put the question aside. "Want me to give you a ride?"
"No, thank you."
“I won’t take you with me even if you need me.” Xu Man put on her sunglasses. “If I take you to work, people who don’t know better will think there’s something going on between us.”
The luxury car then roared to life and drove off.
Chu Zhi put his hands in his pockets and strolled slowly toward Founder Investment.
The streets were full of commuters, hurrying along.
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