While finding it amusing, Shen Yanming could easily see the other person's embarrassment. He smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite? Our friendship can't be expressed by a mere gift."
Then he stepped aside and said, "Don't be shy, come in and sit down. You see, as the host, I haven't prepared anything special to entertain you."
Although Shen Yanming's words were not pleasant to hear, they made the group secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
They were genuinely afraid of being overly hospitable when they visited someone's home, as such an unprepared visit would be incredibly embarrassing.
However, they underestimated Shen Yanming. Since they had guests, he had to entertain them to some extent, otherwise it wouldn't look good for everyone.
He got up and brewed a pot of tea, pouring a cup for each person. "Sit down and rest for a while. I still need to get things ready. Once I'm done, we'll set off."
Yu Shui nodded, "You go ahead and do your work, no rush."
Zhu Shiliang was a little embarrassed. "Did we arrive too early? Haven't you two eaten yet?"
Shen Yanming shook his head with a smile, "You're overthinking it. We ate as soon as we got to the dorm. We didn't cook anything fresh; we just heated up the leftovers, so it was quick."
"So what's this at your house?" Although Zhu Shiliang didn't say it directly, his eyes were fixed on the kitchen doorway.
The same goes for the others.
There was no way around it; the fragrance was just too overpowering and overwhelming.
Shen Yanming laughed, "I have some dried mushrooms at home, and I was thinking of frying them up and bringing them over as a snack for everyone."
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that the faces of the people sitting there had turned bright red.
They had considered bringing gifts, but being trapped in the guard unit with nothing to offer, they simply didn't have anything worthwhile to give.
Shen Yanming was well aware of the situation, and he comforted them, "Don't overthink it. It's good that you have the intention. Besides, you live in the dormitory, so even if you wanted to do something, you wouldn't have the ability. Why don't you let me show my skills this time and do my part for everyone?"
His words were reasonable and well-founded, neither arrogant nor humble. They neither hurt the other person's self-esteem nor failed to demonstrate his good intentions.
Sure enough, the group's expressions improved considerably after hearing this, and they thanked Shen Yanming with smiles: "Thanks to you, otherwise it would have been awkward for us to go."
Shen Yanming waved his hand, "We're all in this together, why be so polite? Besides, it's nothing precious, just some dried mushrooms. If you really feel bad about it, just return it to me next Monday when we come to work."
"Hehe, that's good, now I don't have to feel embarrassed." Yu Shui smiled and touched his buzz cut.
Zhu Shiliang nodded, "I'll bring it back to you when I go home this weekend."
Chen Qing and Cui Xian also wanted to express their opinions, but Shen Yanming interrupted them with a smile, "You're really being polite. Don't you think about it? I didn't prepare much. How am I supposed to repay you? Give me a handful of dried mushrooms each? These aren't sunflower seeds or peanuts that you can just crack open with a handful."
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but laugh. "Alright then, we won't stand on ceremony this time. If you need any help in the future, just let us know."
Shen Yanming didn't stand on ceremony, "Of course! We're from the same place, so we're closer than others, right?"
“Of course!” Zhu Shiliang nodded.
Shen Yanming slapped his forehead. "Oh dear, I was so busy chatting with you guys that I forgot I have dried mushrooms frying in this pot. I'm afraid they'll burn."
As she spoke, she hurriedly ran back to the kitchen.
After he left, Yu Shui looked at Bi Qiaoan, who was quietly curled up in the corner of the sofa, and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything? This isn't like you."
Bi Qiaoan rolled her eyes. "You guys are all so busy talking to my husband, Lao Shen. What right do I, a pregnant woman, have to chime in? Besides, this isn't my style at all. Giving my husband enough face has always been my style."
Yu Shui clicked her tongue, "You two are never satisfied with just showing off your love, are you trying to make me choke?"
Bi Qiaoan chuckled and said arrogantly, "Who told you to come here looking for trouble!"
"Alright, alright, I can't argue with you!" Adhering to the principle of not bullying pregnant women, Yu Shui changed the subject and then looked around, "May I take a look around?"
Bi Qiaoan nodded, "Please go ahead!"
This is the dormitory, and she and Shen Yanming are usually very careful not to bring out anything inappropriate. Moreover, after returning home today, they specifically checked the room.
So, at this moment, we're really not afraid of them wandering around.
After receiving approval, Yu Shui excitedly got up and looked around the room.
Zhu Shiliang and the others couldn't resist their curiosity and followed behind him, though their gazes weren't as unrestrained.
Actually, the area here is very small, and they have very little stuff; to be honest, there's not much to see.
But the furniture was so full, and the kitchen and bathroom were all complete. Compared to their dormitory, it was much better.
After the tour, Yu Shui was a little jealous. He looked at Bi Qiaoan with envy and said, "If you weren't my buddies, I would really like to report you. These conditions are too good."
Bi Qiaoan's brow twitched, thinking, "What kind of hurtful words is this bastard saying? If I didn't know he wasn't that kind of person, my husband would have cut ties with him based on those words alone."
Besides, what's said without malice may be taken to heart by others. Who can guarantee that everyone present will always be on their side? What if someone betrays them? Wouldn't it be easy for them to cause trouble later?
Therefore, it must be nipped in the bud.
She smiled sinisterly, "Although I know you didn't mean it, tell everyone, what do you want to report?"
Yu Shui choked, then gave an awkward laugh. "Well, I... I was just rambling. I was blinded by jealousy, but I absolutely didn't mean to harm anyone. Otherwise, I wouldn't have said it outright."
Bi Qiaoan nodded, "I know, that's why I didn't kick you out directly. But water is water, and words can cause trouble. Who knows if a couple of slips of the tongue might bring us trouble?"
You know, since ancient times, people have been more concerned about inequality than scarcity. Even if Yanming and I have perfectly good reasons to live here, there will still be rumors going around.
Those who dislike us will seize upon minor issues and exaggerate them; at that point, who can we turn to for reason?
Yu Shui realized the seriousness of the problem and quickly apologized.
Bi Qiaoan didn't dwell on it; she was just reminding them to be careful.
In fact, when they moved into the second-class apartment, some people did make sarcastic remarks. Some even tried to bring them down.
However, as rumors of Bi Qiaoan's powerful background intensified, those people gradually lost interest.
After all, they have powerful backers, so even if they resort to underhanded tactics, it probably won't do much good.
If you end up losing money, that wouldn't be worth it.
However, at this moment, Bi Qiaoan had no idea that the half-true, half-false rumors had saved her from so much trouble.
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