Chapter 23 Atlas opened his mouth and took a bite...
Yan Yuehe could sense Gou Qing's sincerity.
This is precisely why they were able to come together when they knew nothing about each other.
But it's okay to have a meal with him occasionally, how can I eat with Gou Qing every day?
She put down her chopsticks and politely declined, saying, "No need to trouble yourself, I can take care of myself."
Yu Zhi was even more anxious than Gou Qing, and blurted out, "You can't, let my brother do it."
He was making his own calculations.
If her brother cooks for her every day, with so many meals, he'll surely be able to mooch off her a few times, right?
Gou Qing stepped on Yu Zhi's instep under the table without hesitation. This time, the force was not strong, but it carried a clear warning. At the same time, she gave him a cold glance.
Yu Zhi could only swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
"I didn't make this especially for you." Gou Qing withdrew her foot, and when she turned back to look at Yan Yuehe, her tone softened instantly.
He understood her concerns: "I usually cook all three meals myself, so adding one more for you is just a simple matter and doesn't take much effort."
Yu Zhi, forced to mute himself, used sarcastic emojis.
When he usually asks someone to cook for him, the answer he gets is always: "My time is precious, don't bother me."
Yan Yuehe didn't notice Yu Zhi's strange expression, and even if she had, she wouldn't have been able to decipher what it meant.
She thought about it seriously for a while, then looked up and said, "Then I'll pay for the food."
Yan Yuehe could tell that Gou Qing wanted to refuse, so she quickly added, "If you don't want me to pay, then forget it."
Her attitude was firm, so Gou Qing could only agree: "Then you will take care of external affairs, and I will take care of internal affairs. I will definitely satisfy you."
What do you mean by "domestic affairs and foreign affairs"?!
Isn't this just a simple case of her providing the money and him providing the labor?
The way Gou Qing said it inexplicably created a sense of intimacy, as if a couple were discussing how to live their lives together.
Thinking of the words "couple," Yan Yuehe almost choked on the noodles she was eating, and her face turned bright red from the spiciness, even her ears became hot.
"Yuehe, let's split the bill." Yu Zhi noticed a gust of wind sweeping past her legs, and this time she cleverly sat cross-legged on the chair. "Your salary isn't stable either, so if we split the cost of the ingredients, it'll ease our financial burden a bit."
Upon hearing the second half of Yu Zhi's sentence, Gou Qing barely suppressed the urge to drive him away.
Yan Yuehe had no objection to this.
Thus, Yu Zhi was successfully allowed to become a third wheel.
After finishing the meal, Yan Yuehe wanted to clear the dishes, but Gou Qing assigned this task to Yu Zhi.
She watched the puppies in front of Atlas's doghouse for a while, then took Fatty, who had had a great time playing outside, home.
When she got home, time suddenly became monotonous and fast-paced, because her manuscripts were running low again due to her absences the previous two days.
Upon seeing the editor's routine reminder to submit the manuscript, Yan Yuehe had no choice but to sit down at her desk and begin working.
After sitting for several hours, Yan Yuehe was brought back to reality by the doorbell.
On his first day in office, Chef Gou was very dedicated and responsible.
Of course, Gou Qing only came to knock on the door because he couldn't contact her via WeChat or phone.
Yan Yuehe rushed over to open the door for him.
Fatty also rushed from outside the yard to the door, his tail wagging, seemingly to greet Gou Qing, but actually to see if Atlas was following behind him.
The person was in a bad mood, and the dog was disappointed.
"My dear in-law, no need to change your shoes, please help yourself." Yan Yuehe spoke quickly, then turned and rushed into the house. She was almost done with the line drawing in her hand.
She wouldn't have interrupted her creative process if the doorbell hadn't kept ringing and disrupting her train of thought.
Yan Yuehe ran back into the open room and sat down again at the table.
When Gou Qing entered the house, he saw Pang Bao lying listlessly on the foot mat, its tail flailing haphazardly downwards.
He quietly found a chair facing Yan Yuehe and sat down, trying not to make a sound.
Gou Qing could tell she was busy, so he waited quietly.
He couldn't see very clearly from outside; he could only make out what she was drawing.
After Yan Yuehe finished her work, she leaned back in her chair, which spun around easily, meeting Gou Qing's gaze.
"Finished with work?" Gou Qing stood up and walked over, stopping at the door of her bedroom. "It's time for dinner."
Yan Yuehe belatedly glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
She tied her hair into a round little bun with a pen she picked up at random, with a few strands sticking up on top, and the stray hairs on her forehead became a little messy because she kept scratching them while drawing.
Although unadorned, it looks more vibrant than usual.
Gou Qing's gaze lingered on her face for two seconds before quickly shifting away, silently thinking to himself: Another new image of hers has been revealed, and she's quite cute.
Yan Yuehe stood up somewhat awkwardly. She had been completely immersed in her own world, and if she hadn't habitually turned around after the event and caught a glimpse of Gou Qing, she would have almost forgotten that she had let someone else in.
No matter the reason, Yan Yuehe felt bad for making others wait for more than half an hour. She scratched her head a little embarrassedly and said, "I'm sorry, I tend to lose track of time when I'm drawing."
"You used to say I apologize a lot," Gou Qing joked, seeing her embarrassed expression. "Have you caught my bad habit now?"
Yan Yuehe immediately pretended to be stupid, her eyes darting around: "I didn't say anything like that, you must have remembered wrong."
"No?" Gou Qing deliberately dragged out the words, the corners of his mouth involuntarily turning up as he smiled and held out his hand to her. "I'm not teasing you anymore. Let's go eat first, or the food will get cold."
Gou Qing had prepared all the food by six o'clock. After realizing he couldn't contact Yan Yuehe, he specially covered all the food with an insulated cover.
The table was empty on both sides, except for the two of them.
"Where is Yu Zhi?"
"He had some things to do at the hospital, so he packed some food to eat there himself."
...
For the next few days, they indeed sat facing each other at every meal. There were always two sets of chopsticks and bowls on the table, and the portions of three dishes and a soup were just right for the two of them.
According to Gou Qing, Yu Zhi had hundreds or even thousands of reasons to pack up food and take it away.
Even the slow-witted Yan Yuehe couldn't help but wonder: Did Gou Qing never agree to let Yu Zhi come over for dinner?
But that doesn't matter; she can only think of Yu Zhi when she first sits down.
Is the food alright today?
What do you want to eat tomorrow?
"Want to go grocery shopping together later?"
...
Their usual activity after dinner is to go to the supermarket hand in hand.
Unlike her initial awkwardness in holding hands, Yan Yuehe now understands the joy of holding hands.
A simple touch of skin is more reassuring than any words.
Holding hands is simple, but the various ways of holding hands can easily convey the other person's feelings through the strength and warmth: a desire to become one.
"Is the lady paying again?" The cashier at the supermarket at the entrance of the residential area glanced at the two regular customers with a look that was hard to describe.
"Yes." Yan Yuehe took out her card.
The shopping card that Ms. He Yanli had given her finally came in handy.
As previously agreed, Yan Yuehe would pay for the meal, so the two of them would finalize the menu for tomorrow while shopping at the supermarket in the evening.
They really look like a young couple living together.
The day the two met was also the day the other two puppies were to be sent back to the dog training base.
Although Yan Yuehe knew long ago that only one of the three puppies would ultimately remain, she still felt a little reluctant when the day actually came.
She squatted in front of the doghouse, looking at the three adorable little ones: "In-laws~ Atlas's dad~ Gou Qing!"
"Are you calling me or naming them?" Gou Qing walked over.
Yan Yuehe has been coming here more frequently lately and has become quite familiar with the place.
"Of course it's calling you." She tilted her head back, pointing to the three little ones in the doghouse and Gou Qing to confirm, "Of these three puppies, which one does Atlas like the most?"
“Actually, they’re all pretty much the same.” Gou Qing’s gaze swept over the three little ones side by side, then looked at Atlas and Pang Bao, who were having a great time playing outside. “It seems that it prefers the big one outside.”
Yan Yuehe was speechless: "...I'm asking you seriously."
Gou Qing chuckled: "I was answering seriously too."
Atlas is an "irresponsible" mother dog. She doesn't have much patience for her three puppies. When she's in a good mood, she'll lie in her bed and let them drink a little, but when she's in a bad mood, she won't even nurse them.
The three puppies in the kennel grew up so strong thanks to him and Yu Zhi feeding them by hand.
"So which two are you planning to send away?"
Perhaps it's a case of grandparents favoring their grandchildren, but Yan Yuehe now likes everyone she sees, and they're all much better than that troublemaking dog son outside the compound.
Gou Qing doesn't like making choices: "Let it choose for itself. When we move its nest later, we'll see which one Atlas will rush over to save first."
The one chosen by Atlas first will stay here.
Because Yan Yuehe was so eager to know the final result, Gou Qing moved the test, which was originally scheduled for the afternoon, forward.
After opening the glass door, Gou Qing called out, "Atlas!"
The moment Atlas turned around and happily rushed over, Yan Yuehe took Yu Zhi's place, dragging its doghouse and leading the three puppies out the door.
Atlas barked once and then slowly walked toward the doghouse that Yan Yuehe had dragged away.
Under the tense gazes of the two.
Atlas opened his mouth and bit down on Yan Yuehe, who was trying to "steal" the puppy.
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