Chapter 14
As the two masters of the house.
Tang Ning's anger came quickly and went quickly. In her heart, Chen Zhiyu was just a child who hadn't grown up yet, and as a mature adult, she didn't need to hold a grudge against him.
After watching the movie, Tang Ning was still in high spirits and had long forgotten about fighting for seats.
When the movie ended, the three of them walked out of the theater with the flow of people. Tang Ning, still looking like she hadn't had enough, asked them, "What are we going to eat later?" Then she offered her own suggestions: "Hot pot? Or barbecue?"
“Let’s go home to eat.” After coming out, Chen Zhiyu, who had been silent, suddenly turned to Qiao Xi, his eyes filled with pleading and entreaty. “There are still plenty of dishes at home.”
Josh thought about it and agreed. She had stocked up on a lot of food in the refrigerator since she came back, and it would get stale if they didn't eat it soon. After a moment's thought, she turned to Tang Ning and discussed with her, "We do have a lot of food at home. We can have hot pot at home."
Tang Ning had no objection at all. She invited Qiao Xi to stay for dinner, mainly because she hadn't seen her in a long time and wanted to spend more time with her. She felt more comfortable at home. "Let's buy some more meat and drinks and have hot pot at home," she said.
Chen Zhiyu hesitated for a moment, but still didn't tell the truth. His original intention was to go home and eat with Qiao Xi. He didn't expect to bring this tagalong along, but this person was like a leech, impossible to shake off.
It was only 4 p.m. after the movie, so the three of them went to the supermarket to prepare ingredients for hot pot.
Tang Ning casually took on the task of buying ingredients and drinks, pushing the cart back and forth in front of the shelves all by herself.
Chen Zhiyu pushed the shopping cart and followed closely behind Josh, who was strolling around.
The shopping cart was already filled with hot pot seasonings, and since it was hot, Josh was planning to buy some ice cream to cool off.
Her hand gripped the freezer handle, and the moment she opened the door, a blast of cool air rushed out. The ice cream display case was neatly filled with all sorts of ice creams.
Josh picked up an ice cream cone and asked the person behind him, "What do you want to eat?"
The frost on the ice cream cone melted instantly into water droplets upon contact with her warm palm, sliding down her hand. "Hmm?" Seeing that Chen Zhiyu, who was behind her, didn't answer, Qiao Xi turned around and asked, "I'm asking you."
Chen Zhiyu took out a pack of tissues from his pocket, pulled out a tissue, and stuffed it into his hands, which were covered in cold water stains. "Wipe yourself." He took a step forward and asked her, "What do you want to eat? I'll get it."
As he spoke, he pulled out a bag from the packaging standing next to him, first filled it with a few popsicles, and then threw in the ice cream cone he had just received.
Josh held a tissue in his hand, leaned against him, and pointed at the freezer with his finger, "This one, and this one too."
Chen Zhiyu obediently put the few ice creams that had been selected for the soldier's call into the packaging bag. "Any more?"
"Get me a Cornetto."
Tang Ning suddenly appeared out of nowhere, squeezing half of his body between the two of them, and directing Chen Zhiyu.
Chen Zhiyu glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, paused for a moment, and then slowly picked up the Cornetto and put it into the packaging bag.
Tang Ning nodded in satisfaction, pushed the cart, and asked them, "I've finished shopping, shall we go?"
Josh glanced at the groceries in the shopping cart to make sure nothing was forgotten, and the three of them went to the checkout counter together.
When he got home, Chen Zhiyu first took the vegetables he had bought to the kitchen and prepared to wash them.
Josh found the induction cooker and pot that hadn't been used for a long time, washed the pot, and then put the bottom of the pot and water in it.
Soon, the rich and spicy broth base boiled in the pot, and the aroma spread, filling the entire living room.
Tang Ning wasn't idle either; she found a comedy show and watched it while adjusting her hot pot dipping sauce.
A well-coordinated assembly line operation.
Josh then arranged the prepared ingredients one by one on the dining table. As the sun set and the last rays of sunlight shone in, they finally enjoyed the hot pot they had worked so hard to prepare.
The dining table at home is a small square table, which is enough for two people to eat at normally. This time, with the addition of Tang Ning, a hot pot pot, and some ingredients for cooking, it felt crowded.
"Come on, let's have a toast first." Before we started eating, Tang Ning raised his glass to Qiao Xi and Chen Zhiyu sitting opposite him, "to celebrate that you finally escaped that godforsaken place and returned to a life with us."
Josh responded immediately.
The pot was already bubbling and boiling, and the spicy aroma made people's mouths water.
In the past, Chen Zhiyu and Qiao Xi always ate face to face, never side by side.
Chen Zhiyu turned to look at Qiao Xi. The steam from the hot pot made her face look rosy. The two were very close, and he could smell the aroma of fruit wine emanating from her.
The fruit wine that Tang Ning bought was delicious and suited Josh's taste perfectly. She had a few glasses while waiting for the meal to start.
Chen Zhiyu also drank two glasses of that fruit wine.
The fruit wine has a sweet and sour taste, similar to the sweetness of lychee, with a hint of pear flavor.
It's smooth and soft at first, followed by a gentle spread of alcohol flavor on the tongue.
The combination of softness and spiciness is like the emotions hidden beneath a calm surface, stirring with barely suppressed passion.
With Tang Ning around, the atmosphere was never dull. She and Qiao Xi chatted endlessly, never getting tired of each other online, and their conversation was even more lively offline.
Tang Ning talked so much that Qiao Xi barely ate anything after sitting down. Chen Zhiyu sat next to her, constantly putting food into her bowl.
From the beginning, she complained about her work and employees. Tang Ning complained about the high pressure of management work, and that her employees were lazy and cunning, taking advantage of her young age, saying one thing to her face and another behind her back, and not doing anything practical.
Chen Zhiyu silently picked up the serving chopsticks and added the blanched vegetables into Qiao Xi's bowl.
Then came complaints about work and pressure from family members to get married.
Tang Ning slammed her hand on the table excitedly and slurred, "How old am I? They want me to get married? Are they okay?"
Chen Zhiyu then used serving chopsticks to put the thoroughly cooked beef and mutton into Qiao Xi's bowl.
During breaks in their conversation, Josh would occasionally glance at him, her eyes glazed over with the effects of alcohol. This wasn't the first time he'd seen her like this, but up close, under the lights, it was even clearer.
Even if the fruit wine has a low alcohol content, Josh couldn't resist eating too much. His cheeks started to turn red, his lips had a slightly rosy sheen, and the misty moisture in his eyes quickly accumulated again.
The dining table wasn't big, and the two of them were sitting very close together.
Josh sat against the wall, his elbows propped on the corner of the table. When he and Tang Ning talked about happy moments, he would put down his chopsticks, pick up his wine glass, and move around. Inevitably, he would bump into Chen Zhiyu.
Once home, Josh immediately changed back into her loungewear, the same white floral black set made of cool, thin cotton fabric.
Chen Zhiyu was wearing black athletic shorts, and when he sat down, the fabric on his knees bunched up.
Josh and Tang Ning were chatting animatedly, and because of the loose-fitting pants, they didn't pay any attention to the movements around their legs. Under the table, the fabric of Josh's pants would occasionally brush against Tang Ning's knees and calves.
Chen Zhiyu looked up at her.
When Josh came closer, the cool touch brushed against his warm knee, and the silky soft fabric caressed his calves, like a frozen landscape meeting fiery lava.
It instantly turned into a puddle of snow water.
It was then simmered until it boiled, so hot that Chen Zhiyu was steaming from the inside out.
He reached for a tissue to wipe his sweat, his arm inadvertently brushing against Josh's arm. He looked down; Josh's fair arm was flushed a faint pink, like a ripe peach.
During the meal, Tang Ning went to the restroom to answer a phone call. Chen Zhiyu took the opportunity to bend down and approach Qiao Xi, saying casually, "Drink less." Then he quietly poured all the remaining fruit wine from her glass into his own and replaced it with a soft drink.
"You're so nosy," Josh muttered, but still took a sip of his ice-cold drink to extinguish some of the alcohol on his face.
When Tang Ning returned, the chatter resumed.
Chen Zhiyu, having finished eating, didn't leave. He sat quietly next to Qiao Xi with his arms crossed, listening to their conversation.
Amidst the cacophony of conversation, a scene flashed through Chen Zhiyu's mind.
Actually, guests rarely come to our house, and even Tang Ning doesn't stay for meals.
Come to think of it, this seems to be the first time.
This is the first time in so many years that someone has come to our home for a meal.
It was also the first time that he and Josh, as hosts, had entertained guests at their home.
Of course, whether the guest is welcomed by him is another matter entirely.
In his view, this had a special meaning. Gradually, Chen Zhiyu's heart began to grow with anticipation and longing.
They began to look forward to the future, perhaps inviting their friends over more often. Among all the lights in the world, there's always one that represents their existence, and even then, it will still be him and Josh sitting side by side.
As the two masters of the house.
It's a pity that the guests who came to visit were more tactful.
Right now, this clueless guest is urging another host to go hiking.
"Seriously, he's so handsome." Tang Ning got so excited that she put down her chopsticks and stopped eating. "I only learned about this industry when I was talking about hiking with someone. Let's go there tomorrow and find a handsome guy to go hiking with us."
Tang Ning saw the climbing companion service somewhere and said, "If I'm lucky, I can find a male college student to climb with me. He can carry my bags and chat with me. This kind of companionship service is perfect for me."
"You still don't have the motivation to climb the mountain?" Tang Ning became more and more excited as she spoke, almost ready to set off on the spot. "If a handsome guy could accompany me to climb the mountain, I would climb it with both hands and feet."
Chen Zhiyu sneered, thinking to himself, "You don't care about your image in front of handsome guys."
“Don’t you still have a few days of vacation left? Let’s go tomorrow.” Tang Ning was a woman of action, and after saying that, she picked up her phone from the table.
Fortunately, Chen Zhiyu knows Josh well enough.
“Climbing mountains? Forget it, I’m not interested.” Josh reached across the table, grabbed Tang Ning’s hand, and stopped her from doing anything else.
"What about handsome guys?" Tang Ning looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"If climbing a mountain is absolutely necessary, then that won't work either."
As expected, Josh firmly refused.
But to his surprise, Josh turned her gaze to him after she finished speaking, looked him up and down, and said in her voice, which was a little hoarse from being soaked in fruit wine, "Besides, my little brother can do it too, why spend that money?"
"That's different."
"How is it different? Aren't we all just chatting while carrying bags?"
Chen Zhiyu didn't know whether to be happy that she admitted her appearance or to be saddened by the word "brother".
Then Josh added, "This can be used at will, and most importantly, it's free."
"....."
But the guest still wouldn't give up trying to drag the homeowner out of the house, saying, "Fine, if you don't want to go, then we'll go shopping tomorrow, is that alright?"
"That's fine."
However, by the time Josh's vacation ended, they hadn't managed to go shopping.
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