Tonight, Zheng You’an was feeling most troubled.

She lay on the hotel bed, opening Ruan Sixian’s WeChat dialog box one moment, then Fu Mingyu’s WeChat dialog box the next, but couldn’t bring herself to take the next step.

Those two were a couple, so it seemed that no matter who she came clean to, the effect would be the same.

Zheng You’an had never found herself in such a predicament before and deeply understood what it meant for trouble to come from one’s mouth.

She had only wanted to fool her father so he would stop trying to set her up with Fu Mingyu, but she hadn’t expected Ruan Sixian to be with Fu Mingyu, hadn’t expected Dong Xian’s biological daughter to be Ruan Sixian, and certainly hadn’t expected Dong Xian to tell Ruan Sixian about this matter.

The jokes of fate always interconnect.

Although Zheng You’an didn’t think much of Fu Mingyu as a person, forcibly breaking up a couple was still a sin, no matter how obscure that couple might be.

Moreover, the male lead of this couple was not someone to be trifled with.

Zheng You’an rolled back and forth on the bed several times, then lay face down and frantically pounded her pillow.

Suddenly she sat up, hair disheveled, sitting cross-legged, thinking and thinking, and finally sent a message to Yan’an.

[Zheng You’an] — Yan’an brother, want to chat for a bit?

It was now eleven o’clock at night, with the bar’s music blasting and smoke swirling around.

Yan’an thought he was drunk, glanced at his watch, and confirmed he hadn’t gotten the time wrong.

[Yan’an] — This late at night, you’re looking for me to chat?

[Zheng You’an] — I want to ask a question. That is, if you have a girlfriend, with a good relationship, and someone slanders you in front of your girlfriend, saying you’re very promiscuous and flirtatious, what would you do?

Yan’an thought for a moment and felt this question was difficult to answer.

Because this wasn’t slander at all, it was the truth.

[Yan’an] — No worries, just clear up the misunderstanding [grinning]

[Zheng You’an] — No, what would you do to the person who slandered you?

[Yan’an] — Depends if it’s a man or woman. If it’s a woman, I’d let it go. If it’s a man, I’d finish him off.

[Zheng You’an] — What about Fu Mingyu? What would he do?

[Yan’an] — Him? He’s petty, doesn’t matter if it’s a man or woman, he’d finish them all off.

Zheng You’an fell back on the bed with a whimper.

[Yan’an] — Why are you asking about him again? You still haven’t gotten over him?

[Zheng You’an] — Stop joking around.

Now it might be that he won’t let me off.

The next day it rained during the return journey. By the time they reached Jiang City, the cloud layer was very low, and they had to circle for almost half an hour before landing.

Fu Mingyu’s monitoring information was very prompt, and Ruan Sixian received his message as soon as she got off the plane.

[Fu Mingyu] — Arrived?

Ruan Sixian dragged her flight case, walking quickly.

[Ruan Sixian] — Yes.

[Fu Mingyu] — Come to the office and wait for me.

Ruan Sixian looked up toward the upper floors, and could faintly see a familiar silhouette in front of those floor-to-ceiling windows.

[Ruan Sixian] — No, I’ll go home first. You can come for dinner.

Fu Mingyu received the message, glanced down, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

[Fu Mingyu] — You’re cooking today?

[Ruan Sixian] — Yes.

Back at his desk, Zhu Dong called.

Zhu Dong — “Free tonight? Let’s go out for dinner together?”

Fu Mingyu was in a good mood and shook his head. “Not coming, I have something to do.”

Just after hanging up, Ji Yan’s call came in.

“I’m going abroad on business for a long time. Come to dinner tonight to see me off.”

“Not coming,” Fu Mingyu said. “Having dinner with my girlfriend tonight.”

“Come together,” Ji Yan said. “It’ll be lively with lots of people today. Just the two of you would be lonely.”

Fu Mingyu smiled without speaking, and after two seconds of silence, Ji Yan let out a sigh. “Fine, go enjoy your private world.”

On this side, Fu Mingyu was in good spirits, working with twice the efficiency.

Ruan Sixian wasn’t slow either. Without even changing her clothes, she went to the supermarket to buy some ingredients, though she spent quite some time selecting ingredients and seasonings, and only left the supermarket an hour later.

Back home, she changed clothes, took the items into the kitchen, and emotionlessly raised her knife and chopped it down. The chicken’s head was cleanly separated from its body on the cutting board and rolled onto the floor.

She didn’t often cook. Usually, when she cooked, it was just to make some noodles or quick dumplings for herself. Occasionally when she wanted to make more complex dishes, she had to follow recipes.

But today everything went surprisingly smoothly. Each cut of the knife was perfect, the meat was cut well, evenly, with consistent thickness, looking pleasing to the eye.

Perhaps this is what cooking with love is like.

At seven in the evening, the doorbell rang.

Ruan Sixian wore a form-fitting brown sweater, and simple jeans, with an apron around her neck, her hair tied back, and appeared at the door just like that.

Fu Mingyu thought she looked especially gentle today.

“You just got back today, aren’t you tired? Why cook yourself?” he asked.

“Not tired,” Ruan Sixian raised her eyebrows slightly, smiling as she said, “Isn’t this a big gift for you?”

So this was her big gift?

Fu Mingyu was somewhat disappointed.

He thought it would be something else.

She pulled Fu Mingyu inside, making him sit on the sofa.

“Wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon.”

Seeing Ruan Sixian like this, Fu Mingyu felt a bit unaccustomed.

“Do you need any help?”

“No need.”

Ruan Sixian returned to the kitchen, worked deftly and quickly, and soon brought out three dishes.

Zaozhuang spicy chicken, chopped chili fish head, and water-boiled sliced pork.

Looking at this table of finished dishes, Ruan Sixian was a bit shocked.

Indeed, if you don’t push yourself, you’ll never know how excellent you can be.

However, when Fu Mingyu sat at the table, facing the all-red dishes, he looked puzzled.

Ruan Sixian sat across from him, offering him the first pair of chopsticks.

“Try it, I just learned how to make these.”

Fu Mingyu held the chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and ate a piece of water-boiled sliced pork, but didn’t say anything.

“Not good?” Ruan Sixian asked.

“No,” Fu Mingyu said, “It’s not bad.”

Ruan Sixian hummed, then pointed to the chopped chili fish head, “Try this one too.”

Though Fu Mingyu didn’t like spicy food, he was very conscious of giving face to his girlfriend. He tasted it and nodded, “Not bad.”

Ruan Sixian then pointed at the Zaozhuang spicy chicken, “What about this one?”

This dish looked a bit hard to swallow just by looking at it.

At this moment, Ruan Sixian got up to pour a glass of water. Fu Mingyu thought it was for him and reached out to take it, but Ruan Sixian held the cup and moved to the side, “What are you doing? You haven’t tried this dish yet.”

It was just one dish, after all, made by his girlfriend personally. There was no reason not to eat it.

Fu Mingyu very politely ate it.

“How is it?” Ruan Sixian asked again.

“It’s fine,” Fu Mingyu said with a calm expression, but after speaking, he put down his chopsticks.

“Then continue eating.”

As Ruan Sixian said this, she had an “if you don’t finish this today, you don’t love me” kind of attitude.

If that was the case, then her big gift was indeed quite heavy—in flavor.

Fu Mingyu now finally felt that something was off with Ruan Sixian. He raised his eyes slightly but didn’t ask much, very politely sampling her cooking.

Mouthful after mouthful, his throat felt like it was on fire, and his back was subtly breaking out in sweat.

But there was no expression on his face. He ate elegantly, his actions not particularly slow. Soon, a third of the food on the plate was gone.

Seeing this posture, even Ruan Sixian started to believe these dishes were not bad.

Was I inviting you to taste delicious food?

Ruan Sixian felt like she had punched cotton, and angrily picked up her chopsticks to taste a bite.

She ate quickly, and before she could taste any other flavors, a spicy sensation shot from her mouth to her brain, instantly causing her eyes to tear up.

Fu Mingyu handed her the water glass, which she immediately accepted, drinking a couple of sips to dilute the taste in her mouth, still gasping with her mouth half-open.

Fu Mingyu watched her calmly, eyebrows slightly raised, looking somewhat mocking.

“Next time use less chili, you clearly can’t handle spicy food yourself.”

Ruan Sixian decisively put the glass on the table, “Don’t you like spicy food?”

Fu Mingyu looked up at her, “Who told you I like spicy food?”

Looking at the dishes on the table, he added, “My dietary preference is towards mild flavors. This isn’t the first time we’ve eaten together, don’t you know?”

Ruan Sixian laughed coldly — “Well, I saw you seemed to like that spicy girl quite a bit yesterday.”

That “looks good” almost made her furious.

Fu Mingyu narrowed his eyes, trying hard to recall.

Yesterday he had almost stayed in the office the whole day, even meals were brought in by restaurant staff. The people he saw were either Bai Yang or a few middle managers, all at the age of hair transplants or wearing wigs. Where did a spicy girl come from?

“Did I see anyone?”

Ruan Sixian squinted, her gaze dangerous.

Keep pretending, just keep pretending.

Why not change your species to a plastic bag since you’re so good at it?

In the silence, Fu Mingyu did recall something, “Are you talking about those photos yesterday?”

He unhurriedly took out his phone, found the picture, and this time his attention wasn’t on Ruan Sixian’s feet. Looking at the upper right corner, there were indeed four or five bikini-clad women posing provocatively.

Ruan Sixian stared at him with a “let’s see how you explain this” look.

Fu Mingyu lowered his eyes, looking at the phone, and said calmly, “It does look good.”

Ruan Sixian took a deep breath, “You—”

“But I was talking about your feet.”

?

Ruan Sixian took out her phone and looked. Her feet were indeed in the frame.

“Wait, who asked you to look at my feet?” Ruan Sixian asked, “Do you have a foot fetish?”

Fu Mingyu put down his phone, picked up some food, and said calmly, “Not exactly a foot fetish, but when it comes to you, I might have more than just a foot fetish.”

“…”

How could he say such things so casually, as if he were just saying “The weather is nice today”?

Ruan Sixian let out a breath, feeling her cheeks getting warm, not knowing if it was because of the spicy food or his provocative words.

Anyway, she couldn’t have a normal conversation with him now.

Ruan Sixian took a sip of water and said very solemnly, “Did you sleep well last night?”

Fu Mingyu put down his chopsticks, poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, sat down beside Ruan Sixian, and said, “Just say what’s on your mind.”

Ruan Sixian thought about it, so she decided to be direct.

“I was irritated yesterday,” she looked at Fu Mingyu, “Because I heard some rumors about you.”

“Oh?” Fu Mingyu said indifferently, “What rumors?”

“Someone said you’re quite promiscuous, that once abroad you have no restraint, indulging in spicy girls and beautiful women. Oh, and you might have even taken someone away for a night of passion or something.”

Hearing these words, Fu Mingyu didn’t seem to have much of a reaction. He raised his chin slightly, “Go on.”

Ruan Sixian wondered why he did not react, “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Fu Mingyu — “I want to hear you finish first.”

“I don’t know any more specifics,” Ruan Sixian said. “Then yesterday I was wondering if it was true, after all, the person who told me this isn’t the kind to make things up out of nowhere.”

After Ruan Sixian finished speaking, she stopped, waiting for Fu Mingyu’s answer.

She stared at him without blinking, her heart feeling as if it were suspended in midair.

She had thought she could ask this question very calmly and rationally, but that wasn’t the case.

Ruan Sixian found herself quite nervous. At the very least, she could feel that she cared about this person more than she had imagined.

Fu Mingyu didn’t know who he had offended recently to spread such rumors about him.

Thinking about who Ruan Sixian might have met yesterday, the answer didn’t seem difficult.

He picked up the phone and began scrolling through his contacts.

“What are you doing?” Ruan Sixian asked.

“Was it Zheng You’an who said this?” Fu Mingyu said. “I’ll call her to verify. I’d like to ask her when she saw it.”

Seeing that he had already found Zheng You’an’s number and was dialing, Ruan Sixian reached over to grab his phone, “Hey! No need!”

Fu Mingyu raised his hand high, put it on speaker, and Zheng You’an’s ringtone started to sound.

“Don’t call, really don’t call!” Ruan Sixian pounced on him, holding his arm to grab the phone. “Hang up quickly!”

Fu Mingyu used his other arm to hold her waist, pressing her against him.

Ruan Sixian looked up, their eyes met, and his deep voice sounded in her ear.

“You don’t trust me that much?”

Their breathing suddenly intertwined. Ruan Sixian abruptly stopped moving, her hand slowly dropping down to rest on his shoulder.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” she looked away, muttering softly. “Someone like you who’s so… good at kissing, it’s normal to suspect you’re quite experienced.”

“Hmm?” Fu Mingyu raised an eyebrow, “What did you say?”

Ruan Sixian didn’t know if he hadn’t heard or was pretending not to. Taking advantage of his inattention, she suddenly reached out to hang up the call.

“Any woman would be angry hearing these things,” Ruan Sixian twisted his shirt, saying, “But I just want to hear your explanation.”

Fu Mingyu slowly put down his phone, his other arm holding her, saying word by word, “It’s not true. I’ve never done that.”

Ruan Sixian lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and nodded slightly.

All right, that’s good.

But Fu Mingyu wanted to inquire further, “Is she talking about the time we went to Spain together?”

Ruan Sixian felt that this matter couldn’t be hidden from Fu Mingyu, so she didn’t pretend anymore.

“Yes.”

Fu Mingyu pinched her face, saying softly, “My mind was full of you then, how could I possibly look at other women?”

At first hearing, these words sounded quite sweet.

But—

Ruan Sixian punched his shoulder, “Don’t be so glib. What relationship did we have then for you to be thinking about me?”

After saying this, she saw Fu Mingyu staring intently at her and seemed to understand something.

“Really?”

Fu Mingyu hooked her waist, pulling her closer.

“Really.”

Ruan Sixian’s chest gradually felt a bit tight, “You’ve been… since that time?”

“No,” Fu Mingyu said, “Earlier than that.”

“Hmm? When was it then?”

“The first time I saw you.”

As the words fell, the air suddenly became quiet.

The two pairs of eyes looked at each other, with a bit of awkwardness.

“No,” Fu Mingyu added, “I mean, the first time we met this year.”

“…”

“You probably didn’t see me, but I saw you at the terminal.”

“…”

Fu Mingyu himself had never thought about this question before.

It was just that when Ruan Sixian asked like this, he instinctively had this answer. It was the most direct answer given by his heart without thinking.

But if it hadn’t been that way, perhaps with his temperament, Ruan Sixian would have died eight hundred times already.

So that’s how it was.

Ruan Sixian hooked the corner of her mouth, “So you had ulterior motives towards me that early, you’re quite patient.”

“You just realized I’m patient?” Fu Mingyu said, “Aren’t I being patient now as well?”

There was something not so proper in his tone. Ruan Sixian had a moment of awakening and looked down, only to realize that she had been sitting on his lap all along, with his arm around her waist.

She looked away, wanting to stand up, but was restrained by him.

“What about you?”

Ruan Sixian stared at him without speaking.

Fu Mingyu — “Hmm?”

Ruan Sixian knew what question he was asking.

—When did you start to like me?

But Ruan Sixian truly didn’t know.

The only emotional point she could find was the day she agreed to be his girlfriend.

She originally didn’t have much need for romance. When Yan’an came along, she thought he might be all right, but after getting to know him, she found it wasn’t quite what she expected, and her interest faded even more.

Moreover, since her parents’ divorce, she felt that even couples who had been together for over a decade, with grown children, could break up just like that, with all those years going down the drain.

Not to mention a relationship without the support of a marriage certificate—it was too insubstantial, not as real as the gradually increasing flight hours on her task sheet.

But Fu Mingyu was a strange person. That time in the parking lot when he asked if she was just speaking out of anger, a strong impulse to try being with this person suddenly sprouted in her mind.

For some unknown reason, Fu Mingyu had a strange attraction to her.

Initially, he made her bristle with anger every day, like two magnets with the same pole.

But at some unknown point, he quietly reversed his direction, requiring no external force, simply drawing her closer to him.

Fu Mingyu was still waiting for her answer, staring at her directly.

Ruan Sixian’s fingers slowly curled, the tips burning hot.

She lowered her head, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “I don’t know.”

She paused, then said, “Anyway, I like you quite a lot now.”

After saying this, she felt she hadn’t done right by her boyfriend. How could she not answer this kind of question?

So, almost as if to comfort him, she gently kissed his earlobe.

The man’s shoulder twitched, accompanied by the sound of him inhaling.

Ruan Sixian discovered that his earlobe was very soft, much softer than she had imagined, making one want to bite it.

She did what she thought.

She bit it lightly, but the hand on her waist suddenly tightened, pressing the two of them tightly together.

“Are your ears so sensitive?” Ruan Sixian raised her hand, her fingertip circling his Adam’s apple, “What about here?”

Fu Mingyu suddenly grabbed her hand, frowning as he looked at her. His eyes were frighteningly deep, his voice carrying a hint of warning, “Ruan Sixian, if you want to have a good meal today, don’t touch me.”

“…”

I, Ruan Sixian, hate being threatened most in this life!

She broke free from Fu Mingyu’s hand and buried her head to kiss his Adam’s apple.

He reflexively tilted his head back, his long neck tense, as a fine, warm sensation spread throughout his body.

“Tsk—”

He suddenly clasped the back of her head, forcing her to look up, and kissed her.

Ruan Sixian closed her eyes, lost in his kiss, but her consciousness was still clear, clearly feeling that something was wrong with the place pressed against her thigh.

Just then, Fu Mingyu’s phone suddenly rang on the table, the ringtone sounding particularly jarring at this moment.

No one answered, and the ringtone automatically stopped.

But after a while, it rang again.

Ruan Sixian frowned and pushed him away, “Your phone is ringing.”

Fu Mingyu panted, staring at her for two seconds before reaching for his phone.

He tilted his head to look, at the caller ID—”Zheng You’an.”

Normally, Fu Mingyu would directly hang up.

But thinking about today’s matter, he turned to look at Ruan Sixian, “Do you want to listen?”

Ruan Sixian knew what he meant, thought for a moment, and shook her head.

No need anymore.

Fu Mingyu directly hung up the call and put it on silent.

The two looked at each other again, the atmosphere becoming more intense.

Ruan Sixian could very clearly feel his reaction getting stronger.

Her heart pounded heavily, her chest rising and falling dramatically.

Fu Mingyu closed his eyes briefly, his rationality gradually disappearing.

To hell with rationality, this is my girlfriend.

When he opened his eyes again, the way he looked at Ruan Sixian was very eager. He leaned over, close to her ear, wanting to say something.

But when the words reached his throat, he thought of the actual situation.

Her home certainly wouldn’t have anything prepared.

So he grabbed her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it.

“Baby, help me?”