Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Jealous? I Only Walk Huituichang "Haha, I just remembered I still have a proposal to revise! Gotta go, see you next time!" Seeing the situation was getting dicey, Liang Jiayi quickly set an alarm as an excuse and bolted, leaving Nan Shu alone in utter disarray. Nan Shu: "..." The soundproofing in this apartment at Jingyuan Huating was quite good. Based on when Xie Zeyan had opened the door, he should have only caught the words "stir-fry," right? As for what was being stir-fried, the right to interpret that belonged solely to Nan Shu. "Um." Nan Shu cleared her throat and started making things up. "You might not know this, but the stir-fried rice noodles I make are really good." "Is that so?" Xie Zeyan narrowed his eyes slightly. Nan Shu wasn't very good at lying, and the directness of his gaze made her lower her head. But since things had come to this, she had no choice but to steel herself and keep spinning the story. Xie Zeyan went into the kitchen to get some water, and Nan Shu followed behind him, her face flushed and heart racing. "Yeah! So how about I make you stir-fried rice noodles for breakfast tomorrow?" Xie Zeyan poured himself a glass of ice water and downed it. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, and the sexy mole above it was especially eye-catching. After a few seconds of silence, he chuckled softly. "Sure." Great. Xie Zeyan bought it. Nan Shu breathed a slight sigh of relief, her body relaxing along with it. "What time do you go to work tomorrow? I'll get up early to cook the noodles." "I can skip it and just follow your schedule." So he could be that casual about it? Did this young master treat his workplace like his own home? "Then... okay." Nan Shu set an alarm on her phone. Even though Xie Zeyan said to follow her schedule, she didn't feel right about sleeping in. Liang Jiayi happened to send a message at that moment. Liang Jiayi: [Did the rice get cooked yet?] Nan Shu: [...] Nan Shu: [First tell me how raw rice noodles become cooked rice noodles /facepalm.jpg] Nan Shu put her phone away, and the screen showed it was already past nine. She remembered that the night she'd run into Xie Zeyan at Siji had also been around this time, so she asked an extra question: "You're not working the night shift today?" "Night shift?" Xie Zeyan didn't understand. Nan Shu explained: "I mean your job at the bar." Xie Zeyan hadn't expected Nan Shu to still remember what happened at Siji, so he could only make up a lie. "Quit. The pay was too low." No wonder—once when she'd passed by Siji, Nan Shu had gone in for a look but hadn't seen Xie Zeyan. "When did you quit?" "Right after I made you that drink." So it was the day they'd run into each other at Siji. Wait. A thought suddenly occurred to Nan Shu. It couldn't be that Xie Zeyan had gotten into a fight and been fired by his boss, could it? She asked worriedly, "So what are you doing for work these days?" A man looking like he was unemployed would hurt his image, so Xie Zeyan thought for a moment and gave an answer that wasn't exactly a lie to her. "Starting a business?" Nan Shu's eyes lit up when she heard it. "That's impressive! What direction is your business in?" "You're interested?" The corner of Xie Zeyan's mouth curled up involuntarily. Nan Shu nodded like a little garlic-pounding machine. "Very interested." "Wait for me." Xie Zeyan went into his room and brought out a robot shaped like a little dog. At first glance, it looked like a sister to Huituichang. "You can say hello to it," Xie Zeyan said. Nan Shu patted it. "Hello there, you can call me Nannan." The robotic dog replied: "Hello Nannan, my name is Guagua." "Guagua..." Nan Shu repeated it a few times and smiled. "That's a fun name." Xie Zeyan explained that Guagua was a companion robot dog with a wide range of applications. Besides its regular functions, it could tell jokes, play audiobooks, and even join in on board games. Nan Shu propped her chin on both hands and listened attentively to Xie Zeyan's introduction. The man's voice was steady and strong. Nan Shu suddenly remembered a time when she'd gone to the office to ask a question about a problem, and Xie Zeyan happened to be there too. The math teacher had asked him to tutor her. Back then, Xie Zeyan had stood behind her, one hand braced on the desk while the other held a pen, writing on the scratch paper. He carried the faint, clean scent of laundry detergent—fresh and crisp. Nan Shu's lips unconsciously curved into a smile. A man who was serious about his work really did have a certain charm. • The next morning, Nan Shu was woken up by her 7:40 alarm. When she woke up, she saw a message from the delivery guy sent two minutes earlier, saying the ingredients she'd ordered had been left at the door. Nan Shu slowly got up to wash up. When she reached the entryway, she noticed the dog leash on the island counter had been rolled up and hung on the wall. It looked like Xie Zeyan had already taken Huituichang out for a walk this morning. Speaking of which, where was Xie Zeyan? When she'd passed by his room earlier, it was empty, with only neatly folded bedding left behind. Hmph. Well, he'd already come home with her, so no matter where he went, he'd eventually come back. Nan Shu carried the ingredients into the kitchen and laid them all out on the floor, checking them against the receipt. "Bean sprouts, greens, ham sausage... where's the ham sausage?" Huituichang appeared at the kitchen door, wagging her tail. "Woof!" "I'm not talking about you." Nan Shu made a chopping gesture to scare Huituichang. "Mommy is looking for the ham sausage that's been sliced into pieces." Seeing the murderous aura filling the air, Huituichang's little stubby legs kicked off the ground, and she immediately retreated back to her dog bed. Nan Shu could cook, but this was her first time making stir-fried rice noodles. After urgently ordering the ingredients last night, she'd stayed up studying until nearly one in the morning, tucked under her covers. Her current skill level—while not quite reaching the "absolutely delicious" she'd claimed yesterday—was at least edible. She was never lying again. Nan Shu sighed as she stuffed the remaining ingredients into the fridge, phone propped open on a tutorial video, and started stir-frying the rice noodles at high heat. Before long, she was in the kitchen tossing the wok with gusto when she heard the sound of the door opening outside. It was Xie Zeyan, back home. Xie Zeyan had just finished working out. A white towel hung around his neck, and the muscles in his arms bulged from the rush of blood, radiating a strength that was impossible to ignore. He was breathing slightly hard, his black fitted tank top clinging to his body and outlining his lean, defined abs. Nan Shu blinked, her gaze inevitably drifting to the full, firm expanse of the man's chest. Don't look... okay, one look... stop looking... just one last look. "Ah." Nan Shu winced, clutching her twisted neck, and forced her attention back to the wok. She gave the noodles a few more tosses with her spatula, sprinkled on some chopped scallions, and slid the rice noodles from the wok onto a plate. By the time she came out of the kitchen carrying the plate, the bathroom door happened to open at the same moment. Xie Zeyan had just showered, his sleeveless tank top swapped for a short-sleeved shirt. His hair was half-dried from the blow dryer, slightly tousled—yet it only made his cocky, roguish vibe even more pronounced. "Try it." Nan Shu pushed the plate toward him. The rice noodles were steaming, the ham sausage fried to a crispy golden brown, with a few green vegetable leaves scattered on top as garnish. It certainly looked and smelled appetizing. Xie Zeyan's eyes curved with a hint of a smile. "You're planning for the two of us to share one plate?" "No, no," Nan Shu said—she had the nerve to think it, but not the nerve to do it. "I'm about to start filming soon, so I'm watching what I eat. This is for you." The "stir-frying" ordeal was finally over. After breakfast, Xie Zeyan indeed didn't go to work. The two of them each claimed a spot on the couch. Xie Zeyan typed away on his laptop, his brows furrowing from time to time, with the occasional phone call coming in. Nan Shu initially tried to act like a proper, refined lady, sitting straighter than she had in high school class. But eventually, her true nature came out. She slumped half-lying on the couch, phone in hand, joking around with her fans in the reader group. 【@SurnamedNanNotGuagua Teacher Pumpkin, report in quick—how's the cohabitation experience with your crush going?】 【And how's the crush's experience?】 【Has anything happened between you two?】 Nan Shu guiltily dimmed her phone screen to the lowest brightness. SurnamedNanNotGuagua: 【Do you guys really think your great Pumpkin is that kind of person! I've set up a three-point agreement—we keep to our own lanes, no crossing boundaries.】 【Huh? Three-point agreement?】 【What? Three kids in one pregnancy?】 They could turn anything, black or white, into something dirty. That she'd evolved into the famous "Custard Bun Teacher" of the fan site owed no small debt to her readers. Nan Shu shifted positions and was about to reply to her readers when a heavy thud suddenly came from the other room. "Did something fall over?" Nan Shu followed the sound and finally spotted a little white butt sticking up in Xie Zeyan's room. "Huituichang." Nan Shu called to it. Huituichang raised its head at the sound, a white shirt of Xie Zeyan's still clamped in its mouth. Beside it, Guagua had been knocked onto its back, legs flailing in the air, with the charging cable lying on the floor. Complete chaos. Nan Shu let out a helpless sigh. She was about to go in and drag Huituichang out when she suddenly remembered the three-point agreement she'd made with Xie Zeyan that day. 【No entering each other's rooms without permission】 She could only retract the foot she'd already stepped forward, crooking her finger at Huituichang and coaxing gently: "Huituichang, come out now." Huituichang didn't budge. Its right paw lifted, looking very much like it was about to pee on Xie Zeyan's shirt. Nan Shu panicked and raised her voice: "Huituichang! No! Come out, or Mommy's going to spank your butt!" "Following the rules so strictly?" A deep, magnetic male voice suddenly came from behind her, and the warm breath from his nose brushed against the back of her neck. Nan Shu's body couldn't help but tremble. She let out a soft "Mm." Xie Zeyan walked into the room, then turned to her and said, "Come in." Seeing her rooted to the spot at the doorway, Xie Zeyan curved his lips. "The rule says without the other's permission—but I've already given you permission now." Only then did Nan Shu step inside. This was the first time she'd entered Xie Zeyan's room since he'd moved in. On the nightstand, his watch and earbuds were arranged neatly. His suit hung on the valet stand, pressed and immaculate. The setting sun filtered through the white gauze curtains, casting patches of orange light across the floor. The room carried a faint scent of cedarwood—the same pleasant smell as on him. Nan Shu crouched down. Xie Zeyan's shirt was clamped firmly in Huituichang's jaws. She tried to pry the dog's mouth open, but to no avail—instead, Huituichang only bit down harder. Nan Shu shot Xie Zeyan a pleading look. He stepped forward, lifted a corner of the shirt, and covered Huituichang's eyes. The dog immediately released its grip. Nan Shu blinked in surprise. So that's how it worked. Nan Shu seized the chance to grab the shirt—only to find herself staring straight at Xie Zeyan through a coin-sized hole in the fabric. "……" She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'll buy you a new one." With that, she pressed down on Huituichang's head and looked at Guagua, who had fallen over on the ground. She reached out to help it up, but unexpectedly, Xie Zeyan reached out at the same time, and their fingers touched. The man's fingertips were slightly cool. The moment Nan Shu touched them, it felt like an electric current passed through her, and she yanked her hand back. In contrast, Xie Zeyan didn't react as strongly. He righted Guagua and said, "Looks like Huituichang is jealous." At noon, Nan Shu had sat on the sofa hugging Guagua and played with it for quite a while. Although Xie Zeyan had said Guagua was already outdated, Nan Shu found it quite entertaining. Guagua even played a half-hour game of Situation Puzzle with her. That was when Huituichang had already been itching to act. Finally, in the evening, it charged into Xie Zeyan's room and dealt a heavy blow to Guagua, who couldn't even defend itself. The struggle for the throne had always been like this. Nan Shu gave Huituichang a thorough scolding. Knowing it had done something wrong, Huituichang stayed still and quiet, its eyes brimming with tears, when Xie Zeyan carried it out of the room. Xie Zeyan gently stroked Huituichang's head, clipped on its leash, and asked Nan Shu, "Want to walk the dog together later?" These past couple of days, Xie Zeyan had walked the dog in the morning and Nan Shu in the evening. They'd never had a chance to walk it together. Nan Shu naturally wanted to, but she pretended to hesitate for a moment before agreeing. Seeing her mom come over to take the leash, Huituichang got happy again and pounced at her calves. The two of them walked Huituichang downstairs and happened to run into Grandma from the eighth floor, who was coming back from walking her Pomeranian. "Little Nan, I picked some fresh vegetables over here. I'll bring some up to you tonight." Nan Shu smiled and said okay, then bent down to play with the little Pomeranian. Huituichang got jealous again and let out a couple of "woof woofs" at the Pomeranian as a show of force. The Pomeranian had quite a temper too, and if Xie Zeyan hadn't pulled the leash in time, the two dogs would have almost gotten into a fight. Along the way, they ran into several more people who greeted Nan Shu. Xie Zeyan asked, "You've only moved in for a little over half a month, and you're already this familiar with them?" "Yeah. The one who greeted me downstairs just now is Grandma from 801. I ran into her last time when I was walking Huituichang. She said her phone was broken and she couldn't receive calls. I took a look and saw it was on silent, so I turned off the silent mode for her. Then she praised me, saying I was capable and would go far." "And also—I ran into another grandma before. She recognized me as an actress and said she'd watched several of my dramas." At this point, Nan Shu's tone couldn't hide her excitement, mixed with a hint of shyness. "She actually said she really likes me." "Surprised?" Nan Shu nodded. "After all, you know, I'm the kind of nobody you couldn't find even if you searched heaven and earth. Very few people ever notice me." A self-deprecating joke, but it didn't make Xie Zeyan laugh. Instead, he stopped walking and looked at Nan Shu seriously. "Actually, a lot of people like you." Nan Shu's expression shifted slightly. Hearing the word "like" come from Xie Zeyan's mouth stirred an odd feeling in her heart. Really? She lowered her head slightly, not quite agreeing, but a thought that had puzzled her came to mind. "Before, my Weibo gained over a hundred thousand followers overnight. At the time, I didn't have any drama airing, and it wasn't the company buying followers. Even now, I still have no idea what happened." Nan Shu had almost thought she'd blown up back then. She'd practiced her signature for over an hour in her room, only to find out later that they were all bot accounts. After hearing this, Xie Zeyan awkwardly rubbed his nose and said nothing. After walking a full loop around the neighborhood, the two entered the elevator. Nan Shu asked Xie Zeyan, "Have you been walking other people's dogs lately?" Huituichang lunged forward, and Xie Zeyan gently tugged the leash as he answered, "No, I only walk Huituichang." Business must not be doing too well lately, Nan Shu thought with a sigh. But then she reconsidered—Xie Zeyan was starting his own business, so he probably didn't have time to walk other dogs anyway. A talented person who'd studied abroad in the UK should, by all means, be putting in extra effort to build a beautiful new China. Taking dog-walking orders every day was truly a waste of his talent. Nan Shu opened the door, unclipped the leash from Huituichang, and picked up its two paws. "Huituichang, come say thank you to big brother. He takes you out to play every day." Xie Zeyan, who was still changing his shoes at the entrance, paused and suddenly called her name. "Nan Shu." Nan Shu turned around. "You're Huituichang's mom." He gave a faint, ambiguous smile. "So how did I become its big brother?"