Chapter 44: Dealing With You Is Easy

“Need to change shoes?”

“No need.”

Song Yao carried the vegetables into the kitchen, tied on an apron, rinsed rice and started cooking, then put pork ribs and belly meat into the pot.

With nothing else to do, Xu Qingzhou carefully observed the rooms around him: three bedrooms and a living room, slightly larger than his own home, with a balcony lined with potted plants.

Soon, Song Yao came out of the kitchen, saw he looked bored, and began showing him around: “This is the study—my parents work here. This is my parents’ room. This one is mine.”

She opened the door to the room and led him inside.

The room was in pastel pink, with several dolls on the headboard, emitting a faint, sweet fragrance.

The couple stopped asking further, instantly adopting an “of course we understand” expression.

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“Sis, you’re holding that knife wrong,” Xu Qingzhou said, watching with growing anxiety.

“Passed, Subject Two, No. 16,” Xu Qingzhou placed the car keys on the shoe rack, poured himself a glass of water, and suspected Song Yao had done it on purpose—knowing the tomato and egg was too salty, she’d scooped out two big spoonfuls for him.

“What are you laughing at?” Song Yao put down her phone.

Song Yao blushed slightly: “It’s my first time bringing a guy home.”

Song Yao pouted, reluctantly accepting his excuse.

Xu Qingzhou smiled and began stir-frying: he took out the blanched ribs, washed them clean, made caramelized sugar, and prepared three dishes and one soup.

“Hand me a plate,” Xu Qingzhou said. Seeing the person leaning against the doorframe didn’t react, he waved his hand. “Song Yao. You’re not actually falling for me, are you?”

Fortunately, the signal back home was poor, making video calls inconvenient.

Kitchen.

Watching her struggle even to chop vegetables properly, Xu Qingzhou gave up, took the knife from her hand—letting her cook would mean they wouldn’t eat until midnight.

“Not at all,” Xu Qingzhou rephrased as Song Yao bristled again. “What I mean is, Miss Song, your aura is cold and unique—not like those ordinary little girls.”

Huh, Song Yao actually knows San Da. And she can do the splits. “I’ve trained in San Da and police grappling,” Song Yao scanned Xu Qingzhou from head to toe. “Dealing with you? Easy.”

“Are you slicing meat or carving a meat block?”

“How did Xiao Yao do on the exam?”

Xu Qingzhou looked over, his lip twitching—Song Yao wore her San Da uniform, radiating four clear words: Keep Away.

Song Yao held her phone, speaking to Zhang Junli on the other end.

“Tasty?”

Xu Qingzhou shook his head, picked up a piece of egg, ate it—it was overly salty—but seeing Song Yao watching him expectantly, he forced a compliment: “Mm, delicious.”

“Delicious.”

“Then eat more.”

Ding~Dong~ Just as they were about to eat, Song Yao’s phone rang. Seeing the caller’s name, she jumped, then signaled Xu Qingzhou to be quiet.

“Have you had dinner yet?”

Xu Qingzhou said: “Two to one—the motion passes!”

“Actually,” Xu Shouyun thought carefully, speaking slowly, “Qingzhou can go alone. He’s an adult now—he should train himself. Wanting to venture out is normal. I don’t need you to send him. I’ll go myself.” Xu Qingzhou shook his head—he’d lived in Beijing for nearly ten years; he knew it inside out.

Xu Qingzhou smiled softly, thinking Song Yao was kind of cute—daring to bring him home, yet acting like a guilty thief.

“One vote against!” Wang Xiaping was unhappy—she thought these two men were just fooling around.

“Good,” Xu Qingzhou took the plate, sighed, and said: “Men like me are destined for science. Love and such? Just clouds.”

Song Yao instantly bristled: “What do you mean it doesn’t fit my persona? Xu Qingzhou, are you not even treating me as a girl?”

Song Yao chuckled twice, pointing to the photo wall on the left: “Why don’t you take a look at that before you speak?”

“Still, you’ve got guts bringing a guy home. Aren’t you worried I might lose control, hehe?” Xu Qingzhou said.

“Mm, eaten.”

She had no guilt—but her parents were caring for her grandmother; she couldn’t let them worry.

Two minutes later, Song Yao hung up, patted her chest, exhaled deeply—close call. Almost got caught.

Xu Qingzhou washed vegetables and assisted; Song Yao was the head chef, carefully chopping green peppers.

Suddenly felt like he’d been looked down on.

Braised pork, stir-fried green peppers with pork, tomato and egg, rib soup. To give her a sense of involvement, he left the tomato and egg to her. At six p.m., the young couple sat at the table, ready to eat.

At seven p.m., Xu Qingzhou drove home. His parents were watching TV.

Xu Qingzhou: “.”

“Eating now. Mm. I’ll take care of myself.”

Yet watching Xu Qingzhou chop vegetables with such skill, she felt a strange, inexplicable sensation rise in her chest.

“No way—it’s over a thousand kilometers!” Wang Xiaping objected. In her eyes, Xu Qingzhou was still a child.

“This is your room?” Xu Qingzhou was surprised—it wasn’t what he imagined. “So much pink? Doesn’t match your persona.”

After sitting down, Wang Xiaping remembered the matter at hand, turned to Xu Shouyun, and said: “Old Xu, remember to take leave. On the 1st, we’ll send our son to school.”

It felt as if... she wished this moment could slow down.

!.

Song Yao snapped back, glaring at Xu Qingzhou, then took a plate from the cabinet: “Who fell for you? Self-absorbed. I just think you’re a decent dinner partner.”

“Hmph, narcissist,” Song Yao muttered.

“Mom~ How’s Grandma? Mm. Tell her I’ll visit her soon.”

Song Yao felt embarrassed—she’d planned to show off her cooking, but now Xu Qingzhou was the chef.

“I object,” Xu Qingzhou raised his hand. “Mom, I’m an adult now. I can take care of myself.”

Actually, if Old Xu and Wang Xiaping were going on vacation, fine—but if they took special leave just to send him off, it was completely unnecessary. Better to save the holiday for later, when they could visit him again.

“True. Besides, Qingzhou isn’t going alone—Song Yao’s going to Beijing University too.”

When Xu Shouyun mentioned Song Yao, Wang Xiaping finally relented—but didn’t immediately agree. She said they’d wait and ask Song Shisong’s family, then discuss how to arrange the kids’ school trip together.

(End of Chapter)