While sighing, someone knocked on the door.
Zhou Lie walked over and opened it. At the door stood a young man with a stern expression, his features incredibly handsome.
Jiang Han held a bag of fruit and spoke gently, "Auntie, hello. My name is Jiang Han, I’m Baotan’s... colleague."
"Oh, so you’re Tantant’s colleague! Please come in, please come in. The house is still a bit messy since we just moved in. I hope you don’t mind."
Jiang Han stepped in, set the fruit down, and immediately started cleaning.
"Baotan and... Miss Shen aren’t here?" Jiang Han asked casually.
"Oh, the two of them went to the supermarket to buy groceries. They should be back soon. Oh no, you shouldn’t be doing chores! Please have a seat on the sofa and take a rest."
Jiang Han smiled, "Auntie, I live just upstairs. If you ever need help, don’t hesitate to ask me."
Zhou Lie was dazzled by Jiang Han’s smile, and by the time she came to her senses, Jiang Han was already wiping the windows with a cloth.
Zhou Lie felt touched for the umpteenth time today.
Tantant really meets the nicest people.
Zhao Heng, the president of an entertainment company, had even taken on the role of a laborer and driver for them, willingly and cheerfully. Who would believe this if word got out?
The big supermarket shopping trip today had worn Zhao Heng out.
A hand lightly tapped his shoulder: "You need to exercise more. At this rate, you’ll suffer from poor health and kidney deficiency."
"Damn it, Boss, don’t scare me like that!" Zhao Heng jolted, bumping his head against the trunk lid, his handsome face twisting in pain.
"Health is the foundation of your revolution. Exercise well, and I’ll check on you next time."
"Boss, you’re exploiting me — squeezing me dry, both physically and mentally. Managing the company is already exhausting enough, and now I can’t even slack off in private. Boss, you’re simply a heartless capitalist."
"Compared to you, even 996 and 007 business practices seem compassionate."
With Zhao Heng grumbling all the way, they finally reached home.
Zhou Lie cooked up a generous spread of dishes, and the five of them gathered around the table for a satisfying meal.
"Let’s play rock-paper-scissors — loser does the dishes."
Shen You’an insisted Zhou Lie go to her room and rest; preparing such a big meal had been the hardest work of all.
Zhao Heng was eager to try his luck; he had never lost in this kind of game.
Shen You’an exchanged a glance with Qi Baotan, who raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly.
Across from them, Jiang Han lowered his gaze quietly.
In the end, Zhao Heng lost.
"Damn, am I really this unlucky?"
Unconvinced, Zhao Heng protested, "No, let’s go again — best two out of three."
After losing three more rounds, Zhao Heng began to question his existence.
Suspiciously, he scrutinized the three people across from him: "You’re ganging up, right? Just targeting me for your schemes."
Shen You’an said calmly, "What’s the matter? Can’t handle losing?"
"Who said I can’t handle losing? It’s just washing some dishes. It’s no big deal."
Zhao Heng stubbornly headed into the kitchen for his battle with the dishes.
As soon as Zhao Heng left, Qi Baotan couldn’t hold back her laughter.
"An’an, are we being too unfair to President Zhao?"
Shen You’an raised an eyebrow. "His future wife will thank me for this."
Out of everything that night, Jiang Han only absorbed that one sentence.
After leaving Qi Baotan’s house, Zhao Heng drove Shen You’an back to the hotel.
"Boss, how about I buy you a one-bedroom apartment? Staying in a hotel all the time isn’t practical."
"Let’s leave it for now. I’ll be leaving soon anyway."
Zhao Heng gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"In the next few days."
Before the school term begins, Shen needed to allocate enough time to deal with Zhou Qin’s complications.
Shen You’an said indifferently, "Keep an eye on him for me."
Zhao Heng rubbed his hands together excitedly like a fly, "Are we taking him down?"
Shen You’an lowered her gaze to her phone.
Back at the hotel, as Shen You’an stepped into the lobby, she instantly noticed a familiar figure in the lounge area. As soon as the figure spotted her, he reflexively stood up.
Shen You’an cast him a cool glance and stepped into the elevator.
The man hesitated briefly before quickly following her in.
In the enclosed, upward-moving space, the atmosphere felt silent and suffocating.
The tall man lowered his head respectfully, his demeanor subdued.
"Subordinate Xiao Long greets you, Master."