Ten minutes later.
Xiao Naofu nestled in its luxurious three-story cat tree, sticking its chubby bum in Xiang Yi's face.
This Huhu isn't this stupid woman's favorite baby, this Huhu is not happy anymore! So angry!
It didn't know that Shi Sui was Xiang Yi's white moonlight from her youth, and she was currently his aunty fan as well. Naturally, it came with a double-layered filter when she viewed him, and anything he did was wonderful.
On the dining table, a pot of instant noodles with ham, eggs and greens exuded a captivating aroma alongside two small plates of sides. In the quiet and warmth of the late night, it looked particularly appetizing.
Xiang Yi tasted a bite and overly exaggerated as she praised, "Senior, you're a culinary god in making instant noodles!"
Xiao Naofu from the cat condo: "..."
Uwuuu you're actually praising this stinky man! You don't know how evil he is!!
Shi Sui smiled lightly. "Bunny, your mouth is so sweet."
Xiang Yi: "Ahhh don't call me by my nickname!"
"How about we do an exchange." The man slowly served himself a bowl of food. "I won't call you by your nickname, and you stop calling me senior."
"Then… how should I address you?"
"Just my name is fine."
Xiang Yi felt a bit conflicted. "Is that really okay?" Although they were mutual peers, Shi Sui was seven years older than her.
"Is it not?" Shi Sui looked at her innocently as he persuasively asked, "Then what do you think...I should be called?"
"Uh… director calls you daddy Shi, how about I call you brother Shi or brother Sui?"
Shi Sui responded leisurely, "Doesn't that mean I have to give you my nong zhang blessing?"
The joy of 'nong zhang' is usually a congratulatory message given to others for having a boy.
Xiang Yi's ears turned red. "That's now how that term is used..."
It sounded as if Director Li had become her and Shi Sui's son...
Shi Sui calmly teased: "It was just a cold joke."*
"I see..." It was very cold indeed.
Xiao Naofu licked its claws in the cat condo with furious vigor. Stupid woman! He's deliberately trying to take advantage of you!
All men are pigs!!
Uwuuu why haven't you come to coddle me yet… if you coax me once—no, it has to be at least twice—this Huhu will acknowledge you!
The Xiang family did not have a 'no talking at the table' rule, so Xiang Yi naturally began to converse with Shi Sui,
"Have you ever experienced the moment when you suddenly want to cry, like coming home to an empty room, and it rained heavily the whole way home, and someone else's mother was chasing after a child and beating them..."
Shi Sui gazed at her silently, asking in a soft voice, "Are you upset over something?"
Xiang Yi always thought that she had good control over her emotions, but she began to feel her nose crinkle at Shi Sui's words.
She thought she was strong enough.
Yet because of Xiang Qi's words, she had uncomfortably fled.
Perhaps the evening light was too gentle, or because she had no fortifications against the man, Xiang Yi unconsciously blurted out: "...My brother hates me."
Shi Sui's thin lips moved slightly, wanting to comfort her before he realized he did not have any experience in this area whatsoever.
"It's just a bit sad." Xiang Yi smiled. "But do you really not even know how to comfort girls?"
Shi Sui's eyes were gentle. "I guess not really."
"Eh? Then you..." Xiang Yi wanted to ask if he had a girlfriend before or something, but she felt this topic might be too abrupt so she changed her trajectory. "Then I'll teach you how to coax people! Here..."
She felt out a piece of candy and placed it in front of him. "This is an omnipotent weapon..."
The next second—
A big warm hand fell on the top of her head, gently ruffling her hair a few times.
"Does this work as coaxing?"
*Translator's note: Cold joke usually refers to jokes that are either too corny/cheesy/dry or dark to be actually funny, rendering the room 'cold' with awkwardness.