Chapter 6, Under the Fence (04)

Xia Lan glanced at her and asked, "Going out to buy groceries?"

Amidst the rumbling background noise, a familiar voice rang out, "Is this Tan Ruyi? I am Xia Lan"

Tan Ruyi couldn't help but click her tongue in secret. Xia Lan seemed to sense her thoughts and said, "The houses here are somewhat expensive. If there is no particular reason, it would be better to rent elsewhere"

Tan Ruyi smiled and said, "Thank you, I understand."

As noon approached, Shen Zizhuo showed no intention of going out. He was particularly serious about his work, spending the entire morning drawing in his study, only getting up briefly to drink some water.

I just stir-fried a plate of tomato and egg, and the taste of the oil is particularly strange. I wonder if it has gone bad

Are you having lunch at home?

Tan Ruyi smiled and said, "That's good"

Tan Ruyi felt somewhat grateful for his "bluntness" and immediately closed her notebook and stood up, saying, "I will go out to buy groceries now." Within a single day, the two issues that had troubled her for many days were resolved so smoothly that her steps as she left the house became light and cheerful

Xia Lan let out a soft "oh," glanced at Tan Ruyi again, as if she had something to say, but did not speak up

No, that's not it... Tan Ruyi did not expect him to misunderstand her words in this way, yet she had to admit that, given his line of reasoning, it seemed quite reasonable to think so. "Let me do it."

Shen Zizhuo first picked up a piece of garlic shrimp, and Tan Ruyi couldn't help but look at him. She saw Shen Zizhuo chew a bite, and his movements paused for a moment. Tan Ruyi immediately became anxious and hurriedly asked, "What’s wrong? Did you put in too little salt?"

Chinese language teacher, middle school

At this moment, Tan Ruyi finally came to her senses and hurriedly said, "I can manage on my own, thank you for your trouble, Mr. Shen!"

Tan Ruyi stood at the doorway of the study, watching Shen Zizhuo and a worker move the bed to the side of the study by the window. Then, rolling up his sleeves, he skillfully began to assemble it. In just over ten minutes, the bed was completed, and a wooden cabinet was placed beside it.

Shen Zizhuo expressed his gratitude, and the worker left a business card for after-sales service, disappearing just as quickly as he had come. Shen Zizhuo took a power strip from the adjacent room and extended it from the socket at the door to the bedside.

Two workers nodded and followed Shen Zizhuo inside while carrying the mattress. Shortly after, the workers went down twice more to bring the other items upstairs.

Please help bring over the desk lamp

Tan Ruyi nodded, "Xia ... ... what about you?"

That's just right, I am also going to buy groceries. Do you know where there is a market?

Tan Ruyi handed the selected celery to the boss for weighing, glanced at her, and said, "Miss Xia can hire another nanny."

Tan Ruyi found herself unable to stay, so she had no choice but to give up her position and retreat to the kitchen door, still feeling at a loss. The sound of running water filled her ears, and Shen Zizhuo's actions appeared quite skilled, suggesting that he must have helped wash dishes for Old Lady Shen before. With this thought, Tan Ruyi felt less uncomfortable and quietly left the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, Shen Zizhuo came out of the kitchen, washed his hands in the bathroom, and went into the bedroom. Tan Ruyi immediately stood up from the sofa, glanced back at the kitchen, where the bowls were already neatly arranged in the cupboard, and the countertop was also clean and tidy

"Hold on," Xia Lan smiled and said, "I have always been directionally challenged since I was young. Don't turn left or right; I'll just go with you directly."

Xialan smiled but did not speak

Tan Ruyi understood in her heart, smiled slightly, and asked: "Miss Xia, do you know how much the apartments here would cost if they were to be rented out, approximately per month?"

At this moment, Tan Ruyi was very close to him, even able to feel the subtle warmth evaporating from his body. She looked up at Shen Zizhuo, opened her mouth, but could not make a sound

There was a moment of silence, "Is it to put the eggs first or the tomatoes first?"

Shen Zizhuo then paused his actions, raised his wrist to check the time, and seemed to realize that it was approaching mealtime. After a moment, he asked, "Shall we order takeout?"

Xia Lan expressed her gratitude once again and put away the line

The potential of a person in a predicament is always limitless; the inability to achieve something is simply because one has not yet reached the point where one must fight with their back against the wall

As soon as she opened the door, she saw the elevator doors at the end of the corridor about to close. Tan Ruyi hurriedly shouted, "Please wait!" She ran all the way over, and when she entered the elevator and expressed her gratitude, she was surprised to find that standing inside was none other than Xia Lan, whom she had not seen for many days.

After finishing the meal, Tan Ruyi tidied up the plates and turned on the faucet, just about to wash the dishes, when Shen Zizhuo suddenly walked in. Tan Ruyi was startled and turned to look at him, "Do you need something?"

The bed sheet said ... ...

No problem. Miss Xia can contact me again if there is anything.

Tan Ruyi was taken aback by the commotion and was about to speak when Shen Zizhuo walked out of the bedroom and said to the two of them: "Please help carry it to the study."

Tan Ruyi thought for a moment, "Has the oil heated up before adding the vegetables?"

When a person is at home, Tan Ruyi can handle things casually, but at this moment, Shen Zizhe is also present, so it would not be appropriate to ignore him. Tan Ruyi put down her pencil, gently rubbed her shoulders, stretched her fingers, looked up at Shen Zizhe, and softly spoke, "Mr. Shen."

Tan Ruyi let out a sigh of relief and couldn't help but smile; however, still feeling uneasy, she picked up a piece herself and took a bite, finally confirming that Shen Zizhuo's praise was not merely out of politeness

Just as I was about to exclaim that Shen Zizhuo might indeed have some obsessive tendencies, I suddenly heard a knock at the door. Tan Ruyi hurriedly ran to open the door, only to find two people standing at the entrance, carrying a mattress on their shoulders

Xia Lan exclaimed in surprise, "So the oil needs to be heated until it boils?"

There was a moment of silence, and then Tan Ruyi heard the rumbling sound disappear; she guessed that Xia Lan had turned off the range hood

Tan Ruyi inquired eagerly, "Miss Xia, have you recovered your health?"

After Shen Zizhuo had left the study for a long time, she still stood in place, gazing at the one-and-a-half-meter single bed in front of her, feeling a heavy and somewhat uncomfortable sensation in her heart; yet there was also a hint of indescribable joy, as if tender sprouts had broken through the frozen earth, stubbornly emerging.

two-bedroom apartment

"No need, I can handle it myself. Mr. Shen, you should attend to your own matters." Tan Ruyi felt somewhat anxious, always thinking that being a guest under someone else's roof was already an inconvenience, and asking others to do housework would make her seem exceedingly impolite.

Tan Ruyi nodded, "Go out from here, turn left, walk three hundred meters, then turn left..."

Tan Ruyi smiled and said, "Good."

That depends on how many bedrooms there are

Tan Ruyi hurriedly took the new desk lamp out of the box and handed it to Shen Zizhuo. Shen Zizhuo plugged in the lamp, tested the switch and brightness adjustment, and everything was functioning normally. He straightened up, dusted off his clothes, and turned to Tan Ruyi, saying: "There is no pre-installed socket, so we will have to make do." Due to this series of actions just now, he was slightly sweating.

In this area, the starting price is 4,000 per month

Tan Ruyi harbored a certain hope that he would say "yes," for that would allow her to naturally make use of the kitchenware at home

Xia Lan was dressed casually, her hair styled in a bun, and she wore a light makeup that made her complexion look much better than it did that day. "It's nothing, thank you for that day. Don't call me Miss, just call me Xia Lan."

Tan Ruyi brought three dishes to the table, called out towards the study, then returned to the kitchen to turn off the fire and ladled out the prepared egg soup. Shen Zizhuo washed his hands, sat down at the table, and Tan Ruyi served him a bowl of rice, handing it to him before taking a seat opposite him.

The two individuals ate in silence, still not engaging in conversation. However, Tan Ruyi felt that compared to the atmosphere of the previous two weeks, the current situation represented a rare improvement.

Tan Ruyi could almost imagine her flustered appearance in the kitchen, and couldn't help but smile, "Yes, the vegetables can only be added to the pot when the oil is heated. It is best to filter the water clean and pour it down along the edge of the pot, so the oil is less likely to splatter."

Hmm? Shen Zizhuo responded with a sound, continuing to draw without looking up

Shen Zizhuo glanced at her and said, "Alright, thank you for your trouble"

Shen Zizhuo rolled up his sleeves and said, "I will wash."

Generally, the eggs are placed first

The two individuals exited the elevator, with Tan Ruyi leading Xia Lan towards the direction of the market. Xia Lan inquired again, "What is your occupation?"

Tan Ruyi was surprised, not expecting that Xia Lan had actually saved her number. "Miss Xia, is there something I can assist you with?"

Forget it, cooking is truly not a task for humans, but in any case, thank you.

Tan Ruyi had just finished cooking two dishes when she suddenly felt her phone in her pocket vibrate. She hurriedly wiped her hands, took out her phone, only to find it was an unfamiliar number

Shen Zizhuo glanced at her and said, "No, just right," then picked up another piece and added, "It's very delicious"

Xia Lan clearly seldom cooks for herself and has no experience in grocery shopping. Tan Ruyi guided her throughout the process, yet she remained utterly confused, saying, "Buying groceries is more troublesome than trading stocks and securities"

After returning home, Tan Ruyi went into the kitchen and began washing rice and preparing vegetables. She had been cooking since she was ten years old, and with over a decade of experience, her movements were very nimble. At that time, her mother had left with someone else, and Tan Weiguo was often drunk, while her grandfather had to work in the fields. Additionally, she had a five-year-old younger brother waiting for a meal, so she had no choice but to rely on herself. She was small in stature, living in the old tiled house, barely taller than the stove, and every time she cooked, she had to stand on a stool. In the beginning, she didn't even know how to start a fire, filling the room with thick smoke that made her eyes water; she couldn't distinguish between oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, and the rice she steamed was still undercooked. Eventually, she was able to prepare a whole table of New Year's Eve dinner.

Ke Shen, though self-indulgent, was quite persistent. He placed his palm on her shoulder and gently pushed her aside, saying, "You cooked, so I will wash up."