Chapter 6, The Most Familiar Stranger.

You bought so much, how could I possibly make them all? Who knows what you want to eat.

"Yes," he said seriously, "I will fry your supervisor's squid tomorrow and tell her that I'm done working for her. I have someone to support me!"

He started running to maintain abundant physical and mental energy for writing, and he has persisted for thirty years.

I see that you can do it. Pei Zhimei counted on her fingers and said, "Three-cup chicken, beer duck, Dongpo pork. These dishes all require skill!"

She introduced him to her friends, vented about work frustrations with him, all of which the previous Fu Ling would never do.

How do you know that I have rich experience in love? He asked slowly.

Pei Zhiwei nodded in agreement: "Hmm."

Yes, the combination of meat and vegetables is just enough to make a decent meal. Fuling said proudly, "Nowadays, many people can't even tell the difference between scallions and garlic."

A little bit like you.

Fuling chuckled twice: "He's not good, he's too serious."

Right, right, I'm not wrong, am I?

What will you do about getting married in the future?

Pei Zhimei squinted her eyes and said, "You won't be able to get married."

Unfortunately, Pei Zhiwei's determination to train her into a long-distance running champion remains unshaken. He calmly listed various occupational diseases of an office lady that she has, with a righteous expression of "Your poor health is a disgrace to me." What's even more infuriating is that he bought her a copy of Haruki Murakami's "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running." Fu Ling clung to the sofa and resisted stubbornly, saying, "Isn't he a writer? Why does he have to be so fixated on running?"

Yesterday?

Which two characters?

No, "Fu Ling shook her head, "This kind of thing also depends on fate. Don't make that expression—don't think that fate is a common word. Since we're getting married, we should still have some feelings. It's very painful to live a lifetime without feelings. I want to get married and definitely find someone I like and who likes me back, but I haven't found them yet.

The sound of the last word was very low, Pei Zhiwei secretly laughed. He suppressed his laughter and said, "Exercising is beneficial for your body. Look at you, you lie in front of the computer watching TV, movies, and cartoons every day. Your waist and neck are stiff. If you continue like this, you will die young. It's not wrong to listen to the doctor. It's also good to take a walk. Exercise in the morning, and you will feel much better during the day. Be obedient."

Aren't these advantages?

Fu Ling waved goodbye with a smile and then shrunk back onto the sofa to watch TV. She thought having a man at home was really convenient. The hallway light had been broken for a long time, but she didn't bother to fix it. It was Pei Zhiwei who had replaced the light bulb when he came over last month. The downstairs was being renovated the month before last, and it had been disturbing her early on weekends. She had protested twice, but to no avail. Pei Zhiwei went down with a cold face, and it immediately had an effect... She was thinking about what other physical work she could ask Pei Zhiwei to do when his phone suddenly rang on the TV cabinet. She remembered that Pei Zhiwei might have an emergency at the hospital, so she jumped off the sofa to grab the phone. However, the name displayed on the screen was "Tai Mingming". Fu Ling was stunned for a long time and guessed that it was unlikely to be work-related, so she didn't feel comfortable answering.

She looked at Pei Zhiwei with a hint of anticipation, as if afraid that he would deny her.

Fuling's gaze returned to the bowl: "You asked me how long I was with my previous boyfriend, and I said nearly six years. That's true, but... for almost three of those years, he was bedridden. We were classmates in college, he and Zhao Qiming were roommates. Now you know why I'm so close to them."

Fuling didn't know when Pei Zhimei had surveyed the topography near her home. She had lived here for three or four years and had never discovered a decent gym nearby. Now she believed Pei Zhimei's words that being a surgeon was a physical job. Even when she slowed down to the lowest speed, she almost collapsed on the treadmill, while he easily finished running 10,000 meters and regretfully said, "I won't swim today. Wait until you can keep up with running first." This sentence successfully made Fuling fall off the treadmill and lie on him like a dead body, saying, "Why don't you just kill me directly, it would be more straightforward?"

How could there be a place in the world where men cook?

Pei Zhiwei looked up and saw Fu Ling holding a spatula, assuming a defensive position near the kitchen door. Pei Zhiwei hurriedly approached, but found nothing when he looked in the direction Fu Ling was staring. Fu Ling grabbed his left hand and pointed the spatula towards the cabinet containing the sealed gas pipeline, saying, "It's all because of you!" Pei Zhiwei's arm was painfully pinched by her, and he hissed, "What did I do?"

Péi Zhīwèi reached out and held her hand. He didn't know what to do, so he pulled her to sit on the sofa, trying to comfort her, yet unsure of what to say— he was not good at comforting patients in the hospital. Fú Líng obediently let him hold her hand, feeling a little embarrassed. "That time when you said I was testing you, it was true," she smiled and pursed her lips. "You didn't say it wrong because... I want to find someone to fall in love with. Otherwise, they all think I can't move on and worry about me."

"Ignorance is not an excuse for guilt," Fu Ling's voice was urgent and cheerful, "I just suddenly remembered feeling a little sad, but now it's okay. I just want to tell you that I was really sad and angry when you spoke to me in that tone, but I don't blame you. I just want to make it clear to you that you shouldn't joke about this in the future."

Fuling was also surprised and stared back at him, saying, "How could you have such a misconception?"

Péi Zhīwèi neither hurried nor slow, said: "It's okay, I will supervise you in the future."

Pei Zhimei did not answer, but her eyes suddenly became deep and profound.

Hmm. Pei Zhiwei suppressed a smile and asked, "And then?"

Péi Zhīwèi picked up the packaging of the family bucket she had collected in the corner of the living room and said, "Not only that, but also this. In the future, it is forbidden to stay at home on weekends, cuddling with the family bucket and watching movies all day without moving."

Pei Zhiwei retracted his hand and scooped a spoonful of soup to feed Fuling: "Think carefully again, what else could have caused my high expectations and possible judgment errors. I need to make some adjustments first."

Pei Zhimei slightly calmed down and didn't say anything, enjoying the feeling of being on edge under Fu Ling's seemingly unprofessional attitude. He smiled slightly, thinking of the phone call Fu Ling gave him today - actually, she was also looking for an excuse to see him, right, right?

You should also have some emotions.

How can such cheesy words be spoken? Pei Zhiwei asked himself. Soon he found the answer--if Fu Ling could swallow his pride and call him first, then why not let him talk big for a while?

Last time I got angry and asked you to leave, it was my fault, Fu Ling confessed, "but I want you to know why I was unhappy."

We met during our military training and soon got together. Usually, we are just like boyfriends and girlfriends in college, studying together, shopping, watching movies. We have plans to get married. Fu Ling smoothed her bangs and lowered her voice slightly. "Later, he had some health problems. I wanted to get married, but he said to wait until his health improved. The longer we waited, the worse it got. And then, he refused."

However you listen to Pei Zhiwei, it just doesn't make sense. Even if all the above points are met, what's the use? If you call yourself a pighead in someone else's arms, then everything is over.

What about after that? Pei Zhiwei felt more and more uneasy as he listened. "Don't you plan for yourself?"

Have a good meal!

Actually, I can get over it," Fuling smiled helplessly. "Okay, maybe just a little bit. I want to find someone to fall in love with, maybe it can help me adjust my mood faster. Don't you think so?"

She was thinking in a mess in her mind when her phone beeped, indicating a new message. She lowered her head to check and it was still from Tai Mingming: "I've been looking for you several times, but you were always in surgery. Director Xie said you've been very busy lately, but please make sure to come see me when you have time. PS, it's about your new love interest."

Why is it me?

Fuling decisively refused: "I hate running."

"Hmph," Fu Ling disagreed, "No man is naturally so considerate. If he is, it can only mean that many women have trained him before you. You should know that we have been in a relationship for so long, and he finds it annoying to accompany me shopping. If he helps me open the car door, it's just a convenient gesture. He throws his smelly socks all over the floor, and I have found his smelly socks and underwear under his pillow in his dorm room several times. It took me half a year to train him to change."

I only know how to cook these three meat dishes!

Are you preparing to remain single?

Originally, she was not without nervousness.

Pei Zhimei raised her eyebrows and looked at him inquiringly.

Nonsense, in my hometown, men are the ones who cook.

His heart suddenly settled.

My father is the one who cooks at home, and it's the same for my classmates' families too," said Fuling, placing her hands on her hips.

Péi Zhīwèi casually said, "Yuán Fēng seems to have secretly liked you for a long time... Hmm, I guess you could call it an open crush."

Pei Zhimei remembered Zhao Qiming's earnest exhortation yesterday, and that tense expression.

Although I reluctantly admit that I may have a tiny bit of suspicion of pretending to be virtuous, I am not a loser, and she can't even compare to me in that regard. "I have no problem taking care of my own life. It's just that your expectations are too high and you have made a wrong judgment!"

Let him do it! I have downloaded many cooking video tutorials, which happen to be perfect for him to watch and learn!

Péi Zhīwèi neither hurried nor slow said: "There is a gym near your house, let's go get a membership card."

Fuling didn't expect him to ask this question, and after thinking for a moment, she laughed and said, "That's different, you have a wealth of experience in love."

Want you to like it a little.

It seems right, yet also seems somewhat wrong.

Oh... I can't take it anymore!

Don't you keep saying that you want to lose weight?

Do you like Fuling? He became nervous for a moment, not knowing what to say. He remained motionless, but his gaze dropped--the hands he was holding were also trembling. Looking at Fuling's expression, although she was smiling, her eyes clearly revealed anxiety.

To completely eradicate the bad habit of staying at home and ordering fast food, Pei Zhimei guided Fu Ling to improve her nutrition in a dictatorial manner. This dish is rich in fiber, that dish has a balanced nutrition, this meat has a high protein content, and that fish has a tender texture, all with the intention of living a prosperous life. After a big sweep of the supermarket, it was already close to noon. Pei Zhimei looked at the results and waved her hand with satisfaction, indicating that the battle was over and they could go home. Fu Ling breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Pei Zhimei had a car, as she would never dare to buy so much alone.

Don't you know how to cook everything?

Fuling had no choice, but still made every effort to protest after going out.

That won't work, even if it's called Pei Zhiwei, it won't work. In someone else's arms, it won't work, it won't work... He pondered in his heart, but couldn't come up with the best solution. Suddenly, he heard a sharp scream from the kitchen: "Ah--".

Are you sick?

Desolate.

Fuling stood next to the refrigerator, carefully examining Pei Zhimei from top to bottom for a long time and said, "Pei Zhimei... Could it be that you only know how to fry soft-boiled eggs as your unique skill?"

Perhaps...? Pei Zhiwei carefully speculates that maybe after a long time, when she is in someone else's arms again, she will be calling for Pei Zhiwei?

It seems right, yet also seems somewhat wrong.

Pei Zhiwei looked at her with great surprise: "I'm ready to let you have a go."

Péi Zhīwèi exclaimed, "Those vegetarian dishes... You wouldn't happen to only know how to stir-fry eggplant, stir-fry shredded potatoes, stir-fry lettuce, and stir-fry bitter gourd, would you?"

Fuling screamed and rushed into the bedroom, burying the whole person under the blanket: "Pei Zhiwei, how can you say such cheesy words without changing your expression? Your skills are truly profound..."

Well, it takes fate.

Once you start something, it becomes much easier afterwards. Fuling focused on the bowl of soup, and it was easy for her to sort things out: "I think it would be nice to have a relationship with you, so we should discuss the rules beforehand." After saying this, she quickly glanced at Pei Zhiwei and said, "I thought about it all night yesterday... Am I right?"

After returning home, I tidied up a bit and asked, facing a week's worth of food, "Aren't you going to cook?"

When did they have a romantic relationship?

Fear not, brother is the first cut outside the heart, even if shattered into ten or eight pieces, I can sew them back together for you.

Pei Zhiwei has made breakfast for Fu Ling several times, which are simple sandwiches with runny fried eggs. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, so delicious that one can even swallow their tongue. Pei Zhiwei even bought a set of molds online to make flower-shaped and heart-shaped eggs, showing off his culinary skills, but it was just a one-time thing.

The next day, Fu Ling really found an excuse to be negative and slack off. The two of them didn't have any plans either. After a simple breakfast, Pei Zhiwei commanded, "Let's go for a morning run, it's good for our health."

Ah? Fu Ling seems to not understand his question, with a bewildered expression.

Do you still dare to say that taking care of your own life is completely problem-free? Pei Zhiwei ruthlessly exposed her, "The first time I saw you, I thought you were particularly good at living. But after getting to know you better, your life can only be described in two words!"

At this stage, the two of them tacitly acknowledged that they were both skilled at disguising themselves, dressing up as if they were leading a simple life at home, when in reality they only had a few tricks up their sleeves. Fortunately, both of them had a basic understanding of cooking, and they were able to follow online recipes to make four dishes and a soup, all of which were palatable. After tasting each dish one by one, Pei Zhiwei sighed and said, "What else are you hiding? I am mentally prepared, so just tell me everything at once."

Pei Zhimei couldn't help but laugh out loud. After laughing twice, she felt something was wrong: "Am I not serious enough?"

Pei Zhiwei did not refute, only silently despised in his heart. That's just because you haven't seen a well-mannered man before.

The mouth of Fuleng is open in an "O" shape: "Do writers still need physical strength?"

Dispute? For example?

Just as you said to Qiu An, "You have to find a doctor to see a doctor. Doctors treat their own professional diseases, and patients should also cooperate."

Péi Zhīwèi furrowed his brows and glared at her, his mind feeling completely muddled and unsure of what to say. Who knows how Fú Líng could have orchestrated such a sudden attack!

"Where can we think that far ahead?" Fu Ling took a deep breath and said, "Let's just enjoy our love for now. I don't have any plans to get married at the moment, and you don't like being tied down. When the time comes, we should be able to part ways amicably without any disputes..."

"Xiaoqiang!" Fuling's face was filled with an irreconcilable hatred, "I've been living here for several years without any issues, but as soon as you arrived, Xiaoqiang appeared!"

He sincerely apologized: "I'm sorry."

Péi Zhīwèi felt ashamed and didn't know what to say. People always have such subjective biases. Tái Míngmíng once encountered an underage girl who came to have an abortion. In his heart, he couldn't help but blame her for not being self-respecting. Only later, when the police came to collect evidence, did he realize that the girl had been raped and was facing pressure from her parents to testify in court. ... When he was so cruel and contemptuous towards Fú Líng, he never thought that he was a boy who was affectionate and righteous, and didn't want to burden her.

No, what I mean is that the reasoning should be the same. When doing things, it should be clear and obvious, just like seeing a doctor. You should follow the doctor's advice. What should be done can be done, and what should not be done cannot be done. Everything should be clarified in advance. Set a rule that everyone can accept, and then within this framework, you can act according to your own will.

As soon as he looked up, Fuling became nervous for no reason. Many of the words she had prepared were forgotten, and she spoke in a hurried and stuttering manner, saying, "I think you were right yesterday."

Heartbroken with emotion!

"Are you my cousin? Don't you know yet?" Fu Ling hesitated, "If we break up by then, it might overturn his worldview. Then the world will lose another good man, which would be my fault."

He estimated Fuling's age, maybe it's still her first love. In such a pure time, lovers all want to give everything for each other. The boy knew his time was running out, unwilling to delay her— he dared not think further, the words he said that night, could not be described as anything less than "willing to die a thousand deaths".

"No," Fuling exclaimed, "getting a gym membership is the biggest waste of money! I got one and haven't gone since the first month."

Fuling smiled and remained silent. After eating seven or eight points full, she carefully said, "I do have something to tell you."

Péi Zhīwèi was impressed by her powerful logic, too lazy to argue with her, walked up and opened the cabinet door. Perhaps because the house was a bit old, the inner wall began to seep water, combined with the arrival of summer, which attracted these pests. He aimed at the location where the cockroach was lurking, grabbed a piece of cloth and pressed it down quickly and decisively. Fú Líng cheered him on behind him, and as soon as he confirmed that he had killed the cockroach, he immediately changed his attitude: "It's your fault, you're responsible for cleaning it up!" Péi Zhīwèi glanced at her, a real man doesn't fight with a woman. After finishing the cleaning, he picked up the trash bag and went out: "I'll buy a bottle of cockroach killer on my way back."

After speaking, Pei Zhiwei stretched out his wolf claws and wanted to rub Fuling's hair.

I'm not blaming you, "Fuling tried to pull the corners of his mouth to give him a smile," you didn't know, and it's been so long that I almost forgot.

Hmm?

For example, if you have found a new love interest, just let each other know, since you have always been casual, and I can also be open-minded. Besides... Fu Ling forced a smile and said, "It's not easy for me to get to know such a high-level doctor. I wouldn't want to fall out with you!"

Pei Zhimei became even more ashamed.

Fuling answered naturally, "It's the feeling, for example, when you drive, you will help me open the car door; when we go out to eat, you will help me pull the chair; when we walk, you will walk on my left side; when we go shopping, you will help me carry things; in the kitchen, you will help me with the preparation; you don't smoke or drink, and you take the initiative to do the laundry...there are so many things."

Yuan Feng also said that you have a good rapport with women. Many women like doctors who appear cool. She even added as if showing off, "I used to like them when I was a child."

Pressing on her little belly, Fuling felt a bit guilty and said, "I...I'm not fat."

After ringing for a while, the phone quieted down. Fu Ling was momentarily unable to sort out her thoughts. She remembered that Yuan Feng had mentioned this distant cousin to her before, marveling at his diverse interests. He also said, "It's rare to find a girlfriend who shares the same taste in music. It's true that not being related by blood doesn't prevent people from getting along well." It seemed as if he was referring to this Dr. Tai.