Chapter Forty-Six: Huang Zejun’s Doubt

Morning. In the kitchen, Tang Zhichu was making porridge, millet porridge to be exact. When it looked almost ready, he turned off the stove, ladled out a bowl, and then started frying eggs.

As everyone became more familiar with each other, the kitchen saw less and less use. Today, Tang Zhichu decided to cook.

Yang Jiaxing appeared first in the kitchen, greeted Tang Zhichu, who offered him porridge. He declined, grabbed a piece of bread, and went out the door.

Chen Siyang came in second. Seeing Tang Zhichu busy in the kitchen, she walked over.

“Wow, porridge!”

Tang Zhichu handed her the bowl he had ladled out first. “Drink this, it should be cool now.”

Chen Siyang nodded, glanced at Tang Zhichu, and a smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

Carrying the porridge, Chen Siyang sat at the dining table. Tang Zhichu brought over two fried eggs for her on a plate.

She looked at him pitifully. “I can’t finish it!”

“If you can’t, just leave it. I’ll eat it later.”

“Okay, thanks for your hard work, Old Tang.”

“No trouble at all, Miss Chen.”

Only then did Chen Siyang start to drink her porridge.

When all the eggs were done, Tang Zhichu served himself a bowl and sat beside Chen Siyang.

Chen Siyang pushed the plate with the last egg toward him. “This is for you, I really can’t eat it.”

“Alright. Any ideas for dinner?”

Her eyes lit up. “Can I order?”

“Of course. I’m at least a half-decent chef.”

“Don’t be modest, Master Chef! Can you make rabbit head? Like last time. The rest, do whatever you want, just keep it simple, don’t wear yourself out.”

“Sure.”

Chen Siyang finished the last sip of porridge and got up. “Remember, rabbit head. I’ve got to go, I’ll be late.”

Seeing her about to take the bowl, Tang Zhichu said, “Just leave it, I’ll wash it for you.”

She thought for a moment and nodded. “Then tonight I’ll do the dishes.”

With that, Chen Siyang dashed out, but a moment later she rushed back and set something down in front of Tang Zhichu.

He looked closely—it was the QQ gummies he’d made last time.

“This is for you, I still have some. Bet you didn’t expect that! Alright, I’m off!”

She hurried out again, almost bumping into Huang Zejun in the living room.

Tang Zhichu saw Huang Zejun and called out, “Brother Jun, come have some porridge!”

Huang Zejun glanced at Tang Zhichu, saw his apparent enthusiasm, and entered the kitchen.

“Millet porridge, whole grain, quite healthy,” Tang Zhichu added as Huang Zejun came over.

Huang Zejun nodded and served himself some porridge.

“There are fried eggs on the side, too.”

“Thank you.”

Seated across from Tang Zhichu, Huang Zejun felt a bit odd—the other seemed to sincerely invite him to have porridge. Was this just being easygoing?

Either way, Huang Zejun felt the atmosphere in the villa was rather subtle these days.

“Brother Jun.”

Huang Zejun looked up. “Hm?”

“Could you teach me some photography when you have time?”

Huang Zejun frowned... What did he mean by that?

He was already the victor here, so there was no need to tease him, right?

“I ordered a portable instant photo printer last night. It’s lightweight, we can take it outside, snap photos, and print them right away. I think it’s cool, but it seems a bit complicated.”

Maybe it was Tang Zhichu’s sincerity, or maybe the porridge and eggs in front of him, but Huang Zejun replied, “I have that machine myself, it’s not that complicated. If you want, I’ll show you.”

Tang Zhichu looked up and smiled. “That’d be great. Tomorrow, then, are you free?”

Huang Zejun considered and nodded. “Alright, tomorrow.”

Zhou Yun suddenly walked in. Seeing Tang Zhichu chatting with Huang Zejun, he was curious. “What are you two talking about?”

Tang Zhichu didn’t answer, just pointed to the kitchen. “There’s porridge and fried eggs, want some?”

Zhou Yun grinned, “What do you think? If there’s food ready, not eating it would be foolish, right, Brother Jun?”

Huang Zejun: “Huh? Right!”

“Brother Jun, there are so many eggs, do you want more?”

Huang Zejun looked up again. “Huh? Oh, I’m good.”

Tang Zhichu glared, “I made those, shouldn’t you ask me?”

Zhou Yun simply brought the whole plate of eggs over. “Here, all yours.”

He tried the porridge, nodding. “Not bad, just the right thickness. Good skills.”

“Thank you.”

Zhou Yun glanced at Tang Zhichu. “Did you go for a morning run?”

“I’ll run tonight.”

Zhou Yun rolled his eyes. “When you’re sick, can you schedule it for the evening? Can you choose the day for sudden death?”

Tang Zhichu: “.....”

Zhou Yun looked at Huang Zejun. “Brother Jun, you need to work out, look at your belly.”

Huang Zejun touched his stomach and quietly set down his chopsticks.

He found it strange. Usually, no one paid him much attention, but today first Tang Zhichu wanted to learn photography from him, now Zhou Yun was involving him as well.

Something felt off, but it was a good feeling.

“You two, one’s too thin and needs to bulk up, the other’s a bit chubby and needs to slim down. Either way, both of you need to exercise. Morning runs, night runs—get going.”

Tang Zhichu stood up. “Brother Jun, don’t listen to him, you’re not fat.”

Huang Zejun looked at Tang Zhichu. “I think I really am getting a bit fat.”

“Well, then, tonight you run with me.”

Huang Zejun actually nodded, thinking—maybe I am getting fat? Is that why Jiang Lan doesn’t like me? Maybe I should lose some weight.

He stood up, leaving half a bowl of porridge. “I’m full.”

“Just leave it. If you’re busy, head out first, I’ll clean up,” Tang Zhichu said as he saw Huang Zejun collecting his bowl.

Huang Zejun didn’t insist. After all, tomorrow he’d be teaching Tang Zhichu photography.

The sudden sense of being needed brightened Huang Zejun’s mood.

“Alright, I’m off. See you tonight.”

“See you tonight.”

After Huang Zejun left, Zhou Yun looked at Tang Zhichu with suspicion.

Tang Zhichu felt uneasy under Zhou Yun’s gaze. “What is it? Is there something on my face?”

Zhou Yun snorted softly, wondering if this guy was secretly scheming, preventing him from targeting Brother Jun’s company.

Tang Zhichu ignored Zhou Yun’s snort. Strange.

After tidying up the kitchen, Tang Zhichu left as well.

He’d arranged to meet Jiang Lan in the afternoon—she was a workaholic and had to be at the office in the morning.

...

At his own door, Tang Zhichu pulled out his keys, pushed open the door, and froze.

The sofa in the living room was crowded with people. Tang Zhichu felt his brain overheating as he matched the faces with those in his memory.

“Well, Uncle’s here, Aunt too, and... oh, my little aunt’s here as well. Big Aunt, why didn’t you call me?” He instantly put on a smile.

Tang Xiujü was the first to stand up. “We’re all family. Your father just got out of the hospital these days, and your uncle and little aunt happened to be coming too, so we arranged to meet today.”

The middle-aged man sitting in the living room also stood, walked a few steps forward, and solemnly patted Tang Zhichu on the shoulder, speaking in a low voice, “You truly are a man of our Tang family. Thank you for all you’ve done.”

Tang Zhichu wore a look of confusion, but he feigned a bit of sadness and sighed, “It’s nothing, Uncle, please sit.”