Ding dong~
Ding dong~
Ding dong~
The doorbell insistently rang three times.
Jiang Yuli groggily walked toward the entrance.
Zhao Kai knew the passcode to the house and had fingerprint access to the door.
As for others… they probably didn’t even know he lived here.
Could it be property management?
He opened the door without any precautions.
What greeted him was Su Lingyu’s face, adorned with a gentle, smiling expression.
“Hi, Uncle! Good morning!” Her voice was crisp, carrying a hint of apology. “Sorry, sorry, I really messed up last night! I woke up and it was already 3 a.m. I figured the restaurant must’ve closed long ago, and you wouldn’t be silly enough to wait around that late, so… I brought breakfast to apologize.”
She lifted the breakfast in her hand, blinking her big eyes at him. “For the sake of this breakfast, will you forgive me?”
Jiang Yuli stood frozen in the doorway, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
Happiness had come too suddenly.
He thought Su Lingyu had completely forgotten about him, yet here she was with breakfast and an apology.
This feeling of being valued warmed his heart.
“Okay.”
His voice was slightly hoarse—he couldn’t find any reason not to forgive her.
He wanted a future with her.
Su Lingyu visibly relaxed. “Can I come in then?”
“Mhm.”
He stepped aside to let her pass, placed slippers by her feet, and naturally took the heavy breakfast bag from her.
That shop wasn’t close to here, and it was only a little past seven…
She must have woken up very early.
“Uncle, if you’re still mad…” She changed into the slippers, took a step closer, and grinned mischievously. “I can film an ‘Apology Eight-Link’ video for you. Guaranteed to melt your heart and make you want to transfer me a million afterward!”
Jiang Yuli set the breakfast on the dining table and asked curiously, “What’s an ‘Apology Eight-Link’?”
“It’s just the apologetic version of the ‘Acting Cute Eight-Link.'”
“And what’s the ‘Acting Cute Eight-Link’?”
Su Lingyu walked over to the dining table. Jiang Yuli had already pulled out a chair for her, but instead of sitting, she studied him up and down with a probing gaze, as if she’d discovered something new.
Jiang Yuli grew slightly uncomfortable under her stare, his ears warming. “Never mind, I won’t ask. Let’s just eat breakfast first.”
As the food containers were opened one by one, fragrant aromas filled the air: famous Beijing-style fried liver with steamed buns, savory beef pancakes rich with soy sauce, subtly sweet pea flour cakes, steaming lamb offal soup, and… a bowl of douzhir.
Douzhir?
She liked drinking this?
“We can eat breakfast, but I still need to apologize,” Su Lingyu said as she sat down, picking up a bun with her chopsticks. “I just think… even though you’re my elder, we’re only four years apart. How come you’re so out of touch you’ve never even heard of the ‘Acting Cute Eight-Link’?”
She quickly pulled out her phone, searched for it, and held the screen up to him.
In the video, a girl was following a cheerful tune, coyingly pleading to the camera: “Is that okay?~ Please, please~ I’m begging you~ Can I?~ I don’t care~ You’re the best~ I love you~ Honey, kiss kiss~”
Jiang Yuli’s eyes were on the screen, but in his mind, he unconsciously replaced the girl’s face with Su Lingyu’s.
If she were to say those things to him… forget a million, he’d give her everything he owned.
His ears felt even hotter.
“You want to film an Apology Eight-Link for me?” His voice lowered slightly.
“You want to see it?” She raised an eyebrow in response.
“Mhm.”
“Tsk, Uncle, you’re getting naughty~” Su Lingyu teased him deliberately.
Jiang Yuli pushed the bowl of douzhir toward her: “No need to apologize, I’ve already forgiven you.”
“I don’t drink this.” Su Lingyu pushed the bowl back. “I bought it for you. I’m having lamb offal soup.”
“Pao Pao…” Jiang Yuli lowered his gaze, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing against the table surface. “You know I went abroad when I was eight. Some of Beijing’s traditional breakfast foods… I’m still not quite used to them.”
Other things were acceptable, but the sour, astringent taste of douzhir, with its distinct fermented aroma, was truly hard for him to stomach.
Some people described it as smelling like sweat that had been trapped for too long in summer…
His stomach churned.
But this was the first breakfast Pao Pao had ever brought him.
“Though come to think of it, it’s been so long since I’ve tried it, I’ve almost forgotten what it tastes like…” He picked up the spoon as if steeling himself for something.
Just as the spoon was about to touch the douzhir, the bowl in front of him was suddenly taken away.
Su Lingyu carried the bowl of douzhir and rushed into the kitchen, pouring it down the sink without hesitation.
Jiang Yuli sat frozen in place, spoon still raised in mid-air.
“Don’t force yourself to eat things you don’t like.”
Su Lingyu walked back and naturally pushed the bowl of fragrant lamb offal soup toward him. “Uncle, you have this instead.”
She had wanted to buy some local specialties but forgot he might not be able to accept douzhir.
She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Jiang Yuli’s heart trembled, a warm current mixed with sourness suddenly surging within him.
It had been so, so long… since anyone cared about what he liked or disliked.
Every time he returned to the Shen Family Mansion, the dining table was always filled with dishes others preferred.
His preferences had never mattered to anyone.
But she cared.
She even made the decision for him, clean and decisive.
His throat tightened painfully.
He abruptly stood up and quickly walked toward the kitchen.
Su Lingyu was nibbling on her savory beef pancake, watching his hurried departure with confusion: What’s wrong?
That look of grim determination he had just now clearly showed he didn’t like it…
Could it be that he thought she was wasting food?
Jiang Yuli soon returned, holding an empty bowl.
Silently, he divided the lamb offal soup into two portions and pushed one bowl toward Su Lingyu.
Seeing this, Su Lingyu smiled sweetly: “Do you like the refrigerator magnets?”
“Yes.” His answer was definite.
“I glanced at them when I came in – you’ve already put them all up!” The feeling of having her gift treasured was truly wonderful.
“Did you wait for me for a long time last night?” Her tone carried apology. “Actually, I was all ready, it’s just… I was too excited yesterday and didn’t sleep well. I started doing my makeup around four in the afternoon – did a full face of absolutely gorgeous makeup! Seeing there was still time, I felt a bit tired and thought I’d take a short nap… but ended up oversleeping…”
“Although it’s my fault,” she changed her tone, with a hint of grievance, “but Uncle, you’re not completely blameless either! You should have called me! Woken me up! If I didn’t answer, you could have called my brother and had him drag me out of bed~”
But what did he do instead?
He just sent a WeChat message saying “I’m here, waiting for you,” and then… nothing.
Can anyone relate to this situation!
She sighed dramatically. “I woke up at three in the morning, the whole world was quiet… Dinner was completely ruined.”
“My apologies, I didn’t think it through properly.” Jiang Yuli sincerely admitted his mistake. “Tonight, and tomorrow night too, let me treat you to dinner, alright?”
Su Lingyu puffed her cheeks while chewing her food, mumbling: “Tonight is fine, but not tomorrow night.”
Jiang Yuli’s heart sank slightly. “You… have plans tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday, Uncle!” Su Lingyu swallowed her food, smiling slyly. “Although I agreed to give us a try, you haven’t passed probation yet~ Want to celebrate my birthday alone with me? I’m afraid that won’t do~”
Then she changed her tone, extending an invitation, “However, your wish can still come true—you’re invited to my birthday party.”
“I’ll definitely be there tomorrow night.” He had already prepared the gift.
“Well then…” Su Lingyu leaned forward, getting closer to him, her big eyes blinking. “I’m free today. How about accompanying you to the company later?”She tilted her head with a playful probe.” “If you want to date me, you have to let me test whether being around you makes me uncomfortable, right? So Uncle… would you allow this little tail to follow you to the company?”