The fried chicken was delicious, the crispy fish was tasty, the cake was scrumptious, and the cola was refreshing.
(＞＜)
Xu Zhizhi made sure to sample every single dish Fu Chengyan had brought.
The spicy diced chicken had been specially prepared by the chef to be extra dry, intended as a snack for the little girl. The savory, spicy flavor made Xu Zhizhi particularly happy.
“What sauce is this?” Xu Zhizhi pointed her small finger at the green sauce, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Fu Chengyan had been by the housekeeper’s side the entire time she was making it, just waiting for this moment. “Green mango mustard sauce. Give it a try.”
Xu Zhizhi dipped a small piece of popcorn chicken into a tiny bit of the mustard sauce, stared at it for a while, and finally took a bite.
Instantly, her smiling face scrunched up like a bitter gourd. Fu Chengyan handed her the cola, and with her gloved hands, she took a couple of sips with his help.
“It’s not tasty,” she said. The small piece of popcorn chicken she had bitten into seemed to be soaked in mustard flavor, and Xu Zhizhi didn’t want to eat it anymore.
Fu Chengyan found it amusing. “Don’t eat that one. Try the Amber Sauce—it should be much better.”
Slightly spicy and without any strange flavors, it was easier for the little girl to accept.
Overall, the sauces the little girl liked the most were Amber Sauce, Salted Egg Yolk Cheese, and Sea Salt Lemon.
As for the sprinkles, she preferred cumin and Sweet Plum.
Fu Chengyan had anticipated that she wouldn’t be able to eat much, so he hadn’t prepared the beef noodles. He would make them in the kitchen whenever she felt like eating them.
After eating a small slice of pizza, Xu Zhizhi slumped in her chair, let out a tiny burp, and then felt a bit embarrassed, secretly glancing at Fu Chengyan.
Fu Chengyan had already looked away, pretending nothing had happened.
Xu Zhizhi: Huh, he didn’t hear it.
The two of them couldn’t finish all the food, so Fu Chengyan tidied up the dining table and packed away the leftover fried chicken and pizza.
Xu Zhizhi’s eyes followed his movements, and she asked eagerly, “Are you taking it away?”
But she still wanted to eat it in the evening.
Fu Chengyan turned his head to look at her. “Still hungry?”
“I’m full,” she said, patting her bulging stomach, though her mouth still craved more. “But I still want to eat.”
Fu Chengyan couldn’t help but smile. The little girl’s gluttonous nature was oddly adorable, soft and squishy as she curled up in the chair. “These won’t taste good once they’re cold.”
“Then I’ll just heat them up,” she said. “They’ll taste good again after heating.”
“What will you use to heat them?”
He agreed, Xu Zhizhi thought to herself, smiling as she got down from the chair and trotted to the kitchen. She opened a cabinet, revealing several pots of different types and functions.
Fu Chengyan became even more convinced that the little girl must be a great cook.
Otherwise, why would someone who couldn’t cook buy so many pots and stuff the refrigerator to the brim?
An oven, an Air Fryer, or a microwave—all could be used for heating.
“Alright. Should I put the cake in the fridge for you?”
“Okay,” she said obediently.
But Fu Chengyan doubted she would be very hungry in the evening after eating so much.
He made a cup of hot fruit tea to help with digestion and prepared to leave for the office.
His phone rang with a custom ringtone—the climax of a piano piece. Fu Chengyan raised an eyebrow, no longer in a hurry to leave.
He remembered that when he had brought food for the little girl the day before yesterday, she had just come out of the residential area. Fu Chengyan had intended to tease her, and when he called her, the ringtone he heard was the default one.
But now…
Who was this special person?
Xu Zhizhi answered the video call without avoiding him. Instead, Fu Chengyan was momentarily surprised by her openness.
Before he could make a move, a lively female voice rang out, “Xu Zhizhi, have you eaten?”
“I have,” the girl replied flatly.
“What did you eat? Did you have an apple? For good luck… Wait a minute, Xu Zhizhi, I think you’ve gained weight.” Lin Xitang patted Zhou Che, who was playing a game beside her. “Zhou Zhou, come look—has our girl put on weight?”
Zhou Che didn’t mind being interrupted. He turned off his phone and glanced at the screen, chuckling. “She really has. I didn’t notice when I went to your place the day before yesterday.”
Fu Chengyan leaned against the entryway, listening quietly, his expression blank.
A man’s voice.
But he seemed rather close to the girl in the video.
No threat.
Not a rival, nothing to worry about.
Zhou Che acted as if he’d discovered something extraordinary. “Little girl, what have you been eating these past few days? You’ve suddenly plumped up. Honestly, did you sneak some yeast? How’d you puff up so much all of a sudden?”
Xu Zhizhi glared at him. “You, go away.”
“Ah, ah, our girl has finally gained a few pounds—something worth celebrating!” Lin Xitang pretended she hadn’t been the one surprised earlier and lightly swatted Zhou Che. “Our girl told you to go away.”
Zhou Che: “Alright, alright, I’ll go. You two chat.”
Xu Zhizhi nodded emphatically, earning a remark from Zhou Che: “Such a rude kid.”
Fu Chengyan roughly understood—those two were a couple.
And the three of them were very close.
“Xu Zhizhi, you’ve been quite commendable lately, actually eating meals and fruit. I’ve been telling you all along that takeout isn’t healthy, and you wouldn’t even order from restaurants. Now you finally care about your physical and mental well-being, huh?”
Lin Xitang was a medical student specializing in gynecology, but she was indecisive and also wanted to try dentistry.
When it came to health, she only lectured Xu Zhizhi. As for herself, she indulged in junk food without hesitation.
She often ate street food and sometimes dragged Zhou Che and Xu Zhizhi along. The other two had strong stomachs, but Xu Zhizhi wasn’t so lucky—she’d end up with a stomachache for two days afterward. That’s why Lin Xitang and Zhou Che were so concerned about her diet.
“I’ve been eating very healthily,” Xu Zhizhi said.
“Oh? Then what have you been eating lately? Any rice noodles or instant noodles?”
Xu Zhizhi proudly lifted her chin and shook her head.
Now it was Lin Xitang’s turn to be surprised. After all, Xu Zhizhi would scroll through the entire takeout menu from top to bottom and still only order the same few things, as if she never got tired of them.
She might not have grown tired of it, but Lin Xitang certainly had.
It had been nearly a week since she left, and Xu Zhizhi hadn’t eaten any of that.
A pleasant surprise, truly astonishing.
“So what have you been eating lately?” Lin Xitang asked curiously.
Xu Zhizhi rattled off the meals she’d had recently like pouring out beans, reciting them as if reading from a cookbook. At the end, she asked, “Healthy, right?”
Her tone carried a hint of pride.
Her little expression was charming and adorable, making Fu Chengyan’s heart flutter.
Lin Xitang couldn’t help but wonder, “Which restaurant did you order from with such a variety? But is it clean?”
Thinking of Fu Chengyan’s face and his good habits, Xu Zhizhi nodded with absolute certainty, loudly declaring, “Very clean!”
“…” Lin Xitang’s phone wobbled slightly as she sighed helplessly. “If it’s clean, it’s clean. No need to shout~”
Xu Zhizhi huffed. “I’m doing fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’m not worried about you,” Lin Xitang said, though not worrying about her was impossible.
She and Zhou Che were like elderly parents going on a long journey, leaving their still-uncomprehending child alone at home.
How could they not worry?