77: Chapter 75: Perfect Match 77: Chapter 75: Perfect Match The next day, Liu Shanshan, still somewhat sleepy, opened her door.

She had stayed up too late the night before, so naturally, she didn’t sleep well.

She glanced at the living room and found it empty, which made her frown in confusion.

Could it be that Tangyu had left without saying goodbye?

Just then, a strange aroma wafted out from the kitchen, triggering her appetite immediately.

Looking up, she saw Tangyu emerging from the kitchen, which left her momentarily stunned.

“You’re awake,” Tangyu said to Liu Shanshan with a smile, his gaze involuntarily scanning her.

It was evident that Liu Shanshan had just gotten out of bed; she hadn’t even tidied up.

Her clothes and hair were a bit disheveled, and she was still in her pajamas, adding a special charm and allure to her appearance.

Both women who have just bathed and those who have just woken up possess a unique charm.

Felling Tangyu’s gaze, Liu Shanshan quickly retreated back to her room.

Tangyu chuckled and returned to the kitchen to continue making breakfast.

Several minutes later, Liu Shanshan came out of her room again, this time dressed and made up.

Her style was rather plain—in addition to wearing a few accessories, she didn’t wear heavy makeup like other girls.

She maintained her natural beauty.

Women who rely on heavy makeup aren’t that appealing; they may be stunning at first glance, but upon longer inspection, they tend to be tiring.

On the other hand, women with a natural, lotus-like beauty can stand the test of time.

Tangyu had already set breakfast on the table.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Liu Shanshan’s heart warmed, and she felt a touch moved.

She had never dreamed of having a thoughtful boy take care of her.

She wasn’t a strong independent woman; she was just a girl who had recently graduated from college, with a tender side to her heart.

Perhaps she was a bit more persistent, cautious, and even naively fantastical about love than others.

What she sought was a love that was pure, true, beautiful, and deeply engraved in the heart, even though she knew such love might not exist in real life.

People always hold boundless hopes for their future.

“Tangyu, I didn’t know you could cook,” Liu Shanshan remarked as she sat down, attracted by the delicious scent of the century egg and lean pork congee in her bowl.

“It smells wonderful.

I’ve made it before, but it never smelled this good.”

Tangyu smiled and replied, “It’s a sign of the times, really.

Nowadays, most who can cook are guys.

If I didn’t learn how to cook, it would be even harder to find a girlfriend.

I added some lotus seeds and timed the green onions just right.

The timing for adding the lean pork and century egg is crucial as well.

If you control it properly, the dish will have a wonderful aroma.

What you want to do is draw out all the fragrance of the lean pork, century egg, lotus seeds, and green onions, and then blend them all together to create something very fragrant.”

“Wow, I might have to learn this from you sometime,” Liu Shanshan said.

“Yeah, it’s good to have more congee in the morning; it’s very beneficial for your stomach and intestines, especially the lotus seeds, which can nourish them.

Eat more of these in the next period.

I’ve bought plenty of lotus seeds.

Using about ten in one go should be enough to last you for half a month.

Hey, why aren’t you eating?

Stop staring at me,” said Tangyu.

Liu Shanshan wasn’t someone easily moved by emotion.

After experiencing so much, one becomes numb.

If she was easily moved, she probably would have been swept off her feet by now.

In school, there weren’t fewer than a hundred boys who had pursued her, and what trick hadn’t they tried?

Yet from beginning to end, no matter how touched she was, she never wavered in her steadfast belief in love.

In this regard, she wasn’t like many girls who accepted love out of emotional upheaval.

Even if she was moved, if she wasn’t in love herself, Liu Shanshan would definitely not accept it.

However, the way Tangyu moved her was different, touching a chord in her heart.

She didn’t care for someone parading with nine hundred and ninety-nine rose-red roses in public to declare their love for her.

She didn’t need that kind of romantic gesture.

But a small act could move her much more deeply.

“Tangyu, you’re so good to me, I’m a bit embarrassed,” Liu Shanshan said, her face flushing with a hint of pink.

Tangyu laughed.

“Why so formal?

I wanted some congee, too.

Just think of it as me borrowing your kitchen for a bit.

Come on, eat before it gets cold.

It’s getting late, we should head to work after this.”

“Mm,” Liu Shanshan nodded, her mouth curving in a cheerful smile.

Time really was getting tight.

By the time the two finished their breakfast, it was already a quarter past eight.

“It’s rush hour now, and it’s hard to catch a cab in this area.

We should probably squeeze onto the bus to get there faster,” suggested Liu Shanshan.

Tangyu nodded.

It seemed unlikely he would make it to the office by 8:30 today.

But it didn’t matter, he thought, since his boss, Enchantress, was probably going to give him trouble today anyway; one more issue wouldn’t make much difference.

They waited at the bus stop for a while without any buses coming by.

Just then, a taxi pulled up, and the window on the rear passenger side rolled down to reveal a familiar face: “Xinxin.”

Zhao Xinxin was surprised to see Tangyu and Liu Shanshan waiting for the bus.

Could it be that those two had spent the night together?

The pace of their relationship was advancing rather quickly, wasn’t it?

Feeling Zhao Xinxin’s probing gaze, Liu Shanshan’s face turned shy.

She was about to explain when Zhao Xinxin said, “Get in quickly.”

Tangyu sat in the front seat, while Liu Shanshan sat in the back.

“Xinxin, actually we—”

Before Liu Shanshan could finish speaking, Zhao Xinxin waved her hand to cut her off, “Whatever it is, that’s your own business.

You don’t need to explain or report it to me.

You’re both young; it’s normal to have things happen.

Overall, Tangyu’s a decent guy.

You two match each other well, a perfect couple.”

Liu Shanshan’s face reddened even more.

She wanted to explain but felt she couldn’t make it clear.

“Xinxin, how’s the situation with your car being handled?” Tangyu asked, changing the subject.

Zhao Xinxin glanced at Tangyu indifferently, “How else could it be?

Without surveillance, there’s no way to know who did it.

I can only consider myself unlucky and get the car fixed myself.

If I find out who the bastard is, I won’t let him off easily.”

Tangyu couldn’t help but touch his nose, why did it feel like Xinxin was cursing him under her breath?

He knew this car issue wasn’t going to be simple, it definitely seemed targeted.

He arrived at the company at 8:30 a.m., and Wan Xiaoya had come early: “Xinxin, your car’s been fixed.

I’ll go pick it up later.”

Zhao Xinxin said, “No need, Tangyu can go fetch it later.

You concentrate on your work.

This little matter doesn’t require your attention.”

“Okay.” Wan Xiaoya nodded and went off to work.

Zhao Xinxin turned back to Tangyu and Liu Shanshan, “Liu Shanshan, organize the manuscripts and have someone notify about today’s meeting.

Tangyu, come with me to the office.” Having said that, she walked straight to the office.

Tangyu curled his lip.

It looked like he couldn’t escape whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Xinxin was still determined to trouble him about yesterday’s incident.

But at this point, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow her into the office.

As soon as they entered, Zhao Xinxin without turning her head, said, “Close the door.”

“There’s no need, Xinxin.

Early in the morning, opening the windows and doors to air out would be better,” Tangyu said—knowing if he closed the door, he could only guess how Xinxin would choose to punish him.

Zhao Xinxin sat down in her chair and glared at Tangyu, “Stop talking nonsense.

If I tell you to close the door, then close it.”

“Fine.” Tangyu could only close the door and approached Zhao Xinxin, looking down at her from above.

The view from this angle wasn’t bad.

But Tangyu didn’t dare to indulge in the sight; Xinxin was already in a bad mood with him.

Provoking her further would be unwise.

Seeing Zhao Xinxin didn’t speak, Tangyu took the initiative, “Xinxin, what did you need to see me for?”

Zhao Xinxin said, “You don’t know what I called you here for?”

“How would I know if you don’t tell me, Xinxin?” Tangyu feigned ignorance.

“Hmph, stop pretending with me.

I see your guts have grown bigger.

If this continues, you might not take me seriously anymore.

Not giving you a little punishment to serve as a warning just wouldn’t do,” Zhao Xinxin huffed.

“Uh, Xinxin, you’re making this sound so scary.

I really don’t know what I’ve done wrong?

If you’re going to punish me, surely there must be a reason, right?” Tangyu said.

Zhao Xinxin gave Tangyu a cold glare, “You want a reason?

Fine, I’ll give you one.

Last night, you tried to take an advantage of me.

Is that reason enough?”

Tangyu was the picture of aggrievement—could he really be blamed?

With that sort of temptation, the fact that he could resist was a testament to him being a truly good man.

She should be thanking him instead.

But a good man doesn’t quarrel with women, especially not a beautiful woman, and certainly not when she’s his boss.

“That has nothing to do with work, right?” Tangyu said.

Zhao Xinxin paused for a moment and then swiftly continued, “Since you want to talk about work, let’s talk about yesterday afternoon.

Why didn’t you listen to me?

I told you not to provoke Hu Xing, so why do you keep antagonizing him?

Do you know who he is, the son of the Hu Family, and how influential they are in Donglin City?

If you offend him, do you think you’d end up okay?

Besides, if things had gone well yesterday afternoon, maybe our company could have formed some partnership with the Hu Family.

Do you realize how significant that would have been for the company?

And all of that was ruined by you.

Tell me, shouldn’t I punish you?”

Although Tangyu was not happy with Hu Xing, he was too lazy to argue and said, “Alright, Xinxin, if it’s just about that, I accept it.

Punish me however you want; I’ll take it.”

“Hmph.” Hearing Tangyu admit his mistake, Zhao Xinxin snorted softly, “You’d better not provoke Hu Xing anymore in the future.

I heard from Enchantress that he can be quite petty.

If you provoke him again, he might really hurt you severely.

Don’t blame me if I haven’t warned you.”

“Thanks for caring, Xinxin,” Tangyu smiled, thinking Xinxin really seemed to care about him.

Why did it feel like Xinxin was showing a strong hint of jealousy?

Could it be because she was jealous of Liu Shanshan?

“Stretch out your hand,” Zhao Xinxin suddenly said, interrupting Tangyu’s daydream.

Tangyu obediently extended his hand, innocently asking, “What’s this for, Xinxin?

Is there something you want to give me?”

Zhao Xinxin picked up a ruler and smacked it down towards Tangyu’s palm, saying, “It’s something for you.”

As Xinxin actually took a ruler to hit his palm—a setup that felt like a punishment game often seen between couples—there was an ambiguous air to it.

Tangyu, with quick reflexes, drew back his hand before the ruler could strike.

He hadn’t expected Xinxin to use a play punishment often reserved for lovers.

Wasn’t this too ambiguous and too thrilling?