Chapter 117: Everyone Wants It

It was already dark when Zhou Yun returned. She didn't want to cook, so she stopped by the cafeteria to pick up some takeout. However, upon pushing open the front door, she discovered the lights inside were on.

At first, she suspected she had forgotten to turn them off before leaving, but then she realized someone might be inside. She leaned in, took a few more steps, and spotted a familiar figure in the kitchen.

Tang Zhichu was cooking. He was doing it out of necessity; Yu Hua had brought him here without considering whether he had eaten, leaving him to fend for himself. Tang Zhichu had thought he would just whip up two dishes—if Xiao Yun happened to come back, there would be enough to share. He made stir-fried zucchini with shredded pork, stir-fried green peppers with pork, and cooked some rice.

As he was plating the food, a figure suddenly jumped out from behind: "Hey!"

Tang Zhichu was so startled that his hand jerked, causing at least half of the stir-fried zucchini and pork to spill onto the stovetop. Because the range hood was running and he was busy cooking, he truly hadn't noticed someone approaching.

Seeing it was Zhou Yun, Tang Zhichu glared at her and said, "I don't care, you're cleaning this up."

Zhou Yun pouted. "Fine, I'll clean it up! Why are you being so fierce?"

"Is this considered fierce?"

"Yes, it is!"

Zhou Yun shoved the takeout she was carrying into Tang Zhichu's hands and then actually started cleaning. Tang Zhichu felt a bit baffled; could it really be that bad? Was Xiao Yun really that petty? Yet, she truly seemed to be feeling wronged.

"Um... am I really going to eat now?"

Zhou Yun, who was tying on an apron, turned back and said, "Go ahead, I'm not stopping you. Eat up, I'll come bother you in a bit."

Tang Zhichu went, thinking to himself that it was probably that time of the month, and it was best not to provoke her. It turned out the meal Zhou Yun had brought was for herself—a chicken leg, shrimp, and a salad. That wouldn't be enough to satisfy her, so Tang Zhichu went back in to get more food.

They didn't speak again until Zhou Yun finished cleaning the kitchen and went upstairs. Only then did Tang Zhichu start to reflect: what had he done? He didn't think he had offended her.

While he was still pondering, Zhou Yun came back downstairs. She was still wearing her little white hat outfit—a form-fitting athletic style. Under Tang Zhichu's puzzled gaze, she sat down next to him, let out a sudden giggle, and placed a black box on the table.

"Were you nervous?" Zhou Yun tilted her head and smiled at him.

Tang Zhichu brushed her off, huffing, "How boring."

"Just kidding! Here, a gift for you." Zhou Yun pointed to the box on the table.

"What is this?"

Zhou Yun didn't explain. Instead, she took the takeout Tang Zhichu hadn't finished. "Not bad, you saved some for me."

Tang Zhichu had eaten his fill, so he picked up the box. Looking at the front, he realized it was clothing—a shirt, black in color.

"You asked me to pick out a gift for Sister Lan, so I bought this for you while I was at it. I bet the size is perfect. Don't believe me? Try it on."

A smile appeared on Tang Zhichu's face. He looked at Zhou Yun and asked, "Why do you like giving clothes so much?"

This was the third time he had received clothing from her: the first was the sportswear she prepared for their date, the second was the sweat-wicking gear for the gym, and now this shirt.

"It's practical. Besides, the first e-commerce business I ran in college was selling clothes. I'm a professional! Isn't that great? At least you'll think of me when you wear it. Better yet, tell me how it feels. If you like it, I'll buy you a few more. I'm even looking at pants."

Tang Zhichu grunted, "I suppose I'll forgive you for the 'slap and then a treat' routine."

Zhou Yun stuck out her tongue and began to eat. Tang Zhichu got up and went to the living room to watch TV. Zhou Yun called out, "Go try it on! I spent a long time picking it out!"

"I'm all sweaty from earlier. I'll try it on later."

"Hmm~ just try it!"

Tang Zhichu looked back and saw Zhou Yun biting her chopsticks. It was the first time he had heard her use such a coy, coquettish tone. He stood up.

"How about I... take a shower first, then try it on?"

"Okay!"

Zhou Yun put down her chopsticks and went upstairs. When she reached the landing and saw that Tang Zhichu wasn't following, she called out, "Come on!"

Tang Zhichu followed. Zhou Yun slept in the bedroom on the left on the upper floor, and she led him straight into her room.

"There are only two bedrooms on this floor; the other one was used by Xiao Yan. We haven't used the third floor. You can use the bathroom in my room; I have a bathtub, so you can soak. Use my toiletries—this is the shampoo, this is the body wash..."

Zhou Yun was quite excited as she said this, as if she were sharing her favorite things. Her face was flushed, making her look incredibly cute. Only then did Zhou Yun show the sweet side of her appearance.

"I think I'll go to the next room..."

Zhou Yun glared at him, her expression turning unfriendly. "You really want to use the bathroom Xiao Yan used?"

"Fine, here it is."

Zhou Yun pushed Tang Zhichu into the bathroom, grumbling, "You're so picky, and I haven't even complained about you! So ungrateful! Hmph! I'm going to go eat, I'm starving!"

She said she was going to eat, but after taking a few steps, she turned back and didn't leave until she had filled the tub for him.

Tang Zhichu closed the bedroom door, stripped, hung his clothes on the rack, and entered the bathroom to lie in the tub. His expression was complex.

In his previous life, he had had several girlfriends, but he had never actually juggled multiple relationships at once. However, he had seen many such situations, especially with an older mentor who had truly cared for him. That man actually had several girlfriends—or rather, calling them that wasn't quite right, since they had all borne his children. Some of them even lived in harmony. It might have seemed absurd, but it was a reality, and quite common.

Once, while drinking, that mentor had told Tang Zhichu that monogamy was actually a system designed to protect men. At the time, Tang Zhichu had been inwardly disdainful, yet he had put on a facade of admiration and flattery. Having lived two lives, he had grown indifferent to many things.

If he were truly asked to choose just one woman, he didn't think he could do it. Just the thought of Sister Lan drinking in front of someone else made him feel uneasy. It was the same with Xiao Yun; there was already a strong unspoken understanding between them. In dealing with the Wang Xiaoyan situation, the two of them had never even privately communicated, yet they had coordinated perfectly to resolve it. Having already experienced rebirth, there was no reason he couldn't handle a few women.

The water in the tub reached his neck. The faint pressure against his body brought a sense of oppression, yet his mind became increasingly clear.

"It's all Li Hongzhou's fault, and Su Qingzhuo too—why did they have to join a dating show? Now look, I'm trapped!" Tang Zhichu muttered to himself.

Outside, Zhou Yun hadn't actually gone downstairs. She was lying by the door, listening to the movements inside. After hearing Tang Zhichu enter the bathroom, she waited a few more minutes before gently pushing the bedroom door open.

Entering the room, Zhou Yun patted her chest, heart racing—she was so nervous! She saw the clothes Tang Zhichu had left on the rack. Stepping lightly, she took his clothes away and grabbed a pair of her pink pajama pants, holding them up against herself to gauge the size. It seemed about right. Then, clutching Tang Zhichu's clothes, she left the bedroom.

Downstairs, having finished everything, Zhou Yun sat on the sofa, hugging her legs and beaming with joy.

"Where are my clothes?"

About ten minutes later, a WeChat message from Tang Zhichu arrived.

"I washed them for you. Don't mention it."

"Is this a matter of mentioning it or not? What am I supposed to wear?"

"Look on the bed!"

"Look at your sister! Not even a dog would wear this kind of thing!"