bBecause he didn’t have to go to the company today, Gu Huaizhi was dressed very casually.
Wearing a black trench coat, it accentuated his tall, long legs and slender waist even more.
As Shen Mianyin pushed open the door to the building, she happened to see the sunlight slanting across Gu Huaizhi’s figure, adding a warm hue to his usually somewhat aloof face.
When he saw her coming out, Gu Huaizhi quickly took a few steps forward and took her suitcase from her.
When they arrived at Li Jing Garden, Gu Huaizhi parked the car in the underground parking lot and then took Shen Mianyin’s suitcase with him as they headed to the elevator together.
Li Jing Garden is a spacious apartment with elevator access, which is actually a bit too large for Shen Mianyin to live in alone.
But it’s well-secured, so even if Gu Luo’an followed her, she wouldn’t need to worry about him entering the building and bothering her.
Gu Huaizhi lives here too, mainly because it’s close to the company, making his daily commute easier compared to living in a villa location-wise.
When they entered the elevator, Shen Mianyin swiped her card for her floor, and Gu Huaizhi swiped his for the floor below hers.
Shen Mianyin had assumed that Gu Huaizhi was going directly home.
When they reached the 20th floor where Gu Huaizhi lived, he said to her, “Wait here for a moment.”
Shen Mianyin stood in the elevator, still, pressing the open door button as she waited for him.
From the elevator, she couldn’t see inside his place—only saw Gu Huaizhi take a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet, looking new.
When Gu Huaizhi returned, facing Shen Mianyin’s questioning look, he explained, “I’m going to your place later to help out, so I can’t wear my outside shoes inside.”
Shen Mianyin hadn’t expected Gu Huaizhi to be so thoughtful.
However, she didn’t feel comfortable letting him help since the landlord sent cleaners every day, so there wasn’t much that needed cleaning.
Shen Mianyin just gathered her things and placed them in a neat, attractive arrangement.
Gu Huaizhi really couldn’t help much, but he did his best to lend a hand.
Shen Mianyin didn’t have much stuff, so they finished organizing in about an hour.
However, the apartment still felt a bit empty, especially the kitchen— the fridge was almost empty, and there weren’t even the basic kitchen utensils in the cabinets.
“I need to go to the mall,” Shen Mianyin said. “Get some dishes and utensils, and pick up some groceries and fruit while I’m there.”
Gu Huaizhi nodded, getting up and casually picking up his trench coat from the back of the single sofa. “I’ll go with you.”
Since Gu Huaizhi had said so, Shen Mianyin wasn’t going to argue.
There was a boutique supermarket right next to Li Jing Garden, stocked with slightly more expensive goods—clearly catering to the tastes of the local residents.
Gu Huaizhi drove Shen Mianyin over, and after she picked out the dishes she liked and stocked up on snacks, they headed to the fresh produce section.
“Mr. Gu,” Shen Mianyin called out.
Gu Huaizhi tilted his head and looked at her. “You used to just call me by my name.”
His gaze lingered on Shen Mianyin’s face, not moving away.
Under his scrutiny, Shen Mianyin felt compelled to repeat, “Gu Huaizhi.”
It had just slipped out casually before, but now, making the conscious effort to change it felt awkward and a bit embarrassing.
Calling out his name made Shen Mianyin feel her ears and neck start to tingle.
“What were you going to say just now?” Gu Huaizhi asked, pushing the shopping cart.
“You’ve done so much to help me today, and it’s my first day moving. If you don’t mind, how about lunch at my place? I'll cook something,” Shen Mianyin regained some composure and asked with a relaxed expression.
Gu Huaizhi genuinely hadn’t expected that Shen Mianyin could cook.
After all, before Su Yiqing returned, Shen Mianyin had grown up in the Su family and hadn’t needed to learn these things.
“Okay,” Gu Huaizhi nodded, casually asking, “How did you learn to cook?”
For some reason, Shen Mianyin didn’t want Gu Huaizhi to know that she had initially learned just to win over Gu Luo’an.
“Just… had a bit of interest, so I learned a bit,” Shen Mianyin smiled. “I’m pretty good at it.”
“Looking forward to it,” Gu Huaizhi smiled slightly, his expression showing genuine anticipation.
The two of them bought some vegetables, and Shen Mianyin also picked up a pre-prepared small chicken, a fish, and some beef brisket.
Back at the apartment, Shen Mianyin got familiar with the kitchen and then started to prepare the meal.
Gu Huaizhi quietly moved to the kitchen door and said, “Let me help you out.”
“This meal is specially made for you,” Shen Mianyin turned to say, “Today, you’re the guest, so just relax and rest over there.”
Gu Huaizhi shook his head. “With you so busy, I can’t just sit here doing nothing. It doesn’t feel right, even just sitting around. At least give me something to do.”
“Then I’ll ask a question—can you cook?” Shen Mianyin laughed as she asked.
“Underestimate me?” Gu Huaizhi said with a smile, rolling up his sleeves as he stepped inside.
“I studied in the UK during university, and you know what the food there is like—let’s just say it’s enough to barely sustain life. Studying was hard enough without trying to punish my stomach too, so I had to learn how to cook. My culinary skills aren’t anything special, but they’re definitely edible.”
Shen Mianyin felt a bit awkward about giving orders to Gu Huaizhi, especially when he had gone out of his way to prepare something for her.
However, Gu Huaizhi had already taken the initiative to remove the plastic wrap from the vegetables and was rinsing them in the sink.
His movements were skilled, clearly indicating he had done this many times before.
Shen Mianyin couldn’t help but think that while Gu Luo'an wasn’t as accomplished in academics or work as Gu Huaizhi, he certainly excelled in enjoying life far more than him.
Gu Huaizhi hadn’t been spoiled like him either. With Gu Huaizhi’s help, the prep work was indeed much faster.
However, when it came time to cook, Shen Mianyin still shooed him out of the kitchen.
Gu Huaizhi sat at the dining table, doing nothing else but watching Shen Mianyin’s busy figure.
Before long, the enticing aroma of the dishes began wafting through the air.
Shen Mianyin cooked braised beef brisket with potatoes, tomatoes, and onions, prepared a spicy oil-poured fish, used half of the rooster to make salted chicken, and the other half to stew chicken soup, along with three stir-fried vegetable dishes.
"Try it and see if it suits your taste," Shen Mianyin said. "The dishes I make are just simple home-cooked meals."
"Home-cooked meals are the best," Gu Huaizhi replied as he took a sip of the soup. The chicken soup was rich and flavorful.
The braised beef brisket was perfectly tender, and the tomato and potato stew produced a thick, tangy, and sweet broth with just the right flavor.
The fish was fresh and tender, carrying a hint of numbing Sichuan peppercorn, but the taste wasn’t overpowering.
The salted chicken was tender and delicious.
Gu Huaizhi truly hadn’t expected Shen Mianyin’s cooking skills to be this impressive.
Though the dishes were simple home-cooked meals, their warm and comforting flavors mirrored her personality—gentle and pleasant, with a taste that felt just right no matter how you savored it.
"No matter how good the food at restaurants tastes, it can’t compare to your cooking," Gu Huaizhi said.
Seeing Shen Mianyin’s doubtful expression, he added, "Really, the meals outside lack a certain warmth that yours have."
"Then from now on, whenever you’re home, I’ll include a portion for you when I cook," Shen Mianyin said.
"When I was staying with Wanran before, I used to cook, and the portions were just right for two people. Now that I’m alone, it’s hard to control the quantity. I want variety, but I can’t finish everything by myself. Even with the smaller portions from the supermarket, I still can’t finish them. Plus, some things don’t keep for long. If I buy something and don’t use it all, the leftovers end up going to waste."
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