Seriously, sir? You can even pursue a professor?

The summer morning sun was already quite scorching. After finishing their meal, Tang Zheng and Zhao Yihang went to the mall and bought themselves two sets of clothes.

"Zhengzi, did you win the lottery? Why are you always buying clothes?"

Tang Zheng glanced at him and said indifferently, "Haven't you heard the saying, 'A man's wardrobe is never complete without one more piece of clothing'?"

"Really? I think it was a woman's wardrobe?"

"That's sexism, young man. Be careful, you might get arrested and paraded through the streets."

After parting ways with Zhao Yihang, Tang Zheng took a taxi to a famous pastry shop near his home.

"I'd like a strawberry cake," Tang Zheng said, his gaze sweeping across the counter. "And a box of these almond cookies, individually packaged, too."

"Okay, just a moment."

Carrying two exquisite little paper boxes, Tang Zheng walked out of the pastry shop, determined his direction, and headed towards Jinghan University.

Dang dang dang.

Soon, the door opened.

Ruan Hongzhuang stood behind the door, wearing a loose cotton dress, her long hair casually tied back with a pencil, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck.

"I'm going to buy some small cakes for my sister, and I'll also bring you a box of almond cookies on the way, Aunt Ruan." Tang Zheng handed a delicate little paper bag to Ruan Hongzhuang.

Ruan Hongzhuang took the paper bag. "Come in."

"No, there's a tigress at home waiting for her cake. If I get back late, she'll bite me." Tang Zheng waved to Ruan Hongzhuang, "Bye-bye, Aunt Ruan, you look beautiful today."

Tang Zheng turned around and walked towards the elevator.

Ruan Hongzhuang glanced at Tang Zheng's departing figure, closed the door, and walked towards the sofa.

As she passed the dressing mirror, Ruan Hongzhuang paused for a moment and glanced at her reflection.

When is she ever not beautiful?

She had never seen such a beautiful woman.

"Magic mirror, magic mirror, who is the fairest of them all?"

The next second, Ruan Hongzhuang changed her tone and said seriously:

"Of course it's the stunning beauty Ruan Hongzhuang."

Ruan Hongzhuang nodded in satisfaction, sat down on the sofa, opened the paper bag, took out the almond cookies inside, opened the lid, took one out, brought it to her mouth, and took a small bite.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, indicating that Aunt Ruan was very satisfied with the food.

In the afternoon, Tang Zheng was dragged by his older sister to the supermarket to work as a laborer.

"Go call your Aunt Ruan and tell her I'm making a big meal tonight and invite her over," Tang Rui instructed Tang Zheng, who was standing beside her, as she organized the ingredients.

"Okay." Tang Zheng turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

About an hour later, the sound of the door lock turning was heard, and Ruan Hongzhuang opened the door and walked in.

That's right, Aunt Ruan has a key to their house, so Tang Zheng felt that their family should also have a key to Aunt Ruan's apartment, that would be fair.

Very reasonable.

"You're here, Aunt Ruan." Tang Zheng looked towards the door and greeted her.

She wore a beige knit sweater on top, a pair of loose white trousers on the bottom, and flat shoes on her feet. It was simple, yet she was still stunningly beautiful.

"Mmm," Ruan Hongzhuang replied, pulling her feet, clad in white cotton socks, out of her flat shoes and into her cute bunny slippers.

Tang Zheng looked away and continued watching the movie. His wife was busy in the kitchen, so he could finally stop watching cartoons.

Actually, he had gone to the kitchen to ask his older sister if she needed him to help out, but she ruthlessly kicked him out, saying that with his mediocre skills, he would be lucky if he didn't make things worse for her.

Tang Zheng felt extremely insulted, and he decided to cook a huge feast one day to show his older sister what a rude awakening he was.

"Here you are! Red Makeup." Tang Rui poked her head out from the kitchen, beaming with enthusiasm.

"Mm," Ruan Hongzhuang replied, looking at Tang Rui.

"Go rest on the sofa for a while, it will be a little while before we start eating."

"it is good."

"Xiao Zhengzi, take good care of your Aunt Ruan."

"Understood, I'll take good care of her." Tang Zheng glanced at Tang Rui and replied.

She's both an older sister and an aunt, which seems nice, but who can know the heartache and bitterness behind it?

Ruan Hongzhuang sat down on the sofa, and Tang Zheng immediately began to serve her.

"Your Majesty, are you thirsty? Let me pour you a glass of water."

Ruan Hongzhuang glanced at Tang Zheng, "Okay."

Tang Zheng picked up the kettle, poured a glass of water, and placed it on the coffee table in front of Ruan Hongzhuang.

"Your Majesty, please have some water."

"Mmm." Ruan Hongzhuang picked up the water glass, brought it to her lips and took a sip, her fair and delicate neck tilting slightly upward.

"The water's cold, drag him out and chop him up."

Tang Zheng: "..."

I poured you water, but I didn't put rat poison in it, right?

Dinner was very plentiful, featuring sweet and sour pork ribs, braised prawns, steamed sea bass, garlic broccoli, and a yam and pork rib soup. The dishes looked delicious and appealed to everyone.

"It has to be you, sis. You're elegant in public, a good cook in the kitchen, beautiful and talented," Tang Zheng flattered her.

In fact, Tang Rui's ability to cook so well is largely due to her younger brother, Tang Zheng.

With her parents being unreliable and her younger brother at a crucial stage of growth, it was up to her, the older sister, to step in.

It was known that Tang Rui had never been a diligent person. If she were alone, she would be too lazy to cook, even if she was eating instant noodles.

Tang Rui was quite pleased with her brother's flattery, a smile spreading across her face. She took out a pre-chilled beer and a bottle of red wine, "Come on, let's have a drink today!"

"Would I like some too?"

Tang Rui glanced at Tang Zheng and said, "Drink if you want, don't drink if you don't want."

Tang Rui was quite open-minded. Her younger brother was already an adult, and drinking was fine as long as it wasn't too excessive.

Of course, if this had happened before the college entrance exam, when Tang Zheng was still in school, and he dared to drink alcohol, she probably would have twisted his head off and used it as a football.

"Then I'll have a bottle of beer," Tang Zheng said, grabbing a bottle of chilled beer.

The atmosphere has gotten to this point, so he should join in too.

"Come on, let's have a toast! May we get better and better!" Tang Rui picked up her wine glass and placed it in the middle.

Ruan Hongzhuang raised her wine glass, and Tang Zheng followed closely behind.

The three wine glasses clinked together gently, producing a pleasant clinking sound.

At first, the atmosphere was very relaxed and pleasant. Tang Rui talked about interesting things at school, and Tang Zheng and Ruan Hongzhuang occasionally chatted.

But as the number of toasts increased, Tang Rui's cheeks gradually flushed, she started talking more, and her eyes became somewhat unfocused.

Tang Zheng glanced at her. His older sister was the kind of person who was bad at drinking but loved to have fun. She couldn't hold her liquor, but she always liked to have a little drink.

"Hongzhuang... let me tell you, my brother... is actually a really good guy..." Tang Rui hugged Ruan Hongzhuang's arm and started muttering, "It's just that sometimes he has a sharp tongue... which is so annoying."

She suddenly leaned closer to Ruan Hongzhuang with a grin, lowering her voice, "Hongzhuang, I'll tell you a secret... my brother..."

Tang Zheng broke out in a sweat and quickly interrupted, "Sis, you've had too much to drink, don't talk nonsense."

Tang Rui glared at him and slurred, "Who drank...too much! I could...drink ten more bottles!"

"Yeah, you can drink the most. You could drink your way to a successful winery listing."

Tang Rui was satisfied. She turned to look at Ruan Hongzhuang and continued speaking, gradually going from a lisp to something indistinct.

Ruan Hongzhuang listened quietly, a faint smile on her face, occasionally chiming in and gently patting Tang Rui's hand.

Tang Zheng took a sip of beer, glanced at the two people opposite him, and suddenly felt like he was seeing a domineering CEO and his little wife.

Finally, Tang Rui, unable to hold her liquor, tilted her head and leaned on Ruan Hongzhuang's shoulder, mumbling "good sister" and "forever" before completely passing out.

The two helped Tang Rui into the bedroom, covered her with a blanket, and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the bed, soon emitting even breathing sounds.

After leaving Tang Rui's room, only the two of them remained in the living room, the air filled with a faint smell of alcohol and the lingering aroma of food.

"Aunt Ruan, are you still eating?" Tang Zheng turned to Ruan Hongzhuang and asked. Her fair cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were more hazy than usual.

"I'm not eating anymore." Ruan Hongzhuang exhaled softly, her breath reeking of alcohol.

"Then I'll tidy up the table." Tang Zheng came to the dining table and began to clear away the dishes.

Ruan Hongzhuang came over and helped with the tidying up.

"Aunt Ruan, you go and rest. I can do it myself."

"It's alright," Ruan Hongzhuang said, carrying the plate towards the kitchen.

Tang Zheng glanced at Ruan Hongzhuang's departing figure, then lowered his head to continue tidying up.

After tidying up the dining table, Tang Zheng went to the sink and turned on the tap to wash the dishes.

"I'll wash you." Ruan Hongzhuang came to Tang Zheng's side, and a faint fragrance mixed with a hint of alcohol wafted into Tang Zheng's nose.

Perhaps because she had been drinking, Aunt Ruan seemed a little different from usual.

"Aunt Ruan, please go out quickly, don't cause trouble here."

"Go to the side, I'll wash." Ruan Hongzhuang looked at Tang Zheng and continued, her tone still calm, but seemingly softer than usual.

Tang Zheng looked at Ruan Hongzhuang and said, "Then I'll get you an apron."

"Um."

Tang Zheng turned around and walked to the wall, taking down the apron hanging there. This apron was the same as the one in Aunt Ruan's apartment; it was bought by his sister.

It's pink and has a cute Hello Kitty pattern printed on it.

Tang Zheng returned to Ruan Hongzhuang's side and handed her the apron.

Ruan Hongzhuang put on the apron, then picked up the straps at both ends and reached behind her back to tie it.

Perhaps because she had been drinking, her hands were a little unresponsive, and she failed to tie the knot twice.

"Let me do it." Tang Zheng came up behind Ruan Hongzhuang, took the ribbon from her hand, and skillfully tied a beautiful bow.

Tang Zheng returned to Ruan Hongzhuang's side and glanced at her. He had to admit, the pink Hello Kitty apron looked quite good on Aunt Ruan, especially with her flushed cheeks and slightly misty eyes…

They're actually quite cute.

"You can go out now." Ruan Hongzhuang rolled up her sleeves, revealing her tender, lotus-root-like arms.

"No, I have to supervise here. What if you break the bowl?"

Ruan Hongzhuang glanced at him, said nothing more, and turned on the tap.

"Don't fill the container too full with water, then add some dish soap," Tang Zheng instructed from the side.

"I know," Ruan Hongzhuang said, turning off the tap, then taking the dish soap from the sink and squeezing it out a couple of times.

It's not like she's never washed dishes before, it's just that she hasn't done it in a long time.

"Don't squeeze out too much."

"Shut up."

"Okay, shut up."

Ruan Hongzhuang put the dish soap back on top of the sink, dipped her hand into the water and stirred it, then picked up the dishcloth beside her and began washing the dishes with somewhat clumsy movements.

Tang Zheng stood silently to the side, his gaze sweeping over those fair and delicate hands...

What a waste! Such beautiful hands, how can they be used to wash dishes?

Time slips away unnoticed.

Ruan Hongzhuang rinsed the last plate clean and put it in the cupboard next to her.

"Aunt Ruan is amazing! Aunt Ruan is so incredible!" Tang Zheng clapped and praised.

Ruan Hongzhuang glanced at Tang Zheng, "Sycophant." She reached behind her back, untied the apron, took it off, and handed it to Tang Zheng.

Tang Zheng took the apron and hung it back on the wall.

"Aunt Ruan, is there anything else you'd like me to do? Sweep? Mop? My washing machine has been having a minor problem lately, could you take a look and fix it?"

Ruan Hongzhuang looked up at him and said, "Come here, I'm going to teach you a lesson."

"That's really unnecessary, I don't have any problems."

Ruan Hongzhuang ignored Tang Zheng and walked out of the kitchen unhurriedly, wearing cute bunny slippers.

Two minutes later, Tang Zheng also left the kitchen, carrying two cups of prepared honey water, one a glass and the other a thermos.

At this moment, Ruan Hongzhuang was leaning casually against the back of the sofa, her two slender legs crossed, one foot slightly dangling in the air, her toes unconsciously tapping lightly, her posture very relaxed.

The light and shadow on the television screen flickered on her quiet profile. Her eyes, which were always calm and serene, were half-closed, her gaze lazily falling on the television program, yet seemingly not truly focused.

The slight buzz from the alcohol made her body lines appear more supple than usual, and she resembled a cat stretching out in the afternoon sun, exuding a relaxed and charming aura.

Tang Zheng placed the honey water in front of Ruan Hongzhuang, "Drinking some honey water after drinking alcohol is good for your health."

"Aunt Ruan, please put this on my sister's bedside table when you go back to the bedroom later," Tang Zheng said, pointing to the thermos.

"Hmm." Ruan Hongzhuang looked at the two glasses of honey water in front of her, picked up the glass, and took a sip.

It's warm and sweet, and it feels really nice.

Soon, the glass of honey water was empty.

"I'll make you another cup."

"No need," Ruan Hongzhuang said, picking up her thermos and walking towards Tang Rui's bedroom.

Soon, Ruan Hongzhuang's figure disappeared from the living room.

Tang Zheng checked the time, picked up "From One to Infinity" from under the coffee table, and started reading.

Time passed...

The bedroom door was pushed open, and Ruan Hongzhuang came out with a change of clothes.

She gently closed the bedroom door, glanced at Tang Zheng sitting on the sofa reading a book, and turned to walk towards the bathroom.

Before long, the sound of pattering water began, clearly reaching Tang Zheng's ears in the quiet night.

Tang Zheng looked up towards the bathroom, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to calm his somewhat agitated emotions. Then he picked up the remote control, turned on the TV, and turned the volume up.

Perhaps it's because I've had a little to drink, but the little flame in my heart is burning exceptionally brightly today.