The voluptuous and beautiful nanny, Technician Shen fell for her.

Zhu Yuanyuan looked at the small piece of meat from the side and kept grimacing.

"Nianhe, how many pounds of meat did you buy? Enough to fill anyone's teeth! Not even enough to feed a cat. Chef Liu, cut me two pounds! Lots of fatty meat!"

Su Nianhe handed over the money, saying, "I'm eating this by myself; if I buy too much, it won't keep."

She didn't know when Shen Huai would finish his work today.

She simply bought enough for one person, just a little bit of pork belly stir-fried with vegetables.

Zhu Yuanyuan took the two large pieces of meat handed to her by Master Liu and stuffed them into the mesh bag with satisfaction.

"Even if I'm eating alone, I should eat well. My parents love meat, so we need to buy more for our family." Zhu Yuanyuan said, carrying a net bag. "Come on, let's go buy another fish."

The two had just turned around when they bumped into an older woman carrying a shopping basket.

The middle-aged woman had a full head of small curls and wore a bright red polyester short-sleeved shirt. Her eyes darted around between Su Nianhe and Zhu Yuanyuan.

"Oh my, isn't this Yuanyuan!" the middle-aged woman called out in a high-pitched voice, drawing the attention of the people buying groceries nearby.

As soon as Zhu Yuanyuan saw this middle-aged woman, the smile on her face immediately disappeared.

"Aunt Lin, buying groceries?" Zhu Yuanyuan greeted her perfunctorily and pulled Su Nianhe to leave.

Aunt Lin wasn't going to let her off the hook, so she stepped across and blocked the road.

"Yuanyuan, you bought so much meat again?" Aunt Lin stared at the two pounds of fatty meat in Zhu Yuanyuan's net bag, her lips curling into a sneer, her tone full of mockery. "Not that I'm criticizing you, but if you keep eating like this, you'll never get married. Look at the girl next to you, how pretty she is, how attractive she is. You look so awkward walking next to her."

Su Nianhe frowned.

That old lady's words were so rude.

She was about to say something in defense of Zhu Yuanyuan when Zhu Yuanyuan had already rolled up her sleeves and started working.

"Aunt Lin, did I spend your money to buy meat, or did I eat your rice?" Zhu Yuanyuan's voice was even louder than hers, and she retorted confidently, "I'm blessed with this body, what do you know!"

Aunt Lin was taken aback by the retort, her face turning ugly: "How can you talk like that, child! I was just trying to be kind and concerned about you. Last time I introduced you to that Xiao Wang from the supply and marketing cooperative, he's a full-time employee, and you were so picky that you drove him away."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanyuan's fighting spirit instantly skyrocketed.

"How dare you mention that Xiao Wang!" Zhu Yuanyuan laughed angrily. "What was the name of the guy you introduced me to?! Twenty-eight years old, only a ring of hair left around the edges, and he's missing half a front tooth when he smiles! Is he even a permanent employee? He works as a gatekeeper at the supply and marketing cooperative! He's such a grotesque guy, and he even complained that I was fat, limiting me to half a steamed bun per meal! I'm being lenient by not hitting him, and you still dare to bring him up to disgust me!"

The people buying groceries nearby burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Su Nianhe, standing to the side, couldn't help but smile. Zhu Yuanyuan's words were truly hilarious.

Aunt Lin's face turned a deep purplish-red as she pointed at Zhu Yuanyuan: "You...you don't know what's good for you! With a temper like yours, you deserve to never get married!"

"I'm happy if I can't get married!" Zhu Yuanyuan raised her chin. "I can eat eight big meat buns in one meal, and I earn my own money to spend as I please. You should worry more about your thirty-year-old son who's still single. I heard he went on another blind date the other day?"

These words struck a nerve with Aunt Lin.

Aunt Lin was so angry that she stomped her feet. She didn't even buy any vegetables and sheepishly squeezed out of the crowd with her empty basket.

"Wasting time with this kind of person really ruins my appetite." Zhu Yuanyuan clapped her hands, turned to look at Su Nianhe, and immediately put on a smile. "Come on, Nianhe, let's go buy fish!"

After leaving the market, the two parted ways at the intersection.

Su Nianhe carried tomatoes and a small piece of pork belly, walking back to her new courtyard along the alley.

The courtyard was quiet.

She took the key, opened the door, and went straight into the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't big, but it was fully equipped with pots, pans, and utensils.

Su Nianhe rinsed the rice and put it in the pot, chopped some ginger and garlic, and sliced ​​the pork belly into thin slices.

Just as I was cutting tomatoes, the gate to the yard creaked open.

Su Nianhe stopped slashing and peeked out.

Shen Huai, dressed in a white shirt and gray trousers, carrying a black briefcase, strode in.

After seeing off all the people who came to visit him at home, he rode his bicycle very fast and headed straight for the small courtyard.

Su Nianhe stopped what she was doing, holding the kitchen knife.

She peeked out and watched Shen Huai stride into the courtyard.

"Why did you come over? Have all the guests left?" Su Nianhe asked.

Shen Huai casually placed his black briefcase on the stone table in the yard and strode into the kitchen.

"One group leaves, another one comes." Shen Huai walked to the sink, turned on the tap to wash his hands, and spoke with a hint of casualness. "All those people in the compound came to visit me. I found it noisy, so I made up an excuse that there was an emergency technical meeting at the factory and came out."

Su Nianhe said "oh" and didn't reply, turning around to continue cutting the tomatoes on the cutting board.

The words Li Lianhua had spoken to her that afternoon kept flashing through her mind.

The daughter of Director Zhou, who wore a yellow dress and looked like a magazine star.

And then there were their silhouettes as they went to the study on the second floor, one after the other.

The blade struck the cutting board with a dull thud.

Su Nianhe unconsciously used a little too much force, and the tomato juice dripped down the edge of the cutting board.

Shen Huai didn't dry his hands after washing them; he just flicked the water droplets off them a couple of times.

The kitchen space wasn't large to begin with, and as soon as he entered, the refreshing scent of soap mixed with the summer heat enveloped Su Nianhe.

He walked up behind Su Nianhe, his towering height completely casting his shadow over her. With a swift movement, his large, well-defined hand covered the back of her hand, grasping it along with the kitchen knife.

"You're chopping bones, why are you using so much force?" Shen Huai snatched the cleaver from her hand with a little force and threw it onto the cutting board with a clang.

Su Nianhe was held in his arms, her back almost pressed against his warm chest.

She awkwardly moved forward half an inch, but Shen Huai immediately pressed down on her waist.

Shen Huai's gaze fell on the cutting board, and he frowned as he looked at the pitifully small piece of pork belly.

"You only bought this much meat? To feed the cat?"

Su Nianhe was already holding a grudge, and when she heard him being so picky, she stubbornly said, "I'm eating this by myself, and if I buy too much, it won't keep in this hot weather."

Shen Huai turned his head, his warm breath brushing against her ear.

"Are you going to take this for granted?"

Su Nianhe blurted out, "Weren't you supposed to be entertaining guests?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she was stunned. The sourness in her tone was obvious even to a blind person.

Shen Huai stopped moving.

He didn't rush to interrogate her; instead, he grasped her shoulders with both hands and turned her to face him.

Su Nianhe kept her head down, her gaze fixed on the second button of Shen Huai's white shirt, refusing to look at his face.

Shen Huai looked at her for two seconds, then let go of her hand, slowly unbuttoned the collar of his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves to his elbows.

"Go wait over there." Shen Huai gestured with his chin toward the small stool by the door.

Su Nianhe didn't move: "I need to cook."

Without saying a word, Shen Huai grabbed her slender waist with both hands and effortlessly lifted her onto the small stool and held her down.

"Sit still." Shen Huai's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable force. "I'll cook."

Su Nianhe sat on a bench.

Shen Huai picked up the old kitchen knife again. The knife was extremely obedient in his hand, and his movements as he cut the meat were crisp and clean, quickly turning the pork belly into thin, even slices.

Heat oil in a wok.

Once the oil is hot, the sliced ​​meat is added to the pan, making a sizzling sound.

Shen Huai held the spatula, his movements as he stirred the food exuding a relaxed ease. The hem of his white shirt swayed slightly with his movements, and his broad back appeared exceptionally strong in the dim light of the kitchen.

Before long, a plate of stir-fried pork with tomatoes was ready. Although there wasn't much meat, the colors were perfectly matched, and the aroma was irresistible.

Shen Huai carried the dishes to the small square table in the yard, then went into the kitchen and ladled out a large bowl of rice, placing it in front of Su Nianhe.

"Eat." Shen Huai pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down.