I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

"Working overtime?"

Shu Zi propped her phone up on the bedside table, then lay down on the bed, propping her chin up as she looked at him.

"Mm." Gu Yan leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her face through the screen. "Is the room ready?"

"It's almost done, I'll finish it tomorrow. Little Gardenia helped me with most of it."

Shu Zi said with a smile, "By the way, she said she ran into you in the elevator today and was so excited she almost died on the spot."

Gu Yan chuckled: "I can tell."

She also said—

Shu Zi paused for a moment, thinking of Fang Zhizi's words, "Your future children will definitely be incredibly good-looking," and her cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly stopped herself from going further.

"Never mind, I'm not going to say it anymore, it's not suitable for children."

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow: "You only said half of what you wanted to say?"

I'm not telling you.

Shu Zi rolled over, lying on her back and holding her phone above her face. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I ate."

Shu Zi narrowed her eyes and tapped the screen with one finger: "Gu Yan, look me in the eyes!"

Gu Yan clicked his tongue: "Baby, don't stare at me like that when you're not home."

Shu Zi: "?"

Gu Yan's eyes darkened slightly: "Too alluring."

Shu Zi: "..."

Her ears burned, and she almost slammed the phone down. After regaining her balance, she glared at him.

"Don't change the subject! Did you not eat properly tonight?"

Gu Yan was silent for two seconds, then honestly said, "I didn't eat."

Shu Zi frowned and sat up in bed:

"I knew it! Hurry up and get something to eat. Don't tell me you're not hungry, I don't believe you."

Gu Yan leaned back in his chair and said lazily, "We'll go later."

"No, now, immediately, right now, go!"

Shu Zi pointed at the screen, "If you don't want to move, ask Wu Qiwei to send you some takeout. You can't go to bed hungry."

Looking at her fierce expression, Gu Yan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say and go cook noodles."

Shu Zi, holding her phone, watched him get up and walk towards the kitchen, and nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it."

She lay back down on the bed, propped up her phone, and said, "I'll keep the video on so I can watch you eat."

She paused, then added, her tone a mix of concern and reproach:

"Look at you, when I'm not home, you don't even eat properly anymore. Starting tomorrow, you have to report to me about your three meals a day."

"I understand." Gu Yan's voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of indulgent laughter.

The camera pans across the living room ceiling and the hallway lights, finally settling on the stove.

He leaned his phone against the spice rack, opened the refrigerator, and took out eggs and vegetables with swift and natural movements.

Shu Zi lay on the pillow, propping her chin up as she watched him busy on the screen, a smile unconsciously playing on her lips.

The water boiled, the noodles were put into the pot, and he gently stirred them with chopsticks, the steam blurring a corner of the lens.

As she looked at it, she suddenly found the scene particularly pleasing to the eye.

"Gu Yan," she called to him.

"Hmm?" He didn't look up, his eyes fixed intently on the noodles in the pot.

"It's nothing, just calling out."

Gu Yan glanced at the camera, a slight smile playing on his lips, but said nothing. He then looked down at the cooking process again.

A few minutes later, he scooped the cooked noodles into a bowl, poured on the soup, sprinkled on some chopped green onions, and served it on the table.

He sat down, placed his phone against the edge of his cup, pointed the camera at himself, picked up a piece of noodles with his chopsticks, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

Shu Zi nodded in satisfaction: "That's a good girl."

Shu Zi watched him finish the whole bowl of noodles.

They chatted casually for a while, with her explaining the filming plans for tomorrow and him talking about his work during the day, as naturally as if they were having a meal at home.

After he washed the bowls and put them back on the drainer, Shu Zi yawned, her eyelids starting to droop.

"Tired?" Gu Yan's voice came from the speaker, low and soft.

"Hmm... a little." Shu Zi rubbed her eyes. "Don't hang it up, just leave it there and sleep with me, okay?"

Gu Yan chuckled softly, his voice softening slightly: "Okay, I won't hang up."

Shu Zi placed her phone beside her pillow, lay on her side, and saw half of Gu Yan's face reflected on the screen.

She heard him turn off the kitchen light, footsteps moving down the hallway, and then the sound of him going upstairs.

"Did you go back to your room?" she asked groggily.

"Go to the study first, I still have some work to finish."

He lowered his voice, as if afraid of disturbing her, "You go to sleep first. I'll put my phone next to you so you can hear me."

Shu Zi hummed in agreement, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

I heard him push open the study door, the chair was gently pulled out, and then there was the soft sound of typing on a keyboard.

The phone was perched on the corner of the desk. Gu Yan glanced at the screen.

Shu Zi had already closed her eyes, her eyelashes casting a small shadow in the warm light, and her breathing gradually became steady.

He didn't say anything, but just watched quietly for a few seconds, his gaze soft.

He then lowered his head, opened the documents on the table, and continued working on the task at hand.

After a while, Shu Zi's voice came from the other end of the phone again, muffled and indistinct, like the murmur of someone half-asleep:

"Goodnight, Gu Yan."

Gu Yan paused, pen in hand, and looked up at the sleeping face on the screen. A slight smile curved his lips, and he spoke in a very low voice:

Goodnight, Nuobao.

The lights on the other side of the screen stayed on for a long time before going out.

The next morning at seven o'clock, there was a knock on the door.

"Sister Zizi, Sister Zizi, wake up!"

Fang Zhizi's voice came through the door, full of energy.

Then came two beeps. She entered the room code, pushed open the door, and came in, carrying a breakfast bag.

Shu Zi was still snuggled in the blankets, and she turned over groggily, wanting to stay in bed a little longer.

Fang Zhizi saw her sleepy-eyed appearance and flashed a big smile: "Good morning, Sister Zizi!"

"Good morning~" Shuzi's voice still sounded sleepy.

Fang Zhizi placed the breakfast on the table: "I've put your breakfast here! I'll go boil some water for you, so get up and wash up quickly."

"Okay~"

Shu Zi reached for her phone beside her pillow, pressed it twice, but the screen was black. She had forgotten to charge it last night, and it had automatically shut down.

She sighed and put her phone on the bedside table.

Fang Zhizi glanced at it: "Out of power?"

Shu Zi nodded.

"Here, top it up first."

Fang Zhizi took a power bank out of her bag and handed it to him, "The makeup artist won't arrive until eight o'clock, no rush, you should wake up first."

Shu Zi rubbed her eyes, slowly sat up, and plugged in her phone.

The moment the screen lit up, she smiled and made a heart shape with her hands towards Fang Zhizi:

"Little Gardenia, you are truly my sweet little cotton-padded jacket."

Fang Zhizi gave a peace sign: "Absolutely!"