Shipping CP

In the car, Tang Zhi Chu sat in the passenger seat.

Jiang Lan drove very steadily, always watching the distance between her car and the one ahead. Whenever she saw the brake lights, she immediately slowed down.

Neither of them spoke. They seemed to be the two quietest people in the villa.

Tang Zhi Chu didn't find the silence awkward. In his previous life, he'd had a driver. While the driver drove, he'd quietly sat in the car and thought to himself.

Jiang Lan didn't find it awkward either. She liked quiet, too.

What she enjoyed most in her daily life was driving alone in peace and quiet.

Tang Zhi Chu's outfit was simple: loose, slightly faded jeans in a solid color, a plain white shirt, and a casual jacket.

Simple and comfortable.

Jiang Lan remembered Chen Si Yang wearing something similar.

Judging by their appearances alone, Jiang Lan thought the two of them made a good couple.

Jiang Lan had been running her own business for four years. She'd met countless people, employees and clients alike, and had developed her own way of sizing people up.

Take men's clothing, for instance. It generally fell into two broad categories.

One was makeup, and the other was no makeup.

Each category could be divided into two subcategories. For example, if a man wore makeup and his overall look suited him, with enough presence to match, then in Jiang Lan's eyes, he was the difficult sort.

If he wore makeup and looked appropriate and put-together, but lacked presence, he was often sensitive. He'd make a good friend, but wasn't someone you could rely on for anything important.

If he wore no makeup and dressed appropriately, he was the normal sort, and the easiest to get along with. In all likelihood, as long as you respected him, he'd respect you even more.

Of course, all of this had to be considered alongside a person's manner of speaking and appearance. After meeting enough people, you naturally developed a general sense for them.

And what about someone whose outfit was completely inappropriate? Usually, people called that sort a street punk or a delinquent with a flashy motorcycle. They were outside Jiang Lan's social circle.

In Jiang Lan's eyes, Tang Zhi Chu was in a different category. His clothes were not only appropriate and comfortable, but also made the most of his figure. The slightly loose fit, paired with his height, neatly disguised how thin he was and gave him a more mature, well-balanced look.

As far as looks went, Jiang Lan thought it was perfectly natural that Tang Zhi Chu had attracted Chen Si Yang.

Jiang Lan herself might not have realized that she was starting to ship them.

"Chicken feet, crayfish, fish and chicken, plus a couple of side dishes. That should do it, right?" Jiang Lan suddenly remembered what they needed and asked.

Tang Zhi Chu came back to himself. "Mm. Want to show off with a couple of side dishes?"

Jiang Lan thought it over. She really did need to make two. Zhou Yun had cooked seafood and steak on the first day, and Chen Si Yang had made Sichuan food. It'd look bad if Jiang Lan didn't make anything at all.

"Then I'll make a vegetable dish and a pork rib soup?"

"Sounds good."

"Let's head straight to the supermarket, then."

Half an hour later, Jiang Lan and Tang Zhi Chu arrived at a large supermarket not far from the villa.

Jiang Lan rarely cooked for herself, especially since starting her business.

Coming to a big supermarket all of a sudden, she found everything fascinating.

Tang Zhi Chu pushed the cart behind her. As they passed the snack aisle, he called out to Jiang Lan. "Let's get some snacks."

Jiang Lan nodded. "Sure."

The snack aisle had a whole row of shelves, packed with all kinds of treats.

Tang Zhi Chu was picking things out, and Jiang Lan was too.

But Jiang Lan deliberately avoided one section, and Tang Zhi Chu happened to stop right there.

Five minutes later, Jiang Lan watched Tang Zhi Chu toss an armful of snacks into the cart.

"Are you buying all that?" Her voice held a note of surprise.

Tang Zhi Chu smiled. "These are all my favorites, and they're made by a local brand, too."

"Thank you."

Tang Zhi Chu shook his head to show it was nothing, then pushed the cart toward the vegetables and meat.

Half the snacks in the cart were from one brand: Jinyou.

It was Jiang Lan's brand. They sold all sorts of meat snacks, such as pork jerky, their best-selling product, as well as chicken feet and duck necks.

Jiang Lan, owner of Jinyou Food. The company had once been called Jinyou Food, a long-established food company in Yuzhou, before Jiang Lan acquired it.

That information wasn't hard to find.

Since they were at the supermarket, he might as well buy something from someone he knew. To Tang Zhi Chu, that was just a small favor.

Behind him, Jiang Lan nodded slightly. This guy really knows what he's doing.

"Carrot and pork rib soup, or white radish and pork rib soup?" Jiang Lan asked him in the vegetable section.

"Get one of each. The colors will look better together."

"What should I make for the vegetable dish?"

"If you're stir-frying, you could make cabbage with vinegar, water spinach with garlic, or just plain stir-fried bok choy. You could also blanch something, like lettuce."

Jiang Lan looked surprised. "A professional really is different. Then let's get two. I can probably manage plain stir-fried bok choy. For the cabbage, do I just add vinegar? And how do you blanch vegetables?"

"Then get cabbage and lettuce. Those two aren't hard. I'll tell you how to make them later."

"Deal!"

After walking through the whole supermarket, Jiang Lan thought she understood why Chen Si Yang had chosen Tang Zhi Chu.

Tang Zhi Chu was young, but he had more maturity and self-possession than most people his age.

He didn't make small talk just to fill the silence or pretend everyone was close. What he said was always useful.

He was like that even when shopping. It seemed he already had everything they needed in mind. Maybe he wouldn't attract young girls, since he could come across as a little dull.

But Chen Si Yang was in a special phase of her life, a somewhat confused period. Jiang Lan could tell.

For Chen Si Yang, who was feeling lost, the appearance of someone mature yet still youthful was something most people couldn't compete with.

Jiang Lan compared Huang Ze Jun with Tang Zhi Chu, then shook her head.

So far, she'd spent more time with Huang Ze Jun.

Huang Ze Jun had already become the sort people called greasy, and he was stubbornly convinced he was right. For example, when they went on a date, Jiang Lan thought the place wasn't good for photos. He insisted that he was the expert, that the place was perfect, and that she should listen to him and trust his eye.

It was as if he wasn't pursuing someone, but trying to conquer her.

In the end, Jiang Lan had listened to him. The photos turned out all right, but she still felt unhappy.

Sure, the place was fine, but could there have been other factors? Had they taken too many photos? Were people nearby pointing and whispering? Was there enough time?

None of that seemed to cross his mind.

Still, she'd only been going along with him, and Jiang Lan had dealt with her own feelings privately.

When they got back to the car, Jiang Lan suddenly told Tang Zhi Chu, "Good luck."

Tang Zhi Chu paused. "Good luck?"

Jiang Lan only smiled and said nothing more.

Tang Zhi Chu shrugged. Women can be so inexplicable sometimes.

Jiang Lan had only said it on a whim, wishing him and Chen Si Yang good luck.

A girl like Chen Si Yang wasn't someone just anyone could win over.

So give it your best, young man!

They got back to the Small Villa at six-thirty, just in time to start making dinner.

As soon as they opened the door, they heard some noise. Tang Zhi Chu glanced over and saw Zhou Yun.

She was running in the workout area. As he set the snacks on the table, Tang Zhi Chu glanced over again.

Because Zhou Yun was wearing yoga pants.

The kind of yoga pants that showed off every curve of her legs. Looking up, he saw her rounded hips, slender waist, and fair skin.