Provocation?

Did Tang Zhi Chu understand?

Zhou Yun's attitude was nothing more than a provocation—or rather, a warning.

Indeed, Tang Zhi Chu had been trying to help Chen Si Yang integrate into the group. Jiang Lan's personality was better and more mature than he had imagined. Letting Chen Si Yang spend time with Jiang Lan would be good for her.

As for Huang Ze Jun and Yang Jia Xing, Tang Zhi Chu did not care much.

One was a rich young master, the other a small business owner whose startup was doing so-so. Since Tang Zhi Chu could privately dig into Chen Si Yang's background, he could probably find out a thing or two about Yang Jia Xing and Huang Ze Jun as well.

Yang Jia Xing's family was indeed considered well-off in Yuzhou, but he was not among the most outstanding members of his family.

To put it bluntly, Huang Ze Jun just owned an influencer company. Rumor had it that he was still in a lawsuit with one of his influencers, and things were not going well for him.

But there was very little information on Zhou Yun. She had a Weibo account with over a hundred thousand followers, but she had not updated it in over half a year, so it was of no reference value.

Tang Zhi Chu had analyzed it. There were two possibilities: either she came from an extremely powerful family with deep roots and did not show herself in public, or she had risen from an ordinary background.

Tang Zhi Chu knew roughly where Zhou Yun's gym was located. That area was not cheap.

If she came from an extremely powerful family, her behavior did not fit. If she had risen from an ordinary background, she still seemed to have something going for her. It was contradictory.

"They said you're amazing at cooking. You made seafood on the first day? Too bad I didn't get to try it." Tang Zhi Chu finally spoke.

Zhou Yun shook her head slightly. "I'm not that good. I only know how to cook it through. The advantage of seafood lies in the ingredients themselves—once it's cooked, it tastes pretty good."

"You're being modest. Didn't you leave me some porridge that day? I went downstairs and ate it later. It was excellent."

Zhou Yun tilted her head and said nothing.

She gave off the feeling of, Don't think I'll let it slide just because you complimented me. Hmph!

Seeing Zhou Yun fall silent, Tang Zhi Chu suddenly added, "I see you come back pretty early every day. How about I recommend a book to you?"

"What book?"

"Zhi Ji."

"Myself?"

Tang Zhi Chu shook his head. "The zhi from wisdom, and the ji from oneself."

Before Zhou Yun could answer, Chen Si Yang's voice came from the kitchen. "Hey, what kind of person are you? You just said it and ran off without even coming to help us take a look!"

Tang Zhi Chu got to his feet and headed toward the kitchen.

It was time for dinner.

The table full of delicious dishes whetted everyone's appetite, but they were all busy taking photos with their phones.

Spicy Crayfish, Pickled Pepper Chicken Feet, Steamed Mandarin Fish, Spicy Pepper Chicken, blanched lettuce, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and a pork rib soup.

"I think we should raise our glasses and toast the chef first, all right?" Huang Ze Jun suddenly looked across the table at Tang Zhi Chu and said loudly.

After thinking it over, Huang Ze Jun felt that he had lost his composure and his grace earlier.

There were cameras here, after all. Huang Ze Jun felt he had to keep up appearances.

Tang Zhi Chu smiled. "We're all friends here. You're making it sound like a business dinner. How about we all have a drink together instead?"

"Sure, let's all have a drink!"

"Quick, quick, quick! I'm already starving!"

After dinner, Tang Zhi Chu was about to clean up the kitchen when Jiang Lan stopped him. Instead, she took Chen Si Yang's hand and said they should leave the dishes and cleanup to the two assistant chefs.

But once Chen Si Yang and Jiang Lan started cleaning up, Yang Jia Xing and Huang Ze Jun naturally went over to help as well.

That made Zhou Yun and Tang Zhi Chu seem like they were the ones not fitting in.

Tang Zhi Chu shrugged, got up, and took down several wire racks he had placed beside the liquor cabinet. They held the QQ candy he had made.

After chilling in the refrigerator, there was one more step: air-drying.

Only after some of the moisture had evaporated would they truly achieve that springy, chewy texture.

By the time Tang Zhi Chu placed the wire racks on the dining table, Zhou Yun had disappeared.

Tang Zhi Chu brought over a pile of small bags as well.

Each wire rack was covered with QQ candy. Tang Zhi Chu picked one up and put it in his mouth.

Never mind the flavor—the springy chewiness was just right.

The yellow ones were mango-flavored, with a rich, sweet fragrance. The blueberry flavor was lighter, but had its own charm. The dragon fruit ones looked the best; Tang Zhi Chu had used red-fleshed dragon fruit.

The bags were very small and transparent. Three or four pieces were about enough for each bag. Then he tied them shut with golden twist ties wrapped around metal wire, and a small pack of QQ candy was finished.

Chen Si Yang had been watching Tang Zhi Chu the whole time. Earlier, when she saw Tang Zhi Chu talking with Zhou Yun, she had felt a little uncomfortable.

She was fine with everyone else, but she did not particularly like Zhou Yun.

But with a table full of delicious food in front of her, she forgot all about it.

Even the fatigue from the day had vanished.

When she saw Tang Zhi Chu busying himself nearby, she placed her chopsticks in the draining basket and walked over.

"What are these? They're so pretty." As she spoke, Chen Si Yang glanced at her own hands.

She felt her hands were dry and free of moisture now, so she could help.

Tang Zhi Chu handed her a blueberry-flavored one. "Try it."

"I can eat it?"

"I'm not going to poison you."

Chen Si Yang was a little suspicious, but she took it. First, she held it to her nose and sniffed it. It really did smell like candy.

She put it in her mouth and bit down. A light sweetness mixed with the fragrance of blueberries instantly filled her mouth.

"Mmm, it's delicious!" Chen Si Yang looked at Tang Zhi Chu in delighted surprise.

If it had only tasted good, Chen Si Yang would not have been so surprised. The key was that the texture was good too.

Soft, chewy, and bouncy!

"Tasty, right? I made them myself. They should count as gummy candy, but I call them QQ candy."

"QQ candy?"

"Yeah."

"What a fitting name. How are you so amazing? Can I have another one of these yellow ones?"

Tang Zhi Chu smiled, then pushed all the bulging little transparent bags he had packed toward Chen Si Yang. "They're all yours."

"All mine?"

"Yeah. Keep them in your bag. They'll be convenient whenever you want some."

Chen Si Yang's eyes sparkled, and she suddenly covered her face. She felt her cheeks growing a little hot.

So he had made all these candies for her?

She really did have a habit of eating candy. She had picked it up during the girl group audition show. Back then, filming sessions were long and mealtimes were irregular, so she would stuff candy into her bag and pockets.

Eventually, it became a habit.

Chen Si Yang hesitated for a long while before saying, "I have some too!"

Then she ran out. A moment later, she returned to the dining room.

She came up to Tang Zhi Chu carrying two jars. "This one's for you!"

She handed him one of the jars. Tang Zhi Chu accepted it and opened it. It was full of candy—some were the kind he had eaten last time, and there was chocolate too.

When she saw Tang Zhi Chu accept the jar, Chen Si Yang giggled. "Then I won't hold back."

Chen Si Yang opened the other jar. It was empty, and she stuffed all the bags Tang Zhi Chu had packed into it in one go.

"Alright, this is mine now. Everyone can share the rest. Your candy really is delicious."

Tang Zhi Chu set the jar Chen Si Yang had given him aside as well. "It's not difficult. Once they're gone, I can just make more."

"You'll teach me next time you make them?"

"Sure."

Chen Si Yang began helping, copying Tang Zhi Chu as she packed the adorable little pieces of QQ candy into small bags one by one.

After a while, Chen Si Yang suddenly asked, "You're kind of indulging my candy habit. What if I get cavities?"

Tang Zhi Chu glanced at Chen Si Yang. "You're a female celebrity. You keep your figure under such good control—don't tell me you can't control how much candy you eat?"

Chen Si Yang froze. This seemed a little different from the idol dramas on TV.

Shouldn't he have said, "Eat less, or you'll get cavities"?

But Tang Zhi Chu's trusting—or perhaps slightly doting—attitude made Chen Si Yang feel like it was even sweeter than an idol drama!