Complementarity

(Thanks to the reader who couldn't think of a name for the tip. Also, Chapter 42 has been released, so you can go back and read it.)

"See? I told you it was delicious!" Xiao He grinned smugly at Ye Wanqing.

"It's not like you made it. What are you so proud of..." Ye Wanqing shot him a sidelong glance, then continued eating.

Taking the opportunity, the proprietress chatted with them. "How long have you two known each other?"

"A month? Almost, I guess." Xiao He thought for a moment.

"Huh? You're already this close after only a month? You two seem really compatible." The proprietress sounded surprised.

"Not at all..." Ye Wanqing replied as she ate. "If anything, we have zero compatibility."

"Yeah, we're like fire and water. We don't have anything in common..." Xiao He nodded in agreement.

"What does that matter? My husband and I hated each other at first too." The proprietress affectionately wrapped her arm around the owner's. "I called him a loser, and he hated me so much he wanted to throw up. But look at us now—we're so loving, and we've even had two kids."

"You rascal." The owner lightly poked her forehead. "Stop distracting me while I work."

"Oh, come on, all the dishes have already been served. What's the harm?" The proprietress coquettishly pleaded with him.

Xiao He looked at Ye Wanqing and gave a wry smile. "We're not like that. We just... have personalities that don't get along."

"As long as you like each other, that's enough." The owner smiled as well. "My wife and I have plenty of differences too. I'm quiet, but she has ADHD. Our habits are very different too—she can't live without spicy food, while I can barely eat it. But look at us. We're doing great, we love each other deeply, and we've been together for over ten years."

"Over ten years!?" Ye Wanqing asked in surprise. "Didn't that mean you started dating in middle school?"

"That's right!" the proprietress said cheerfully. "We started dating right after graduating from middle school!"

"More than ten years... That's really incredible..." Xiao He was so stunned his mouth hung open. "How did you do it?!"

One person couldn't live without spicy food, while the other could barely eat it. How had people like that stayed together for over a decade? He had already been driven crazy after living with Ye Wanqing for barely ten days, and that was without him particularly loving spicy food.

He really ought to learn from these two experienced seniors.

"Of course, it's because I love her." The owner smiled and stroked the proprietress's head. "As long as you love her, anything can be worked out. Take spicy food, for example. I eat things a little spicier, and she eats things a little less spicy. Wouldn't that solve it?" As he spoke, the owner turned to his wife. "As for why I love her so much..."

"Because I'm pretty." The proprietress answered bluntly. "Isn't your girlfriend pretty too? She's so cute, and her breasts are so big..."

When she mentioned Ye Wanqing's breasts, there was a hint of envy in the proprietress's eyes. Ye Wanqing blushed and lowered her head. "Actually, having big breasts causes a lot of trouble. I'd rather they weren't so big..."

"Why wouldn't you want them? That's an asset!" the proprietress said seriously. "I used to think being pretty wasn't necessarily a good thing either. But being pretty was how I tricked my husband into falling for me, so it was worth it."

"That's right. Since she's pretty, a lot of problems stop being problems." The owner smiled as he stroked the proprietress's hair. "Even some bad habits become cute, so you don't mind them. And before you know it, more than ten years have passed."

This owner was way too honest. He didn't even bother hiding it... Xiao He thought as he ate.

The owner then turned to Ye Wanqing. "Your girlfriend is cute too, isn't she? Whenever you notice one of her bad habits, just think about how cute she is. Think about how big her breasts are. Then you won't get mad."

"I think the root of the problem is with her." Xiao He said listlessly, propping up his chin.

Still, the owner's words were worth considering. Sometimes, he really couldn't stand some of Ye Wanqing's habits either.

"It's because he can be really infuriating sometimes..." Ye Wanqing muttered indignantly.

"It's the same principle." The proprietress smiled. "Just think about his cute sides."

"There are absolutely... none..." Ye Wanqing rolled her eyes and muttered.

"Really?" the proprietress teased. "But you don't sound very convincing when you say that. It's like halfway through, you suddenly remembered something cute about him."

"N-No..." Ye Wanqing tried to argue, but she did not sound very convincing.

"Isn't having vastly different personalities a good thing too?" the owner said with a smile. "That's called complementing each other. The greater the differences, the better. Living in this world and searching for your other half is like a puzzle board searching for the missing puzzle piece." At that, he looked at the two of them. "Aren't you two the perfect puzzle and puzzle board? You complement each other perfectly. Together, you become whole."

"..." Xiao He and Ye Wanqing looked at each other, neither of them saying anything.

"Oh, honey, they're still too young. They won't understand what you're saying." The proprietress clung to the owner's arm and complained sweetly.

Although the owner and his wife had fed them plenty of lovey-dovey displays, the food was delicious, and talking to the two of them was quite enjoyable.

They also learned that because the proprietress's surname was Yang and the owner's surname was Liu, the restaurant was called Willow Restaurant.

After finishing their meal and paying the bill, Xiao He and Ye Wanqing said goodbye to the owner and proprietress.

Before they left, the owner pulled Xiao He aside.

"Just treat her like your own daughter," the owner whispered with a smile.

"What?" Xiao He asked in confusion. The owner smiled. "Didn't you ask how to get along with your girlfriend? It's simple. Don't treat her like someone your own age. Treat her like your daughter and spoil her. If your mindset changes, she'll change too."

"..." Xiao He pondered the meaning of those words. The owner merely smiled and patted his shoulder. "Come again when you have time."

On the way back, Xiao He was still thinking about what the owner had told him: Treat your girlfriend like a daughter and spoil her...

"I think we should come to this restaurant more often from now on." Ye Wanqing said seriously.

"To eat more lovey-dovey displays?" Xiao He asked with a dry laugh.

"No. It's because the owner and proprietress are so kind. Talking with them was fun, and the food was delicious too." Ye Wanqing replied. "After entering that place, I felt this comforting sense of being home. It was so relaxing... It really is a great restaurant. I've bookmarked it."

"You acted like you didn't even want to come when I brought you here earlier." Xiao He mocked her, then imitated Ye Wanqing's tone and expression. "Oh, it doesn't matter to me. It's just a restaurant. Is it really necessary to eat there?"

Holding back a laugh, Xiao He added, "And now? It smells so good..."

"That's why you're so annoying!" Ye Wanqing angrily punched his shoulder. "I never talked like that!"

"You totally did!" Xiao He did not dodge. "But honestly, we should come here more often. We can learn from our seniors. Maybe the two of us can put on a more convincing act in the future, and perhaps our day-to-day lives will improve too."

"Hmph... You should learn from that owner. He's so gentle and considerate." Ye Wanqing glared at him.

"Then you should learn from that proprietress. She's so cute. Even when she complains, she does it like she's acting coquettish, unlike you..." Xiao He glared back at Ye Wanqing.

The two of them stared each other down for a while. Ye Wanqing huffed angrily and turned her face away.