"I've heard kids that age are the hardest to handle. I'm always seeing those videos of parents trying to help with homework, and they look like they're about to have a breakdown."
"You can say that again. I can finally relax a little today."
As she spoke, Xu Lin stepped forward to take the bags from Lin Jiang's hands.
"Let me take two. Carrying four is too heavy."
"It's fine. We're almost at the elevator."
Lin Jiang quickened his pace and they were at the elevator in no time.
The elevator was parked on the B1 floor. Xu Lin stepped up and pressed the button, and Lin Jiang took the opportunity to carry the groceries inside.
"I bought a lot of groceries. You feeling up for it? Think you can have a few drinks?"
"A man can never say no."
"You said it, not me. Tonight, you're going to get a taste of my cooking."
The elevator arrived on the 16th floor. While Xu Lin opened the door, Lin Jiang carried the groceries inside.
Xu Lin's apartment was huge, with at least 100 square meters of living space.
The decor was modern minimalist, but the details exuded a subtle sense of luxury. The renovations must have cost a fortune.
Inside, Xu Lin slipped off her flats and pulled a pair of men's slippers out of the shoe cabinet for Lin Jiang.
"Here, wear these. They're new."
"Okay."
Since it was just Xu Lin at home, Lin Jiang didn't feel the need to be formal. After helping her carry the groceries to the kitchen, he sat down on the sofa.
Xu Lin returned to her bedroom and came out in a different set of pajamas.
'Those pajamas…'
Lin Jiang had expected her to wear the simple cotton pajamas he'd seen a few days ago. He never imagined she'd change into a black silk nightgown, complete with a lace-trimmed hem.
The whole getup gave her an even more captivating allure.
In the kitchen, Xu Lin washed some fruit and brought it out to him.
"Snack on this for now. I'm going to start cooking, so dinner will be ready soon."
"No rush."
She tied an apron around her waist and got busy in the kitchen, filling the air with a cozy, domestic vibe.
'Finding a woman who's a good homemaker and just living a quiet, peaceful life with her seems like it would be a pretty blissful existence,' Lin Jiang suddenly thought.
With nothing to do, Lin Jiang lay on the sofa and scrolled through his phone.
Not long after, a system notification chimed.
[Cashback Card countdown complete. Within the allotted time, the player has spent 253,009 yuan. Cashback issued: 506,018 yuan.]
Lin Jiang took out his phone and saw that the cash reward had already been deposited.
'When I first got married, Mom lent me 300,000 yuan for the down payment and renovations. This is perfect for paying her back.'
'But there's no rush. I'll deal with it tomorrow.'
'The remaining 200,000 or so can be my working capital.'
'But first, I need to sort out the parking situation.'
'While I have enough to buy a spot, it feels unnecessary. I'm not even sure if I'll be living here permanently.'
"Do you know anything about the parking in this complex? How much is it to rent a spot per month?" Lin Jiang called out to the kitchen.
"You want to rent a parking spot?"
"Just trying to get a feel for the price."
"The parking spots in our complex aren't too expensive. Renting is about 10,000 a year. But if you want to rent one, it's free."
Lin Jiang laughed. "How come it's free for me?"
"When we first moved in, my family bought three parking spots as an investment. We're using two now, so one is empty. We were just about to rent it out. If you want it, just give me your license plate number. I'll call property management and register it."
"I couldn't do that. Just charge me the normal rate. I'll transfer you 10,000 for a one-year lease."
"Has Boss Lin struck it rich or something? Buying a car now, are we?"
"Far from it. It's just to get around. Now hurry up and accept the money," Lin Jiang said with a laugh.
"We'll talk about it later. I'm busy cooking."
"Alright."
Lin Jiang lounged on the sofa, one eye on his phone and the other on Xu Lin as she cooked.
She moved with a practiced ease—washing, chopping, and stir-frying the vegetables in one fluid motion. 'Even Chen Jingxian can't compare to this,' he thought.
The scene felt strangely familiar to Lin Jiang. He'd seen something just like it countless times in the movies he used to watch.
Back then, Lin Jiang never understood what was so great about that kind of scene, or why every movie seemed to feature it.
Years later, as he watched Xu Lin cook, Lin Jiang was reminded of those distant afternoons spent watching movies by himself.
He finally understood everything.
'The educational value of film is often delayed. At this moment, the lessons from my many "teachers" have finally come full circle.'
A little over half an hour later, Xu Lin had prepared four dishes and a soup, two of which were pre-made appetizers perfect for drinking.
"Stop playing on your phone and come eat."
As she spoke, Xu Lin went to the kitchen and took out the red wine that had been breathing.
"We'll start with this, and then move on to the other stuff."
"I'm the guest, so I'll go with whatever the host decides. I'll drink anything."
"Nonsense. When I have a guest, I have to be a good host."
Xu Lin took out two wine glasses, poured each of them half-full, and clinked them together lightly, producing a crisp, melodic chime.
"So, what car have you set your sights on? I know some people in the business, I could put you in touch."
"I've already bought it. I'm going to pick it up in a few days."
"Oh, that was fast. What brand? An SUV or a sedan?"
"Guess."
"Playing mysterious with me, are you?" Xu Lin smiled faintly. "I don't know a thing about cars, so I couldn't possibly guess. I'll find out in a few days anyway. Let's drink."
They touched glasses again. Two big gulps later, half the wine in her glass was already gone.
"Ma Shangxi is gone. You must be much more relaxed now."
"I was just about to tell you about that," Xu Lin said, putting down her chopsticks, a smile she couldn't hide spreading across her face.
"That woman has been behaving herself the past couple of days, too. No more strutting around and trying to look seductive behind the counter. Now we'll just see how long that lasts."
"If her prices are always cheaper than yours, you might not be able to outlast her."
"That's why I'm planning to change tactics. I'll lower the quality a bit, which will let me drop my prices even more. Otherwise, I've got no way to compete."
"That's one way to do it. In any case, with Ma Shangxi gone, you can finally run your business in peace."
"I'm not too worried about my situation. I'm more worried about you. Your noodle shop might not be big, but there's no way you can run it all by yourself," Xu Lin said.
"This morning, when I was dropping my son off at school, I saw another noodle shop has opened up right next to yours. The sign said it's opening the day after tomorrow. Your competition has arrived."
"Do you know who opened that shop?"
Xu Lin looked at Lin Jiang. "Who?"
"Ma Shangxi's younger brother," Lin Jiang said.
"Business at the food court must be bad, so he moved out and set up shop right next to mine."
"He's clearly picking a fight with you. I'm guessing that when they open, their prices will be much lower than yours. Once they've driven you out of business, they'll just raise them back to normal. You need to come up with a strategy."
"My lease is up in a little over three months. I'll just fight a price war with him directly. We'll see who can afford to lose more."
"I didn't realize you had such a ruthless streak. But are you sure you can afford the loss?"
"I'll just sell at cost, not earning a single cent. He definitely can't outlast me."
"Now that's gutsy."
Xu Lin raised her glass. "Well, let me toast to that."
"Cheers."
The two of them drained their glasses, and Xu Lin refilled Lin Jiang's.
After a few more rounds of drinks and several dishes, neither of them had eaten much, but they'd both had a lot to drink.
Lin Jiang could hold his liquor well and was only slightly buzzed. Xu Lin, on the other hand, was flushed and already had a hand to her forehead.
"Let's call it a night. We finished the whole bottle, that's more than enough."
"Let me just... rest for a minute."
Xu Lin pushed herself up from the table, her steps a bit unsteady.
Lin Jiang got up to support her. Xu Lin didn't seem to mind the physical contact at all.
He helped her to the sofa and bent down to place a cushion under her head.
The strap of her nightgown slipped down. Her lips parted slightly, her eyes were hazy, and she threw her arms around Lin Jiang's neck.
Lin Jiang's heart began to race. The mood was set.
'If I don't make a move now, the damn readers will never vote for this story.'
Lin Jiang wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted Xu Lin up.
"Right here is fine..."
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