diymy Chapter 93, 093: She said, "The advantage lies with me."
Chapter 93, 093: She said, "The advantage lies with me."
Chapter 93, 093: She said, "The advantage lies with me."
Another half hour passed.
The aroma from the kitchen has filled the entire room.
"Dinner's ready!"
At Zhu Qi's call, four dishes and a soup were served on the table.
Mapo tofu, braised prawns, shredded pork with eggs and vegetables, stir-fried green beans, and a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup.
Although they are all home-style dishes, they are visually appealing, have a wonderful aroma, and look excellent.
Like a virtuous hostess, Zhu Qi helped set out the rice and chopsticks and invited everyone to take their seats.
"Come on, come on, today Chef Wang is personally cooking, so let's eat while it's hot."
All five of them sat down.
Looking at the table full of food, Zhang Hao was already preparing his words of praise before even taking a bite. Just as he was about to offer a few polite compliments, he noticed that Li Wenjie had already picked up his chopsticks.
Li Wenjie picked up a piece of Mu Shu Pork and put it in his mouth.
The next second, his eyes widened suddenly.
"Holy crap! This is delicious! How come the meat is so tender? This flavor is amazing! It's much better than what the school cafeteria makes!"
Wang Zhe smiled and waved his hand, "You flatter me, it's just a simple meal."
Li Wenjie's praise left Zhang Hao, who was standing next to him, dumbfounded.
He turned around, looked at Li Wenjie with a resentful expression, and lowered his voice: "Weren't you too lazy to cultivate interpersonal relationships?"
Li Wenjie also said in a low voice, "It's delicious, that's just the truth."
By this time, Zhu Qi had tasted all four dishes and commented, "Mmm! This is delicious too! Although the Mapo Tofu and Braised Shrimp are a bit spicy, the spiciness is very fragrant. And the non-spicy Mu Shu Pork and Dry-fried Green Beans are also delicious, cooked to perfection. You're amazing! Did you study at New Oriental?"
Looking at Zhu Qi's increasingly bright eyes, Su Xiaocheng sat beside her, mechanically shoveling rice into her mouth. She felt that although the food tasted good, her heart was bitter.
McDonald's near a high school in Chengdu.
Jiang Di, carrying a heavy backpack and holding two freshly ordered sugar-free cola, sat down with Song Zhiyi in a quiet corner.
Jiang Di pushed a glass of cola towards her, then casually asked, "By the way, Sister Song, why aren't you going to West Lake with him?"
Song Zhiyi smiled, her eyes clear and open: "He went with his startup partners; it was a company team-building activity. I'm not involved in their startup; I'm neither an employee nor a shareholder. What would I do there? Be a third wheel?"
"That's true." Jiang Di nodded, but then, as if suddenly realizing a blind spot, she stopped writing and her eyes became wary: "Wait—among those business partners, there aren't any pretty girls, are there?"
In an instant, Jiang Di's mind flashed to images of beautiful secretaries from TV dramas.
Song Zhiyi almost couldn't help but laugh when she saw how nervous she looked.
Pretty girl?
That's fantastic! Not only is there Su Xiaocheng, the petite and cute type, but there's also Zhu Qi, the rich second-generation mature woman. But Song Zhiyi certainly wouldn't sabotage things at this time.
She took a sip of her cola, suppressed a smile, and replied with a serious expression, "Well—I'm not entirely sure who exactly. But Wang Zhe mentioned it; they make games, mainly writing code and doing game design. You think about it, most people in this industry are probably those unkempt, bespectacled nerds, right?"
Jiang Di thought for a moment, imagining Wang Zhe typing away with a group of bald middle-aged men, and breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."
Song Zhiyi smiled and changed the subject: "Let's not talk about him. How are your grades lately?"
Jiang Di held up three fingers: "In the class, I've moved up three places again."
"Really? You're pretty good then." Song Zhiyi nodded approvingly.
However, Jiang Di quickly lowered her head again and sighed, "But I don't think it's enough. Even if I study hard and try my best, I've fallen too far behind. Is a year really enough?"
Song Zhiyi looked at her, her eyes flickering.
She tentatively suggested in a gentle tone, "If you feel you don't have enough time, there's actually another way. If you were given another year to repeat a year and solidify your foundation, your chances of getting into a good university would be much higher. What do you think?"
"Retake the exam?"
Jiang Di was stunned for a moment, then shook her head like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"No, no, no! That would mean another year of long-distance relationship! No matter how I do on the exam, I absolutely will not repeat a year!"
Seeing Jiang Di's unwavering determination, Song Zhiyi did not try to persuade her, but simply smiled and expressed her understanding.
"Alright, since you're so determined, then keep pushing. As long as you can get into a university in Shanghai or Hong Kong, even if it's not a great school, as long as you're in the same city, things will be easier."
She lowered her head, concealing the smile in her eyes.
It's better not to repeat a grade.
Jiang Di pulled a large stack of test papers from her schoolbag and said, "These are my test and homework papers, with a ton of wrong answers. Sister Song, you said that looking back at your mistakes is where you make the most progress, right?"
Song Zhiyi smiled, resting her chin on her hand, and said, "Yeah, good luck here. If you don't understand anything, just ask me. But you can't ask me about the humanities questions, you'll have to figure that out yourself."
"Don't worry, I understand!" Jiang Di nodded heavily, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.
September has passed, and it's early October now. In a few more months, won't I be able to go to school in Shanghai and Hong Kong with Wang Zhe? Thinking of this, the girl took a deep breath and buried herself in a sea of questions.
As dusk fell, the sky over West Lake gradually darkened, and the lights came on, outlining the silhouettes of the weeping willows along the lake.
As originally planned, everyone rested at the hotel until 6 p.m., then gathered to have dinner and enjoy the night view of West Lake.
Wang Zhe changed into some dry clothes and led Zhang Hao and Li Wenjie to the door of Zhu Qi's room.
However, after knocking on the door, they didn't see Zhu Qi, but only Su Xiaocheng's round little face.
The girl stood blocking the doorway, showing no intention of moving aside: "Tonight's plans probably have to be canceled. Sister Qiqi—she's not feeling well."
Wang Zhe was taken aback: "Did you catch a cold? Did you get chilled after falling into the water?"
"More or less," Su Xiaocheng explained vaguely, "Anyway, her stomach hurts, she has no energy, and she can't get out of bed. I have to stay and take care of her. You guys go have fun, don't worry about us."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhe immediately understood.
As a seasoned driver who has lived two lives, the answer is obvious when you put the keywords "girl," "sudden stomach pain," and "can't get up" together.
This means I've started my period.
The guy really can't help much, and his presence might even make the girl feel awkward.
Wang Zhe tactfully nodded, "Okay, then let her rest well. If she needs to buy medicine or go to the hospital, just give me a call."
"No need, no need, I'll be fine after a rest!" Su Xiaocheng quickly waved her hand. "You guys go eat, remember to keep the receipt, Sister Qiqi said this meal is on the company."
Wang Zhe turned around and beckoned to the two still bewildered programmers: "Let's go, you two seniors. The boss isn't feeling well, so let's not cause any more trouble here. I'll take you to get something good to eat; I already said the company will reimburse you."
After seeing the three boys off, Su Xiaocheng closed the door and let out a long sigh of relief.
She walked quickly into the bedroom.
On the large double bed, Zhu Qi was curled up like a shrimp, her whole body huddled under the covers, her face pale, and her forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.
The usually confident and cool woman who drives an Audi and commands respect is now as fragile as a porcelain doll.
This stark contrast made Su Xiaocheng feel a pang of heartache, but also stirred a strong protective instinct within her.
"Sister Qiqi, they're gone."
Su Xiaocheng walked to the bedside and said softly, "Don't move around. I'll go downstairs to buy you something."
Zhu Qi weakly opened her eyes and nodded with some difficulty: "Um—what do you want to buy—"
"Don't worry about it, I'll be right back!"
Su Xiaocheng grabbed the room key and ran out of the room as fast as she could.
She rushed into the convenience store downstairs from the hotel and headed straight for the daily necessities section.
As a girl, she knew all too well what was needed in this situation.
Su Xiaocheng wandered between the shelves and quickly selected an old-fashioned rubber hot water bottle, a box of instant brown sugar ginger tea, and a few packs of overnight sanitary napkins.
After paying the bill, she filled a kettle with hot water and then hurriedly ran back to her room.
Back in her room, Su Xiaocheng didn't stop for a moment.
She first filled the pink rubber hot water bottle with hot water, and then carefully wrapped it with a towel to prevent burns to her skin.
"Sister Qiqi, come here, put this on your stomach."
Su Xiaocheng lifted a corner of the blanket and carefully stuffed the hot water bottle into Zhu Qi's arms, placing it right against her lower abdomen.
A warm current instantly washed over her, relieving the cramping, throbbing pain. Zhu Qi's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and she let out a comfortable sigh.
Then Su Xiaocheng brewed another cup of strong brown sugar ginger tea.
"Here, drink it while it's hot, but slowly, be careful it's hot."
She helped Zhu Qi sit up, placed two pillows behind her back, and then, holding the cup, brought the rim of the cup to Zhu Qi's lips as if taking care of a child.
The hot steam, spicy yet sweet, wafted towards us.
Zhu Qi held the cup with both hands and sipped it slowly. The scalding liquid slid down her esophagus, warming her entire stomach, and the icy, bone-chilling feeling finally subsided.
After drinking a whole cup of ginger tea, Zhu Qi's complexion finally regained some color.
She lay back down in bed, hugging the warm hot water bottle, and watched Su Xiaocheng bustling around the bed, pouring water and adjusting the air conditioner temperature. A warm feeling welled up in her heart.
"Xiao Cheng—" Zhu Qi's voice was a little hoarse.
"What's wrong? Does it still hurt?" Su Xiaocheng immediately came over.
Zhu Qi shook her head and gently took Su Xiaocheng's hand.
"I feel much better, thank you."
It was just a simple thank you, but it made Su Xiaocheng's heart skip a beat.
Looking into Zhu Qi's eyes, which were filled with a gentle smile, she felt that all the busyness and running around just now had been worthwhile.
Zhu Qi closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.
Su Xiaocheng sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her, and a fighting spirit she had never felt before suddenly rose in her heart.
Yes, Wang Zhe really stole the show yesterday and today.
but!
The hero saving the damsel in distress was just a fleeting moment of glory, and his cooking skills were merely icing on the cake. But could he understand women better than she, a woman herself? Could he be as attentive as she was, staying by her bedside so meticulously, even thoughtfully buying her sanitary napkins and brown sugar water?
Perhaps he could do it too, but because of his gender, he can only be kept outside during such private moments!
Su Xiaocheng clenched her fist, feeling that she hadn't lost.
No, it's not just that we didn't lose; this excellent situation clearly means the advantage is on our side!
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