Episode 2

I passed by him, took a few steps out, and then Jiang Yu suddenly called out to me: "What's going on with you lately?"

I was stunned for a moment, turned around, and looked at him in confusion: "What?"

He moved his lips but didn't say a word. After a while, he said somewhat dejectedly, "It's nothing, maybe I was overthinking. You go back first."

On the way back, I returned the two movie tickets and soon received a refund message.

Looking at the extra eighty-something yuan in my account, I inexplicably felt happy, as if I had found money, even though that money was originally mine.

Being single for too long, one really feels lonely, especially someone like me who has always been solo.

However, I have no regrets about rejecting Jiang Yu's invitation to watch a movie.

Not long ago, Chen Xinxin had posted a video on her Moments to remind me. Even if she didn't post that Moment, I had no intention of getting involved in her and Jiang Yu's relationship.

Just when I felt bored after work and had nothing to do, Yao Yao suddenly called me: "Darling, I need your help urgently!"

At Yao Yao's request, I hurried out and headed to the airport.

When I arrived at the airport, just as I was about to dial the number Yao Yao had sent me, someone lightly tapped my shoulder from behind.

"Ying Ying sis!"

I turned around, only to find myself looking up at this tall young man in front of me.

He was dressed casually, tall, with earphones around his neck and a guitar on his back. For a moment, I was dazzled by him. His smile was truly pure and handsome.

For the past ten years, the only man in my eyes and heart has been Jiang Yu, to the point that I have never been interested in good-looking guys in others' eyes.

Unexpectedly, this young man in front of me caught my attention.

His name is Sheng Bayu, a recent graduate and also Yao Yao's cousin.

When I came to my senses and smiled at him, he said, "Yao Yao got your arrival date in Shenzhen wrong. She's still out of town and won't be back until tomorrow."

Sheng Bayu smiled and said, "I'm begging you, Ying Ying sis, to let me stay at your place for the night."

I was taken aback as Yao Yao had only asked me to pick him up from the airport, not to accommodate him.

Seeing my silence, Sheng Bayu said, "My sister is not in Shenzhen, and hotels are too expensive. I'm just a poor fresh graduate..."

After he finished speaking, he even put on a pitiful look, looking at me with pleading eyes.

I was a bit puzzled, "But there's no spare room in my house."

Sheng Bayu grinned and said, "I can sleep on the couch or even on the floor."

On the way back home, I couldn't help but suggest, "Let me book a hotel for you. It would be more comfortable to stay in a hotel room."

However, Sheng Bayu smiled and said, "I can't let you do that, Ying Ying sis. I'm a guy, and I don't mind sleeping on your couch for a night, or even in a park."

Isn't that a bit too much...

After bringing Sheng Bayu home, he really didn't seem out of place at all.

He took the initiative to help out, cooking dinner for me, and I leisurely lay on the couch playing games.

When he came to call me for dinner, he saw me playing a game and his eyes lit up, "Ying Ying sis, you play Honor of Kings too? Let's play a few rounds after dinner?"

Before I could respond, a call from Jiang Yu came in.

My eyes hesitated for a moment, and after a while, I answered the call. I quickly heard Jiang Yu's usual deep voice, "Just finished watching a movie, bought some crayfish, planning to come over to your place and have some together?"

I replied indifferently, "No need, I've been feeling a bit unwell recently and can't eat crayfish."

Jiang Yu then said, "How about I bring you a bowl of wonton noodle soup?"

I was about to refuse when Sheng Bayu, who had just walked over to set the table, loudly said, "Ying Ying sis, come over and taste the spicy beef noodles I made. If you don't eat now, the noodles will clump together."

I: "..."

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Yu fell silent for a moment and asked in a puzzled tone, "Is there a guy at your place?"

I subconsciously glanced at Sheng Bayu, who happened to be looking back at me, meeting my gaze. He immediately grinned at me.

I stole another glance at the two bowls of spicy beef noodles filled with chili oil on the dining table, and suddenly felt very hungry.

"I'll talk later, I'm going to eat." I couldn't be bothered to answer Jiang Yu's question, so I quickly hung up the phone.

While eating noodles, Sheng Bayu smiled and said, "I remember when you went to visit my sister in our hometown five years ago, you loved spicy food. I wonder if your taste has changed now."

Yao Yao and I were college classmates. Five years ago, Yao Yao celebrated her 20th birthday in her hometown, and I specially went to visit for a week. It was also when I met Sheng Bayu. Thinking back, during that week, Sheng Bayu would come to play with us every day, and our relationship was quite close at the time.

However, after not seeing each other for five years, our relationship had drifted apart. But just now, Sheng Bayu's words seemed to bring us closer together again.

After taking a bite of the noodles, I couldn't help but praise, "Your cooking skills are so good, you could open a noodle shop!"

Sheng Bayu smiled and said, "As long as you like it! By the way, I also brewed some herbal tea. I'll go get it from the kitchen. After we finish the noodles, we can have some tea to cool down."

I couldn't help but turn to look at Sheng Bayu's busy figure. Suddenly, for a moment, my heart felt a bit restless. How handsome and warm this young brother was. Why did I hang on the tree of Jiang Yu for ten years?

The next day, not long after I arrived at the company, Jiang Yu came to find me, holding a breakfast in his hands.

He handed the breakfast to me and said with a smile, "I just bought some lean pork congee with preserved egg. Eat it while it's hot."

I looked at him in surprise and didn't take the breakfast from him.

Jiang Yu reached out and stuffed the breakfast into my hands, saying, "I thought about it yesterday and suddenly remembered that you always brought breakfast to me before, but I have never brought you any. This is really impolite of me."

I replied lightly, "I've already had breakfast, you can take it back."

But Jiang Yu waved his hand, "Whether you've eaten or not is your business. It's my intention to bring it to you. You can deal with it yourself. I'll go back to work first."

After saying that, he turned and left. However, after just a few steps, he turned back with a smile on his face and casually asked, "Who was the guy at your house last night?"

I said, "He's just a younger brother from my hometown."

His smile deepened, "Oh, so he's a relative."

I knew he misunderstood, but I didn't explain further.

When I returned to the office with the congee, a colleague beside me joked, "Wow, at this rate, it won't be long before you successfully win over the guy upstairs!"

I shook my head with a smile and handed the preserved egg lean pork congee to my colleague, "I already had breakfast this morning, would you like it?"

I did have breakfast earlier, a millet porridge and egg pancake that Sheng Bayu made early in the morning.

My colleague took my breakfast with a smile, "I was just about to order delivery, this is perfect."

I usually don't go home for lunch while working at the office. But nearing the end of the workday, Sheng Bayu suddenly called me.

"Ying Ying, I just went out and realized I forgot your house key..."

I sent Sheng Bayu the address of the office and told him to call me when he arrived downstairs at the office. But he just came straight to our company.

It happened to be at the time of our lunch break, with a lot of people flowing in the company. Sheng Bayu's arrival attracted the attention of many colleagues.

"Ying Ying!"

Sheng Bayu, who was six feet tall, with fair skin and handsome looks, had a pleasant voice. He rode a shared bike all the way here, sweating profusely. The strong scent of hormones hit me, and I felt a surge of excitement, as if he was trying to seduce me!

Although I knew I must be imagining things, I couldn't help but admit that I suddenly wanted to fall in love. Perhaps a relationship between an older woman and a younger man wouldn't be so bad.