Let's Live Here

"Coming!" Pan Ning responded, helping Meng Qianyu over.

Meng Qianyu looked at the delicious spread on the table, clutching her stomach with delight. "Brother Su Yang, you're amazing! Not only can you grill, but the dishes you make smell incredible too."

Su Yang stood up and pulled out chairs for the two of them, smiling. "They taste even better. Hungry?"

"Mhm, starving~"

"Then dig in. Eat as much as you want today."

"Okay~"

The two sat down at the table, and Su Yang opened a bottle of Maotai, glancing at Meng Qianyu. "Qianyu, want some?"

"Sure~ It's been a while since I’ve had baijiu."

"Great, let’s have a little toast to celebrate my first night in the new place."

Su Yang poured drinks for both of them, then filled his own glass.

The three raised their glasses, and Su Yang grinned. "Alright, let’s cheers first~"

"Cheers~"

They clinked glasses and downed their drinks.

"Ugh—so strong!" Meng Qianyu winced after swallowing.

Su Yang chuckled. "Quick, have some food to balance it out. Tell me how it tastes."

"Okay, it looks amazing. Let me try." Meng Qianyu picked up her chopsticks with a smile and took a bite of shrimp.

After a couple of chews, her eyes widened, and she flailed her hands excitedly. "Mmm!!!"

"What’s wrong?" Pan Ning frowned beside her.

Once she swallowed, Meng Qianyu turned to Pan Ning in disbelief. "Sis! You have to try this—it’s insanely good!!"

"Is it really that good? I’ve had Su Yang’s cooking before."

"Just try it! I’ve never tasted anything like this."

Skeptical, Pan Ning picked up a piece of spare rib and took a bite. After chewing, her expression mirrored Meng Qianyu’s shock.

"How is it suddenly this delicious?"

She looked at Su Yang, who was smiling faintly.

"To be honest, I’ve been working on my cooking skills lately. Naturally, it’s better than before."

"This isn’t just 'better'—I’d say it’s the best food I’ve ever had in my life."

"Haha, you two are exaggerating. If it’s good, just enjoy it. No need to flatter me—I’m getting embarrassed." Su Yang laughed and started eating too.

After a few bites, he thought to himself: Damn, this is ridiculously good. Same ingredients, same seasonings, but the flavor is unreal. No wonder they call him the God of Cooking.

The three stopped talking and focused on devouring the meal.

After a while, Su Yang noticed the other two still hadn’t slowed down, eating ravenously without a care for manners.

He shook his head in amusement. "Slow down, you two. No one’s fighting you for it. Have a drink~"

"No time!"

Pan Ning replied between mouthfuls of rice, while Meng Qianyu was already covered in grease.

Su Yang sighed and took a sip of his drink.

Twenty minutes later, all six dishes were wiped clean—even the soup was gone without a drop left.

Meng Qianyu leaned back in her chair, rubbing her stomach contentedly. "So good! I think I could still eat more~"

Pan Ning also looked at Su Yang curiously. "How did your cooking improve so much? I usually only eat one bowl of rice, but today I had three."

Su Yang shrugged. "Like I said, I’ve been practicing."

"Liar. No one improves this much in a few days. Did you add some special seasoning?"

Su Yang shook his head. "You were watching me the whole time. I only used normal ingredients."

Pan Ning frowned. "Weird."

Then Meng Qianyu tugged at Pan Ning’s sleeve. "Sis, I just had an idea."

"What idea?" Pan Ning turned to her.

"Let’s stay at Brother Su Yang’s place~ I don’t want to leave. His food is too good—I want to eat it every day!"

Pan Ning paused, then smirked. "Great idea." She turned to Su Yang, who looked stunned.

"We’re staying for a while. Any objections?"

Su Yang gulped and forced a smile. "Sure, stay as long as you want."

"Yay!" Meng Qianyu tried to jump up in excitement.

Su Yang grabbed her arm. "Calm down, sit properly."

"This is awesome~ I’ll get to eat food this good every day. Just thinking about it makes me happy."

Su Yang joked, "So now I’m your personal chef?"

"Hehe, just for a little while~"

"Stay as long as you like."

Pan Ning thought for a moment. "Do you have any pajamas here?"

"Nope, I haven’t even brought mine over yet."

"Then let’s go grab some clothes later~"

"Sure. Qianyu, you stay here and rest. No need for you to come along."

Meng Qianyu nodded. "Okay, I’ll wait for you. Sis, remember to pack me a couple of pajama sets."

"Got it."

Su Yang and Pan Ning cleared the dishes and headed out together.

"Let’s go to my place first—it’s closer. After that, we’ll swing by yours."

Pan Ning nodded. "Fine."

Since they’d been drinking, Su Yang called a ride-hailing service.

After walking a short distance, a black E300 pulled up.

They got in the back, and the car turned around, leaving the villa and heading toward Senhai Manor.

Two hours later, they returned with their belongings.

By then, it was already 10 PM. After freshening up, they changed into comfortable pajamas.

Pan Ning walked over with two bottles of whiskey from the liquor cabinet.

"Let’s have a drink~"

"Sure, I’ll whip up some snacks."

"No need, we bought plenty earlier. Just grab some of those."

"Works for me."

Soon, the three kicked off their shoes and lounged on the sofa, chatting and drinking.

Meng Qianyu wasn’t much of a drinker—within an hour, she was out cold on the couch.

Su Yang’s face was flushed from alcohol, so he quickly activated his "Drinking God" skill to avoid throwing up after a couple more glasses.

Pan Ning noticed. "What’s up with you today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your alcohol tolerance dropped?"

Su Yang shook his head with a laugh. "Probably just not used to whiskey. I don’t drink it often—might need some adjustment."

"You look like you’re about to pass out."

"No way. Let’s keep going~"

Another hour later, Su Yang checked the time. "Still up for more? We’ve already gone through seven bottles. Should we call it?"

Pan Ning was slightly tipsy now, leaning back on the sofa. "What time is it?"

"2 AM."

"That late? Then no more. Time for bed."

Su Yang chuckled and stood up, glancing at the unconscious Meng Qianyu. "I’ll carry her to a room first. Wait for me."

"Why should I wait?"

Su Yang bent down and scooped Meng Qianyu up, grinning. "You know why."

Pan Ning rolled her eyes. "I’m going to my room~"

"Alright."

Most of the bedrooms were on the second floor. Su Yang picked one at random and tucked Meng Qianyu in.

Then he hurried to Pan Ning’s room.

The two hadn't properly talked in days, and now, with a bit of alcohol warming them up, the slightly tipsy state made for the perfect mood for conversation. Su Yang closed the door, climbed onto the bed, and spent the whole night deep in conversation with Pan Ning.

...

Early the next morning, Su Yang, accompanied by Meng Wenzhou and two professionals he had called, successfully purchased Brother Wang's house by Lotus Mist Lake.

Over the next two days, he contacted a renovation company to design the perfect blueprint for a quaint countryside cottage.

By noon on August 13th, the construction of the house officially began...