Tomato House

"I'm outside, about to eat."

"Boohoo!!"

"Stop boohooing. Just tell me what's up, don't act spoiled."

"So mean! Why haven't you answered my calls these past two days?" Meng Qianyu asked from the other end of the line.

"I broke my phone yesterday and just bought a new one."

"Fine. Where are you? I want to come hang out with you. I'm bored to death at home."

"I'm in Feiyun District," Pan Ning said as she walked.

"Fei... That far?"

"Yeah, are you sure you want to come?"

"Of course! I'm so bored. By the way, what are you doing in Feiyun District? When are you coming back to the city center? Let's go hang out with Brother Su Yang later. I haven't had his cooking in ages."

"I'm with him right now, and Yixue is here too. Plus, we're not going back for the next couple of days."

"What?!! Boohoo!!"

"Stop crying."

"You... you guys are bullying me!! You actually went out to play without inviting me!!"

"Who told you we're playing? We're doing serious business. Come if you want, nobody is stopping you."

"Hmph, send me the address!"

"Okay, I'll send it in a bit. Hanging up."

Hanging up the phone, Shen Yixue, who was beside her, asked, "Pan Pan, who was that? Qianyu?"

"Who else could it be."

"Haha, is she coming?"

"Yeah, send her a location pin."

"Will do. It's been a while since I saw her anyway. With one more person, it's getting livelier, hehe."

Shen Yixue and Meng Qianyu had a pretty good relationship. Knowing she was coming over, she happily took out her phone to send her the location.

"Should I send our current location or the yard?"

Su Yang thought for a moment and said, "Qianyu has been to the yard, so you don't even need to send it. Just tell her to go straight to my yard. We'll head back after eating and buying some groceries."

"Okay~"

Pan Ning chimed in, "Do you want to give that yard of yours a name?"

"A name?" Su Yang paused.

"Yeah, it'll be easier to refer to if it has a name."

"That works. Then the lady of the house should pick one," Su Yang teased with a grin.

Pan Ning rolled her eyes at Su Yang. "You're just throwing this onto me?"

"Well, you are the lady of the house."

"Isn't Yixue one too?"

"Then the two ladies of the house can help me—no, help us pick a nice name for our yard."

"Alright then. Did you hear that, Yixue?"

Shen Yixue, who was busy messaging Meng Qianyu, looked up with a smile. "What?"

Pan Ning repeated it to her. After hearing it, she smiled enthusiastically, "Sure! I'll think about it while we eat."

"Okay. Why are you still chatting with her?"

"It's just been a long time since I chatted with her."

"Isn't she coming over in a bit? You can chat later. Let's see what to eat first. Weren't you going to treat us?" Pan Ning said.

"Okay, right away."

Once Shen Yixue finished chatting, the three of them continued walking down the food street.

The weather in Haicheng was quite hot today, and being right in the middle of noon, none of them felt like eating hotpot or stir-fried dishes.

Eventually, Pan Ning chose a small restaurant that served pasta.

The three of them went in and casually ordered three bowls of pasta along with some snacks.

While eating, Su Yang looked at the two girls and asked with a smile, "Didn't you say you were going to think of a name? Why are you just eating? Put some thought into it."

"I am thinking."

After taking a few bites, Shen Yixue looked up and said, "I thought of one."

"Let's hear it."

"The yard's vibe is a relaxing and leisurely backyard garden, and the scenery over by Lianwu Lake is so nice, so how about we call it: Pretty Courtyard?"

Hearing this name, Su Yang, who was drinking cola, almost spat it right into Shen Yixue's face.

He smiled, feeling a bit speechless. "Are you joking or being serious?"

"Serious."

Pan Ning rolled her eyes at Shen Yixue. "You just said a whole bunch of stuff about relaxing, leisurely, and picturesque scenery, and then you name it Pretty Courtyard. May I ask what the connection is?"

Shen Yixue shook her head while eating her noodles. "Uh... none."

"Then you... forget it, you're just terrible at naming things. Let me think."

"Wait, I thought of another one!!" Shen Yixue suddenly raised her hand.

"I'll give you one more chance. Speak!" Su Yang stared at Shen Yixue with a smile.

"Let's call it Landscape Home!!"

"What home?" Su Yang's eyelid twitched in surprise.

"Look, the yard has both mountains and water around it. Calling it Landscape Home is so fitting."

Su Yang slapped his forehead and said, "Never mind, let's just let Pan Pan name it."

"Does it not sound good?"

"It sounds fine, but it's a bit too ordinary and old-fashioned. Hearing this name, people who don't know any better would think a bunch of old men and women live there."

"Fine, then I'm out of ideas." Shen Yixue said helplessly, burying her head back into her noodles.

While the two were talking, Pan Ning was also thinking. She finished her last bite of pasta, put down her fork, and said, "I've got it. Let's call it Tomato House."

"What? Tomato House?" Su Yang rolled his eyes in thought and said, "The name is okay, it has a very pastoral vibe, ordinary but with a hint of quirkiness. But we don't even have tomatoes there."

"I plan to clear out half of the flowerbed in the yard to plant tomatoes," Pan Ning said coolly.

Su Yang and Shen Yixue exchanged a glance and nodded in unison. "Alright then, no more debating. Tomato House it is!"

Half an hour later, the three finished their lunch and walked toward a large supermarket.

They strolled around the supermarket for another half an hour, buying some vegetables, meat, and various fruits and snacks.

When they were about to check out, Su Yang accidentally noticed a row of shelves selling badminton rackets.

Seeing them suddenly made him want to play, so he grabbed a pair of rackets and a tube of shuttlecocks from the shelf.

"I haven't played this in a long time. Do you guys know how to play?" Su Yang looked at the two girls and smiled.

Shen Yixue nodded. "I do! Not only do I know how, but my skills are actually really good~"

"Really? You don't look like someone who loves sports."

"Who says? If you don't believe me, let's try it out when we get back."

"Sure, let's try it then." Su Yang smiled and tilted his head to look at Pan Ning. "Pan Pan, do you know how to play?"

Pan Ning said calmly, "A little, but I prefer playing tennis."

"Damn, you're being a bit of a humblebrag now. Wouldn't someone who knows how to play tennis find badminton super easy?" Shen Yixue laughed.

"Who told you that?"

"My own understanding."

Pan Ning rolled her eyes. "Stop nagging. Is there anything else we need to buy?"

"Not for now."

"Then let's go."

"Alright."

At the checkout, Shen Yixue rushed to pay the bill.

Afterward, the three returned to the shopping mall's underground parking lot, got in the car, and drove toward Tomato House.

Just a few minutes after driving out, Su Yang's phone rang.

He answered and smiled, "What's up, Qianyu?"

"Brother Su Yang, where are you guys?"

"On our way back."

"I'm already here, but the door is locked. I can't get in."

"Then hang out by the lake and wait for us for a bit. Oh, right, be careful, don't fall into the lake."

Meng Qianyu giggled, "I'm not that stupid!"

Su Yang's phone was connected to the Bluetooth, so the whole car could hear the conversation.

Hearing Meng Qianyu's words, Shen Yixue's face flushed red. She scratched her head and turned to look out the window.

Su Yang smiled helplessly. "Alright, that's it for now. See you in a bit."