Change of Perspective

On the way, Shen Yi made a quick stop at the supermarket to buy some fruit and left it in the car.

By conventional standards, bringing just fruit for a first visit might seem a bit meager.

But it wasn’t that he couldn’t afford something nicer—it was just that Ji Shulan already had everything.

Gifting something expensive would feel ostentatious, while something cheap would be impractical. In the end, Fu Nanzhi had the final say: fruit would do just fine.

They could prepare something more formal later when they officially visited and met Old Fu together.

The drive wasn’t long, and soon they arrived at the residential complex. As they reached the doorstep, Fu Nanzhi pushed the door open and called out,

"Mom, we’re back!"

When Ji Shulan didn’t respond, Fu Nanzhi walked to the entryway, slipping off her shoes while calling out again.

"I heard you! I’m in the kitchen—make yourselves at home!"

Shen Yi bent down to change into slippers—the same pair he’d bought during his last stay, which had somehow survived being tossed out and still fit him.

Fu Nanzhi murmured an "Oh," not bothering to check if her mother had heard, and turned to Shen Yi.

"Come on, let’s go sit inside."

"Dinner should be ready soon. I gave Mom a heads-up on the way."

Shen Yi followed her to the living room and settled onto the sofa, waving a hand dismissively.

"No rush. Tell your mom to take her time, too."

Fu Nanzhi pouted.

"She won’t listen to me."

"You know how she is—the kitchen is her domain. Good luck getting her to budge."

This was a reference to Ji Shulan’s iron-fisted rule over the kitchen. She neither needed nor tolerated help, nor would she entertain unsolicited advice—not even from Fu Yuanyu.

The peculiar habit amused Shen Yi, who chuckled but still suggested,

"Just go check on her. You don’t have to give any opinions."

"With me here, her guard might be down. It’s the perfect time to offer some comfort."

"Oh..."

Fu Nanzhi obediently agreed and headed off.

Shen Yi leaned back on the sofa and pulled out his phone to kill time. He was more familiar with this place than his own home and didn’t need anyone to entertain him.

Meanwhile, Fu Nanzhi entered the kitchen and praised the freshly cooked dishes.

"Wow, that smells amazing..."

Ji Shulan shot her a glance.

"He’s here? Happy now?"

Fu Nanzhi grinned and moved in to hug her, but Ji Shulan brushed her off.

"Don’t crowd me. Go keep your little boyfriend company. It’s rude to leave him alone."

Fu Nanzhi wasn’t about to back down. Instead, she stepped closer and started massaging her mother’s shoulders, cooing,

"Let him sit. How could he compare to my wonderful mom?"

"Tch..."

Ji Shlan scoffed, unconvinced, but the words still warmed her heart a little.

"Alright, this is the last dish. Stop hovering."

"You and Shen Yi go wash up—dinner’s ready."

Fu Nanzhi nodded.

"Got it."

She turned and left. A moment later, after both had washed their hands, Shen Yi followed Fu Nanzhi into the kitchen to help carry the dishes.

Ji Shulan was tending to the pot when Shen Yi walked in and greeted her.

"Auntie, thank you for preparing so much. You really didn’t have to go through all this trouble..."

Ji Shulan had always maintained a neutral demeanor toward Shen Yi, and her response was no different now—calm and measured.

"Oh, Shen Yi’s here."

"It’s no trouble. We’d be eating anyway—just an extra pair of chopsticks."

Shen Yi nodded in agreement.

"You’re right, but I still appreciate it."

Nearby, Fu Nanzhi picked up a dish only to immediately set it back down, her fingers stinging from the heat. She pressed them to her earlobes to cool them and called out,

"Hey—Shen Yi, this one’s too hot. You take it."

Shen Yi responded with a quick "Yes," lifting the dishes and placing them on the table.

Fu Nanzhi switched to a smaller plate and trotted behind him.

Ji Shulan withdrew her gaze, lifted the lid of the pot, and sighed softly, lost in thought.

At the table, Fu Nanzhi scooped rice into three bowls and handed them out one by one.

Ji Shulan picked up her bowl and chopsticks, calling out to Shen Yi,

"Xiao Shen, give it a try. My cooking’s nothing special—don’t mind if it’s not to your taste."

"Auntie, how could you say that?"

Shen Yi chuckled, picking up a bite and chewing lightly before praising,

"If your skills are just 'average,' then nine out of ten chefs in the world would be out of a job."

Fu Nanzhi chimed in beside him,

"Exactly, absolutely!"

The fine lines on Ji Shulan’s face softened as she lowered her head with a smile,

"Don’t exaggerate. Just eat, eat."

No matter what she thought privately, being acknowledged and complimented naturally brought her joy.

The table was set with four dishes and a soup—more than enough for the three of them.

Honestly, the food was excellent, far better than Shen Yi’s own cooking, so his praise wasn’t empty flattery but genuine appreciation.

Ji Shulan, mindful of her figure, ate little for dinner, spending most of her time observing the pair across from her.

Both ate comfortably, with Shen Yi occasionally serving her a bite.

Fu Nanzhi, being at home, could relax freely, but Ji Shulan was surprised by how at ease Shen Yi seemed too.

Neither stiff nor overly formal, as if this were just an ordinary meal.

It left Ji Shulan quietly amazed.

Fu Nanzhi was a picky eater—avoiding fatty meat, disliking scallions, and eating little lotus root or lettuce.

Occasionally, if she took a bite and didn’t want it, she’d casually transfer it to Shen Yi’s bowl.

When she finished her rice, she pushed the empty bowl aside without a word, and Shen Yi naturally took it,

scooping her a bowl of soup and handing it back.

The whole exchange flowed seamlessly, as if rehearsed a thousand times, wordless yet perfectly synchronized.

Watching this, Ji Shulan felt her perspective on their relationship shift slightly for the first time.

‘Could there really be such a thing as a match made in heaven?’

Life always required adjustment—she’d never believed in those soulmate tales from books.

Take herself, for example: sometimes even Old Fu grumbled when she served him food.

Fu Nanzhi had a modest appetite. A bowl of rice and soup filled her up, and now she set down her chopsticks, watching Shen Yi eat.

Ji Shulan was still working through her half-bowl, while Shen Yi was already on his third serving.

Noticing this, Fu Nanzhi subtly jutted her chin toward Ji Shulan, her eyes brimming with pride,

as if saying,

‘Impressive, right? My boyfriend~’

Caught off guard by her daughter’s smugness, Ji Shulan barely suppressed an eye-roll, serving herself half a bowl of soup to sip slowly.

Still, a hearty appetite was a blessing, and Shen Yi cleaning his plate was the highest praise for her cooking.

After three bowls of rice and a final bowl of soup, Shen Yi set down his chopsticks contentedly.

"It was so good, I couldn’t help overeating," he laughed, glancing at the empty dishes.

"Of course! Mom’s cooking speaks for itself," Fu Nanzhi added, seizing every chance to butter Ji Shulan up.

"Alright, enough—you’ll have me floating off into the clouds."

Ji Shulan smiled and waved her hand, waiting until he had finished eating before standing up to clear the table.

Shen Yi immediately rose to help gather the dishes.

There was no way Ji Shulan would let a first-time guest lift a finger, so she quickly turned to Fu Nanzhi, who was lounging lazily in her chair, and said:

"Nanzhi, go on, take Shen Yi to the courtyard for a while."

"I’ll bring you both some tea in a bit."

"No need, no need," Shen Yi protested, but since Ji Shulan wouldn’t let him help, there was still Fu Nanzhi to handle things.

So he added:

"I can head over myself. Nanzhi, you should stay and help Auntie."

Fu Nanzhi, comfortably full and hoping to slack off for a moment, found herself suddenly caught in the middle of their back-and-forth.

She pointed at her own nose in disbelief and asked:

"Me?"