After Dinner Tea Time

The restaurant was quite spacious, easily seating over ten people.

It was conveniently connected to the kitchen, making access very easy.

Shen Yi and his three companions looked a bit sparse sitting around the table, so the others moved closer together.

On the table was the meal Shen Yi had been busy preparing for two to three hours: seven dishes and one soup, with five meat dishes and two vegetable ones.

While the color, aroma, and taste might not be perfect, at least the presentation and flavor were decent.

Once everyone was seated, Shen Yi brought over several glass cups and poured orange juice for each of them.

Today was a housewarming celebration, and normally they would have some wine to toast and lift the spirits.

But considering Shu Yunyi’s situation, Shen Yi had replaced the red wine with orange juice— the gesture was what mattered.

According to Shen Yi’s guess, once he exchanged for new gene serums in the simulator’s shop and Shu Yunyi used them,

her constitution would be fully improved, and her lifespan extended. Drinking alcohol wouldn’t be an issue then; they’d just have to make sure she didn’t overindulge.

His confidence came from the fact that Fu Nanzhi’s congenital face blindness had already been cured, so Shu Yunyi’s minor problem was nothing in comparison.

No matter how many thoughts ran through his mind, reality was always fleeting.

Raising his glass of orange juice, Shen Yi smiled and said,

“To celebrate the move today, let’s toast.”

Fu Nanzhi and Cheng Jun weren’t big drinkers anyway, and they knew Shu Yunyi avoided alcohol, so they all smiled warmly and raised their glasses.

*Clink!*

The glasses met with a clear, crisp sound.

Fu Nanzhi took a sip of her orange juice, put down the glass, and clutching her stomach, exclaimed,

“I didn’t eat lunch, so no more talking—I’m digging in first~”

She had been drooling with hunger just moments ago and now picked up her chopsticks, grabbing a piece of fish and popping it into her mouth.

Cheng Jun lifted her rice bowl and followed,

“Who even had lunch? We’re all in the same boat.”

Unlike Fu Nanzhi’s lightning-fast chopsticks, Cheng Jun’s movements were delicate and restrained despite her hunger.

She didn’t like exercising much and was afraid of gaining weight, so she had to control herself through diet.

Shu Yunyi watched this and smiled gently,

“It’s really different—Nanzhi helped me move books earlier, so she’s had quite a bit of exercise.”

“No wonder she’s so hungry.”

In the afternoon at the university, the two of them were quite the eye-catching sight. Both were beautiful, but their styles were completely different.

So many people kept asking about Fu Nanzhi, assuming the two were sisters, but Shu Yunyi always laughed it off.

Cheng Jun pouted and glanced at Shen Yi, silently accusing him of letting them gang up on her without saying a word.

Shen Yi, a master at serving drinks, quickly shifted the focus and feigned grievance,

“I worked so hard making dinner, and no one’s going to praise me?”

Fu Nanzhi, always the biggest cheerleader, was the first to respond,

“Is that even a question? Haven’t I been nonstop?”

“I’m showing my appreciation with actions.”

Cheng Jun held her bowl and nodded in agreement without pausing,

“Me too.”

Hearing this, Shu Yunyi smiled and took a bite, then praised,

“The taste is really good—your cooking skills haven’t declined one bit.”

In an instant, the three of them were all fawning over Shen Yi.

He felt a surge of joy in his heart but kept it well in check.

The three of them were now on good terms, sitting around the same table, eating together, chatting and laughing—a scene that was unimaginable just a few days ago.

“Ah, not at all...”

Shen Yi, happy and humble, waved his hand modestly:

“As long as you like it, I’ll cook for you every day from now on.”

“If we love it, of course you have to cook every day.”

“Cut it out! Not only do you have to cook every day, but you have to keep changing things up.”

“Yeah, if you’re thinking of backing out now, it’s too late~”

The three women teased him all at once, laughter filling the table.

Unfazed, Shen Yi Ran shot back with a fierce look:

“Fine.”

“Then I’ll make delicious food every day and feed all of you until you’re little piggies.”

The moment she said that, the three women burst into an uproar.

“Wow, you’re so vicious.”

“See, I always knew he had evil intentions.”

“Sisters, this beast must be punished!”

Gaining weight was a woman’s worst enemy. Among them, only Shu Yunyi had a unique physique and couldn’t eat much, while the other two were consciously controlling their diets.

Shen Yi chuckled mischievously, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a shrimp into Fu Nanzhi’s bowl, quickly changing the subject:

“Slow down, watch out for fish bones.”

“No rush, no one’s stealing from you.”

Fu Nanzhi took a small bite of the fish meat, swallowed it, and wasn’t intimidated at all by his warning.

“Don’t worry, except when I was a kid, I’ve been eating fish for years and have never gotten a bone stuck.”

Shen Yi teased her:

“Nonsense, who hasn’t gotten stuck as a kid?”

“Some people got traumatized and don’t like eating fish as adults.”

“Like me, for example.”

Shu Yunyi said softly from the side.

To this day, she only ate fish without many small bones or the boneless fish from hotpot.

“Ha ha ha...”

Amid the laughter and cheerful voices, the atmosphere was very harmonious. Since none of them had eaten lunch, they all ate quite a bit at dinner.

Putting down his bowl, Shen Yi called out:

“Don’t just focus on the dishes, try the soup I made.”

He picked up a few empty bowls and ladled some chicken soup into each, passing them around for everyone to taste.

Cheng Jun took hers and set it aside.

“I’ll drink it later.”

Her stomach was the smallest; drinking the soup now would fill her up and leave no room for rice, so she saved it for last.

Fu Nanzhi and Shu Yunyi gently blew on their soup and then sipped it quietly.

The chicken soup had been simmered for hours, the flavors fully infused and incredibly delicious. Both quickly finished their bowls.

Seeing how much they enjoyed it, Shen Yi felt his efforts hadn’t been in vain. He smiled and asked them:

“Want some more?”

Fu Nanzhi, nearly full, shook her head first.

Shu Yunyi thought for a moment and then handed her bowl back.

“Give me another bowl, please.”

She hadn’t eaten much staple food at dinner, so having more soup was good. Shen Yi ladled another bowl for her as requested.

Before long, they were all full and satisfied.

Shen Yi finally picked up his bowl and started to eat again, polishing off the leftovers.

He was used to being the little trash bin; wasting food was out of the question, so everything left over ended up in his stomach.

The four of them, seven dishes, were basically cleaned up completely.

Wiping his mouth, Shen Yi put down his chopsticks and smiled:

“Then I’ll leave the rest to you guys?”

Cheng Jun was pacing around the restaurant to aid digestion, waving her hand impatiently.

“Get lost, get lost.”

“Don’t bother me while I’m clearing the table.”

Fu Nanzhi had already gone into the kitchen to get some water, and Shu Yunyi rolled up her sleeves and started gathering the dishes.

Shen Yi stood nearby with his hands on his hips, watching the busy figures moving about. Handsome and well-built, even when working, he was a pleasing sight.

The three of them worked together seamlessly and soon had the table completely cleared and spotless.

Shen Yi didn’t stay idle either; he took out some tea leaves he’d bought that afternoon from the fridge, brewed tea for everyone, and brought it to the living room to wait.

Before long, Fu Nanzhi flopped onto the sofa like a gust of wind, picked up a cup of tea, and took a sip.

“Mm~”

She exhaled contentedly. After eating her fill, sipping some warm tea was just what she needed. She sighed in satisfaction and leaned against Shen Yi’s side.

Cheng Jun had finished tidying the table as well. She wiped the water droplets from her hands and settled down to Shen Yi’s left.

She propped her elbow on the sofa and lazily leaned back. Her two legs were crossed neatly, their pale skin almost glowing under the soft light.

Taking the cup Shen Yi handed her, she took a sip and immediately frowned.

“This tea isn’t that great. Next time, I’ll bring some from the office.”

Shen Yi smiled at her remark.

“Can’t help it. This is the best you can get around here.”

“What good stuff can supermarkets have anyway?”

Just then, Shu Yunyi finally came out. She’d been washing the dishes and had just loaded them into the sterilizer, so she was a bit delayed.

She walked over and raised her brows. There was no room left for her on either side of Shen Yi on the long sofa.

Not bothered by this, she smoothed down her skirt and sat down opposite them.

Once seated, she didn’t sit still. She slipped her feet out of her slippers and secretly stretched one over.

In the end, she rested it directly on Shen Yi’s thigh and stayed there.