The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 105 Going to Help with the Housewarming

Jian Zheng glanced at the time. "Oh, it's already noon. Let me treat you two to lunch."

Shang Yibo said, "Okay, I happen to be free today."

Jian Zhengzheng looked at Zhou Yanruo.

Zhou Yanruo glanced at Shang Yibo and thought to herself, "What's wrong with Yibo today? It's strange that he came over for tea by himself, it's even stranger that he was chatting with Jian Zheng, and now he wants to go out for dinner with us. It's all so unbelievable."

Just then, someone's phone rang, and all three of them looked down at it simultaneously.

Zhou Yanruo picked up her phone. "It's mine. Excuse me, I need to take this call."

Zhou Yanruo answered the phone: "Hello, Zihang."

The room was quiet, and the man's excited voice came clearly from the phone: "Ruoruo, are you home? Come downstairs for dinner? I made a lot of your favorite dishes."

Zhou Yanruo said, "I'm not home."

Zhou Zihang: "You have work? You have to work on Saturday? Didn't you already work overtime last night?"

Zhou Yanruo: "No, I'm with friends, and we're about to go out for dinner together."

Zhou Zihang: "Great! Why go anywhere else to eat? Come to my house, I've made lots of food."

Zhou Yanruo smiled and said, "I'll put it on speakerphone, you can talk to everyone."

Zhou Yanruo pressed the speakerphone button on her phone and then introduced to Jian Zheng and Shang Yibo, "Dr. Zhou Zihang is also from our hometown. He just returned from the United States and invited us to his home for dinner. Whether we go or not is up to you two."

Before Shang Yibo and Jian Zheng could speak, Zhou Zihang loudly introduced himself: "Hi! Hello Ruoruo's friends! I am Zhou Zihang, a gourmet and a PhD in biology."

Jian Zheng laughed and said, "So being a PhD in biology is a side job, and your main job is being a gourmet. Hahaha, interesting."

Shang Yibo frowned, thinking to himself, "Who is this person! He calls Zhou Yanruo 'Ruoruo,' which is too affectionate. In my memory, only my grandmother would call her by her childhood name so affectionately back then."

He asked Zhou Yanruo in a low voice, sounding annoyed, "Your friend?"

Zhou Yanruo had just hummed in agreement, before she could explain further.

Zhou Zihang said from the other end of the phone, "He's my boyfriend, ah, but he's my future boyfriend."

Upon hearing this, Shang Yibo glared fiercely at the phone, as if Zhou Zihang on the other end of the line could see it.

Jian Zheng looked pleased. "We should go and show our support." Then he turned to Shang Yibo and asked, "Isn't President Shang free today? Let's go together, for Zhou Yanruo's, um, boyfriend's support."

Zhou Yanruo was embarrassed by what was said, her face turning bright red. She awkwardly explained, "No, no, it's a male friend, not someone in particular."

Zhou Zihang was afraid of upsetting Zhou Yanruo and causing them to stop coming, so he went along with what Zhou Yanruo said, "I'm fine with anything. I just moved yesterday, so your coming over is like helping me warm up the house."

“That’s a good reason. Let’s go and have some fun. Do we need to bring anything?” Jian Zheng was naturally outgoing. He hadn’t even exchanged a few words with Zhou Zihang, and they were still on the phone and hadn’t even met in person, but they were already chatting like old friends.

Zhou Zihang said, "You don't need to bring anything. There's a large supermarket right across from the community, it has everything. Just come over. Enough talk, let's get going. Tell me how long it will take so I can be prepared."

Zhou Yanruo looked at Shang Yibo, who looked displeased, again and said, "Do you want to come and live in the same apartment building as me? It's downstairs from my place."

Shang Yibo replied in his usual tone, "Then let's go." Despite his calm exterior, he was inwardly seething with frustration. The biology PhD who returned from the US affectionately called Zhou Yanruo by her childhood nickname, "Ruoruo," suggesting a close relationship between them back in America. Now that they're back in China, they're even living in the same apartment building.

He wanted to see what kind of person this was. Of course, he also had another ulterior motive: to get acquainted with Zhou Yanruo's family.

Jian Zheng immediately said, "Let's go. It doesn't seem quite right to go empty-handed to help people with their housewarming."

Zhou Yanruo smiled and replied, "Zihang has always lived abroad and doesn't have many formalities."

Shang Yibo lowered his gaze and said coldly, "This is in the country."

After he finished speaking, he pressed the server button on the table.

A graceful waitress in a cheongsam entered at the door upon hearing the voice, "Sir, is there anything you need?"

Shang Yibo asked, "Do you have tea gift sets here?"

Upon hearing the phrase "graceful figure," the customer immediately became excited and introduced, "Sir, we have 20-year-old, 30-year-old, and 50-year-old Pu'er teas, all of which are the finest. Which one would you like? If it's for a gift, the 50-year-old premium Pu'er tea gift box would best reflect your status."

Shang Yibo hummed in agreement.

"Graceful figure" said excitedly, her voice trembling slightly, "Yes, sir, I'll go get it for you right away."

It's worth noting that this 50-year-old Pu'er tea gift box is quite valuable. Selling this one item not only fulfilled the monthly sales target but also earned a substantial commission.

"Wait a minute," Jian Zheng called out to the 'graceful figure'.

Fearing the guests might change their minds, the woman with the 'graceful figure' nervously turned her head, reluctant to turn her body back, and asked, "Sir, is there anything else you need?"

Jian Zheng said, "Do you have any good tea sets here? I'd like a set."

With her graceful figure, she quickly turned around, stood in front of Jian Zheng, and introduced, "Yes, sir, we have Yixing purple clay teapots, which are works by the famous Master Tan."

Jian Zheng said, "This is great. Yixing is also our hometown, and these are local specialties. It's very meaningful to give them to Dr. Zhou."

'Graceful Figure' was overjoyed: "My goodness, Master Tan's handmade works have become local specialties. Wow, it's simply amazing."

"Graceful Figure" responded cheerfully and jogged off to get their gifts.

Everyone was ready and about to set off when Zhou Yanruo's phone rang again. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Ding Jiajia calling.

Zhou Yanruo held up the phone and gestured for Shang Yibo and Jian Zheng to walk ahead, saying she would take a call and then come over.

Zhou Yanruo: "Hey, Jiajia. Has the clothing been delivered to the brand? They didn't say anything, right? If there are any problems, I'll take responsibility for them personally."

Ding Jiajia said, "It was sent over, and the brand didn't say anything. They'll handle it. That's not what I'm talking about. Were you and Yibo at the Yishang Hotel?"

Zhou Yanruo was quite surprised: "Uh, how did you know?"

Ding Jiajia said, "This morning, a tour group filmed a video at the hotel entrance and posted it on Weibo. Coincidentally, they filmed Yibo walking into the hotel, and netizens found out about it."

Zhou Yanruo said with a helpless sarcasm, "This generation of netizens is really something."

“That’s right, Brother Can called me to ask where Yibo was. I even confidently said that he was at home reading the script. I was so embarrassed,” Ding Jiajia said. “I saw Yibo coming out of Cuiyunxuan. Hey, I saw you too. I’m hanging up now.”

Shang Yibo walked into the hotel lobby and saw Ding Jiajia on the phone. "You came to see me?"

Ding Jiajia hung up the phone and walked towards Shang Yibo. "Brother Can told me you were here and asked me to come and see if I needed any help."

Shang Yibo glanced at her sideways. "Did you come to check on me, or to watch me? Afraid I'll cause trouble? Do you think I have that much free time?"

Ding Jiajia chuckled awkwardly and remained silent.

Ding Jiajia didn't check the almanac before leaving home today, and was scolded by Shang Yibo when she called him this morning. Now she's run into trouble again.