Soon, Cen Huan emerged from inside the house.
"Zhuofei, I’m so sorry, but I just can’t find the lighter anywhere," Cen Huan said, patting her head in frustration. "My memory has been terrible lately—how could I lose it like this?"
Just as Zhou Zhuofei was about to respond, she noticed Xie Ya making a strange movement—he suddenly slipped his hand into the pocket of his loose cargo pants. Though his exact actions were obscured, the faint outline of a rectangular object could be seen.
She didn’t dwell on it and replied, "No worries, I’ll just eat out. Honestly, I’m too lazy to cook anyway."
Cen Huan hesitated for a moment, glancing at the silent Xie Ya before deciding to extend an invitation. "Why don’t you join us? We’re planning to have hotpot."
"Oh? Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?"
"Not at all! I was actually worried we’d have too much food. Having you here would be perfect!"
Cen Huan was unusually enthusiastic—partly because she genuinely liked Zhou Zhuofei and was happy to help, but also because she wanted to introduce Xie Ya to more friends, given his circumstances.
Unaware of their earlier exchange at the door, she assumed they didn’t know each other and cheerfully made introductions.
"This is my colleague Xie Ya. He’s quite young, so you can call him Xiao Xie. Xiao Xie, this is Zhou Zhuofei—you can call her Sister Zhou."
To Zhou Zhuofei’s surprise, Xie Ya—who had seemed standoffish just moments ago—immediately complied with Cen Huan’s suggestion and greeted her politely, "Hello, Sister Zhou."
His abrupt change in demeanor left Zhou Zhuofei stunned. Intrigued, she reconsidered—going out in the rain for food was a hassle, and she didn’t recall Xie Ya appearing in her dreams. Maybe staying to observe him would be more interesting.
(Though, admittedly, the hotpot was the main draw.)
So she suggested, "How about this? I’ve got some hotpot ingredients in my fridge too. If the power stays out, they might spoil. Let’s bring them over and cook everything together."
"Sounds great!"
"Then come with me to check what you’d like to add."
"No problem." Cen Huan followed Zhou Zhuofei out immediately, pausing only to instruct Xie Ya to fetch an extra set of bowls and chopsticks.
Judging by their casual tone, the two women seemed quite familiar with each other.
Once inside Zhou Zhuofei’s home, Cen Huan seized the opportunity to ask a few questions.
Unexpectedly, the mere mention of Xie Ya made Cen Huan sigh, her voice tinged with sympathy. "Xiao Xie… he’s had a hard life."
"What do you mean?"
Even though Xie Ya couldn’t hear them, Cen Huan instinctively lowered her voice. "His parents passed away when he was very young. His older brother was the only one working to support them, and Xiao Xie didn’t want to burden him, so he dropped out of school to work."
"Wait, what?" Zhou Zhuofei was taken aback. She had only meant to poke around for some gossip—how had the conversation taken such a tragic turn?
Cen Huan continued, "And recently, his rental lease expired. He hasn’t found a new place yet, so I’ve been letting him stay with me temporarily."
The sheer amount of information overwhelmed Zhou Zhuofei. She didn’t even know where to begin.
"Hold on," she said, trying to process everything. "You’re letting him stay with you?"
"It’s not really ‘letting him stay’—just lending him the couch for a few days."
Zhou Zhuofei nodded. A kind-hearted heroine was a good thing, so she didn’t press further. "You mentioned he dropped out of school to work?"
"Yeah."
"How old is he? Is he even an adult?" Xie Ya looked no older than seventeen or eighteen.
"He just turned nineteen this year."
"Nineteen? So dropping out would mean leaving university? That doesn’t make sense—there are plenty of financial aid programs and work-study positions for students in need. He shouldn’t have to quit school unless his family had debts?"
Zhou Zhuofei’s rapid-fire analysis left Cen Huan struggling to keep up. She could only answer the last question. "I’m not sure about that…"
She had only known Xie Ya for a little over a week and hadn’t gotten all the details. Everything she knew came from Xie Ya himself.
Zhou Zhuofei took a deep breath. Something about this felt… off.
Maybe it was because she’d been around Zhan Zilang so much lately, but she had started to recognize the subtle differences between those born into wealth and ordinary people.
Xie Ya’s demeanor and appearance didn’t match the image of someone from a struggling background. There wasn’t a single trace of hardship about him.
Then again, this was a novel world. If the author wanted to create a "poor but noble" character trope, it wasn’t unheard of.
Seeing Cen Huan’s still-confused expression, Zhou Zhuofei changed the subject. "Well, if he couldn’t get into university, at least he’s working hard now."
"Exactly! That’s what I thought too." Cen Huan nodded eagerly. Xie Ya’s situation resonated with her deeply—perhaps helping him was a way of helping her past self.
"But having him stay at your place… are you comfortable with that?"
Cen Huan smiled. "It’s fine. Xiao Xie is very well-behaved. He’s just struggling to find a place in this rain. He’ll probably move out next week."
"That’s good. Let me know if you need anything."
"Thanks, Zhuofei. You’re really kind."
"Not at all. I’m just doing what I can—you’re the one with the big heart." Zhou Zhuofei shrugged. She would never let a man stay in her home, but their situations were different. If she remembered correctly, Cen Huan was still paying off debts. Regardless of how her future turned out, her current life was far from easy.
With that in mind, Zhou Zhuofei began pulling out sliced beef, chicken wings, and lamb rolls from the fridge.
Cen Huan, seeing the growing pile, quickly stopped her. "That’s enough! We already have plenty of vegetables."
"Don’t worry, I love meat!" Like a hamster clearing out its stash, Zhou Zhuofei gathered a mountain of ingredients before heading back next door with Cen Huan.
The table was already set with a portable stove. Cen Huan took the food to the kitchen to arrange the platters, turning down Zhou Zhuofei’s offer to help and instead calling Xie Ya in.
The one-bedroom apartment’s kitchen was cramped—barely enough space for two people. Seeing this, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t insist and obediently returned to the table.
While waiting, she glanced around. Though her apartment had the same layout as Cen Huan’s, the interiors couldn’t be more different. Cen Huan kept her place spotless and tidy, while Zhou Zhuofei’s home, though not dirty, was far from organized.
Soon, Cen Huan and Xie Ya brought out the food. "Let’s dig in! I scored the chicken wings so they’ll absorb more flavor while cooking."
"Then I won’t hold back!"
"Of course not! Oh, do you want me to make you a dipping sauce? I’ve got a secret recipe."
"Sure!"
Cen Huan got up again to prepare dipping sauces in the kitchen, bringing back an extra portion for Xie Ya.
"Thanks, Sister Huan." Xie Ya's voice was exceptionally pleasant—even these simple four words sounded distinctly charming when spoken by him.
Zhou Zhuofei couldn't help but mimic his tone, though the result was a far cry from the original, coming off more like a clumsy imitation.
When she looked up again to pick up some food, she noticed Cen Huan and Xie Ya staring at her and awkwardly explained, "I just thought Xiao Xie’s voice was really nice and wanted to see if I could replicate the effect."
No one dislikes being complimented. Though Xie Ya didn’t respond, the corners of his lips twitched upward.
Cen Huan, however, immediately launched into praise mode: "Zhuofei, have you heard Xiao Xie sing? He’s seriously amazing. The first time I heard him, I was completely mesmerized."
"Really? Then next time I’ll have to go to New World and listen." Come to think of it, if she and Qiao Qi hadn’t left early that day, she might have gotten the chance to hear Xie Ya sing.
Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t help but recall the events of that night. Since Cen Huan had Xie Ya call her "sister," wouldn’t it be natural for her, as an elder, to ask a few concerned questions?
"Xiao Xie, you’re nineteen this year, right?"
Xie Ya hadn’t expected Zhou Zhuofei to initiate a conversation with him. After swallowing his food, he replied, "Yes."
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Zhou Zhuofei felt she must look exactly like those nosy relatives who interrogate you about your love life during the holidays—a tragic case of the dragon-slayer becoming the dragon.
Before Xie Ya could answer, Cen Huan interjected, "Xiao Xie is only nineteen!"
"Nineteen is the perfect age for dating, isn’t it? Back when I was… well, never mind, my own experience isn’t worth mentioning. But I heard you already have a girlfriend." Zhou Zhuofei directed this question straight at Xie Ya.
"What?" Cen Huan stared at Xie Ya in shock. "Is that true? Why haven’t you mentioned it?"
Xie Ya had always acted rather childishly around her, and given his young age, Cen Huan practically treated him like a little brother.
But she had known Zhou Zhuofei much longer and naturally trusted her more. There was no reason for Zhou Zhuofei to fabricate rumors about Xie Ya.
Xie Ya quickly realized Zhou Zhuofei was deliberately provoking him.
So she remembered that incident clearly—maybe she had even seen through his intentions back then, which was why she pretended to be texting someone and slipped away.
Seems he’d misjudged her.
He lowered his head to eat, using the moment to compose himself. When he looked up again, he wore an expression of innocent confusion. "I don’t have a girlfriend. Why would you say that, Sister Zhou?"
Ugh, why did she keep running into men who loved putting on an act?
Zhou Zhuofei clicked her tongue impatiently. If Xie Ya refused to admit it, she had no proof to force the issue. Better to drop it now.
So she quickly backtracked: "Then I must’ve mistaken you for someone else. That night at New World, I saw a red-haired guy who looked a lot like you telling people he had a girlfriend."
Red-haired guy… Xie Ya’s lips twitched. What kind of insulting description was that? His hairstyle had been styled by a celebrity hairdresser.
"Were you talking about backstage?" Xie Ya put on an "aha" expression. "Now I know which time you mean."
"Xiao Xie, what’s really going on?" Cen Huan was thoroughly confused. None of this made sense to her.
"Sister Huan, it’s like this—Miss Jiang came to see me that day. You know how difficult she can be. I didn’t dare offend her, so I lied and said I had a girlfriend."
"Miss Jiang?" Though Cen Huan hadn’t worked at New World for long, she’d heard of this VIP client.
Miss Jiang was the bar’s top-tier patron, visiting multiple times a week. She had always shown a keen interest in Xie Huai.
For the bar’s singers, aside from their base salary, the biggest earnings came from gift commissions.
Patrons could purchase flowers of varying price tiers to give to the performers, who would then receive a percentage as a bonus.
Whenever Miss Jiang visited, she would buy the most expensive flowers for Xie Huai. Some singers maintained private contact with their regulars to keep them coming—though the bar officially discouraged staff from interacting with customers outside work, they generally turned a blind eye.
After all, clients meant business, didn’t they?
As the bar’s most popular singer, Xie Ya was constantly pursued by admirers, with no shortage of people trying to arrange private meetings.
Hearing his explanation, Cen Huan immediately looked sympathetic. In her eyes, Xiao Xie had it rough—so young, working hard to pay off debts while also dealing with such situations.
"She came looking for you again?"
Xie Ya hesitated, letting his silence speak volumes. "Yeah…"
"That must be tough for you."
Xie Ya adopted an expression of quiet resilience. "Who has it easy these days?"
Cen Huan thought of her own struggles. Though life wasn’t kind to her either, she wanted to set a good example for Xie Ya. She perked up and served him more food. "Here, don’t overthink it. Eat up!"
Xie Ya promptly held out his bowl. There was something about Cen Huan’s warmth that drew him in. He’d noticed it from the day she first arrived at the bar.
Being around her brought him a sense of ease he’d never experienced before—far better than that cold, empty place he called home…
But he shouldn’t let dark thoughts ruin this happy moment. Xie Ya pushed aside the distractions and focused on playing the obedient, well-behaved role for Cen Huan.
At the same time, he stole a glance at Zhou Zhuofei.
The real question was—would this woman ruin things for him?
To his surprise, Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t even listening. She was wholly absorbed in gnawing on a chicken wing.
What was wrong with her? Did she have zero curiosity?
His explanation wasn’t just for Sister Huan—it was also for Zhou Zhuofei. Cen Huan knew the context, so a vague mention was enough for her to understand.
But Zhou Zhuofei had no idea about the bar’s inner workings. If she’d shown even a shred of interest, both he and Cen Huan would have gladly explained the whole story, letting her see that his "girlfriend" lie was just a "necessary evil."
Who could’ve guessed she wouldn’t even pay attention?
Xie Ya had wanted to casually clear the air without making it obvious. It wasn’t like he could just snap, "Put down that damn chicken wing and listen for once!"
Besides, those wings couldn’t possibly taste that good—they probably reeked of freezer burn. If Cen Huan hadn’t served him, he wouldn’t have touched them.
Zhou Zhuofei had heard everything. She just couldn’t be bothered to get involved.
She’d figured it out—this kid had a performative streak, constantly scheming to grab attention, especially Cen Huan’s.
The last time she encountered such a situation was back in school, when she overheard unfamiliar classmates loudly discussing her exam results as they passed by her classroom.
She also realized that Xie Ya simply wanted to maintain a good image in front of Cen Huan—though she wasn’t sure why. But considering Cen Huan was the female lead, it was unlikely Xie Ya meant any harm.
Zhou Zhuofei didn’t want to oversimplify things. After all, relationships between men and women weren’t solely about romance. For instance, she and Zhan Zilang were mentoring partners, Luo Jing was her work desk-mate, and Xiao Wang was a senior she respected.
But since Cen Huan was the protagonist, it was only natural for a few male supporting characters to appear around her.
Given that Ling Yu fit the role of the wealthy CEO, Xie Ya likely filled the spot of the younger male counterpart—except he was only nineteen.
Maybe she was just old-fashioned, but she felt that at nineteen, one should still be in university, not out in the world hustling. Yet she wasn’t in a position to financially support a student through four years of college, so she kept her thoughts to herself.
Everyone had their own path.
After a long pause, Zhou Zhuofei finally spoke up, “Have you tried the shrimp paste? It’s amazing!”
Right now, her top priority was enjoying this hot pot!
