Xie Lang looked sheepish under her scolding. He had never realized before that Jiang Ling could be so sharp-tongued.

Jiang Ling went on, “If you want to eat tasty food at home, I actually have a suggestion.”

“Tell me,” Xie Lang said eagerly.

Jiang Ling chuckled softly and said, “Since you think Director Bai’s cooking isn’t good, why not learn to cook yourself? That way, not only can Director Bai rest when she gets home, but your whole family can enjoy delicious meals together.”

There was a reason Xie Lang was the male lead. Though impulsive and a bit naive, he had a pure and sincere heart.

He nodded earnestly. “What you said makes a lot of sense.”

Even as Jiang Ling scolded him, he didn’t show the slightest trace of annoyance.

In the past, he had let his mother do all the housework after coming home from work simply because that was how it always was around him. Women cooked, men rested—he never thought there was anything wrong with that.

But after hearing Jiang Ling’s words and seeing that it was Song Guanshu doing the cooking in their home, he finally realized that women didn’t have to be the ones cooking and serving the family. Men could also be the ones working in the kitchen after work.

“I was wrong before,” he admitted, then joked, “My mom used to complain about the same thing. If she knew you shared her views, she’d definitely see you as a kindred spirit and start thinking of ways to make you her daughter-in-law.”

As soon as he said it, Xie Lang realized that Jiang Ling was already married, and that he had just said this in front of her husband. It almost sounded like he was trying to poach someone else’s wife.

It really had been an unintentional slip, but since it was clearly a joke, it wasn’t too big a deal. Everyone could just laugh it off.

But Xie Lang had truly once harbored those feelings, so he panicked and hurriedly waved his hands in explanation. “That’s not what I meant, I was just joking.”

After speaking, he slapped himself on the mouth in frustration. “Why can’t I ever control this stupid mouth of mine? I didn’t mean anything by it, you both know I….” He wanted to blame it on alcohol, but then remembered there wasn’t any wine on the table tonight—only soup.

Truth be told, that explanation was unnecessary. Both Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu were already well aware of the little thoughts Xie Lang had once entertained.

“That won’t do,” Jiang Ling said. “Song Guanshu is the best husband in the world. Even if you gave me mountains of gold and silver, I wouldn’t trade him.”

He could earn money, cook every day, and handle the housework too. She had no interest in marrying into Xie Lang’s family to end up as a housemaid. Not even if he was the male lead.

Jiang Ling’s words stung Xie Lang a little, but they also saved him from the awkwardness.

He dared not speak carelessly again. “I’ve got to say, the two of you really have a great relationship.”

Song Guanshu had been quietly smiling the whole time without saying a word, but when Jiang Ling said she wouldn’t trade him even for mountains of gold, he took the initiative to ladle her another half spoon of soup.

Xie Lang’s personality—put nicely—could be called carefree. Less charitably, it meant he was a bit slow on the uptake.

One moment he was still frustrated for saying the wrong thing, and the next, he was already holding out his empty bowl to Song Guanshu, asking him to ladle in half a bowl of soup.

When he was little, Director Bai had taught him that grain was precious. When eating at someone else’s house, he shouldn’t stuff himself—that would be seen as having no upbringing.

To eat less meat, he could only fill up on soup.

Jiang Ling noticed that Xie Lang’s eyes kept sneaking glances at the meat while he sipped his soup, like a big dog craving meat but trying to behave.

Since it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to serve him directly, she said instead, “Song Guanshu, give Xie Lang a couple of pieces of meat. It’s his first time eating at our place, he’s probably too embarrassed to take any himself.”

How could he possibly admit that it was embarrassment that stopped him from taking meat?

Xie Lang said, “No, it’s just that I think the soup Brother Song made tastes even richer.”

The smile on Song Guanshu’s lips was faint and cool as he pushed the plate of stir-fried cured chicken toward Xie Lang. “Look at how thoughtful Jiang Ling is, even worried that you might not have enough to eat.”

Xie Lang, not thinking much of it, grinned and said, “Of course. We’re old classmates, after all.”

Two dishes, one soup, and a basin of rice were all cleaned out between the three of them.

After the meal, Xie Lang helped tidy up the tableware. When Song Guanshu rolled up his sleeves to wash the dishes, Xie Lang quickly offered, “I’ll do it. You already worked hard cooking, Brother Song, let me handle the dishes.”

Song Guanshu replied gently, “How could I let a guest do housework?”

Having just freeloaded a meal, Xie Lang already felt a bit guilty. He quickly said, “With the relationship we have, who’s a guest and who isn’t? We’re not outsiders. I came over for dinner, and you treated me to meat and soup. I can’t just pat my butt and leave after eating—that’d be inhuman. If you really see me as one of your own, then leave today’s dishes to me.”

Song Guanshu’s expression shifted slightly.

Xie Lang kept pressing on enthusiastically. “Didn’t I just say I’d start learning to do housework when I get home, help my mom out? We’re friends—you two have to let me practice washing dishes and cooking. Give me this chance, will you?”

“But we only have a few bowls in this house,” Song Guanshu replied. “If you break one, we’ll have to eat with our hands from then on.”

Xie Lang playfully pushed the couple out of the kitchen. “If I break one, I’ll buy you a new set, alright?”

And just like that, the hosts—Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu—were pushed out of their own kitchen, while Xie Lang, the guest, was left inside washing dishes.

What an upside-down world this had become.

Jiang Ling had already seen through it all. Song Guanshu didn’t like washing dishes—his obsession with cleanliness made him dislike the sensation of oil on his hands.

Every time she and Song Guanshu finished eating, the question of who would wash the dishes always led to a heated debate between them.

Not only did Xie Lang push Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu out of the kitchen, he even closed the bedroom door behind them on his way out.

Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu stood at the doorway, staring at each other.

Jiang Ling urged Song Guanshu to go over and guide Xie Lang at the sink. She lowered her voice and said, “Xie Lang’s never done this before. Even if you’re not going to wash the dishes, at least go teach him how to do it properly.”

But Song Guanshu didn’t follow her suggestion. Instead, he found a chair and sat down. “He said he’d pay for any he breaks.”

Jiang Ling: …So you never planned on making him wash the dishes properly—you’re hoping he breaks them so you can get a new set.

Worried that Xie Lang would mess things up, Jiang Ling left the bedroom and went out to supervise him personally. “You didn’t clean that bowl properly.”

“That’s not how you wash it…”

“You have to scrub the inside, not just the outside…”

“You need to use this as a tool to wash the dishes…”

Sitting in the bedroom, Song Guanshu couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard what Jiang Ling was saying. He had thought she was having a moment of kindness and had stepped in to help Xie Lang wash the dishes. Turned out, just like with him in the past, she was only using her mouth—not her hands.

Giving instructions wasn’t any less exhausting than doing the task herself.

After Xie Lang finished washing the dishes, Jiang Ling, out of habit, handed him a bar of soap, just like she used to do for Song Guanshu, so he could clean the grease off his hands.

For the first time that evening, Song Guanshu’s calm expression shifted—when he saw Jiang Ling pass the soap to Xie Lang, he actually smiled.

The two of them entered the bedroom chatting and laughing, only to be greeted by a smiling face.

Jiang Ling knew Song Guanshu well and could tell he was upset again, though she had no idea why.

Even though Xie Lang had spent some time around him, he still didn’t understand Song Guanshu’s true nature. Judging only by appearances, he thought he was just a kind and easygoing person.

As the sky darkened, Xie Lang said, “I should get going. Things haven’t been too peaceful at night lately. My mom won’t let me hang around outside after dark—she wants me to head straight home after work. I heard there was a case in another city where someone stole a gun and killed a public security officer. My parents are scared the same thing might happen here in Beicheng. They’re worried someone might target me.”

He shrugged. “They’re really overthinking it. It’s not like something that serious can happen in every city. Besides, I’ve got good luck. Nothing like that would happen to me.”

Jiang Ling nodded in understanding. “Better safe than sorry. Your parents are just worried about you.”

Xie Lang stood up to leave. “That time we drank together and I got drunk—thank goodness you two brought me home. Afterward, my mom heard that someone from the steel factory, that Xiao-something guy, got his legs broken. She said she really ought to thank you both. If I’d gone home alone that night, who knows, maybe I would’ve run into that mess.”

“You two didn’t run into any trouble on your way back from our place, did you?”

Why was he suddenly bringing up something from half a month ago?

Was it intentional or just casual?

Xie Lang’s eyes were bright—maybe it was because of his line of work—but being stared at by him gave off the feeling of sitting in an interrogation room, being questioned.

Jiang Ling glanced at him coolly and said in a nonchalant tone, “Can you wish us something good for once? If we had run into trouble, do you think we’d still be here talking face to face? You’d be visiting us in the hospital by now.”

Xie Lang was amused by her and chuckled. “Good thing nothing happened to you two. If something had happened because you were helping me get home, I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life.”

“Well, we really were lucky,” Jiang Ling shrugged. “I heard the spot where he was attacked was right along the road we always take to get home. If we’d been just a little later that night and ran into that person—look at us, we’re so scrawny, even tied together we wouldn’t be enough to fight someone off. Xiao Bing got beaten so badly he ended up in the hospital. The two of us probably would’ve landed on matching stretchers.”

Xie Lang said, “Yeah, you really were lucky.”

Jiang Ling spoke calmly, “A clear conscience fears no midnight knocks. We’ve been hearing quite a bit lately about the things Xiao Bing did. You could say he brought it upon himself.”