Chapter 561: Chapter 560: Advancing by Retreating
Lu Shouyue did as he said, and sure enough, he drove to a large supermarket.
Lin Wanwan said helplessly, "I didnât plan to cook for myself, so I donât have any pots and pans."
Lu Shouyue laughed, "Whatâs the big deal? The supermarket has everything."
The supermarket indeed had everything, it just cost money. Luckily, Lin Wanwan could afford it now.
Since they were going to cook at the small courtyard where she lived, naturally Lin Wanwan was the host and it wasnât reasonable to let the guest pay. Lu Shouyue just went along with her and didnât insist on paying.
Today, he didnât always try to show his gentlemanly demeanor, instead he seemed like a kept man, letting the woman make all the decisions, while he just smiled beside her.
They bought pots and pans, Thai fragrant rice, hairy crabs, prawns, salmon, and various vegetables, spending over six thousand in total.
The main expense was the pots and pans; a rice cooker alone was nearly two thousand.
The sales assistant in the supermarket saw they bought a lot and insisted enthusiastically that they get a photo printed on a coupleâs mug, saying it would be ready in ten minutes and praised them as a perfect match, making Lin Wanwan a bit embarrassed.
Neither of them was really interested in printing photos, so Lu Shouyue finally took out two simple sketches of people from his phone to get printed.
After loading all the items into the trunk, Lin Wanwan remarked, "Since weâve bought everything, it looks like Iâll have to cook more often now, canât let it go to waste."
Lu Shouyue asked her, "How long do you plan to stay here?"
Lin Wanwan replied, "I havenât decided yet, letâs just stay for a while first."
Lu Shouyue chuckled, "When it gets cold, everyone usually heads south. Youâre quite special to choose this place instead?"
Lin Wanwan made up a reason, "I feel like every brick here tells a story, so I want to soak it all in, and maybe do some treasure hunting, who knows what I might find."
Hearing this, Lu Shouyue just laughed without commenting.
The car soon moved through the traffic jam and reached the small courtyard where Lin Wanwan rented, being a standalone house, there were no neighbors to disturb them.
After parking, Lu Shouyue and Lin Wanwan moved their purchases from the trunk together.
When they were confined in Hai City, they used to cook together, so stepping into the kitchen together again brought a sense of déjà vu.
"Mr. Lu, go outside and check your phone while you wait for dinner. Donât come into the kitchen, itâs just one apron and all, donât want your branded clothes to catch the grease and smoke." Lin Wanwan said as she tied her hair into a low ponytail, ushering Lu Shouyue out.
"Oh, then thank you for the hard work." Since Lin Wanwan had said so, Lu Shouyue didnât object.
Lin Wanwan, busy washing rice and preparing food, exuded a gentle aura, like a little housewife coming home from work to cook for her family.
Lu Shouyue stood nearby with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the kitchen door, lost in thought as he looked at Lin Wanwan in front of him.
After putting the rice into the cooker and pressing the button, Lin Wanwan turned around to look at Lu Shouyue, asking, "Whatâs wrong, getting bored? Thereâs internet here, you can choose a movie to stream on the TV, Iâll be quick."
Suddenly, Lu Shouyue moved closer, reaching out to tuck a few stray strands of hair behind Lin Wanwanâs ear, his casual smile masking his emotions, "Your hair fell out."
Lin Wanwan blushed slightly at his sudden nearness, pausing for a moment before responding, "Thanks."
Lu Shouyue restrained himself with effort, so as not to bend down and kiss her blushing face.
Cooking seafood was super simple; just add water, salt, and ginger to the prawns and crabs, steam them, and the salmon only needed a light fry in oil with a pinch of salt. Then there was a bowl of tomato egg soup and a plate of mushroom greens.
The dinner, with three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, was simple but done.
The small courtyard wasnât large; the dining room and living room were combined, and at this moment, a foreign romantic comedy was playing on TV with constant laughter.
The laughter from the TV set and the steaming food on the table, with a manâs and a womanâs coats casually draped over the chair backs, and a man in a white sweater stood at the table dividing the bowls and chopsticks, exuding a gentle and clean aura.
All of this instantly filled the small courtyard, which had been cold and empty yesterday, with the warmth of everyday life.
Lin Wanwan walked over after taking off her apron, glanced at the freshly made mugs that had been washed and dried, picked them up to examine the designs closely, and said with a smile, "Mr. Lu, you really captured the essence with your drawing, itâs so vivid."
The two mugs were decorated, one with a tall man leaning against a tree, hands in pockets, lost in thought, and the other with a woman in a dress sitting on the ground reading a book.
Without any extra strokes, anyone who saw them would instantly realize the connection between the two sketches.
Anyone familiar with Lin Wanwan and Lu Shouyue would easily recognize the characters in the drawings to be them.
"Just sketched a couple of lines." Lu Shouyue took a mug from Lin Wanwan, pouring wine into it, "Want a drink?"
Lin Wanwan recognized where the wine jug came from and laughed, "Itâs the wine from Boss Jieâs shop, howâd you manage to bring it here? Youâre not allowed to take liquids on a plane."
Lu Shouyue replied, "Private plane."
Lin Wanwan took a breath, sighed, "Ah, oh, the world of capitalists is so extravagant."
Lu Shouyue laughed, eyes bent with warmth and charm sparkling in his eyes.
He also felt this moment was extravagant, in this small courtyard, sitting next to the girl he loved, sipping wine under the lamp, in a slightly tipsy time, this kind of beauty felt too luxurious.
It had been a while since she saw Lu Shouyue laugh like that, and for a moment, Lin Wanwan thought she glimpsed Xiao Chongâs shadow in him; their charming eyes were really identical.
After they finished a jug of wine, Lin Wanwan was a bit tipsy, "Did Boss Jieâs wine add more alcohol?"
She didnât usually get tipsy from this much.
"Hm, is that so? Didnât really ask." Lu Shouyue was tidying up the bowls and chopsticks. Lin Wanwan cooked, so he handled the washing.
Lin Wanwan shifted to the soft couch, hugging a couch pillow, curling up lazily while watching Lu Shouyue in an apron bustling around, suddenly joking, "Mr. Lu, whoâd have figured you could do these chores too, there isnât a dishwasher here."
Lu Shouyue turned his head, responded resignedly, "Wanwan, I lived alone while attending university at fifteen, and I also served in the military."
"Ah?" Lin Wanwan was surprised, "Impressive, no wonder."
No wonder Lu Shouyueâs house was so clean, it wasnât just due to the housekeeper. An independent soldier from a young age was indeed different, their living habits are top-notch!
After cleaning the dishes, Lu Shouyue didnât seem like he wanted to leave yet, he sat down beside Lin Wanwan, took out his phone, and restarted the movie from the beginning.
"Letâs watch the movie together."
"Oh." It was only then that Lin Wanwan noticed the movieâs title â "About Time," and she sobered up a bit, glancing sideways at Lu Shouyue. She wondered what he meant, why he specifically chose "About Time"?