Big socks! Do you even understand how you kiss a villain?

It was already dark when they got home. Shen Yan was carrying large and small bags, which were hot pot ingredients that they had bought together at the supermarket.

Inside the kitchen, Shen Yan was bending over washing vegetables, his broad back and strong arms... From Zuo You's perspective, he exuded the aura of a married man.

[Youyou, are you even capable? The male lead in the novel I'm following has already bought an entire island for the female lead, and your love rating is only ten points.]

"What does 10 o'clock mean? It's only slightly better than a nodding acquaintance!" Qiang Ge said with a look of exasperation, while crossing his legs.

[Shut up!] Zuo You rolled her eyes at him and tossed him a book: "Forced to Love Me by the Main System Because I Was Too Talkative"

Zuo You has her own pace when it comes to winning over Shen Yan.

"An'an, could you fetch my apron from outside?" Shen Yan called out to the outside.

The washed vegetables were neatly arranged on the kitchen counter, and Shen Yan was about to cut the meat.

"Just give it to me." Footsteps came from behind. Shen Yan thought it was Shen An'an and naturally stretched out his right hand to take it.

However, the other party did not do as he wished. Shen Yan felt a tightness around his waist and a fragrance wafted to his nose.

"what are you doing!"

Zuo You was still thinking about the Thirty-Six Stratagems of Seduction when she was caught off guard and had her wrist grabbed, almost knocking her over.

She yelled, "What else am I supposed to do but tie your apron for you?!"

[This is like casting a seductive glance at a blind man; isn't my allure obvious enough?! It's infuriating!]

Shen Yan suddenly let go of her hand, picked up the apron that had fallen to the ground and put it on himself. He said coldly, "Go sit down outside," and then turned around to start preparing the ingredients.

Zuo You was initially a little annoyed, but seeing his bright red ears, she suddenly felt playful and said in a high-pitched voice, "Really don't want me to help you, brother? Teamwork makes the dream work!"

"No need." As a result, the man didn't even give her a glance, but instead chased her out of the kitchen and closed the door.

[You repressed pervert! Fine, I'm going out to play, Shen An'an.]

The kitchen door was already closed, but Shen Yan could still hear her angry inner voice.

He steadied himself, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts, and focused on the ingredients in his hands.

As soon as the bright red hot pot was served, Zuo You and Shen An'an swallowed hard in unison, staring intently at it.

It has to be said that Shen Yan is quite skilled at cooking; the food she cooks at home tastes even better than what she makes in restaurants.

[Phew! This is so delicious! They say the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach, and my stomach has been completely won over by the villain!]

Zuo You picked up a piece of tripe and let it cool on the plate. Her mouth turned bright red from the spiciness and felt a tingling sensation. Her nose was also about to run.

Shen An'an was so spicy that tears and snot streamed down her face, but she still couldn't bear to stop.

Shen Yan placed tissues next to them at the right moment, and the next second, the sound of sniffling could be heard one after another.

"Brother, you should eat this too!" Shen An'an still felt sorry for her brother and used serving chopsticks to put a big chicken leg on his plate.

Shen Yan nodded, his expression relaxed.

Zuo You followed suit and picked up the serving chopsticks to put something on his plate, saying in a high-pitched voice, "Shen Yan, try this, it's super delicious."

[His affection level is going up fast! He'll definitely fall for this!] Zuo You prayed silently in her heart.

Shen Yan ate the small green vegetables she picked up without any expression, and the system gave no notification.

[How stingy! Not even a little bit of affection points! This is the first time I've ever served food to a man other than my dad. Even my brother doesn't get this treatment!] Zuo You angrily poked the bottom of her bowl with her chopsticks, as if she were the person who wasn't giving her affection points.

[Ding! Affection level increased by one; current affection level is eleven.]

Zuo You's eyes lit up. It turned out that the villain wasn't unresponsive; it was just a system delay!

It seems that being nice to him really does increase his popularity rating.

So for the rest of the time, Zuo You barely ate herself, trying her best to serve Shen Yan food and hand him tissues.

However, Shen Yan remained indifferent, and his popularity rating did not increase further.

Towards the end of the meal, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Shen An'an was about to open the door when Shen Yan stopped her, saying, "You guys continue eating. I'm going out to take care of something. Leave the dishes here and I'll wash them when I get back."

After Shen Yan left, Zuo You told Shen An'an to take a shower, and then slipped out herself.

[Brother Qiang, what do you think Shen Yan is doing out so late?]

[Oh no, is he going to turn evil and kill that domestic abuser because he's walking so fast?! Should I stop him or not?!]

【...】

Shen Yan listened to the incessant muttering in his mind, shook his head helplessly, and slowed his pace.

Before long, Shen Yan arrived at an abandoned courtyard. The gate creaked as soon as he pushed it open, and Zuo You silently prayed that he wouldn't close it.

Fortunately, Shen Yan left in a hurry and forgot to close the door, so Zuo You was able to get in smoothly.

"Brother Yan, Shen Yongqiang booked a hotel room for half a month today, and also went to scout out the area near An'an's school."

Several men were sitting in the room. They looked much older than Shen Yan, but they all treated him with great respect.

It seems that the villain is always deadly, no matter when. Zuo You moved aside and pricked up her ears.

"Keep an eye on him, be wary of him making a move against An'an."

Shen Yan's face was half-hidden in the darkness, and his voice was extremely cold.

"Yes, Brother Yan, don't worry, An'an will be fine with us watching over her... So, are we still going to do that business deal we discussed before? We had an expert estimate it, and the profit is quite considerable, but it's easy to offend people."

"When the winds are high and the waves are rough, fish prices are naturally high. If you want a piece of the pie, you have to wade through these muddy waters..."

As the conversation in the room drew to a close, Zuo You quickly tiptoed out to avoid being discovered, and then ran out the door.

Zuo You accidentally discovered the villain's secret. To avoid being silenced, she ran away as fast as she could. When she entered the house, Shen An'an hadn't even finished showering yet.

Zuo You sat on the sofa, breathing calmly. By the time Shen Yan returned, she could no longer detect anything unusual.

"Shen Yan, you're back~" Zuo You said with a smile.

"Hmm." Shen Yan glanced at her disheveled hair without making a sound, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

Zuo You suddenly remembered the crucial plot point for tomorrow and felt a headache coming on: [Tomorrow is the banquet hosted by the Yi family. How can I trick him into going to the banquet?]

Shen Yan suddenly looked at her and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Zuo You crossed her arms and said, "I'm going to a banquet tomorrow, and you have to come with me!"

Perhaps because she was too familiar with Shen Yan, even though she pretended to be very aloof when she made her request, she still felt something was missing.

Finally, she raised her fist. "You have to go, or I'll beat you to death!"