Reborn in the 90s, I traded my ex-husband for eight apartments.

After getting off work, Huo Zheng went home.

Seeing her son come home for dinner on time, Qi Yunzhu started to worry again.

"Don't you already have someone you like?"

Huo Zheng prepared to change his shoes and enter the house:

"Ah."

Qi Yunzhu was speechless:

"Then why did you come back? Don't you know how to ask a girl out to dinner? Don't you know how to fawn over her?"

As she spoke, Qi Yunzhu leaned closer:

"Shuhang and Tingting don't even take you out to eat anymore. They all know to leave you out, the third wheel, and go on their own dates. I see you're really not in a hurry at all."

Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow:

"You know it too?"

Qi Yunzhu chuckled:

"Do you think you can escape our parents' watchful eyes when it comes to who the kids in this compound are friends with?"

"His mother saw through Shuhang's intentions a long time ago. Otherwise, why do you think she wasn't in a hurry for his marriage?"

Huo Zheng nodded:

"That's true, I thought they weren't in a hurry."

It turns out that the man's daughter-in-law had been in a relationship for a long time, and they were just waiting for things to fall into place.

Thinking of this, Huo Zheng knew things were going badly.

Even Jian Shuhang's marriage is progressing well, but his is still nowhere in the picture, and his mother will definitely not let him off the hook.

He turned his head and, sure enough, Qi Yunzhu was staring at him with a bad expression.

Huo Zheng turned around on the spot:

"I suddenly remembered something, Mom, I'm not eating."

Qi Yunzhu never expected that her upright and righteous son would also have a cunning side, and she didn't even realize it:

"Dinner's almost ready, where are you going?"

Huo Zheng didn't even turn his head:

"Go and fawn over them."

Qi Yunzhu: "..."

Is this kid like a lamp? He won't light unless you nudge him.

Huo Zheng drove directly to Teapot Lane.

Bai Zhenzhu hadn't returned home yet; only her two children and Sister Luo were still there.

Huo Zheng handed a bag of shrimp to Sister Luo:

"A friend gave me these shrimp, and Shuo Shuo loves them. Could you please prepare them for him?"

Sister Luo took the shrimp, but then she was faced with a dilemma:

"Mr. Huo, I'm sorry to trouble you. Cooking is my job, but I don't know how to cook shrimp."

Huo Zheng immediately said:

"Since you don't know how to do it, then I'll do it."

"I originally planned to deliver the things and then go back."

Shuo Shuo was overjoyed:

"Uncle Huo, you haven't eaten yet either. Don't go back, stay and eat with us. My mom said she'll be back early today, let's wait for her to eat together."

Huo Zheng readily agreed:

"Okay, I'll make you braised prawns in oil."

Seeing that Shuo Shuo had followed him into the kitchen, he asked Shuo Shuo again:

"Isn't your mom busy today?"

Shuo Shuo: "She's busy, she's busy every day. Our school is going on a spring outing tomorrow, and she said she'd bring us food back."

Huo Zheng nodded:

"Your mother works very hard and is very great."

Shuo Shuo looked at Huo Zheng in surprise:

"Uncle Huo, you're referring to what I wrote in my homework. Do you think so too?"

Huo Zheng raised an eyebrow:

"What homework?"

Shuo Shuo: "Our teacher asked us to describe our mothers in one sentence, and this is what I wrote."

Huo Zheng encouraged him:

"Remember to show your homework to your mom."

Shuo Shuo's face turned red:

"What's so interesting about this?"

Huo Zheng poured the shrimp into the basin, saying:

"Your mom will be happy to see this."

Shuo Shuo felt a little eager to try.

When Bai Zhenzhu returned, Sister Luo was setting the table:

"Pearl is back."

He shouted again toward the kitchen:

"Mr. Huo, Pearl is back. We can start cooking the shrimp now."

Bai Zhenzhu was completely bewildered: "..."

Shuo Shuo and Jia Jia happily ran out of the kitchen:

"Mom, Uncle Huo is going to cook shrimp for us tonight."

"Auntie Bai, is that shrimp really edible? It has so many legs, it looks scary."

Bai Zhenzhu was carrying a bag of snacks. Normally, the two children would have happily taken the snacks from her when they saw her bring them back.

Today, he didn't even glance at it, and instead ran into the kitchen.

Bai Zhenzhu steadied herself, went inside to put her things down, and then went into the kitchen.

The kitchen was quite lively.

Huo Zheng, wearing an apron around his waist, was heating oil to prepare shrimp.

After eating shrimp at Xirongyuan, Shuo Shuo explained the science to Jiajia:

"The shrimp will change color when cooked, turning red."

Jiajia exclaimed:

"Amazing."

Bai Zhenzhu also found it amazing that this person had actually come to her house to cook.

"Mr. Huo," Bai Zhenzhu forced an awkward smile, "How could I let you do it? Please give it to me, I'll do it."

Huo Zheng glanced at her.

My heart is colder than the spring rain.

This is even worse than Comrade Huo, who used the honorific "you" (您) instead.

"I brought some shrimp for Shuo Shuo. Sister Luo doesn't know how to cook them, so I thought I'd cook them for you and then leave."

Upon hearing this, Shuo Shuo became anxious:

"Uncle Huo, you broke your promise. You just said you'd stay for dinner."

Huo Zheng glanced at Bai Zhenzhu, then turned back to continue stir-frying the shrimp.

He's really good at cooking.

Whenever I have free time at home, I've done everything from washing dishes and cooking to mopping the floor and watering plants.

What else can Bai Zhenzhu say?

"Thank you so much, Mr. Huo. The food is ready, please eat before you go."

Huo Zheng: "Okay."

He worked quickly, stir-frying the shrimp and also helping Sister Luo stir-fry the other two dishes.

Shuo Shuo couldn't wait to peel a shrimp and put it into the white pearl bowl:

"Mom, eat up, these shrimp look delicious."

Bai Zhenzhu hurriedly greeted Huo Zheng:

"Mr. Huo...you should eat too."

Huo Zheng slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

If she uses the formal "you" again, she definitely won't be able to finish her meal.

There was an inexplicable awkwardness at the dinner table, and Huo Zheng didn't stay long after finishing his meal.

Out of politeness, Bai Zhenzhu escorted him to the door.

"Mr. Huo, please drive carefully."

Huo Zheng remembered something:

"By the way, Xiaobai, I have a friend who's planning to build a building. I'll ask him to reserve a storefront for you."

Bai Zhenzhu smiled and said:

"Mr. Huo, you've already helped me buy the Yunxiang Clothing store. As for the hot pot restaurant, you're so busy, don't worry about it. We can always buy it, I'm not in a hurry."

Huo Zheng's heart sank.

Is she rejecting his feelings?

He stared intently at her, but Bai Zhenzhu smiled and said:

"Mr. Huo, it's getting late. You have to go to work tomorrow. You should go home now."

After saying that, she closed the door in front of him.

When he got home, he saw Jian Shuhang and his mother Qi Yunzhu sitting in the living room talking about something.

Upon seeing him enter, the two men simultaneously fell silent.

Huo Zheng wasn't in a very good mood. He changed his shoes and went upstairs.

Qi Yunzhu pouted:

"No need to ask, there's definitely no progress."

She stared at Jian Shuhang:

"Shuhang, look at you now, you and Tingting are practically a couple, you have to help your brother."

"Your brother is so stubborn, he has no idea how to date. You need to teach him."

Jian Shuhang opened his mouth, but when he met Qi Yunzhu's probing gaze, he was both amused and exasperated.

"Aunt Qi, I really don't know who my brother likes. Please don't try to trick me."

Qi Yunzhu took back the apple she had given away, looking rather annoyed.

"You brat, go find your brother."

"It would be best to show off to him and provoke him."

Jian Shuhang felt a little reluctant:

"That wouldn't be good, it would upset my brother."

Qi Yunzhu: "You have to stimulate him when he's feeling down, otherwise it won't work."

Jian Shuhang: "..."