She goes crazy, he'll cover for her; the darling of the group is someone no one dares to mess w

The small shop is called Happiness Stir-fry, and it's located in a small courtyard at the end of the alley.

The courtyard is square, with two main rooms converted into private rooms, a side room serving as the kitchen, and a temporary shed built to the left of the entrance to function as a restroom.

Besides the two private rooms, there were more than a dozen tables set up in the courtyard. It wasn't mealtime yet, but the tables were already full. The old lady and two older women were busy serving the guests.

A boy, about ten years old, ran out carrying two pots of tea. Wen Yang quickly stopped him: "Excuse me, are there any seats available?"

The child glanced at her and quickly said, "That's all, it's just full, you'll have to wait a bit."

"How long will it take?" Wen Yang asked, but the child had already run off busily.

The two looked around, unaware that an old man in the corner had been observing them for quite some time.

A moment later, he beckoned behind him, and a young man came over and whispered a few words to him.

The man nodded and walked over.

"What should we do? Should we wait?"

Fang Li glanced around and said, "Let's wait, we're already here."

The two headed towards the waiting area by the entrance. Just as they sat down, a young man who looked to be in his twenties suddenly approached them.

"Hello, there's only one elder from my family at that table. If you two don't mind, you can come over and share a table."

Fang Li looked in the direction the man was pointing, puzzled.

In the corner near the wall, an elderly man with gray hair sat at a square table. His gaze was fixed on her, and he saw her raise her hand and beckon.

Fang Li tugged at Wen Yang beside her, "Do you want to go?"

“They’ve already invited us, why shouldn’t we go?” Wen Yang stood up. “Let’s go, I’m going to starve if we wait any longer.”

The man walked ahead, and the two headed towards the table against the wall.

As she approached, Fang Li bowed and nodded to the old man to express her gratitude: "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

The old man was wearing a gray polo shirt, buttoned up to the collar. His hair was neatly and solemnly styled, and he didn't have many wrinkles on his face, making it difficult to guess his exact age.

He sat behind the square table, his knees slightly apart, his back straight and upright, his stern face unsmiling, and his sharp eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny.

He stared intently at Fang Li for a long time, his gaze seemingly sweeping over her from head to toe without making a sound. After a while, his expression softened, and he nodded with a smile.

"Yes, Not Bad."

Fang Li was confused, and Wen Yang beside her was equally bewildered. The two could only stand there with polite yet awkward smiles.

"Sit down, what are you standing for?"

The two smiled and sat down somewhat awkwardly.

"I think you two girls are quite pleasing to the eye. I'm eating here alone and I'm feeling a bit lonely, so I had someone call you over. You don't mind having a meal with this old man, do you?"

Faced with the elderly man's blunt words, the two quickly shook their heads.

"If it weren't for you, we don't know how much longer we would have had to wait. We are so grateful to you, how could we possibly mind?"

Fang Li's clear eyes sparkled with a subtle smile as she picked up the teapot on the table and poured him some tea. The old man watched, a satisfied smile appearing in his eyes.

"You're such a sensible girl."

Not long after, the proprietress came over to order.

After ordering, the group chatted idly for a while.

Wen Yang said, "I didn't expect you to like crispy fried golden threads too. Fang Li likes them too. I brought some local specialties from here to Hangzhou before, and she liked them after just one bite. Every time she goes home, she asks me to bring some back for her."

The old man smiled and said, "Not many people like to eat this. People around here are tired of it and hardly anyone craves it anymore. This girl is really good; she suits my taste."

"Right, Grandpa, let me tell you, back then, so many boys at our school liked her. It's just that she was stubborn and chose the wrong tree, and almost hanged herself."

Fang Li secretly nudged Wen Yang with a finger, and whispered without moving her lips, "Don't talk nonsense."

The old man listened and asked, "What crooked tree? Does Pear Girl have someone she likes?"

"No, you're just talking nonsense."

Her thigh was pinched hard, and Wen Yang's smile was more like a grimace: "Yes, yes, I was just talking nonsense. There's no crooked tree. She's... she's still single."

"Yeah."

The old man turned his gaze and looked meaningfully at Fang Li opposite him. His eyes seemed to relax a little, and the corners of his mouth turned up a few degrees.

"Girl, I haven't had a chance to ask yet, where are you from?"

Fang Li: "I am from Haicheng, I went to university in Hangzhou, and now I plan to start my own studio in Beijing."

"Oh, what a coincidence."

"skillful?"

The old man smiled, a profound look flashing in his eyes, and said, "It's nothing, Grandpa just feels that you and I are really destined to meet. You don't know yet, do you? Grandpa has a very handsome grandson."

While eating, Wen Yang suddenly looked at Fang Li.

Fang Li was the same; she had just stretched out her chopsticks to pick up some food when she froze in mid-air.

"My grandson hasn't liked anything else all these years, except girls from Haicheng. Grandpa's really worried about him. How about it? Would you like to consider becoming Grandpa's granddaughter-in-law?"

Fang Li: "......."

Wen Yang: "........Uh, this......."

The two were frozen in disbelief, unsure how to respond to the old man, when a bright, clear voice rang out from the alleyway.

"Is this the place? It doesn't look very nice, so why are there so many people?"

The courtyard was already a bit noisy, but this sound somehow blended in and seemed very abrupt, causing everyone who was eating to look towards the courtyard gate.

The three people in the corner couldn't help but frown.

Fang Li and Wen Yang turned around and looked over. Not long after, two graceful and beautiful young figures walked into the courtyard.

She was wearing a colorful striped sundress, with a black Gucci shoulder bag slung across her chest, and her long hair was styled in a side braid that draped over her chest, making her look fashionable and playful.

The woman she was holding hands with wore an apricot-pink short top with a pearlescent A-line long skirt embroidered with matching flowers and leaves on the hem. She wore a wide-brimmed sun hat, sunglasses that covered most of her face, and the rest was hidden behind a black mask, clearly trying to avoid people.

The courtyard was packed with people, with the proprietress and her family bustling about.

Upon entering the courtyard, the woman looked up and glanced around. Although she couldn't see anything, her slightly trembling hands and feet suggested a hint of disgust on her face.

A sharp glint flashed in the old man's eyes, but it quickly disappeared as he lowered his head and continued eating.

"Fang Li..."

"Yeah, I can see it."

Fang Li's voice was noticeably gloomy and cold as she indifferently gazed at the two young women not far away.