The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 186 You bunch of bad guys, what are you thinking?

Hong Yun puffed out her cheeks and retorted, "What? You're allowed to stay here, but we can't come and freeload a meal? Besides, it doesn't count if you don't let us come; it was the great doctor who personally invited us."

Ding Jiajia walked to Shang Yibo's side and asked with concern, "Yibo, how's your injury? Does it still hurt?"

Shang Yibo ignored Hong Yun and said to Ding Jiajia, "My injury is fine now. But when did you two get together?"

Ding Jiajia looked Shang Yibo up and down. "That's good. He doesn't seem as scary as he was last night." She added, "We made an appointment with President Jian this morning to show him around Beijing today. Hong Yun happened to be free today, so she came along too. It's kind of you, Miss, to be his driver all day."

Standing to the side, Hong Yun was also busy answering Zhou Yanruo's question: "The professor sent me a message saying that you guys will be coming to our house for dinner tonight, and he specifically asked if I wanted to come along. He said he would be making my favorite sweet and sour pork ribs tonight. Yesterday was full of unexpected events, and I didn't get to eat well, so this is a way of making up for it. We've been out all day and were just looking for a place to eat when someone invited us, so we were happy to come."

As the elevator doors slowly opened, their conversation came to an end. They stepped out of the elevator and rang Zhou Zihang's doorbell.

"Here you are, here you are." The door opened, and Zhou Zihang appeared in front of everyone wearing an apron. "Yay, you're all here together."

"We bumped into each other downstairs and came up together. Zihang, you invited so many people over for dinner, you must have been busy all night." Zhou Yanruo said as she entered the house, took out her slippers from the shoe cabinet, and naturally sat down on the stool in the entryway to change into them.

The others followed him in and greeted Zhou Zihang, "Thank you for your hard work, Professor! Would you like to take off your shoes?"

Zhou Zihang greeted them warmly, "No need to change your shoes, please come in."

Shang Yibo followed her into the house and saw Zhou Yanruo sitting on the stool in the entryway, changing her slippers as if she were back in her own home. He glanced at her sideways and teased, "The host already said you don't need to change your shoes."

Zhou Yanruo replied without looking up, "I left a pair of slippers here, I'm used to it. You don't need them, don't block the doorway, come on in."

Hong Yun and Ding Jiajia both went inside, while Shang Yibo remained standing in front of Zhou Yanruo, looking at her.

It wasn't until Zhou Yanruo changed her shoes and looked up that she saw Shang Yibo standing in front of her like a shadow, and she asked, "What are you doing standing here?"

Shang Yibo asked irritably, "Didn't you say Lao Zhang was coming to bring me a change of clothes? Where is he?"

"The property management staff delivered a suitcase, is this it?" Zhou Zihang said, pointing to the suitcase by the door.

Shang Yibo looked in the direction Zhou Zihang was pointing and saw a large, silver-gray Rimowa trunk standing next to the entryway cabinet.

"How much stuff did you bring over?" Shang Yibo muttered to himself, dragging his suitcase toward the master bedroom. "I'm going to take a shower first."

Zhou Yanruo stood up and followed behind Shang Yibo, "I'll help you."

Everyone was stunned by what they heard. Hong Yun spoke first, asking, "What do you mean you want to help him with?"

“Hold the showerhead for him. What’s wrong? His arm is injured and he can’t get wet. We did it this morning too.” Zhou Yanruo explained casually, seeing everyone’s strange expressions.

The others were already looking at each other in confusion, unable to figure out what was going on.

Zhou Zihang quickly said, "I'll help you. The soup isn't done yet. Wait a moment, I'll set the timer on the stove and come right back." He then turned and went into the kitchen.

Zhou Yanruo belatedly realized what was going on and said awkwardly, "You bunch of bad people, what are you thinking?"

Shang Yibo was secretly delighted; he was more than happy to create something that would cause misunderstandings.

But he refused outright, saying, "No need, I can do it myself. If you're worried about my arms getting wet, just wrap them with plastic wrap."

Ding Jiajia said, "I'll go get the plastic wrap. Dr. Ding, you keep your plastic wrap in the cupboard drawer, right?"

She walked toward the kitchen as she spoke.

Shang Yibo found Ding Jiajia meddlesome and couldn't help but glare at her. He then turned to Zhou Yanruo and said, "Weren't you going to help me? You forgot as soon as you said it?"

This tone made Zhou Yanruo both annoyed and amused, thinking to herself, "This little brat has been trying to extort money from me these past few days."

Zhou Yanruo: "I'll help you pack your suitcase."

Hong Yun said with dissatisfaction, "Why are you acting like a spoiled young master? Even if you're injured and inconvenient, you should at least 'ask' for help. But you're so arrogant, ordering people around like that. It's all Aunt Fang's fault, look how spoiled you have become."

Zhou Yanruo smiled and said, "Don't say anything more. He's injured, so let's be considerate of him."

Hong Yun was still unconvinced and walked over to say, "That's how it is. You're not his mother, so don't spoil him."

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. What Shang Yibo least wanted to hear was about the age difference between him and Zhou Yanruo, but Hong Yun just blurted it out loud.

Shang Yibo was furious. "What nonsense are you spouting? Get out of here. You're not welcome here."

Hong Yun: "You call yourself a young master and you don't like it? You've only stayed one night and you already think you're the host? The great doctor hasn't even said anything yet, and you're already telling me to get rid of you?"

Zhou Zihang pulled Hong Yun aside, waved his hand lightly, gave her a wink, and said, "Don't hold it against him anymore. He's upset because he's injured. I understand, I understand. I'll go help him."

Surprisingly, Hong Yun didn't continue to argue. Instead, she obediently gave a cold "humph" and turned to go to the kitchen to find Ding Jiajia.

Zhou Zihang smiled helplessly and whispered to Zhou Yanruo, "Look, she even calls others 'young masters,' but doesn't she realize that she herself is just as spoiled as a young lady?"

Zhou Yanruo, understanding the implication, looked meaningfully at Hong Yun's retreating figure. Just as she was about to tease Zhou Zihang, she saw that he had already followed Hong Yun into the kitchen.

She could only smile and shake her head. When she turned around, Shang Yibo was still standing there staring at her.

Shang Yibo wasn't oblivious to the situation. He had witnessed everything that had just happened and was wondering why, in just a few days, they had all become such good friends, while he, with his attention focused solely on Zhou Yanruo, seemed to be deliberately aloof, as if he were not part of the group.

It seems I need to change things up. I can't let Zhou Yanruo think of me as someone who is emotionally unstable, capricious, and unreliable.

"Go help in the kitchen, I can handle it myself." Shang Yibo said to Zhou Yanruo, and then took the plastic wrap that Ding Jiajia handed him. "Help me wrap my injured arm and foot."

“It’s really inconvenient for you to take a bath by yourself like this. I’ll go and call Zihang to help you.” Zhou Yanruo said as she walked towards the kitchen. “He’s probably already finished cooking. He said it was the last soup. I can go and watch the fire for him.”