Shang Jincheng was clearly using the excuse of delivering a crib to hang around her.
Ge'er harbored this suspicion, but with her sister-in-law present, she couldn't expose him.
Dissatisfied, she poured him another cup of water and served it to him, only then did Tong An'an feel content.
"I'm going to sleep now. Ge'er, be nice to him and entertain our guest well."
After Tong An'an left, Ge'er's expression immediately changed.
"Shang Jincheng, what do you mean by this?"
Shang Jincheng, busy unpacking a large cardboard box, looked at her with confusion.
"What do I mean?"
"Don't play dumb with me! You came the moment I showed up. Tell me, what do you mean?"
Shang Jincheng chuckled. "Miss Zhan, while you are as beautiful as a flower and very pleasing to my eye, I, Shang Jincheng, have my pride, you know?"
"You can't stand me from head to toe and are desperate to divorce me, so I won't cling to you shamelessly. Don't overestimate things."
"You..." Ge'er was once again choked by him.
"It's better that you won't cling. Hurry up and assemble it, then leave quickly. I don't want to see you here!"
Shang Jincheng grinned. "That might not be possible anytime soon."
"I promised your brother long before the baby was born that I would be responsible for the entire nursery, so it hasn't been renovated until now. Many custom-made items are still arriving, and I need to assemble them for him personally."
She hadn't realized their relationship was so deep that he was entrusted with the entire nursery.
"Fine. If you want to be busy, be busy. I'll be leaving in two days anyway."
As Ge'er was about to leave, Shang Jincheng called her back.
"Don't go. Come over and lend me a hand."
The box contained solid wood parts, large and heavy, and they were stuck in the corner of the box. It was indeed difficult to get them out without help.
Ge'er had no choice but to walk back over.
Together, they managed to pull out all the parts. Looking at the complex instruction manual, Shang Jincheng was stumped.
"Damn it, are things for kids this complicated now? I thought it would be as simple as fitting a few pieces of wood together. These drawings are so dense, where do I even start? Isn't this making things difficult for me?"
Ge'er couldn't help but sneer. "With your attitude, you want to be in charge of the entire nursery?"
Shang Jincheng retorted, "At least I have the intention, unlike you. As an aunt, what have you given her?"
Just as Ge'er was about to retort, Shang Jincheng said,
"Alright, alright, let's stop arguing and get to work. I know you're smart, and these things are easy for you. Teach me."
And so, from then on, Ge'er held the instruction manual and directed from the side, while Shang Jincheng began to assemble it piece by piece according to her instructions.
Soon, it got warm.
He took off his jacket, wearing only a hoodie, his sleeves rolled up high.
It had to be said, although this man was simple-minded, he was physically strong.
Having been pampered since childhood, his hands were exceptionally slender and good-looking, and the lines of his arms were also smooth.
Especially when he exerted force, his veins would bulge, exuding a sense of power.
Ge'er thought that if he could just refrain from talking, his appearance alone would at least make him less annoying.
Assembling was a physically demanding task, not only tiring but also dehydrating.
She went back and forth to pour Shang Jincheng water several times.
The two of them bickered as they worked, and time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was past eleven o'clock.
Shang Jincheng finished assembling a set of beams and said to her,
"I'm exhausted. I didn't eat breakfast this morning, and my stomach is empty. Let's stop here for now. What should we have for lunch? I'll cook for you."
Ge'er was taken aback. "You're not going home for lunch?"
Shang Jincheng pointed to the pile of scattered parts on the floor.
"Didn't you want me to finish quickly and leave? If I go home for lunch and come back in the afternoon, wouldn't that be a waste of time?"
"Can you even cook?"
"There's nothing I can't do. Tell me, what do you want to eat?"
Ge'er didn't believe he could actually cook. She led him to the refrigerator, and after looking at the ingredients, Shang Jincheng fluently listed several dishes.
"How about it?"
Ge'er was surprised. "I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable about cooking. Alright then, here's your chance to impress me. Go ahead and cook."
She was about to leave again when Shang Jincheng grabbed her hand.
"I'm a guest, after all. I can cook, but you have to help me. Otherwise, how long will it take me to finish alone?"
"Help you? I've never done these things at home."
"So this is a chance for you to train. You're a woman, after all. When the child writes essays in the future, they'll need to recall their mother's cooking. If you can't even cook a single dish, how will they write about you in the future?"
Ge'er retorted, "Who told you I was going to have a child?"
Shang Jincheng smirked. "Not having one? Alright, alright, if you don't want to have one, we won't."
"You! Shang Jincheng, are you being obnoxious again?"
"Oh, so that means you do want to have one. Okay. Do you want one or two? A boy or a girl? Just say the word, and I promise to cooperate unconditionally."
Ge'er, enraged, kicked him. "Shut up! If you say another word, I won't talk to you anymore!"
Tong An'an, in the room, overheard their playful banter and sent a WeChat message to Jiang Jingyu.
"The progress is good. I think Shang Jincheng is quite a good-looking young man, and he seems honest. Most importantly, Ge'er's eyes are full of deep affection for him. Why is Ge'er so indifferent to him? She keeps scolding him."
Jiang Jingyu replied, "There's no one in this world that Zhan Jingge approves of. She's been spoiled since childhood, willful and capricious, arrogant and overbearing. Only Shang Jincheng is willing to indulge her unconditionally. Besides him, I really can't guarantee anyone else in this world would put up with her."
"So, if you can help create some conditions, do so. If it truly fails, she'll never get married in her life."
Tong An'an: "..."
The two of them bickered as they cooked. Ge'er knocked on the door and invited Tong An'an to come out for dinner.
Tong An'an, holding her awakened child, said to them,
"You guys eat first. I'll come over after I put her to sleep. Thank you for your hard work. It's rare for you to visit and have you cook."
Shang Jincheng took off his apron and, like a domestic man, walked over and extended his hand to Tong An'an.
"It's no trouble. I enjoy doing these things, and I also enjoy taking care of children."
"When I was little, my parents were busy and often left my sister with me. She wouldn't eat the food the nanny made, so I cooked for her. I also had to play with her and put her to sleep, so I'm very good at coaxing children. You go eat first, I'll hold her."
Tong An'an praised him. "Really? You can do these things too? I really couldn't tell. You're so handsome, and you're patient with children. There aren't many people like that."
"Ah. I'm just low-key. In fact, I can do many things, but unlike some men, I don't like to show off everything I can do."
Tong An'an handed him the child. "Then I won't be polite. I've fed her several times, and I'm already hungry."
"Go ahead, go ahead. I specifically cooked fish soup for you. It's good for your health, doesn't make you gain weight, and ensures milk production. Drink more."
Zhan Jingge watched from the side, stunned.
Was this still the Shang Jincheng she knew?