Yan Jinyi ignored Huo Qingyuan’s expectant gaze and said, “Don’t waste your effort. You’re ugly, to begin with, and you’ll be even uglier if you don’t take care of your skin.”


  Huo Qingyuan subconsciously pointed to herself. ‘Ugly? Is Second Sister-in-law calling me ugly? She actually thinks I’m ugly!’


  “Second Sister-in-law, what kind of girls do you think are beautiful?”


  Shen Yan’s face immediately appeared in Yan Jinyi’s mind and she smiled while saying in a more tender voice, “Girls like Shen Yan.”


  Huo Chengyu who was reading a book, couldn’t help but glance at Yan Jinyi.

  …


  In the first week that Yan Jinyi returned home, Zhuang Heng who hadn’t appeared in front of her for a long time suddenly called her.

  “Little pepper, it’s my birthday today and my mom really wants to see you.”


  Yan Jinyi rolled her eyes and said, “What does your birthday have to do with your mother? I’m not going to meet her.”


  “Little pepper, we haven’t met in such a long time. Don’t you miss me at all?”


  “No.”


  Sounding extremely aggrieved, Zhuang Heng said, “But I miss you so much. When I went to some dilapidated and shabby place for filming a few days ago, I missed you every waking moment and I really wanted to come back to see you but my lousy manager was dead against it.”


  Yan Jinyi didn’t answer him and instead put him on loudspeaker while watching television in the room.

  ‘It’s so cold out there, wouldn’t it be better to stay at home and watch TV than go attend some retarded birthday party?’


  “Little pepper, come on come on, my mother is a tough nut to crack. If you don’t come, she’ll arrange a blind date for me.”


  “Go on a blind date then,” Yan Jinyi said nonchalantly.

  She could clearly hear Zhuang Heng gritting his teeth on the other end of the phone. “I’ll give you 200,000 yuan, spend my birthday with me today and help me lie to my mother.”


  Yan Jinyi lifted the blanket lazily and stood up. “Deal, Zhuang Heng, do you want to me dress up like an intellectual beauty or the gentle and meticulous girl-next-door type? Or do you want me to be a fierce and violent but beautiful girl?”


  Hearing her words, Zhuang Heng got a little shy and said, “As long as it’s you, I’ll like whatever you dress up as.”


  While picking an outfit, Yan Jinyi said, “I have to act like the type of girl your mother likes.”


  “My mom will like you as long as I do.”m

  ‘Oh?’


  In the end, Yan Jinyi fixed her gaze on a sweater and a pair of jeans.

  Recently, she had been particularly fond of casual, preppy outfits as wearing them would make her feel as if she was a college student.

  It was the first time Yan Jinyi came to Zhuang Heng’s house, which was an apartment with a large floor area and a very modern exterior design.

  ‘Zhuang Heng may be silly but his taste in residential properties is not too bad.’


  Yan Jinyi took out her cell phone to snap a few photos of Zhuang Heng’s home. At this time, Zhuang Heng happened to walk out of his room in a pair of slippers. When he saw Yan Jinyi, he opened his arms and was ready to give her a big hug but Yan Jinyi dodged very quickly.

  After the failed attempt, Zhuang Heng tugged his clothes and said, “Little pepper, you’re being too stingy, you won’t even let me hug you.”


  “Stay away from me.”


  “Forget it, Little pepper, what gifts have you prepared for me?”


  ‘Gifts? What gifts?’


  Yan Jinyi blinked in confusion.

  ‘Didn’t you ask me to come here to help you deal with your mother? Why do you want gifts?’


  “Little pepper, did you not prepare a birthday gift for me?” Zhuang Heng asked with his peach-blossom-shaped eyes wide open. He sounded extremely appalled as if Yan Jinyi had committed a heinous crime.

  Uh, well, it was indeed not very nice of her to not prepare a birthday gift.

  Yan Jinyi thought about it and fumbled about in her bag for a chocolate bar.

  “There you go, here’s my gift to you. It’s imported from overseas and the quality is guaranteed to be excellent.”


  Staring at the chocolate bar, Zhuang Heng asked, “Is that all?”


  Yan Jinyi questioned sternly with raised brows, “Why? Do you mind?”


  “Little pepper, the fact that you’re spending my birthday with me is the greatest gift I can ask for! Let’s go inside and enjoy the delicious food my helper cooked!”