Chapter 13: The Scumbag Appears

It was another weekend. Qin Hao had just returned from the gym when he received a call from Andy.

"I just got some hairy crabs from Old Tan, but I don't know how to cook them. I heard from Guan Guan that you're a great cook, so how about we have a get-together tonight?"

Qin Hao laughed. "Sure, you provide the funds, I'll provide the labor."

"It's a deal then. I'm still on the road, see you this afternoon."

"Alright, drive slowly."

After hanging up, Qin Hao suddenly remembered that there seemed to be a plotline in the show involving hairy crabs. Does that mean tonight is the day the "Scumbag Bai" makes his debut?

Qin Hao suddenly felt a hint of anticipation for the evening gathering.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, Qin Hao arrived at the 22nd floor. Guan Ju'er was still working overtime, Fan Shengmei was at her company attending training and wasn't home, and Qiu Yingying should be out shopping with Scumbag Bai at this time.

Qin Hao knocked on the door of 2201.

When Andy saw Qin Hao carrying bags upon bags of groceries, she couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. "Didn't we agree that I'd provide the money and you'd provide the labor? Why did you bring so much stuff?"

Qin Hao shrugged. "I guessed that you probably haven't been to a wet market since returning to the country, so I bought them in advance. Besides, many seasonings aren't sold in regular supermarkets. For a dish to taste good, it depends on the heat control and the seasonings. Tonight, you guys just watch me perform."

"Alright, I'm already starting to look forward to this big meal tonight." Andy’s lips curled up, and she subconsciously reached out to take the plastic bags from Qin Hao's hands. She didn't even realize herself that she used to subconsciously avoid such close contact.

Qin Hao organized the seasonings by category to avoid being flustered while cooking later, then began preparing the side dishes.

Watching Qin Hao busy at work, Andy suddenly felt that this was what a home should look like. She was looking forward more and more to finding her younger brother and bringing him over to live together.

"What's wrong? Do you feel bad seeing me work alone? Why don't you help me peel the red cabbage stalks?" Qin Hao looked up, saw Andy lost in thought, and made a suggestion.

Andy hesitated. "But I don't know how to peel them."

"It's very easy, I'll teach you. This is much simpler than reading financial statements," Qin Hao said with a smile.

"Alright then."

"Look, like this. First, peel the skin off from one side, then snap it off from the other direction. See, it comes right out."

"Hmm, it doesn't look that hard. Let me try."

With the two of them working together, things went much faster. About half an hour later, the doorbell rang, and Andy went to open it.

"Andy? You... what's going on?"

Fan Shengmei and Guan Ju'er looked at Andy in shock.

At this moment, Andy was wearing an apron, holding a bunch of wet green onions in her right hand. It was completely inconsistent with her usual image as an elite professional woman; she looked more like a housewife.

Andy didn't think much of it and shrugged. "Qiu Yan bought a lot of groceries and said he wanted to show off his skills. I'm just helping him out so we can finish faster."

"What's wrong? Does it look that bad?"

Being a woman, Andy couldn't help but care about her image.

Guan Ju'er shook her head. "No, it's just a bit surprising."

"Hmm, perhaps this is what Qiu Yan calls the 'smell of life' (the warmth of a home)."

After the two entered, Qin Hao greeted them and continued slicing the bamboo shoots in his hand.

"Wow, Qiu Yan, your knife skills are too amazing! It's like magic," Fan Shengmei praised.

Guan Ju'er also crowded into the kitchen, picked up a slice of bamboo shoot, and exclaimed, "Yeah, every slice seems to be the same thickness. Brother Qiu, how did you do that?"

Qin Hao smiled and shrugged. "Nothing special, just practice makes perfect."

Guan Ju'er and Fan Shengmei both laughed, while Andy looked at the three of them laughing together, feeling a bit confused.

"Sister Andy, that's an allusion from a middle school Chinese textbook about the 'Oil Seller'."

After hearing Guan Ju'er's explanation, Andy pursed her lips. "It seems my cultural level still needs improvement."

As they were talking, the doorbell rang again. Andy thought it was Qiu Yingying, but when she opened the door, it was actually Qu Xiaoxiao.

And Qu Xiaoxiao was also carrying a box of hairy crabs.

"Wow, you guys didn't call me for the gathering. And here I am, having specially bought hairy crabs to share with you," Qu Xiaoxiao said, looking aggrieved.

Guan Ju'er couldn't bear it and was about to apologize, but Andy had already taken the box of crabs.

"Alright, stop acting. You're included, happy now?"

"Hehe, that's more like it. You guys aren't allowed to leave me out of anything in the future. Hmm, I'll create a WeChat group. From now on, any group activities must be reported in the group, how about that?" Without waiting for their agreement, Qu Xiaoxiao created the group and added Andy and the others.

She then walked up to Qin Hao. "How about it, Chef? The group is full of beauties. Do you want to join?"

"Guan Guan, just add me to the group. My hands are wet, it's not convenient," Qin Hao said, ignoring Qu Xiaoxiao.

"Oh, okay."

Qu Xiaoxiao stomped her foot in anger and turned away. Since she was a child, this was the first time she had been treated with such differential treatment.

Seeing this, Guan Ju'er felt secretly happy and quickly added Qin Hao's WeChat to the group.

Not long after, Qiu Yingying and Scumbag Bai arrived.

After Qiu Yingying introduced Andy and the others, she brought Scumbag Bai to Qin Hao.

"Supervisor Bai, this is my brother, Qiu Yan." Qiu Yingying introduced them nervously.

"Xiao Bai, right? Yingying is a bit scatterbrained; she must have caused you a lot of trouble, hasn't she?" Qin Hao looked at Scumbag Bai, who was putting on an honest and simple-minded act, and sneered inwardly.

Scumbag Bai quickly said, "Not at all, not at all. Yingying is very cute."

"Brother, what are you saying? I'm not like that at all," Qiu Yingying pouted, dissatisfied.

On the other side, in the restroom.

Fan Shengmei secretly complained, "What kind of taste does Qiu Yingying have? I thought Supervisor Bai was some kind of handsome guy that could make her so infatuated. Is this it?"

Guan Ju'er couldn't help but nod. "Mainly because Yingying always tells us how handsome Supervisor Bai is, so the psychological gap is a bit big."

"And did you notice? Since this Supervisor Bai walked in, his eyes have been darting around everywhere. He didn't even spare Guan Guan. No matter how you look at it, he just reeks of sleaze." Fan Shengmei had seen plenty of men and had a lot of say on this matter.

Hearing this, Andy frowned slightly. "He is Yingying's boyfriend after all. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to say that?"

Qu Xiaoxiao curled her lips. "What boyfriend? Didn't you notice that his mind isn't on Qiu Yingying at all? I bet this Supervisor Bai is a total scumbag."

Guan Ju'er became anxious upon hearing this. "Then shouldn't we tell Yingying?"

Qu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. "Forget it. Haven't you seen how infatuated Qiu Yingying is, thinking her lover is the best? If you tell her, she'll just think you're trying to sabotage her. Don't blame me for not warning you if you end up falling out as sisters."

"Then, then what should we do?" Guan Ju'er was even more panicked.

Fan Shengmei quickly comforted her. "It's okay, isn't there Qiu Yan? Let's have him warn Yingying. There are some things we can't say, but she'll listen to her own brother, right?"

"Hard to say. With Qiu Yingying's muddled head, can she even tell who's good to her?" Qu Xiaoxiao said dismissively.

Andy and the others couldn't help but look at each other.