"Ah Xia, stay for dinner," Li Weiya said.

Jiang Xia hesitated for a few seconds before slowly nodding. He had a few things he wanted to ask, and he figured he could bring them up at the dinner table.

"Thank you, Aunt Li."

"Don’t be so polite. You should probably call home first, shouldn’t you?"

Jiang Xia nodded. He walked out to the balcony, pulled out his phone, and called his mom to let her know he’d be eating at Wang Ming’s house tonight.

Li Weiya smiled gently, retied her apron, and went into the kitchen, shooing Wang Ming out. "Go keep your classmate company. I don’t need your help in the kitchen."

Wang Ming immediately bolted. He ran to the living room and, without a word, dragged Jiang Xia into his bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Xia asked, his eyes filled with suspicion. "I’ll have you know, I have a wife. I’m not interested in men."

"What the hell! I’m not into guys either, okay?"

Wang Ming was speechless. This guy was always showing off his relationship, acting like he was the only one with a wife.

’Okay, so he really didn’t have one.’

He said, "I wanted to show you the drawings I’ve been working on the last couple of days."

He took out his sketches and handed them over. Jiang Xia flipped through them seriously. "Not bad at all. Your skills have definitely improved."

"Of course," Wang Ming said, looking a little smug. "My mom’s been giving me personal guidance lately." He wasn’t sure if it was because he was working on *Cat and Mouse*, but Li Weiya had been paying him a lot more attention recently.

"I really admire Aunt Li’s artistic skill. If you can absorb even twenty or thirty percent of her knowledge, you’ll be unstoppable in this industry."

Jiang Xia clapped him on the shoulder, smiling. "Keep up the good work. Qitian Animation’s future art director. I’ve got high hopes for you."

During dinner, Jiang Xia asked Li Weiya for her opinion on the current animation market. As a veteran of the industry, she had a very deep understanding of it.

Jiang Xia, on the other hand, possessed knowledge from the future. He knew the direction the ACG industry was headed and was able to give Li Weiya quite a bit of inspiration from a different perspective. If not for their age difference, their conversation might have made them kindred spirits.

As for Wang Ming, he couldn’t get a word in edgewise and just ate in silence. Still, he learned a great deal just from listening.

"Aunt Li, I’ll be counting on you tomorrow," Jiang Xia said with great sincerity as he was leaving.

"Don’t mention it. 7 AM tomorrow, I’ll drive over and wait for you downstairs at your building."

"Got it!"

After leaving Wang Ming’s house, the sky had already grown dark. Along the street, many shop signs flickered with neon light. It was nothing like in later years, when it seemed the entire Mountain City would be set aglow as soon as night fell.

Jiang Xia strolled with his hands in his pockets, the aroma of spicy hot pot wafting through the air. A wave of sentimentality washed over him.

’His animation career had finally reached this crucial step.’

He glanced at an old hot pot restaurant that would still be wildly popular in the future. ’Once *Cat and Mouse* becomes a success on TV,’ he thought, ’I’ll have to treat everyone to a big hot pot dinner here.’

’Then again, maybe I’m just craving hot pot.’

Jiang Xia walked along the street alone and, before he knew it, found himself near Brocade Splendor City. It occurred to him that he hadn’t seen his wife in two days, so he pulled out his phone and called his darling.

Lin Yanwan had also just finished dinner. The family of four was gathered around the sofa watching a popular TV drama when her phone suddenly rang.

A glance at the caller ID showed it was from "Hubby." She instinctively shot a look at her parents, then quickly got up, phone in hand, and slipped out onto the balcony to answer.

’Seeing her daughter’s sneaky behavior, Ji Wanqiu’s lip curled. She didn’t have to guess; it was definitely that boy calling.’

"Hello? What do you want?" she asked, keeping her voice as low as possible.

"Baby, have you had dinner?" Jiang Xia’s cheerful laughter came through the receiver.

"Mhm, just finished."

"Want to come out?"

"No. It’s already dark. Why would I go out now?"

"You should take a walk after dinner. Don’t stay cooped up at home all day, it’s not good for you," Jiang Xia chuckled.

"Get to the point. If you keep messing around, I’m hanging up."

"Baby, I miss you," he said earnestly. "I haven’t seen you for two days, and I feel all empty inside. It hurts. The doctor says it’s an affliction of the heart, and you’re the only one who can cure me."

Lin Yanwan’s face turned red. "Nonsense. You’re the one who hasn’t come over these past two days. It’s not like I stopped you."

After saying that, she snuck a peek over her shoulder, afraid her mom might be eavesdropping.

"Because I can’t focus on work when I’m with you," Jiang Xia said.

"Hmph, that’s not my problem." After a pause, she asked in a low voice, "Where are you now?"

"Downstairs from your building."

"Oh. Wait a minute."

Lin Yanwan hung up the phone, walked back inside as if nothing happened, and continued watching TV with her family. After two or three minutes, she said, "Mom, I’m going out for a walk."

"Where are you planning to go so late?" Ji Wanqiu asked, already knowing the answer.

"Nowhere in particular. Just for a walk, to help with digestion."

"Oh, okay. Go on, but come back early, you hear?"

’She stressed the word "early." After all, it was nighttime, when people were most likely to get carried away. There was no way she was letting her daughter stay out all night.’

"I know, I’ll be back in a little while!" Lin Yanwan’s eyes lit up with joy.

Lin Xiaoman seized the opportunity. "Sister, Sister, I wanna go play, too!"

"Xiao Man, it’s dark and dangerous outside. There are big bad wolves everywhere that eat little children. You can’t go with your sister," Ji Wanqiu said.

Hearing this, Lin Xiaoman shrank back in fear.

"Then... then I won’t go. Come back soon, Sister, and don’t get eaten by the big bad wolf."

Lin Yanwan patted her head and opened the door to leave. As the door clicked shut, the hallway light suddenly came on. Startled, she jumped at the sight of the figure standing right in front of her.

"Didn’t you say you were downstairs? What are you doing up here?!" Lin Yanwan glared at him, annoyed.

"Because I missed you. Coming upstairs meant I could see you one second sooner," Jiang Xia said with a smile.

"That’s not what you were thinking when it was time to work."

She pouted, but her hand habitually found his, their fingers lacing together.

The two took the elevator downstairs and strolled around the neighborhood.

"Baby, I think you might be made of a carbonated drink," Jiang Xia said suddenly.

She frowned. "Because they kill sperm?"

"Whoa, that’s a good one," Jiang Xia grinned slyly. "It’s only been two days. How’d you get so dirty-minded, baby?"

"It’s because you’re always talking nonsense. I’m just subconsciously answering based on your way of thinking."

’Lin Yanwan’s face flushed. The truth was, the two of them had made plenty of off-color jokes like this before. And in a way, wasn’t it a sperm-killer? A single gulp could wipe out at least 200 million of his ’elite soldiers.’’

"Hurry up and tell me what you meant. If it’s another dirty joke, I’m going to hit you."

Jiang Xia lightly kissed the back of her hand.

"Because whenever I see you, I start bubbling with happiness."

Looking into his sincere eyes, Lin Yanwan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

...

(Sweats. I cut a lot of words; it was about to turn into a spicy novel.)