Quan Jiu paused for a moment before she understood. This was the number of the grandfather next door.
However, wasn't this taste a bit too intense?
And how much did he love fish... Fish. The thought of fish made Quan Jiu's heart clench. Her specialty was cooking fish, any kind of fish, simply because he loved fish.
Quan Jiu shook her head to clear her thoughts and said with concern, "Grandpa, these are all very spicy. Your stomach might not be able to handle them. Also, I'm getting home quite late tonight. Please eat something on your own first to avoid going hungry."
Chu Rong, lying on his sofa at home, raised an eyebrow. "Grandpa? Heh, interesting."
"Is there anyone at your home? If not, you can bring the children over to my place."
Quan Jiu was taken aback, and her nose suddenly felt a sting. Ever since she started boarding at school, her grandmother was often alone at home. She used to think that when she grew up, she would definitely let her grandmother enjoy a good life, but she never expected that even when her grandmother passed away, she was all alone.
Thinking of this, Quan Jiu felt a pang of heartache and regret. The person who had raised her with so much hardship not only couldn't enjoy a good life but she couldn't even see her one last time.
Tears blurred Quan Jiu's vision. Trembling, Quan Jiu replied with a "Okay," and after calming herself for a while, she called Mimi.
"Mimi, Mom will be home quite late tonight. Take your brother to Grandpa's place next door. Don't play by yourselves, play with Grandpa. Your godmother will come find you later."
The sensitive Mimi immediately noticed that Quan Jiu's voice sounded a bit off. She asked worriedly, "Mom, why does your voice sound a bit muffled? What's wrong?"
Quan Jiu coughed lightly. "It's nothing, I just choked on some water."
"Oh." Mimi felt relieved and replied, "Okay, your brother and I will go now."
After hanging up the phone, Quan Jiu saw that Wang Feifei had already replied: "Got it, I was just planning to come to your place today."
...
After hanging up the phone, Mimi, pulling her brother, went to 1003. She skillfully entered a password, opened the door, and walked in.
"Uncle, are you home?" Tu Tu called out into the dark living room.
Chu Rong's lips curved into a gentle smile. "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? What do you want to eat? Uncle will make it for you." He said this as he went to turn on the living room lights.
As soon as the lights came on, the room was brightly lit.
Tu Tu, familiar with the place, jumped onto the sofa. "Why do you always dislike turning on the lights?"
"Because the night allows for contemplation." Chu Rong walked into the kitchen, looked around, found a box of eggs, and asked, "Do you want steamed eggs?"
Mimi nodded. "Sure."
As Chu Rong beat the eggs, he asked, "Why does your mom call me Grandpa?"
Mimi and Tu Tu were both startled.
Mimi's mind raced. Mom didn't have the number here, so she couldn't have contacted him proactively. They also couldn't have met as neighbors. The only possibility was that their dad had contacted Mom. Coupled with what Mom had specifically told her earlier...
Mimi suddenly understood, and then with a hint of wariness, she asked, "Why do you ask?"
Chu Rong couldn't help but smile. The little one was quite vigilant.
"Your mom gave me a lot of medicine last time and left her phone number. I just sent her a text message to express my thanks."
Tu Tu, who had been tense, relaxed slightly and continued to fiddle with the Luban lock.
Mimi, however, remained somewhat suspicious. But outwardly, she still opened her innocent, watery eyes and said, "I don't know. Perhaps there was some misunderstanding."
"Uncle, I'm so hungry. When will dinner be ready?" Tu Tu asked in a drawn-out, aggrieved tone.
"Soon. There are dried fruits in the drawer of the table." Chu Rong quickened his pace.
...
By the time Quan Jiu arrived at A University, it was already past seven o'clock. Nine students were waiting in the performance room.
As soon as Quan Jiu entered, she was deeply gratified to see everyone rehearsing their scenes with great synergy. She never hesitated to show favor to those who worked hard.
Han Zhao was the first to spot Quan Jiu. He stopped his scene with Ren Kui, ran over with a smile, and called out, "Teacher."
Quan Jiu couldn't help but praise him. "You've become much more confident after a month."
In the past, Han Zhao's first impression was captivating, but upon closer inspection, one could see the insecurity and forced effort hidden beneath his exterior. Now, his smile exuded confidence and brightness, along with infinite hope for the future.
Ren Kui also caught up, frowning. "What teacher? You should call her boss." Then, he grinned and hugged Quan Jiu's arm. "Right, boss."
Quan Jiu gently pushed Ren Kui's head. "Keep it up. This quirky personality is your character from now on. You don't have to worry about breaking character even if you're just being yourself."
"Okay, boss." Ren Kui put his hands behind his back and performed a mock bow with great seriousness.
The other students also gathered around, all calling out "Nine teacher."
After greeting everyone one by one, Quan Jiu addressed them. "I'm here today mainly to see how well you've each grasped your characters. Consider this extra coaching. I definitely hope that all of you will be chosen by Director He."
The students couldn't help but applaud and cheer. Xiang Fei closed both the front and back doors of the classroom, and the performances began one by one.
Han Zhao was the first to take the stage. Quan Jiu chose a farewell scene and didn't arrange for anyone to act opposite him, asking Han Zhao to perform to the empty air.
After resolving his inner turmoil, Han Zhao's acting was completely unburdened. A person who loves acting and is talented, even when performing to empty air, can evoke emotions of sadness and grief, without making the onlookers feel awkward or out of the scene.
A farewell scene actually brought tears to the eyes of several emotional girls.
Xiang Fei, not hiding his envy and jealousy, whispered to Zhuang Yu, "I used to think that even though my looks were a bit lacking, my acting was still confident, and there wasn't much of a gap between me and Han Zhao.
But now, alas... Heaven is ultimately unfair. He's so handsome, his acting is so good, and he still expects ordinary people like us to live."
Zhuang Yu sighed resignedly. "Ever since I met Nine teacher, he's been like he's cheating. When we graduate, I'll definitely ask him for a few more autographs to sell later."
Xiang Fei rolled his eyes and continued to watch the performance intently.
Han Zhao finished his last expression and looked at Quan Jiu, both expectant and a little nervous.
Quan Jiu applauded and smiled. "You've truly improved a lot. This scene was very engaging. However, you could have reined in the emotion a little. Your emotions are correct, but for the character's personality, it's slightly excessive."
Before the critique, everyone thought Han Zhao had already performed very well, including Han Zhao himself. But after hearing Quan Jiu's words, everyone felt they were spot on; it was indeed a bit over the top.
Han Zhao nodded and stepped down to adjust his emotions. Quan Jiu then called for the next person.
... By nine o'clock, everyone had finished their performances. Quan Jiu offered targeted suggestions for each person's issues. Finally, seeing that it was getting late, she urged them, "That's all for today. Go to the film crew at eight in the morning tomorrow, don't be late. Get some good sleep tonight so you have good energy tomorrow."
The students all responded with a chorus of "Okay" and left the classroom one by one. Quan Jiu also drove home.
......
Meanwhile, after eating the steamed eggs, Mimi and Tu Tu received a call from their godmother shortly after.
The two little ones had to say goodbye and return to their own home.
After the children left, Chu Rong took his keys and went out. Half an hour later, he returned home with a bag of glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and a bottle of cooking oil.
The glutinous rice flour was mixed with warm water to form a dough, then steamed. It was then sealed with plastic wrap and refrigerated for two hours. Finally, it was taken out, sliced, and the basic form of Ci Ba was created.
Oil was heated in a pot, and the Ci Ba slices were fried until golden brown and then removed. After all of them were fried, another pot was prepared. Water was poured into the pot, half a bowl of brown sugar was added, and it was simmered over low heat until the brown sugar water began to bubble.
Finally, the brown sugar water was evenly drizzled over the fried Ci Ba, and a plate of crispy, fragrant, soft, and chewy Ci Ba was ready.
The sweetness of the Ci Ba mixed with brown sugar brought Chu Rong's memories back to five years ago. He didn't often cook, but occasionally when he had free time, he would make the Ci Ba she loved the most.
At ten o'clock, he still hadn't heard the sound of the door opening next door.
Chu Rong packed the Ci Ba into a box, then opened his door and hung the items on the doorknob of 1004.
Back in his room, Chu Rong sat by the door, listening to all the sounds outside. Until at one point, the elevator chimed, followed by familiar footsteps approaching from afar, finally stopping at the door opposite.
Chu Rong took out his phone and opened the top-pinned number: "Made too much, can't finish it."
Quan Jiu was wondering if it was takeout ordered by Wang Feifei when she received a text message. Upon opening it, she smiled knowingly.
She turned her head, looked at the closed door opposite, walked over, and stood at the door, saying softly, "Thank you, Grandpa."
Chu Rong heard the voice so close by and smiled. In five years, he had never felt such a sense of peace.
Quan Jiu entered her home carrying the box of food sent by "Grandpa."
Wang Feifei was playing a game with the two children and welcomed her with a voice. "You're back! There's food left in the pot."
"Grandpa next door also sent something," Quan Jiu said, opening the food container. The next moment, her expression froze.