Chapter 38 Partnering up?

Chen Mo and Xu Hongdou returned to the community and took the elevator together.

"How are you going to have dinner?" Chen Mo asked.

"Let's order takeout." said Xu Hongdou.

"It's not okay to always eat takeout. Don't you usually cook?"

"I do it occasionally when I'm on break, but I'm too lazy to do it after a tiring day at work." Xu Hongdou stretched out his hand and rubbed his neck with his head tilted.

"At noon, our hotel provides staff meals. After all, our hotel is a five-star hotel, so the food is pretty good."

"Just make do with something for dinner tonight."

"Don't make do with it. Your stomach is in trouble because of it." Chen Mo shook his head.

"I'll make more later. You go back and rest for a while. I'll call you over to eat when you're done."

"No." Xu Hongdou refused bluntly.

"Why?" Chen Mo was puzzled.

"It's not like you haven't tried my cooking skills. It's no worse than takeout, and it's healthier."

"I won't do anything without a name or status." Xu Hongdou repeated to him what Chen Mo had just said in the car.

"."Chen Mo.

"We are friends and neighbors. Isn't it normal for neighbors and friends to visit each other and have a meal together?"

"Have you never considered me a friend?!" Chen Mo said with a "sad" look on his face.

Xu Hongdou glanced at Chen Mo, whose acting was exaggerated, and said, "I am used to eating with my cat. I can't eat without it."

"You also have a cat?" Chen Mo was a little surprised.

Anyone who has ever raised a cat knows that there is no cat in the world that doesn't shed.

Oh, except for the Sphynx cat.

Because the Sphynx is a hairless cat, except for the small hairs on the middle of the face, behind the ears, and the tip of the tail, the whole body is hairless, so the Sphynx cat has basically no hair to shed.

Although the Sphynx cat does not shed hair, it does produce oil, so you need to wipe its body with a bath towel almost every day.

So keeping a pet is a very time-consuming and energy-consuming task.

Chen Mo was a little surprised that Xu Hongdou, who was so busy every day, still had time to raise a cat.

"Well, I have to watch it eat before I can feel at ease." Xu Hongdou said seriously.

"Why don't you just bring the cat over here?" Chen Mo suggested.

"No, it's shy." Xu Hongdou shook her head. "It can't tolerate strangers or unfamiliar environments. It's only suitable to stay at home."

"Okay then." Chen Mo couldn't think of any good solution for a moment.

"Ding~" The elevator has arrived.

"Then you should eat early and don't be hungry too late." Chen Mo reminded.

"Okay, thank you for today, see you tomorrow." Xu Hongdou said.

Chen Mo waved his hand and said, "Don't be so polite. See you tomorrow."

The two said goodbye briefly and went into their respective rooms.

Chen Mo went back to wash his hands and sat on the sofa for a while. Actually, he didn’t like cooking alone.

When eating alone, it is difficult to control the amount of food to cook. If you cook more dishes, you will worry about not being able to finish them.

It is indeed not as easy and simple as ordering takeout after all the hassle of cooking and then having to wash the dishes.

After sitting for a while, Chen Mo got up and went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and looked for something to eat.

A lot of food had just been stocked in the refrigerator two days ago. Chen Mo was thinking about it when suddenly his eyes went dark.

"Huh? The power tripped?" Chen Mo took out his cell phone, turned on the flashlight, and checked the main switch in the room.

"No." Chen Mo saw that the power switch was still on, not tripped.

Looking at the darkness in the house, Chen Mo remembered something and went to the room where Jiang Congwen had previously broadcast live and searched for a fill light with its own power supply.

"I hope there's still electricity." Chen Mo fumbled for the switch, muttering to himself.

"Click~" the light switch turned on, and the room suddenly became bright.

Chen Mo took the lamp to the living room and opened the door. Just as he was about to check what was happening outside, he saw that the door of room 1101 next door was also opened.

Chen Mo saw Xu Hongdou also holding a cell phone and turning on the flashlight, and couldn't help asking: "Huh? Is there a power outage at your house too?"

"Yeah, I thought the power was tripped." Xu Hongdou also saw Chen Mo.

"Huh? Why is it still so bright in your room?" Xu Hongdou saw the light coming from 1102.

"Oh, it's because we had too many things when we moved last time." Chen Mo explained briefly.

"He had a set of speakers and lights that came with their own power source for outdoor live broadcasts, but he didn't need them right away, so he didn't take them away."

As they talked, they walked to the window in the corridor and looked down. They found that the entire community was dark, but the community opposite was brightly lit.

"Do power outages often occur here?" Chen Mo asked.

"No." Xu Hongdou shook her head. "Let me ask the property management about the situation."

"Then come sit at my place for a while."

"Okay." Xu Hongdou saw that there was a light in Chen Mo's room and did not refuse.

The two returned to 1102, and Xu Hongdou also received a reply from the property.

"The property management said that the street office sent out a notice that the circuits in this area will be repaired and the power will be cut off in batches. Our community happens to be in this time period."

"The message was sent to the owners' group this morning. Maybe the landlord didn't notice the message in the group and didn't notify us." Xu Hongdou said to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo took the washed fruits and placed them in front of Xu Hongdou, saying with a smile: "It's a good thing we came back early, otherwise we would have been trapped in the elevator."

"It's true." Xu Hongdou couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, you haven't ordered takeout yet, right?" Chen Mo stood up and asked.

"I just changed my clothes and was getting ready to order." Xu Hongdou shook her head.

"Then you can't order this either. You can't ask the delivery guy to climb the stairs to bring it to you, right?"

"Well, we also have bread, instant noodles and other things at home," Xu Hongdou thought.

"It's pitch dark here. You need to boil water even to make instant noodles. You probably don't even have a candle at home, right?" Chen Mo interrupted.

Xu Hongdou thought about it and decided that there really wasn’t one.

In big cities, power outages are rare now, so people basically don’t keep candles at home like they used to.

"There's only one lamp, and I can't lend it to you. Just eat here."

Chen Mo shone the light towards the dining table and the kitchen. He had to admit that this fill light was quite bright. No wonder it made people look so white in front of the camera.

"You sit at the dining table, eat some fruit and sit for a while. I'll make something simple and it will be ready soon." Chen Mo said to Xu Hongdou.

Because the lights were shining towards the dining table and the kitchen, the living room became dark.

"Okay, thank you for troubling you again." Xu Hongdou pursed her lips and said.

"Don't say thank you and trouble all the time. It makes people feel distant." Chen Mo said as he took ingredients from the refrigerator.

"We are neighbors. If you bother me today, I may have to bother you someday."

"If we trouble each other appropriately, we are friends. If we don't cause any trouble at all, we are strangers."

"What do you think?" Chen Mo turned and looked at Xu Hongdou.

"Yeah." Xu Hongdou came to the dining table, sat down and nodded.

"Then don't say thank you to me so often in the future. I don't know how many times I have to hear you say it every day." Chen Mo smiled.

"Thank you for this, but you're still not happy." Xu Hongdou complained.

"Well, I don't want to hear you say that." Chen Mo nodded.

"Okay, then I won't tell you about it in the future, okay?" Xu Hongdou rolled her eyes.

Chen Mo nodded with satisfaction.

Xu Hongdou shook her head helplessly.

Although there was no electricity, there was still water and gas. Since the range hood could not be used, Chen Mo did not plan to cook dishes that produced heavy oil smoke.

While Chen Mo boiled the water, he washed some vegetables skillfully.

After the water boils, Chen Mo first cooks the noodles and vegetables, then scoops them out and divides them into two bowls. He adds some salt to the soup, then blanchs some beef, sprinkles with chopped green onions and coriander, and finally adds a small spoonful of garlic oil. Two bowls of simple beef noodles are ready.

Xu Hongdou sat at the dining table, supporting her chin with her hands, looking at Chen Mo's busy back. Her eyes were a little dazed, and she felt as if she was back home.

She also watched her parents busy in the kitchen, preparing hot and delicious meals.

No need to eat cold takeout alone in an empty house.

"Let me help get it." Xu Hongdou stood up and said when she saw Chen Mo was done.

"No, no, it's very hot. You sit down and I'll do it." Chen Mo brought out two bowls of beef noodles and didn't let Xu Hongdou get their hands dirty.

Chen Mo knew that Xu Hongdou liked spicy food, so he turned around and poured two plates of chili sauce.

"Come on, try it and see how it tastes." Chen Mo handed over the chopsticks and said.

"Thank you," Xu Hongdou said habitually after taking the chopsticks. "Hmm?" Chen Mo raised his eyebrows and looked at Xu Hongdou.

"I won't say thank you." Noticing Chen Mo's eyes, Xu Hongdou changed the subject.

"Eat quickly, don't wait until it gets lumpy." Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Hmm." Xu Hongdou picked up the spoon and drank a sip of the soup first.

"How is it? Is it too bland?" Chen Mo asked Xu Hongdou.

Xu Hongdou shook her head: "No, it's just right."

"That's good." Seeing that Xu Hongdou was satisfied, Chen Mo started eating with peace of mind.

"Ring~Ring~" When Xu Hongdou was halfway through eating, her cell phone rang.

The phone screen showed "'Mom' sent a video call invitation."

"Hello, Mom." Xu Hongdou answered the video call.

"Dou'er, have you eaten?" The screen showed the kind and friendly smiling face of Xu Hongdou's mother Liu Guiqin.

"I'm eating, Mom."

"That's good. If you eat on time, your stomach won't feel uncomfortable all the time."

"Okay, I get it, Mom. I'm eating right now." Xu Hongdou said while eating noodles.

"Don't eat takeout all the time. It's unhygienic and unhealthy." Liu Guiqin muttered.

Chen Mo listened to Liu Guiqin's words and smiled knowingly.

It’s true that all mothers in the world are the same, even the words they say are similar.

"No, Mom, look, I'm not eating takeout." Xu Hongdou held the phone away and showed the beef noodles she was eating.

"That's good. Why is it so dark where you are?" Liu Guiqin asked curiously, looking at the gloomy living room background behind Xu Hongdou.

"The nearby circuit is under maintenance and the power is out."

As soon as Xu Hongdou finished speaking, the lights in the room turned on.

"The phone is ringing." Chen Mo looked up at the light and said subconsciously.

"Huh? Where are you? Who is talking next to you?" Liu Guiqin looked at the bright background behind Xu Hongdou and felt a little unfamiliar.

"Oh, I'm at my neighbor's house, and the person talking is my friend."

"Why does it sound like a man? Is that right?" Liu Guiqin said with some anticipation.

"Mom, we're just ordinary friends." Xu Hongdou interrupted quickly.

When Chen Mo heard Liu Guiqin's words, he gestured to Xu Hongdou, pointed at Xu Hongdou's cell phone, and then pointed at himself.

Xu Hongdou raised her head and glanced at Chen Mo.

"Here~ take a look for yourself." Xu Hongdou said, turning the phone to Chen Mo.

"Auntie, hello, my name is Chen Mo, Erdong Chen, Mo as in ink, I am Hongdou's friend and also Hongdou's neighbor."

Chen Mo immediately waved his hands enthusiastically and greeted Liu Guiqin.

"Hello, young man." Liu Guiqin responded happily when she saw Chen Mo's handsome face and sharp eyebrows.

"Auntie, you can just call me Xiao Mo. That's what the elders in my family call me." Chen Mo said with a bright smile.

Xu Hongdou was holding her cell phone in one hand and eating noodles with the other. When she heard Chen Mo's overly enthusiastic tone, she couldn't help but look up and glance at Chen Mo.

"Hey, okay, Xiao Mo, where are you from?"

"Auntie, my hometown is Guangdong Province, but I grew up in the capital."

“So what do you do?”

"Mom, why are you asking so many questions?" Xu Hongdou quickly interrupted this strange opening question and answer session.

Why is it like the mother-in-law meeting her son-in-law?

"I'm sorry, Xiao Mo, I asked too many questions." Liu Guiqin said with a smile.

"It's okay, Auntie. I'm Hongdou's friend. You know who your daughter is friends with, so you as a mother can rest assured, right?"

"Yes, that's right." Liu Guiqin nodded repeatedly.

"I'm just worried that she's alone in the capital, and Nan Nan is her only friend, and they're not close."

"You said if something really happened, there would be no one around to take care of you."

"I wanted her to go to Shanghai. I would feel at ease knowing her sister is there, but she wouldn't listen." Liu Guiqin kept muttering.

"Mom, why are you here again? I'm fine." Xu Hongdou said helplessly.

"Auntie, don't worry, you still have me here," Chen Mo said comfortingly.

"I live next door to Hongdou now, and my workplace is also very close to the hotel where Hongdou works, so we go the same way to and from get off work."

"Let's add each other's contact information. If you have any concerns in the future, just come to me and ask me."

"Well, that's great. Having a friend like you who's close to me makes me feel more at ease." Liu Guiqin nodded repeatedly.

"I'll ask our Dou'er to send your WeChat to me later."

"No problem." Chen Mo ignored Xu Hongdou's shaking head and agreed readily.

"Auntie, you can come to me for whatever you did with Nanxing before. I'm closer and it's more convenient than Nanxing."

"Xiao Mo, you also know Nan Nan?" Liu Guiqin asked.

"I know you, Auntie. We are all friends. When we are away from home, we just need to take care of each other." Chen Mo said.

"Yes, that's right." Liu Guiqin nodded.

"Before, I was worried that Dou'er might have a bad stomach and always eat takeout."

"Yes, we really can't eat takeout every day. My mom always says that to me." Chen Mo agreed.

"Isn't it? You young people are sometimes just lazy and would rather spend money on eating something without nutrition than cook it yourself," said Liu Guiqin.

"At least the things we make ourselves are made of real materials and are clean and hygienic."

"Auntie, you are right. Sometimes, one person is just too lazy to cook." Chen Mo nodded repeatedly.

"Well, I just told Hongdou that we can come back together on the way home from get off work."

"Now that you mention it, I think we can still be dinner partners."

"Everyone can take turns cooking, or I can cook and she can wash the dishes, and we can divide the work, so that no one has to eat takeout."

"Oh, this is good." Liu Guiqin clapped her hands.

Xu Hongdou even forgot to continue chewing the noodles in her mouth. She watched the conversation between Chen Mo and Liu Guiqin with a dull look on her face.

"Are you the one who cooked the meal today, Xiao Mo?" Liu Guiqin asked.

"Yes, Auntie, I really like cooking for my friends." Chen Mo said.

"Anyway, I cook for one person or two people, so there's no need to divide the work. Hongdou pays for the food and I'll cook."

"How can this be possible? How can we let you do it alone? Our Dou'er can also cook." Liu Guiqin shook her head.

"Auntie, please don't be polite to me. Hongdou stands all day at work and is tired after get off work. My work is easy and there is nothing to do."

"We are friends and neighbors, why should we be polite to each other? It's just a matter of convenience, and being polite will become a rift."

"Hongdou is always so polite to me. If there hadn't been a power outage just now, she wouldn't have come over when I called her."

Xu Hongdou couldn't stand it anymore after listening to Chen Mo's "nonsense", so she kicked Chen Mo hard under the table.

"Hiss~~" Chen Mo's face twitched and he quickly retracted his feet.

"What's wrong, Xiao Mo?" Liu Guiqin asked with concern.

"It's okay, Auntie, my foot was scratched by Hongdou's cat." Chen Mo rubbed his feet with his hands, forcing a smile on his face.

"Cat? Dou'er, when did you start getting a cat?" Liu Guiqin asked puzzledly.

Xu Hongdou quickly turned the phone back and said, "No, Mom, I bought a lucky cat a while ago."

Chen Mo's expression was very interesting when he heard Xu Hongdou's words.

Wow, it's a lucky cat.
Why not talk about toy dogs?

"Why would a lucky cat scratch people?" Liu Guiqin was a little confused.

"Okay, Mom, let's stop talking. We still have to eat. The noodles are clumping together."

"Oh, okay, okay. Xiao Mo, you guys eat first. Auntie will hang up first."

"Okay, Auntie, remember to add me on WeChat later." Chen Mo shouted quickly.

Xu Hongdou didn't give Chen Mo a chance to finish his words. She waved to Liu Guiqin and hung up the video call.

The room suddenly became strangely quiet...

"Dinner partner?" Xu Hongdou raised her eyebrows and asked in a playful tone.

"Lucky cat?" Chen Mo asked back with a "curious" smile.

The two looked at each other calmly and subtly.
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(End of this chapter)