Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Shi Nianyao heaved a sigh of relief when she noted that Mo Xicheng’s nose wasn’t bleeding.

But only then did she realize that she was still holding her idol’s hand.

She turned red immediately and took a step back. “Er… My name is Shi Nianyao. Shi as in ‘charitable giving’, Nian as in ‘to think of—’”

“I know,” Mo Xicheng interrupted her as she withdrew her hand. “Thank you.”

“Not at all!” Shi Nianyao quickly replied with a casual wave of her hand.

“I’ll post it on Weibo tomorrow. Of course, as a gesture of my appreciation, I will work with you for a news release.”

–

After Shi Nianyao had left the office, there was not much for Qiao Lian to do, so she left the office as well.

She sent a message to Shen Liangchuan and hailed a cab to head home.

As she stepped into the house, she heard chatting and laughter coming from the living room. She paused for a while to listen, and her eyes lit up when she recognized the familiar voices.

Xia Yehua was speaking, “… When Xiao Qiao and Liangchuan are back, they will be able to dig into these sumptuous dumplings, how great!”

Although Xia Yehua didn’t live far away, it had been some time since Qiao Lian had visited her.

Qiao Lian quickly pushed open the door to the living room. At once, she saw Xia Yehua and Song Yuanxi making dumplings.

Xia Yehua immediately waved at Qiao Lian when she saw her. “Xiao Qiao, you’re home early! Wash your hands and come help us make dumplings!”

Qiao Lian paused.

Reluctant to reject them, she gave a faint smiled and went to the washroom to wash her hands.

When she came out, she saw that Xia Yehua and Song Yuanxi had already arranged the dumplings they had made in straight lines.

She walked over, took a dumpling wrapper and then…

There was too much stuffing and she wasn’t able to seal the sides of the dumpling. The filling oozed out.

Because the dough had oil in it, it made sealing the dumpling skin even harder. If they cooked that dumpling, it would break apart for sure.

She looked at the fat and wrinkled dumpling she had made and then glanced at Song Yuanxi’s even and uniform looking ones. Her mouth twitched and she smiled with embarrassment.

Xia Yehua, however, pointed at Qiao Lian’s dumpling and started laughing aloud. “Hahahaha! I thought I was bad enough at doing this. Yours is even worse!”

Qiao Lian paused.

At that point, a sound came from the front door. They turned their heads to the living room entrance—it was Shen Liangchuan.

Xia Yehua was surprised. “Why are you back so early?”

Qiao Lian felt her heart stirring with warmth.

Was he home early because he had received her message?

He changed into his house slippers and walked in. Song Yuanxi exclaimed, “Brother Liangchuan, come make dumplings with us!”

Shen Liangchuan analyzed the scene before him and nodded.

He joined them after washing his hands and started to make dumplings too.

Seeing that Qiao Lian was not great at this job, Song Yuanxi laughed. “Sister-in-law, I think you might want to go rest?”

Qiao Lian looked at the dumpling she had made. Yes, it was true, they were quite unpresentable.

She then nodded and walked to the sofa.

From where she was sitting, she heard Song Yuanxi say, “Brother Liangchuan, I still remember the New Year we made dumplings for the first time. The dumplings you made then were far worse than Sister-in-law’s, but the second year you got really good at it.”

Xia Yehua teased him, “What do you know? At that time, I thought we were running out of flour especially quickly at home. I’m sure this rascal was practicing in secret!”

Qiao Lian looked at them chatting, laughing and getting along so harmoniously. She suddenly felt like the odd one out, sitting alone on the sofa.