Damn it, I'm surrounded by insane Alphas!

It was getting late, so the two didn't stay in the garden for long before going into the room.

Fu Yanshen took Shi Ran's coat, then suddenly looked down and asked, "You're going to see my mother tomorrow, are you nervous?"

Shi Ran was changing her shoes when she heard this and paused for a moment. Why did this question sound so familiar?

What should he say, "A little?"

"Don't worry, she'll definitely like you."

She blinked occasionally, "Really?"

"Um."

Fu Yanshen nodded, then remembered something, "No gifts are allowed, Ranran."

Shi Ran said helplessly, drawing out her words, "I know, boss! You've said it two hundred times! We don't need anything, just send him."

Seeing his uncompromising expression, Shi Ran rolled her eyes and tentatively asked, "If a gift isn't possible, I can bake a cake and bring it over, right? It's just a small token of my appreciation."

Fu Yanshen hesitated for a moment as he looked at the way the man was rubbing his hands together and pleading with him.

He was afraid the child would think he was being too cold-hearted and throw a tantrum, so he finally relented, "Okay, but keep it simple, don't make it too tiring."

Shi Ran immediately perked up, her fatigue vanishing instantly. "Then I'll go prepare now! Zhou Jin! Where's Zhou Jin?"

Zhou Jin, who had just put down his luggage and walked over, asked, "Boss, what are your orders now?"

He's become quite compliant now; he can disobey the boss's orders, but the boss's boss is someone he can't afford to offend.

Shi Ran quickly made a list for Zhou Jin, and in less than half an hour, all the raw materials and tools were ready. Shi Ran tied on an apron and rolled up her sleeves in a very professional manner.

Fu Yanshen leaned against the kitchen doorway, his gaze fixed on him, and suddenly asked, "Ranran can bake cakes?"

Shi Ran was beating an egg when she heard this and paused for a moment. "Hmm... I learned a little bit from watching videos before."

He felt a little guilty.

Actually, he was taught how to make cakes by Wen Yiheng.

Wen Yiheng was very professional, teaching him how to hold the whisk step by step. Hmm... very professional, except that sometimes the cream wasn't spread in the right places.

Fu Yanshen didn't press the matter further, but simply lowered his eyes, lost in thought.

He walked over to Shi Ran and pulled her into his arms from behind.

Fu Yanshen's arms wrapped around Shi Ran's waist, overlapping and accentuating his waistline in Shi Ran's loose sweater. Shi Ran wasn't short, but in Fu Yanshen's arms, he felt completely enveloped.

"Did I learn it during the two years I was away?"

Shi Ran nodded somewhat awkwardly, worried that Fu Yanshen would be just as obsessed with which wild man she had raced with as Gu Chen.

"I guess so... What's wrong?"

Fu Yanshen didn't say anything, but buried his head even lower, into Shi Ran's neck.

After the long flight, a bit of stubble appeared on his face, which gently brushed against the sensitive skin on his neck, causing itching.

He just felt regret.

I regret missing out on so much.

He doesn't mind spending two years looking for Shi Ran; he's willing to wait five, ten, or even a lifetime if he can find her.

He just felt it was a pity that all the time he should have spent with Shi Ran had been wasted.

He discovered that he had so many things he wanted to do with Shi Ran, more than he himself was surprised by.

He was such a dull and uninteresting person, with very little interest in the world, but everything became interesting as soon as he thought about being with Shi Ran, making him want to try it.

Like a large dog seeking comfort, he rubbed against Shi Ran's neck and mumbled, "Not enough."

Perhaps it's because I've finally returned to my familiar home.

No one would disturb them; only the deepening twilight outside the window and the warm yellow light from the kitchen.

The tense aura of authority that Fu Yanshen usually exuded had faded considerably, and even his tone of voice unconsciously began to sound coquettish.

Shi Ran paused, turned her head, and raised her hand to stroke the man's cheek: "What's not enough?"

Fu Yanshen rubbed his hands together in his warm palms, his voice even lower: "It's not enough."

I don't spend enough time with Shi Ran.

Sometimes he doesn't get enough love and attention.

You can only look, but you can't touch it, and that's not enough.

He didn't say it explicitly, but Shi Ran suddenly understood.

He couldn't help but chuckle softly, his fingertip gently scratching Fu Yanshen's chin: "Who's the little kid here?"

"you."

Fu Yanshen spoke almost into Shi Ran's ear, his voice hoarse and itchy, "You're a little kid, and I'm... a big kid."

Feeling his breath on the back of her ear, she gently asked, "So, big friend, what do you want right now...?"

He had barely finished speaking when a figure rushed in through the kitchen doorway.

"Boss! Strawberry's here—!!!"

Zhou Jin's shouting stopped abruptly.

He abruptly stopped, staring in disbelief at the two people who were practically glued together in the kitchen.

The two of them turned to look at him at the same time. Zhou Jin:

Strawberry confessed...

He felt like an idiot who barged into someone's bedroom and turned on the flash.

"Uh, well..."

Zhou Jin placed the strawberries on the nearest counter with trembling hands. "The strawberries are here, boss. Call me if you need anything...you guys...continue."

After saying that, he immediately turned to leave, but was stopped by Fu Yanshen.

"Zhou Jin".

Zhou Jin froze. When had his boss ever called him by his full name like this before? Could this be the last time?

He turned around stiffly, frantically trying to wink at Shi Ran, begging her to say a few nice words.

Shi Ran immediately received his signal and looked up to ask Fu Yanshen, "How long has Zhou Jin been with you?"

Zhou Jin: ?

Boss, we're a legitimate gang, and our contracts are renewed every five years. Come to think of it... we really do need to renew our contract in two months.

Fu Yanshen thought for a moment and then said, "Ten years. He's been with me the longest, followed by Crow."

Shi Ran nodded with a look of sudden realization, "It's been so long."

Zhou Jin: I deserve to die! I actually expected this ancestor to plead for me... I'm already being kind by not joining the boss in ruining himself!

He quickly forced an even more ingratiating smile, trying to bluff his way out: "Boss, is there something wrong? If not, I'll head down now."

Shi Ran leaned against Fu Yanshen, eager to stir up trouble, and asked, "What were you doing down there? Was the tomb robbed?"

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Yanshen's hand had already landed on his waist, pressing down lightly, with a hint of an elder's admonition.

Shi Ran subconsciously fell silent.

Fu Yanshen then looked at Zhou Jin again, regained his serious expression, and said to Zhou Jin, "Go to my study and call Crow along."

After saying that, he told Shi Ran that he had something to do and would be back soon, and then went upstairs with Zhou Jin, whose back looked terrified.

Shi Ran made much faster progress downstairs. What he made wasn't complicated; it was a peach chiffon cake that he had made before.

While stirring the ingredients with practiced ease, he suddenly recalled the scene when Wen Yiheng taught him.

Speaking of which... lately, we haven't heard much from Wen Yiheng.

Not only Wen Yiheng, but Gu Chen was also very quiet.

Not right.

---------

The system's cold, mechanical voice quickly sounded: "[There's a reasonable explanation: the countdown for the 'memory erasure module' implanted by the He family is down to three days.]"

He was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized what was going on.

Oh right! How could he have forgotten about that!

--------

This time it took even longer, so long that Shiran began to wonder if he had accidentally crashed the system.

Finally, the system's voice came through, though it sounded a bit like it was gritting its teeth.

[Cheerful and righteous.]

Shi Ran couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He was laughing happily when he suddenly sensed something. He turned around and saw that Fu Yanshen had come downstairs at some point and was leaning against the refrigerator with his arms crossed, quietly watching him.

"What are you looking at?"

I sometimes feel a little embarrassed by their stares.

"It's up to you."

Fu Yanshen answered directly, walked over in a few steps, and hugged Shi Ran.

But Shi Ran always felt that even though she had only said a few words to Zhou Jin, Fu Yanshen was tense again when she came back.

"The cake will have to wait a while."

Fu Yanshen hummed in agreement, tightening his grip on her arm even more: "No rush."

Finally, Shiran wouldn't go to bed until the cake was out of the oven, cooled, and simply decorated.

(Don't worry, there won't be any melodramatic or angsty plot twists until the end; everything is under control.)